Vaelia was happy to finally leave the marshlands. The group kept walking until they left the marshes behind and entered the Lone Lamds. In comparison to the marshlands, the Lone Lands were much dryer and as such much more pleasant. It was also easier to walk for the hobbits now that they weren't wading through waist-high water. She could only hope that they had managed to put some distance between them and the Nazgûl.
It was late in the afternoon when they finally came across a landmark known to the two rangers. It was large rise that stood out in the middle of the mostly flat countryside. At the top the ruins of what was once a Dunedain watchtower could be seen. The locals called it the Weathertop. But Vaelia and Aragorn knew it by another name.
"The watchtower of Amon Sul." she recognized with a sigh.
"I wish I could have seen it in its prime."
Aragorn nodded in silent agreement before turning to the hobbits.
"We shall rest here tonight."
They made their way up the rise, stopping on a ledge just below the top. As the hobbits unloaded their packs, Aragorn brought out four short swords, little more than daggers for the rangers but the adequate size for the hobbits. He gave one to each of them.
"These are for you. Keep them close." he instructed before turning to Vaelia.
"I'm going to have a look around. Stay here and watch over them."
She nodded and watched as he walked away to scout the terrain. Vaelia sat down near the edge and let her eyes wander over the surrounding landscape. She couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. She felt as though they were being watched, yet her eyes spotted no one. The dwindling light as the sun sank beneath the horizon didn't help ease her mind. Instinctively, she pulled her necklace out from beneath her shirt and quickly glanced at it before looking back up and simply holding the pendant in her hand.
"That necklace. Uncle Bilbo told me about it once. He said it belonged to a ranger named Esamir." Frodo said, walking over and sitting down next to her.
Vaelia looked at him and smiled.
"I'm afraid your uncle is only partially right. It was given to me by Esamir, yes. But it wasn't originally his." she told Frodo.
"It was crafted by the high-elves of Gondolin, most likely as a gift to an elf maiden. It was forged with the same spells used on their swords, so it glows blue when orcs and goblins are near. It has saved my life many times."
Frodo stayed silent and sat down next to her. Vaelia could tell there was something on the hobbit's mind.
"Something troubles you?" she asked.
"When I was a boy, I loved hearing Uncle Bilbo's stories. I dreamed about adventures like his. Now I'm here, away from home, and nothing is the way I imagined." he said.
Vaelia was about to answer, when a loud noise caught her attention. It sounded almost like a horse. Chills ran down her spine.
"Stay here. I'll go investigate. Try to get some rest." she told Frodo.
She then got up and made her way down the Weathertop. The light of the sun was gone now and she was navigating through the darkness, relying mostly on her other senses and the faint moonlight to orient herself.
She found some tracks that she identified as those of a horse. Suddenly, a chilling screech pierced through the night. Vaelia's eyes darted to the Weathertop, where she saw cloaked figures making their way to the top. She cursed herself for allowing the wraiths to trick her.
She drew her sword and began running back to the ruins of the watchtower, fear granting her speed. When she got to the top, she saw five of the Nazgûl closing in on Frodo, the other hobbits having been tossed to the side. Vaelia immediately leaped in front of Frodo, sword pointed at the wraiths.
"Stand back!"
The Nazgûl stopped. One of them spoke in a haunting voice, whispered and raspy but laced with authority and anger. Despite the obscured face and the armor being the same as that of the others, she knew who he was: the Witch King of Angmar, the one who led the Nine. His name instilled terror in most of the remaining Dunedain, for he was the one who had brought to ruin their northern kingdoms of old.
"Surrender the halfling." he commanded.
Vaelia ignored the thumping of her heart and gripped the hilt of her sword so tight her knuckles turned white.
"You will not touch him! Not as long as I draw breath!" she growled through gritted teeth.
The Nazgûl accepted the challenge. He sliced at her with surprising speed. Vaelia quickly moved her sword to block. Another one of the wraiths tried to cut her, forcing her to dodge to the side and break the blade lock with the first one.
The remaining Nazgûl quickly moved on her, striking with killer intent. Vaelia was relying on every single ounce of training she had just to stay alive. She was outnumbered and did not have the endurance to fight a drawn out battle against five opponents at the same time. In comparison, the Nazgûl could easily surround her, they were tireless and did not fear her blade.
Suddenly, she heard a scream of pain. Her eyes darted towards Frodo, where she saw one of the Nazgûl stabbing into the void. The blood in her veins turned to ice. She had to reach Frodo, and she had to do it quickly.
She attempted a stab at the wraith in front of her, but her blade was simply swatted aside. The wraith then reached forward and closed its hand around her throat. Vaelia choked and struggled as the Nazgûl's armored gauntlets began crushing her windpipe, black dots starting to enter her vision.
Fortunately, that was when Aragorn returned. With a war cry, he threw himself into the fight, brandishing two flaming torches. He swiftly set the Nazgûl choking Vaelia ablaze, causing it to drop her and run away with a screech.
"Here, take this." he said, holding one of the torches out to her.
Vaelia panted for a few seconds, trying to regain her breath, before taking the torch and picking her sword back up. Together they lunged at the wraiths, making use of the fire to set their black robes alight, causing them to flee. Eventually, only the Witch King remained. In one swift motion, Aragorn turned around and threw the torch right at the Nazgûl's face. The wraith fled with an inhuman scream.
As soon as the threat was gone, the hobbits huddled around Frodo. The young Baggins grimaced and groaned in pain.
"Strider, Huntress! Help him!" Sam called out.
The rangers rushed towards them. For a few moments, Vaelia was puzzled. She had been stabbed before and knew that such wounds were painful, but she had never seen someone react this intensely. That was when her eyes caught sight of the weapon the Witch King had used: a long black dagger. Her heart skipped a beat.
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." she told Aragorn, holding the weapon up for him to see.
As soon as she finished speaking, the blade vanished into the dust. Aragorn's eyes widened. He knew, just like her, how deadly these weapons could be.
"This is beyond our skills to heal. He needs elvish medicine."
YOU ARE READING
the Burnt Ranger
Fanfiction"One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all, And in the darkness bind them." The world is changing, and Vaelia can feel it. She has seen the number of dark creatures in the wild grow, their attacks becoming bolder e...
