Lost Tales from Middle-earth

Poison and Turning

When Eowyn awoke at dawn, she saw Baralinion laying next to her and wondered what he was doing there, when she realized that she was holding his wrist. He had not wanted to wake her. She smiled, and briefly contemplated the idea of fleeing, but she knew that he soon would capture her and that she would be treated much worse than she now was. 

She decided to prepare a meal. She made a small fire with dead branches that lay not far, took her small casserole and started preparing her stew.

An odd smell woke Baralinion up. He saw Eowyn, her back to him, preparing something with the ustensiles she had recovered from the attack that his orcs had led.

"I see that you did not try to flee," he said, his voice soft.

"It would have been pointless. You would have caught up with me."

"I would have," he chuckled. She turned to face him. He was sitting, his eyes playfully looking at her and again she could not help but notice how handsome he was.

"I made some stew. It isn't much, but it will warm you."

"I do not need much warming, but nonetheless I thank you." She gave him the bowl, and smelled it. He frowned.

"What is this?"

"Nothing! Just a bit of stew."

"And what, may I ask, is that mark on your arm?" She had tried to conceal it, but two dots punctured her left wrist."

"It was only a small snake. It bit me while I was searching for herbs, for it passed right next to the camp."

He jumped up.

"A snake? Of Mordor? What have you done? Why did you not wake me? When did this happen?"

She was confused.

"Just five minutes ago."

"No! 'Tis poisonous! You could die!"

"What do you care if I live or die?"

"Our oaths!"

She paled in terror and covered her mouth.

"Is there no way? Have I doomed the both of us by my own foolishness?"

"There is one way. Do you trust me?"

"I have no choice but to."

"Very well." He whistled, and in the distance a sand cloud rose. Soon a black horse was with them. He mounted it and held his hand to her,

"Climb!"

"Why did you not call this horse earlier? We could already be there!"

"Perhaps, but the journey by foot was longer, and that way, I could get you to tell me all the secrets of your people. 'Twas not my choice, but the one of my master. Count yourself lucky to be of any use to him, or you would be dead."

"So all of it, it was only at the bidding of Sauron?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"All those moments we shared, the feeling that you truly understood me, was it all false?" 

Suddenly he realized that she was very much like him, wishing for the simple attention of another. One thing was different though. Alcariniel had not loved him back. Eowyn...meant something to him. He knew that he could not lose her, whether the oath stood or not.

"Not all of them."

She looked at him in surprise, and climbed in front of him. They rode in the darkness, for in Mordor the days were as the nights, somber and dreadful. At the end of the day, or night, it was hard to tell, a dark cloud lay before them. Barad-dûr. At last.

To any other it would be terrifying to look upon, but to Baralinion and Eowyn it was a sign of hope. She still could make it.

At that moment though, she fainted. He caught her in his arms as she fell. 

She was paler than Death itself. 

As they arrived at the great entrance of the Fortress of Sauron, he dismounted Gorfui, thanked him, and carried the Princess in his arms. The gates opened at his arrival. He tirelessly climbed the thousands of steps that led to the top of the tower. There he met the Dark Lord, or more the place where his presence was most powerful, once again.

"Baralinion." Sauron said in his terrible voice that shook the ground. All quailed before it, but Baralinion stood firm. His master did not scare him, and that was why Sauron liked this elf very much. Usually he hated that race, apart from one other exception to whom he owed everything, but this one too was different. He had not the arrogance of his peers, and his darkness was one to rival the one of the Dark Lord himself. 

The Maia guessed that the Human was dear to his servant, and that losing her could fully sway his heart to a wickedness yet unseen, yet Sauron decided then that for now she had to stay alive, so that the two could become closer and fully wreck his General when she died, for she was nothing but a weak human. So he healed her, but laid a darkness upon her heart, for none can escape the touch of the Dark Lord without being corrupted.

But as he saved her, he saw in the woman a strength that surpassed what he had thought.

In the end, she could become very useful to him.

After that day, Eowyn grew in Power and became stronger, training every day with Baralinion and orcs until she could last against the General for long. Every day her heart darkened with a lust for power and Queenship of the Land which she deemed rightfully hers, and not her idiotic brother's who had done nothing to deserve it, while she always worked hard. But as she was a woman her efforts were diminished. 

At least Sauron did not care about her gender, as long as she was useful. 

When the Dark Lord deemed her ready, she became the second in command of Baralinion,, and together they raided villages and slaughtered many innocent people for the sole purpose of drawing Alcariniel and Thranduil out.

She was renamed Crithriel the Reaper, for at the end of the raids, her laughter would echo in the valleys, terrible and dark.