Ithildin - Legolas x OC

Chapter 38: Side by side

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Our army stops before the Black Gates of Mordor, tall and dark and completely closed. Death looms beyond, with the Eye of Sauron far in the distance, its' light shining across the plains behind the Gate.

Pippin, seated in front of Gandalf, says quietly, "Where are they?"

True enough, the Gate stays closed, with hardly a sound emitting from beyond.

Aragorn glances at us all, then charges ahead as we follow, the army staying where they are. I ride my horse beside him, all of us charging down the dirt towards the gate.

We stop before them, the ugly metal spikes and rivets towering high above us.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn calls. "Let justice be done upon him!"

Nothing happens, all of us staring up at the gates.

My horse jostles as they start to creak and open, tauntingly slow. We all watch as a single rider comes out to meet us.

I pull a face, all I can see past its tall, sharp helmet is pale skin and many ugly teeth.

"My master, Sauron the Great bids thee welcome." It says in a deep, harrowing voice. We all glare at it. "Is there any in this route with authority to treat with me?"

"We do not come to treat with Sauron." Gandalf says. "Faithless and a cursed. Tell your master this, the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."

"Old Greybeard." The beast says. "I have a token I was bidden to show thee."

It pulls something out of its cape, and all breath escapes me.

Frodo's mithril.

"Frodo..." Pippin whispers.

The beast snarls, throwing it to Gandalf who looks at it in shock.

"Frodo!"

"Silence." Gandalf tells him.

"No!" Merry calls out.

"Silence!"

The beast bares its teeth. "The Halfling was dear to thee I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would have thought one so small could endure so much pain?"

"Be silent!" I snarl, anger coursing through me.

"And he did, Gandalf. He did."

No. Because if Frodo failed, then Arwen will die. We will all die.

Aragorn stalks forward on his horse, gaining the beasts attention.

"And who is this? Isildur's heir. It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade."

Aragorn unsheathes his sword and cuts off the beast's head as he brings his horse back around. I smirk, watching as it falls to the ground with a thud.

"Guess that concludes negotiations." Gimli says.

"I do not believe it." Aragorn tells us. "I will not."

Movement from within the gate catches my eye. "Aragorn," I say, just as the gates start to open.

He turns, the entire Mordor army marching through as the gates open wider.

"Fall back." He calls to us as he turns around. "Fall back!"

We all turn our horses around, galloping back to our army as the enemy draws near, chanting and snarling at us.

"Hold your ground!" Aragorn yells to the men as we approach. "Hold your ground!" He charges his horse down to line to call out to them, "Sons of Gondor, of Rohan—my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of Men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"