The Sands of Rhun: A Middle Earth Story(Book 2)

Chapter 17: Paths to the Future

After the meal had ended, the Lady wordlessly lead me down a winding stairway, down to the forest floor. There we came upon a garden, but it was no ordinary garden. No trees grew there, and the sky was opened up like a tapestry of the constellations, bathing the garden in a white light. A small waterfall issued out of a cliff nearby, and the water that cascaded from it shimmered with starlight. The waterfall poured into a stream that ran along the forest floor, and next to the stream was what appeared to be a pedestal.

Galadriel walked gracefully to the pedestal, and retrieved a silver bowl from beside it.

"This is my Mirror. Few have looked upon it, and you are among the first Men to do so."

I stared wordlessly as she filled the basin in the pedestal with water from the stream, letting the bowl pour until it was barely a trickle. The water in the pedestal was still.

"Go ahead, look into it."

"Now that I am here, I'm not so sure I want to," I said as I took a step backward. Doubt was plaguing my mind as to what I would see.

"Not all that you see in the Mirror will come to pass. Only that which you let take place." She tilted her head slightly, looking at me expectantly.

I slowly walked toward the Mirror, trying to fight the voice of doubt in my head. What if everything I saw was bad? Were the options I saw the only ones?

I came to the Mirror and leaned forward, my hands shaking as I rested them upon it. I looked into the water, and only saw my own reflection.

"Does that mean something?" I said, looking up at Galadriel. She merely gestured back at the Mirror, a mysterious smile on her face.

As I looked again the water seemed to shimmer, then as I took a deep breath in surprise I saw the hot desert sun of my homeland. Two carts traveled along a winding desert road, and several people were accompanying them. One held a whip, while two others cowered before him. As my perspective changed I saw with growing horror that the man holding the whip was an older version of myself, and the two others were Hadar and a red-haired woman that I didn't recognize. I noticed a tattoo on my hand that hadn't been there before... A tattoo of an Eye.

I saw black shapes on the horizon, steadily getting closer. As they approached I saw that they were orcs, bearing similar tattoos to the one I bore. One of them handed the older version of me a bag, which clinked with the sound of gold coins. Three other orcs grabbed Hadar and the woman, and Hadar screamed at me as they dragged him away. I could hear nothing, but I could read his lips:

"Why did you betray us???"

I stepped back from the mirror in shock, breathing heavily.

"Look again." This time Galadriel's words sounded like a command. I reluctantly obeyed.
This time I was taken to a land barren of trees, or shrubs, or even the sun. The sky was red, and black clouds obscured what little light that may have shone through. A long line of people in chains traveled along a similar road to the one in the previous vision. But at the head of the dismal procession was a man... No, not a man but a creature, riding a monstrous black horse. The creature wore an ancient helm upon his head, that I only barely recognized. It was the helm of Khamul, the greatest of our kings who had long ago fallen to shadow. As the line moved past I recognized many of the prisoners; Hadar, Brand, Caledorn, even Lord Khanar. But at the end of the line was me.

I, or this future me, was barely distinguishable. I had been beaten beyond recognition, and my head was slumped defeatedly downwards. As I watched two Men grabbed me and carried me away from the rest of the prisoners. They brought me before a figure that was so evil that I trembled in my boots. I knew without a doubt that this was the Lord of the Rings, the One who wished to dominate all.