Journey’s End
Chapter 30
The Palantir
“He is here!”
Legolas and Aragorn immediately turned and sprinted away.
“What?” I asked, scrambling to my feet and pursuing them. “Wait!” I yelled, dashing through the halls and seeing Aragorn burst into our room ahead of me.
“Help! Gandalf Help!” I heard Merry shout as I entered the room, “Help him!”
I looked on in horror as I saw Pippin struggling with the Palantir. His eyes were shut tightly and his mouth opened in silent screams as the stone in his hand appeared to be wreathed in fire. Aragorn leapt forward and grabbed it out of Pippin’s hands.
“Aragorn!” I cried as I saw him sink to his knees as he struggled. I ran to him and tried to push the stone out of his hands, but somehow it became affixed to my own palms! I screamed in pain as the red-hot stone burnt my hands, and then I felt the burning, unbearable pain in my head. I screamed more as I saw fire and it only became worse. I tried to close my eyes to shut out the fire, but that only made it clearer. Then the pain reached an unbearable point, where I thought I was going to die. A great eye, wreathed with fire flashed in my mind and I knew it was him. I tried to make him go away, but he continued to torture me. It felt like my skull had been put in a vice, and someone was tightening it.
Suddenly, the pressure was released and the pain began to subside.
“Rana? Rana!”
I slowly opened my eyes to see Aragorn crouching over me. It took me a moment to get my bearings.
“Why am I on the floor?” I whispered hoarsely. Aragorn gently brushed my hair out of my eyes and I started to try and sit up.
“Careful.” Aragorn murmured, as I clutched my head.
“Ow…” I whispered as he steadied me. It felt like the pain was starting to come back… But that was impossible, I had dropped the Palantir. I tried to stand, and Aragorn held me by my shoulders as I continued to hold my head.
“Rana?” Aragorn sounded concerned as I staggered. The room began to spin as I tried to focus on his face.
“Aragorn?” I whispered fearfully as my legs began to give way beneath me.
Everything span, and then everything went black.
“Aragorn…”
***Aragorn’s Point of View***
“Aragorn…”
Rana whispered my name faintly, and then she seemed to collapse into my arms.
“Gandalf!” I cried, catching her limp body and gently laying her on the ground. The wizard rushed over from where he had been tending to Pippin. He laid his hand on Rana’s forehead as I looked on, frustrated at how powerless I was to help.
“Her mind is in turmoil…” He murmured, and then he went quiet and seemed to concentrate on her. “Sauron tried to use her to get to you.”
“Why? How?” I asked in confusion.
“He fears you Aragorn, and without meaning to, she revealed that she had a close bond with you, and exposed the weakest point of her mind.”
He sat back from Rana and lifted his hand from her face as her ragged breathing became even again. “By instantly trying to save you from the Palantir, she left her weakness open to attack from Sauron.”
