The Outside Reality

Chapter 38: The War in Gondor

"Are we just going to stand there," Gimli asks, "And watch them sail away?" 

"I don't know Gimli," I say sarcastically, "Are we just going to watch the enemy sail straight past us?"

"Well, of course." Legolas says crossing his arms. "That's what any logical dwarf would think." 

"Wha-" Gimli is outraged by this comment. "You elvish princling!" He bellows, starting to walk down towards the ships, "I'll show you what this logical dwarf thinks!" I laugh, following him down the hill. 

'Well," Aragorn says, "That's one way to get a dwarf to figure out his own problems." Legolas laughs at that. 

We have to run to catch up with the, surprisingly, speedy dwarf. We stand on the river, waiting for the four ships to come within earshot. 

"You may go no further!" Aragorn calls to the lead boat. The ship's bosun stands up in response. "You will not go into Gondor!" The Ranger yells. 

"Who are you," the bosun yells, "to deny the armies of Mordor passage?" 

"Hailey," Legolas's low voice says to me, "Fire a warning shot past his head." I put an arrow onto my bow, ready to fire.

"Mind yer aim." Gimli mumbles. I feel him bump my bow right as I fire. The arrow pierces the man standing to the left of the bosun, and he falls to the ground. "Oh!" Gimli cries, placing a hand on his mouth in 'surprise', "That’s it, right, we warned you! Prepare to be boarded!" The dwarf raises his axe in the air. 

"Boarded?" The bosun laughs, "By you and what army?" 

Aragorn steps forward, drawing his sword. "This army," he spits. The dead army appears out of nowhere, flooding the ships with dead warriors.

I, not having to fight, listen to the screams of the crew members. I was a little disturbed, but I knew that there would be more to come. More screams, more death. Maybe even my own, who knows? I watch as Aragorn and Gimli board the boat, yelling curses and other nonsense at the pirates.

For some reason, I laugh at the thought of dying. Legolas turns his head, looking at me. "Are you okay?" He asks seriously, making me laugh a little more.

I nod my head, "I'm fine." I chortled. "I was just thinking about... stuff." 

He leans in, bumping his shoulder against mine, "What kind of stuff?"

I shrug, "Death. Me, dying in the battle to come. I'm not quite sure why I laughed." 

He straightens, his movements stiff. "Me neither." He looks at me sadly, "That's not something you laugh at Hailey, even if it seems amusing at the time." He grimaces, as if he was in pain, "I don't want to even think of a world without you." 

I look at him, but quickly turn away as I feel my cheeks turn scarlet. "I'm sorry..." I say quietly. "I always say something that... irks you." 

"No!" Legolas says quickly, grabbing my shoulders and making me face him. "Hailey, that's not it." He sighs, letting his hands fall to his sides, "I just hate the idea of you getting hurt or kidnapped." His deep brown eyes were full of sadness now, "I know what you will probably say, but please. Don't fight this war. You don't need to." 

I smile sadly at him, "You know I will." He opens his mouth as if to say something, but I cut him off. "But I will stay by your side in the battle. Just," I stop talking, looking down, "don't worry about me. If I'm in trouble, or need help, I'll yell." 

He smiles, wrapping me into a tight hug. "Thank you." He whispers, his voice muffled by my hair. I nod my head, and  he smiles at me, brushing his lips against mine. 

I take a step back, and out of Legolas's arms, as I hear Aragorn's yell in triumph. Legolas and I run over to the ship. We have to jump and pull ourselves up in order to get on. 

"Now what?" I ask Aragorn, who was steering the boat with surprising skill. "We just sail right into the war?" 

Aragorn laughs, "You about summed up my entire plan, Hailey." He smiles at me, "Well done."

I bow sarcastically, "Why thank you." 

* * * * *

On Aragorn's command, we duck below the railing of the ship to stay hidden from unwanted eyes. My heart starts to race as we approach the battle, the sound of clashing swords and bloodcurdling screams filling my mind. I feel Legolas take my hand, a wave of comfort and calmness flowing through me. I will make it out alive, I have to. For my sake, and for Legolas's sake, I have to live.

I swear my heart stops for a second, when I hear an orc call out to us, "Late as usual, pirate scum. Come on, there’s knifework here needs doing. Come on you sea rats, get off your ships."

On Aragorns cue, we spring out of the ship, swords in hand. "I reckon there's enough for the four of us." Gimli remarks as we approach the small army. Their was at least a hundred warriors right here.

All at once, the group of warriors in front of us erupts into laughter. What shuts them up was the sudden materialisation of our green friends. Their smiles fade at once, and Aragorn yells, running towards them. 

I run into the mob, cutting down as many orcs as I could. One... two... three. I mentally keep count of my numbers, not about to get beaten by an elf or a dwarf.

That mini, warm-up, battle was over in a few short minutes, thanks to our friends. Legolas runs over to me, making sure I'm okay. The only thing that hurt me, was a cut on my face. I felt my hot blood trickling down my face, the cut stinging in the chilly air. 

I don't really want to deal with anything that Legolas has to say right now, so I run towards the bigger, more dangerous battle, sword and bow in hand. "For Frodo!" I scream, charging headon into combat, slicing both orc and man as I plunge into the depths of battle. 

I hear Legolas call my name, but something else has already caught my eye. A warrior is defending King Theoden from a Nazgul, whose rider is... Sauron!?

I run over to aid the soldier, screaming at the top of my lungs. The soldier turns towards me, surprised, as I run over and, with multiple sword swings, chop off the Nazguls head. It falls to the ground with one last scream of fury. Sauron leaps off of the dead creature, staring straight at me. 

"No one comes between the nazgul and his prey." His voice is more like a hissing snake than human. "Die, fool." He swings his mace at me, and I block it with my sword. Pain shoots up my arm, as if I was just stabbed with hundreds of knives. I collapse to the ground, screaming in agony.

The soldier runs over, swinging his sword at Sauron. Unfased, he grabs their throat, lifting the knight off of the ground. "Silly men," Sauron spits, tighting his grip. "No man can kill m-"

Light bursts out of his mask, a sharp, earsplitting scream filling the entire valley. The soldier pulls of his mask, "I am no man." I reconize the voice... Eowyn? 

"Eowyn," I croak, but she can't hear me. She runs to Theoden's side, and I hear their voices. Eowyn is crying, and I think I see Merry stand by the mourning lady. 

"Merry.." I say, sitting up. He hears me, and turns around.

"Hailey!" He dashes over to me, "Are you alright?" 

Instead of a verbal answer, I pass out from pain, blackness filling my vision as I fall back to the ground.

"HAILEY!" Merry's screaming voice is the last thing I hear.