They marched out of Minas Tirith the next morning. Aragorn in the uniform of Gondor, white tree emblazoned on his chest, leading the way on his brown mare. Gandalf on Shadowfax at his right with the two hobbits, then Eomer on his left. The blonde man had been argued into sharing his horse with Gimli, much to his annoyance. The dwarf puffed happily on his pipe as they trotted out of the gates. Legolas and Luin following behind with the rest of the surviving army. Rohan soldiers and Gondor men mixed together in one last attack. Their feet stomping and armour clanking as they marched onwards. 

Luin gripped Legolas' waist with both hands, staff left behind with Gandalf's, as the black gates came into view. They were hulking things of corroded metal, the tips sharp and pointed and the aura of Mordor menacing. Storm clouds hung over the land, blotting out the seat sun shining from Minas Tirith. The whole place gave Luin the shivers. He could feel the dark energy rolling off the land in waves. It made him feel sick. If he gripped Legolas' waist a bit tighter then that was for only the two of them to know. 

Metal armour sounded as the army assembled into formation, facing the gates. Aragorn kicked his horse into a canter and the others followed, hooves kicking up the sandy earth. Nothing grew in Mordor. The black gates looming above them. "Let the lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn's voice echoed over the gates. "Let justice be down upon him".  The silence was tense. Merry and Pippin were glancing around. Gimli seemed to be holding his breath. 

Then there was a loud creak that echoed off the mountains. The gates slowly moved. Luin's eyes widened as he peered over his Fiancee's shoulder. Orcs were marching through the ever widening gap, their armour clanking and the sounds of steel ringing out as they growled and snarled. There were a lot of them, another army of thousands. "Fall back!" Aragorn called, steering his horse around. Luin shifted as Legolas followed. 

"Hold your ground!" Aragorn's voice was a command as they met the soldiers. They were hopelessly out numbered. "Hold your ground. Sons of Gondor, of Rohan. My brothers, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me!"He steered his horse up and down the lines, voice calling out so that every soldier could hear him. "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! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the west!" He unsheathed his sword and all across the lines, there was the echoing scrape of steel as they all lifted their swords in return. 

"He has gotten better at his speeches", Luin muttered into his lover's ear. He heard Legolas smirk. 

"What happened to the good old 'don't die'?" The elf replied. Luin snorted and covered his mouth to hide his chuckles as they dismounted. The orc army was twice their size and surrounding them. The horses would not do well on this sand. 

They met with the others on the front line. Aragorn in the middle with the hobbits, Gandalf and Eomer on his right. Gimli, Legolas and Luin on his left. The dwarf hefted his axe and Legolas pulled an arrow from his quiver. Luin pulled one of his swords from it's sheath and held it up. The weak sun glinting on the jade hilt. "I never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf", Gimli grunted as he gazed out at the opposing army. 

"What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas smiled. Gimli looked up at him and nodded. 

"Aye, I could do that".

"Awww", Luin cooed. 

"Shut up", Gimli snapped. "I used to think ya were heroic. The stories were wrong". 

"Oh Gimli, dear friend, you wound me". Gimli's answering cackles and Legolas' silent chuckles were enough to bring a grin to Luin's face. Around them, the orcs snarled and raised their weapons. 

Aragorn took a step forward. The golden hot beam of the eye facing him down. Luin could feel the corrupting voice of Sauron whispering, calling their names. The monster's attention was fixed on them, just like they wanted. Aragorn turned, his voice a whisper that somehow seemed to echo over them. "For Frodo". Then he was raising his sword and running towards the enemy. Two war cries sounded and Merry and Pippin were sprinting after him. 

Luin let out a scream and broke into a run. Around him, the cries were echoed as the whole army charged. Legolas and Gimli keeping pace at his sides. They hit the orc army with such ferocity that the awaiting lances nearly all missed. The black blood sprayed and bodies fell. Luin pulled out his second sword with his free hand and for a while, all he did was cut down orc after orc. One sword blocking white the other cut deep. His newly healed shoulder tugged, the still sore scar protesting at the moment. A lance nicked his leg once but he barely noticed. 

A screech ahead made his blood run cold. The last remaining Nazgul and their fell-beasts were swooping down out of the clouds. Luin kicked an orc back and used him to vault into the air, his sword flicking round to land under his feet as he took off up into the sky. The remaining sword in his hand glowing as the Nazgul fell upon him. The teeth of the fell-beast deflecting off the blade.

"Luin!" Gandalf's voice was calling him. "Go! Go!" Luin looked down at the battle below. The silver hair of his lover easy to spot amidst the chaos. Legolas was shooting down any orc that came close. His quiver running low. Then there was another screech, but this tie the sound brought hope. Luin turned and grinned as the shadows of birds blotted out the sun. Giant eagles swooped from the sky and tore into the fell-beasts circling the battle field with their claws. An aerial battler braking out around him as the creatures attacked. 

Luin took off. The wind rippling through his hair and yanking at his clothes as he sped through the air, leaving a trail of blue behind him like a comet. Ahead of him the flaming eye watched and the volcano of mount doom glowed. As soon as he was past the gates he could feel the darkness practically leaching out of the earth under him. It called him down, miasma lingering in the air as he continued forwards. He gritted his teeth, fighting through the dark energy that seeked to slow him down.  His Qi circling through his body to ward off the evil as he pushed himself to move faster. 

He landed on the rock of Mount doom, just outside the entrance to the volcano, just as the eye howled. He turned, watching with bated breath as the flames flickered. The great black tower crumbling and the sky swirling. The dark energy condensing then bursting like a bubble as the eye went out. The tower nothing more than rubble. Under him, the ground cracked and quaked. He stumbled and fell over, hands scraping on the rocks as he ran forwards into the volcano. 

"Frodo! Sam!" He called out desperately. The smoke from the lava was thick and choking. He could not see the pathway in front of him. Just the blistering heat and the suffocating air. 

"Here!" Sam's voice, dry and scratchy. Luin felt his heart drop in relief at hearing it. The two of them emerged from the smoke and he ran to them. The two hobbits looked horrible. Burised, skin dry and cracked, hair filthy and clothes grey with dirt. Still, Luin wrapped them in his arms and they leant into his embrace. 

"Mr Luin", Same sighed. "You came". 

"Of course I did", Luin hugged them fiercely. "It's over. You two did it". 

Frodo had a haunted look in his eyes. "It's over?" 

"The tower is gone Frodo. It's over". Luin pulled both hobbit's up and balanced them on his hips as the ground gave another rumble. The volcano about to explode. "Lets get the two of you out of here". He turned back and stepped up onto his awaiting sword. 

"Back to the shire", Sam sighed, head resting on Luin's shoulder as they left the smoke behind. 

"It's over", Frodo repeated, voice weak. Then he passed out, head lolling. Luin shifted his hold and kept moving towards Minas Tirith. As he passed over the army below, the orcs lost to the ruptured ground, the men of Gondor and Rohan began to cheer. Swords were hefted into the sky  and joy rung out. 

unedited

two more chapters to go and this book will be over. enjoy.