The night that had fallen over the city did not ease Luin's mind. He couldn't sleep despite the wear from travel. Instead he sat on the stone ledge of their balcony. The rooms they were given were in the lower parts of the castle. These levels half carved from the moutain, half built from more stone. Their rooms all linked together and included a large stone balcony that overlooked the lower levels of the city below them. The moon high in the sky and illuminating the rooftops and battlements. Luin was balanced on the corner of the wall lining the balcony, eyes closed as he focused on gathering and channeling his Qi. The force flowing through his meridians, from his fingertips to his toes as he listened to Gandalf and Pippin talking. 

Pippin was at the table behind them. He had been given a set of hastily adjusted castle guard uniform. The emblem of the white tree stitched into the tunic. It appeared that Denethor had taken the Hobbit's pledge seriously. Gandalf was smoking his pipe in the balcony doorway. The smoke drifting through the air and tickling Luin's nose. 

"So, I imagine this is just a ceremonial position", Pippin spoke up, a tinge of nerves in his voice. There was a sound of steel as he inspected the short sword. "I mean, they don't actually expect me to do any fighting. Do they?"

"You're in the service of the steward now. You're going to have to do as You're told. Peregrin Took, guard of the citadel!" Distantly, from the glowing red lands of Mordor, a explosion rumbled and echoed over the mountains towards them. More red light lit up the sky and Luin open his eyes to watch it flash over them. 

Pippin had wandered to stand next to him. The hobbit rested his arms on the wall and gazed out at the sleeping city. "It's so quiet". 

"It'd the deep breath before the plunge", Gandalf stated, voice a deep rumble. 

"I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse". More distant booms rubbed over them like thunder. Pippin turned his head up towards Luin. The Wizard had uncrossed his legs and had one kicking out over the drop below him. The slight night breeze tugging playfully on his short ebony strands and the moonlight touching a silver sheen to this skin. It was moments like these that made him seem more than just human, like some immortal being. (Which Pippin guessed he was. Not that cultivation made any sense to the people of middle earth). It wasn't hard to see why Luin was mistaken for an elf a lot. 

"Is it always like this?" 

Luin made a soft humming noise before answering. "Yes and no. Some battles I have had to wait for, others caught us by surprise. I prefer those that make us wait. They give you more time to prepare and lack of preparation gets people killed. Surprise is a weakness". 

Pippin took a breath as he listened. Gandalf joined them at the edge. The old man, the unusual youth and the hobbit all watching as the red glow of the Volcano in Mordor ebbed and brightened. Rumbling emanating over the lands. "Is there any hope Gandalf? For Frodo and Sam?" 

"There never was much Hope. Just a fool's hope". Another distant boom. 

Luin let out a sigh, wishing that Legolas was here. The anticipation of battle made him miss his lover like an ache. But Rohan was three days away as the crow flies, so their friends would not be able to arrive before Sauron attacked. They only had to hold out until then. 

"Our enemy is ready. His full strength gathered. Not only orcs, but men as well. Legions of Haradrim from the south, mercenaries from the coast". Luin's lips twitched in a grimace. He had almost fallen prey to the costal mercenaries as a child, fresh from the ship wreck. The reminder still left a bad taste in his mouth. Gandalf continued speaking. "This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the Hammer strike will fall hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last defence of this city will be gone".

"But we have the white wizard and the Wandering bard", Pippin smiled at them. "That's got to count for something". 

Luin let out a surprised giggle. "Where did you hear that name? I have not been called that for decades. I don't have any instruments on me". 

Merry chuckled. "I heard it from the elves. And from Bilbo's stories. Is it true you can play any instrument?" 

"Not the Harp", Luin shook his head. "Arwen was always better then me. I am adequate on the lute but flutes are my passion after the Gun of course. When this is all over, I will play for you". 

"That is a promise", Pippin grinned, then his face faltered. "If we survive this, that is. Gandalf?" 

Th older man's face was grim as the sky over Mordor flashed red again. "Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant, the one who will lead Mordor's armies in war, the one they say no living man can kill. The Witch King of Angmar! You've met him once before. He stabbed Frodo at Weathertop". 

Luin remembered that. How Frodo had screamed and from the look on Pippin's face it seemed he did too. It seemed so long ago now, months had passed since they had left Rivendale, almost a year. So much had happened. So much loss and pain and hardship. They had almost died so many times that he had lost count. It was strange to feel the end of their quest closing in, yet he knew that there was only more hardship to come. The truth was that he was growing tired of fighting. The approaching battle was not going to be easy. The forces they would face made Helms Deep feel like a playground. It was uncertain if any of them would make it out alive. Their fates rested on Frodo and Sam now. 

"He is the lord of the Nazgul", Luin continued from where Gandalf had paused. "The greatest of the nine. Minas Morgul is his lair. He rides a fell beast, horrible creatures that hang in the sky like omens of death". 

"They fly? How will we kill them if they fly?" Pippin asked desperately. Gandalf and Luin exchanged a look over the Hobbit's head. 

"That's why they will be my opponents", Luin stated as he flicked his gaze back to the fires of Mordor. "I shall bring them down to the ground". Pippin opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead he shut it and they fell into silence. No more words were shared that night. When Luin finally fell asleep in the cold bed, all he dreamt were nightmares. 

-----------------------

Dawn had barely risen, the sun bright despite the grim fear, when Luin stepped off his sword. The blade floating in midair as he hopped onto the stone tower, one hand resting on the column next to him as he teetered on the edge. The small stone tower loomed from the very top of the mountain above the city. Below, the people were nothing more than insects in size.

 Luin pulled a talisman from his robes and stuck it to the pile of wood taking up the floor. Then he carefully, making sure that the two guards did not notice him, tipped the metal bowl. The oil that had been hanging over the beacon splashed as it hit the wood and he smiled. Turning to step back onto his sword, he glided back down to where Gandalf and Pippin were waiting below. A flick of his fingers and the talisman exploded, the pile of wood bursting at once into a fully roaring blaze.  The flames tinged with bright blue. 

By the time Luin had landed, the chain of beacons were being lit. One by one, all across the mountains and out of sight. Each bright blaze tinged with blue flames. The blue a luminous glow, familiar to those who would know. It was the blue if shield charms and qi. The blue of robes and bejewelled swords. "The beacon of Amon Din has been lit!" The cry went up as Luin landed next to Gandalf and they watched the beacons appear one by one. Gondor had called for help and the Blue Wizard had called for friends. 

Less than a hour later a man and an Elf seated on the steps of the great hall of Rohan looked up. Legolas had been checking the string of his bow and sharpening the steel of his hunting knives. Aragorn next to him, a cup of cooling soup in his hands as they gazed over the lands. When the final beacon lit up in a burst of bright blue, Aragorn jumped to his feet, the soup abandoned where he had been sitting. The movement caused Legolas to look up sharply, elf eyes picking out the thing that had caused his friend to jump. At the sight of blue, a shade of blue that matched the jewel hanging around his neck, his breath caught. 

Aragorn was already running up into the hall to alert the king. Legolas remaining seated as he watched the distant blue flames flicker. Tucked underneath his tunic, the blue gem pulsed with a sudden warmth. He curled his fingers around it, magic making it pulse again as he stood up and followed after Aragorn. Luin was calling and they were going to answer. 

"The beacons of Minas Tirith have been lit! Gondor calls for aid!"

unedited 

getting close to the final battle guys. excited?