Sauron wasn't joking when he said the pit would be where I would be staying. I wasn't allowed a cell, nor a room, and every time I tried sleeping on the ashy ground outside the pit, I'd be thrown back in. It was as if some cruel joke, them forcing me to live under the level surface of the ground, yet still be able to see the gloomy sky. That wooden hanging ladder, still hung precariously. No orcs removed it, letting it taunt me so.

A straw-stuffed mattress, brown with dirt and tattered in many places had been thrown down—surprising some of the uur rauko and in result, almost having it be burned. I sat on that mattress' edge, tense to the point of pain. Living with deadly monsters who could devour a troll in a moment's notice did not calm my nerves, believe it or not.

The orcs—being cleverly mean—had forced me to carry down a mirror, all so I could see my ever-changing appearance. Of course, the orcs wouldn't bring it down themselves, for fear shinned in their eyes every time they came close to the pit and when they saw and heard the uur rauko. They did give me a nail, however, to pound into the hard wall with a rock so the mirror could hang. But scaling down that rope ladder with a mirror had caused me to teeter, almost falling to my death a few times, all while the orcs laughed.

White hair no longer resembled winter, it instead hung in unwashed grey tangles—becoming clumps in areas. Skin? Dirt and grime made my skin darker. New scars would soon mar over the old, but now they hurt every time I moved. Each movement would stretch the edges of the healing wounds, stinging and screaming. I used the water I had been given to drink to clean the wounds—but I was afraid my attempt to ward off infection would only cause infection. The water had been murky, possibly drinkable, but not without shuddering after swallowing. And my eyes... I knew they had become dull, returning to the level of solemnity they had had in Isengard. My mouth never turned upwards anymore.

Except when that dark snake rose towards the surface, when it wavered between me in control and it.

But now, when I looked in the mirror—

It wasn't me.

I saw the darkness, as it would look like if it had fully overtaken me in the womb. Black, colorless hair fell in waves around my shoulders, soulless eyes that held iridescent red. It reminded me so much of that figure I saw in my vision of war, I had at first yelped, going into a panic attack before I realized—after a closer look—I knew that it wasn't that figure of death. It was me, as Sauron had hoped.

Gritting my teeth, not knowing if I was holding in tears or a scream and gripped the rim of the mirror. Searching the plains of the soulless, pale, face for any bit of me. I knew that if I were to look down at my own hair, I'd see white—not black, but...

A high keening sound escaped me, as did tears as they made clean streaks down my face. I was losing myself, bit by bit. With every passing day, I could feel myself sinking and the darkness floating towards the surface buoyantly. And as I gripped the mirror, I was trying to grip back myself, holding tightly to anything that could be me.

*********

"Aye, girl!" An orc taunted from the ledge above, calling my attention away from the uur rauko who were currently 'marching' together. "Up you go!"

I stopped, set my hands down to my sides in fists, and breathed deeply. Sauron's soul rioted in me, bucking and screaming to get to the top, where it had been just moments ago.

Not now, not now.

Slowly, the rioting became muffled. It was still there but tucked away deep enough that I—Lumornel—was in control. For a while, at least. Every time I called upon the darkness, it got harder and harder to keep it at bay.

"Come now, 'aven't got all day!" The orc scuffed his shoe against the edge of the pit, and as I began climbing, ash and rocks pelted me.

"I'm trying," I yelled softly under my voice as I looked down at the lower rungs. Biting my tongue, I continued, bracing myself for the pain in my arms and legs.

"There's the rat! Finally crawled out of her hole!" The handful of orcs laughed at that, some guttural, some like bat shrieks. But they all melded into a sound of dread I came to know familiarly. Closing my eyes, I continued the same routine.

"Get up," a feminine voice commanded. I jolted, then twisted my sore neck, fearful of who I might see.

It was the elleth. The one who had pleaded to escape with me.

"Wha..." The red-head offered a hand, which I slowly took. Her grip was firm, with many callouses that a prisoner shouldn't have. The orcs were watching, which meant she had been brought here.

Once firmly on my feet, she answered my silent question.

"Sauron has decided to make me your handmaiden," she said almost bitterly, gazing around towards the orcs hatefully. Then, she blinked and completely changed. She hunched into submission, her boldness completely gone. The elleth smiled weakly at me.

"I'm Talaedra. Yet, I only have vague guesses at your name and the crude ones the yrch have given you."

"...Lumornel..." But she was already nodding.

"Come now, miss Lumornel, before they hit us." Talaedra took my wrist and tugged me in the direction of the evocative Barad Dur. Despite her timidity, I saw her teeth clench. Something about her wasn't... right.

The looming tower, bigger than life, heightened my anxiety as we became closer. In the darkness of my blinks, I saw Orthanc in Barad Dur's place. Buds of anxiety began to bloom in me, shaking my hands like petals in the wind.

I forced my eyes from the fortress, instead going to search the land—

My breath froze.

Orcs were marching in battle armor, the dark metal gleaming through grime. Many had arms exposed to the air, and yet, many had their head exposed. There were helmets shaped like a predator's beak, elongated out before them. The clanking of rocks and metal was even louder than before. Trolls were about, most of them now wearing some sort of protection against attack and had some sort of weapon in their giant hands. The yrch even appeared to be in semi-organized brigades. There were so many of them, so many orcs out of the caves. There had to be over a hundred thousand.

I knew just what it all meant too.

"Come now, miss," Talaedra beckoned softly, tugging on my wrist as the fortress swallowed us whole.

The air was dead, no wind or drafts livened it. That part of me that was starlight hated it. I could always sense the energy in the air around me, twirling and pulsing, yet in here—I could barely even sense it. A cemetery has more energy than in here.

Talaedra led me up floors and down corridors until she opened a heavy-set door with little effort. No orcs came inside the windowless room, instead, they waited outside the door, sneering for us to be quick. Talaedra ignored them, as did I.

The room was like an extension of the hallway; black walls, black floors, dim except for flickering candlelight. The only difference was the armoire looming against the far wall and the metal vanity accompanied by a sword and long dagger. Gorthaden and father's dagger.

My heart soared seeing my old weapons. It felt as if I had lost a limb when they were taken. And besides, I needed Gorthaden. The sword was a reminder.

"We don't have much time," Talaedra said, a waver in her voice, as she pulled open the armoire doors. "Take your clothing off, miss."

"What—?" Talaedra set out a white canvas jacket, along with a loose pair of woolen trousers. Then she reached back in the depths of the closet and pulled out black armor.

Wordlessly, dread settling over me like a blanket, I shed off my shirt, then pants. I dared not look down as chilly air brushed against my scarred skin, didn't look at Talaedra. Biting my tongue, I put on the trousers, then the shirt and canvas jacket went on over my head.

As I began to do the laces of the shirt, I heard Talaedra walk over, the armor jingling.

When the laces were tied, she helped me maneuver the armor around me and began doing up the straps—doing it by myself hurt too much and it'd be nearly impossible to do so without a second pair of hands. Moving every-which-way pulled on healing wounds, breaking them open. Then, there was a wound on my back I was pretty sure was infected, but I couldn't see it to make sure, or even clean it. Maybe it'd kill me before I could hurt people.

My fingernails bit into my palms as Talaedra drew forth a cuirass. Black as night, it had geometric designs etched into it, almost like scales, and molded in such a way it'd fit a female. The cuirass had a connected back piece, so it'd fit around both my torso and back. After a considerable length of the candle had melted away to puddles, the full suit of black armor had been put on me. Each plate was perfectly crafted, so they slid over one another easily. If it wasn't for the weight, it would almost be as if I wasn't wearing it.

Seeing myself in the vanity mirror, I could only see the death that would come. The armor had the essence of a dragon; shoulders plates have decorative spikes that swooped up, the metal coming down to protect my up thighs—the tassets—looked almost like overlapping wings or scales. Even the gauntlets had horned spikes. A single punch from my fist would be lethal.

There was no helm to protect my head and neck. Sauron would want everyone to see me. To see that it was their prophecy-written, bringer of hope, that was slaying their comrades.

Gritting my teeth, I buckled Gorthaden and father's dagger around my waist the best I could.

They had taken Mir El away from me. The necklace that had the jewel Legolas had given me. At least I still had the bracelet Sunngifu had meticulously made. Yet, I knew I'd much rather have Mir El.

"A servant will come fetch us when Sauron is ready."

*********

Orcs came for us in what felt like hours later. As always, they came wearing sneers and baring cudgels.

Silently, I stood, stumbling forward as a greenish orc pushed me out the doorway. My foot caught on the threshold and I tripped, causing laughter to rise to the air as a brute caught me.

"This way, witch." An orc roughly pulled me around, swinging me in the dim hallway so close to the wall I felt it move a few hairs.

Talaedra grunted, the sound coming from further behind than I expected. Turning my head, I saw orcs marching her in the opposite direction, away from us—

A hand slapped my face, forcing me to turn away.

Was Talaedra being taken back to the cells? Or worse—

Stop it, Lumornel. It's no use fussing over anything anymore.

Eyes downcast, I didn't bother counting steps or turns as I watched the shuffling of my armored feet. There wasn't any use in doing all that, or even putting effort into escaping. I'm bound by bargain now and I know what lays just ahead in the future. I've seen it in my dreams.

Doors moaned opened just ahead; a noise I would forever hear in hinges, no oil ever being able to soften the sound.

Gruffly, the orcs pushed me forward into the throne room. I stumbled, my armored feet thundering as I steadied myself. As soon as I did though, the first few steps up to Sauron's throne poked into my vision. His heat slammed into me as if it were a rohirric wind playing amongst the grass.

"You look beautifully lethal, my pet," Sauron purred. I felt blind to his movements without the comforting presence of my light, feeling out the vibrations of my surroundings. But it was dormant, the darkness having beaten it into submission.

Cringing, I forced myself to meet his gaze. The gaze of my master, bound by an unbreakable bargain. I found myself wishing that I could see his eyes, not the metal helm shattering my reflection. If only to see something resembling humanity.

"It seems my darkness was well placed, my darling. In a matter of a fortnight the uur rauko were trained, let us hope your success will reflect in battle."

"I, however, do not like 'hoping.' As always, I make my plans concrete, always set in stone with no room for questioning. With you, I shan't take a risk. I've developed something specially made for you, my dear. Oh, you'll hate it, but the darkness will thrive in it."

I only listened with sagging shoulders. There was something in me screaming, but I couldn't care enough to listen to it. Sauron would do what he wanted and there was nothing I could do to stop him.

"Yes, we did make a bargain. Your Legolas freed from my ring in exchange for your services in commanding the uur rauko. But as I have stated before, you've been a problem in the past and I would not put it past the prophecy-written to disobey the bargain, therefore destroying your fea and hroa. That is why I have made this."

Horror I didn't know I could muster anymore rose as he turned to the Mouth who was grinning at his side. His gauntleted fingers picked up something small and black.

"Take off your gauntlet, pet."

I wouldn't move, I couldn't do anything but stare in terror at that horrid, light-taking black ring. An orc moved to take off my gauntlet. Despite Sauron's immense heat, my exposed fingers became cold.

As the black gauntlet clattered to the dark floor, Sauron gripped my forearm. Even through my armor, I could feel the heat. The pain as my flesh cooked and burned.

But I couldn't scream.

For Sauron shoved that black ring onto my pointer finger, condemning me to his will.

And then that darkness in me rose forth, latching onto the surface for control; never letting my light come forth again.

*********

"I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?"

        —Frodo Baggins

Soooo... what'd ya think?

Alrighty GOOD NEWS; from now on I'm updating twice a week!! Yayy!

So here's the schedule:
Thursday 7/26: Chapter 67
Monday 7/30: Chapter 68
Tuesday 7/31: Epilogue part 1 and 2, and Acknowledgements

You all excited?!?!?!?!

What do you think is going to happen?????

Novaer mellyn,
~phoenix~