..••°°°°••..
.·:*¨༺ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 7 ༻¨*:·.
°°••....••°°

THE LAND OF SHADOW

After the battle of Pellenor Fields, Aragorn and Legolas had been searching for Iladya. She was nowhere to be found. Aragorn waited at their rendezvous point but she never showed up. Legolas is convinced his sister hadn't died, but Aragorn couldn't feel anything than the void inside of him. Aragorn enters the great hall of Minas Tirith and seeing Gandalf set off a thought in his mind. ''Gandalf,'' Aragorn breathes shakily. ''Aragorn,'' Gandalf replies and sees the desperation in his eyes. ''Oh,'' the old wizard sighs. The two Hobbits look in confusion as they look at Gandalf. ''She hasn't returned, has she?'' Gandalf questions carefully. Aragorn shakes his head as he starts building up his armour. He needs get it back together or this quest will fail. He lets out a shaky breath and tries to gather his emotions. ''She was with you, wasn't she?'' Aragorn questions. Gandalf thought back of the moment she sent them away. "Gandalf, Pippin, go!" Gandalf seemed to hesitate but Iladya glanced over her shoulder. "GO!" she roared.
Gandalf sighs and closes his eyes. The old wizard opens his mouth but it is not his voice to speak. ''She sent us away,'' Pippin remembers, ''she sent us away, so we could save Faramir's life.'' Aragorn turns to the Hobbit, ''sent away from what?'' ''A Nazgûl,'' Gandalf whispers, realising how foolish it was to let her face it alone. Aragorn closes his eyes and lowers his head. ''A Nazgûl,'' he whispers. ''The Witch King did say one thing,'' Gandalf continues and quotes its sayings, ''take the she-elf.'' ''She has been captured?'' Aragorn questions. ''I am afraid so,'' Gandalf replies silently. ''She should never have left Edoras,'' Aragorn grunts, ''I should have stopped her and none of this would have happened.'' ''Nothing could stop her, Aragorn,'' Legolas steps in, ''you may be close to my sister but I have spent countless human lifetimes with her. She did what she thought was best.'' Aragorn casts a glance aside and realises Legolas is right.
''Frodo has passed beyond my sight,'' Gandalf announces, walking across the hall. ''The darkness is deepening.'' "If Sauron had the Ring we would know it," Aragorn speaks. "It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping," Gandalf answers. "Let him stay there! Let him rot! Why should we care?" Gimli says, smoking his pipe. "Because 10,000 Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom.'' Gimli ponders Gandalf's words. "I've sent him to his death," Gandalf sighs. Aragorn turns to him. "No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that," Aragorn says. "How?" Gimli asks. Iladya's fate is now tied to the fate of the ring.
"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." Gimli chokes on his pipe. "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms," Eomer steps in. "Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves," Aragorn reasons. "A diversion," Legolas says. "Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for?" Gimli grunts. "Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait," Gandalf says. "Oh, I think he will." Aragorn walks away with Anduril in his hand. His grip around the hilt tightens, his knuckles withdrawn off blood.

Aragorn stands alone and uncovers the Palantir. He closes his eyes, picks it up in one hand and holds it up in front of his face. He opens his eyes and looks into it, facing the Eye of Sauron which is speaking in Black speech. "Long have you hunted me. Long have I eluded you. No more!" He puts Anduril up in front of the Palantir. "Behold, the Sword of Elendil!" Sauron appears in the pupil of the Eye. He shows Aragorn Iladya in the tower of Cirith Ungol, chained, beaten up and left to die. Aragorn is horrified and steps back from the Palantir. The pendant falls from his neck and shatters on the ground.
Aragorn covers the Palantir and kneels on the floor. His hand reaches for his neck, feeling the warm pendant on his chest. He lets out a sigh of relief and closes his eyes. The moment he closes his eyes, he sees the image of the one he loved. He could not see whether she was alive or dead, but that image has been burned into his mind. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees her in that tower. If she only knew he would come and rescue her.
"I will save you. I promise." He punches the floor with his fist. ''I promise, Adoness nîn.''

Aragorn left the hall and got dressed in the emblems of the White Tree and the Seven Stars with the Crown above them. He and the army lead away from Minas Tirith. Pippin rides in front of Gandalf. Merry rides behind Eomer. Gimli rides behind Legolas. Everyone is there. Except Theoden King, who should have been riding his horse. Except Iladya, who should have been riding in front of Aragorn. Legolas stares at his best friend from behind. He knows this man is mourning, just like he is.
Not everyone was there.

"Where are they?" Pippin gasps as they stand outside the gate. Aragorn turns to look towards him and then rides forward towards the gate with Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Eomer and a Gondorian standard bearer. They ride up close to the gate. "Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn shouts at the Gate, "let justice be done upon him!" Merry and Gimli watch from behind their riders. The gates open and out comes Sauron's Lieutenant. He rides towards them.
"My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome," it snarls. Aragorn and Legolas look at him aghast. It is horrific to look at. "Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?" it continues to ask. "We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this. The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return," Gandalf grunts. The Lieutenant snaps its head toward Gandalf. "Ah," it sighs, "old greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He holds up Frodo's mightily shirt and Iladya's cloak. "Frodo!" Pippin cries. "Iladya!" Merry cries. "Silence!" Gandalf urges. He throws the shirt at Gandalf, but the cloak he throws at Aragorn. Aragorn felt the coldness of her cloak and sighs. "No!" Merry cries. "Silence!"
"The halfling and the she-elf were dear to thee, I see. Know that they suffered greatly at the hands of their host. Who would've thought they could endure so much pain. And he did, Gandalf, he did. As did she ... as did she." Tears form into Gandalf's eyes. Aragorn glances over his shoulder, "join the others. I need a word with this creature." Gandalf watched him for a moment. "Go!" He shouts. The rest rode back to the army while Aragorn rode forwards.
"If you ever wish to see that she-elf again, it would be wise to surrender," it speaks. "How do I know she isn't dead already?" Aragorn grits through his teeth. The Lieutenant shows his hideous smile. "It is a sturdy elf," it speaks, "she just wouldn't die." Aragorn watches the creature with full disgust and fury. "But who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a King than a broken Elvish blade," it snarls. Aragorn sweeps out his sword and beheads the Mouth of Sauron in one movement.
"I guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli comments. Aragorn rides back to his army. "I do not believe it. I will not."

The soldiers look uncertain as the Orcs march towards them. ''Hold your ground! Hold your ground!'' Aragorn shouts. He rides across the front of the army addressing them. ''Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see it in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. 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!''
The men look encouraged. ''By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!'' Aragorn shouts. The soldiers all unsheathe their weapons and stand ready. Aragorn wheels around on his horse to face the oncoming enemy.
''Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf,'' Gimli grunts. Legolas looks down at Gimli and smiles. ''What about side by side with a friend?'' Gimli looks up at him. ''Aye! I could do that,'' he replies.

Aragorn stands in readiness in front of the army. The Eye of Sauron whispers his name to him. ''Aragorn!'' Aragorn moves forward seeming mesmerised. ''Elessar!'' Aragorn's sword arm drops to his side. He turns and looks at Gandalf, who holds up Frodo's mithril shirt for him to see. He had clasped Iladya's cloak around his shoulders. Aragorn inhales her scent and smiles.
''For Frodo,'' he claims. "And my Adoness nin." He raises his sword and runs forward towards the Orc army. Pippin and Merry shout and run after him, their swords raised. The rest of the army start to run towards the Orcs. They quickly overtake the Hobbits. Aragorn reaches the Orcs and smashes into them slashing with his sword. The two armies collide in a fierce battle.

[AN: i am so keen on fully publishing this book so that i can rewrite and edit it because my lotr phase is around the corner, i can feel it. so, perhaps there will be lots of updates]