Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Thirteen: We Challenge Mordor, and I Pass Out, AGAIN

I woke to Thia sitting next to me in an unfamiliar room. I was lying on a bed.


"Gyana! You're awake! How do you feel?"


"Good enough to stand."


"Good, because Aragorn wanted you to come to the meeting."


***


Ga: "Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening."


A: "If Sauron had the Ring we would know it."


Ga: "It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."


Gi: "Let him stay there! Let him rot! Why should we care?"


Ga: "Because 10,000 Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom. I've sent him to his death."


A: "No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."


Ga: "How?"


A: "Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."


Gimli choked on his pipe.


E: "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms."


A: "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."


L: "A diversion."


Gi: "Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for?"


Ga: "Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait."


Aragorn looked at me: "Oh, I think he will."


(A/N: Sorry, I was tired.)


***


Later that night, Aragorn and I took the Palantír's covering off and held it between us.


"Long have you hunted me. Long have I eluded you. No more!" Aragorn held up Andúril, "Behold, the Sword of Elendil!"


Sauron appeared in the pupil of the Eye. He showed Aragorn Arwen who is dying. Aragorn stepped back from the Palantir. The Evenstar fell from his neck and shattered on the ground.


I faced the Palantír, the Eye widened in shock, and the narrowed,


"Why have you come out of the shadows, child? You know they will never accept you." He whispered.


"Who do you think I am?"


"I only have one daughter, Zhyraniel."


"I am not her, but her daughter. I have the blood of Galadriel of Lorien in my veins, and her blood has purified yours. I will never join you. You lie, it is all you can do."


I covered the ball and walked from the room, but his whispers still filled my ears.




Cy's POV

I stayed behind with Thia and Wyn. I wanted to go with Zia, but she made it very clear that we should stay back and be with Thia.


Speaking of Thia...


After Zia was hit by that club, Thia let out a scream of pure anguish. Lightning burst from her fingers and zapped all orcs within a 40ft radius to dust. Then she passed out.


Yeeeaaah.


We haven't told Zia, yet. And Legolas saw. He clearly knows something.



Zia's POV


We rode up close to the gate.


"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn called, "Let justice be done upon him!"


A horrific being came out on a horse,


"My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome. Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"


"We do not come to treat with Sauron," Vithrendir said, "Faithless and accursed. Tell your master this. The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."


"Aha! Old Greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He held up a mithril shirt, the one Thorin gave to Bilbo.


"Frodo!"


He threw the shirt at Vithrendir.


"Frodo!"


"Silence!"


"No!"


"Silence!"


"The Halfling was dear to thee I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did Gandalf, he did."


I moved forward on my horse, and he turned to me with a grin,


"Ah, my master's granddaughter," Aragorn rode up next to me, "And Isildur's heir. It takes more to make a King than a broken Elvish blade."


Aragorn swept out his sword and beheaded the Mouth of Sauron in one movement.


"I guess that concludes negotiations."


"I do not believe it. I will not."


***


The gate began to open. I turned to look at it. Orcs began to march through


"Pull back! Pull back!"


We rode back towards the army with the Orcs marching behind us.


"Hold your ground! Hold your ground! "


Aragorn rode 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 looked encouraged.


"By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!"


The soldiers all unsheathed their weapons and stood ready. Aragorn wheeled around on his horse to face the oncoming enemy. The orcs started to surround us.


"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with two elves." Gimli muttered next to me and the elf.


"What about side by side with an old friend?" I looked down at him and smiled.


"Aye! I could do that."


Aragorn turned and looked at Vithrendir, who held up Frodo's mithril shirt for him to see. Aragorn smiled.


"For Frodo."


He raised his sword and ran forward towards the Orc army. Pippin and Merry shouted and ran after him, their swords raised. The rest of the army started to run towards the Orcs. We quickly overtook the Hobbits. The two armies collided in a fierce battle.


***


After a while a I heard a hobbit shout,


"The eagles! The eagles are coming!"


Then I saw Aragorn fighting a Cave troll desperately.


He fell down and I tried to get to him.


The troll put it's foot on top of Aragorn. He took out his knife and stabbed it's foot.


The Eye of Sauron flared suddenly. It looked this way and that desperately. The Cave Troll stopped, looked towards the Eye, realized it was free and ran off.


I turned toward the Eye which was screeching and groaning with a terrible sound. The tower of Barad Dur began to collapse. The tower collapsed to the ground. The Eye of Sauron exploded sending a huge shockwave outwards. I gasped in pain and collapsed. I felt like my very insides were breaking apart. Everything dulled, my eyesight went blurry, and everything sounded tinny and far away. Just as I began to pass out, I felt strong arms wrap around me and hold me.


Then everything went black.