Gleina na Agar: LOTR story (Reader)

The Race Into Mordor

An icy blast of wind hit you from behind, seeping through your cloak to wrap itself around your figure, and send your soul shivering into the exhaustion of your warm mind. Even the small flames of your fire seemed to tremble in the blackness of the shadow. Small puffs of smoke rose out of the distant city of Osgiliath. The only sounds that could be heard was the deep boom of thunder over the mountain range at your back. Húroduil stood beside you, his head held low and legs locked in a cold sleep. You shrunk back against the saddle, pulling your knees up to your chest and tugged the cloak tighter over your shoulders.

Ever since you left Edoras, everything felt more extreme. The time you spent awake in the saddle, the drastic temperatures, the dark circles under your eyes, the creeping feeling of anxiety, and the horrid reality of a possible death. You tried to keep your mind focused on the objective and as optimistic as possible. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on what would happen if something went wrong.

Within your first three days of hard riding, you finally reached the looming shadow covering the land of Gondor, letting absolutely no sunlight in. It stretched its hands over to the glistening tower of Minas Tirith, threatening to snatch it from the world. It was just how Boromir described it. You could never forget all the times he spoke of his home over the course of your adventures with him... You would make sure his death wasn't in vain.

Suddenly the earth began to tremble underneath you, loose pebbles vibrated over the rocky surface as Húroduil's ears lay flat against his head in fear. Getting to your knees, you looked around frantically for the source just as a blast of bright green light erupted overhead. It struck the clouds above, sending bright flashes of white hot lightning streaming across the sky in sharp cracks. Húroduil reared in fright and threw his head back, his whinnies drowned out by the roar of thunder.

Another sound reached your ears, a shrill, sharp whistle that scratched across your arm in flaming heat. Gripping your arm you let out a scream through your teeth as it grew worse. An image flashed into your mind, a dark blade slicing your skin on the top of crumbling ruins. Weathertop. The Nazgúl's pale face sneered at you before he vanished into the night, the frantic Húroduil illuminated by flashes of green.

"Húroduil! Shhh!" You stumbled to your feet, trying to grasp his flailing reins, "Sh! Boy, it's alright!" You stroked his trembling neck, looking deep into his white-rimed eyes as you consoled him, your arm slowly feeling like itself again.

After a few minutes of stroking and soft whispers, Húroduil managed to calm down, his breathing still a little heavy. Sighing, you let go of his reins and looked up at the pillar of green light shooting into the clouds. There was no questioning it was a work of evil, but who and where it came from was what worried you... but on the other hand, it could help you. You had been struggling with how you were going to get into Mordor, and this pillar of light could be your ticket inside. What else had you to go on?

You were about to settle back down and try to get some sleep when your ears pricked at a noise above the thundering clouds. Deep thumping and clattering... the echoes of war cries in the great ravine leading into the mountain range. You squinted your eyes against the darkness, catching the tiny flickers of a few torches glinting off dulled armor. Your eyes grew wide as the great wall of uruk-hai stomped towards you. You jumped onto your small fire, stamping it out before throwing your saddle onto Húroduil's back and grabbing your staff.

"Come on! Come on, Húroduil!" You tugged on his reins, jogging off towards a small crack in the mountain face.

Your heart sunk as you neared it, realizing there was barely enough room for yourself. There was no possible way Húroduil was going to be able to fit in with you! You turned frantically around, seeing the flaming torches growing nearer along with the stamping of thousands of armored feet. You started to panic. You knew what you had to do, but you didn't have the nerve to do it! But you couldn't just stand here and wait to be caught either!