All Shall Fade (LOTR-Wattys 2014)

All Shall Fade - Chapter 20 - Wake Me Up

All Shall Fade

Chapter 20

Wake Me Up

I dozed away most of our last day in the boats, exhausted after my restless night. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something hanging over me though, and I dreaded the thought of finding out what it was, yet I sensed that I would find out all too soon. My waking hours were spent quietly, either fiddling with Galadriel’s bracelet, or just staring into space, lost in my own thoughts. I tried not to fall asleep too much though, as I was afraid my nightmare would return. Even though I didn’t understand it, it made me uneasy, and I found myself repeatedly panning my gaze over the Fellowship, making sure that they were alright. I repeatedly told myself to stop worrying, but it didn’t have much of an effect. I had this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I tried to pass it off as the continuous bobbing motion of the boat.

As Legolas manoeuvred our little boat around a bend in the river, my jaw dropped. On either side of the river in front of us stood two massive statues. They were carved out of a faded, weather-worn white stone, and were impossibly tall, both male, with one of their hands outstretched, as if as a warning to travellers about the waterfall that I knew lay ahead, or maybe it was in a demonstration of power, and they were attempting to stop the flow of the river.

“Who are they?” I asked Legolas as we paddled past their enormous feet. Back home, they probably would have been considered one of the greatest wonders of the world. They put the pyramids to shame.

“They were once kings of Gondor.” Legolas replied in a murmur, “Of the Numenor bloodline, Aragorn’s forefathers.” I let out a low whistle as the river carried us onwards, widening out into a large lake. I could already hear the roar of the waterfall somewhere ahead of us, and I could feel the current getting stronger beneath our boat, which set me on edge. I trusted that Legolas would keep us safe though. As we got ever closer to where the river dropped off in a falling cascade, we found some old moorings on the Western shore, and pulled the boats up there. As we ran aground, I jumped out and found the water still up to my knees. I didn’t mind much though; it was a hot day anyway. The other two boats had landed before us and already some members of the Fellowship had disappeared. I figured they had gone searching for firewood or something. I helped Legolas push the boat up onto the shore before stretching my arms above my head.

“So, what’s our plan of action?” I asked.

“We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats, and continue on foot.” Aragorn answered, “We approach Mordor from the north.”

“Sounds good.” I sighed, sitting down on the gritty sand and folding my legs beneath me.

“Oh yes? Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks?!” Gimli cried, “And after that, it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshlands as far as the eye can see!”

“Well, I didn’t know about that…” I mumbled.

“That is our road.” Aragorn retorted, “I suggest take some rest, and recover your strength, Master Dwarf.”

“Recover my-?!” Gimli stammered, before making a less-than-polite sound to express his opinion.

“We should leave now.” I glanced up as I heard Legolas whisper his warning to Aragorn.

“No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness.” Aragorn insisted stubbornly.

“It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it.” The elf murmured, his keen gaze sweeping over the forests that surrounded us.