Divided Hearts (a Legauriel novella) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 7: Away to Angband

Tauriel stood on the wooded side of the treeline in the last area of sanctuary before the plains of Angband. The mountainous fortress towered over her though it lay leagues away. No bush or tuft of grass would shield her as she approached; the dusty brown land was completely desolate, scarred from the countless battles fought upon it. 

The she-elf pressed the treasure chest with the Silmaril tighter to her bosom. She probably clutched it more tightly than Chief Aradan had when he had first carried it in the woods. He had met the elves and the Dúnedain soldiers outside of camp, holding the chest. There was still earth falling from the lid, indicating the Chief had dug it up. No one knew from where, but no one asked.

Tauriel had approached him with an expectant look in her eye, but Chief Aradan had simply nodded and ordered the Dúnedain to move out. They traveled north, and all the way Tauriel watched the Chieftain protectively cling to the box. (She couldn't help herself from looking, knowing what was contained within.) 

Standing now so terrified, Tauriel tried recalling the excitement and power that had surged through her when Chief Aradan had at last relinquished the box to her. Then she shook her head. Better not to give in to the magic of the gem. Instead she pulled strength from her comrades hidden within the trees. They are there, she told herself. They'll show themselves when you move.

But she couldn't move. 

She hardened her features.

She would do it. She had to. 

And so she took the first step. And another. And another. As she progressed, the scraggly forest retreated behind her, yet the fortress ahead never drew any closer. Tauriel's heart pounded, and her breathing grew ragged. She focused her thoughts on the gem in the box. On the bright shining light she'd seen when it was first revealed. Light from the Valar themselves. 

Oh, mighty Valar, Tauriel pleaded, hear me now. Let your blessing be on this mission. Walk with me in this unholy place. The box in her hands warmed, and bright white light poked through the cracks and seams along the walls. Tauriel sighed in relief. She'd take it as a good sign. The light grew even brighter, but that was because the surroundings had grown darker.

Tauriel was before the gates of Angband. 

The fortress was carved from the mountain's dark stone. Broken spires leaned like lazy sentinels above the thick walls. Whole sections of the wall lay crumbled in a heap. The towering gates hung half off their hinges. Despite the dilapidated appearance, everything stood strong. The spires still jabbed the overcast sky, the parts of the wall intact still loomed imperiously, and the thick sturdy doors couldn't have been moved by a dozen cave trolls. Angband may have been in ruins, but it wasn't going anywhere. 

Shadows moved across the crumbling wall, and Tauriel jumped, squeezing the chest tighter. Not shadows, she realized. The Uruk-hai. There were at least a dozen of the muscular beasts with their bulging white eyes fixated on her. Some peered around piles of rubble, others marched the rampart remnants, and others still climbed head first down the wall. A dry wind tossed Tauriel's hair, and she imagined the wind pulling her away from the evil place. Inhaling deeply, she grew all the more determined to face this threat.

"I've come to parlay," she croaked. Had her weak voice even traveled the distance to the wall? The she-elf cleared her throat and projected more. "I wish to speak with your leader."

"Nothing's stopping you," a voice said. She knew not from which Uruk, but she knew the raspy voice was one of theirs. 

One step she took. No change from the Uruk-hai. A small shred of hope wend its way into Tauriel's heart. Calmly, she neared the crooked gates. When she came close enough to spot their dark bared fangs, they closed in. Growling, the Uruk-hai flexed their clawed hands and descended the wall in a circle around her.