Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

XLI

Very quickly did Minas Tirith prepare an army.

Eadrid now rode Aiyla next to Aragorn and Brego, hard looks on their faces.

No one, out of the army of Gondor and Rohan gathered together, muttered a word. Many thought, or knew, that this was a ride into death. All knew that not many, if any, would return back to the White City. All knew the risk, but the chance that Sauron might find Frodo before he could destroy the ring was the bigger danger.

So Eadrid rode, forcing her mind blank, not thinking of her father's death or her long life ahead of her, assuming she made it out of this battle. 

She wore the horse-head of Rohan on her green leather breastplate, and Aragon wore the emblems of The White Tree of Gondor, his hair pulled back. Before leaving, he had fussed about his hair, clearly tense about leading so many men into death, and trying to focus on anything but that. So, Eadrid quickly tied it back for him, which seemed to calm him down, her fingers running through his hair.

As they came to the Black Gate, Eadrid gripped her reigns tighter. Over it loomed the tower that held the Eye of Sauron. It shone red against the dark and cloudy sky, and it seemed to be whispering to her, begging her to come nearer.

Eadrid straightened her back as the Eye faced their approaching army.

Soon they came close to the Black Gate, closer then Eadrid wished, and stopped.

But nothing moved, everything stayed still.

"Where are they?" Pippin muttered.

Aragorn looked at Eadrid and rode forward, closer to the gate looming over them

Eadrid followed, Gandalf with the Hobbits, Legolas, Gimli, and Eomer behind her. Eadrid stopped next to Aragorn, holding her breath, the delicate whispers becoming louder.

She had told Aragorn of what she saw in the Palantir, but she quickly wished she hadn't. He immediately became protective, begging her not to come to the Black Gate. Eadrid knew it was because she now had a very large target on her back, but she would not have stayed back, and Aragorn knew it. 

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

The gate creaked open just slightly, enough for a horrid shape of a man to ride towards them on a large black horse. 

Eadrid furrowed her brows in disgust as he rode close to them.

"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?" His mouth was foul, full of large yellow teeth, and he spat black spit when he spoke.

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

"Aha! Old Greybeard!" The mouth seemed to twist into a smile. "I have a token I was bidden to show thee."

He held up a small shirt of chainmail, and the Hobbits gasped. He threw the shirt, Frodo's shirt, to Gandalf. "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."

Eadrid shook her head, shaking away the whispers and threatening tears. Not after so much of his suffering could Frodo fail now.

It didn't seem right... Eadrid couldn't believe that this was Frodo's end, not yet.

Eadrid narrowed her eyes at the creature as he came close to Aragorn and her.

"Ha! You found your Queen, did you? If you think this whore can accomplish anything in these lands, you have greatly misjudged her..." Eadrid shifted on her horse. Sauron's words worked their way delicately through her head, imploring her to come to him. Eadrid shut him out of her mind, screaming at him in her head, cursing him over and over, but all she heard were roaring laughs in return. 

"And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a King than a broken Elvish blade."

Aragorn, in a swift motion of fury, swept his sword and beheaded the Mouth of Sauron.

His head plopped to the ground, and Eadrid stared at it, its tongue hanging out of its rotten teeth. "I do not believe it. I will not." Eadrid said and looked up to Aragorn, shaking her head.

Aragorn nodded.

And as he did this, the gate began to open wider.

Without looking at what began to come out of it, Aragorn called for them to pull back.

Facing the gate once again, Eadrid saw a very, very large army of orcs marched towards them.

The soldiers behind Eadrid shifted on their horses, looking uncertain as the enemy approached.

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!" Aragorn called.

Eadrid looked behind her, the eyes of the men wide and frightened.

"Aragorn." Eadrid said quietly. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "They need to hear words from you. Your men need to hear you... Look at their eyes."

Aragorn glanced at the men, who stared in horror at the orcs nearing them.

He turned Brego and rode in front of his army. "Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers." They tore their eyes away from the orcs and looked to Aragorn. "I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me..." Aragorn rode across the front lines, speaking to them in a loud and commanding voice. As Eadrid looked upon him, she no longer saw the ranger that she had met in the forest years ago. No longer was he suffering under the weight of his kin, but now did he seem like a king. As he wore the emblem of his city, Eadrid thought she saw wisps of a crown sitting atop his head. "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!"

Eadrid could feel the mood shift. The men looked encouraged, and gripped their swords, ready for what was to come. And if it was in death, then they were pleased to die along side Aragorn.

"By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Aragorn raised Anduril, and all the soldiers followed after him, unsheathing their swords.

Eadrid held Adoness before her, immortal blood pulsing through her veins, her pounding heart eager to test her new body on the army of orcs before her. Eadrid ignored the black streaks that traced the hand that held her sword, focusing everything on what was before her.