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

XLII

The men now had ambition, and adrenaline ran swiftly through their veins, but to see just how many Orcs there were took away any glimmer of hope they had.

The orcs didn't stop in a line in front of the Gondorian and Rohan army, but completely circled them.

Eadrid took a breath. She wondered for a moment why she didn't feel claustrophobic. 

She wanted to slap herself as soon as she thought it. Of course she didn't feel claustrophobic, not in this body. No, she thought she might never feel fear or anxiety ever again. For herself, at least. She still felt fear for the hobbits next to her, and for the two climbing up that horrid mountain before them.

But the fear that she couldn't help them, that she wasn't strong or capable enough, that fear was gone. Vanished. It had taken up so much of her, but now left a great deal of her empty. What was to fill that space that was once flooded with fear? 

She supposed she could choose who she wanted to become with this new life. Perhaps starting with becoming Queen was a good first step that would take a lot of her. Instead of fearful she'd become assertive yet calm, diplomatic yet fair. Yes, that's who she could become with this new opportunity.

Eadrid rolled her neck, and bones cracked down her spine. She gripped her sword tight, ready for what was to come, this war and after. 

The thoughts of death, wether she was capable of it or not, were pushed from her thoughts. No, she wouldn't think about what she would do if she was the last person standing on this battlefield. 

Aragorn and Eadrid stood next to each other, facing the enemy.

The whispers lingered on her mind, calling her. "Eadrid... Eadrid!" 

But Eadrid just smiled. She smiled as the Orcs growled and hissed at them. Smiled as the Eye of Sauron looked upon her, whispering her name.

Aragorn turned to face them. "For Frodo." He whispered, a faint smile on his face, too.

Aragorn ran forward, and Eadrid followed after him, her smile turning into a scowl. 

It felt like, for a moment, it was just them charging the enemy. Aragorn and Eadrid raised their swords in unison, and collided with the Orcs.

_____

Eadrid looked like a tornado in a field of dead wildflowers. 

She tore through everything in her path. Nothing scraped her, so much as touched her, as she made her way through the enemy.

Every move was instinct, like she had been fighting wars since the first dawn. 

Each time Legolas or Aragorn would catch a glimpse of her, they couldn't help but thank the heavens that she was on their side. 

Eadrid could sense the Ringwraith before it could scream. She turned around, and confirmed what she felt. Another Ringwraith sat upon its winged beast, and Eadrid hoped, prayed, that it would come for her. That she could unleash her fury on another of them once more.

But before the beast could come for her, an eagle intercepted it, attacking it with its large talons.

Eadrid knew that the Ringwraith was indeed coming for her. She had the suspicion that every creature on this field was trying to reach her, by order of Sauron.

If she was dead, men would fail. If she was dead, Sauron might have a chance at victory yet.

So every beast, every creature that was near her locked target on Eadrid. Aragorn could sense this too, he had a target on his back all the same.

So they fought near each other as everything that Sauron had was swept their way.

Eadrid continued through the Orcs, not weary or tired, just angry. 

Five Orcs surrounded her, snarling with raised blades. Eadrid stopped, sheathed her sword, and shook out her arms. And one by one, she snapped their necks before they could strike at her.

When they lay collapsed in a pile at her feet, she whipped around to the roar of a Cave troll.

Aragorn was fighting it, but struggling. The two were farther apart then they were before, so Eadrid ran quickly for him, pushing and slashing the Orcs in her way.

Eadrid cried out as Aragorn fell down, and as the troll towered over him.

She still wasn't to Aragorn. She was still a good distance away, she wouldn't be able to save him. Not as the troll raised his massive foot over him.

Eadrid drew one of her daggers and pulled her arm back to throw it straight into his wide, roaring mouth.

But the troll stopped, and Eadrid stopped, and everything around them went quiet. 

Eadrid turned to the Eye, it was flaring brighter then before, looking this way and that in desperation. The whispers in her head had stopped, she realized.

Then the quiet was filled with screeching and groaning, and the tower of Barad Dur, the holder of the Eye of Sauron, began to collapse.

Eadrid couldn't believe it, and she could tell that no beast around her could believe it either, as the troll standing over Aragorn and every Orc on the field began to run away.

The tower fell, smashing into pieces, and a huge shockwave emitted from the collapse.

The Black Gate followed suite, falling to the ground into a pile of rubble. The ground began to give way, and for a split second Eadrid thought it might swallow everything whole. But it only swallowed the Orcs and other creatures, swallowing everything evil that bowed down to Sauron.

Eadrid smiled again, smiled at the thought that they had victory in their hands. 

Eadrid looked at the mountain of lava, still smiling, knowing that Frodo and Sam had succeeded.

But she stumbled back, gasping as Mount Doom erupted into flame, lava spewing through every crack and fissure.