Chapter Twenty

Penultimate

The child was oddly enchanting.

David Saeran gazed down at the tiny face, wrinkled and pink, in his arms. The bow shaped mouth pursed and Saeran was momentarily puzzled at what the child was trying to say since the emotions he was sensing was confusing to say the least. The small hand extended outward again and almost hesitantly, Saeran allowed the small digit to curl around his own finger. The action seemed to please the infant and the pursing lips almost curled like a smile.

More articulate than orcs at least, Searan decided.

At present, the child’s mother was asleep. Exhaustion from the ordeal of birth had finally overcome Eve and after feeding the babe, she lapsed into slumber with the infant in her embrace. Seemingly content, Saeran was able to feel the child’s emotions now that he had made the connection between them. While he wouldn’t say the boy called to him, he could sense the child’s want for attention. Fortunately, Eve’s slumbering state had allowed him to take the baby from her without protest.

Even though he knew he could take the baby anytime he wished, he had no desire to hear her hysterical bleating in the effort. Especially when it was easier to exercise some patience and take the child when she was in no position to complain. While his understanding of Edain babies was limited, he was aware they required a great deal of attention and it would be a mother’s stead to attend most of this. He was also aware that his fortress was ill equipped to deal with an infant and there was a streak of wicked mischief in him that would have relished sending Morgul to a local supermarket for disposable diapers.

The infant’s mind was so filled with raw emotion and half formed thoughts that Saeran’s prescience was able to receive all of it. Thus he now stood with the boy in his arms, at the highest tower in his fortress, surveying the work taking place in his reclaimed kingdom. As he did so, he found himself speaking out loud thoughts he’d never confess to anyone except the child. It did not understand good or evil, had not been tainted by ideas of morality and duty and at this point was the most impartial judge there was. Even dark lords had depths.

“It was never meant to be this way, you know? I never wanted chaos,” Saeran explained to the baby who understood nothing but offered his undivided attention.

His blue eyes stared at the dark lord with curiosity and Saeran knew with confidence that it was the emotion the child would understand, not the words. For one who had taken none into his confidence since the beginning of the world, it was enough.

“I believed in Eru’s song,” Saeran continued, “in the chords of the great music that created the world.” He looked up at the sky and sighed with longing. “No creature alive, save the Valar can imagine what it was like to be there when the music was created. To hear each chord coming together and to be one of those chords. To know that it would change everything and had the power to give shape to the emptiness of the void.”

And for an instant he was there, his memories hurtling him back to the Timeless Halls and briefly his heart swelled with the simple joy of being apart of it all. It seemed so far removed from where he was now, sometimes he wondered how he could have thrown it all away and did Eru always know that it was in him to become Melkor’s servant?

The sadness permeated his dark soul with far more effect than he cared to admit before he resumed speaking. “It was all ruined of course with Melkor and his grandstanding. He wanted his own chord to eclipse the choir and because of that, the music was corrupted. It lost its perfection and symmetry. That’s how evil was born. Not because an angel got thrown out of heaven or a woman convinced an idiot to take a bite out of an apple. It was caused by the music being corrupted by just one off chord. Sort of like ‘Let it Be’ in the 3rd verse. That’s what I wanted to fix you know. I wanted it to be perfect like it was meant to be. So much could be achieved, symmetry in every creature, in every breath of wind and in each splash of rain. I wanted to reach into Arda and pull out its treasure to make it the jewel of Ea.”

Saeran looked into the child’s face and saw reflecting back at him a little of the great music, perfect chords waiting to be played so that the great music could be written. Of course the child like Ea would not remained untainted. He, more than anyone understood what a cruel capricious bitch Fate could be and like any whore she left you diseased after bending you over. The same would happen to this child and he may well be the instrument that destroys that perfection. It was just the way things were. Perhaps it would be more merciful to kill it now before he or anything else had a chance to corrupt the innocent soul. Let the babe die and go into the next world maintaining its perfection.

Unfortunately, his need of Eve’s obedience stayed the child’s execution for now.

“The irony of it all is, man who was so afraid of giving me allegiance when I asked for it, has taken the exact path I would have chosen for him a hundred thousand years ago. I could have delivered the modern world to him in the Third Age if they’d let me rule them. Everything they’ve achieved in the last three hundred years, once they dared to look beyond morality and religion could have happen so much sooner. I would have given them order, reason and industry. They wouldn’t have had to tiptoe around a holy book of half-truths and pious nonsense. Only now after so long, they understand that to build something great, you have to let go of superstition and embrace the cold, hard reality of reason. You have to look beyond sentimentality and make choices to get things done. Sometimes, you need to make sacrifices.”

The infant did not offer comment.

At the sensation of the breeze that blew through his hair, Saeran pulled his gaze away from the baby and raised his eyes aloft once more. The gale was not because of the wind but rather from the flapping of great wings. The dragons were returning to the fortress, like birds returning to the roost. They’d taken to exploring the immediate lands claiming the sky for their own as surely as he had claimed this fortress and these lands. This was the closest they had been to each other since Angband and their exultation was apparent in the exuberance of their flight together. Finally freed, there was beauty in watching them as them fly.

While there was beauty in the sky however, it was nowhere to be found on the ground.

For what was needed to be done, Saeran had required the inexhaustible power of the Flame Imperishable that Eru had placed in the heart of the world. While no creature alive could possess that power save the Creator himself, Saeran knew how to tap into the essence of it seeded in every living thing. To build his fortress and recreate the Plain of Gorgoroth around it, he’d drained the secret fire from every all life found on the place he wished to build.

Thick forests that had previously covered the area was now withered and lost in the upturned earth. Where there was once rich, loamy earth, there was now only shale and gravel. Fortunately, the mountains surrounding the tower had escaped the assault, retaining their green, lush beauty as Saeran could see a hill covered with daisies in the distance. He left that in place for now. In a short time, it would be gone anyway.

Aside from the dragons, the Nazgul had also taken to the skies, doing so astride their winged beasts. They were circling the air above the fortress, keeping watch for the enemy they all knew was coming. Truth be told, his servants were more concerned about the impending attack than he was. Saeran was confident that everything was as ready as it could be. Still the Nine were determined to strengthen their fortifications, issuing order to the wargs who were patrolling the woods and running down trespassers so that the spiders, who had claimed the trees, had fresh meat for their feasting.

Irina Sadko’s posthumous contribution to the war effort had finally arrived in the form of the Uruk-hai reinforcements that had finally emerged from their birthing chambers. When Aaron Stone and Bryan Miller had pulled their coward’s trick and captured him, the Uruks cultivated carefully for his grand plan had not been destroyed but remained dormant underground. Like the crop in Germany, they had slumbered until Morgul roused them all from their sleep and pressed them to his service once more.

Speaking of the former Witch King, Morgul was impatiently awaiting the dark so that the trolls and orcs could be enlisted to build new ramparts, high fences and appropriate battlements. The orcs and trolls were presently hiding in the shadows of the fortress which simply would not do, The elves were coming and probably men too who were terrified enough to follow in light of his army rampaging through Europe. Morgul would needed to start work and Saeran couldn’t have part of his forces hiding away from the sun when that moment came. He would not gamble on the possibility that the enemy might well get here before dark and.

“I think we could stand to cast a shadow or two on such a depressingly sunny day,” Saeran spoke to the baby with a smile and then looked to the sky for a moment before closing his eyes to command the elements.

Without further prompting, the wind grew suddenly fierce. Across the sky, the rush of air intensified until the whistling wind became a deafening roar that made the child start to whimper in his arms. Saeran ignored the infant’s distress for the moment, concentrating as the clouds rolled across the sky as if the curtains of the world had been drawn. The canopy of thick grey cumulous blotted out the sun and a shadow fell across the landscape both symbolically and literally. When he opened his eyes again, the sky was dark enough for the orcs and trolls to emerge from the fortress.

That should shut Morgul up, he thought.

Saeran then turned his gaze to the child in his arm and saw that it was still whimpering. The drastic change taking place around him had created fear in the boy and the bow shaped mouth quivered as a prelude to tears. Saeran reached out with his thoughts to quiet the child’s fears, whispering comfort in the newborn mind.

Never be afraid of anything little one. I am here because I feared nothing, not the elements, not the Valar and not even destiny

It was a new experience for Sauron, the former lord of Mordor but he was starting to see the babe’s use beyond a tool to control his mother.

*******

It was a place that Aaron Stone never wanted to see again and yet as he walked through the collapsed ruins of David Saeran’s Romania fortress, he couldn’t get past it quick enough.

Saeran’s minions, whatever they might have been, had carved out a vast network of caves beneath the castle he had built prior to his incarceration in Valinor. When Aaron and the others had come here a scant two years ago, they’d learned that Saeran had used the honeycomb tunnels to house the Uruk-hai army he had been secretly growing with the help of his lover Irina Sadko.

Now everyone of those caverns was empty .

“They must have been roused to join Sauron’s army,” Legolas remarked as the group moved further away from them.

With the cavern behind them, they were approaching the debris field that had been built over to erect Saeran’s current monument to Bara-dur. The path ahead was an obstacle course of huge pieces of broken building comprising of collapsed walls and entire floors that had tumbled into the fissure created by Bryan and Eve’s bomb during that meeting. As always Legolas led the way even though he was not entirely comfortable with moving through the caves. Elves as a rule, preferred open spaces and it was not the first time, Legolas wished that Gimli had found his way back to them.

That hard headed dolt would have loved this battle and this place.

“That means they’ll be on the surface and waiting for us in the fortress,” Eric pointed out, instinctively raising the Uzi in his hands to check that the clip was in place in case the damn things showed up. The weapon was primed and ready to go but considering what kind of danger they were walking into, Eric preferred to be safe rather than sorry. The loss of his best friend and the people they’d left behind still weighed heavily on his mind.

“Legolas,” Aaron called out ahead to the elf who was acting as their scout. “Do you see anything?”

“Not yet,” Legolas answered as he leapt unto the triangular peak of a wall corner further along their path. Squinting, he stared as far as he could through the darkness at what lay ahead and saw nothing stirring. “The way is clear but it means little. He knows we are coming.”

“He does,” Fred confirmed, speaking up for the first time since they’d left Sam, Pip, Frank and Lori. It was hard to discerned whether or not her silence was due to the entity occupying her tiny body or was it because she missed Sam. “However he cannot see us. His theft of Melkor’s power has changed much but not enough for him to be all seeing.”

“At least that’s something,” Aaron muttered under his breath. He was fighting the gnawing terror in his gut that was taunting him with the possibility that he might not reach Eve and their baby in time.

“Do not be disheartened Aaron,” Legolas saw the growing despair in his friend’s face as he descended the rock pile to join them. “We will find Eve and your child soon enough.”

“Absolutely,” Miranda added, coming up alongside of him and squeezed his shoulder gently. “It won’t be long now.”

Bryan didn’t speak for a moment because Aaron’s fears made him remember how he lost Tory. He hadn’t gotten to her in time and because of that, Saeran had killed the woman he loved. Blinking slowly, he remembered how he found her, lying cold in the sand, pelted with rain. He and Tory had never found each other in the Third Age and not all the ages that after. This was the first time they’d been together and Saeran had known that. It was why he killed Tory.

He couldn’t let the same thing happen to Eve.

“I say we surrender,” Bryan stated.

All eyes except one turned to him in shock.

“What?” Eric burst out. “Have you lost your mind? Everything you guys told me about this bastard says that he’s going to bloody kill you buggers on sight. If you even make it to him!”

Aaron held back his exclamation, sensing that Bryan had not made the statement lightly. “What do you have in mind Bryan?” He asked quietly after Eric’s outburst.

“You know as well as I do, this isn’t going to get done by us sneaking up on him,” Bryan met the doctor’s eyes with a look of quiet resignation. “Fred and I need to get to him and you need to reach Eve. He’ll keep her near him because he knows as long as she’s close, we’ll be coming straight for him.”

Aaron didn’t have to hear Bryan reasoning to have reached the same conclusion himself. “Yeah I do,” he agreed and then replied to the others. “He’s right. The fastest way for me to get to Eve is to give myself up to them.”

“He could kill you outright!” Legolas exploded, his normally calm elven demeanour shattering at the turn this conversation was taking. Aragon Elessar had been his best friend. They’d been part of the Fellowship and survived the War of the Ring. Throughout the first century of the Fourth Age, they lived through times that would break most friendships. However, Aragon was more than a friend; he was a brother. While Legolas recognised that Aaron was his own creature, it did not diminish the friendship that formed between since their first meeting or did the loyalty he swore to this reincarnation of the man he once knew.

“No he won’t,” Bryan declared with certainty. “He wants Aaron to suffer, that’s why he took Eve in the first place. He won’t kill Aaron until he lets him see her, see how powerless Aaron is to help her. Saeran needs Aaron alive to do that.”

“And you?” Miranda stared at him sceptically. “What’s to stop him from killing you. He’s already had his revenge when he ...” her words faltered, unable to finish the sentence because they all knew what she meant.

“I don’t think he’ll kill me either,” Bryan whispered, forcing away images of Tory on the beach, pale and lifeless. The agony of her death continued to stab him from the deep place he’d thought he’d hidden it. It took him but a moment to compose himself enough to resume speaking. “Not yet and not before a face to face. That’s all we need.” He glanced at Fred who seemed even more sombre than ever.

“So what’s the plan?” Eric asked starting to suspect that nothing he, Miranda or Legolas had to say would change the decision that was being reached. This battle wasn’t just for the world, it was for all the races, for all time. Sacrifices needed to be made. Jason’s loss had taught him that. The girl they’d left behind with her leg torn open had been willing to be left die so they could save it. He understood even if he hated it.

“Fred,” Aaron said to the little girl, no longer addressing the child but the entity within her, his words dripping with resignation. “Can you keep Miranda, Legolas and Eric hidden?”

Sombrely, the girl nodded. “I can.”

“I will not abandon you...” Legolas opened his mouth to protest but Aaron cut him off.

“Old friend,” Aaron came to the elf so he could look Legolas in the eye, “I’m not asking you to abandon me but to help Eve and our child get out of there alive. Please.”

Legolas blinked and turned away, cursing Sauron, cursing that he hadn’t been destroyed in the Second Age, that he kept returning to plague them and taking away the people they loved. “Alright,” he answered finally, not looking at Aaron. “I will do as you ask.”

The decision, one no one was happy with, was the only plan they had.

Finally, Miranda sensing the thick emotions at play, spoke up with female practicality. “Okay,” she sighed, “if we’re going to do this, let’s make it count.”

****

When Eve saw Saeran standing at the top of the tower, holding her son in her hands, it was enough to make her even more hysterical then she’d been when she’d woke up and found that her baby was gone. She dragged herself off of the stone slab that served as her bed and staggered to the door, every step taken lancing through her with pain. She was exhausted and the birth had been hard without the aid of a midwife and any post natal care. When she’d reached the door, she’d found it lock and pounding on it had only served to provoke her Uruk-hai guard to growl her back into submission.

Helpless, she had little choice but to wait until they’d returned for her a short time later. Even as they barged in, Eve didn’t even have the strength to keep them from grabbing her and escorting her to their master through the long, winding steps that spiralled through the fortress. By the time she’d reach the top, Eve knew she was bleeding again and a sob of frustration and misery escaped her because she wished more than anything that Aaron was here to fix her. She needed him here almost as much as she needed to hold their son again.

“Give me back my son, you bastard!” She growled with a ferocity so primal it felt almost animal when she saw Saeran standing that with her son. She would have gladly tore him to pieces, ignoring the fact that he could kill her without even lifting a finger or the fact that she could barely stand.

Saeran gave her a dismissive smile as he stood at the edge of the tower, the darkened clouds behind him so heavy and dark with rain that it looked like someone had painted for him just for effect. There was thunder behind those clouds because she could hear them rumble like a god about to awaken from a long sleep. She felt the shift she was wearing swirling around her legs and her hair whipped at her cheeks from the fierce wind at this height.

“Really Eve, I never had an intention of keeping him away from you.” He walked back to her and handed her the babe who seemed quite content despite the warring emotions between him and Eve. Gesturing to the two Uruks standing behind Eve, Saeran dismissed them with a wave of a finger. They nodded obediently and descended down the steps of the tower, like a pair of Rottweilers returning to the yard they were guarding.

Eve took her son and sank to the cold hard floor, weeping fresh tears when she saw that he was unhurt and seemingly at peace, a stark contrast to her own despair. Saeran didn’t stay to watch the reunion, retreating to the edge of the tower where resumed his observation of the view, his back facing her.

How easy it would be to push him over the edge, Eve thought. If his body died wouldn’t that end him?

“It wouldn’t serve you well to make the attempt,” he declared without turning back to look at her. “If this form dies, I will find the most convenient vessel to inhabit and that would be your son.”

God, no. She uttered a strangled gasp, hating that she could hide nothing from him and was once again, outmanoeuvred as her choices became walls closing in on her.

He smiled to himself at the sound of her anguish because he knew that she was close to breaking. A little more of this and she would be compliant. He could feel her will fracturing and the birth of her child had made it happen so much quicker. “I apologise for bringing you here but I wanted to share the moment and as intriguing as I found your son, he isn’t much for conversation.”

“Share the moment?” She glared at him, wondering what nightmare he was about to unfold before her.

Returning to her, Saeran gripped her arm firmly and hauled her back to her feet. Like the Uruk-hai before him, Eve lacked the strength to prevent it and he was strong. Whether it was because of his powers or the condition of his physical shell, she could not say but she was helpless in his reach as he tugged her across the dark stone tiles to the edge of the tower. For an instant, she thought it might be to throw her off and for a brief moment, as terrible as it was to admit, she almost welcomed death. At least she and the baby would go together.

Unfortunately, it was nothing that liberating.

Beneath them, she saw what he wanted her to see. The sight of it made her gasp. The rumble that she had thought was coming from the sky was in fact coming from the ground. They were the combined voices of his army, the denizens freed from the Forbidden Vaults, the Uruks who had been awakened since his return to Arda and any other malevolent creature that had been waiting in the dark for his call to arms. They were all there beneath the tower; an army the world hadn’t seen since the ancient days of the Third Age of Middle Earth. Circling above them on winged beasts were five of the Nazgul, commanding the campaign and waiting for the word to be given.

“Why did you want me to see this?” Eve asked, horrified by the sight of them. She thought of Aaron, Legolas and the others trying to reach her and the baby feeling a fresh surge of misery at its futility. They’d die before even reaching the fortress and that still wouldn’t stop Aaron from trying.

“To let you know that you won’t be alone for long,” he said triumphantly. “Elrond and the elves are on their way and when they get here, we will give them a reception worthy of Mordor.”

******

When the elevator reached its destination with a slight jolt, Dennis was ready.

Unlike his previous actions where he had played the role of visiting General for the purposes of subterfuge, there was no mistaking his intentions when the elevator doors slid open and he stepped out of it at the bottom of the shaft. Dennis didn’t wait to see there was an armed reception committee waiting for him. He strode quickly out of the elevator, making his way to the second set of blast doors that led to the inside to the control centre. There was already every possibility that the alarm had been raised by Latimer and the two men manning the launch station in this underground bunker were expecting. It didn’t matter if they were or not; he was ready for them too.

There was a second blast door which he had to cross or else he risked being locked out of the launch control and as he approached, Dennis saw those doors were already starting to close. He hastened his pace to reach it but unfortunately, as he had suspected there was someone there to bar his way.

“General, stay where you are!” One of two men barked. Both had their weapons drawn and were barring him from proceeding through the rapidly closing doors.

“I can’t do that son,” Dennis retorted, very conscious of how much time he had before those doors closed and locked him out. If that happened, he’d never get through and fulfil his destiny. “This needs to happen or millions of American lives will be lost.”

The two men exchanged glances. Their worst fears about the General were confirmed and in a measured voice, the first one who had spoken, the soldier named Kendrick, addressed him. “I’m sorry Sir, you know you’re not supposed to be here.”

The door was almost half way close now and he was prepared to open fire to let it continue any further without getting through when suddenly that same black swirl appeared before his eyes. Like before, it proved that he had imagined nothing, as the dark smoke moved towards the men with purpose, swirling around their bodies and enveloping them. Their faces displayed confusion that quickly became fear when the tendrils of black smoke began to take its effect on them. It took place so quickly that neither man had time to register what was happening to them before they crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain like the men before.

Go now!

The order was so sharp and commanding that Dennis didn’t think twice. He darted forward, leaping through the rapidly closing blast doors and running past the two men on the floor. They were clutching their throats, choking on some unknown malaise that he was certain it was the work of his ‘guardian’ angels. The doors sealed with a loud thud and Dennis let out a sigh of relief. knowing that the last major hurdle was behind him. There was nothing to stop him from carrying out his plans now. However, he could not let his angel kill the two men. He need one of them because of the two men policy to initiate launch.

Convinced he was no longer alone now, he spoke out. “I need one of them.”

The swirling black smoke paused instantly and the dark cloud lifted from Kendrick. While he stopped writhing, he seemed gripped by a new affliction that left him dazed and seemingly uncomprehending until a chilling, sinister hiss was heard.

“Help him.”

It was the first time that Dennis had actual proof that his guardian angel was not a figment of his imagination but something real. He saw a flash of crimson, like laser pointers in mid air and realised its where eyes would have been if someone was standing there in front of him.

“You’re there aren’t you?” Dennis whispered. “I mean I didn’t imagine you.”

“We are here,” the voice was clearer now and not in his head. “To help you save your people.”

“Thank you,” Dennis said to them before turning to Kendrick who was still standing there, rooted to the spot as he awaited instructions. Under the influence of his ‘angel’ Kendrick stared into nothingness with glazed eyes. Even when Dennis stepped in front of the man, he looked through the general rather than registering his presence.

“Don’t worry son,” Dennis reassured him with the calm, soothing voice of authority. “What we’re about to do is going to save billions.”

Unseen, the Nazgul could only smile.

*******

Astride the back of an eagle, Elrond’s return to Mordor was unlike anything he’d imagined.

In the distance, he could see the dark tower that was erected by Sauron once more. While it was in no way comparable to the ominous terror of Bara-dur in the Third Age, it was no less terrifying as he approached it. For the second time. he was accompanied by an alliance of free men and elves who had banded together to defeat the dark lord in a final, decisive victory. He had returned to Valinor with the belief that there would be no more wars, no more loved ones falling in battle and the legacy of Morgoth was forever ended.

Yet as he rode on Grimnir’s back with Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond faced the confrontation ahead with mixed emotions. For so long, the elves had waited for Dagor Dagorath and after Eve and Aaron had been admitted into Valinor, the premonition that its time was coming had began to fill his dreams. After so long in their cloistered realm, it was easy to forget Eru’s prophecy and think they would go on forever in Aman without end. Now he realised that their arrival had been the prelude to the End of Days. Perhaps it had begun even sooner, when Melkor had been reawakened or even further back when Sauron was been banished to the Void.

Whatever the cause; the result was still the same. The elves were going to face evil yet again.

Still, their alliance with men was very different this time. With the assistance of Imrahil and Theoden’s reincarnations, the elves were able to parlayed with the authorities of man to reach the understanding that they faced a common enemy. Mankind had difficulty believing in elves or that there was a time when they shared Arda with a number of races. However, they could not deny the threat that had come upon them unawares, they could not ignore the urloki or the fell army that marched across their lands, slaughtering their people. They could not ignore that Sauron had managed to render their ability to communicate ineffective to leave them disorganised and confused.

Once these things were overcome, the goal to work together was reached quickly. Necessity had forged their alliance and Elrond did not know if it would survive after the battle was done, if anyone would be alive after. For now, they needed to deal with Sauron.

Flying side by side the eagles, were the flying machines of man who had mastered the sky in every way capable. From smaller one man craft that could move at speed so fast they cracked the sky open a thunderclap, to the larger clumsier vehicles, devoid of grace but capable of carrying fifty men at a time across vast distances. They kept pace with the eagles who viewed the craft with bemusement while the men inside them stared back at the magnificent creatures in awe and wonder.

The rest of Arda’s troops were following behind in their land vehicles, heavy metal chariots that sped across the black stone trails that crisscrossed Arda like an undecipherable maze. They moved with surprising speed and were capable of ferrying large numbers, even if they spouted smoke that was worthy of Mount Doom in their ash. Still, because of these vehicles, they were only hours behind the eagles. It assured the consolidation of all their forces when they reached Sauron.

“Wargs!” Elladan shouted, pointing to the ground as they flew above the trees that covered the peaks surrounding the fortress.

Following his son’s direction, Elrond surveyed the land and sighted the creatures roaming the hills, their dark, russet bodies scouring the area, their snouts sniffing the air, seeking any threat to Mordor. As he watched them meandering through the forest, he wondered what other perils lay in wait in those formerly benign woods.

“Not just Wargs,” Elrohir replied over the sound of rushing wind and pointed to the web encrusted tree tops and branches. While he could not see what created them, he knew they were there, hiding in wait until their victims arrived. “I’ve seen such webs in Mirkwood. There are spiders down there. Sauron is fortifying his position.”

This did not surprise Elrond in the slightest. “It is to be expected,” he sighed, “they know we will be coming and they are making preparations. Sauron has other designs that are taking place elsewhere in the world. He knows as do his servants that our only way to halt those evil deeds is defeat him. They are ensuring that we do not reach him until his plans have opportunity to unfold. I do not expect these to be the only precautions the enemy takes. We should expect greater evils awaiting us when we near closer to his fortress.”

“It appears you are right father,” Elladan returned glancing at the darkened sky above. The clouds were so thick that the whole sky seemed to have drained of colour. The shadows cast upon the land told him that Sauron had considered his position and taken steps to ensure that all his forces would be free to take part in the coming battle. “He brings the darkness across the sky for his orcs and trolls.”

Elrond stopped speaking and his eyes darkened as he faced forward. The doom that had been cast over them was not simply the absence of the sun but one that soaked through their senses and would affect them all. Elrond was even certain that he was the first but he knew he what was coming.

The scream that tore through the air a split second later was a cry that was all to familiar to him.

The reaction of the elves was immediate and Elrond wondered if the men in their flying machines could hear the cry of the enemy through the noise of their crafts. In any case, it was not a risk that Elrond was prepared to make because he knew that many elves resided in those machines.

“Nazgul!” Elladan cried out, pointing at the winged creatures that were swooping towards them.

Let us deal with this enemy, son of Eärendil. Elrond hear Grimnir’s voice in his head. We may not be able to kill the servants of Sauron but we will be able to defeat their beasts.

Set us down then, Elrond answered. And do your worst.

*******

“Jesus,” Aaron whispered as he peered over the rocks at the enemy assembled before them.

Throughout this entire affair, they had been trailing Saeran and his army. Across the North Atlantic from Valinor to England and then over Europe, they’d constantly been one step behind the dark lord and his army. Always on the edge of the destruction, they’d only seen the aftermath of Saeran’s rampage across Europe as his forces slaughtered thousands while burning their way through towns and cities. However, they’d never seen the entirety of the forces he’d amassed until now.

Aaron, Bryan and Fred emerged from the caves through an outcropping of boulders that sat on the foothill of the peaks surrounding the newly constructed tower. The plan had been to find Saeran’s forces and surrender to them willing. However upon surveying the scene before them, neither Bryan nor Aaron were prepared for just how large a force he had gathered. Even if they didn’t dare face the possibility that Saeran might succeed in his efforts to bring about the End of Days, there was no denying the terrifying might of his assembled army.

“Yeah,” Bryan agreed with Aaron’s horror. If anything, he thought the discovery warranted stronger words.

Across the plain, there was a great deal of activity taking place and if nothing else, Bryan had to admire the efficiency on display. Saeran was working fast to construct suitable defences to deal with the forces that would be coming for him. Enormous trolls were helping to carry thick logs, positioning them so that orcs could move in to build ramparts around the fortress. Other trolls were carrying large blocks of stone to erect a protective wall to hinder invading forces from reaching the foot of the tower. Saeran had only been here a day or more and already, Bryan was astonished by how much progress he was making in constructing his defences.

“He’s getting ready for a fight.” He added.

“They have learnt their lesson from the War of the Ring,” Fred explained, watching the scene unfold without emotion. “During the Battle of the Morannon, Sauron’s eye was so fixed on the armies of Gondor and Rohan that he did not see Frodo and Sam steal across the plain of Gorgoroth until it was too late. He will not make that mistake again. He will ensure there are no trespassers in his realm.”

“Terrific,” Aaron grumbled, worried about how Legolas, Miranda and Eric would fare if they tried to enter the fortress. In the end, he knew situation was out of his hands and they had their own part to play. Turning to Bryan, he said with a resigned sigh, “If we’re going to do this now is a good a time as any.”

“Right, let’s do this,” Bryan agreed and broke his study of the scene unfolding in front of them. It was not in his nature to surrender to anyone but the truth was, this was the only way to reach the dark lord. Saeran loved gloating too much not to resist the chance to meet his enemies face to face to have his final laugh before the end.

“Come on Fred,” he picked up the little girl in his arms and knew that this may well be the last time he got to pick her up this way. His strength was wanning and the injuries Aaron had been holding in check was starting to wear on him. Even if she wasn’t really his Fred in his arms, Bryan still wanted to do it just the same.

As if understanding the sentiment behind it, Fred wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder, the way she had done when he had first come to her rescue in Cardiff. For a moment, the entity in her body was nowhere to be felt and the gesture was that of the child who loved this man as a father and protector. It was a brief moment but it had the desired effect of renewing Bryan’s promise to do anything to make the world safe for this little girl.

Next to Tory, she was the other great love of his life.

Aaron said nothing and felt his heart grow heavier because he thought of Eve and what she was going through alone. How frightened she must and worse yet, helpless. His wife was strong and spirited, knowing that Saeran would have undoubtedly used their baby to break that indomitable will was more than he could stand. Worse yet, Fred had told his baby had been born which meant Eve had gone through the birth alone. He should have been there with her and knowing that it was not so, made him want to scream with indignant outrage.

“Hey Yorkie,” Aaron said as the two of them stepped out from behind the rocks. “Whatever happens, its been an honour.”

“Same here Doc,” Bryan replied with a faint smile. “You’re a rubbish shot but you’re good in a fight.”

“Thanks,” Aaron chuckled softly before they held each other’s gaze for a moment and made a final, wordless exchange between them conveyed the deep friendship and affection they felt towards each other. Bryan and Aaron were two very different men who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances and built a bond of trust because of it. It was a friendship that didn’t need the legacy of Aragorn and Boromir to be forged.

With a simple nod exchanged, the two men began walking down the hill towards Saeran’s encampment.

***************

The sight that greeted Legolas, Miranda and Eric was far different than the one that greeted Aaron, Bryan and Fred.

Legolas had selected a different place to exit the caves after realising that many of the exits were created for the Uruks bred below ground. Once they made their mind up to surface, it was not hard to find these pathways once he started following the tracks left behind by the Uruks after their ‘birth’ drove them to the surface.

However, when he climbed over the rocks to survey where had emerged, he heard the ear splitting screech of the Nazgul. Ducking down instinctively, he saw the Nazgul astride its winged beast flying overhead, racing back to Sauron’s fortress.

“Cover your ears!” He warned Miranda and Eric, aware that the Nazgul’s cry affected men far worse than elves. Elves who lived with a foot in two different realms, were capable of withstanding much of the Nazgul’s power and Legolas was no different.

The order made Miranda and Eric retreat back into cave opening with Miranda cursing out loud as she clamped her hands over her ears to block out the scream. The Nazgul screech sent a chill of ice through her spine and very nearly crumbled her resolve to keep going. The bastards used fear, she told herself and tried to crush that emotion into submission so the enemy could not exploit it. With her head down, Miranda closed her eyes and waited for the moment to pass or for Legolas to give them the all clear signal.

Moments passed after the Nazgul screech died but Legolas had said nothing.

Unable to hold back much longer, Miranda climbed out of the cave mouth with Eric following close behind her to see what it was that had held the elf’s attention so singularly that he’d forgotten them.

“What is it?” Miranda demanded to know when she heard something else now that the Nazgul scream was gone. The distinct sound of engines rumbling and the whump whump whump of rotor blades drawing closer and closer. However, it was not the sound that Legolas was staring at. It was something far more extraordinary.

“Look” Legolas declared, a grin spreading across his face as he stared at the space behind them.

Eric had already turned around and he shared the elf’s exultation as he saw what was coming at them. “Bloody magic!”

And it was.

Coming in for a landing on the gradually diminishing slope against mountain they had climbed out of were the eagles. One by one, the magnificent creatures with wings so wide they almost blotted out the sun when fully extended landed against the green foothills. Miranda had seen them before, the great eagles of Manwë who were known to carry his messages and were often seen circling Mount Taniquetil from Tirion. She known of their existence but until now had never seen them up close. They’d seem so small then and Miranda realised just how uniformed she truly was about them. They were huge! So huge they were capable of carrying passengers with ease. In fact, it was precisely what they were doing as they landed around them.

“Oh God,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t realise...”

“Its not just the eagles,” Eric pointed out the passengers sitting on their backs. Stallion choppers and what appeared to be F-35 fighters capable of vertical and horizontal landings were also coming over the mountain, searching for a suitable place to land.

Miranda recognised the Stallions that were still in development when she left the service. They were a heavy cargo helicopter that were capable of carrying at least 50 personnel and was widely used in places that did not have proper airfields. She counted at least ten of them searching for a place to land. Not all were troop carriers though. Miranda spotted a number of Russian gunships to accompany the cargo choppers. The fighters however had paused in midair, flattening plants and vegetation beneath them as they held their position.

“It appears your people and mine have reached an accord,” Legolas said with some surprise.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Eric declared, quite honestly stunned at the obvious cooperation he was seeing. He didn’t think the human race had it in them to pull together like this.

“It helps having a mutual enemy about to destroy the planet,” Miranda retorted.

“Come on!” Legolas urged with some excitement before he hurried towards the eagles and the elves that starting to gather on the hill.

Miranda and Eric wasted no time following the elf, keeping pace with him as he crossed the short distance between them and eagles. In the same way that the eagles were waiting for their passengers to alight, the choppers hatches were being pulled open to allow a mixture of elves and men to emerge from their holds. As soon as the eagles were free however, they were flapping their enormous wings and taking flight again. As they did so, Miranda saw the jets that had been holding position, accelerate to join them in the journey towards the tower.

“Mae Govannen!” Legolas called out as he saw Elrond, Elrohir and Elladan beneath the shadow of Grimnir’s departure.

“Mae Govannen Legolas!” Elladan returned after he’d raced to meet the exuberant greeting of the wood elf with a brotherly hug. He was joined by Elrohir and his father when they saw the rest of the Prince’s company.

“It is very good to see all of you,” Legolas declared and as he saw the elven and human forces around them becoming more and more numerous. One by one, the eagles were departing and Legolas wondered what quest had Elrond set upon them.

“Greetings to all of you,” Elrond greeted the three of them and showed visible relief in seeing them all safe and sound though he didn’t immediately voice his concern at the missing members of their party.

“Its good to see friendly faces again,” Miranda admitted. “Its been a hard road here.” She confessed glancing at Eric whose jaw clenched because he knew Jason’s death was a part of that.

“For all of us,” Elrond agreed readily.

“Where is Aaron?” Elladan asked before his father could. The absence of their kinsmen was gaping even though they had reconciled themselves to the fact that Sauron had Eve.

Legolas’ expression darkened. “He, Bryan and Fred have surrendered to Sauron.” The situation still felt like ash in his mouth as he said it and the words escaped him bitterly. “Aaron felt that it would be the fastest way to reach Sauron.”

“It is a good idea,” Elrond frowned unhappily at the danger to the three, even if it was the only logical course.

“And your husband and children? What about Jason?” Elrohir questioned and noted that Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder as if to stay his question about Jason but it was too late.

“We decided that it wasn’t safe for Sam and Pip to go any further,” Miranda explained though the decision tore at her still. “Frank stayed behind with the kids along with an ally we made.”

“Lothiriel of Dol Amroth,” Legolas muttered quietly at the twins, hopefully distracting them from inquiring after Jason any further.

The ploy worked and both of them shot Eric a bemused look of surprise.

“What?” Eric demanded, puzzled by the reaction. “What is it?”

“It is not important,” Elrond declared, propelling them past the moment. “It was a wise decision my lady.” He looked at Miranda, sensing her conflict. “For more reasons than you know.”

“I hated to do it but Frank was right, I don’t want my children anywhere near Uruks or Nazgul. I wish Aaron and Bryan didn’t have to take Fred but there was no choice there. At least we know he likes to gloat, he won’t be able to resist the change to rub Aaron’s face in it, now that he has Eve and the baby so he’ll keep them alive for awhile.” It was not much consolation but it was something.

“Yes,” Elrond agreed, his expression darkening because he’d seen his daughter and grandson in visions. “I know what the enemy’s plans for the child are and we will reach Eve to save her and my grandchild from this terrible fate.”

“It will be done father,” Elrohir stated, his jaw clenching with anger and fierce determination. “We will rescue our whole family before this day is ended.”

Suddenly a voice called out in their direction.

“PRINCE!”

Legolas reacted immediately, recognising the voice and turning sharply towards it. He saw Ariel pushing her way through the crowd of elves and men and before he knew it, he was running forward to meet her.

When they had left each other after arriving at Arda, Legolas had truly feared that he’d lost his wife and for a time, he’d been content with it. However as they days stretched and they neared closer and closer to the End of Days, he had found examining how he treated her and was ashamed of it. Had he been more faithful to a memory or a flesh and blood woman who had loved him, even though she knew he saw her as someone else? Legolas had wanted so much to make it up to her, wanted the chance to show her that it could be different. Of course he’d love Melia forever. However, he’d been given a unique chance to love another without betraying her and he’d wasted it.

However as Ariel ran towards him, the naked joy he saw in her face at his presence, filed his heart with hope that perhaps she might give him another chance to prove it, no matter how this day ended.

They met each other in a strong embrace that had him sweeping her off her feet and spinning her around in his arms. No sooner than Legolas had set her down, he was capturing her lips in an equally powerful kiss of unbridled joy and passion. When their lips met, it was as if all the anger and guilt between them was forgotten and Legolas knew he was kissing his wife, not Melia but his wife Ariel who had shared his existence for the last ten millennia.

“Forgive me,” he whispered in her ear when they parted and faced each other again. “I have been a fool. You have given me your heart and I have treated it poorly. I love you Ariel. You are not a substitute for Melia and if I gave you cause to believe such a thing then I am sorry.”

Ariel’s eyes misted over with tears and emotion. She had been so happy to see him again, alive and well that she hadn’t cared how they had parted. After the death she’d seen and the battles she’d fought since arriving in Arda, she had learned how to measure what was truly important to her. Still, hearing his words also gave her comfort and greater reason for happiness because she sensed that he was speaking honestly and not in an attempt to appease her.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she wiped her eyes even though secretly his admission mattered greatly to her. “With everything that has happened, friends I have seen fallen, I feared that you might be one of those who have been lost. The thought that you might be dead was a pain I could not even begin to imagine. I am sorry for my part in our quarrel...”

“No,” he stopped her from going further and took her hands in his. “You were right be angry. I have been unfair to you. I have been clinging to a person who has been dead for a very long time even though I was given a second chance to love again and it is you that I love Ariel, more than anything.”

Fresh tears ran down her cheeks as he reaffirmed his love for her and with that said, she revealed what she had learned about herself since leaving Valinor. “She lives inside me Legolas. Perhaps I need to be out in the world to feel her but she is here with me and we both agreed on our love for you.”

The admission warranted another kiss and Legolas leaned forward again, pressing his lips to hers once more. “I swear on my life that when this is over, I will give you the future that you deserve although,” he said with a smile, “it maybe very different from what’ve we known before.”

“I am no stranger to difficulty,” she teased back. “I was married to you after all. You can be quite impossible.”

Kissing her forehead, he replied, “I am not the only one.”

******

Aaron and Bryan mapped their surrender carefully, ensuring that they were within sight of the Nazgul gave themselves up.

While the Nazgul would show restraint by not killing them outright, the same could not be said for the Uruks or orcs. Ill tempered and prone to burst of violence, there was every chance the foul things would kill them before realising their importance. Only Fred’s presence gave Aaron any kind of hope that this would not happen. After all, the kid had made a balrog turn tail and run so he expected them to fare a little better with the orcs and uruks.

Deciding to dispense with subtlety, they marched right up to the ramparts under construction and chose to call out, letting the dice fly to let fate decide what came next.

“Hey NAZGUL!” Bryan shouted as they came within sight of the enemy’s encampment beneath the shadow of the fortress. “GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE!”

The reaction was immediate. Exclamations of surprise was soon followed by angry growls and violent threats as it felt like the entire host of new Mordor turned towards them and exploded with commotion. Leading the charge were the uruks who rushed forward, surrounding them in a matter of seconds.

Aaron tried to kerb his terror as the hordes closed in on them on all sides and shot Bryan a look, “real subtle.”

“That’s what we English are all about mate, we’re always toff.” Bryan grinned, projecting a do or die bravado in the face of the enemy forces surrounding them. It was the only way he could stave off the fear that threatened to overwhelm him right along with the creatures that were circling them right now. Instinctively, he held on to Fred’s hand tighter.

“Yeah, tell that to Benny Hill,” Aaron snorted as the first of the uruks growled at him.

“You’ve made a big mistake coming here!” The creature barked at him, baring sharp teeth and a misshapen skull that made a Klingon look pretty. There was something deeply disturbing about seeing them armed with AK-47s. The orcs however, were carrying traditional weapons of cruel looking blades and gnarled spears.

“We want to see your...” Bryan never got to finish the sentence as he was promptly struck across the jaw with the butt of the Uruk’s gun. He staggered sideways, losing his grip of Fred’s hand and bumping into Aaron, clutching his jaw in pain.

“Goddamn it!” Aaron exploded in outrage as he caught Bryan and tried to help him when he received similar treatment, except he was hit in the stomach instead of the face. Doubling over in pain, he was driven to his knees by another sharp blow slamming against his back.

“You’ll get nothing!” An orc hissed with menace. He was slightly shorter than Aaron, had greyish skin, sharp teeth and reeked of dead things. He glared at Aaron with menace while brandishing a wicked sneer. Aaron realised that this was probably the orc that stuck him. “We’re going to carve you up for our dinner, starting to with the young one!” He turned an eye towards Fred.

“Like hell you will,” Bryan barked and attacked. The threat to Fred snapped his restraint and he recuperated enough to lunge forward slam a fist into the orc’s grotesque face. The creature fell backwards and let out an indignant howl of rage at the attack while Bryan was set upon by Uruks once more.

“You’ll kill him!” Aaron shouted, struggling to reach the MI6 agent before he was beaten to death. However, Bryan’s assault had ensured that the creatures maintained an iron grip on him so he was helpless to do anything but watch.

“STOP!” A voice that sounded like the shattering of rock boomed around them and froze every orc and Uruk in their tracks. Bryan remained face down on the ground, his body crumpled in a heap.

Aaron didn’t have to look to know who had spoken because he was more concerned about Bryan’s condition. Unfortunately, he was still being restrained and could do nothing straighten up, his stomach aching from the blow to see the Nazgul approaching them. Not just any Nazgul, Aaron thought as he saw the chain mall beneath the dark, Dementor-like robes. Morgul.

Unlike the other wraith, Morgul distinguished himself by wearing a brutish looking head piece instead of a hood over his head. The Lord of the Nazgul strode through the group, causing them to fall back and give him a clear path to the prisoners. He seemed more imposing and terrifying than the other times that Bryan and Aaron had encountered him, as if the surge of power that had come to Saeran had also strengthened him.

Even though Aaron couldn’t see his face, he was certain that when Morgul paused a foot away from them, the son of a bitch was smiling.

“Welcome to Mordor,” Morgul hissed in that unearthly voice of his. “Have you come to claim your mewling whore or the pup she squeezed out? My lord has been most attentive to them both.” The spiked helmet lowered closer to Aaron, “I think he has decided to keep them both as pets.”

“You son a bitch...” Aaron growled, feeling the same fury that had overcome Bryan at what Eve was going through and almost took a step towards the wraith. However, the uruks holding him back growled a warning at him that forced him to swallow down his rage.

Suddenly Fred, who’d been silent through all this, stepped forward. She was too small for either orc or Uruk to restrain easily that it was easy for her to step in between Morgul and Aaron.

“Enough of this,” Fred declared fearlessly. “We do not come here to parlay with servants. Take us to your master, it is time he and I met.”

Being called a servant certainly didn’t sit well with Morgul at all and he started to respond when caught the girl’s piercing stare. Something burning in her eyes turned his insides cold, engendering a sensation of dread that he no longer thought himself capable of experiencing. If he had a heart that still beat, it would frozen in his chest. Morgul took a step back and needed a second to regain his composure as his mind trying to understand what she was.

Bryan had managed to get to his hands and knees. His face was covered in bruises but he managed to exchange the same look with Aaron, wondering who it was inhabiting Fred that inspired such fear.

“Take them to the master!” Morgul hissed, purposefully ignoring Fred now and keeping his attention focused on the two men instead.

As they were led away, Aaron chanced a glance at Morgul who appeared visibly unsettled by the encounter and wondered if Fred would have the same effect on Saeran.

No, not Saeran, Aaron corrected himself. David Saeran was a shell and it was Sauron, Lord of Mordor they were going to meet.

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