Before sunrise the next morning Thorongil gathered his gear. He wore his black armor under a cloak he had taken from the Rangers' armory. He carried a metallic black bow to match. His sword hung at his side, and beneath his cloak eight small daggers sat in hoops on his belt. On his back sat a quiver of mithril tipped arrows.

Elerína saw him off. She was sad at the parting, and she felt guilty that he went off to war while she was scheduled to attend a festival with the King's eldest daughter.

"I wish I could go with you," she said.

Thorongil laughed merrily. "If you truly believe that now, you wouldn't believe it after the first night sleeping on cold stone or sharp gravel!"

"That isn't funny," she replied. "I would go with you if you asked."

Thorongil turned his gaze Eastward. "The hour when our power will be tested is not yet come," he said, realizing she was genuinely troubled. "Until the Prince's company returns we must prepare in our own ways. You should not come with me."

She walked with him to the front gate of the city where the company was assembling. Forty-five of Gondor's finest were saddling their horses. Not a man looked unhappy though they knew the task before them. Elerína kissed her husband goodbye before he mounted his black horse.

"What are you?" she asked him, as she always did before he went forth to battle.

"A predator," he replied in as menacing a tone as he could muster as his eyes flashed dimly red. In truth Elerína was disheartened by how unintimidating he appeared - she could see how little of his ancient power his mortal frame now held. He looked now to be but a faint reflection of the maia who had been the most terrifying of his kind - a storm of fire and fury which even Morgoth feared to face, and men of the East worshipped as the god of war and death.

Thorongil rode beside Captain Anders. They spoke little. The men behind them sang songs and told stories of battle. They rode into the Vale of Sorcery at sundown.

"Two hours to prepare, six hours of rest!" cried Anders to his men. "We climb the stairs before dawn, to attack with the sun high in the sky."

Some of the men practiced with their bows at a range in Minas Ithil while other sparred outside. Thorongil joined the rangers practicing with blunt swords and quickly had beaten them all. Captain Anders, who sat with his Lieutenants, came to face him himself.

"You might want to bring your other officers," teased Thorongil.

"Beat me first, then we shall see," the captain replied.

The rangers of Anders' company were among the finest soldiers in all Middle Earth. Anders himself stood apart even among them. Thorongil could not beat him with clever trickery as he had the others, but his speed and strength overpowered the mortal within a minute.

"What are you?" shouted one of the rangers. "Not even Círeth can best our captain that quickly, and she has elven blood."

Thorongil gave no answer.

In the wee hours of the morning they climbed the steps to the entrance to Shelob's Lair. The rangers lit torches for the passage of the tunnel. Thorongil drew his sword and cut many of Shelob's webs as they went. He laughed as he did so - she would be furious. He thought it unlikely the spider had recovered, and even if she had the company of rangers was too large and well trained for her to easily attack.

It was mid-morning when they caught their first glimpse of the tower of Cirith Ungol. Captain Anders sent scouts ahead to check the situation at the main gate. They reported it open, with only two sentries on the wall.

Captain Anders quickly organized their assault. Fifteen of his men under the command of Lt. Carter returned to the tunnel to attack by the back door. The remaining thirty would attack through the main gate. When the time came for their assault, Anders led the charge.

Their assault on the main gate began with two well place arrows taking down the only guards on the castle wall. Anders himself tried to lead the charge through the gate, but he was rebuffed by an invisible barrier blocking their entry. He and the men at his side ran headlong into it, and were sent tumbling back into the rangers behind them. The silent watchers Sam had faced on his quest to free his master so many years ago had been repaired.

Thorongil strode confidently up to the mysterious unseen wall and placed his hands gingerly upon it. He uttered an ancient incantation which had not been heard in Middle Earth since the Lord of The Nazgúl broke the gates of Minas Tirith. The three headed statues on either side of the barrier shrieked in pain. The barrier was broken, and the rangers flooded into the courtyard beyond.

The orcs within were wholly unprepared for the attack. Thorongil charged into their midst, cutting down many as he went. Behind him came the rangers, who quickly took a formation ten across and three deep. Those in front knelt, and all drew their bows. The orcs had hardly noticed them when thirty arrows were loosed and nearly as many orcs fell.

The orcs charged the rangers who had time for one more volley before a melee ensued. Behind the orcs, out of the door to the central tower, came a massive Olag-hai troll. It wore a suit of plate armor leaving nothing exposed. Thorongil drew his black bow and fit an arrow to the string. It was a perfect shot, right into the eye slit of the helmet.

The arrow bounced off.

As the beast lumbered on, Carter and his rangers rushed out of a door onto the wall that ringed the courtyard. Immediately they launched a hail arrows at the beast to no effect. Seeing that they were accomplishing nothing they began picking off the orcs.

"Finally, something interesting," grinned Thorongil. He tossed his sword to his left hand and drew one of his knives. He threw it well, and it struck the beast in the chest. There was a small flash like fire and the beast roared in pain. It fell to one knee, the dagger half embedded in its armor.

It swatted the dagger from its chest and continued its advance.

"Inconceivable!" exclaimed Thorongil. He held his sword aloft and the runes glowed brightly. Flames wrapped round the blade as he lowered it and walked towards the monster.

"Let's see your armor stop this," he muttered. The beast swung its massive iron club, cracking the stone beside Thorongil who easily dodged the blow. Putting his foot on the weapon he leapt upwards and thrust his sword into the troll's neck. His blade passed through the steel like a hot knife through butter.

It was a great plan - up until the moment the armored colossus fell on top of him. By the time he had pushed the mass of steel and dead troll off his chest the rangers had killed the remaining orcs. Captain Anders helped him to his feet.

"I don't know what we would have done without you," he said, looking at the iron clad corpse.

Thorongil only moaned in pain. He removed the troll's helmet to inspect the eye slits. They were covered in some sort of glass. A small crack was the only damage his arrow had done.

"This must have been Sauron's work," he said.

A ranger handed Thorongil the dagger he had thrown at the troll. "I believe this is yours. I don't suppose you could tell me where to get one?"

"I don't think anyone with the skill to make these remains on this side of the sea," he replied.

Teams of rangers cleared the castle hallway by hallway, room by room. They found a few cowering orcs which they quickly dispatched. There were still a few hours of sunlight remaining when the ranger company assembled in the courtyard.

They had three wounded from the battle. Captain Anders sent them back through the tunnel with seven other rangers. The remaining thirty-five set off down the road into Mordor. They soon reached a crossroads, and Anders ordered the company to halt. He ordered Lt. Carter to take four men north and his second lieutenant, a man named Eänur, to take four men east. They both were ordered to return within the hour.

Within fifteen minutes Eänur and his squad came sprinting back.

"Hundreds of orcs!" he cried. "They march this way!"

Captain Anders did not hesitate for a moment.

"Eänur, lead the company home!" he cried. "Report our success to the commander of Minas Ithil and send word to Minas Tirith. Warn them of the approaching army. I think it unlikely, but they may intend to march through to Minas Ithil tonight. If they do, you will defend that city as long as the garrison commander sees fit. Go!"

Every man in the company knew what Anders intended, and all would have preferred to go with him. They also knew it would be foolish, so they reluctantly followed their orders and made haste back up to the tunnel's entrance. Thorongil followed Anders swiftly up the northern road.

"You didn't have to come," said Anders. "The King would probably prefer..."

"Yes, he probably would," interrupted Thorongil. "But I don't like to leave men behind."

It was about twenty minutes later when they found Carter's men. At the sight of Anders their hearts froze - they knew they must be trapped. They had seen signs that orcs had been using the road, so the route north likely led to peril as well. They found a small cave on the western side of the road and stopped to think. Anders told them of the army to the south.

"So we're surrounded?" asked the youngest and least experienced of the rangers.

"We're Rangers," smiled Anders. "We're supposed to be surrounded."