
❝CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN❞
▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 ━︎━︎ 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ▌
━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 day rose, Ellaria stood in the hall of Gondor with Legolas at her side. Eomer stood on the other side of Legolas, Gimli sat on the stairs, and Aragorn stood a little farther away with his back turned. Gandalf stood before them all. "Frodo has passed my sight," Gandalf told them. "The darkness is deepening."
"If Sauron had the Ring, we would know it." Aragorn dismissed.
Gandalf shook his head. "It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."
"Let him stay there," Gimli mumbled. "Let him rot! Why should we care?"
Gandalf turned to him. "Because 10,000 Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom. I've sent him to his death."
Aragorn turned around, uncrossing his arms. "No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."
Gimli narrowed his eyes. "How?"
"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."
Gimli, who was smoking a pipe, choked and coughed. Eomer stepped forwards. "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms. Not for ourselves."
Aragorn glanced at him. "But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us." He looked at Gandalf. "Keep him blind to all else that moves."
"A diversion," Legolas realized.
"Certainty of death. . . small chance of success. . . what are we waiting for?" Gimli asked.
Gandalf grew closer to Aragorn. "Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait."
Aragorn's lip lifted up slightly. "Oh, I think he will."
Ellaria ran a finger over her brow. "If we are to head out to battle once more, then I need a moment's rest. Someone tell me when we're to leave." She walked out of the room before anyone could say anything.
She entered her designated room, changing out of her clothes and into a night gown. Even if the sun was still up, she would get as much rest as she could. She pulled back the covers, laying on the too-soft mattress. As soon as her head hit the pillow, a knock came to her door. She only sighed in response, not bothering to open her eyes as Legolas entered. He took a seat on the edge of the bed right beside her, running a gentle hand down her arm.
"What is it, my love?" Ellaria mumbled.
Legolas shook his head, though she didn't see it. "Nothing. Just rest." He continued to run a hand up and down her arm, the warmth of it sending Ellaria into a slumber. He laid beside her, keeping her company and letting himself get a little rest. Elves could withstand a lot, but even they began to tire out.
They left for Mordor the next morning. A newfound energy swirled through Ellaria's system, her mind and body more awake than ever before. They would win this fight, they had to. Even if they were going to be hilariously outnumbered, she had hope. Time was all they needed, Frodo and Sam, and time they would give them. They appeared at the Black Gates of Mordor and as the army stood back, Ellaria, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Gandalf (who had Pippin with him), Eomer (who had Merry on his horse), and King Theoden rode to the gates.
Aragorn initiated. "Let the lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!"
There was a long stretch of silence before the gate's creaked and cracked open. A single rider came through the gates, stopping a few inches from them. "My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome." He smiled, showing all of his long teeth, coated in grime. "Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"
"We do not come to treat wit Sauron, faithless and accursed," Gandalf answered. "Tell your master this: the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."
The rider scoffed. "Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He pulled out mithandril and Ellaria forced herself to remain unreadable, even if her heart seemed to shatter in her chest. He tossed mithandril to Gandalf who caught it.
"Frodo!" Pippin cried out from his spot behind Gandalf.
"Silence," Gandalf quickly said.
"No!" Merry cried.
"Silence," Gandalf hastily repeated.
The rider only smiled wider. "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." Aragorn moved his horse forwards. "And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade." Aragorn smiled briefly before pulling out his sword and cutting off his head.
"I guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli mumbled.
Aragorn turned his horse to face them. "I do not believe it. I will not." The gates began to open wider and he turned, only to find a large army marching. "Pull back. Pull back!" They listened, following after him and back towards their own army. Aragorn paced his horse in front of the army. "Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. 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! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" They all pulled out their swords.
The army of Mordor began to completely circle around them. Hundreds of thousands of Sauron's followers readying themselves to cut them down. They climbed off their horses and Ellaria glanced at Legolas, reaching over and squeezing his hand, giving him a firm nod. He nodded back.
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf," Gimli commented.
Ellaria allowed a smile to pull at the corner of her lips, looking at Legolas who glanced down at Gimli. "What about side by side with a friend?"
Gimli glanced up at him and nodded. "Aye. I could do that."
Ellaria turned her head, narrowing her gaze when the eye of Sauron looked directly on them. She glanced at Aragorn, watching as he took a step forwards and for a moment her heart filled with fear before she let it pass. Aragorn turned his head to look at them and a smile pulled on his lips. "For Frodo." He ran forwards and no one moved until Merry and Pippin let out yells and ran forwards themselves, and then they all charged.
The two armies clashed and Ellaria swung her sword, cutting heads of left and right. She ducked and weaved, avoiding jabs sent her way and cutting of hands and legs, impaling torso's and hearts. She glanced up, watching as ringwraiths flew overhead only for the eagles to meet them in the air. She smiled before quickly going back to the fight. She bowed backwards, the swing of the weapon going right over her head before she spun and cut of their head. Her attention was again turned from the battle when she saw Sauron's eye move away from them, focusing instead on Mount Doom.
Frodo was alive. That was the only sign she needed. She began fighting harder, any creature approaching her going down before they had to time to swing their weapons. She turned her head just in time to see Aragorn go down. She pushed her way forwards, fighting to get to him. The large giant placed his foot on Aragorn's chest and Aragorn was quick to stab his foot. Ellaria stabbed another creature before making a run right for the giant and jumping up in the air. She landed on his back, pulling all of her body weight until his foot was taken off Aragorn's chest.
Suddenly, a loud screech could be heard. Ellaria was thrown to the ground, her head slamming against it. She groaned, forcing herself to blink and watching as Sauron's eye began to pulsate. A hand grabbed her and she turned, ready to strike only to find Aragorn at her side. He pulled her up from the ground and they stood there, watching as the tower Sauron's eye was attached to began to crumble before it exploded. Merry cheered loudly, yelling Frodo's name. The wave of the explosion came right over the army, the ground crumbling beneath it.
Sauron's army tried to flee, but the ground beneath them fell away and they went down. By some miracle the ground their army was standing on stayed untouched and the Rohirrim army watched their enemies fall without having to life a hand. That's when Mount Doom exploded with lava, crumbling to pieces. Ellaria softly gasped, placing a hand over her mouth as a tears began to crawl down her cheeks. Mordor was destroyed, but there was a chance Sam and Frodo had went down with it.
✧༺♥༻∞✧༺♥༻∞
━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 home, and so were her fellow companions. Frodo and Sam were alive, the eagles having saved them and now Frodo was lying in a room being nursed back to health. The first thing she had done when she walked through those castle walls was hold her family in her arms. Arwen had greeted her with a teary smile, holding her sister tightly and whispering her praises. Elrond had appeared behind Arwen and when Ellaria let go of her sister, she ran to her father, jumping in his arms and holding him close.
"We did it, father." Ellaria had whispered. "We won."
Now, Ellaria stood with Legolas, anxiously waiting the news. He held her hand, running a thumb across it to keep her nerves at bay. She glanced up when her father approached and instantly she stood, Legolas joining her. "He's awake."
Instantly she smiled, running to Frodo's room. Gandalf was standing at the end of Frodo's bed, Merry and Pippin had jumped on the bed and immediately attacked him in a hug, Gimli cheered when he walked in and Frodo smiled widely at him, whispering his name as if he wasn't real. Legolas and Ellaria walked in next and Ellaria chuckled, wiping away the happy tear that had fallen from her eye. Frodo smiled at her and she smiled back, nodding her head. She turned when Aragorn walked in, taking a stand beside her. And then Sam walked in. And for a moment, everything felt right in the world.
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