Chap. 38 - The Falling Eye

~ALEX'S POINT OF VIEW~

I limped down the hallway, in the direction Aragorn went. Gradually, I could stretch my leg out all the way with out it hurting too much. Tall doors opened near me, and Aragorn walked out, flustered. His hands were clenched around my locket. His eyes were wide, but confident.

"Aragorn, are you alright?" I asked, concerned. He turned to me, and embraced me. I stumbled back a little, surprised.

"The closer Frodo gets to Mount Doom, the more I fret for your safety," Aragorn said, his voice muffled by my hair.

"Frodo. I hope he and Sam are alright," I said into his shoulder.

"As do I," he said, and looked back at the Palantir, "You should rest. We are departing for the black gate soon. And I'm sure, if I asked you to stay, you would not stay."

I laughed, "That's true."

We pulled away from each other, and Aragorn offered me his arm. I took it, and he walked me to the Houses of Healing. I sat down on my bed, and looked at all the wounded men being brought in. Some had to stay on the floor.

I grabbed my helmet, and tried to stand up, "I don't need a bed. Is there any chance I could get my own room?"

Aragorn pondered my question, and nodded. He led me to a hallway, and opened up a door.

"My room is across the hall, and everyone else's is in this wing as well," he said. I nodded, and I walked into the room. Two windows gave me a view of half the city, and the valley towards Osgiliath. I set my helmet down on the bed, and turned back to Aragorn.

"Where's the armory?"

He laughed, and led me outside. We walked past guards, and people bowed as he passed through. The armory was being guarded, as Gandalf said. Inside, my bow and quiver were hanging on the wall and my quiver was replenished with fresh arrows. My sword and daggers were hanging in their sheaths near my bow. Happily, I limped over as fast as I could and I put them on. I felt complete. I wanted to visit Arroch, but Aragorn told me to rest.

I laid on my bed, my chest-plate chafed against my neck. Aragorn said he would come and wake me up once we were about to leave. I shut my eyes, and took forever to fall asleep. Once I did, Aragorn woke me up by his usual 'shake-my-shoulders-gently' routine. He was dressed in the armor of Gondor. His was a little more elegant than mine, not to mention his wasn't even used yet.

"We are leaving any minute. How is your leg?" he asked me quietly.

I moved it, and it felt a little better. I stood up with surprising ease, and gently put weight on my injured leg.

"I can walk on it!" I yelled, a little too excited.

Aragorn chuckled, and walked with me out to the throne room. Pippin and Merry were in armor as well. I put my helmet on, and looked at everyone around me. Èomer asked if my leg was okay, and everyone else asked me that as well. I was growing nervous for this upcoming battle. I will die, or go home. I didn't want to do either.

Legolas clapped a hand on my shoulder and led me to the stables. Everyone seemed nervous. We all knew that it meant death for protecting Frodo, and the freedom of Middle Earth. And I knew my mom would be freed, and as for me...

Arroch gleefully nodded his head up and down, glad I was with him and glad I was alive. I saddled him up solemnly, and rode out to meet the the others. The remaining troops of Rohan and Gondor were lining up outside Minas Tirith. Arroch sensed my nervousness, and nervously pranced around. Aragorn led us out of the city, as the citizens of Minas Tirith threw flowers in our path. Like when I first rode out with Faramir.

I stopped Arroch, and I froze. My thoughts were whirling around my mind. Aragorn turned, and rode his horse back to me.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

"I- I.. I am nervous. There are multiple things that can happen soon. And I don't want any of them to happen," I said, and grew queasy.

Aragorn tried to smile, and somehow, that comforted me. "I grow nervous as well. There are many things we cannot escape. Come."

He rode off, and I followed. A little girl handed me a red flower. Her big, green eyes stared up at me.

"Thank you," I said, and my stomach churned.

I clutched the flower in my hand as we rode down the levels of the city. As I rode Arroch through the gates, I turned back to the city. Many people watched the armies leave. I blinked, and kept my focus on positive things. I trotted up to Pippin and Merry, who seemed nervous as well. Pippin looked up at me, and I tried to smile. He looked back down.

"We ride to the Black Gates!" Aragorn yelled, and the troops of Rohan and Gondor marched after us. I watched Aragorn, who was looking ahead to Mordor, and clenching my locket again. Gandalf and Shadowfax trotted alongside him. I clasped my left hand on my sword's hilt, and tightly grasped Arroch's reins in my right. My emotions were all flooding together now. I couldn't tell if I was happy, sad, scared, or angry. Blood pounded in my ears.

We approached the Black Gates of Mordor, and Aragorn ordered the troops behind us to stop. The rest of us rode up to the gates. They were huge.

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

An eerie silence seemed to envelope us. A loud creak and a screech sounded. The gates started to open, and a rider dressed in black rode out on a black horse that was covered in armor.

He rode up to us, "My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome-" He smiled a toothy grin, and his disgusting teeth showed through. Aragorn glared at the rider "-Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"

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

The rider smirked, "Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee."

It takes out a shiny shirt, made of mithril. Frodo!

"Frodo!" Merry and Pippin both exclaim in grief for their friend. The rider tosses the shirt to Gandalf. My hand clenched my sword's hilt even harder now. Sweat beaded down from my forehead.

"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," the rider sneered.

Aragorn dismounted his horse, and stepped forwards, enraged. The rider grinned, "And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade."

Aragorn snapped out his blade, and beheaded the rider. Gimli spoke up, "I guess that concludes negotiations."

"I do not believe it. I will not," Aragorn said, and sheathed his sword.

Immense troops of orcs started to come through the gates. "Pull back! Pull back!" Aragorn yelled. We galloped back to the troops.

I gasped, and looked at the extensive amount of orcs. I glanced at our number of troops, and then theirs. We were incredibly outnumbered.

"Hold your ground!" Aragorn yelled, and the men around me seemed to tense up in fear.

He then rode forwards, and rode his horse in front of the men, and yelled to bring their courage up, "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!"

I dismounted Arroch, and sent him off. I slapped his behind, "Go! Arroch go!"

Arroch looked at me, and ran for Minas Tirith. We all unsheathed our swords, and I went to stand next to Legolas and Gimli. Gimli stood stiffly, "I never thought I'd die fighting alongside an elf. Even a woman."

I rolled my eyes, and Legolas said, "How about fighting next to friends?"

"Aye, I can do that," Gimli said sheepishly. Aragorn dismounted his horse, and came up to us. Orcs now surrounded us entirely. I was queasy again. Throughout the extensive amounts of orc, I saw trolls towering over the orcs. I clutched my sword, and Aragorn looked at me.

"Amin mela lle," he whispered to me. I felt my eyes tear up. I loved him too, and I opened my mouth to say it, but he had already turned. "For Frodo."

He started to run towards the orcs. There was a split second where I couldn't move. But then I did something crazy. I ran after him.

Pippin and Merry followed, and then the rest of the army yelled, and ran after us. The battle began instantly. A troll ran towards me, and threw its club at me. I dodged it, and swung my blade as powerfully as I could. The troll's leg, just below the knee flew off. Blood splattered my face as my blade sliced through it's knnecap with ease. It screeched, and flew over in pain. Orcs swarmed around me, and the soldiers around me were being eradicated quickly. I gasped as an orc dived for me. I hit the ground, and it's bloody blade was inches from my nose. I couldn't move my hands, because they were being crushed with it's weight. I let out a yell, and a sword beheaded it. Aragorn stood above me. He helped me up, and concern flashed across his face. I forced a smile. I sheathed my sword, and switched it for my bow. I quickly went through most of my arrows, so I switched back to my sword. More trolls came through the gates, and while Aragorn was fighting off many orcs, a troll flattened him.

"Aragorn!" I yelled. I ran for the troll, but the ground shook and I fell over. I looked at Mount Doom. It was smoking a lot. I heard a screech, and Nazgûl flew around us, heading for Mount Doom. Another screech sounded, but it was different. Giant eagles glided through the air, and took down the Nazgûl. I got up again, and sliced thorugh the troll's kneecap again. Aragorn's face was sprayed with troll blood. I helped him up, and he gasped for breath. The troll laid on the ground, flailing its arms. Suddenly, it went limp. More orcs swarmed around us. A huge screech made every one freeze. A tower that contained Sauron was falling over. With a huge crash, the tower fell over. Mount Doom erupted, and threw everyone to the ground.

As Sauron hit the ground, a huge explosion took out the black gate. The gate fell over, and crushed a lot of the orcs that were still coming through. As Mount Doom spewed lava and ash, I felt a strange sensation. It felt like my skin was being torn off of me. I screamed, and Aragorn whipped around, and ran towards me.

I saw his lips move, and he reached for me. My vision went black, and my hands clenched my sword. I felt a freefalling sensation, and landed in a grassy area. Sunlight streamed through the trees. I tried to recognize my surrounding. I stood up, and caught my breath. I sheathed my sword, and through the tall grass, I saw my house.

DUN DUN DUNN! HERES THE PLOT TWIST I WAS TALKING ABOUT! HEHE XD

Author's note AGAIN XD: The song Black Out Days by Phantogram really goes with this chapter. It's an awesome song XD