The Tale of Anwyn, Part Seven: The Black Gate of Mordor

1

As Anwyn came upon Morgul Vale, she saw the host assembled outside the ominous gate of Mordor. Aragorn rode out in front of the lines, preparing to get the soldiers fired up. He stopped for a moment to talk to Gimli, and Anwyn set off.2

"Hyah!" she yelled, urging Meldon to go faster. "Legolas! Aragorn!" she yelled.3

Legolas, with his sharp vision, was the first to see her. "Anwyn!" he called. "Anwyn!"4

Aragorn turned in surprise. "Anwyn is here?"5

Anwyn reined Meldon to a stop and jumped off, right into the arms of her prince. "Legolas!"6

Legolas embraced her, then pulled away. "What are you doing here?" He reached up in wonder to touch her ears, looked over her shoulder and saw the quiver of arrows and the bow she carried on her back. He smiled. "You truly have become an Elf."7

"I've been living in Mirkwood for the past month," Anwyn told him. "Astalohtar has taught me to shoot, and I have my sword..." She looked into his piercing blue eyes. "I'm here to fight by your side."8

"Anwyn, I..." Legolas sighed. "You know that this is only a diversion. Frodo and Sam are inside Mordor. All we're doing is trying to take Sauron's Eye off of them. We might... none of us might make it."9

"I will share your fate," Anwyn declared.10

Legolas gathered her into his arms once again. "I don't believe you," he murmured. "But I love you all the same." He pulled away and looked his love in the eye. "Aren't you frightened?"11

"I am afraid," Anwyn mused looking away for a moment, "yet I am not." Her eyes met Legolas' again. "I fear nothing with you beside me."12

"Amin sinta thaliolle e dagor," replied Legolas. "Cuamin linduva yassen megrille."13

Aragorn let out a satisfied chuckle. "Quite a woman you are, Lady Anwyn. Join the Host."14

Smiling at each other, Legolas and Anwyn went back into the front line. She noticed members of the Fellowship standing around her; two of the little Hobbits, Gimli the Dwarf, and--15

"Gandalf!" exclaimed Anwyn. "I thought... I thought you fell."16

"Through fire and water, until I defeated the Balrog," explained the wizard. "And you have become an Elf?" He reached out and touched the tip of her ear, as a grandfather might caress the face of his growing granddaughter.17

"By the grace of Galadriel," she replied.18

Aragorn rode out in front of the soldiers. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The 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 Man 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!" He held Andúril high into the air. "Men of the West!"19

Anwyn looked at Legolas, her eyes filled with a grand mixture of fear, resolve, courage, and faith.20

"For Frodo," whispered Aragorn, looking into the eyes of the remaining members of the Fellowship, and charged into the heart of the Uruks. Screaming, Merry and Pippin followed, and right after them came Legolas, Anwyn, and Gimli, along with the entire Host.21

Battle cries rang out as Elven arrows pierced armor and Men's blades sliced through Orc-flesh. Anwyn had learned to stab and then shoot, and she was quite proficient at the skill. Her bow gleamed in the afternoon sun as she turned round in circles, fighting off the giant beasts that were mercilessly trying to destroy her brothers and sisters, just as they had in the Battle Under the Trees in Mirkwood.22

"Twenty-one!" yelled Gimli, counting off the number of Orcs he had killed. "Twenty-two..."23

"I'm on twenty-nine," Legolas hollered back.24

Anwyn had heard of this game. "Thirty-one," she put in with a smile.25

"What's that?" Gimli laughed. "She's ahead of you, my pointy-eared friend."26

"Every dead Orc is a good dead Orc," came Legolas' reply. 27

"It's not working," Aragorn hollered, looking up at the Eye.28

Anwyn was in despair. They were so close... what could they do to draw Sauron's attention completely to them? She saw Gandalf wielding his staff, and it struck her. "Gandalf!" she hollered, and drew Ilmensil. "Aure hyanda!" she cried, and the blade illuminated. Gandalf saw at once what Anwyn was doing, and illuminated his staff with the Flame. The Orcs were blinded; the Uruk-hai kept moving in, but the purpose was fulfilled; Sauron's eye was fixed upon them.29

"Gurth gothrim lye!" shrieked Anwyn, and plunged her still-flaming blade into the chest of an approaching Uruk. Refusing to dim the light of Ilmensil, she continued to fight, plunging her flaming blade wildly into whatever foul creature approached her. Legolas was within her range of vision; he was out of arrows and had began slashing through Orcs with his daggers. Gimli was barely holding his own against two giant beasts. Merry was struggling to keep up against a tall, skinny Uruk. As for Anwyn, she was working to hold off one of the Uruk-hai captains. And just as soon as she didn't know if she could hold on any longer, there was an explosion overhead, and the earth shook.30

"Huine," commanded Anwyn breathlessly, and her blade dimmed just in time for her to see the Eye shatter and the Tower crumble.31

"Lakilea!" Legolas' voice rang out loud and clear over the noise and the destruction. "Lakilea!"32

"Frodo!" Merry's voice. His eyes were troubled. "Frodo..."33