shattered • A Lord Of The Rings Tale

27) I GUESS THAT CONCLUDES NEGOTIATIONS

*MARIA'S POV*

To say I was nervous was an understatement. This was it. The last battle. If I survived this, I'd be living in a peaceful, united Middle Earth. I'd be free of danger - I'd have the chance to live happily without a catch. The funny thing was, I couldn't picture my happy future without Merry. I realised I'd become dependent on him; I needed him. And for the first time in my life, I was OK with needing another person. My brother had been a murderer, but it wasn't his fault. He had to do it. Because of that (I'm not sure why), I couldn't bring myself to rely on another person. I had to be able to do things by myself.

When I went to Hogwarts and met James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily, I'd learnt that dependence wasn't a bad thing. That needing other people could sometimes make you stronger. But I still couldn't bring myself to be a part of it.

Now I was. I had become a part of something bigger than myself. Bigger than my fear of dependence. Bigger than my need for independence and self-sufficiency. And for the first time that I could remember, I was happy. The thought made me want to jump up and down and spin in circles and cry and laugh all at the same time. It was a feeling I'd never had before.

But it was a feeling I wanted to keep having. It was almost an obsession - an addiction. And I never wanted to get clean.

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*3RD PERSON*

Sam, Frodo and Connor exited the tower, fully clothed in orc disguises. They surveyed the scene below them. In the distance they could see Mount Doom and the Tower of Barad Dur. Between them and their destination, though, stood thousands of orc camps.

"We did it. We made it to Mordor," said Sam.

"There are so many of them," said Connor, shaking his head. It looked a lot easier when he was watching it on his TV.

"We'll never get through unseen," said Frodo. He saw the Eye of Sauron surveying the soldiers from the top of Barad Dur and staggered backwards slightly.

"It's him! It's the Eye!" he said fearfully.

"We have to go in there. There's nothing for it." Sam said. Frodo looked at him, his eyes full of dread.

"com on, let's just make it down the hill for starters," Connor encouraged.

Frodo lead the three as they headed down the hill.

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*MARIA'S POV*

Our army was waiting silently for the orcs of Mordor to emerge from the gates.

"Where are they?" Pippin asked. Aragorn looked at him and then rode forward towards the gate. Gandalf followed, along with Legolas, Gimli, Eomer, Lily and Pippin and Merry and I. The Hobbits were almost incapable of riding horses so large by themselves. We rode right up to the Black Gates.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" He shouted at the gates. "Let justice be done upon him!" the gates opened, and the Mouth of Sauron emerged.

"My master Sauron bids thee welcome," it said. I couldn't help but mouth the lines. But this time, it got really up me.

"I can tell you exactly where to shove that welcome -" I started but Aragorn gave me a look that said shut up. Sauron's Lieutenant's head snapped to me quicker than I could blink. I automatically drew my wand.

"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?" he asked.

"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 demanded.