The Two Worlds

††Chapter Twenty-Six††

Chapter Twenty-Six

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"Nazgūl!" Faramir shouted as three black beasts soared over Osgiliath. Men screamed as they were grasped in the claws of the vile creatures and were sent tumbling to the city below. The top of one of the last remaining watch towers crumbled to the ground as one of the Hell Hawks tried to perch on it.

"This way," Faramir instructed as he ushered the hobbits away from the other man. The soldier who held Sméagol followed them as they ran through a mob of screaming soldiers and Rangers. Faramir took them to a small space that was out of sight but still out in the open. "Stay here." he ordered.

"But I can fight," Cody objected, "They won't harm me, it has happened before."

"I said, stay here." he growled. And with that, and a twirl of his grey cape, he flew into the battle that had begun.

As the hobbits and Sméagol coward down in a corner they heard a horrific shriek that pierced the very air. They all covered their ears and waited for it to go away. Cody had her eyes squeezed shut but when she opened them she saw that Frodo had a blank expression on his face. Slowly, he stood up and began to walk up a stone staircase that was nearby.

"What are you doing?" Sam demanded from him when Frodo had made it to the top.

'I will see you soon.' a voice purred in Cody's head.

"Sam, we need to get him off of there," Cody told Samwise, "Now!" she shrieked when he didn't make a move. Before they could clamour up the stairs a loud beating noise could be heard and then the horrible head of the Hell Hawk came into view.

"Frodo!" Cody cried. He stood as if in a trance and stared at the Nazgūl with the Ring in his hand. The Hell Hawk tried to grab him but before it could sink its sharp talons into the hobbit Sam tackled Frodo. The two rolled down the opposite stairs and the Nazgūl let out a shriek of surprise and flew off.

Cody scrambled up the stairs and down again to see the two hobbits land at the bottom. She drew her sword when she saw the gleam of a blade and raced over to them.

"Aaah!" Frodo screamed and aimed his sword at his friend's throat. Sam laid under his master and quivered in fear.

"M- Mr. Frodo, it's me, Samwise." he stuttered. The evil look in Frodo's eyes slowly faded and he relaxed his tense muscles. When he looked at what he had almost done his breath came in gasps and he let his sword clatter to the ground. Sadness took the place of the evil and he rolled off of Sam so he was sitting on the stone ground.

"I can't do this anymore, Sam." Frodo sighed sadly.

"I know, it's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here, but we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered; full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because, how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass." Sam looked at Cody when he said the last line and then looked away.

"A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding onto something."

"What are we holding onto?"

"That there's some good in this world Frodo," Cody said and knelt down by his side, "And that there's things worth fighting for."

Before any of them could move the sound of padding feet could be heard as they slapped the stone road. The hobbits instantly stood up and drew their swords while Sméagol whimpered and hid behind Frodo. They waited as the feet drew closer and they almost fled in fear as a single orc rounded a corner. He held a bow in one hand and a dagger strapped to his side. He pulled out an arrow and notched it on his bow.

The hobbits watched in fear as he drew the arrow back and right as he released it an arrow sprouted from his chest. The vile creature looked down at the shaft and crumpled to the ground. Cody looked behind her and cried out at the sight she saw; Boromis stood behind them and plucked the black arrow out of him. He met Cody's eyes and gave her a weak smile before he fell to the ground.

"Boromis!" she screamed and rushed to the Ranger's side.

"Hey little halfling." he said in a weak voice, "I told you we would see each other again." he tried to give a small laugh but it did not sound cheerful.

"I was hoping you would show me the grand halls of Gondor when all of this was over." she said. Tears bubbled in her eyes and she tried not to let them fall.

"I told you I would and I will, don't you worry little one."

"Boromis!" a voice shouted from atop the stairs and everyone turned to see who it was but Cody. She stayed by the Ranger's side until she was roughly pushed aside by Faramir.

Cody stood up and stumbled backwards until she was caught by Frodo. She looked into his clear, sad eyes before she buried her face in his chest. There, she let the tears fall for her friend who had fallen to protect them.

"Hush, he's in a better place Cody," he said gently in her ear and held her close. He knew that if Boromis had not appeared at that moment the one thing that he was holding onto would be gone possibly.

"Boromis? What happened?" Faramir asked frantically but he received no reply from his fallen cousin.

Cody wiped away her tears and said in a voice that shook, "Faramir he-" but she was cut off.

"Just go!" he yelled at them, "You are free, you have caused enough damage as it is." and with that the mighty captain wept.

The hobbits did not know what to say to his harsh words. They stared down at the captain and the fallen before they hesitantly marched away. Just before they went out of sight Cody called, "Boromis died to save us and he was not ashamed to do it. He died and honorable death and it was not in vain." Cody then turned back towards the small fellowship and continued on their journey to the fiery pit of Mordor.

This concludes the second book in the Lady of the Darkness series. The series will end with The Darkness Bearer.

----------Thank you to those who have read both of my books! I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have and that you will continue reading until the end of the third book. May you all have a good Easter ~For God so loved the world he gave His one and only son. Whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. John 3:16----------