Come to Morning Through The Shadows

Trust and Alliances

Home is behind, the world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread

Through shadows to the edge of night,

Until the stars are all alight.-J.R.R. Tolkien

It was getting to the point that Lyla couldn't ignore the burning ache in her arm. With her hands bound together again, however, she was unable to ease the tension that rippled there, sending shooting spikes of pain down to her fingertips.

Her vision swam and she stumbled forward through the dimly lit tunnel. The guard behind her grunted in disapproval and gave her a soft shove forward.

Lyla bit back a groan and continued forward, willing her feet to keep moving.

They were moving towards the city, Ecthelion told her, moving towards Minis Tirith, the white city, where the Steward of Gondor would greet them...

And take the ring of power away from her.

With every step she took though, with every movement away from Mordor, Lyla felt the weight of the ring grow. The whispers continued to mock her, taunt her with notions of despair and doom.

She couldn't let them get the ring. But how was she to escape? Ecthelion wouldn't listen to her, so wrapped in grief as he was.

"The ring won't bring him back," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground, watching her footing as her vision swayed. "The ring won't save anything. It is altogether evil."

"Quiet," Ecthelion's voice was low, rough and contentious, "You will be silent or I shall make it so. Save your idle prattling. I will not be swayed."

Oh Eru help her...

The wood above him creaked dangerously, the groaning of the timber sending a spray of dust descending upon him.

Fili's heart hammered wildly against his ribs, sending a painful jolt through his torso with each beat.

He was nervous.

Not that he was willing to admit that to anyone.

But it was true nonetheless.

And it would not do to be nervous. Too much rested upon the success of this attempt.

He had to get the wizard alone. He had to secure the prisoner, the once powerful wizard who had stolen so much from them. Who had tried to hurt those he cared for.

Indeed it would not do at all to be nervous, he surmised foregoing those feelings of fear and trepidation in favor of the anger he felt towards the wizard.

Treebeard's words echoed in his mind: "A wizard should know better"

Yes.

Yes he should.

Swallowing the thick liquid that coated his throat, Fili braced his shoulders, took a deep breath and surged forward, through the doorway at the topmost portion of the tower.

The dwarf, realized too late, that he should have anticipated a trap heading into the room. He was grappling with a wizard after all.

But whatever blow that would have been conveniently directed at him, in his distracted state never came.

Much to Fili's surprise.

In fact, the entire tower, apart from the groaning and creaking of from the blast, was quiet. No shuffling movements, not the slightest hint of the rustling of fabric. No whispers.