The Lastborn: A Middle Earth Story(Book 1)(EDITING)

Chapter 30: Into Carn Dum

   They were all ready to set off by now, including Eldahir. He was still weak but was able to walk on his own, and wasn't as pale as before.
   Sarina stayed close at his side, watching him to make sure he was alright. The other three companions took their place at the front, Raldis leading them through a pass into the eastern hills.
   It grew steadily darker, and the rocks became more jagged and menacing. The silence was deafening. Every little footfall and every breath seemed to echo through the pass. None of the companions spoke unless it was absolutely necessary.
   A feeling of dread and impending doom seemed to permeate the company as well. Even Kalan appeared downcast, and trod with heavier, less energetic steps. Gerithor shivered and pulled his scarf over his face. He felt like they were being watched.
   They were.
   He suddenly saw movement at the top of the cliff to their right. He could make out a Black Numenorean, standing sentinel over the pass.
"Down!" He quietly whispered and motioned for everyone to hide. The soldier had probably already seen them.
Gerithor pulled an arrow from his quiver and fitted it to his bow, ready to shoot the man. Raldis put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
"There's no point. He already saw us, it's strange that he's not doing anything about it."
Gerithor narrowed his eyes, thinking. Maybe Arnakhor was letting them come. Perhaps it was a trap. Either way, word couldn't reach Arnakhor of the party's progress.
"We can't give him a chance to alert anyone." Gerithor pulled the string back, aimed, and let the arrow fly. The Black Numenorean fell to the ground with a gasp as the arrow passed through his neck.
"There. No noise, no trouble." Gerithor ignored Raldis' angry look and stood up. "Let's carry on. Keep an eye out for more guards."
He moved forward and everyone else followed, Kalan moving to his side. Raldis moved to the front and continued to guide the group, but didn't say a word.
   They traveled all day, seeing an occasional enemy guard but nothing happened. It got darker and darker, and eventually they came to the end of the pass onto a dark plain. There was no snow. It was covered with sickly, dead looking grass, and the dirt was dark.
   A strange rotting smell faintly filled the air. Gerithor scrunched his nose.
   "Why does it smell that way?" He turned to Raldis.
   "We're close to the slaughterhouse. They have to kill thousands of livestock every day to feed the army. They throw the rest of the carcasses out onto the plain."
   "Why did you lead us here?" Gerithor said, confused.
   "It's the only way I could think of to sneak in. We wouldn't have made it through the front gate." He slunk along the cliff wall, careful to stay in its shadow. The smell grew stronger the further they went. Sarina looked sick, and Eldahir covered his nose with a hand. Kalan and Raldis were the only ones who seemed unaffected by the rotting odor.
    "This smells like me uncle! He loved roast beef..." Kalan grinned. "I could go for some roast beef right about now."
   Despite the strange comparison of the rotting flesh smell to Kalan's uncle, Gerithor's stomach rumbled at the thought of roast beef. He hadn't eaten since the previous morning.
   "How much further is it?" Eldahir asked through his hand.
   "Just a little further. The dump chute is that way." Raldis pointed to a distant building.
   "We're going in through a dump chute?" Sarina asked, trying to hide her disgust at the thought.
   "Yes, that's the only way. It's better than getting killed." Raldis rolled his eyes and continued.
   They soon reached the slaughterhouse, which was connected to the main castle by a hallway. The chute was long and tilted downwards, and an overwhelming odor wafted down from it.
   "We are fortunate, we arrived after the slaughterhouse shuts down for the night. I'll go first." Raldis jumped up into the chute, climbing up carefully. He reached the top and looked back down.
   "Eldahir should come next," he called.
   "I'll go next," Sarina said. It was clear she didn't trust Raldis enough to let Eldahir go up alone. She began to climb, slipping on the smooth sides of the chute.
   "Grab the grates!" Raldis shouted from the top. Sarina did as he said and made much quicker time, making it to the top. Raldis offered her a hand up, which she took cautiously.
   "Thank you," she said once he had pulled her up.
   Eldahir went next. Gerithor helped him up until he couldn't reach him anymore, at which point Eldahir slowly continued on his own, slipping at several points. He eventually made it up and gratefully took the hand Raldis offered to him.
   Kalan and Gerithor looked at each other.
   "I can't even reach the bottom grate lad," Kalan said disappointedly as he looked up.
   "I'll hoist you up," Gerithor said.
   "No! That'd just be embarrassing!" Kalan said. He took a deep breath and jumped. The bottom grate rattled as his fingers barely touched it, and he fell back to the ground. He tried several times before giving up.
   "I guess I'll meet you on the other side! To the front gate I go!" The dwarf turned and began walking away. Gerithor ran and grabbed his shoulder.
   "Is it really that embarrassing? Just let me hoist you up!"
   "Nobody hoists a dwarf!" Kalan said indignantly.
   "Fine. How about I get down on my knees and you climb on my back? Does that count?" Gerithor said with exasperation.
   "That'll do!" Kalan said eagerly. Gerithor rolled his eyes and walked back to the bottom of the chute. He reluctantly crouched down and waited.
   He felt a heavy boot on his back, and tried not to complain. The dwarf was heavy.
   He felt the boot leave his back and heard Kalan grunt as he grabbed the grate. Gerithor rolled out of the way and looked up to see Kalan hanging on. The dwarf pulled himself up and climbed to the top.
   Now it was Gerithor's turn. Partly due to watching the others and partly because of his natural agility, Gerithor quickly climbed to the top, not having any trouble navigating the chute.
   He reached the top and looked around. Meat hung from hooks in rows, and it was freezing cold.
   "We're almost there now," Raldis said and began walking between two rows of meat. They walked until the left the slaughterhouse and entered a large courtyard. In the distance was a tower, dark and ominous.
   "That's the keep. Lord Arnakhor will be there." Raldis looked at Gerithor with concern. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
   Gerithor steeled himself. He couldn't turn back now. "I'm sure. For my family," he said with determination.
   He narrowed his eyes and looked at the tower. It was almost over.
===============================
   Arnakhor strapped on the last piece of his armor, and picked up his helmet. He looked at it for a moment. No, he wouldn't need it. He'd rather the Lastborn see his face before Arnakhor killed him. He smiled. There were other rangers in the wilds, but with the Lastborn out of the way their line was that much closer to dying out. Most of the surviving Dunedain were too old to have children, after all.
   He walked over to his weapon rack, and chose a dark bladed scimitar. Yes, he thought as he ran his finger along the side of the blade. This would be a crushing blow. Then his people would rise in Arnor, and from there they could ravage Rohan, Dale, Rivendell... Even Gondor wouldn't be safe from the combined forces of Angmar and Mordor. He would be in Sauron's favor, and as promised he would be established as King of the Black Numenoreans. His time was coming.
===============================
"This way!" Raldis yelled as he motioned them onward. Another storm was beginning, and snow blew wildly through the huge courtyard. At least it kept them from being seen, Gerithor thought. He had decided that it was definitely a trap, since the whole fortress seemed practically abandoned.
"This isn't disturbing at all," Eldahir said, looking around the courtyard nervously.
"He's waiting for us." Gerithor turned to face his companions, and they looked at him in shock. His eyes were glowing inhumanly blue.
"How could you possibly know that?" Kalan asked in confusion, trying to ignore Gerithor's change in appearance.
"I can tell..." He trailed off and looked at the tower in confusion. "No, I can almost see him."
Kalan raised an eyebrow. "I think something's wrong with ya lad. Yer eyes are blue now too. Not that I look at your eyes anyway. But they're glowin now."
Gerithor raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's... Interesting."
"Do you know why?" Sarina asked.
"I think so. Eldahir, remember those takes about the old Numenoreans who could see into the future?"
"Aye, I do. Sometimes they'd take on certain aspects of the people they were seeing in the future. If they were too weak the person they were watching could even control them..." His voice trailed off and he looked at Gerithor in shock. "You're becoming like Arnakhor!"
"I may be taking on a physical aspect of him, but I am in no way like him!" Gerithor said forcefully.
"Will it go away?" Raldis asked.
"If the other person dies, the connection is broken. So it will not last much longer." Gerithor said the words menacingly and looked back to the tower, his glowing eyes lighting up his face.
"Let's end this." He strode confidently toward the tower, and one by one his companions followed.

Cliffhanger! Things are beginning to near an end!
Also, a belated thank you for 1k views! I'm so happy people have been enjoying it! To those of you who leave comments regularly and vote the chapters up, thank you so much. Without you guys I would have stopped writing by now. You give me an incentive to keep going, and I appreciate each of you :)