The Black Knight

Chapter 26:

           

Anxious voices sound around as we near the Pelennor Fields outside of Minas Tirith. My mind is surrounded by a shadow I know is just past the hill ahead and push it away so all that remains is focus. Swords, pounding, and screaming goes from sounding feint to a full-blown war cry as we get into positions. We have finally made it and I can feel the Rohirrim are ready to fight. I grin to Éomer next to me who returns the smile, proud that I am riding out to battle at his side and with the fierce men of Rohan. Our force crests the hill and the loudest horn sounds. I look behind me to see row after row of men. Then I look to the enemy's forces and have to push down the doubts about our odds of winning this. With the sound of the horn, the Orcs turn to our forces and immediately scramble to get into new positions.

"Éomer, take your eored down the left flank," Théoden says before riding off down the front line.

"Flank ready!" Éomer shouts.

Théoden moves to each rider in charge of each flank before stopping to take everyone in.

"Arise, arise Riders of Théoden!" he shouts as he slowly makes his way down the line. "Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!"

Just like that spears are readied and the Orcs match our moves.

"Ride now! Ride now!" Théoden shouts. "Ride for ruin, and the world's ending! Death!"

"Death!" I shout with the men, our noise spreading across the battlefield.

The chant is repeated as everyone makes a final move to ready their courage.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden shouts at the head of the column, his longsword glinting in the sun.

He charges forward and I follow, the mass of soldiers behind. The Orc army becomes closer and closer yet Ashkin stays steady underneath me as I pull out my bow. Then the clash comes and I run Ashkin right into the Orcs with Éomer and the rest of the Rohirrim. I ride through the first lines of defense, shooting arrows at the Orcs underneath while Ashkin tramples over them. War cries turn into screams, the sound of steel against steel, and wood splintering. Then the Orcs become more spread out as I get through the first mass. I jump off Ashkin and pat him on the rear.

"Nor," I shout to him and he obeys.

I don't have the heart to lose him in battle since so many men and other horses will be lost. I watch him trample back up the hill we came down, knowing that he will come back to me when this is over with. I focus once more and aim at my new targets. Orcs begin to surround me and I move in a circle to take each one of them out. More move in with their weapons sharpened so I pull out Lightsbane and hack away. Blurs rush past me as I cut through the mass, only taking time to decipher who is the enemy and who is a friend. I swing my sword to behead an Orc before whipping around and stabbing another in the gut, pulling my sword out just as quick. My braid whips around with me and my black armor still shines despite the dirt and blood covering me. A few yards away is Éomer who is fiercely winning against the Orc coming at him. He picks up a discarded spear and runs it right through but doesn't see the one sneaking up behind him.

"Éomer!" I shout and throw a dagger at the Orc.

It hits it cleanly in the heart and it falls right as Éomer turns around. I move to his side and help take out more Orcs.

"Thanks," he says.

"No worries," I say while kicking down an Orc.

The Orcs are spread out now as their numbers diminish. I run through the field, taking down any Orc in site. Corpses cover the ground, both Orc and Rohirrim. The riders who still have horses underneath them run towards the city to help and at first, I think that we are victorious as the enemy begins to flee from us. Then that feeling falls when the ground rumbles beneath my feet. I turn to face the mountains of Mordor and the blackened sky to see huge beasts come into view with screaming men beneath as they charge towards us and the city. The beasts' feet trample the ground and anything beneath them, their tusks sharpened to a deadly point with war paint covering their faces and trunks.