𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖆

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Ring Of Power

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We progressed for just shy of two weeks in a slow, stop-and-go fashion, down to where the Silverlode joined up with Anduin. Legolas and I took it in turns to row, as our bodies-still newly recovered-adjusted troublesomely to the exertion. But I found that my laboured breath was completely taken away when we rounded a narrow bend, circumventing a large boulder rising from the shoreline, to reveal a sight I thought I would only ever read about. To see it... Was incredible.

The Argonath, like great stone pillars, rose so high into the sky, that their peeks disappeared in the heavily fogged atmosphere. And the giants only grew the closer we became. Not a word was uttered as we passed below them, hardly even measuring up to the hem of the intricately carved robes. Moss, I could see now, had taken up residence within all the little cracks and crevices in the great sculptures, and some of the finer lines looked worn with age. I couldn't possibly even begin to fathom the building of such magnificent things as these.

Everyone's gazes had been drawn to the sight, and not a single one moved, as the Argonath slipped away at our sides, and began to shrink as we moved still farther along. The heavy silence grew to the point of being tangible once more, as the wonder of the Argonath abandoned our minds, and dread at what was to come, followed in its wake.

✶

Dusk had claimed the land, spilling its cruel darkness over the hills and valleys. We'd taken up Parth Galen for our campsite that evening, a detached mass huddled in the field. The fire was maintained and utilized only by Merry, Pippin, and Gimli who around the flames. But even they were not smiling, their grim faces cast with the sharp shadows created by the fire's glow. Sam sat further along against a downed tree, his gaze fixated on Frodo, who clutched the ring tensely in his white hand, gazing with a firm intensity at what lay before us. Mordor.

Aragorn, however, stared in the direction we came. He faced the still monstrous silhouette of the Misty Mountain range behind us, as he spun his pipe in his hands without much thought. Boromir sat furthest of all, his head leaned back against a boulder, his eyes reflecting the radiant starlight above him. Legolas stood, arms folded, and back stiff, in the midst of our group, his eyes glazed over in deep thought.

He noticed my gaze, scowling, before turning his back on me, taking a few long strides further from the group, before coming to a standstill. I sighed, turning back on the river, on whose bank I sat rigidly. The silence that hung over us was like none we'd experienced in all our journey. I thought back to each night we'd passed before this. There was singing, talking, swapping of tales, jeering, and jesting, but never silence. Never silence so suffocating, so thick, so tangible. My stomach twisted up, and I clenched my fist. How could we expect to make it to Mordor like this? Never had such utter and sheer hopelessness enveloped me during all my time on this quest.

Never such loneliness.

I'd lost Legolas. I'd lost Gandalf. I'd lost Aragorn. And I was likely to lose the rest of them too. There was no doubt in my mind each of our lives would be claimed by this quest. No doubt at all.

I released my clenched up fist, sighing. My dark silhouette stared back at me from the water. I let my finger trace its cool surface, creating a dull ripple. I shuddered when the light of my rune caught the water, glinting as brightly as the stars. I retracted my arm as though I'd been singed. Looking into the water, peering at the sky it reflected, I found my mind drawn to my mother.

I reached a steady hand into my pocket, extracting the Evendim from my pocket and turning it over in my hand. Why had she given me these powers? To her, perhaps, they were a great gift. To me, they were a burden, looming on the horizon. Distant, but ever nearing. It was all I could do not to scream in frustration. I pushed the thoughts from my mind. I would never find an answer.