Sauron's Daughter (A lord of the rings / Aragorn story)

Echoes Of The Dead.

We began to walk through the dark mine and the smell of death was all too potent.

"It is a four day journey to the other side," Gandalf informed us. "Let us hope that our presence may go un-noticed." I highly doubted that, we just smashed the front door down. I walked past a skeleton. It was mutilated and the lifeless face was contorted into a scream. I did that. I looked into his lifeless eyes. A black socket stared back at me.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, my eyes welling up. "I didn't mean to hurt you." I closed my eyes. A dwarf flashed before my eyes and his scream echoed before a sickening crunch filled the air. I opened my eyes with a gasp.

"Miss Raina?" Sam questioned. "Come now, or we'll fall behind." He gave me a small smile. I sniffed and followed behind him. Aragorn glared daggers at me, I shrank away from his gaze.

~*~

We walked along a narrow ledge. There seemed to be an endless abyss below. Gandalf began to rub his hand against the rocky wall.

"The wealth of Moria with not in gold, or jewels, but mithril." He said.

We all gazed down the edge of the ledge. You couldnt even see the bottom. Merry stepped closer towards the edge but Pippin held an arm across his shoulder, fearing the height.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf continued. I smiled a little at the memory. "Do you remember Raina?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes." I whispered and smiled slightly.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift!" Gimli exclaimed.

"Yes, I never told him... But it's worth was greater than the value of the shire."

We began to climb up a streep set of stairs, in fact, it was so steep we had to use our hands and feet to climb it. It was very precarious and Pippin nearly slipped and fell.

"Pippin!" Merry hissed in alarm and steadied him.

When we reached the top of the stairs, there were three doorways leading off into different directions. We waited for Gandalf to tell us which way to go. But he just stood and looked at the doors in confusion.

"I have no memory of this place." He muttered. "Take some rest. I will try to remember the way."

We all found places to settle down for the night. I lay down my bedroll a little away from the others. I felt so ashamed. And that wasn't the worst of it. If we ran into... No. It wasn't worth bearing to think about. As long as we don't attract any attention to ourselves, we'll be fine...

"Are we lost?" whispered Pippin.

"No." Merry answered, equally as quiet.

"I think we are." Pippin fretted.

"Sh! Gandalf's thinking." Merry scolded.

"Merry?"

"What?" He snapped.

"I'm hungry." Pippin said sheepishly. I couldn't help but smile as I felt my eyes droop and I slowly fell asleep.

~ dream ~

"Raina!" Sauron hissed. By the Valar, not again! "Look around Raina. You could be great like this again!" I was in the mines, alone. The skeletons littered the floor. "Together... We could be unstoppable! People will be begging for death at our feet! Come daughter..." A black hand formed from out of the darkness.

"No!" I shouted. "I will never EVER let you control me again!"

He hissed in frustration. "But I'll always be there... Inside your head." He jeered. " 'The Pheonix' as you so aptly call me will always be there. You are part of me. If you won't follow me willingly..." He sneered. Images of me destroying the once mighty dwarf city flooded my mind. I stood at the entrance sending goblins attacking as I twisted and contorted bodies with my mind. Screams filled the air and my clear malicious laugh echoed off the walls, a sick grin plastered on my face.

I screamed.

"You can't escape whats part of you. Your're too weak to abide me. Your time is coming... Coming... Coming"

~ end of dream ~

I bolted awake. I looked at my surroundings. Nobody was awake to my knowledge apart from Frodo and Gandalf who didnt seem to notice me. They were to involved in their own conversation.

"Why didn't you say anything?" A voice whispered coldly. I gasped.

~ aragorn POV~

I was lying down on my bedroll tossing and turning restlessly when I heard a gasp to my right. Raina was sat up looking around wild-eyed. She didn't see me looking at her. How could she not have told us about this impending danger? I asked the question that had been on my mind since we entered this colossal tomb. "Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, a little harsher than I meant to. She gasped and then looked to the floor in shame.

"I was afraid to." She whispered quietly. I moved closer to her.

"Why?" I pressed. She wouldn't look me in the eye. And then she whispered, barely audible...

"I did this." Her voice was full of shame and sadness. "After Erebor... The Pheonix returned. I m-marched into battle with goblins and... I killed them. I snapped their necks and..." She curled into herself. "I killed them." She whispered again. "I was screaming at the back of my head but The Pheonix just wouldnt stop. It's relentless. I couldn't do anything. Until the battle was over and I fought The Pheonix in a dream and re-took control of my own body. But I can still hear it. Every minute of every day. I couldnt tell you... I'm sorry."

My feelings were mixed. But one emotion was more powerful than the rest. Rage. I was furious. She had killed them! She had killed them and not told us and lead us straight into danger! She knew what was down here. I tried to steady my voice. "So you didn't tell us... To protect yourself." I said coldly. She looked up at me with tear filled eyes.

"I-I couldn't." She stammered.

"You lead us down here full knowing that we could all die! You just wanted to protect yourself!" I whisper-shouted.

"I..."

I grabbed her arm. "Did you not even think about the impact this would have on the quest?!" I cried. Merry began to stirr. I lowered my voice to a menacing growl. "You better hope Gimli doesn't find out or he will throw you over the side of this ledge and you'll be crushed to death. I'm tempted to do it myself!" I snarled. As soon as the words left my lips I regretted them. I knew I was over-reacting, she never meant to. But it just made me so angry.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said before she wrenched herself out of my death grip. I didn't even realise I had hold of her. She walked away from me and sat by a nearby rock with her head in her hands.