The Last Dreamwalker

His Vast Armies

Her comrades gaped at her and she gulped harshly. She made eye contact with her father and motioned with her head discretely towards where the rest of the men sat, awaiting the battle to come.

Aragorn nodded softly and turned his horse, leading them all back to their army, and leaving behind the body of the Mouth that had antagonized them all.

Lessien's head ran with the things that he had said. He told of how much she had disappointed Sauron. He told her of her weakness. He told her of the untapped potential she had deep inside of her.

Her chest burned with anger. She was tired of being told how inadequate she was but there, in the very depths of her mind, she wondered how she could improve. She wondered of the great service she could perform for Sauron and what great things he had awaiting her.

Lessien shook her head. Her hand throbbed and her arm tingled. Those dark thoughts were mere whispers in her mind that weren't hers.

At least, she hoped they weren't hers.

When they had reached the men, Aragorn began to ride back and forth before the front lines, shouting his words of leadership. He spoke of comradery and victory. They were words of encouragement and hope that settled in the hearts of each man. They beheld a leader in front of them, which they had long been without.

Lessien saw that now.

She dismounted her horse just like her friends around her and turned to face the dreaded opening of the Black Gates. With a loud sound of clashing metal, they began to open.

As they opened wider and wider, Lessien half expected the armies she faced to diminish. However, the swarms were undeniably numberless. Among the ranks were thick muscled orcs with their dark skin and sneers across their horrible faces, along with those evil Easterling men from distant lands with their foreign looking armor.

There were so many of them that it made Lessien gape.

This is the war force you could have had at your disposal, a whisper shared in her mind.

Was it hers? Or was it someone else?

Before them, the gates had opened and Lessien beheld the tower of Barad Dur, with its terrible, fiery eye that peered down at the souls of men.

It would do you well, Lessien Tiwele, to not act rashly this night.

Your Mouth made it very clear of the seemingly miniscule threat I pose against your armies, Lessien replied. She wondered how she could sound so brave now that she spoke directly to the Dark Lord. She guessed that Sauron was no stranger to her now. Her fear of him had waned.

There was a pause. I watch now this battle to unfold. You are running out of time, use it wisely.

Lessien turned her head to look at her father. She could sense that the dark lord now reached out to him as well with his malevolent whispers.

Stay with me, ada, she comforted, her words a soft touch to Aragorn's mind.

Inside, Lessien celebrated the small victory of being able to use her powers to defend a mind that had already been invaded by Sauron. She was stronger than she thought. She was not weak.

Perhaps it was her advantage that she was perceived that way.

And then he was gone.

The force of Sauron had gathered around the men. They created a strong circle entirely surrounding them all. They must have been outnumbered twenty orcs to every single man. At best.