In Gondor

9. Victory in Minas Tirith

The Countess had climbed to the uppermost level of the City and was running past the White Tree. She saw Denethor, his clothing consumed in flames, come out of a side building. She made no move to help him, only watching as ran past her to the edge of the city wall and threw himself off. Shaking her head, she went into the hall of the tombs of the Stewards of Gondor.

Gandalf was ordering two of the men to take Faramir to the Houses of Healing. The rest of the men would accompany Gandalf, Pippin and the Countess down to the lower levels, back down to the fight.

They heard another blast of horns and went to look over the City walls. Another force of the Enemy had arrived to reinforce the orcs and trolls.

The Countess turned to look at Gandalf, puzzled. "Elephants?"

"It's pronounced Oliphaunts," Pippin said to her, staring over the field, astounded at the sight. "Grey as a mouse; big as a house, nose like a snake, I make the earth quake," he recited.

Rohan's horns sounded a charge and the reformed lines of Rohan charged the line of great grey beasts.

"We cannot just watch this battle; we have our own to fight." Gandalf was back up on Shadowfax in an instant. "The orcs are in the City making their way up the levels." They turned and followed Gandalf down to the fight.

The soldiers of Gondor, pikes raised, watched as the gate to the third level of the City shook from the great blows of the orcs on the other side; they knew death would
be coming through the gate soon.

Gandalf and Pippin were sitting on the deck of a house close to the Gate. The Countess was up on the Wall looking out over the battlefield to confirm with her eyes what her heart had told her long before.

"He’s not there, Gandalf," she said quietly, coming back to them. "They aren't here," she amended.

Gandalf thought for a moment, then gave her a small smile. "That's very good," he said. Then, after a short pause, his smile fading, he continued. "Or it's very bad."

Pippin stared up at him. "Well, what does that mean?"

The Countess laughed then, genuinely laughed, a sound so strange to hear in that time and place that both Gandalf and Pippin stared at the woman in black, her cloak floating behind her in the breeze. She turned back to look over the Pelennor, her laughter slowly tapering away. "Oh my, that felt good," she said, coming back to them. "Pippin, flap your arms," she smiled at him. "You'll be in the Shire before you get a direct answer from one of his kind."

More pounding on the gate caught their attention and sobered their moods.

"I didn't think it would end this way," said Pippin quietly.

"End?" Gandalf smiled. "No, the Journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path. One that we all must take."

She looked over at Gandalf. Was she surprised that he was trying to comfort Pippin?

"The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back and all turns to silver glass,” Gandalf said. “And then you see it."

"What, Gandalf?" Pippin asked urgently. "See what?"

"White shores. And beyond? A far green country under a swift sunrise." He smiled and sighed heavily.

"Well," said Pippin, returning his smile. "That isn't so bad."

"No," smiled Gandalf. "It isn't."

She hoped it was true for the hobbit. She knew the white shores and green country would not be what she would be seeing after her death; she could not expect better than she had earned. She sighed. She wished she had seen Legolas before her end though.

The pounding on the Gate continued.


The end came quickly. There was a great shouting and then screaming from the other side of the gate. The soldiers stared at the gate as it went on and on, horrible to hear.

And then silence. Absolute silence.


The Countess took a deep breath, sheathed her sword and stepped forward. “Open the gate,” she said.

The Captain of the Guard looked at Gandalf. “Mithrandir?”

Gandalf nodded. "Open the gate," he commanded.

They pulled the gate open to see a great troll, downed, dead, surrounded by piles of orcs, as far as they could see, all dead.

Gandalf, Pippin and the Countess made their way down to the Gate, past countless orcs, all dead. The people of the City were coming out from their hiding places, looking all around them, all as quiet as the orcs.

Finally, they came out of the Gate and saw Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn facing a great green tide of ghostly soldiers.

"Release us."

"Bad idea," said Gimli. "Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead."

"You gave us your word."

"I hold your oath fulfilled," said Aragorn. "Go. Be at peace."

A great wind came up and the ghostly army was gone.

Aragorn looked over at Gandalf, who made a bow to him.

She went to her Love and could only say "Legolas." He put his hand on her shoulder and they touched foreheads, finally peace coming to both their hearts at finding each other again.

They went into the City, where the people greeted Aragorn with joy.

The Countess and Legolas, though both happy to see this, did not stay long with them.

They found an empty room and she pushed him into it.

“Orenin,” Legolas said, suspecting what would come next. “Wait.”

But she didn’t want to wait and pushed him against the wall. “Legolas, I’ve missed you,” and began to kiss his face, her hands already at the fastenings of his leggings. She knelt before him, pulling his leggings down to his knees, taking him into her mouth.

He hissed in pleasure. “Slow, Orenin, please,” he said softly. Too fast, always too fast.

But she couldn’t be slow, running her tongue over him, sucking on him, loving his scent, his taste, unable to stop until he cried out in his pleasure and she’d had her fill of her Love.

He leaned against the wall and opened his eyes and looked down at her as she fastened his leggings and made him presentable. He slid down the wall and she moved to sit close to him and he put his arm around her and laughed, “I missed you too, Orenin.”