Chapter 1: A Knife at the Fjord.
My journey; so far, has been dangerous, exhausting, and lonely. It didn’t start out merry and happy-no. Death, a village fighting for their lives; family, friends and strangers, within my village, pillage and no one survived but my three week old baby brother, Delmar and I. After I looked for my baby brother; under a lot of clothing and junk, I made sure he wasn’t hurt though I knew he was terrified and I changed him.
I had to find some milk for him; there wasn’t any. I usually took care of him when our mom was too busy doing house chores. Do not understatement me here, she knew what she was doing and now I am and forever will be grateful on her lessons of life.
Even though I had searched for any kind of milk, I had to find some water. I had to make a sling for Delmar from the tattered almost burnt cloak that I had found on the street of my village. So I walked out of the ruined building that was once my home with my baby brother in my arms crying with hunger. Thinking back to my childhood, I remembered there was a clean stream, and so I looked around for some sort of water bottle. The ground had scattered items all around and I had to be very careful on where I stepped.
After I had found a water bottle I headed straight to that old stream with Delmar crying in my arms. I had to find that stream for him, so I picked up my pace; looking out for any kind of the orcs that swept through my village. The landscape started to change as I knew I was getting closer to the forest.
My heart pounded hard, my legs locked with utter terror and Delmar fell silent. The orcs were here. Quickly and running quietly as I could, I ran away from the band of orcs.
The mighty Gwathlo or Greyflood split the land in two for many miles around and since the Orcs had attack my village, I was weary of following the river banks. I couldn’t head too far until I was deep within Enemy territory and so my journey began; heading Northeast toward the Tharbad bridge, following the road til I was on Andrath Greenway and coming into Bree from the south. I was heading towards Rivendell; it was the only place I knew of that came into my mind.
I made sure not to be on the banks themselves but, I followed them until I got to the bridge, as I knew it was dangerous. With the little choice that I had, I had to follow the smooth, swift river. The Earth itself was a live; birds slowly singing, the forest that was near by seemed friendly though I knew better. By the time that I took my first break from walking/running, the port was miles away, the sun was just above the landscape in the West.
* * *
Bree. A little Village but I was relieved to have made it this far. Delmar was awake and I was thankful that that wasn’t crying right now.
“With those Shire folks gone, the Pony can be normal again!” I heard from a passing man.
“Aye, even with that Mr. Underhill vanishing and all. Very strange times these days,” I heard another man.
‘Mr. Underhill? Strange times? What happened now?’ I wondered to myself as I walked down the lane to the Prancing Pony.
The Prancing Pony was full, rowdy and it smelled like a pub; rusty, heavy smoke and fouled breathe. My eyes saw the two take a table as Butterbur was rushing around his pub; with food, men checking in or out, and more drinks. I walked more inside of it as I saw, in the far corner of the pub, hunch over the battered table; his wild gray long hair was hanging down, and his eyes were hidden by the bushy thick eyebrows as his hat rested on the table next to his beer mug.
“May I help you ma’am?” I heard Mr. Butterbur ask me.
“A single-”
“She is with me, Mr. Butterbur and we will only stay for a couple of hours,” the old guy interrupted me and was standing next to me.
Delmar looked up at this strange person and smiled happily at this stranger. How on earth he moved so fast I didn’t know though I nodded to him.
“Aye, Gandalf. Milk and some dinner will do?” Mr. Butterbur stated and walked away with my new order.
“What is your name, Milady?” This Gandalf guy asked me.
“Viviana of Lond Daer,” I whispered as the old guy walked back over to his table in the corner.
“One of the first ports to the gray Heaven’s and in the second age was under attack by orcs,” he mumbled to him self which I already knew.
Feeling Delmar move, I looked down at him as I needed to change him. I knew he hated to eat the berries that I gave him on our journey here. I wouldn’t let him die. Gandalf looked at us as I tended to my baby brother.
“He’s my baby brother after our village was attacked by orcs, again. No one else survived except us and I need to get to Rivendell,” I willingly told Gandalf.
“You are welcome to Rivendell, Lady Viviana. Lord Elrond will keep you and your little brother safe. However after we eat, we must depart at once! I am needed in Rivendell, at once. With all speed, we must go light,” he replied to me.
I looked up at the word “Lady” though I could easily see the stress within his gray eyes. Mr. Butterbur then brought our orders and Delmar started to get fussy with me.
“Hand him here, Lady Viviana,” Gandalf stated as I did hand my baby brother over to him.
My eyes stayed on my baby brother before I relaxed after a while. Gandalf then gently laid Delmar on another chair and started to change him with barely heard whispering words. Anyone that was close to us, got up and left the pub.
Very fast my own hunger over took me and I ate my dinner. My dinner wasn’t bad but it wasn’t wonderful either. Gandalf was feeding Delmar now as my baby brother was suckling the milk from the cup, greedily.
“How long have you been-?”
“That will be discussed in Rivendell,” Gandalf interrupted me as I nodded.
After we ate and Delmar was fed and changed, Gandalf got up walked over to me and gently handed my little brother back to me as I started to hum to him.
“Now we make hast to Rivendell with all speed,” Gandalf whispered to me.
We thanked Mr. Butterbur and walked out of his pub and towards the stables. The stables held two horses already saddled and for making a long distance. Gandalf mounted his horse first so he could take my brother so I could mount my own horse. After I was comfortable in the saddle I took my baby brother from Gandalf in the sling and we rode away into the night.
Galloping at high speeds into the dark drizzly night might be dangerous, however I felt safe with Gandalf. My Horse; a dark bay, galloped close to his horse; a dark gray, since I barely knew the paths in the darkness of the night.
“At Weathertop we will rest,” Gandalf whispered to me.
I just nodded as I kept close to his horse. We didn’t speak for a very long time as I checked on Delmar every four minutes-he was fast asleep in my sling. As we rode on through out the night, I started to think of my parents; where Delmar would never know them or they get to know him. Why did Mordor awaken? What was the truth or the lies surrounding the Dark Lord, Sauron?
Just before dawn, we made it to Weathertop and let our horses rest while Gandalf looked around the grounds of the northern area.
“They were here, but made haste not two days ago. Though the pony needed rest as well as us,” He murmured almost to himself.
“They? Who are they?” I asked him as I felt my curiosity rise within me.
“Strider is in the lead but…Frodo is on the pony but why?” Gandalf continued to speak almost to himself.
‘Strider??!? Does he mean the King of Gondor? It can’t be the same Ranger that I remember from long ago…could it?’ I thought while my memories flooded back to me of when I was just a little girl.
My mom made trips to Rivendell and knew the elves and mean that passed through there. Vaguely I remember a tall ragged man who taught me how to ride a horse, wield a sword, a bow and arrows, along with knowing the forest around me.
Though that was long ago, I knew back then that he should be a king (Which I did tell Aragorn this though he laughed at it) I wondered how Aragorn was and if he still looked very young or has he aged?
My exhaustion over powered me as then Gandalf muttered “Sleep, Lady Viviana, you will need it,”
And so I made my bed out of Gandalf’s extra cloaks; with Delmar still in his cling, I closed my eyes and fell asleep at once.
I did not awaken until Gandalf shook me around dinner time. Later I would learn that Gandalf took care of Delmar whenever he cried. Gandalf knew how grateful I was when I learned this.
“We need to ride with haste,” Gandalf said when I heard a very distance hiss or cry.
Never in my life ever felt or heard such a thing. My blood stilled with terror and cold. Even Delmar knew the evil of that cry and the answering cry to the first one.
“They are near,”
“They?”
“The Black Riders of Mordor,”
“Ringwraiths! What-”
“Those questions will be answered in Rivendell; out here is too dangerous,” Gandalf stressed and I remained silent.
Gandalf continued to talk to himself as then he walked over to the horses; trebling with fear, and I walked over to Delmar. Gandalf had already fed him and my baby brother smiled at me for the first time.
We saddled and mounted our horses and then rode once again into the dark starless night. Hidden from sight, the landscape was changing while Gandalf guided me through the hidden paths of the darkness of the night to Rivendell.
Just before dawn, in the fading twilight, I felt it before I heard the heavy four beat pattern of three other horses.
“Viviana, Ride fast! Fly now!” Gandalf cried at me as he then spoke in the tongue of Elvish and my horse galled faster then before.
I knew that the fjord was still miles away and that I would not reach it. When I heard the high blood running cold shrieks, Delmar gave a might wail from his own fear of the Ringwraiths chasing after us.
“Please Valinor, do not let the foul beasts of Mordor kill me or my baby brother,” I whispered my pray, closing my eyes, their horses galloping closer to us.
I did not open my eyes as my horse guided us; I was holding onto my baby brother as the riders rode faster and closer to us as I heard their awful hissing and cries.
“Give up maiden! You will not live to see another!” I heard the harsh shrill voice echo around me.
“NO! Leave me alone!” I wailed as my horse galled as fast as he could even though he was tiring.
My hope was fading as then I snapped my eyes open; the fjord was close unfortunately I was not going to make it to the river or across to the other side. I was going to die before the sun rose on this day and my little brother would die along with me. Glancing down at the utter thought of that, his blue eyes looking frighten up at me, I was ready to say good-bye to him.
The thunderous of the black riders was in rhythm of my panicked heart beats. This was the end. Suddenly I felt a searing pain cut into my back as it resulted a mighty cry from me.
Splashing water sounds reached my ringing ears and then darkness. I knew no more.
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