Sauron's Next Target

We rode all day and we made camp at night. I slipped over Amariel, and I almost fell over in fatigue, but somehow, I miraculously managed to stay awake to go hunting with Legolas. Throughout the short trip, he stayed close to my side, and he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. I was able to shoot 4 rabbits, and a small but fat quail. I cooked the rabbits and the quail, and spilt them up equally throughout the 5 of us. Surprisingly, I wasn’t all that hungry, so I fed my share to the horses. I sat by the fire, trying desperately to warm myself, which wasn’t working very well. So I was sitting by the fire shivering, and my stomach groaning in hunger, but I just wasn’t feeling that hungry.

Just then, I felt someone wrap a blanket around my shoulders. I looked up to see Legolas, sitting beside me, with a small portion of food, on a leaf. He sat down beside me, with the food still in his hand. “Here…” He said, as he went to hand me the food. I gave him a weak smile, as I shook my head.

“Anneliese, you have to eat…” He said, gently.

“I’m not hungry…” I lied. My stomach growled, as I scowled.

“But, I am not hungry…” I tried again.

“Anneliese. Eat. Please.” He said, firmly yet gently. His eyes had some pleading in them, so I relented. I took the food, and I began to eat. Legolas wrapped his arm around me as I ate. When I was finished, he took the leaf from me, and he tossed it into the fire. I lay on the ground, and I fell into a restless sleep full of terrible nightmares.

The Nightmare:

I was walking through an old battlefield, dead orcs and goblins were strewn around me. My sword was caked with many layers of blood, and my arrows were all spent. In the distance, I saw someone standing there. I jogged up to the person, and my heart jumped to my throat. It was…Boromir! “Boromir!” I exclaimed. He broke out into a smile. I ran over to him, and threw my arms around him.

“Anneliese!” He said, as his arms went around me.

“Where are we?” I asked him. He didn’t reply, his eyebrows furrowed in shock. I let go of him, and I saw the Uruk-Hai who had shot and killed Boromir in the forest. He fired and he shot Boromir. The arrow went right through me, not leaving a single mark. It pierced his skin three times, like in the forest. He collapsed to the ground. The next person was, actually there were 4 people. It was…Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin. “No!” I screamed. I tried to lunge for the Uruk, but I found myself not being able to move. Next it , Aragorn, then Faramir, Gandalf and Gimli. I thought that the worst was over. Then I saw a beautiful face, with long flowing brown hair. My heart broke a little. This was probably one of the worst, by far.

It was my mother! “No!!!!!!” I screamed, louder than I ever thought possible. The arrow pierced through her skin, and I lost it. Then, it got worse. The next person was…Legolas! Tears were flowing from my eyes. The arrow went through his body. The look of pain that was etched on his face, just made my heart break. The scene replayed, and everyone was once again shot and killed by that Uruk-Hai. I fell to my knees as I was forced to watch the dreadful scene replay. My body started shaking; I looked out again, to see Legolas and the Uruk-Hai again. I screamed. Just then, my arm began burning like never before. I looked up, and my eyes were brought to tears.

I was lifted off the ground, and I was now in Mordor. I was by the Great Eye of Sauron. “Ah, my child. Anneliese…you have something that I want…” I shuddered. I knew what he wanted. He wanted the Silmarils.

“You’ll never get them…” I said, boldly. Bolder than I thought.

“Whatever you say, after all. I know what your weaknesses are. You know that I would kill them. All of them…” I gasped, tears falling from my eyes.

“You know I would…” I tried to shake his voice from my head. The last thing I saw was the Great Eye of Sauron burning my skin.

I screamed. Just then, I felt someone shaking me awake.

“Anneliese!” Legolas said.

“Anneliese, wake up!” I snapped from my sleep, but my pain-stricken condition didn’t improve. I saw Legolas kneeling before me. I leaned forward, and hugged with what strength I had left. I was pulled into his lap, as he hugged me tightly. I buried my head in his chest, as he stroked my back, soothingly.

“Nightmare?” He asked me.

“You have no idea…” I said.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” He asked me. I just started crying into his chest.

“Shh…..” He said, comfortingly.

“It’s alright…it’s over, it wasn’t real…”

“But it felt real…” I sobbed.

“I could imagine…” He said, kissing my head.

“What happened?” He asked, gently.

“I had to stand and watch, everyone I love; Boromir, Faramir, Aragorn, The Hobbits, Gimli, my mother…get shot and die.”

“That sounds horrible…” He said.

“I had to watch you die!” I blurted out, as I started to cry even harder now. Legolas was hugging me even tighter now, as he was trying to comfort me.

“I am sorry…” I apologized. “I did not mean to wake you…” I said, guiltily. Legolas pulled away, and he held me by my shoulders.

“Anneliese, I love you, and I would do anything for you. Do not be sorry that you woke me. I just want to keep you safe…” I smiled.

“Thank you…” I said.

He kissed me gently. He lay down, with me still in his arms. This helped me out a lot, just to have him with me. I felt safe with him. I rested my head on his chest, with my hand on his chest, as I fell into a deep, and restful sleep…