Of the Last Alliance by just_jenni

Chapter 1

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Elendil stood with Gil-galad on Dagorlad where smoke, flickering flames and ruin lay like spent embers on the battlefield before them. Dark clouds so heavily obscured the sky that Elendil could not see his beloved stars, though night would not soon fall. On this day they had witnessed fire raining down on their troops as well as orc attacks while they lay siege against the Black Gates of Mordor. Flame was followed by bolts of lightning hurled down from the upper reaches of the tower. A few men had lost their lives but the main part of the combined host of Elendil and Gil-galad stood fast.

"Sauron loves his fire, doesn't he?" Bemused, Elendil turned to looked at Gil-galad who stood silent and grim-faced. "Come, let us retire to my tent," he suggested.

Gil-galad returned his friend's glance, his dark grey eyes shining under heavy brows in the premature twilight. "Are you finally wearying?"

"I am not although I should be," Elendil replied. "It has been a long day yet it is still a few hours before nightfall. I have been feeling a peculiar restlessness that will not let me sleep at night. Yet I do wish to speak with you if you don't mind."

"Of course not. Come, let us retire to your quarters as you suggested. Some tea and refreshments might do you good."

Gil-galad led the way to Elendil's tent, which sat half hidden among some rocks and high grasses on the edge of the battlefield.

After a light tea had been consumed, both men lay down on pallets, staring up at the ceiling. Normally a few moths would be fluttering around the top of the tent's peak but lately all manner of living things save the fighting men and their horses had been driven away by the acrid smoke and fire of Mordor.

Elendil at first had found it hard to breathe in the smoky, hot atmosphere but after seven long years of the siege he had grown used to it.

"What did you wish to speak to me about?" Gil-galad asked after a long pause.

Elendil had closed his eyes but at Gil-galad's words he opened them. "Seven years is a long time for a siege to last."

"Sauron can outlast us for much longer I fear," Gil-galad offered. "There are supplies of food and other essentials being brought up to Barad-dur by the southern people. They are getting through our ranks--probably bribing some of our men. We have tried to stop it but you may as well try to stop the sand from shifting. In a long siege such as this these things happen."

"I don't care about that anymore!" Elendil growled. "I am sick and tired of waiting, doing nothing. I want something to happen!" He emphasized his exclamation by kicking the tea things that had been left on a tray by the foot of his pallet. The tea service and remnants of their meal clattered and rolled onto the floor as if emphasizing his angry words.

"What do you propose we do? You've known for seven years that attacking the tower would be too foolhardy. We would all perish very quickly. There would be no point in it."

Elendil rubbed his red eyes and coughed. I don't know what is wrong with me. I apologize for my outburst."

Gil-galad gave him a grim smile, the corners of his thin-lipped mouth barely turning upward. "You have not slept well for many days," he said, sympthetically patting Elendil's shoulder.

"It is more than that," Elendil replied, raising himself from his pallet. "It is a restlessness I have not felt before, an impatient sense of something about to happen. I have not felt this since Numenor. We let Sauron get away then and I vowed I would not let it happen again. I would meet with Isildur and what is left of Anarion's men as soon as it can be arranged. We should also call upon the dwarves once more to lend assistance and we should send to Imladris for more troops. I would like to hear Elrond's ideas as well."

Gil-galad sighed. "I, too, have been having some disturbing premonitions of late - I hesitated in telling you about them but--"

Before he could explain further the tent flap opened and Elendil's chief aide entered.

"Sorry to disturb--" he started to say.

"Not at all. What is it?" Elendil rose quickly to his feet.

"He has come out." The aide looked to be in shock, his eyes wide and his voice shaking.

Elendil and Gil-galad stared at him. Neither said a word but Elendil quickly sheathed Narsil.

"Fully armed," the aide continued, handing Elendil his helm. "Sauron has come out of his tower to do battle."