The streets of Minas Tirith were empty.  The people had all fled inside into their homes to hide from the pouring rain and monstrous lightning.  The rain-drenched ground sloshed beneath their feet as Lienan and Frodo made their way through the darkened city.

“Lienan, don’t do this,” Frodo pleaded as he fled from his possessed love.

“I am in control,” Lienan said, her eyes gleaming with delight, “You will find no mercy with me.”

“She will defeat you,” the Hobbit said boldly, more confident than he actually felt.

“Think again,” the evil creature said with a laugh as she stalked towards her prey.

She moved to strike down on the Hobbit once again.  Yanking out Sting from where it hung on his belt, Frodo managed to block the attack.  But because of his previous injury he was not able to keep his grip on the blade for long, soon finding himself weaponless and defenseless.  Lienan was slowly creeping towards him with her sword drawn and pointed straight at the unarmed Hobbit, an evil and unnatural red glimmer in her eyes.  But despite all that, Frodo still looked unafraid, standing up tall and bold against the deadly Elf.  Seeing this through Lienan’s eyes, the wizard Saruman was puzzled by this action.

“Why do you not fear me?” Saruman asked curiously through the imprisoned Elf, “Do you wish to die?”

“No,” Frodo replied bravely.

“Then why do you not run?” he asked through her again.

“Because I trust that she will fight you and win her freedom,” the Hobbit responded proudly, staring the confused Elf straight in the eyes, “She will break free.”

All who stood and watched this interaction occur would have been proud of dear Frodo for his confident and brave words…had he not been immediately kicked in the stomach by the angered possessed from of his one love.  For a moment, Frodo was too paralyzed with pain to do much, but once the feeling subsided enough, he moved to stand straight and bold once more…only to be struck by the hilt of Lienan’s sword, knocking him onto his back.

“Such a naïve little Hobbit,” Lienan mused mockingly as Saruman’s voice drifted out of her mouth, “If she were capable, she would have defeated me already.”

Standing above Frodo as he laid helplessly on the wet soaking ground, Lienan pointed the end of the blade at his chest slowly making her way up to his neck.

“Your trust in her has failed you,” the wizard added bitterly, disgracing the body he possessed, “She has failed you.”

“No, she will NOT fail me,” Frodo snapped, “She will defeat you.”

“Very well,” Lienan almost sympathetically, “Have it your way.”

The psychotic elf lifted her sword and prepared to strike a mortal blow to the frail Hobbit, but suddenly stopped in mid-swing.  Curious as to why he wasn’t on the ground in two pieces, Frodo opened a cautious eye only to find Lienan standing before him with the sword over her head, standing as still as a statue.  It wasn’t until he saw her expression change that Frodo realized what was happening.

“Lienan?” Frodo called out cautiously, both shocked and joyful at this new development.

“You will not win, Saruman,” Lienan said with difficulty.

“And what makes you think you will?” the dark wizard retorted confidently, his voice coming out of the same mouth.

“Because I’m willing to sacrifice everything to stop you,” the elf replied hesitantly as she struggled against the powerful wizard.

With all the strength that was left in her, Lienan turned the tip of the sword towards herself.  Saruman, who was struggling to gain control, attempted to stay her hand, but still the blade turned towards her body.  Then with all her might Lienan plunged the sword into her stomach.

Frodo watched in horror as blood gushed out of her abdomen.  As her life faded, so did Saruman’s control over her.  The sword dropped to the ground, dripping with her blood.  She tried desperately to remain standing, but the wound and loss of blood had weakened her too much.  The rain poured down on them washing the fresh blood down her garments.

With her hands holding her wound, Lienan looked up at Frodo and his pleading eyes as she collapsed to the ground.  Frodo rushed to catch her as she fell, managing to reach her before she hit the ground.  

“Why?” Frodo asked, choking on the tears that were streaming down his cheeks, “Why did you do it?”

“It was the only way,” Lienan replied weakly.

“Is he gone?” the Hobbit asked with hope as he held her delicately in his arms.

“He is weakened but he still lives,” the elf replied softly, growing weaker with every second, “You must go stop him before he brings forth a new evil.”

“A new evil?” Frodo questioned.

“That is what he means to do,” Lienan explained, her voice a mere whisper, “That is why he needed me.”

Lienan winched at the agonizing pain in her stomach and abdomen as she gripped her wound with all the strength that still remained in her to slow down the bleeding.  

Seeing this, Frodo placed his hand over hers in an attempt to help, but the blood continued to pour out of the wound.

“Forget it!” Lienan snapped, waving away Frodo’s hand, “You must wake the others and stop Saruman.”

“But…” Frodo protested.

“Please!” the elf pleaded, “You…you must…”

She slips into a world of unconsciousness from the loss of blood.  The others rushed out to find the two of them on the ground; Lienan with her deadly wound and Frodo with a look of sadness.  Without a word, King Elessar kneeled down next to them to have an easier view of Lienan’s wound.

“Will she be alright?” Frodo asked the King of Gondor.

“She has lost a lot of blood, but she will recover,” the King replied hopefully, “Perhaps faster now that Saruman is no longer controlling her.”

“No doubt he will possess one of us while she is recovering,” Legolas commented as he kneeled down next to his sister.

“No, Saruman’s after her,” Frodo explained, glancing down at his sleeping lover, “Lienan said that Saruman needed her so he could bring forth a new evil.”

“Then we must stop him before he is able to,” Gandalf announced sternly.

“Yes, but how?” Frodo inquired.

~*~

In the Halls of Healing, Lienan was sitting on a bed of straw as she solemnly stared out the window at the darkened sky.  It had ceased to rain by the time she was brought in to be healed,  but the dark clouds still remained in the sky as well as in her mind.  

“How are you today?” Frodo asked nervously as he silently entered the room.

“As well as can be expected,” Lienan replied with a sigh as the Hobbit sat comfortably next to her.

“I was worried about you,” the Hobbit said with concern before he leaned in for a loving kiss from the recovering elf.

For a moment, the two sat there in perfect silence enjoying each other’s company and warmth.  But despite the wonderful moment they were having, the rain clouds would not let them forget the troubles that Middle-earth was facing once again.

“She should be resting,” the Lady Arwen interrupted.

“Lady Arwen!” Frodo exclaimed, startled by her sudden appearance.

“Her wound greatly weakened her,” the Queen of Gondor continued a bit more sternly, “She needs to rest.”

“I’ve done enough of that,” Lienan protested, “I can’t just stand here while Saruman is out there preparing for the coming of this new evil.”

“There can be no saving the world if our warriors are weakened and wounded so I suggest that you rest while you may,” Arwen retorted, “You most of all know that there are not many places to rest on the road.”

With that said, the Queen of Gondor turned and left the room in hopes that her fellow elf would listen and rest.

“She’s right,” Lienan said with a sigh.

“Yes,” Frodo agreed, “She has a tendency to be.”

“Then I suppose you should leave before she comes back,” the elf said with a laugh.

“Yes, we wouldn’t want to anger her, now would we?” Frodo said jokingly.

With a kiss goodbye, Frodo left the room as Lienan continued to stare out the window at the darkened sky.

“Will there ever be peace in Middle-earth again?” Lienan pondered to herself.