LOTR: TMCP Ch. 403

West of Barad-dûr, Mount Doom.

"No one?"

Garrett stepped onto the scorched, blackened ground and walked a full circle, finding no sign of any living being. Perhaps they hadn't arrived yet. After some thought, he continued westward. According to the Rangers from Faramir's strike team, Frodo and the others had entered Mordor through a pass north of Minas Morgul.

As expected, that pass was Cirith Ungol.

Thinking of that place, Garrett donned his Blazing Winged Chestplate, took to the air again, and sped toward the location imprinted in his memory.

---

"I'll warn you one last time, Freak! Get out here, or I'll break in and turn you into minced meat!"

Outside the Tower of Cirith Ungol, Shagrat stood with a hundred orcs, blocking the gate and shouting. At a time when most of the forces had been summoned to defend Barad-dûr, a hundred fully armed orcs was no small force.

On top of the tower, Freak looked down at the mob of orcs below, face dark with frustration.

Sauron's conscription had been swift and absolute. Most of the garrison once stationed in the tower had been called away, leaving him with only about eighty orcs, hardly any Uruk-hai among them. In fact, if the watch over Cirith Ungol hadn't been considered important, even these few wouldn't have remained. He himself would've been summoned away as well.

In ordinary times, forget eighty men, even a thousand, two thousand well-equipped orcs could have been gathered with a wave of his hand. Now he was being cornered at his own gate.

"Are you rebelling, Shagrat?" Freak signaled Frodo and Sam to hide while calling down from the wall.

"Rebelling? You're the one rebelling! My scouts saw something inside the tower, creatures that weren't orcs. Short ones. They looked like Dwarves without beards. That's got to be some kind of spy you're hiding."

Hearing that, before Freak could even react, Sam's face turned red with anger. He whispered furiously to Frodo behind the wall, "He called us Dwarves without beards! Can you believe that?"

"These ignorant orcs..." Frodo sighed, speechless, and gently urged Sam to stay calm and quiet.

"There are no spies here," Freak shouted back.

"I see how it is. You're jealous of me, aren't you? You've been wanting to take my place for a long time."

"Bah!" Shagrat spat. "Looks like we'll have to settle this today."

"Then come!"

Just as Freak prepared to lead his men into battle, he suddenly looked up.

From the sky, a blazing meteor was streaking straight toward the tower. The sudden change startled him, but after a closer look, he realized the meteor wasn't aimed at the tower itself. It was heading straight for Shagrat's squad below.

His expression shifted subtly. He shut his mouth tight and simply watched as the meteor descended.

A moment later.

Boom!

The meteor crashed down, sending orcs flying and howling, scattering them in chaos. Only then did Shagrat realize what was happening.

"What is going on?" He spun around toward the crash site.

And there he saw it, a figure that filled every orc with terror.

The orcs fled like startled beasts, all will to fight gone. Only Shagrat stood frozen, paralyzed by fear. Because the newcomer was staring straight at him, and under that gaze, he could not move a muscle. If he could, he would have run too.

"Tell me," Garrett said, gripping Shagrat's throat in one hand and lifting him off the ground. "Have you seen two Hobbits?"

The heat from his gauntlet seared Shagrat's skin. He didn't even think to lie.

"Yes, my lord, yes! They're in the tower! The two short halflings are locked up inside! It wasn't me. I swear I didn't touch them!"

Thud.

Garrett tossed Shagrat aside. The orc landed hard, clutching his throat, not moving.

In front of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, the two grotesque sentry statues stood silent and unmoving. If their legs could move, they'd probably have stood up and run too.

Clang!

When Garrett reached the gate, the door suddenly swung open by itself. An Uruk whose face was familiar stepped out.

"My lord, you've returned!"

Under the stunned stares of the orcs inside the tower, Freak walked out accompanied by two Hobbits.

"Garrett!"

The two Hobbits rushed forward, delighted, trying to hug Garrett, but Garrett, quick as ever, stopped them immediately.

He was still wearing his Blazing Winged Chestplate. He might scald them.

"Thank you for your efforts, Frodo, Sam."

"I always thought you..." Frodo looked up at Garrett.

"I'm not that easy to kill," Garrett said. "I only stepped away for a bit, like Gandalf."

"Gandalf?"

At that name the two were even more astonished. Garrett was back. Could Gandalf be...?

Garrett grinned mysteriously. "You'll have to see for yourselves."

"It's good to see you. Looks like you've been holding up all right?"

"Other than having had some bread with live maggots lately and an upset stomach from the awful conditions, I'm fine," Sam said, thinking first of food and shelter.

Frodo, standing beside Sam, heard the deeper meaning behind that and nodded. "I'm holding on."

"That's good."

After greeting the two Hobbits, Garrett looked at Freak.

"Good work."

"My honor, my lord!"

"I officially declare your mission complete, Freak. Sauron has been defeated. You no longer need to remain here undercover. I hereby award you... the Medal of Merit."

Garrett pulled a medal out of his pack, one he'd meant to hand out earlier, and pinned it on Freak.

"This will mark your standing. As for the other orcs, or the Uruk-hai..."

He slowly scanned the area. Every orc bowed their heads, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"We swear fealty to you!"

Finally, one orc, unable to resist the pressure, stepped forward and pledged. Like falling dominos, the rest, or most of them, followed, kneeling and swearing true loyalty. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was seized with almost no effort. The garrison inside switched sides. Garrett didn't even draw his weapon the whole time.

"Let's go. We must complete our mission."

With matters settled, Garrett led the two Hobbits away. They walked eastward, toward the searing Mount Doom.

---

After Garrett left, a small, thin figure tried to follow, but he had overlooked one of the tower's guards. At that moment Freak was delivering his final sentence to Shagrat. As luck would have it, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a furtive little creature sneaking about.

"Gollum."

The creature made a weird noise and was surrounded by a ring of orcs.

"The master only said there were two Hobbits. He didn't mention any others."

"Then he really might be a spy."

"He's uglier than me," one orc sneered at Gollum.

Not wanting to act rashly and risk a mistake, Freak gave orders instead.

"Lock him up for now. Don't touch him. Wait until the master returns to decide."

Clang!

The iron gate shut tight.

Gollum watched the precious being disappear in despair. He would get no further chance.