Chapter Ten: To Mordor

The army marched slowly away from the city. The men were frightened. To march to Mordor was to march to death itself. They plodded on for a long while, until the men could no longer continue under the shadow. As they made camp, Tuor sensed their restlessness. He approached Woodpecker and said “Perhaps you should give some encouragement to the men. Their mood is bleak and their morale low.” “I will try,” Woodpecker said. He stepped into the centre of the camp and began to speak. “We have fought for many long days men, and we have waged a hard war against Sauron. But always we have imagined him behind his forces, but never seen him. We approach the land where he dwells. Now we come into full view of our greatest adversary. Shall he see us as we are now? Weak and cowardly? No! He shall see us as strong and mighty and he shall rue the day he thought to make war on the West!” The men gave a great cry, and the mood was lightened, or as much as possible when under the foul shadow of the Black Land. And soon they approached the mountains of Shadow, where the Ring-bearer was just now making his way into Mordor. Daetirion could see shapes moving in a tower not far off. He strode toward Althamus and said “I feel a great presence and unrest within that tower. That is where must go. “I’ll notify the other generals immediately,” Althamus replied, “we can be there very soon.”