Warpath

"You are aware that this crusade will eventually stop, no?" Thranduil asked Strider. The two were walking along a narrow path that led into the mountains, enjoying the fruits of their labor before they had to part.

"Against the orcs?" Strider asked as a small gust of wind rushed through.

"Against evil itself," Thranduil corrected him.

"I'm not so sure about that, my lord," Strider said with a slight laugh. "It's hard thing to get rid of, I admit. But I suppose we'll see."

"Nigh impossible. It's existed since after incarnation. Orcs, Uruks, Wildmen, wraiths, trolls, spiders, giants - it goes on and on. Elves, men, dwarves - older and wiser than you, perhaps - have tried and failed," Thranduil said.

"Nigh impossible isn't quite impossible, my lord. I thank you for the wiggle room," Strider said with a small smile. "At the least, though, as long as this war continues so will this fighting. I will do everything in my power to reduce evil in this land - even if by just a little bit."

"I suppose you're correct," Thranduil noted, looking around. "This was an important victory to all concerned - as well as at least a bit of personal satisfaction. You will continue to Umbar, then?"

"I will, sir. Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Strider asked.

"Unfortunately, I cannot. My realm is close and I must stay near it as long as this war continues. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to attack, but I cannot deny the possibility. I will send all the aid that I can, however," Thranduil said.

"Thank you, My Lord," Strider said, pausing to bow.

"Lift your head, Strider. You've little reason to bow to anyone," Thranduil said graciously.

"To those that I respect, I should. I made that mistake with Prince Imhrahil one time," Strider said with a boyish grin as he stood back upright.

"Ah, yes. I've heard. The boy will make a good king in the future," Thranduil said.

"My lord, are you sure that you don't want to negotiate with Dáin about this place? I think he'd be amenable," Strider said as they reached the top of the path. Looking down, they could see the roaring fires of the stronghold they had taken. The dwarves wasted no time in getting it up and running, as Dáin told Strider; it was already looking cleaner than before.

"I am. I've no wish to ever return to this realm again, if I don't have to. I've seen to the ruin of the orcs here; that is as much as I wanted of this place. Dáin is welcome to it, so long as he remains aware of my land nearby," Thranduil said. Strider was sure that Dáin and Thranduil wouldn't come to blows; the two respected each other, having fought together almost six decades ago. While the relationships between elves and dwarves were often contentious, the two kings had found an easy peace between them.

-o-

"Celebrimbor," Thranduil said as he and Strider came back to camp. "I wish to speak with you. Come."

Celebrimbor erupted forth and followed the Elvenking. As Strider took a seat, Dáin and Brand came to on either side of him.

"What's next, laddie?" Dáin asked.

"I'm going to be going to Umbar next. I don't suppose you'll want to tag along, hmm?" Strider asked.

"Gonna have my hands full here," Dáin sighed. "Some of me boys want to go, though - if you'll have 'em."

"Happily. Thank you, Dáin," Strider said.

"Don't mention it. You'll always be a friend of the dwarves now," Dáin said, clapping Strider on the shoulder and grinning wide.

"I'm afraid I can't go either, Strider. I have to return to Dale," Brand said.

"It's fine, Brand. Me, Talion, some elves, dwarves, and men - more than enough to get rid of those bastards. Might even pick up a few stragglers along the way," Strider said.

"To be honest, Strider, this was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Brand mused.

"Gundabad isn't as strong as it was six decades ago. Most of the orcsr retreated into the Misty Mountains. There were more than enough for any one of us, though; couldn't have done it without a joint effort," Strider said.

"With your magic, I doubt that a bit," Brand said with a nervous chuckle. "But all's well that ends well - and it certainly looks as though everything turned out well. At least we won't have to worry about this place anymore."

"So long as that hellhole stays locked off," Dáin said, hiking a thumb towards the northwest.

"Angmar," Brand whispered.

"Long bereft of lordship, but just as evil nonetheless," Strider mused.

"Is…is it that bad?" Brand asked.

"Worse, young king," Thranduil said as he and Celebrimbor returned. "I've fought the Fire Drakes of the north, and many of them called it home. It is hell incarnate. The evil there is strong still."

"Enough to drive off most orcs," Celebrimbor mused.

"Is it safe for us to stay around here, then?" Brand asked.

"So long as you're not foolish enough to venture deeper into the abyss," Thranduil said.

"Enough o' that! COME ON BOYS, LETS GET ANOTHER FIRE ROARING! PUT ON SOME MEAT, BRING OUT THE BREAD, AND POUR SOME WINE! NO SLEEPING TONIGHT!" Dáin roared happily. The other dwarves and men - and even some elves! - joined in on the cheer and merriment.

"Not going to join?" Talion asked, reverting back to his usual self.

"I just want an image of this for reference," Strider said with a sad smile. As he turned to face his friend, Talion nodded.

"We're with you all the way," Talion said quietly.

"Perhaps you—" Strider began.

"That's not my style," Talion sighed, clapping Strider on the shoulder and joining in on the fun.

-o-

"Stay a while in my realm after your assault on Umbar, Strider. Even warriors need rest," Thranduil said as he got atop his beautiful horse.

"I thank you for your grace, my lord Thranduil. I think I'll take you up on that after I liberate Umbar," Strider said, bowing to the Elvenking once more.

As they set out once more, a couple of the elves that Thranduil had left with Strider joined him at the fore.

"Strider," one of them said. She was a beautiful elf with waist length blonde hair. She wielded two daggers, neatly sheathed at her side, and carried a beautiful carved bow on her back, her quiver fit to burst with shots.

"Ah, Amarie. Hello," Strider said with a small smile.

"We're heading to Umbar, no?" she wondered.

"We are. Are you ready to fight again?" Strider inquired.

"I am always ready," she said with a light smile.

"Amarie is far too brutish to be an elf," another elf girl said with a giggle.

"Play nice, Zentha," Strider said.

"You're a couple thousands years too young to be telling me to do much of anything, Strider," she said, flipping some of her raven hair in his face.

"Is it a good idea to be fooling around with him like that?" an elf sighed behind them.

"Strider can take it," Zentha said. "At least I hope he can. Can't have a captain that gets angered to quickly, can we?"

"If I'm too brutish to be an elf, you're too silly," Amarie sighed.

"I can still outshoot you," Zentha said in a sing song voice.

"As I recall, you lost our last bout. You could barely hit the stem of a leaf from a hundred feet away," Amarie sighed.

"Only because you blew at it!" Zentha said furiously.

"A convenient excuse for your lack of skill," Amarie said, flipping her own hair in Zentha's face before turning forward.

"Children," Celebrimbor said in his usual, hollow voice. It sent a shiver up the spines of the company, which gave Strider a good laugh.

"No need to worry about him. Unless you get on his bad side," Strider said.

"I've been meaning to ask you - have you been practicing?" Celebrimbor wondered.

"I have," Strider said, clenching his fist multiple times. "Took some work to figure it out as well as I have now, though. I thought that transcribing my telekinesis to telepathy would be easy."

"Hardly. And in this case, it's certainly the most barbaric form of telepathy. Ideally, you would be able to converse with your target across a distance, but it is certainly a start. Had you focused on any other sort of magic or power, you likely would not have been able to Dominate any thing," Celebrimbor mused.

"Helps that old man I helped out of Mirkwood had some lessons to give me," Strider said. "Still have to get used to taming beasts, though."

"Easier than taming an orc or man," Celebrimbor sighed. "We shall put it to the test at Umbar. It will not be as easy as Gundabad."

"What's Umbar like, then?" a man at the rear asked.

"A realm of man south of Gondor," Strider shouted, loud enough anyone could here. "A place my ancestors once lived. The Corsairs have been giving trouble to Gondor for as long as I can remember. Corrupted Númenóreans, loyal only to themselves. They've allied themselves with the enemy - more than enough reason to seize that place."

"Know how to ride a ship, Cap'n?" a blond man asked with a roguish smile.

"Not at all! When you can fly, why use a ship?" Strider wondered.

"It's fun! Turnin' that wheel back n' forth, side ta side. Sail's full o' wind, a few fish skinned. Some rum n' you relax day away," the man said.

"Huh. Maybe you can give me a few lessons, then. I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever even been aboard a ship," Strider mused.

"Cap'n! You gotta let us take you on it, then! You ain't lived 'til you been on the seas! Rogue waves, spouts, n' all kinda monsters livin' under it all!" the man shouted.

"Fine, fine. But only after we finish the job, Kenway," Strider said.

"Aye, Cap'n," Kenway said with a grin.

"Pirates truly are brutes," Amarie sighed.

"Less than you, still," Zentha scoffed. Strider saw the two elvish women give each other a leery grin and sighed, deciding it best not to interfere.

-o-

"Fifteen men on the Dead Man's chest; Drink and the Devil had done for - ah, Cap'n. What can I do for you?" Kenway wondered, standing up as Strider approached. They had made camp just a short ways away from where the ships were docked. Strider had opted to wait until night had set before attacking.

"Singing?" Strider wondered, motioning Kenway to sit down.

"Aye. You know the song?" he asked.

"Can't say I do. What is it?" Strider wondered.

"We called it Derelict," Kenway mused. "The mate was fixed with the bo'sun's pike and the bosun brained with a marlin-spike, and Cookie's throat was marked belike it had been gripped by fingers ten and there they lay all good dead men, Like break o' day in a boozin' den, Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of rum!"

"What's it about? A pirates life?" Strider wondered.

"Aye, in part. A Cap'n long ago marooned fifteen men on an island called Dead Man's Chest. Gave 'em a cutlass and a bottle o' rum and left 'em to off each other. When he came back, they were all fine. That don't make for a good story or song, though - so some genius came up with the song. Put 'em on a ship with marlin-spikes 'n swords 'n axes 'n what else," Kenway said with a chuckle.

"Were you a pirate before all this?" Strider wondered. Kenway looked at Strider before laying down, sighing deeply.

"Aye. Just a skipper, though. My ship 'n her crew went down a couple years ago. Fought this bastard of a ship we just came across. Gave it hell. It gave us hell. In the end, just me 'n some poor sap from the other ship made it to shore," Kenway said.

"What happened then?" Strider wondered.

"Bastard woke up same time as I did and we went at it. Runnin' through a forest, tryin' to pick the other one off. Took these off o' him, in fact," Kenway said, pulling up his sleeves. Strider was interested to see two retractable blades under his wrists, well hidden by his long, white sleeves.

"This coat here belonged to 'em too. Bastard gave me more hell fightin' him than his ship did!" Kenway said with a happy laugh. "Ah, but got 'em in the end."

"I'm curious, Kenway - why'd you decide to join up with me?" Strider wondered.

"Been lookin' for somethin'. Dunno what. Just somethin'," Kenway mused.

"And you think you can find it with me?" Strider asked.

"Dunno. Might just find myself dead. Could be tonight or tomorrow or night or whenever. Can't stand them bastard Kings, though. Gondor, Rohan…hell, that poppy Elvenking," Kenway said. Suddenly, an arrow was shot between his legs. Zentha glared at Kenway, her bow drawn and and arrow point at Kenway.

"Careful there, sweetheart. Could ya poked my eye out with that thing," Kenway said with a grin.

"One more word on Lord Thranduil from you, and I'll gouge them out," Zentha said, firing the arrow. It zipped past Kenway, who didn't flinch. He licked away some of the blood on the small cut the attack had opened.

"Thranduil is a decent king," Strider said as Zentha turned away to congregate with her friends. "Better than others, I would say."

"A king's a king's a king," Kenway sighed. "But that ain't here or there. Can't stand the bastard Kings so no way I could live in them cities. And not a bunch of other options unless I wanna stay in some backwater or place of peace. That ain't for me, Cap'n. I need to be out there."

"Fighting?" Strider asked.

"Fighting. Running. Something. No peace for me, Cap'n," Kenway said.

"You'll have to settle down eventually," Strider said.

"Ha. Already did. Got a beauty back home deep south. But… she knows I can't stay cooped up long. But she ain't for the road," Kenway said.

"Perhaps it might be best to go nearer to where she is, then? Surely, you can find some excitement there," Strider said.

"Just fields and mounts. No orc, no uruk, no goblin, no pirates. None of the fun stuff," Kenway said with a grin. "But I don' wanna bore you with my stories."

"Not at all," Strider said with a smile. "So - you know your way around a ship?"

"O'course. Been shippin' since a boy. Love the sea more than my girl, I think. Don't let her hear that, though," Kenway said with a laugh. Strider chuckled along before getting up.

"Get a few more hours rest and relaxation, Kenway. Thing's are going to get exciting soon," Strider said.

"Aye, Cap'n," Kenway said before getting back to his singing.

-o-

"You've a job for him?" Talion wondered as Strider sat down with him.

"Yup. I'll keep it a surprise for now, though. Are you ready?" Strider asked.

"More than ready. Hand's probably left, but it'll be a win nonetheless. Bastard Númenóreans," Talion scoffed.

"Think they're redeemable?" Strider asked quietly. Talion gave him a long and hard look before shrugging.

"Dunno. They're still Men. Twisted and corrupted men, but men still. Maybe. But I haven't heard of one defecting yet," Talion said.

"No, nor have I," Strider sighed.

"It'd make our jobs easier. Would've saved a few lives, too," Talion said.

"Mmm. Oh well," Strider said, his voice slightly mocking.

"What do you plan to do after it's done?" Talion asked.

"We'll see where Black Hand's gone off to. An—" Strider began before Talion cut him off.

"After the war is done, I meant," Talion said. Strider thought on the question; he'd been asking himself over and over again. As he softly caressed his sword, however, he had the answer.

"My best," Strider said. Talion's eyes fell on Strider's sword for a second as well before he nodded.

"As will I, then," Talion said. Strider nodded, happy to have his help.

-o-

"Let me get this straight, Strider. A few of us - elves, dwarves, men and…well, you and Talion - are gonna try to take Umbar - an important city to the Black Númenóreans. By force. Tonight," asked a ginger haired dwarf wielding a crossbow. He had joined as they walked along the eastern edge of the Misty Mountains, along with a friend he was traveling with.

"That's about it, Varric. Not scared, are you?" Strider asked with a smile.

"Me? No, no - why would I be scared? After all, we're only a motley crew against an entire city. Seems perfectly reasonable," Varric said.

"Your sarcasm is bleeding through. Again," replied an elf.

"Under this crazy captain, sarcasm is about all I have, Solas. Honestly, I'm surprised at you," Varric said, looking at the serious elf. Unlike the other elves, Solas was completely bald.

"Oh? And why is that?" Solas inquired.

"You haven't given him one of your famous pep talks," Varric said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm curious, Solas - which tribe are you from?" Zentha wondered.

"I am not of this country, Zentha. I came from the Eastern Country long ago," Solas said.

"What's it like?" Amarie wondered.

"Not unlike what you find here. We, like you, have our own problems to deal with, and our own solutions to implement. As it stands, there are several cold and hot wars taking place," Solas said.

"We haven't opened up trade with your country yet, have we?" another man wondered.

"No, not yet. It hasn't been very necessary. The sea, while cross-able, isn't a journey many ships are willing to make at any given moment just yet. Unless the world births some braver captains, or is kind enough to quell the storms in between, travel will be few and far between," Solas said.

"How did you make it here, then?" Zentha wondered. Solas was about to reply when Strider stopped. The others followed, carefully looking ahead.

Below, they could see some lights roaring. Several ships were docked in the bay and the enemy were moving around. It seemed that most were just having a good time; beyond what Strider imagined to be the shipwrights, there wasn't much movement aboard the vessels. He could see several men stumbling out of what appeared to be a bar.

'Fools,' he sighed.

"Do you know what makes this place so important?" Strider asked aloud.

"It's place on the water, Cap'n," Kenway immediately answered. Anyone could see it a mile away, he thought. "The Corsairs have some of the best ships - and they're all aimed at Gondor. They reach it, and it's over for those poor sods."

"That's right. It's imperative that we capture Umbar. Controlling Umbar means controlling this region," Strider said.

"What of the Haradrim?" Solas wondered.

"They won't make it in time to help. They much prefer their deserts and jungles, anyways," Strider said.

"Are we to destroy the ships?" another man asked.

"Not if we can help it. But don't worry about the ships - Talion and I will be taking care of that. Remain in position here until we return," Strider said.

"Wait - are you two going to be enough?" Zentha asked, surprised.

"More than enough. Wait until we get back. Ready you two?" Strider asked.

"Aren't we always?" came the reply from both of them. The voice sent shivers down most of the groups spines, but Strider simply smiled.

-o-

Their attack would require stealth and speed if they wanted to stick to the timetable. Strider and Talion slowly descended, their cloaks offering making them all but invisible to the Corsairs. Slowly, they entered the docks and each boarded a ship, feet light and quiet. Strider quickly hid behind a large pillar, noting that the shipwright was checking the bowsprit. He could sense no one else on board and quickly began his approach.

Strider's Domination took longer to perform that Talion's. His eyes and mouth blazed a soft blue as he pressed his hand to the head of the shipwright, who was unable to scream - as much as he wanted to. He merged the lesson's he had learned from Talion with what he had learned from the man in the forest; after all, man wasn't to different from beast. Close to fifteen seconds had passed when he finally made it through.

Instead of simply overpowering them, he had to break their will - had to break what what the shipwright a shipwright, severing the ties that bonded him to his companions. Any loyalty to anyone but Strider was one loyalty to much; if he Strider wished it, the man should've been able to drown himself, keeping his head underwater and not coming up to breathe. He had to subdue him completely, totally; no sense of freedom could remain. Those he branded would know or follow no other; they would endure any pain and follow every order.

"You will obey," Strider whispered, finally removing his hand. The shipwright simply nodded. Strider gave him his orders - simply to stand by for now - while he went around to the other ships, doing the same thing. In the same time Strider managed to subdue a few, Talion had cleared quadruple; his Domination was something else entirely.

Slowly, but surely, no one else remained. Strider and Talion had the shipwrights carefully lure others to them before Dominating them - until finally, they had a veritable army at the ready. Giving them their finally orders, they returned to their companions.

-o-

"What exactly did you two do?" Solas wondered.

"A little persuading," Strider said. "Alright, we're about to do this now. Is everyone ready? Anybody want to back out? Speak now."

"Would anybody back out at this point?" Varric wondered.

"…I hope not," Strider grumbled. He figured it was polite to always ask.

"Talion, gather your forces and get into position," Strider said. Talion nodded, selecting some of the elves, men, and dwarves and going back down, closer to the water. Strider, meanwhile, led the other half down the hill - still under dead of night.

"The watchtowers?" Strider wondered.

"Already taken care of. Next rotation won't be until noon," Zentha said.

"Excellent work, as well," Strider said.

"Thanks," she said with a smirk.

"Wait," Strider suddenly said.

'"hat is it?" Amarie asked.

"Archers," Strider said. The archers came forward, arrows locked and loaded.

"Those barrels over there are filled with oil. I'm going to get them in position and I want you to light them the hell up," Strider said. He held his hand out in front of him as he started to move the barrels into strategic positions - near the barracks, near the armory, near the bar, and several near the fortress that lay a bit further away. He had to navigate them carefully, being sure not to alert much suspicion. He figured that plenty were already asleep; the few that noticed wouldn't be able to do much about it.

"Solas, could you light the arrows?" Strider asked.

"Certainly," Solas nodded, sparking a light on each arrowhead.

'This is the beginning of the end for them. All of them. Are you ready, Anglachel?' Strider thought.

'I am. I can taste it already. The blood you will spill today and the blood you intend to spell yet. Yes…you chose well, Númenórean. I shall let you guide me as long as you wish. Keep me sated and I will see thy will done. Orcs. Uruks. Men. Elves. Dwarves. Dragons. Trolls. Giants. What lay here. What lay beyond. I will taste it all,' the sword whispered, almost seductive.

"Archers. Now," Strider said.

It happened in an instant. The archers let their fire arrows fly loose. Each was like a bird, wafting through the air until they finally found their marks. The entire world went silent for that tiny moment before the plunge. Hell was let loose as each barrel was set alight in perfect sync; the barracks burst into flames as burning bodies, not knowing what just happened, ran out into a hail of arrows. Those in the bar had it just as bad; the alcohol began to burst, spewing shards and fire everywhere; but the most spectacular explosion was the armory. Being home to a considerable amount of enemy supplies and rations, Strider had to be very careful about destroying it. His care was for naught, though; unknown to him, there was a quantity of black powder in the army. Unlike the buildings that simply burst into flames, the armory simply exploded - catching most everyone, even Strider, by surprise. The ensuing destruction was one for the records; it caused a severe shockwave that did a considerable amount of damage all its own, an unintended but welcome side-effect; the fireball could be see from miles away. Strider soon felt the shockwave rush over him; it had knocked several of his companions down, all bewildered by what had happened.

"Amazing…" Amarie said, mouth slightly open.

"No kidding. That was intense," Varric mused.

"That's all you've got to say about it?" Solas wondered.

"Very intense? I dunno," the dwarf sighed.

The Black Númenóreans didn't know what hit them; many rushed outside into the killing field that awaited them. As soon as the brunt of the explosion cleared, Talion's squad leapt from their positions and into the city. The water quickly turned red as the Black Númenóreans were slain without any effort. They were in disarray; drunk or just woken, tired or on the verge of falling asleep. Strider had his archers fire more rounds, this time guiding the arrows to their targets. Each arrow struck its mark in the head as blood and bits of brain stuck to the arrow on the other side.

Strider soon joined the fray, cutting and slashing without mercy. He leaped into a circle that the enemy had formed, trying their best to repel the attackers. Anglachel severed head from from without effort, like a hot knife through butter. Strider could hear the sword cheering inside his head; each drop of blood was a feast to it.

Just as much as Anglachel enjoyed it, Strider did as well. He felt his heart swell with happiness with each limb he chopped off, each life he ended. It was like a wonderful dream as blood and gore cascaded onto him. He quickly removed his cloak, giving him full and free movement. Both hands on his sword, he picked up the pace.

He grabbed one of the enemy by his hair and shoved the pommel into his throat several times until he heard a satisfying crack. He grabbed another by the arm and sliced it off before beginning to beat the man to death with it. One of the Númenóreans looked on in horror as he saw Strider continuously smash the arm over the mans head until he was satisfied. The man finally sprung to action, however, and leaped at Strider with his own blade. Strider barely dodged it, admonishing himself for getting so caught up in the attack. He quickly shoved Anglachel through the mans heart before cutting his head off.

"Where are you going?" Strider roared at some who tried to escape. He wrapped his magic around them and threw them into the raging inferno of the armory. Strider relished their screams, delighted at their flesh burning off and their cries for mercy.

'No mercy for them! No mercy for anyone!' Anglachel shouted, echoing Strider's own thinking.

Others looked on in horror as they suddenly saw the fire take shape. It twisted and contorted until they saw what it had become - a long and winding snake, it's flames licking the air like its tongue. Strider sent it forth with his powers; it wove and waved through Umbar, sparing Strider's allies and burning holes through the enemies.

It suddenly encroached on a particular Númenórean. It looked on in terror as the snake opened its jaws wide and swallowed the being whole. His flesh burned and sizzled, blackening until only a charred corpse remained, the face contorted into a look of horror.

-o-

"One bastard, two bastards, three bastards, four!" Kenway sang, peppering a poor soul with several deep stabs. "Five bastards, six bastards, give me some more!"

"You're in a good mood!" Varric shouted, shooting someone with his crossbow.

"Excitin' stuff! You don't seem to bothered yourself!" Kenway remarked.

"Ha, you kidding me? Seen worse back home!" Varric said.

-o-

The bloodshed had continued until only one building was left in the entire city - the fortress, Windkeep. They all gathered in front of the fortress as Strider's broke its doors down.

"Slay them all," he said as he flourished his sword and strode inside. His companions followed, ready to continue. They had not had their fill yet. The bloodshed continued inside as limbs were hacked, throats were sliced, heads were severed - and finally, the pyre of bodies began to burn right outside. Disappointingly to Strider, the fortress was hardly filled. It seemed to serve as a last defense, but was otherwise all but abandoned. He counted less than a hundred guards in total.

Strider had let only three men live - one was the General of the Fleet of the Corsairs, one was the Master of Windkeep, and the third was the messenger who was resting in Windkeep before continuing. They looked on in fear as Strider eyed them with cold eyes.

"Where is Black Hand?" he asked the messenger who whimpered.

"Where is Black Hand?" he asked again, but still nothing.

"Do you value your life?" Strider asked. The messenger nodded.

"Then tell me - where is Black Hand?" he asked again.

"You'll never find out," the general said as he spat at Strider. Zentha aimed an arrow at his heart and let it loose. To her surprise, the arrow changed trajectory and lodged itself in the trachea. A geyser of blood erupted as the General gasped in pain and for a breath that would never come.

"Excessive, don't you think?" Varric asked.

"I do. But they need to know what will happen to them if they don't tell me what I want to know," Strider said looking at the two that remained, who were horrified at the scene. Finally, the general was limp and dead.

"He…He…" the messenger began.

"SHUT UP!" the Master of Windkeep roared. He was silenced by a punch from Strider, which put him out cold.

"He…Black Hand, I-I mean…he's gone to Barad-Dûr to speak with the lord," the messenger said, tears streaming down his face.

"About what?" Strider asked.

"I know not. I heard the master of this fortress discuss that with the general of the fleet. But not just Hand - I am told the other two Black Captains have moved as well. The Tower has gone to Angband; and The Hammer has gone to Fornost."

"Fornost? Why there?" Strider asked.

"What is Fornost?" Solas asked.

"A fortress of men - an important one, at that. But left in ruin, now," Talion mused.

"I know not why he went there - simply that he has!" the messenger shouted.

"And what about Angband?" Strider asked.

"I…dare not utter the name of that place again," the messenger said fearfully. "I don't know why he would wan to go there! But…Gundabad was taken by the dwarves again - so they will approach through the Iron Hills and past the dwarves."

"To close to Thranduil's realm if he takes the normal route. That'll add a lot of time to his travel," Strider said.

"So…Black Hand has gone to Mordor, Tower to Angband, and Hammer to a decrepit fortress. And you don't know why any of them went where they did? Very ell. Thank you," Strider said.

Suddenly, he put his hand to the messengers head. As he did with the shipwrights, Strider broke the messengers will and subjugated him to his will.

"You'll continue in your service to me until your end. I require information. Learn what you can and bring it to me. I'll keep you appraised of where I am," Strider instructed as the messenger nodded. Finally, he got up and left - seemingly forgetting what just happened.

"Fornost and Angband…" Strider whispered.

"Which one do you plan to attend to first?" Talion wondered.

"Fornost. Then Angband," Strider said. He pretended not to notice the uncomfortable looks on several of the faces; none were eager to set foot in that place - or near it. Finally, Strider left the fortress to address the rest of his crew.

"The bravery you have shown today is more than I could ask for. We've taken this city in under a day - and it's all thanks to you! Umbar is ours - and with it, the gift of the sea and unbridled transport. We will continue a little further inland and seize the City of the Corsairs before doing anything else. After that, three fleets will be created - one will be sent to Gondor to provide aid; another to other areas that need aid; and a final one will be sent along the seaboard of this Middle Earth. We will not stop until the sea is free of the enemies control! If it requires that we bathe it in blood, then that is what we will do! I am thankful that in this small force, we have someone who can act as our General and Captain of the Fleet. Say hello to Captain Kenway!" Strider shouted. Kenway looked on in surprise; this was apparently news to him. "Kenway, it'll be up to you to find commanders for the fleets. After freeing the City, we will go to Fornost - and liberate what we may on our way! This is the hour in which we reclaim this world for dwarves, for elves, for men, and for all that is good!"

As he stepped down, Kenway came up to him - still as surprised.

"Cap'n…" Kenway began.

"You're the captain now," Strider said, clapping him on the shoulder and leader him towards the dock. "Now, like you promised - show me what it's like to be on a ship!"

-o-

As Strider woke up, he noted that Erza had moved a bit. He was laying on his back and she had clambered on top of him, her head resting peacefully his chest. He smiled and weaved a hand through her hair, chuckling as he saw her smack her lips in delight.

"Time to wake up, Erza," Strider said softly.

"A…few more minutes," she yawned, nuzzling him.

"If Natsu or Gray said that, you'd have their head," Strider laughed.

"Ugh…" she said, slowly getting up. As she realized what position she was in, though, she suddenly bolted upright, face red. "S-sorry about that!"

"I don't mind," Strider said, slowly getting up as well. "Nice nap, don't you think?"

"Very," Erza nodded as she calmed down. She took a seat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"

"About as well as I could hope for," Strider sighed, preferring not to share his dreams.

"That's good. What're you going to do now?" Erza wondered.

"I had promised Mira to spend some time with her after the fiasco with the dragons ended. If she's done with her shipping, perhaps I'll go meet up with her," Strider said.

"Speaking of Mira…" Erza trailed off.

"Hmm?" Strider wondered.

"I was…well, have…you know…" she trailed off again.

"Ah. Have you?" Strider asked.

"I…suppose not," Erza said.

"Well…might as well hope for the best, I think," Strider said.

"And what's that?" Erza asked.

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out," he said, brushing some hair behind her ear. Erza smiled, softly taking his hand in hers and pressing it against her cheek.

"I never thought I'd feel like this…" she whispered.

"Hmm?" Strider hummed.

"Oh, it's nothing! Anyways, I've got to go as well! Later!" she shouted. A bit overzealous in her closing of the door, Erza ripped it off the hinges. Turning a bright red again, she quickly sped off, leaving a cackling Strider.

-o-

"Hey," Mira said, hugging Strider as they met each other in lobby.

"Hey. Finished with Lucy, then?" he wondered.

"Yup. She just went upstairs to put her stuff away. Think she's going to go out with Lis soon," Mira said.

"Sounds good. Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's," Mira said happily, taking his arm in hers as she led him out.

-o-

"So what've you been up to all day?" she wondered.

"Just spent some time with Cana and took a little nap," Strider said.

"Seems…a bit too normal, actually," Mira said.

"Normal isn't so bad," Strider said with a laugh.

"I guess you're right. We've been needing normal after everything that's happened," she sighed.

"Have you been feeling well? Kind of a traumatic experience," Strider said worriedly.

"I'm fine," Mira said, smiling. "Was scary when it was happening, but I think everyone's fine for the most part now. Wizards deal with danger on a daily basis, you know."

"No need to tell me. Dangerous jobs, dragons, dark guilds. Could've just stayed back home and reveled in the peace," Strider chuckled.

"Well, I'm happy you didn't," Mira said softly. Strider smiled and pulled her a bit closer, kissing her head.

"As am I, if I'm honest," he whispered.

"That said, are you excited to go back soon?" she wondered.

"I dunno if excited is the right word. I won't be going back to relax, you know. Will be entirely work focused, as far as I'm concerned. Need to keep tabs on how restoration is proceeding," Strider sighed.

"It must be difficult, trying to rebuild an entire country," Mira said.

"It's a good thing I've had some help. A couple of my friends introduced me to someone that had had a similar experience. Not quite a large scale war like we did, but he was caught up in the middle of some things and found himself in a position of power - one where he had to rebuild. He's been a wellspring of knowledge," Strider said.

"Is he from your homeland?" Mira wondered.

"Not quite. He's from a land east of my country. Interesting place, to be sure," Strider said.

"How so?" Mira wondered.

"It's similar to my own on a technological level - but despite being so close, some things are vastly different. The people, the dress, the languages, the magic, the land - everything. Communication only just started to open up a few years ago," Strider said.

"Why'd it take so long?" Mira wondered.

"The strip of sea between our countries has some severe and significant weather anomalies. I can only think of one ship that made the crossing, and even that took a toll. Easy if you can fly - difficult otherwise," Strider said.

"Have you spent much time there?" Mira wondered.

"A fair amount, I suppose. Getting to know the land and the people. Had some great tour guides, so that helped," Strider said.

"Any good stories?" she wondered.

"Ha. Plenty. I'll tell you later, though. Right now, it's all about you," Strider said. Mira flashed him a charming smile and continued to lead him along, showing him all the sights the city had to offer.

-o-

"You're pretty popular here," Strider said as Mira signed her umpteenth autograph. Men and women were constantly barraging them, hoping to get a smile at the very least.

"Comes with the territory, I guess," Mira sighed. As much as she enjoyed meeting new people, she was beginning to think that going out so early was a mistake. She wanted to spend some alone time with Strider. "Sorry about all this."

"I don't mind. I enjoy seeing you in your element," Strider said with a smile.

"My element?" she wondered.

"You seem at ease when you're out and with other people. Always smiling and upbeat, I mean," Strider said.

"I…guess I really enjoy it," Mira said, blushing a bit. "Don't you?"

"I don't mind it. I suppose I prefer to be alone, though," Strider said.

"Does that mean you'd rather be away from me right now?" she wondered.

"Not at all. In private as supposed to alone, then," he rectified. Finally, as the crowd started to thin out, they continued their walk - a bit more brisk in pace this time.

-o-

"Perhaps it might've been more useful for you to train today," Strider said as they headed out into the forest. They took a seat near the river, Mira resting her feet in it.

"I guess. Don't really want to think about the fight right now, though," she said, sighing pleasurably as the cool water rushed over her feet and legs.

"Oh? What do you want to think about, then?" Strider wondered.

"Mmm…not sure," Mira said. She laid down a bit, resting her head in his lap, gently tracing along his legs. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he wondered.

"Those seven years that you were away - did you ever regret coming her sin the first place?" she asked softly. Strider leaned back a bit, thinking over the question.

"I never regretted coming here, but I did regret a lot of other things. Not being quicker against Acnologia, not using the environment a bit more, not coming back - despite all the chances. None of those seven years were easy, but the first couple were especially hard. I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my life," Strider sighed.

"There wasn't much else you could do against him," Mira reminded him.

"Maybe not, but that won't stop me from thinking that I could. A thousand things I could've done differently - and maybe one of them would've changed the outcome. Maybe I could've saved everyone those seven years," Strider said.

"But would you have gone back if you did?" she wondered.

"Probably not," Strider said.

"And then you wouldn't be doing the restoration, right?" she asked, picking herself up. She looked at Strider a surprisingly severe look in her eye.

"I—No, probably not. I wouldn't have found out about it," Strider said.

"And you're doing a good job with it, right?" she asked.

"I'd like to think I am," Strider said quietly.

"I know that you're a good guy. Strong and kind. And I think the people that you've been helping nee someone like that. I'm not saying that I'm happy about the whole thing. But…maybe it's not as bad as we all think it is," Mira said softly. Strider looked at her, a curious look in her eye.

"I think you might be taking to much of a gracious view on it," he finally said.

"Maybe," Mira said with a small smile. "But I guess that'd better than me being bitter about it, right?"

"That much is true," Strider said, brushing some hair behind her ear. "Like I said, I don't think I've ever felt as much happiness as I did when I heard from Cana that you all were back."

"Right. You went back to Fairy Hills with her," Mira sighed.

"Jealous?" Strider asked with a smirk.

"Please. I don't get jealous," Mira said.

"Really? I seem to re-," he began before Mira cut him off.

"You recall nothing," she said with a bright smile.

"Ha. Right. I recall nothing," he said with a chuckle.

As the wind rustled through the forest, Strider saw Mira shiver a bit. He pulled her closer and held her tight, eliciting a gentle blush and warm smile from her. Mira cuddled closer to him, resting her head against his chest.

"This is nice," she said softly.

"I'm glad you think so," Strider whispered. Look up a bit, Mira put her arms around his neck and pulled him down a bit. Strider obliged, softly locking lips with her. As they kissed, Mira felt him run a hand down the side of her body, resting on her left thigh. She felt him trace her white guild mark, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Mmm," Mira moaned as she felt him walk his fingers between her legs, inching slowly upward. She felt his tongue pass through into her mouth as he shifted positions, laying her on the ground and himself to the side. He gripped her thigh tightly as his hand continued upwards, finally reaching the lace panties she wore. Mira gasped into the kiss as she felt him trace her.

Before Strider could make his move, however, he suddenly felt a rush of dread pass over him. His eyes shot wide open as he felt Anglachel begin to rattle at his side - in a way it hadn't done for years.

'Be on guard! Something's coming!' it warned him telepathically. Strider leaped up, surprising Mira who followed.

"Strider? What is it?" she asked fearfully.

Before Strider could answer, however, the answer revealed itself.

It rushed out from a thicket of trees behind them, black as night and perched on eight legs, it's many eyes watching them as its pincers snapped the air in front. Mira and Strider both looked surprised by the spider, which stood at fifteen feet - larger than any other spider either had encountered.

"What the hell…" Mira said; she had hardly seen something so hideous.

The spider's countless eyes fell on her before falling on Strider. It made a terrifying clicking noise before it croaked out in a horrifying voice, "Ungoliant!"