Chapter 4

King Théoden called for the Rhohirrim to be assembled immediately. He sent Gamling across the Riddermark to summon ever able-bodied man to Dunharrow to regroup before the final war. The war that would decide the fate of middle earth.

Caladwen was saddened to leave Edoras, it was the closest place to home she had been in a long time. The Rhohirrim departed, crossing the flat fields of Rohan. Caladwen turned in her saddle as Edoras faded into the distance.

The Rhohirrim marched into the mountains towards Harrowdale, the meeting point of the Rohan army. It was a days trek up the mountain, which was not a long time, but Caladwen knew it would feel much longer.

Caladwen rode next to Legolas, up into the narrow pass of the mountains. She was not afraid of heights, but she'd be lying if the she said the thought of looking down from the pass didn't terrify her.

"You had best hold on, she elf, or that tumble will be your last." Gimli spoke from behind Legolas, where he sat sharing his steed. Caladwen shot him a look, causing the dwarf to chuckle at her.

"Thank you for the advice, Master dwarf, I shall take it to heart." Caladwen paused, looking ahead of them. Theoden and Aragorn rode at the head of the Rhohirrim, talking amongst each other, Eowyn not far behind. Caladwen had noticed in the past few days that she had grown quite attached to Aragorn. Caladwen knew that Aragorn would never betray Arwen like that, but she found herself frowning, wondering what, if anything Aragorn had said to her.

"The mountains have been calling for me since the day we set foot in Edoras. I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be reunited. It's like I'm home again." Gimli had been talking, but Caladwen was not listening. She bit her bottom lip, still watching Theoden and Aragorn.

Legolas noticed that Caladwen had been quiet for the majority of the ride, she fidgeted nervously on her horse, played with her hair.

"Lle tyava quel? (are you alright?)" Legolas asked quietly, for Gimli had fallen asleep behind him. Caladwen looked up at him, but she did not smile. She was nervous, anxious, she had a bad feeling. But she had yet to have a vision, so she felt not all was lost. Yet.

"I'm afraid." she replied, just as quietly. Caladwen dared to look up at him, afraid of what he was thinking of her. Legolas said nothing, so Caladwen continued. "I have fought Uruk-Hai, orc, a cave troll. We have lost many…" She trailed off, thinking back to Boromir and Haldir. "But now I am more afraid than ever. I have never seen Barad-Dur, yet I am terrified of it."

"All of middle earth is terrified of the horrors or Mordor. It is not just you." Legolas spoke softly, trying to dissuade her fears. Caladwen shrugged, looking forward again.

"I wish I was stronger."

"Amin sinta thaiolle e dagor. Lye nuquernuva y'narr en gothrim glinuva nuin I'anor. (I know your strength in battle, we will defeat them and their bones will gleam under the sun.)" Legolas spoke confidently, his resolve strengthening. "You are the strongest woman I know, Caladwen."

They arrived at Dunharrow the next morning. Caladwen was relieved to see the flat land that they would make camp on for the next day or so. As soon as she was able she jumped from her horse. Caladwen grabbed the reigns, stretching her back out, and continued onward so as not to block the way.

The Rhohirrim quickly set to work setting up the tents. One for each of the Fellowship and one for the king. Caladwen tied her mare to the tie bar, patting her gently on her hindquarters, before joining Eomer and Gimli who were having trouble tying down their horses.

"Whoa!" Caladwen cooed, petting the beast gently on his brow. The horse whinnied, calming down enough for Eomer to tie him up. Eomer and Caladwen shared an awkward look before turning to Legolas.

"The horse are restless and the men are quiet." He said ominously, gazing towards the mountain. Caladwen followed his stare. The mountain before her was large and scary, and Caladwen noticed it stood with a presence, something evil and not of this earth.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain." Eomer said quietly, as if he were afraid to speak to loudly. There was a small passage between two walls of the mountains. It seemed to howl something unworldly. It whispered to Caladwen and she found she could not avert her gaze.

"That road there, where does it lead?" Caladwen vaguely heard Gimli ask over the fog in her head.

"It is the road to Dimholt, the door under the mountain." Legolas spoke quietly.

"None who venture there ever return." As soon as Eomer spoke, the whispering and howling ceased and all had gone quiet in an instant.

"That mountain is evil." Caladwen whispered, taking a few steps back to Legolas. Aragorn was now standing there, staring into the crevasse, just as she had been. He can hear the whispering as well.

"Aragorn!" Gimli shouted. Aragorn jumped, turning around to face them. "Lets find some food." Gimli gestured towards camp, where a few spits had been fired up for dinner. Caladwen and Aragorn shared a knowing look before he followed Gimli.

"Something calls to me from the mountain. It calls to Aragorn as well. We will meet it before the night is through." Caladwen said lowly to Legolas. Legolas grabbed her hand, holding it tight.

After dinner Aragorn had called it an early night. Caladwen lingered by the fire, listening to the men tell war stories of the past. Gimli could not help but to join in as he told the story of The Lonely Mountain and Smaug.

Caladwen smiled, remembering fondly those days, how exciting it had been for her when the Dwarves arrived at Rivendell with their wee burglar, spinning tales of adventure. She shared a knowing look with Legolas.

"Your thoughts are far away." Legolas' hushed voice asked her over the campfire. Caladwen shook her head, smiling at him.

"Not nearly. I was remembering Smaug and the Lonely Mountain. It went much differently than the tale Gimli tells." Caladwen teased.

"Dwarves have a knack for embellishments." Legolas smiled, looking back to the fire. "However they all fought bravely." Caladwen gasped jokingly.

"The prince of Mirkwood, paying compliments to a group of dwarves. I'd thought I'd never see the day." Caladwen said sarcastically. Legolas shook his head at her, poking the fire with a stick.

Caladwen yawned, stretching her arms above her head. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten with all the jokes and stories being passed around. Caladwen grabbed Legolas' hand and squeezed.

"I'm going to go lay down. We have a long journey ahead of us." Legolas leaned forward, kissing Caladwen's head.

"I will be there shortly."

Caladwen bid her adieu to the rest of the fire, which had dwindled down to only a few men. It was cold outside of the fire and Caladwen cursed herself for leaving her cloak in her tent.

There was movement at King Théoden's tent. Theoden rushed out, only throwing a small glance back inside. He grabbed his guards, telling them to take a leave, and he walked off towards Eomer and Eowyn. Caladwen shrugged, ready to get to her tent for any kind of rest she could get before they rode in tomorrow.

"I come on behalf of whom I love." Caladwen stopped in her tracks. Inside of Théoden's tent she heard a familiar voice, one she had not heard in a long time, one that she missed dearly. It was her Uncle, Lord Elrond. "Arwen is dying, she will not survive the evil that now spreads from Mordor. The light of the Evenstar is failing."

Caladwen gasped, clapping both of her hands over her mouth. She felt her blood run cold and her knees grow weak. A vision of her cousin, Arwen, flashed across her mind. She was pale and sickly and not the woman that Caladwen had grown up with. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she imagined her cousin gone from her forever.

"As Sauron's power grows, her strength wanes. Arwen's life is now tied to the fate of the ring. The shadow is upon us, Aragorn. The end has come." Lord Elrond's voice wavered, Caladwen could hear the sadness in his voice, the defeat. Caladwen shook her head in disbelief. She didn't feel Arwen's passing, the decline of her strength.

"It will not be our end, but his." Aragorn replied confidently. There was along pause and she heard her Uncle chuckle at him lowly.

"You ride to war but not to victory. Sauron's armies ride on Minas Tirith, this you know, but in secret he send another force, which will attack form the river." Caladwen took a bated breath as she took a few steps closer in order to hear their conversation more clearly. Caladwen felt bad to eavesdrop, but there was no going back now, she was already here. "A fleet of Corsair ships sails from the south. They will be in the city in two days. You're outnumbered Aragorn. You need more men."

"There are none!" Aragorn spat impatiently. Caladwen flinched at the sound of his voice. There was another long, thoughtful, silence. Caladwen could feel the tension dissipating between the men.

"There are those that dwell in the mountain." Lord Elrond said quietly, matter of factly. A vision passed before Caladwen's eyes, a vision of a long past king, ghostly skin rotting off of his ghostly bones, green with death.

"Murderers? Traitors? You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing. They answer to no one."

"They will answer to the king of Gondor." Caladwen's eyes went wide.

I must tell the others. Caladwen thought. She turned on her heels, sprinting as fats as she could back to the campfire, by this time only Legolas and Gimli remained.

"You must come, quick!" Caladwen said, bursting onto the fireside. Gimli and Legolas jumped to their feet, Gimli drawing his axe as he did so. Legolas strode to Caladwen's side.

"What is it?" he asked, concern evident on his face.

"It's Aragorn, he plans to meet the Oathbreakers in Dwimorberg." Caladwen felt her panic levels rising. "Aragorn can not go under the mountains alone. It's dangerous and the Dead Men of the Mountains are liars and deceivers."

"Where is he?" Legolas asked.

"In Théoden's tent. He will go tonight." Caladwen was sure of it.

"He wont be leaving without the likes of me! Take us to him!" Gimli said excitedly. Caladwen nodded, gesturing for the two of them to follow found Aragorn saddling his horse, ready to leave without them.

"Just where do you think you're off too?" Gimli asked as they approached Aragorn. He looked up, barely paying him any mind, before going back to what he was doing.

"Not this time. This time you must stay." Aragorn said, his decision final. Nobody told the dwarf that, however.

"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Legolas asked, stepping up beside Aragorn.

"You may as well accept it." Caladwen chimed in, standing next to Legolas and Gimli.

"We're going with you laddie." Aragorn paused for moment, a broad smile forming on his face. He had lost, but Caladwen was sure if it was a battle he'd had no intention of winning.

"I have accepted it long ago, my friends." He said happily, clapping Caladwen and Legolas on their shoulders. "If there is any hope of our success, we must leave quickly, with haste."

"Aye." Gimli growled, untying his and Legolas' sword. Caladwen nodded, untying her own mare and mounting her. The camp was suddenly buzzing with men.

"Where are they going?"

"What's happening?"

"I don't understand…"

Caladwen was saddened by how little faith the men had in them, but she did not turn around as they rode off into the narrow Passage of Dwimorberg.