Chapter 28: The Shadow of the Mountain
*NEW* A/N: Another severely edited chapter. Enjoy!
Wisdom's Stare: Why thank you! I am super excited for this next battle, as I want to make it a good one. I will make sure it gets its justice and then some
Seriya Silvermist: Thanks and lol, I think she would have won the race fair and square or not. And I cannot wait for the battle either!
Valaina:I agree with the reviewer, I beat you, Legolas.
XxKicking Your AxX: :) lol
The ride to the rendezvous point was swifter than Valaina had expected it to be as they were not burdened down by women, children, and elders this time, and speed was of the essence as was time. Éomer, Gamling, and two other marshals Valaina did not know the names of had broken off an hour into the two day journey to call forth more riders, and were no doubt already at the point of their meeting. Large, rugged mountains loomed before them and on their sides as they rode through the tree splotched valley to a particular mountain. The greens of the grass and trees contrasted greatly with the dark, shadowy mountain before them. Neat rows of tents lined the plains in different clearings representing the different areas each section of riders had come from and continued to join them. For every group of fifty tents stood three draft horses near a large wagon, and from the looks of them Valaina discerned that they were the pack horses that had carried all the items the soldiers needed before departure to battle. The horses, most tethered to makeshift posts, looked just as eager for battle as Valaina felt. The men called out greetings to Théoden as the riders of Edoras made their way to the path to the top clearing in the mountain where they would rest for the day and night before they all set out to war the next morning.
Valaina turned a knowing look to Aragorn as they passed a certain large, burly bay draft horse that reminded the lycan and the ranger of a certain other horse. "Hey, Aragorn, why don't we find a river and I'll take that horse there and run you over with it?" Valaina asked the ranger next to her who shook his head.
"How about you find the river, stand next to it, and I will run you over with the horse this time," he answered.
"Why would you want to run each other over with a draft horse?" Éowyn asked confused.
"That was how we met," Valaina replied.
"What?"
"I was minding my own business and was currently tracking a deer by a river when suddenly Valaina comes charging down the path on a large, bay draft horse. She basically ran me over with the horse and I fell into the river behind me. Valaina wasn't watching where she was going and got knocked off the horse when she didn't duck underneath a low hanging tree branch," Aragorn explained.
Valaina absentmindedly rubbed her forehead. "You know what?" she started. "I'm pretty sure that tree moved and knocked me off itself."
"Because trees can move," Éowyn smirked.
"They can," amended Aragorn as he came to Valaina's aid for but two seconds. "And they tend to like knocking Valaina off her feet."
"That, they do," Valaina muttered as she rubbed her forehead again. "And it hurts when you do get hit. It hurts a lot."
They came up the steep, three horse wide path that led up to the Edoras riders' camp that overlooked the entirety of the cavalry of Rohan. They rode up the path in pairs, the horses unfazed by the steep rocky path and the death drop below them as they found their footholds and continued upward, knowing the path well and trusting their riders. They finally came to the large clearing where tents had already been set up, and a smithy was already cleaning armor and sharpening weapons for the men already there. Valaina followed Aragorn to his tent to which Aragorn pointed out that hers was right next to his. "We ride to battle tomorrow," he said as they dismounted their horses.
"I've been dying for some action," Valaina said as she began to unsaddle Lacan.
"You have had some action. You have been fighting with the Rohirrum."
Valaina turned to the ranger with a "really" look upon her face. "I meant with the enemy. As much as some may hate fighting them, I quite enjoy it," she said as she hefted the saddle onto the makeshift holder.
The sound of a frantic and frightened horse reached their ears, and the two turned to try and located the horse. As they looked around, they caught sight of a dark, shadowed path that sat in the middle of the mountain with an ominous feeling of darkness emitting from it. Valaina gave a small growl as she felt her Rage began to grow in apprehension of the path. "I do not like that place," she growled in earnest as she gave a nod to the path.
"Neither do the horses," Aragorn commented as they watched a man try to calm his unsteady steed.
Aragorn gave Brego a good brush down, some food, and water before he turned to look out across at the camp for a particular person. Valaina brushed down Lacan, the horse very pleased at the attention that he was getting from Valaina, and he seemed to be falling asleep as the lycan finished brushing him down. The lycan gave him some food and water, to which a nicker of thanks was given. Valaina gave the horse's neck a pat before she looked up at the king of Rohan. Théoden had removed his armor and placed it in his tent to comfortably move about the camp without the hindrance of the armor. He now stood where the watchmen stood guard of the path to their camp, and looked out over the valley contemplating their current situation as Aragorn moved to stand next to the king. "Six thousand spears," Théoden said as Aragorn went to stand next to him. "Less than half of what I had hoped for."
Valaina moved toward the two as well, intent on voicing her opinion in the matter if need be, which she would do so whether or not the two liked it. "Six thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor," Aragorn said in a slightly grim voice to which Valaina rolled her eyes.
"More will come," both Théoden and Valaina said.
The two men turned to the lycan to see what she had to say in the matter. "You must have hope in your men," she said as she moved closer to the two men, her red eyes scanning the ranks of those who had come. "They ride in the name of their king. They came when you called them."
"Yes, but we need more," Aragorn persisted.
"What, do you not count the horses as warriors as well?" Valaina challenged to which Lacan perked his head up a little ways away as the horse's eyes rested upon his rider. "They are strong willed and battle ready. Their blood boils in their hearts for they know what is coming. They will break the lines of Mordor when the time comes and they will help lead us to victory."
"What makes you so sure that we will survive this?" Théoden asked.
Valaina looked around her, taking in everything she saw before her, scarlet eyes dancing with such confidence that it caused the king of Rohan to doubt his own grim thoughts. "Though you may have doubts," she said in a voice that knew much pain, anger, loss, and battle, one that shocked Théoden even though he should have known better, "you must not let those dishearten you. We believed that we could hold Helm's Deep till Gandalf returned, and we did. If we believe that we will ride to victory on the fields of Pelennor, then by the Valar we will come out victorious. Do not lose hope in your men for they are strong at heart when the battle grows hot, and the blood of their brothers is spilt. Before the end comes, the strength of men will rise once more. Mordor will not defeat us, not while we have breath to spare."
Théoden and Aragorn looked at the lycan, her womanly figure, braided blonde hair, and fierce warrior posture added a harsh effect to her words. She wholeheartedly believed that they would survive the battle, and they could not help but believe her as well with the way she stood there confident as ever and without a worry or doubt in her mind. She looked at Aragorn and Théoden, determination and the angry fire of a battle hungry warrior flamed in her red eyes. "I will personally fight the armies of Mordor alone if you two cannot face them," she challenged as a smile broke out upon her face. "I will lead those who are not afraid of war, and we will decimate those vile creatures until they are running for the black gates once more."
Aragorn clapped the lycan on the shoulder and grasped it firmly with a small smile upon his face. "If we had let you go on alone, I do not think there would be much left of those armies save but the few that would be half dead," he said in a lighthearted voice.
"You have much fire in your heart, Valaina," Théoden spoke up with a small smile of his own. "I know that you will not fail to remind us of who we are when we ride to battle, and I know you will spark the flames in my men in the time of need."
"That, you can count on," Valaina smiled as her eyes burned in swirling reds. "But, we must reach Gondor before they lose hope in us."
"Yes," Aragorn piped up once more. "If we do not make haste it will be Gondor's defeat. We must ride in the morning."
"Yes, for time is against us in this matter," Valaina added with a shake of her head. "Damn time is always against us…"
Théoden looked at Aragorn in contemplation, then gave a small smile and nodded as he saw something in Aragorn's eyes that betrayed the kingly manner in the way the ranger looked over the gathered armies below them. Valaina noticed the look Théoden was giving Aragorn, and it was one of acknowledgment and a hint of pride as they both saw the man before them grow more and more like a king each day. Valaina began to wonder if the king hidden underneath the ranger would show soon, and she could only hope that when it did that everyone would wholeheartedly follow him, and if they didn't she would for sure make them.
The sound of nervous horses reached their ears once more, and Valaina caught sight of a particularly anxious seal bay refusing to be led any closer to the dark, ominous path, his whinnies becoming louder and louder making Théoden and Aragorn both turn to look at the horses with concern. Valaina moved away from the two men and made for the nearest trio of horses who danced on the tethering posts as unease rolled off their bodies. She soothed a particularly anxious dapple grey as Legolas and Gimli were making their way over to her. Éomer was bringing Firefoot's saddle to a makeshift saddle post next to Valaina and the three horses, and as he passed her he gave a nod to the calming horse. "You know how to calm even the most nervous of horses," he said. "Leof, the one you are currently trying to calm, is the most skittish near mountains. He has a fear of the large, looming rocks for no particular reason."
"Leof…doesn't that translate to beloved?" Valaina asked with a small smile.
"Yes."
"Who's beloved is he, then?"
Éomer gave her a cheeky smile, one that she did not miss. "His rider. He was an orphaned foal, and his current rider has raised him from birth. He is only seven years of age, still very young. Leof will, perhaps, mellow with time."
Legolas and Gimli walked up to them slowly, the elf taking in the uneasy horses and men around them with anxious eyes. "The horses are restless and the men are quiet," Legolas said to Éomer as he and Gimli stopped in front of the horse-lord and lycan.
"Thanks for stating the obvious," Valaina said earning a shake of the head from Éomer.
"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain," Éomer said.
"Well, that was also pretty damn obvious," Valaina said as the four looked to the path that led deeper into the mountain. Actually, it was the only path that actually led into the mountain now that Valaina got a good look at her surroundings
"That road there," Gimli asked with great caution as he leaned against his one headed ax, and Valaina thought she even heard slight fear underneath the dwarf's words, "where does that lead?"
"Do not tell me you are growing nervous in the mountain's shadow as well, Gimli," Valaina said as she tried to ease their minds a little. "You are a dwarf, are you not? Do you not like the deep mountainous paths?"
"This one is not so comforting, lass," Gimli answered with a shake of his head as they turned back to look at the still very much ominous path.
Legolas's eyes sparked up in recognition. "It is the road to Dimholt, the door under the mountain," he said in what Valaina was sure was a hint of fear.
"See? A road that leads under a mountain. Feeling more at home, Gimli?" Valaina asked with a slight tease though the mountain had indeed peeked her Rage.
"Not one bit," the dwarf grumbled.
"None who venture there ever return," Éomer continued with a grave voice. "That mountain is evil," he said with a look that suggested he was afraid of the mountain.
"Do you not feel anything, Valaina?" Legolas asked as he, too, was beginning to feel the effects of the mountain, and now all three looked to the lycan to see if she was feeling any effect from the dark of the mountain.
Valaina stared at the road, her eyes fixed on a particular spot as a vague, transparent green figure seemed to appear, though it was barely noticeable by those who did not have eyes of a hawk, but even then Valaina wasn't quite sure if Legolas saw it as well. The Rage within Valaina began to grow, but not in fear. Something evil did in fact rest down that path, and she felt its eyes upon her as she looked down the path herself, and gave a slight growl as her anger began to grow at the evilness that was emitting from the mountain. "Yes," she said, "I feel something of the like. But I do not fear it, and I do not think it intends evil doings upon us either but is rather reminding, or warning, us of what lives down there."
"You fear little," Gimli grumbled.
Aragorn moved closer to the mountain, and leaned against a large, jutting rock. He seemed to be caught staring at the same vague green form of what looked like a decaying man. Valaina knew right then and there that the form was only being seen by Aragorn and herself at the present moment as Gimli dismissed the path almost altogether. "Aragorn," Gimli said making the poor ranger jump slightly with an odd look in his eyes as he turned from the mountain. Gimli gave the road a glare before turning to Aragorn once more. "Let's find some food," he said gruffly and walked away.
"Aragorn," Valaina asked before the man followed Gimli, "you saw it too; the green figure?"
Aragorn looked around quickly before bending closer to the lycan, his lips near her ear. "Do not say anything about it to these men," he said in a low whisper.
"Like I was about to," Valaina said with a shocked look.
"Valaina…"
The lycan gave a nod before following Aragorn and Gimli to find food. They passed her tent and she stopped to check on the untethered Lacan. The horse looked at Valaina then to the mountains and back to the lycan. He seemed to grow nervous for a few seconds, but then he relaxed as he saw his rider was neither afraid of the path nor the beings that rested beyond it, and was not about to let the mountain affect him either. Valaina began to brush the horse down once more as she did not feel overly hungry at the current moment. "You do not tether the stallion?" Éomer asked from behind Valaina.
She turned around to face Éomer and saw that he had taken his armor off leaving him in dark brown breeches, boots and white undershirt that peaked through the V-neck cut of his maroon shirt. The muscle the horse-lord sported that was previously hidden under all his armor showed through his clothing once more. "I trust him," Valaina said as she stroked the liver bay stallion's blaze, "and besides, I do not think he will leave my side anytime soon. He likes to be able to see me."
"That is quite a stallion you have. The relationship you two have is strong," Éomer said as he stroked the stallion's neck to which the horse responded by giving him a glare which turned into a look of content at the attention. "He does not grow nervous within the shadow of the mountain like many of the other horses do. Instead, he looks to you for guidance, and since you are not afraid, then neither is he. A remarkable horse indeed."
Valaina smiled as she remembered them crossing the river on their journey to the mountain. Éomer had joined back up with them that day with a thousand Rohirrum from another part of Rohan that was close to Edoras. "Do you remember when we crossed the river?" Valaina asked with a smile.
Éomer's face turned to that of one in concentration before he nodded his head. "Yes, why do you ask?"
"Because this remarkable horse," Valaina said in a teasing voice as Lacan perked his ears up, "is also a god damn kelpie."
Éomer's face softened and a soft laugh escaped the horse-lord's lips. "Ah, yes! I remember! He practically dove into the water just to swim in the deeper part of the river. We had to wait for you to drag the poor horse out of the water. I thought for sure that my uncle was going to fall out of his saddle he was laughing so hard," Éomer said as he recalled the river ride Valaina had taken even though she tried to steer the stallion away from doing so.
Valaina smiled as she marveled at the memory. "I must admit that I, too, enjoyed it."
"Lacan is a good horse for you," Éomer confirmed his thoughts with a nod of his head. "He seems to complete you."
"Much like Firefoot completes you and Snowmane completes Théoden. It is rather a funny thing to have come across such a fine horse," Valaina said as she looked into Lacan's eyes. "I have been blessed to become Lacan's rider. I will not leave him, ever, and he will not fall in the battle."
"What makes you so sure? We will, no doubt, be going up against archers. Even you cannot be impervious to arrows let alone Lacan."
"He will be protecting me as I fight, and I will be protecting him as we charge the enemy. I have had many years of practice to perfect the dodging of volleys."
"And what skill would that be?" Éomer asked very interested now.
Valaina beamed at the horse-lord. "Trick riding," she stated with confidence.
Éomer stood back away from the horse and lycan, the area in front of Valaina's tent was wide enough for a small sparring session. "Would you care to show me?" he asked.
Valaina gave him a contemplating look, and then nodded. "Why not? I can perform these particular moves because I am light, and unhindered by armor," she said as she moved to the spot in front of her tent with Lacan following. "I traveled with Gandalf for a while…actually, I have traveled with Gandalf a lot longer than I care to really remember sometimes. We stopped at Rivendell where we stayed for ten years. In that time, I learned how to trick ride thanks to Arwen and her brothers. Elves need to have a way to pass time for they cannot sit around all day for years…well, maybe they can, but I cannot. Such tricks can come to help in a battle, such as the ones I am about to perform. With my enhanced sight, I can see the arrows from long distances. I am also extremely light, being able to walk across snow. Being an elven lycan I do have some perks, though it has taken me a very long time to come close to mastering them. I have actually developed my own style of these tricks," Valaina explained to the curious horse-lord. "Most arrows tend to strike a horse's head or chest, correct? So, what I do when I see a particular arrow coming down onto the horse's head, I literally leap over the horse's head, twist, then grab onto the breast collar as I am falling to the ground and perform a modified swing mount back into the saddle. I must say, though, that this particular trick was insanely hard to master and I ended up very bloodied and bruised after each try."
"How long did it take you to master this one?" Éomer asked as Valaina began to saddle Lacan, a small crowd beginning to gather as a few men listened in on the conversation between the two.
The sun had begun to descend the sky, and food was just starting to cook now and most of the men wanted something to do to pass the time. "A full five years. I had long interventions in between my learning sessions. As I said, I got pretty beat up and it probably did not help that I would get angry each time I fell. But then again, my mare was always the one to run me into a few things such as the trees, or rocks, or Elrond, or even Gandalf at one point."
"Are you talking about your trick riding?" Aragorn asked as he saw the growing crowd that had become very interested in the conversation, though, they were interesting in anything that would take their minds off the mountain.
"Yes, I am," Valaina said as she finished saddling Lacan.
"Are you going to perform a few tricks for us?"
"Yes, per request of Éomer."
"It will do the men some good to take their minds off the mountain. You have enough room along this path if we clear it for you," Théoden said as he and his niece, though the woman looked annoyed that the lycan was the center of attention once more, joined the crowd with great interest. "I am interested in these tricks of yours."
"What is all this talk about trick riding? What is that? I have never heard such a thing," Gimli grumbled as he followed Legolas to stand by Aragorn.
"You shall have to see, my friend," Legolas answered with a broad smile, knowing exactly how tricky the lycan could be on the back of a horse after studying her riding abilities. "I heard this from the twins as well."
"Yeah, well, they were two targets of my desert mare when she was finished riding for the day, so they no doubt told you about that as well," Valaina commented as she checked the girth.
"They particularly like the one where your mare purposely ran you into Elrond," Aragorn added.
"They remind me every time I get on a horse."
"With good reason too. That's five people you have run over with a horse."
Valaina paused in her mounting to turn an embarrassed, smiling face to the ranger. "Actually, I've run over a lot more people than just five," she said with a sheepish smile. "I lost count after I ran you over with that draft horse."
"Or maybe you lost count when you were knocked from the saddle by the tree branch," Aragorn added.
"Hey, that tree branch came out of nowhere."
"So you say."
"Lacan can canter along this path, but I shall not go any faster unless you would like to see us fly over the edge or disappear along the road to Dimholt," Valaina said changing the subject as she swing-mounted into the saddle.
The men gathered did not need to be told to step out of the way, and instead made a sort of half circle barrier in front of the path deeper into the mountain and the one that led down the mountain. Even the horses seemed to calm down a bit at the prospect of something happening that didn't involve ominous darkness emissions. "We have time before the cooks finish dinner," Théoden said as he motioned to the small stretch that would give Lacan enough room to start his canter and slow to a stop safely. "Go ahead then."
Valaina gave a nod and Lacan moved forward into a trot and then a canter down the end and back. "I am just getting a good look at the ground to make sure I do not hurt either of us," Valaina explained as she turned and cantered back toward the mountain once more.
She stopped Lacan in a position facing the mountain. "Ready, Lacan? Let's show these men what we can do," Valaina whispered to the liver bay stallion who snorted in agreement.
Lacan reared up and turned on his rear legs to face his path. "Show off," Valaina muttered to the horse who gave a snort in reply.
He pushed off into an easy canter as excitement buzzed in his steps. Valaina took her feet out of the stirrups and crouched in the saddle, and then jumped leaping over Lacan's head slightly to the left. In the air she twisted so that she was facing Lacan as she began to fall to the ground. The horse picked up speed, and look like he was about to run Valaina over when she reached out and grabbed the side of the breast collar, as close to the saddle as she could get, bringing her feet up underneath her in the process. She righted herself slightly as her swinging momentum changed direction. As her feet hit the ground she pushed off in a jump using her momentum to swing herself back into the saddle and securely placed herself firmly in the seat as Lacan slowed to a walk and circled around the half circle of men who were clapping. "That," Éomer said with an approving nod and smile, "was indeed impressive."
"And extremely painful and irritating to learn how to perform properly," Valaina grumbled. "Try doing that when at the last second your horse turns to a tree as you jump. Guess where you land?"
"In the tree?" Aragorn guessed as he cut the lycan off.
"In between the tree's branch and trunk where you get stuck with two twins laughing at you," Valaina said with a shake of her head. "Though, it was kind of funny."
"What else can you do?" Éomer asked curiously
Valaina smiled as Lacan cantered back to the opposite end and turned once more only to break into a canter again. Valaina took her foot out of her right stirrup and sort of hung off on the left side of Lacan as she held onto the horse's neck with her left arm. With a push off the ground with her right foot, she leapt over the horse's back. When her feet hit the floor she gave another push, using her hold on Lacan's neck to swing her forward around the horse's chest with her left leg out in a kick and her right bent up slightly. She swung around the horse and back into the saddle before Lacan halted in the same spot as before, except this time he had more flourish in his halt as he dipped his haunches and slid in the dirt just a bit. "That one took me a while as well," Valaina said. "And that was the one where Isil ran me into more trees than I'd like to remember."
Lacan snorted and turned his head to look at Valaina, asking if they were going to do anything else fancy as the horse seemed to be enjoying the attention they were receiving. "I do have more tricks, Lacan," she said with a smile but dismounted, "but they may only be done at higher speeds. Perhaps one day when we have enough distance we may be able to do them."
The horse's high held head sunk quickly in disappointment, and he gave a feeble nicker, saddened that he would not be able to be in the spotlight any time soon. "You perform those with such ease that it looks easy enough to do," Éowyn somewhat complimented from beside her uncle, hoping that she would be able to bring attention to herself once more and possibly strike up a conversation that could perhaps get her to show what she could do as well.
"I have also been training with Lacan on our rides alone," Valaina said as the crowd dispersed to get dinner as she unsaddled Lacan. "We have a few tricks of our own that will surprise the enemy. They do not yet know of the white beast in which I am, and they shall be very surprised to see what we have in store for them."
"What have you two been doing?"
"We have been training and working together not only as rider and horse, but beast and horse. Even as a wolf I am still relatively light, thanks to being an elf. It really does have its perks, despite the fact that I really hate elves," Valaina placed her saddle down and turned to Éowyn with a sly smile on her face. "Perhaps you shall see our training come in to play when we go to battle."
With that being said Valaina turned to find Aragorn leaving the shield maiden rather speechless. Valaina found Aragorn smoking his pipe, and a plate with food on it next to him. Without so much as looking up from the fire he held the plate out for Valaina. "Eat. I just finished my own," he said very distracted.
"Thanks for offering me a seat," Valaina teased as she took a seat next to Aragorn, digging into the food quickly. "What is on you mind?"
Aragorn did not answer for he seemed to not have heard her, and instead of repeating her questions, seeing as though she wasn't about to be heard by the ranger any time soon, Valaina gave a nod of her head. "Right, I shall find someone else to talk with," she said and turned to leave.
"Good-night," Aragorn said absentmindedly.
"Good-night."
Valaina finished the plate of food as she walked, and dropped it off with the cooks who smiled and waved her on. Merry ran past Valaina dressed in Rohan armor, a bright smile on his face making him look more like a kid causing Valaina to smile at him. "To the smithy!" Éowyn commanded the hobbit to which he carried out.
"You should not encourage him," Éomer said as he finished eating his own food.
"You should not doubt his heart."
"It is not his heart I doubt, but the reach of his arm," Éomer said as Gamling snickered.
Valaina walked up behind the two and thwacked them on the back of their heads. "Shut up, assholes," she said as she sat in between the two purposely making room for herself in the tight space to which Gamling moved over for the lycan, though Éomer quite enjoyed the closeness of the lycan. "Just because you are taller than Merry doesn't mean he is less dangerous than you two."
"What makes you say that?" Éomer said as he held his throbbing head with a laugh evident in his voice. "Is it because he can only swipe at his enemies' waists?"
Valaina situated him with a serious look as she slightly shoved the horse-lord a little further away from her. "You should have seen him and Pippin tackle Aragorn to the ground," she said her voice stern yet her eyes gave away the laugh she was hiding. "Unfortunately, the ranger got the short end of the fight."
"You three are harsh," Éowyn said as she stomped off and away from the three chuckling warriors.
Valaina talked with the horse-lords for an hour until the sun disappeared entirely. As they were talking, a cloaked figure on a white horse road up to Théoden's tent and disappeared inside without so much as looking at anyone else in the area. "I wonder who that was?" Valaina asked no one in particular.
Aragorn walked through the tent as well a few minutes later, and Théoden came out. After some time, Aragorn and the figure walked out, and Valaina smiled at who it was that walked out of the tent. "Elrond!" she said as she walked up to the elf. "How is Arwen? Is she well?"
"It is good to see you too, Valaina," Elrond said with a small smile that quickly faded. "Arwen is not well. She has begun to fade."
"What?" Valaina asked in disbelief. "But she cannot! Aragorn…"
"I will make all the haste back to Rivendell," Elrond said as he placed a hand on Valaina's shoulder. "The news will give her strength. Do not fear, for she will be alright."
"She better or I will kill her."
"Stay safe, Valaina. I must go."
Elrond gave Valaina a smile before mounting his horse and riding back the way he came. "That was a short hello," she grumbled. "No, 'hello Valaina, it is good to see you are alive still'. Or even a, 'nice to see you have yet to kill yourself'."
Valaina turned to talk with Aragorn, but found that the ranger had disappeared, and a certain shield maiden had stalked him. Legolas, hauling a tacked up Arod behind him, and Gimli were fully prepared to travel as they walked right past Valaina. "Where are you two going?" she asked in a slight tease as she joined them. "What is going on…?"
"With Aragorn," Legolas said. "He intends to call those from Dimholt to come fight, and we will join him."
Valaina's happy attitude changed drastically, and halted for a moment. She visibly shrunk back into herself, hiding her emotions from the elf and dwarf, and she said no more as she resumed following them along the path. Éowyn stalked past them at that moment with tears trailing down her cheeks, yet Valaina did not give a snide remark as her two companions looked to her for one. Aragorn was pulling a travel ready Brego behind him when Gimli spoke up, stopping the ranger in his tracks. "And just where do you think you are off to?" the dwarf said in a gruff voice.
"Not this time," Aragorn said in what he thought would be a firm tone that would keep the dwarf there. "This time you must stay, Gimli."
"Have you heard nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" Legolas said as he stopped next to Aragorn with Arod.
"Or that of the elves," Valaina muttered.
"Might as well accept it," Gimli said with a smirk on his face. "We're going with you, laddie."
Aragorn was about to protest, but he smiled a defeated, yet very much relieved, smile. "I will not be joining you," Valaina sighed with crossed arms. "Not this time."
The three men turned to look at Valaina, an expressionless statue at the present moment. "But you must," Legolas said in an earnest tone. "We cannot leave you here."
"And I cannot go into that mountain," Valaina snapped but her features softened. "I will not be able to hold the anger within me back when you face the army of the dead. They invoke anger and rage in me, making me all the more vulnerable to lose myself. I will not put my friends at risk."
Aragorn gave a nod and a small smile as he knew all too well what the lycan was referring to as they shared a knowing look. "I understand, and I knew from the moment I made my choice that you would not be joining us," he said as he clasped forearms with Valaina who then quickly pulled the ranger into a bone crushing hug.
"I figured you would. I didn't want to risk it," she mumbled quietly to Aragorn before pulling back and turning to Legolas. "Do not let him get into anything troublesome," and then she looked at each one of them. "All three of you better come back to me. Do not do anything stupid or reckless. Um, scratch that, do not do anything that will get you killed. In other terms, do not do anything that I would do. Besides, I have a top score to beat."
"We shall see when we get back, lass," Gimli grumbled as he hoisted his ax onto his shoulder in triumph. "We shall see."
Aragorn mounted Brego with one last smile to Valaina and started to walk off. Legolas helped Gimli onto the back of the horse before looking at Valaina one last time. The butterfly sensation in the lycan's stomach came up and she began to become lightheaded. A strange thought came to her mind as she began to lose herself in the blue eyes of the elf prince before her, one that would have given her cheeks a pink color if not for her emotionless gaze at the moment. She quickly dispelled it as she gave the elf prince a small smile. "Promise me you will not die in battle," Legolas said in a firm tone.
Valaina gave a nod in agreement before outstretching her hand to say farewell. But, instead of grasping her forearm, Legolas pulled Valaina into a hug that sent the butterflies in the lycan's stomach dancing. She stood there for a moment with a shocked expression on her face before she wrapped her arms around Legolas as she hugged him back. "I promise," she whispered in his ear before pulling away.
Legolas smiled at Valaina before hopping into Arod's saddle and joining Aragorn who had stopped and waited for the two to say good-bye, a small smirk on his face as he looked at Valaina. "I saw that," he thought to her.
"Shut up."
"But I'm not done teasing you!"
"You are now. Be careful and stay safe as much as you usually can."
"Likewise, Valaina. I want to see that smiling face when I return."
"And you shall," Valaina thought with a smile as she gave the ranger, the dwarf, and the elf prince a nod.
A few men gathered around to watch the two horses and their riders walk to the path and into the darkness of the mountain as the black hole swallowed them up. Murmuring spread through those gathered as the ranger, dwarf, and elf left the camp to who knows where. Théoden also walked up to the crowd as the men began to question as to where the three were going. "Lord Aragorn!" someone yelled.
"Where are you going?" another rang out.
"Why does he leave on the eve of battle?"
"He leaves because there is no hope," Gamling said in a grim voice.
"Here we go again," Valaina grumbled.
"He leaves because he must," Théoden said.
"Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor," Gamling said in a knowing tone.
"You men are ridiculous! He is going to raise the army of the dead, and cleanse this mountain of its evil," Valaina growled as her patience with the men dwindled. "Have you all no hope?"
"He is right, Valaina," Théoden said. "We cannot defeat them. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless."
Valaina gave a growl causing many heads turning to her. "We can defeat them if you all believe in it. By my swords or by my fangs I will kill all those who stand in my way. It is all about the way you look at it."
"And how do you look at it, my lady?" one man mocked. "What would a woman know of war and bloodshed?"
"Far more than you, bastard," Valaina spat angrily. "I look at is as a challenge. And if you are too much of a god damn coward to go, then I will ride alone and take out the whole god damn army of Mordor myself if I have to. I have no issue facing that horde by myself and killing every last one of those vile creatures. I enjoy it, if you all have forgotten…"
She growled once more and stalked off having enough of the hopeless men for the night. She would get her rest and be awake before dawn the next morning with Lacan ready for battle. They would be victorious even if it called for her to knock some sense into the men with a severed orc head which she planned to do if need be.
