Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.

Chapter 50: Haunted

Early morning clouds had melted away to reveal a beautiful bright sunny morning, the kind of morning made for anything but a mass funeral. After the pyres had burned for as long as the wood allowed, a mass grave was dug to lay what remained of the soldiers to rest; elves and men alike. It was an event that Anita didn't stick around for. The flames had died down and the girl excused herself from the yard, determined to find some other occupation to fill the remaining time until a course of action was decided. She had overheard word that there was a stockpile of weapon collected from the battle that now lay in the armory, Ani decided to wander over and see if she couldn't find a trace of the knives she had used during the scuffle. There she stood, slowly and meticulously picking her way through the blades piled on a wooden table, her entire focus on the mundane task for fear of what images her brain would trudge up if she allowed it to wander freely. There were whispers around her as she worked, whispers that the elleth tried failingly to ignore. Most of it was speculation about who she was and where she had come from; honestly it was liberating for the girl to not immediately be identified as a member of Elrond's family and any stigmas that came along with that .It didn't take very long at all for her to dig her two small knives that had been used in the fight out of the much larger pile, and she slipped them gladly back into their tiny sheaths on her belt before turning to find either Legolas or Gandalf.

The first place she went to look for her companions was in the main Hall that abutted the armory, Anita wasn't disappointed. Grouped together in conference were Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf talking to the King and another man the girl didn't yet know. Theoden and Gandalf were controlling most of the conversation, heated words being exchanged between them as Ani joined the group to stand by her lover.

"What did I miss?" She whispered to the Elven prince who stood dormant with his arms crossed against his chest, carefully watching the exchange in front of him with sharp discerning eyes.

"Mithrandir wants to pay a visit to Isengard."

Anita gave a half-hearted snort in lieu of a chuckle, " Great, when do we head out?" Her question came out louder than intended and drew the attention of the rest of the men in the room, the white wizard and king included.

"We should be leaving now." Gandalf snapped, his eyes heated with annoyance.

"My men are weary from battle and I am weary also. Even if all the men were gathered together and healed of wounds weariness it would not be enough to assault the stronghold of Saruman." When Theoden hissed back his answer the young elf realized she had inadvertently stepped right into the main point of the argument the two men were having. The girl gave an obvious shrug while not returning either of their gazes; for her it was a toss-up, she was exhausted from the battle and would have relished the chance to rest, but her grief over losing Glorfindel was fresh enough that it fueled her desire for revenge past the fatigue. After a stretched moment of silence in the group, the powerful wizard finally relented with a forced sigh.

"Then let all who are to ride with me rest now," Gandalf gave a pointed look to the three men standing beside Anita, "We will journey under the shadow of the evening. Do not command many men to go with you Theoden…We go to parley not to a fight." Gandalf then turned and swept away in all his white robed glory, leaving Ani to digest his words and grow angry at his meaning.

"Parley my ass, I want that man's head." The words were venom laced as the girl spat them out, not aimed at anyone in particular. She turned her head in time to see Legolas and Aragorn exchange a meaningful glance before their gazes settled on her. Neither of the warriors would say it to her face, but inside they believed that bringing the elleth along to Isengard would automatically make the situation volatile. Anita was emotional, grief stricken in the wake of Glorfindel's death, and to boot she had proved just the night before that she was battle ready. Both Elf and Man could see the girl scaling the walls of Orthanc and singlehandedly killing Saruman in a fit of rage without remorse. But telling her so in her current state was clearly a bad idea, so neither of the males said a word in response to her outburst.

Legolas opted to change the subject and rested a hand on Ani's shoulder to draw her attention, "You should rest. Come." The prince didn't wait for her to concede, he gently guided her away from the hall back to the caves where the women had been setting up sleeping pallets and furs for the battle weary and injured to rest on, away from the bright light of the sun. The girl wanted to protest, eager to face off against Saruman in a quest for retribution, but her body was battered and tired...she needed rest. Soldiers that had endured the battle from the previous night lay sleeping on individual mats laid in rows in the clear spaces of the vast caverns. Legolas spied an empty mat that was tucked away in a corner and easily led the girl through the mass of people with her following limply behind. Without a word spoken between them they both sat down on the mat, which Legolas clearly meant for them to share, and began removing weapons and setting them aside. With nimble fingers Anita undid the belt that carried her dagger and knives, casting them aside none too gently, before she unbuckled the straps that strapped Glo' sword to her back. As she tried to set the blade on the ground however, Legolas reached over and pulled the sheath from her relaxed grip. His blue eyes studied the familiar engravings on the hilt before glancing at the woman next to him.

"Glorfindel would have wanted you to have it," the prince finally said quietly. Instead of calming or reassuring the girl though, his statement had the opposite effect, irritating her instead. Anita snatched the sword from Legolas' hands and dumped it next to her other weapons before plopping down on the sleeping pallet with a huff, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the roof of the cave. She didn't like being in this place. All that the glittering caves reminded her of was the raw truth that she had fled from the battle as her friend and mentor was slaughtered at the hands of mindless animals; it made her sick to her stomach and pissed off all at the same time. Legolas lay down beside her, his arm snaking across her waist to pull her body close to him, hoping that if his words wouldn't comfort her then maybe his presence could. Anita didn't make a movement or a sound at the familiar touch, continuing to burn holes in the ceiling with her fiery gaze. Out of the corner of her eye though, the elleth could see the prince open his mouth to engage in conversation…and Ani wanted none of it. Suddenly she rolled onto her side, giving her back to Legolas, a clear indicator to the elf that she wasn't in the mood to talk. The prince let out a frustrated puff of air between his lips, but he wouldn't push her. He knew from the short exchange they had earlier at the funeral pyre that Anita wasn't handling the aftermath of the battle very well, the death of Glorfindel hitting her very hard. The blonde elf was willing to venture a guess that the girl blamed herself for Glo's fate.

It didn't take very long, mere moments, before Anita succumbed to sleep's beckoning call. She was beyond exhausted, a restful sleep is exactly what she needed. Unfortunately, a restful sleep is a far cry from what she got. As soon as Ani had given into the solitude of sleep the nightmares started, ravaging the poor girl's already fragile mental state. They all came back to her, the faces of the orcs she killed; in full Technicolor she relived every second of the kills she earned. She could feel her blade slicing through flesh, the look in their eyes, the sounds they made as they died and went to whatever hell waited for them. She saw herself, drenched head to toe in blood…not black orc blood but fresh flowing crimson. Around her were a sea of faceless dead bodied being picked apart by buzzards, distorted and mangled by her own hands. She could see Glorfindel standing alone several yard away, surrounded by a small circle of dark specters, being cut down by the shapeless attackers. But she didn't try to save him. The girl was so consumed in her blood lust that she no longer recognized her longtime mentor as a friend…no…she had tasted the power of dealing out death and she wanted more. The specters cut him down so Glorfindel was kneeling, blood oozing from his fresh wounds as Ani sauntered towards him, sword in hand. The wounds dealt to him only excited her more as she raised her blade high above her head, her brown eyes fixed on the kill before her. But staring back at her was the look of absolute forgiveness and love that the ancient elf had seen fit to give her even in reality, unable to blame her even now as her blade came crashing down on his neck.

Anita woke up violently, tearing herself from the horrifying images her mind had painted for her while she slept. In one motion she pulled herself out of her slumber and rolled to her feet to stand. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, barely more than a spasm, her breathing ragged and uneven. There was a cold sweat that covered her skin and unshed tears that filled her eyes. Her head snapped around to take in her surroundings before raising her hands to look down at them, trying to assure herself that what she had just seen was a dream . The only blood on her skin was black uruk blood from the night before. Dropping her hands back to her side she eyes met Legolas', whom she had startled awake accidentally. He was sitting up on the mat, one hand helplessly frozen in mid-air towards her as he looked with concern in his eyes. Ani flinched at the look on his face, she couldn't bear to have him pity her like that. Gathering up her belonging she spun around and started to make her way out of the cave, uncaring as the humans around her stared at the spectacle of her outburst. Legolas was on his feet in a second to follow her.

"Anita!" He called, which she dutifully ignored. The girl was ashamed to have had such a night terror, and with the horror still fresh in her mind she didn't have the emotional stability to face Legolas. That didn't stop the prince from trying. "Anita!"

She ignored him a second time, focusing on getting out the door. "Ahn!" That made her stop though, just short of the doorway that had been her goal but a second ago. No one had ever called her that before, her nickname was already short enough there was hardly a need to shorten it down to a single syllable. But Legolas had, and he was the only person to have ever called her by that name; the mere significance of that is what had made her stop. Clutching her belts and blades in her arms, the elleth barely shifted her head so she could see him over her shoulder. The prince was maybe fifteen paces behind her where he had stopped, looking stunned and bewildered t her behavior. There was nothing for her to say though to him, her pride and sensibility both being damaged in the rude awakening she had just gotten. Looking ahead she continued her way out of the cavern and into the bright light of day leaving Legolas behind her. Halfway up the ramp she paused again, certain that no one would pay her any mind here. Under the guise of re-attaching her weapons the girl took a few minutes to steady her breathing and heartbeat and to wipe away any excess moisture in her eyes. The girl took a moment to smooth her hair back into a clean ponytail, hoping to clear up what she was sure was a haggard appearance. Glancing up the elleth could see that the sun had moved in the sky a bit, Ani guessed that she had been asleep for perhaps a few hours, more than enough to keep an elf going she surmised.

When she was certain she was ready to face the world again, Anita pushed onward up the ramp back to the Hall certain to find someone of importance there. Eowyn was locked in conversation with the blonde haired man Anita had seen with the King earlier but hadn't known, but seeing the two standing together it wasn't hard for the elf to figure out the two must be related just based on looks alone. Ani didn't say anything as she walked up to stand near the duo.

"Anita! This is my brother Eomer." Excitement was pouring off the human woman in tangible waves, which normally wouldn't have bothered the elleth but given her current mental fatigue it made her highly uncomfortable. Ani gave Eomer a curt head nod of acknowledgement, which the man returned with a sweeping and slightly dramatic sweeping bow. The theatrics of the movement made Ani's mouth twitch in amusement. The girl gave the man a good once over and then immediately forced her eyes back to Eowyn for fear of staring too long at her brother. While Legolas was the epitome of the Elven standard of gorgeous, Eomer was very ruggedly handsome with his well-trimmed beard and deep brown eyes. There was a small dimple on his right cheek when he smirked at her, clearly amused with his own antics. Anita couldn't stop herself from musing that if she had still been human she would have been all over that man like white on rice.

"I'm looking for Gandalf." Ani kept her eyes steadfastly locked on Eowyn's freckled face as she spoke; now wasn't the time or place to be ogling men in appreciation.

"They are in the stables, preparing to depart for Isengard. I am on my way over there now, I can lead you." Eomer responded in place of his sister, who just smiled brightly as her brother spoke. The elf sighed in resignation and mumbled a conceding 'thank you' before following the human man to where the horses were housed. Ani gave a half-hearted wave in Eowyn's direction before she departed with the woman's brother.

"My sister tells me how you survived the battle to lead the women out of the caves." As they walked Eomer spoke, a clear look of inquiry written into his features. When Anita didn't straightway reply to his statement the man continued, " It is unusual to hear of women skilled in battle."

"It's different for Elves." Her voice was deadpan as she answered the man's question. The girl's response was more of a half-truth than anything else; lower class born women could readily join the rank of the guard, but Anita was willing to bet she was the only noble born elleth that had been offered the chance. She just didn't feel the need to expand on her answer.

"Why is that , that your woman are allowed in battle?"

"Because even our weakest female, before any tutelage, is still faster and more agile than your war hardened soldiers." Her answer was automatic after years of hearing Glorfindel say it during her own teachings; Elves are naturally faster, naturally stronger, quicker to heal and harder to kill. Her own bumps, bruises, and scrapes didn't make her feel stronger or harder to kill.

"Prettier too I would think." This comment earned the man a sidelong look from the elleth, and she could see a playful and flirtatious smirk on his face. His playfulness was infectious and Anita wasn't able to prevent her own small smile that emerged, Eomer's state of mind after the battle was the polar opposite of her own. Before she could come up with a witty response to his comment the tunnel expanded into a large cavern where the horses were kept. The girl was startled to see that the people of Rohan had actually built a stable inside a cave, separated into an expanse of individual stalls filled with hay. Already other members of the group set to go to Isengard were preparing their horses for departure. Theoden grasped Eomer on the shoulder as they entered the stable showing his delight that the younger male had decided to accompany them after all. Anita didn't make eye contact with Aragorn or Gandalf as she walked between the stalls searching for a horse that looked rested enough for another journey. As the girl studied each horse carefully, she caught sight of Legolas entering the stable and stopping to converse with Gandalf. The prince spied her in her trek between the stalls and she glanced in his direction in time to make brief eye contact, which she didn't hold for more than a few seconds before breaking it to look anywhere else. Her face felt hot as an embarrassed blush crawled across her skin when she thought about how she had woken up, and Legolas had been there to witness the whole spectacle. It wasn't that she had a bad dream, everyone has bad dreams, but it was how she reacted to it, how she had let it rattle her so thoroughly. It had felt so real.

With her face still red from shame the girl finally stopped in front of a stall that housed a gray and white speckled gelding. When she stopped the horse shook his mane out and stepped forward to the stall door. Anita instinctually put her hand out for the horse to smell as she looked him over; the horse looked well rested and his eyes were bright and intelligent. Keeping her hand in the horses' line of sight, she reached over and gently rubbed the muscled neck, hoping that the animal would be comfortable enough to let her ride.

"Normally I ride Firefoot, but it is a rare thing for him to be so comfortable around new people, if he will let you ride him then you may." Eomer appeared next to her at the stall, Firefoot instantly became excited at seeing his rider; sticking his nose out for a scratch.

"Firefoot huh? May I?" Eomer obliged and opened the stall door for the elleth, who stepped inside without hesitation. Anita retrieved the plain leather bridle from the hook where it hung and easily slipped it over the horses head, Firefoot putting up zero objection to this action. Eomer watched on as Ani tightened the straps and made sure the horse was comfortable before heaving the saddle off the stall wall and slinging it across Firefoot's back, showing that the girl was well practiced with horses. The sound of a throat clearing drew both elf and human attention away from the horse and to the white wizard who had come to check on Anita.

"What is it that you are doing?"

` Ani's voice was totally deadpan as she responded to the question, "I'm going with you."

Gandalf sighed, "Child, do you think that a wise choice?"

"I didn't open the topic up for discussion Gandalf," The girl barked as she finished buckling the saddle to the horse, "I said I am going." The wizard was taken aback at her tone, it had been many years since the girl had shown him that kind of disrespect. Gandalf was stuck in a stunned silence by the sudden mood swing. Across the stable the wizard's eyes sought ought the Elven prince that had been watching the exchange with keen interest, in them mirrored the same deep rooted worry for the dark haired girl. When Legolas had approached Gandalf moments ago with his concerns about Anita's emotional state, the wizard had wanted to brush off the elf's distress as an overly protective lover. After all, the girl had always shown a tendency to surrender control to her emotions, at some point though she returned to her regular self. But this was different, extreme even for her. Grief and anger were rolling off her in waves, pushing everything else in the girl's life to the wayside, the need for food and rest amongst them. Sorrow was one emotion that could destroy and elf like a fast moving poison, Ani had already succumbed to it once not all that long ago in Rivendell…it had been some small miracle she survived it then. It was the anger that was keeping her alive, fueling her forward past the weight of the grief on her heart. Gandalf watched the girl swing herself up into the saddle and adjust herself to a comfortable seated position. On the outside she looked fine, a lovely young Elven lady, but the white wizard knew that inside there was a darkness eating away at the girl he knew and cared for, and it would continue to eat away until there was nothing left but a hollow heartless shell.

Haunted- Evanescence