~^~
They reached Helm's deep, and the girls, not so battle hardened as the men, immediately took blankets and pillows and laid them in a sunny spot in the rocks. There they fell asleep, barely speaking to anyone. As the three remaining awake companions walked in the previous battle zone, they came upon the two. Aragorn shook his head.
"How did we come to have them with us, Legolas? They are women, girls really. They cannot have twenty years on their shoulders? Why did we ever let them come? They have lost any innocence that they still retained, in battle."
Legolas gazed awhile at them, sleeping peacefully in the sunlight, Sirrah's hair glinting red against her slowly pinkening skin. She was curled around herself, while Kat lay straight, and arm across her eyes and hair laid in a halo around her head. He shook his head.
"I do not know my friend. But they insisted that they come, and despite the burden that they brought, they also brought help. And hope."
Aragorn nodded, reassured.
"Hope. I remember. That is why they came, why we suffered their coming." He seemed to think, his eyes unfocusing. "Estel." He muttered.
Legolas nodded. Aragorn looked one last time at the pair, then turned to follow Gimli, who had disappeared into the caves. The two trudged off in different directions, Legolas to find Gimli, and Aragorn to his own inner battles.
~^~
Kat and Sirrah were not awakened until the sun passed behind the mountain. The sun, and their warmth, gone, they shook off sleep and stumbled to the hall. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli sat at a table, Aragorn eating, the other two simply drinking. They sat down on either side of Aragorn.
"Aragorn…" kat said groggily, reaching for a roll and a drink, "Where is everyone?"
Aragorn sipped pensively at his drink and replied softly.
"They have gone over the mountain to Edoras."
Kat, who had been sipping her drink, nearly choked. Sirrah was falling asleep again, her head propped on her hands.
"They went? With out us!?" She was about to apologize for sleeping in so late, but Aragorn held up his hand.
"I do not ask you to follow me, but I had hoped that you would."
"Where are we going?" asked Sirrah, having woken up at Kat's spluttering.
Aragorn sighed.
"The paths of the Dead."
Kat and Sirrah's gasps were audible throughout the hall, though no one was there to hear them. Then Kat sighed.
"Goodness. We've missed a good chunk of time, what has
been going on?"
Aragorn sighed.
"I have battled a demon greater than most I have had of late."
Kat sat up, looking closely at him. It became obvious, once her eyes were focused, that he had not slept, and the years that had disappeared with Halbarad's coming had returned with reinforcements.
"I have looked into the stone of Orthanc, my friends."
This enlightenment was met with two gasps, an 'ohhhh!' and a slight grunt.
"You have looked into that accursed stone, Aragorn?" asked Gimli. "Did you say aught to…him? Even Gandalf feared that encounter!"
Aragorn regarded Gimli sharply and gave him a harsh reprimand, though it was softened by his explanation. Kat slowly sank into a stupor, not paying attention, though she knew that she should. Suddenly, Aragorn stood up, shaking her out.
"Come! To the stone of Erech! I seek the paths of the dead! Come with me those who will!"
Kat, realizing that they were about to be left behind, shook Sirrah on the shoulder as Aragorn climbed over the bench. Sirrah awoke, and asked where they were going now.
"Come on Sirrah! We're almost done here, their off to the Paths of the Dead!"
Sirrah became instantly awake.
"Not the dead marshes?"
Kat shook her head.
"No, but it'll probably be almost as bad."
Sirrah nodded and got up, and they ran to catch up with Aragorn. They reached them as they men mounted, and they had to hurry to keep up. Son though, they were riding to Edoras, and to the Paths of the Dead.
~^~
As they reached Edoras, Éowyn came to meet them, her armor glinting in the afternoon sun. Kat and Sirrah gave her proper greetings, and spoke with her awhile before Aragorn came to supper.
"MiLadies, why did you give me this gift?" said Éowyn, holding out the Necklace to them. Kat smiled. She kind of missed her necklace, but knew it was in far better hands where it was. Éowyn looked closely at it, admiring the curving tail of the dragon. "This device frightens people, fr there are still tales of dragons that once haunted Rohan."
Kat shrugged.
"We gave it to you for protection. You are a fellow warrior lady. We can protect ourselves, but we wanted you to have as much help as was possible."
"So you think I cannot protect myself?"
Excellet Kat…
Shut up! I can't help it she's sensitive!
Whatever, just try not to stick your foot in your mouth!
To late Sirrah…to late.
Kat sighed.
"No, lady Éowyn. You're a hell of a lot better at a sword than the both of us put together. That just means you'll have more to go against."
Sirrah nodded.
"And you will. I have forseen it."
Do you have any idea how clichéd that sounded?
Yeah, but I had to tell her something!
Éowyn looked at them a moment, and then turned smartly on her heel, walking quickly away.
"Well…" said Kat. "That went…well."
"Yeah, well done foot." Sirrah replied.
Kat snickered, and they went in to get food and more sleep, knowing that they would need it.
~^~
Kat awoke at midnight, restless. She had had trouble getting to sleep, unsettling thoughts haunting her. Sirrah was asleep, but the same dissettlement seemed to plague her as well, for she tossed and turned in her place across the room from Kat.
Grumbling about afternoon naps, Kat got up and decided to take a walk. The nightgown that had been laid on their pallets was clean, and smelled like fresh air. It seemed to be cotton, and was very long and flowing. Kat rather liked it. She found her way across the room and pulled on her boots, not wanting to step on something unpleasant. Then she carefully slipped out of the room, leaving Sirrah to her dreams.
Moonlight was the only light outside. Kat sighed, and sat down on the high steps of Edoras. It was a cool night, almost cold, but Kat was just happy to feel moving air on her skin. She stared up, taking comfort from the moon that she was used to. The only thing I'm used to, she though ruefully. The wind whispered quietly…or was that the wind? Kat twisted around, looking for the source of the noise. Not seeing anything, she got up and tip toed around the corner, only to find the White Lady of Rohan sitting near one of the horse statues, head turned up, with tear tracks accentuated by the light of the moon. Kat tried despratly to remember what would have caused the lady to go into such a fit, but couldn't. Unsure of what to do, but feeling a sympathetic tug in her heart, she bit her lip and tried to comfort one of her great heros.
"Lady? Why do you weep?" Éowyn gasped, and turned to her. Kat winced at the fury and sadness in her eyes. "never mind…I'll just be nipping off…" She said and turned, trying not to think about how much better Éowyn was at a swrod than she was.
"No!"
Kat stopped, turning around slowly. "What?"
Éowyn bit her lip, a very unseemly thing for her, and spoke, surprising Kat greatly. "Wait. I am sorry that I turned from you today. It is just that there seems to be so little hope…"
Kat sighed. "For which? The world or for Aragorn?"
It was Éowyn's turn to wince. "Everything." She said simply.
Kat sighed again and sat down. "Éowyn. I don't really know what I can say that will help."
"Say that he will survive this folly! Say that he wil return from his path! Say that I may hope!" She cried, and kat looked taken aback. She replied slowly and only after much thought on the meaning of each plea.
"I will say that I will protect him with my life through this. I will say that he is strong enough to walk this path and return. As for hope…" she shook her head, "Love is a fickle thing my lady, and even magic may not alter it."
Éowyn gasped. "How did you know my heart so well? I have told no one save the night sky of my heart. Fortune reader you may be, but I have never met a magician that could read minds!"
Kat shook her head. "It is not all magic, my lady. I think I will take my leave now."
Éowyn tilted her head back, closing her eyes. "Goodnight my lady."
Kat padded back to her rooms, after trying to remember where they were. As she crawled back into her bed, Sirrah woke.
"Is she very distraught?" she asked. Kat didn't know, or care, how she knew that she had bespoken Éowyn, and answered without hesitation.
"Quite. I am glad that Farimir is able to help her."
Sirrah gave a muffled grunt of agreement and rolled over, falling asleep again. Kat closed her eyes and soon followed suit.
~^~
Once again, Kat and Sirrah drank from the cup of farewell. This time though, neither spoke to Éowyn, seeing her so grieved over Aragorn, they felt that even the gentelest word in the wrong direction could send her into a whirlwind of grief. Legolas and Gimli drank also, both seeming to sympathize with the white Lady, though they followed the girl's lead, and said naught to her. As Aragorn drank, though, and wish her good fortune, she paused.
"Aragorn, wilt thou go?" she asked pleadingly. The sadness that seemed to radiate from her was painful, and all the more so in so strong a woman.
"I will." He answered. I was a final remark, so set in its sound that kat could hardly belive that anyone would doubt his will.
Éowyn didn't doubt him, but took him by the hand and asked, "Then wilt thou not let me ride with this company, as I have asked?" her blue eyes were clear and wet, as if she were controlling tears with an iron will.
Aragorn shook his head sadly and clasped his hand over hers, soothing it comfortingly, and then letting it go. "I will not, Lady, for that would require the leave of the King an your brother, and they will not return until tomarrow. But I count every hour, indeed every minute. Farewell!"
With a cry, Éowyn fell on her knees, saying: "I beg thee!"
Aragorn looked down at her, and quietly said: "Nay Lady." Then he raised her from her kneel and kissed her hand. Leaping onto his horse, he then rode away, and never once looked back. Kat and Sirrah followed hesitantly, feeling like they should say something to her. But they did not, and as they looked back, the predawn glow illuminated the wet track of tears on her pale cheeks.
Sighing, Kat turned and faced the mountain that they rode for.
Well. That was certainly depressing. She said, mind voice laden with sarcasm.
Oh no, not at all, That was the greatest party on Middle Earth right there. Sirrah relied, voice matching, and possibly exceeding, Kat's sarcasm. Then silence settled over them as they rode, for it was early, and neither had slept terribly well.
~^~
The shivers started a few minutes before dawn, as the mountain began to loom over them threateningly. Kat was first to respond to it, and she sat, teeth chattering, in her saddle, trying to block out the dead voices that were beginning to haunt her. Sirrah had little trouble in ignoring them, Kat noticed, and envied her dearly. By the time they had reached the doors, Kat's shivering had subsided, and was replaced by spasmodic jolts, as if she kept waking from the sort of nightmare where one is falling, and wake just before one hits the ground. Sirrah, worried, reached over and laid her hand on Kat's when they dismounted. Kat took a deep breath and let it out slowly, controlling her fear and her shakes. She returned almost to normal. Sirrah nodded silent encouragement, and withdrew her hand, lips tight. Her friend's skin was ashy, and clammy. The mist really had effected her adversely.
Aragorn started in without hesitation, after telling the men that their horses had to be brought. The Dunadain followed slowly, as did the few from Rohan that had come. Last was legolas, Gimli, Kat and Sirrah. Legolas went, though Gimli remained behind, still scared witless. Sirrah took Kat's wrist, and tried to smile, which worked out well, for the circumstances.
"Come on Kat, I think it'll be better once we're in. You know, like taking off on a plane."
Kat smiled, amused that Sirrah would think of that analogy, knowing her friend's fear of flying. But she was right, as they passed through the door with Tiro and Chaos in tow, the fear evaporated somewhat, to be replaced by old smells and warm air. Kat took another deep breath, and this time, when she let it out, it did not shudder. Feeling better, she pet Tiro and looked around.
Gimli soon came charging in, and stopped beside Legolas, who looked rather more pale than was usual for him. Kat glanced ahead, and saw that there was an elf bearing a torch ahead of the four of them. Interested as to who this new comer might be, she sped up, and Sirrah, not wanting to be alone, sped up also. As they reached him, Kat bit a lip.
Who is it? Asked Sirrah, knowing well what Kat was up to.
I…think its one of Elrond's sons.
Huh?
Kat sighed. I think it's one of Elrond's twin sons…their names start with E, I remember. But that's it.
"That is Elladen, Son of Elrond." Hissed a voice, exceedingly quiet, in her ear. She jerked, only to realize it was Legolas. Frowning, she wondered how the Elf had known what she was thinking. Then she shrugged it off, thinking that he must have seen her quizzical stare. Suddenly, Aragorn strayed from the path, seeming to see something of interest. Gimli muttered, wishing only to get through the paths as fast as he could. Both girls concurred, and huddled at the back of the company, trying not to panic. Sirrah was much more grounded than kat, who kept peering into the shadows and rubbing her ears.
"Kat, calm down."
"But Sirrah…" she whined, "I hate this, there are whispers in my ears, and they won't go away, its horrible…" there were tears in her eyes as she bit her lip to keep from going on in that tone.
Sirrah sighed, knowing how her friend felt, but still a bit exasperated. "Kat, you have to learn to close your mind to them. They're jelous."
Kat nodded and took a breath. Sirrah breathed with her, and they both settled into meditation, trying to banish their demons. Gimli stood near them as they did, trying not to fret at the shadows that seemed to creep around him, slowly seeping him of sanity. They slowly walked within the ring of light that surrounded Aragorn, around a skeleton that was right out of the movies.
"Wow…" breathed Kat, "Not cool, defiantly not a good sign…" Sirrah slugged her, and Kat shut up quickly, blushing in embaressment.
Aragorn did not hear her, did not seem to hear anything, but instead looked long at the bones before him. Standing up, he said something to softly for them to hear. Then he whirled, and looked behind them, addressing the ghosts of shadow.
"For that is not my errand! Keep your hoards and your secrets hidden in the accursed years! Speed only we ask, let us pass, and then come! I summon you to the stone of Erech!"
There was no answer, save for silence that was deeper. Kat let out a breath, calming visibly.
They can't haunt us anymore, Aragorn summoned them…
Doesn't look as if that's slowed them down.
Some curse or another. They have to follow us and do his bidding now.
Uh…oh.
Kat shook her head, and followed the company, much soothed.