9. The Grey Company

The Rangers and three elves rode for nearly a week. They stopped very little, and only to let the horses rest. Eleriel was, of course, eager to move on, but she understood that they were going as fast as possible. Luckily Eleriel and the twins had been to Rohan before; none of the Rangers had been this far south before, and without the elves they would have been badly lost.

Six days after they left Rivendell, the company caught sight of a large host across the plains. Eleriel and the twins peered across the grasslands. "It is a large group of the Rohirrim," Elladan confirmed. "But beyond that, I do not know. I cannot tell if they are indeed supporting Saruman as the rumors say, or if they are accompanied by any others."

Halbarad shrugged. "I suppose there's only one way to find out," he said reluctantly. Turning to the Rangers behind him, he shouted, "we ride to these men and ask them for news, but be prepared to fight, if they are hostile." The Rangers nodded solemnly, and Halbarad led them forward.

When they were nearly up to the company, a voice called out to them. "Halt! Halt! Who rides in Rohan?"

Halbarad motioned for his men to stop. Eleriel peered through the night at the group before them. Her sharp elven eyes picked Aragorn out from the group, but she saw no one else that she recognized. She chose not to speak; this was for the Rangers to manage.

Halbarad had dismounted from his horse and was walking slowly towards the men of Rohan. He held his hand out, palm forward, showing them that he meant no harm. He stopped before he came to their horses and called, "Rohan? Rohan did you say? That is a glad word. We seek that land in haste from long afar."

"You have found it," the same voice replied. "When you crossed the fords yonder you entered it. But it is the realm of Theoden the King. None ride here save by his leave. Who are you? And what is your haste?"

"Halbarad Dunadan, Ranger of the North I am. We seek one Aragorn son of Arathorn, and we heard that he was in Rohan." Eleriel smiled when Aragorn's dark shape immediatly perked up when he heard Halbarad's words.

"And you have found him also!" Aragorn cried, running to Halbarad. Eleriel smiled to herself; Halbarad and Aragorn were friends as well as kinsmen. "Halbarad! Of all the joys this is the least expected." Aragorn turned back to the Rohirrim. "All is well," he assured them. "Here are some of my own kin from the far land where I dwelt. But why they come, and how many they be, Halbarad shall tell us."

"I have thirty with me. That is all of our kindred that could be gathered in haste; but the brethren Elladan and Elrohir have ridden with us, desiring to go to the war. We rode as swiftly as we might when your summons came." Eleriel wondered why Halbarad did not mention her presence.

Aragorn looked extremely confused. He glanced back at the Rohirrim, and back to Halbarad. "But I did not summon you, save only in wish," he muttered. "My thoughts have often turned to you, and seldom more than tonight; yet I have sent no word. But come! All such matters must wait. You find us riding in haste and danger. Ride with us now, if the king will give his leave."

A man in his late middle years, whom Eleriel assumed to be King Theoden, rode forward and said, "It is well! If these kinsmen be in any way like to yourself, my lord Aragorn, thirty such knights will be a strenth that cannot be counted by heads." Eleriel grinned to herself. She liked this Theoden, because he seemed to share her opinion of Aragorn. As the large group set out across the plains together, Eleriel pulled her cloak closer around her. The night was cold. She decided to wait to find Aragorn; now was not the time for an argument. Eleriel knew that Aragorn would not be happy about her presence.

After Aragorn had had a chance to speak with Halbarad and his other friends, Elrohir turned to glance at Eleriel. He seemed to know why she was holding back. He motioned that he was going to speak to Aragorn, but Eleriel shook her head and rode forward. Elrohir nodded, and moved his horse away a little, pulling Halbarad with him.

Aragorn quite suddenly found himself alone. He was wondering at this sudden change when a voice spoke from right behind him.

"Now, you see, I told you I would see you again soon."

Aragorn blinked, and turned around so quickly in the saddle that his horse grunted at him. "Eleriel!" he shouted, loudly enough for the whole company to hear. "What are you doing here?" He paused and noticed the entire group staring at him. Aragorn gritted his teeth and turned to the twins. "Why did you let her come?"

Elladan shrugged. "We could hardly stop her," he pointed out. "She's old enough to make decisions on her own."

Aragorn shook his head. "It's not that. But have you thought about what could happen to her in this war?"

"The same things that could happen to you," Eleriel pointed out.

"I'm not a woman!"

There was a pause, before Eleriel sighed. "Touching as your concern is, Aragorn, you needn't worry about me. I've fought in wars before, and I haven't been kidnapped or raped or killed yet."

Aragorn shook his head again, but said, "I am truly happy to see you, sister." Eleriel smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek, before turning and nodding at Elrohir.

Elrohir moved his horse up on the other side of Aragorn's horse. "I bring word to you from my father: The days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the Paths of the Dead."

Aragorn stared at him and shuddered. He opened his mouth, and seemed about to say something brave and noble before common sense took over. "You've got to be kidding. I will not go there unless this all gets much worse!"

Elrohir shrugged. "That will soon be seen. But let us speak no more of these things upon the open road!"

Aragorn sighed again and rode in silence, staring ahead of him at the bare fields. Eleriel nudged Halbarad but he did not notice. Finally she reached over and slapped him on his leg. "I'm going, I'm going!" he muttered to her, and rode forward to speak to Aragorn, holding something high in the air while he rode.

Aragorn looked over. "What is that that you bear, kinsman?"

Halbarad glanced at Eleriel, who winked at him. Halbarad said, "It is a gift that I bring you from the Lady of Rivendell. She wrought it in secret, and long was the making. But she also sends word to you: The days are now short. Either our hope cometh, or all hope's end. Therefore I send thee what I have made for thee. Fare well, Elfstone!"

Aragorn looked over at the twins, who quite obviously did not understand either. Aragorn then turned in his saddle to glance at Eleriel, who put on a big show of looking innocent and confused as well, but this of course fooled no one. Aragorn's expression cleared and he turned once more to address Halbarad.

"Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!" he said, before falling silent and watching the stars as he rode.

Eleriel, in the meantime, made herself scarce. She pulled her hood back up over her head and tried to get herself lost in the crowd of riders. She sensed that a certain elf prince was searching for her in this crowd, and she was in no mood to talk to him.

Unfortunately, cloaked as she was, it was not hard to pick her out in the group. As they rode up to the Hornburg in the middle of the night, a horse carrying a silent elf and dwarf had already been trotting beside her for several hours.

The company rode quietly into Helm's Deep. Theoden called for everyone to get at least a few hours' worth of sleep. Aragorn vanished with Halbarad; Eleriel could see that he was deeply troubled, probably about the words of her sister and father.

She knew that Aragorn truly wished to avoid the Paths of the Dead, but the words of Arwen had encouraged him, and reminded him what he wanted.

Eleriel watched Merry settle himself down with some blankets, and watch Gimli collapse in a corner. She smiled to herself and shook her head. Why did mortals need so much sleep?

A voice just beside her startled her. "Strange folk, mortals, aren't they?"

Eleriel cursed silently. After all these years, the two of them still thought too much alike for comfort. "Yes, they are," she found herself agreeing with him. To her further consternation, she also found herself walking with him up to the battlements of the damaged keep.

"There was a great battle here a three days ago," Legolas told her.

"I know." Eleriel frowned. Why had she said that? She hadn't known. But then she stopped to reflect. It was the sixth of March; on the third of March, while she had been riding with the Rangers, she had felt a strange mix of fear, apprehension, and concern. At the time she had attributed it to nothing more than worry about Aragorn and her new friends in the Fellowship. It troubled her that it might have been more. Eleriel saw that Legolas was looking at her strangely, and she hastily changed the subject. "What has happened to the Fellowship? Did Frodo leave? Where are the other hobbits and Boromir? And where has Gandalf gone?"

Legolas looked at her in some surprise. "You knew Gandalf has returned?"

"He arrived in Caras Galadhon only a day after you departed."

"Oh. I see. Well, Pippin got himself into some trouble, so he has gone with Gandalf to Minas Tirith." Legolas paused. "How did you know Frodo has gone away?"

Eleriel shrugged uncomfortably. "He had been considering it since Moria. He knew the road into Mordor would be dangerous..."

"And he confided in you?" Legolas was truly angry. "Why did you not speak of this before?"

"Because he confided in me, Legolas," she said as calmly as she could. "He is the Ringbearer, after all, and it was his choice. Did Sam go with him?"

Legolas shook his head, forcing his anger away. "Yes, he did."

"That hasn't told me where Boromir is. I would like to see him... I found him to be a wonderful man while he was in Caras Galadhon."

There was a long pause. "You... you were good friends with Boromir?" Legolas asked tentatively.

Eleriel looked at him hard. "Yes." She knew Legolas too well; it was not jealousy that prompted him to ask this. "He is kind and sincere, as well as brave. I think he cares very much for his people. Why do you ask?"

Legolas shook his head. "Boromir is dead, Eleriel."

There was a long silence. "What?" she finally asked, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

"He's dead. We were attacked by orcs on the Anduin, and he died trying to protect the hobbits. I think there was something else to it as well, but Aragorn will not speak of it and I did not wish to pry. I am sorry. I did not know... I did not know you were close."

"We weren't, exactly. I just thought he was a good man." Eleriel closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a moment, trying to control her feelings. At that moment Elladan and Elrohir appeared on the battlements with them.

"Legolas! Eleriel!" Elladan said. He turned to his twin and said quietly, "I told you they'd be together." The words were obviously not meant for Eleriel's or Legolas' ears but they heard them nonetheless and flushed.

"Oh, be quiet, Elladan," Eleriel snapped.

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, sister."

The fours elves stood in total silence for a few minutes, watching the stars twinkle in the sky. Elrohir broke the silence by saying, "there is Grandfather's star. Do you think he watches us, Eleriel?"

Eleriel smiled. Elrohir had always been the quieter and more pensive of the two twins, though he could be just as silly as his brother at times. She looked up at Earendil's star. "You know, I think he does, Elrohir. I think he does." He nodded and fell silent, and despite the news of Boromir's death, despite the worry in Aragorn's eyes, Eleriel couldn't help but feel better.