Chapter 6
A/N: While I will usually try to keep Elvish conversation in italics, I've left it off for this chapter because there is a lot of Elvish, and I know it can be awkward to read long passages in italics. The language will be clear from context.
Greywind Elf, the phrasing about the sack of Isengard is actually more or less book verse. It's not a phrase we use very often in modern English, but if you think of it as a short form of ransack, and it may make more sense. Thanks for the note!
Special thanks go to Samus for pointing out some typos and other errors. Several previous chapter have been updated to correct them. If you see any other errors, please point them out so I can fix them. Enjoy!
For Elewen, the journey through the Paths of the Dead was relatively uneventful. She knew the Men felt the terror of the dead, but for her, not even death itself held any terror any more, much less the ghosts of Men. She had no great desire to die, but she would gladly give her life for a worthy cause. She was tired, ready for a rest, but part of her wasn't willing to leave Middle Earth yet.
A voice in the back of Elewen's mind questioned if that was the reason she'd wanted to come on this journey—to die. After a moment's deliberation, she knew that that wasn't her reason after all. She was coming for the exact reason she'd told Legolas, Christa, and Elena. She had opposed Morgoth as long as he'd been in Middle Earth, and now she opposed Sauron in any way she could, and in this late hour, that meant with a sword.
Elewen rode silently behind Halbarad through gloom that even she and Legolas felt until the party came to a standing stone. They had to dismount and walk the horses to the Dark Door. Elewen stayed beside Halbarad as he entered the caves. She was dimly aware of Legolas and Gimli following behind them, but mostly she walked in silence, not willing to disturb the place with speech. Aragorn stopped once to investigate the bones of a Man long dead, then summoned the dead to follow them, but otherwise the journey was a quiet one for Elewen, even though it was difficult for the Rangers and terrifying for Gimli.
Eventually, they exited the caves and mounted again. The Elves could see the Dead following them, but it was no comfort to the mortals. Emerging from a ravine, they entered the Morthond Vale and rode hard for the Hill of Erech.
At the stone of Erech, Aragorn blew a silver horn and summoned the dead. "Oathbreakers, why have ye come?"
"To fulfill our oath and have peace," they answered him¹.
"The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart forever. For I am Elessar, Isildur's heir of Gondor."
With that, he signaled Halbarad, who unfurled a black standard. They camped there that night, but few rested. The shadows hung too heavy around them. Not even trying to rest, Elewen wandered the camp quietly, soon finding Legolas. Like her, he was wandering the camp quietly, restless. The sons of Elrond were taking their own counsel, and the Rangers were trying to rest, so only Legolas and Elewen were about. They walked a little ways away from the camp so they wouldn't disturb what little rest the others were getting.
"How did Gimli fare on the journey through the caves? Whenever I glanced back, I didn't see either of you." Elewen asked in quiet Sindarin.
"It was difficult for him, but it is over. It is no surprise that you didn't see us. You were near the front and we were at the very rear. Even I am glad that it is over."
"It means that we are that much nearer to Minas Tirith and the end. I am ready for a battle. Hopefully it will ease my restlessness."
"Why are you so restless?"
"I am torn between restlessness and weariness. I have been in Middle Earth for a long time now, and I am becoming weary, but I am also restless. My restlessness comes from a desire to fight the servants of Sauron. I have done this by healing since long before you were born, but the time has come to fight with a sword." Elewen glanced down at the sword on her hip.
"Did you bring that from the West?" Legolas asked. He had noticed the workmanship, which rivaled any he'd ever seen, even in Lothlórien.
Elewen nodded. She drew the sword slowly, careful to keep it quiet. "Do you see the stains?" Legolas nodded. Even in the dim light he could see blood stains on the elegantly engraved blade. No Man would have seen them, but the faint outlines remained for Elven eyes to see. "They are the blood of Elves. They remind me of what I am fighting for and why I remain here. Morgoth's lies drove Fëanor to rebel against the Valar and lead us here. It is our own fault for listening to him, and our folly for trying to take the Teleri ships by force, but it was Morgoth who killed the Trees and Morgoth who told Fëanor the lies that caused him to come here, chasing the Silmarils. The Silmarils are gone and everyone who took Fëanor's oath is dead, but a few of us remain. I, for one, will fight as long as I can."
Legolas nodded. He knew the story of how the Noldor had tried to regain the Silmarils after Morgoth stole them. They had gone to their kin, the Teleri, and asked them for ships to return to Middle Earth, but the Teleri had refused. Fëanor had led his people to try to steal the ships, and the Teleri had defended themselves. Even the Noldor who had held back and not tried to steal the ships were drawn into the conflict when they approached and found the Teleri fighting their own people. Not knowing how the fight had started, they fought to defend their kin, killing the Teleri. Even after that, the Valar offered them mercy, but few took it, too proud to return. It was an Age later when Morgoth was cast out and the Noldor were forgiven.
"May I ask you a difficult question?" He asked.
"Why did I go with them and why didn't I turn back when I had the chance?" Elewen filled in for him. Legolas nodded. "I was young then, and hotheaded. I might have turned back, though, if not for Galadriel. I took care of her when she was a child, and even then, I felt responsible for her. It was stupid—she could take care of herself, but I wanted to stay with her, to take care of her. I realized soon that she didn't need any help from me, but I was too proud to admit it, so I stayed with her for most of the First Age."
"What then?"
"While we were in Doriath, I grew to know Melian quite well. She taught me the art of healing, and when I left there, I started going among Men and teaching them to heal. I continued that until we left Rohan just days ago. My reasons for staying aren't much different from any of the others. We have toiled long and spilled our blood to protect this land, and like them, I have been reluctant to leave it after so much hardship and pain. I've spent time among other Elves from time to time, usually in Imladris or Lothlórien, but mostly I've stayed among Men. I knew Celebrían well, and Galadriel and I are still friends, but Elena and Christa are my closest companions now."
Legolas nodded. Doriath was an ancient Elven stronghold. Thingol, one of the most ancient of the Elves, had married Melian, a Maia, and they had created a kingdom in Middle Earth. When war came to Middle Earth, Melian had surrounded Doriath with the Girdle of Melian, a ring of power around the kingdom that kept strangers from entering without permission. Doriath had stood through most of the First Age, but even it had fallen eventually. "So you've been living in Rohan, and this war simply found you?"
"Essentially. I knew trouble was brewing, but I didn't realize it was so near, nor so serious. The first real word I had was when you and the others came to Edoras. If I had known the danger was so near, I probably would have gone to Lothlórien and spoken to Galadriel, but things seem to have turned out as well as possible, despite the lack of warning. As long as I'm part of the war, I'm content."
"You could have stayed in Rohan. Théoden is mustering his forces even now."
"Even if they would have taken me on their muster, I would not have had a place. They do not understand the Elves. The only way I could have joined them would have been pretending to a man, and I have lived illusions for long enough. No, I need to be here. Here, at least, I can fight without them worrying over a woman in battle. They would not understand that I do not need their protection, and they would have placed themselves in danger to give me protection I do not need."
"I understand. Their loss is our gain. Somehow, I feel that you will be a powerful ally in battle."
"I was one of the better fighters of the Noldor before we left Valinor. I would like to thing that my skill has grown since then."
"Then I know we will be better off for your presence."
"I hope so. The last sparring partner I had was Aragorn, and he was only twelve at the time."
Legolas chuckled at that, and the two Elves chatted about minor things for a few minutes, then parted and tried to rest, with little more success than the others.
¹ Taken from Return of the King p. 68 with minor changes.