**Shadow and Light**
During the midnight hour, the sailors of Ethir cheered for there was a strong sea breeze coming from the south. The wind filled the sails and the fleet pushed northward with great speed. Aragorn was relieved at this favorable turn and laughed out loud.
"This is good fortune," Aragorn said. "At this speed, we should arrive in the morning."
"That is certain," Haldir said.
Aragorn looked at his friend and smiled. "Miranda has told you about tomorrow?"
"Only that the city will be saved," Haldir said. "But I know she has seen much more than she will say."
""She told me that victory would be costly," Aragorn said bitterly. "I wish Gandalf were here to give me council."
"The time for counselors is passed," Haldir said. "You have taken the only path you could, and there are no choices left to make."
"There is one choice I would make if I could," Aragorn said. "I would send Miranda to safety."
Haldir's expression was grave as he looked at Aragorn. "Miranda is on her own path and she will not share it with me. She would never obey such an order."
"You could talk to her," Aragorn suggested.
"I would do anything to keep her safe, but cannot ask her to turn away from her chosen path," Haldir said sadly. He gave Aragorn a curt nod and left.
Aragorn could see the worry on the Elf's face, but could think of nothing to say that would comfort him, so he let him go. The morning would come swiftly and he needed to try and rest.
*****
In the hour of sunrise, as the fleet was drawing near to its destination, Miranda wrestled with her dreams.
The Witch King, lord of the Nazgul, had broken the gate of the city. In his arrogance he gloated over his victory as he stood before the shattered gate. But even as he thought his victory was sure, there was a sounding of a horn, and King Théoden led his army against the foes of Gondor with fearless tenacity.
But as the riders entered the battle and drove the enemy from the vulnerable gate, Théoden fell. A lucky thrust of an Orc spear killed the King's horse, Snowmane, and Théoden was trapped beneath it. The Witch King on his foul winged steed descended upon the fallen Monarch quickly. Théoden's army was scattered in the field of battle, and his knights were slain, but one brave soldier stood against the lord of the Nazgul.
'Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!'
'Do not get between the Nazgul and his prey,' the cold voice of the witch king said. 'Or I will not slay thee, but bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh will be devoured and thy shriveled mind be left naked to the lidless eye.'
The soldier drew his sword, 'Do what you will, but I will hinder it, if I may.'
'Hinder me? Thou fool! No living man may hinder me!'
The soldier cast aside his helm, but beneath was the long blonde hair of a woman. 'But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Ẻowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you if you touch him!'
The Nazgul's winged steed shrieked and attacked her, but Ẻowyn swung her sword and cleaved its hideous head from its outstretched neck and it fell like a stone before her. The witch king rose from the wreckage of the crash with fury in its red eyes, and screamed a shriek of malice that would pierce the ears as he swung his mace. Her shield shattered beneath the strength of the blow, and her arm was broken. As the Nazgul prepared to deliver the death blow he found his doom where he least expected it. Merry had stabbed the black captain from behind and he dropped his mace and stumbled forward. Ẻowyn stood and drove her sword between the Nazgul's crown and shroud, shattering her sword into pieces. The black cloak of the Witch King fell empty to the ground beneath Ẻowyn and Merry even as his empty crown rolled away.
Théoden passed his banner to Ẻomer, and thus the kingship of Rohan with it, and then he died at the gates of Gondor…
Miranda woke in tears. She was never more thankful for the privacy of the cabin. She rose from the bed and felt sick with grief. She found a basin on the table and washed her face. Then she dressed, and put on her weapons. She took her time, and looked them over as if for the last time. First she put on the dagger given to her by Elladan and the bow and quiver from Elrohir. Then she pulled her sword, Shadow Killer, from its sheath and looked at it. Galadriel had given it to her for this day, and a single foe. Miranda sighed and sheathed her sword and put it on. She combed and then braided her hair, and stepped out onto the deck.
*****
Everyone in the fleet was dressed for battle. There were men from many lands wearing various designs of armor and bearing every manner of weapon. The horses that had been loaded were saddled and waiting, and there was silence in the ranks.
On the flag ship at the head of the fleet, Aragorn was standing on the bow with a serious expression. Beside Aragorn stood Halbarad holding the standard of Arwen, along with Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas and Gimli. All were dressed in armor and ready for battle. They were in sight of the citadel, and the noise of battle could be heard in the distance.
Haldir waited near the door to the cabin where Miranda slept. As the ships drew up to the docks at Harlond, Miranda emerged from her room dressed for battle. Haldir's heart sank when he saw her expression. Her jaw was set, and she was already looking to the horizon expectantly.
"We are nearly there," Haldir said.
"I know," Miranda said quietly. "They need us."
"You could stay here, or go to the city to help with the wounded," Haldir offered.
Miranda looked at Haldir's concerned expression and smiled. "There is more at stake in this battle than my personal safety," Miranda said as she stepped closer and hugged him.
Haldir felt a knot in his throat as he embraced her. "I don't want to lose you," he said.
"I want you to promise me something," Miranda said.
"Anything," Haldir said.
"No matter what happens today, keep an eye on Aragorn," she said. "It's important."
Haldir was silent.
"Please," Miranda insisted.
"You have my word," Haldir said.
"Thank you," she said, and then released him.
Haldir looked at her, and for a moment he saw a flash of grief in her eyes, but then it was gone. She gave him a bright smile, and her eyes shone with a love that nearly took his breath away. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was. He wanted to tell her he loved her. But his voice had fled and all he could do was look at her.
Then there was a sudden thud as the ship came to rest by the dock and the time for talk was over. Some of the men were securing the mooring lines, but everyone else was leaping to the shore. Halbarad had uncovered the banner and Aragorn led the charge to the Pelennor fields. Miranda searched the distant hills briefly before she too joined the charge with Haldir running after her.
It was less than a mile to the battle field, and their arrival was timely. Aragorn and his company led the assault and tore through the enemy with a vengeance. Miranda tried to stay as close to Aragorn as she could, but the orcs and various allies of Sauron were vicious.
Miranda saw Aragorn reach a distant hill where he spoke to Ẻomer, and Miranda felt a sharp pain in her chest. She could feel the earth trembling beneath her, and she knew she had to get to him. She ran through the battle with no thought to the enemy around her. Just beyond Aragorn she could see a black cloud, and there was her foe.
Haldir saw Miranda recklessly running through countless orcs and panicked, but he was too far away to help her. He looked to see where she was heading, but couldn't see any immediate danger there. As she reached the hill, his attention was taken up with the battle. Aragorn was there, and he would look after her.
Miranda saw Aragorn and Ẻomer talking under the shadow that only she could see. The cloud began to take a shape, and it was enormous. It was a black figure, at least five feet taller than the cave troll they encountered in Moria, and it wielded a huge mace and chain. Its massive arm swung its weapon to strike the unsuspecting men before her, and she leapt to knock them out of the way at the last moment.
The trio tumbled down the slope as the mace struck the ground where they had been standing, shaking the ground and leaving an eight foot crater.
"What was that?" Ẻomer exclaimed.
"Get away from here now!" Miranda shouted as she gave Aragorn a shove back toward the city and turned back to the hill.
"Miranda…" Aragorn shouted.
She turned back to him briefly, and there was a fire in her eyes he'd never seen before. "Just go," she said firmly, and turned away and ran up the hill.
Ẻomer tried to follow her, but Aragorn stopped him. "There is nothing we can do here," Aragorn said flatly. "Let's go."
"But Lady Miranda…" Ẻomer started to protest.
Aragorn looked Ẻomer in the face with an angry expression, "Let there be no mistake, Ẻomer. I am not leaving her because I don't care. This foe is hers. She has been searching for it since the beginning."
The two kings returned to the battle while Miranda was embroiled in one of her own.
"What manner of creature are you that you can see me?" the shadow demanded as it started to circle her curiously. His breath was foul and icy, but Miranda was unfazed.
"I am a seer," Miranda said proudly. "I have come to slay you, whatever the hell you are."
The shadow laughed. "You cannot slay a wisp of cloud, or pierce the darkness with a sword," he said.
Miranda drew her sword and waited for her chance. "Darkness cannot survive in light," she said.
"Light has fled before the power of my master," the shadow said as he started to swing the mace. "I will crush thee and then devour the prey your futile efforts failed to save."
He toyed with his weapon, letting the mace chain swing in circles as he stalked around her. Most of his victims never saw him so this tiny woman was a rare opportunity to terrorize before he killed.
From the battlefield, Aragorn glanced back to check on Miranda, and she was cloaked in the shadow of a dark cloud that covered the entire hill.
Miranda watched the shadow carefully. He was trying to frighten her, but she knew what he was doing. He reached his arm up for the blow, and she leapt straight for him. As his mace struck empty ground, her sword pierced his great chest and sunk deeply. The shadow stopped suddenly, shocked by the invasion of her sword. It roared with fury and pain, and Miranda's body suddenly felt like it was freezing. The shadow started to turn to mist before her, and she tried to drive her sword deeper but the shadow became a shapeless cloud again.
Miranda was suddenly enveloped by the evil black cloud, and she felt indescribable pain. It was like falling into an icy river, taking your breath and freezing your skin. She screamed in agony, but suddenly she felt warm. The pain fled, and she felt her hand tighten its grip on her sword. Then she felt blinded by a sudden flood of bright white light and she heard the shadow shrieking.
On the battlefield, all fighting stopped, and everyone stared at the hill. There were unearthly screams coming from a dark cloud, and then suddenly there was a burst of light. Haldir watched in horror as the cloud started to disappear, and he saw Miranda hanging ten feet above the ground. She was shining like the sun, and her arms were stretched out wide clutching her sword. As the last wisps of the cloud faded, the darkness above her started to fade as well. Slowly the light around her faded and she dropped to the ground in a heap.
The sky started to clear, and blue sky was emerging, and the sun was shining down on the battlefield. Everywhere, the enemy was fleeing in terror. The momentum of the battle had shifted in one shining moment.
Aragorn and the brothers had been closest to the battle on the hilltop and they ran to Miranda's side. Aragorn was overcome with grief when he saw her. She was completely blue, and her body was icy to the touch.
"Oh noble Lady," Aragorn said. "The price of victory is too high."
Haldir ran up the hill and fell to his knees by Miranda. Her hand still held her sword, but there was no sign of life.
"No," he said softly. He sighed and hung his head. "I will stay on the battlefield until victory is won. Who will carry my love to the city?"
Elladan hung his head. "I will carry her to the city," he answered sadly.
"I will go with him," Elrohir said.
Haldir and Aragorn returned to the battle. Haldir fought with the fury of vengeance blazoned in his eyes. He would not break his last promise to her. The allies of Sauron paid dearly that day for his loss. Aragorn said nothing to him, but dealt out his own vengeance with his sword Narsil, newly reforged. The men from Gondor, Rohan, Lebennin, Ethir, and the Rangers from the North had won the victory by early evening.
*****
Haldir felt overwhelmed by grief and could not bear to enter the ruined gates of Minas Tirith. He went with Aragorn to the camp the Rangers had set up outside the city. Ẻomer and Prince Imrahil, from Dol Amroth, went in search of Lord Denethor, the Steward of Gondor and Gandalf.
"Where is the Steward? And where is Mithrander?" Prince Imrahil asked the watch.
"Both are in the houses of healing," the watchman said.
"Where is my sister, Ẻowyn?" Ẻomer asked. "She should be with Théoden, for she died with great honor."
"But the Lady yet lives," the watchman said. "She is in the houses of healing."
Ẻomer felt a surge of hope and left for the houses of healing without another word. Prince Imrahil followed, and the pair met Gandalf in front of the door to the House of Healing.
Prince Imrahil addressed Gandalf, "Mithrander, we seek the Steward, and the lady Ẻowyn."
"They are within," Gandalf said. "Both are yet living, but very near death." Gandalf led them inside and continued. "I have sent for help in caring for the hurt."
Then from the hall outside they heard a voice demanding, "Where is she?" Haldir ran through the door and right up to Gandalf. "The messenger said she was alive! Where's Miranda?"
A cloaked man entered behind Haldir and just looked at Gandalf.
"She is within," Gandalf said as he pointed to her room. "Don't worry, she is very strong."
Haldir went to her room, and then the cloaked man spoke. "You sent for me, Gandalf?" Aragorn asked as he took off his hood.
"The king's hands are the hands of a healer," Gandalf said. "We have need of you here."
"Then you have returned for your throne?" Prince Imrahil asked.
"Tonight I am here as a Captain of the Dunedain at Gandalf's request," Aragorn said. "The Lord of Dol Amroth should rule the city until Lord Faramir wakes, but it is my counsel that Gandalf should rule us all in the days that follow and in our dealings with the enemy."
"Let us not linger by the door, but let us enter," Gandalf said. "Aragorn is the only hope for many within."