Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Yet
Ellie had wandered the halls around her a few days now. She was healing, both physically and mentally. She avoided Haldir and Legolas, because she was afraid. They had to be very close, the two of them, and she feared that in their friendship they would forget her. Eomer was crowned King of Rohan, and the company had decided to take in Haldir for a while.
She had seen Haldir, Gimli and Legolas walking around together countless times, and she avoided them all. She was still hurting; she needed to mend before she could be happy again. Thoughts of Valinor plagued her mind, until she finally suppressed them to the very corners of her mind. Frodo came up to her and held her hand. He and the rest of the hobbits she did not hide from. She loved them so much, and after losing Sam, she knew that they felt incomplete. Frodo came to her, "Ellie?" He said leading her to a bench,
"Yes Frodo?"
"Today there will be a meeting to decide when we are going to continue on. Will you come? Please?" She looked at him, as Merry and Pippen had come rushing over to her, "Ellie, will you come to the meeting? Please?" She nodded and gave her hand to the three hobbits and let them lead her to the throne room.
Everyone looked up. None of them had seen her since the day of mourning, when the elves sang together. Haldir and Legolas smiled and everyone sighed in relief. Eomer stood up, and she looked at him. "Hail Eomer son of Eomund, King of Rohan, and Captain of the riddermark." She looked at him and bowed.
"There is no reason to bow before kin Lee. I was deeply hurt that you did no attend my crowning." Eowyn looked up at her friend. Ellie walked over to her friend, and he noted with a smile that Lothamin was attached to her hip. She put her hand on his shoulder and he repeated the gesture,
"Eomer, my brother, my king, t'was a time for me to mourn my loss, and I would not have been able to stand and celebrate with a broken heart." He hugged her and walked her to her seat between him and his sister.
Gandalf looked up, "It is time we discussed taking our leave from Helms Deep, and journeying on to Gondor. Osgiliath has fallen to battalions of Urak-Hai; Gondor will not stand for long. She will fall ere ten days, if we don't go to her aid."
Eomer nodded, "So, it is before the walls of Minas Tirith that the doom of our time shall be decided?" Gandalf nodded. "How do you plan on giving aid to Gondor, when its steward seeks no aid?" Eomer asked.
Ellie spoke, "A long time ago, a song was sung among the elves," she waved a hand at the two other elves in the party, "It sang of a king who would save middle earth from destruction..."
Frodo stood up, "Yes! I recall! Bilbo said it to me once, let me see... Ah yes:
All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost
From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be blade that was broken
The crownless again shall be king."
Ellie nodded, "This song spoke of the shards of Narsil reforged. Aragorn you carry Anduril. You are the light in the darkness King Elessar." Aragorn looked deeply shaken, Ellie continued in the same monotone voice, "Aragorn why do you fear the past? Cast away the ranger and become who you were born to be. The shadow has taken no firm hold yet. We are so much closer from the beginning now. It is time that we bared our fangs. For Sauron will not resist on sending all of Mordor knocking on Minas Tirith's threshold. I once remember a king who said, 'this is war, if you do not ride to meet it, it will come to you' Elessar, put your fear in the past. You are the hope of men." Aragorn unsheathed Anduril and held it high up; he looked at the sword and placed it gently on the table in front of him.
"It must be decided how we plan on taking Mordor." Gandalf said.
"We cannot all go as one group." Ellie said, and then she sat upright and tall, "Frodo cannot past the gates of Mordor, with the ring." All eyes turned to Frodo, who looked away.
"What do you suggest Ellie?" Legolas said.
"That we divide. That an attack be placed at the black gates of Mordor, diverting the eye of Sauron to the battle. Another party, maybe two other than Frodo enter Mordor through... another way."
Gimli nodded, "You would be right, but lassie, there is no other way."
"No Gimli, you are wrong. There is another way. The pass of Cirith Ungol that is the way into Mordor." A gasp sounded through the room.
"No, Ellie, do you realize what guards that pass?"
"I do, mithrandir,"
"Shelob, the mother of all Black Spiders."
At this Legolas hissed, "Long has her kin plagued the borders of my lands, long have they tortured my people." Ellie watched his face twist in anger.
"Then I make a proposal." All eyes returned to Ellie. "Let me ride ahead. Let me ride and scout her tunnel, and clear it for the band to travel through it by secret."
"Absolutely not," four voices rang out, Haldir, Legolas, Gandalf and Aragorn. "Why not?" Aragorn looked at her, "Ellie, we need you with us."
"Wrong my King." She said. "Now, sit down, and think about my proposal, think before you speak majesty." Ellie reprimanded. He sat down. "Elessar, if you were to ride out to Minas Tirith with Frodo, Sauron will have fixed his eye on him. I would suggest multiple ring bearers, but that would be too dangerous. So we pass through Cirith Ungol, whilst you lead an attack from the outside and then once inside our troop makes a mad dash to the finish line."
"It's suicidal."
"Aragorn," Haldir said, "This quest is suicidal, but we are here."
"After much blood was shed, on the expense of Boromir's life, at the expense of Sam's life!" He screamed. Ellie's had jerked to the left and she gripped the table hard, her knuckles turning white. She saw a fountain of blood. She saw a white face, and then a sea of dead. Her head jerked to the right and her death grip tightened. Aragorn realized the effect of his words and sat back down, shoulders slumped. Then Ellie found herself transported to another place. She was on a battlefield running away from something.
"Nazgul!!" called one of the rider's just before he and his neighbor were devoured. She turned to her side and fell. Someone picked her up and a voice was in the background,
"Captain Faramir!! Leave him!! Look the white rider comes!" She felt herself put on a saddle as Faramir spoke her, "Herod!! Come quickly you almost died."—She was snapped back to the room in Helms Deep and looked around the table where friends sat.
"Gandalf! Osgiliath has fallen. They look for the white rider, you must go now." Ellie looked up,
"What did you see child?" she looked at him,
"Faramir, he ran from Osgiliath as it was over taken by battalions of orcs. Gandalf! Wraiths, wraiths on wings! Winged Nazgul!" Gandalf sank. "Gandalf, you will ride to Minas Tirith now, with you will go Pippen. I will ride with one other to Cirith Ungol. Eomer you shall return to Edoras and gather up an army to march to the fields of Pelannor. With you will ride Frodo, hooded and cloaked. Aragorn, you will ride to the paths of the dead. Merry you will go with Frodo." Ellie stood up. "If I do not return, then may your paths or deaths be swift." She turned and headed to the door. She headed to the Healer's wing and took off her sling and placed a variety of daggers into her belt. She took a loaf of bread of the table and tied it to a sack and braided her hair. She took of to the stables where she found Pippen, Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn, Haldir and Gimli. Gandalf mounted Shadowfax and pulled Pippen up; he nodded his goodbye and rode off. Aragorn saddled up and pulled Gimli behind him. Legolas turned to Ellie.
"Melamin..." he started putting his arms around her, "I am sorry, but..." she placed her hand on his lips. She kissed him and turned away.
"We shall meet ere the end, love." She heard Arod's footfalls get farther and found herself being placed on her horse. She looked down and found Haldir. "What are you doing?" she questioned as he mounted his horse and nodded for her to lead the way,
"Come, Lothamin, we must may haste." He checked his horse and looked at her. She turned around and dismounted. "Haldir, we cannot ride to Cirith Ungol. That would be too obvious. We are going on foot, arotoamin (my champion)" He bowed his head and dismounted shouldering his pack.
"Lead the way!" She smiled at him and took off towards Ithilean.
Gandalf rode hard, through the night he rode until he gazed upon the Gates of the great wall. He rode down into the courtyard. He was greeted by a group of guards who looked at him as though he was a god.
Eomer and company rode in the morning towards Edoras. He had sent Hama and two others to seek out men to meet the army of Rohan in Dunharrow.
Aragorn rode to the mountains. His horse was scared but he pressed urgently on.
Ellie ran hard. They had been running for two days without stops. They passed a river a day earlier and stopped to refill their canteens, but after there were no stops. Ellie cursed elvish eyesight. She saw the forest that they would use for cover, but it refused to come and closer. She continued running. Very soon the two elves found themselves running under the covers of the trees. Haldir threw his pack down and fell to the ground exhausted. Ellie turned around and stared at him, bewildered. "What in the valar are you doing?" Haldir looked up.
"I need to catch my breath. We have been running nonstop for 3 days." He flopped down and stared at the stars.
"Haldir, we are half a day's run from Minas Morgul. We must go now! Now, Haldir." She looked at him, as he slowly turned his head to her.
"Do you remember the last time we were together in the moon and star light?" he smiled
"Haldir, please," she knelt down beside him and looked into his eyes, "Please after we get Shelob, we can remember anything you want."
Haldir looked at her, "Ellie, let me show you something," He put his hand out and pulled her down beside him. "There, now get up." She looked at him as if he was insane.
"Why did you just do that? What was the point? Haldir, get up right this...oh!!" She had tried to get up but her strength had failed her. Haldir put his hands behind his head and stretched his legs.
"Do you see now why I wanted to rest? We must both recover our strengths if we are to take this creature of morgoth. We have only one chance, and we must take it or die. Ellie, we must be rested before the big battle." She looked into his eyes. –So sincere...- She shook her head.-Why do you deny your love for him?... Because I love Legolas... Really? Yes... and what about Haldir... shut up... Ha!! I knew it- She snapped out of her daze and looked at the trees.
"I suppose you are right. We should recover our strength." She sat cross legged next to him, and looked at the stars. She suddenly felt a gaze on her. Without moving her eyes she asked, "Why, do you look at me in such a way?" Haldir felt startled.
"In what way?"
"A way that makes me feel nervous."
"I did not mean to make you feel nervous. It's just that I don't know what will happen. It's the same feeling I had before Helms Deep." She turned to look at him. Her hand flew to his hair line. Her fingers traced his facial features, and she smiled.
"Haldir o Lorien." She sighed. "Haldir, we are going to save Middle Earth. We will do it for Frodo." With that she laid her head on his chest and fell into a peaceful slumber.
Aragorn looked up. He was walking into a deep windy tunnel followed closely by his two companions. Anduril was held high in Aragorn's right hand. Suddenly, the air got colder and shadows began emerging from the nearby walls.
"You have entered the realm of the dead. You cannot pass." A tall shadow called as it began to take an eerie green glow. "This is the path of the dead. The dead keep it, we do not suffer the living to pass."
"You will suffer me!!" Aragorn stood up to his length, and held Anduril to the creature's face. The creature unsheathed its sword. All around the three companions an army of the dead surfaced and charged. The clanging of two swords was hard and the charging stopped. Heads turned to see Aragorn holding the captain, by the throat with Anduril.
"How can it be?" the ghoul hissed, "This sword was lost. It was broken! Broken," Aragorn looked at the creature hard.
"It has been remade!!!" He thundered. "Long ago you made an oath to the wielder of this sword. Long ago you broke your oath to him. I come now to offer you freedom. Come! Fight for me, fight to gain your freedom!"
"We do not take orders from anyone."
"You will take them from me!"
"Who are you?"
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I am Islidur's heir. You will fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you? WHAT SAY YOU?"
"I bring five hundred men from the north, my lord Eomer!" Hama yelled as he entered the camp at Dunharrow. Eomer looked up from his job and watched as the men rode into the camp.
"How many have come from the villages?" Eomer said.
"300 strong, my lord," Yelled another rider.
Soon all the riders had settled in the camp. Eomer stood on a high rock overlooking his army. -5000 men will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor. What would my Uncle have done? Must we ride to our deaths to show Gondor what they did not show us in our time of need? What do we owe Gondor? No Eomer, do not think like this. Aragorn King of Gondor fought your war. That is what you owe Gondor. The white city of Men, if this city falls, Middle Earth falls with it, and we are all brought to our knees in front of Sauron. But 5000 men... impossible. – Eomer turned around and watched as Frodo's sleeping form lay uncomfortably under many cloaks and skins. – Poor little hobbit, you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. All because of a little ring we suffer.-
"Men of Middle Earth!! Arise! Arise! Come now and fight! You know the dangers that await you! Oaths you have taken, come and hold them fulfilled!! We ride to Glory and Gondor! Ride!! Ride!!" After a cheer from the men Eomer mounted his horse and followed by his troop, rode to Gondor.
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes"
"No!!"
"Haldir, if you keep saying no I will have to kill you and act as though Shelob did it." Ellie whispered as she stood looking at the entrance of the dark, smelly eerie tunnel. Haldir stood next to her looking angry and frustrated.
"I will not let you just walk into your death. I did not come to be your watchdog! No!! I will be going in there with you."
"Haldir, you do not know the way. You would only slow me down. Please."
"No."
"Fine, come then. But Haldir?"
"Yes?"
"Don't die on me."
"I won't, I'll die next to you." Ellie looked at him as she unsheathed Lothamin. He noted that she still carried it and smiled. She stepped into the tunnel and said a few words and her inner light shone and Haldir followed in suite.
"False. Tricksey. Filthy nasty Elfses. Nasty my precious, my love. They stoles it! They stoles it! Kill them! Kill them! Kill them now!"
"Patience! Patience my love! They have entered the tunnel!"
"The tunnel!"
"Yes! And what are we going to do my love?"
"We will follows them! Yes, Smeagol will follows them and pokes out their eyeses!! Makes them crawl, makes them weep!! Smeagol makes nasty elfses crawl, we shows them who is better! We shows them!!"
While the two elves where headed into the dark chasms of Shelob's lair, the riders of Rohan galloped hard to the aid of their fellow men, at Gondor. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli also rode to Gondor, but by a longer more treacherous road.
"Haldir?" a scared whisper called from the darkness. "Haldir? Where are you? Haldir, where are you?" No answer. A loud snapping noise came from behind Ellie. She jumped. She and Haldir had been separated in the first attack by Shelob. She had attacked them from the left and Ellie had swung across and behind the beast so they could encircle it and kill it. But Shelob had driven Haldir too far back and he fell through a smaller tunnel. Shelob had followed Haldir into the tunnel, after gluing a stunned Ellie to the floor.
After Ellie cut through her binds she sprinted toward where she had seen her partner last. Another snap. She turned around as slim dripped onto her back. She turned around to face fangs in front of her.
(this part is a dream, so two different people are talking)
-Wake up, my love-
-Where am I-
-In my arms, my love-
-Ellie?-
-Yes Haldir?-
-Have I...-
-No. I need you.-
-What is happening?-
-Shelob has poisoned us. I need your help. I am dying.-
-Ellie, is this the end?-
-No, it is not my love.-
Haldir woke with a start. His vision was blurry. He picked up his sword and leaned on it to stand. He still couldn't see straight but he followed the screams of the elleth he loved and his mind recited over and over the oath he took when he became March Warden of Lorien. –I do hereby swear to protect and love the lady. Never will I leave an injured charge to die on the battlefield. I swear to serve and protect and give my life when needed for my cause...- Then he saw her. Curled up into a ball under the fangs of the beast. Haldir lifted his sword high above his head.
"Kill them, kill...AHHAHA!" blood splattered Gollum's face. Thick, dark black blood.
Gandalf walked briskly to the main hall. Pippen had to run to keep up with the wizard, but he managed. Suddenly he slammed into the wizard's knees, as he stopped in front of two white marble doors.
"Hail Denethor! Steward and Keeper of the great White City!!" An old man looked up from the throne and stared at the wizard before him.
"Gandalf. I have expected you since the tide had turned against Gondor. Your step brings evil where ever it is heard." The steward spat.
"Denethor, I come with much needed council. There is yet hope for the free peoples of Middle Earth." Gandalf put his staff before him and leaned both hands on it.
"Gandalf Storm Crow," Denethor stood up and threw his hands up, "That is what they call you. Gandalf, you come to offer me aid in a time of loss, yet you were not here to witness the fall of our outer defenses! No! in all your subtleties you have not wisdom. I have seen farther than even you, Gandalf the White. The palantir of the tower of the sun shows much to those willing to see."
Just as Denethor turned around to reclaim his seat on the throne screaming was heard outside of the walls of Minas Tirith. Gandalf turned to the window as cries of dying soldiers were heard. "Nazgul!!! Run!!!"
Gandalf mounted Shadowfax and pulled Pippin in front of him. He rode out to meet the soldiers and diverted the attention of the Nazgul to himself, until the soldiers entered the great city. Once inside the soldiers fell to their knees and looked up to the great Tower of Echethlion, and cried. Captain Faramir fell before Gandalf and put him head in the wizard's robes.
"Mithrandir, Osgiliath has fallen. All is lost!" just then an orc horn was heard in the valley and flaming arrows flew into the white city.
Haldir and Ellie held each other as they ran towards the exit. Ellie felt her body go limp and she fell to the ground. Haldir picked her up and pushed his body stairs leading from the tunnel.
(words in the - - is Ellie talking)
Ellie? Awake my love. Ellie I can't feel you Melamin.
-Where am I?-
Wake up, Melamin.
-Legolas?-
I am here.
-I can't see you-
Melamin, I am on my way to the Pelannor Fields.
-Gondor?-
Yes, with an army, my love.
-Legolas?-
Yes Melamin?
-Don't leave me.-
Melamin, I will not leave you, sometime last night I began to feel your presence in my mind and heart. You were calling to me. And I now answer you. We seemed to have formed a mental connection.
-I was calling for you. I need you. Legolas, Mornie utilie-
Ellie, Lasto beth nin, Melamin. I am waiting for you. Melamin, if we both live through this...
-Yes? Why are you silent?-
Ellie, I love you.
-Legolas, I love you-
Haldir crouched over the fallen elf. He had successfully carried her to the outskirts of Gondor, but he needed to rest before he continued. He sat looking at her with sad eyes. He loved her, but words she had just muttered broke his heart. – Legolas, I love you.- He looked at her form and looked away. –So you have chosen who you will give your heart too. But I swore to love you, and I pledge my life to you. May you be happy with your prince.-
Haldir picked up his love and continued his slow tread to Dunharrow where Frodo would be awaiting the return of the two elves that would guide him into Mordor.
Gollum followed the elf toward the north and kept to the shadows.
A/N: Guess who's back! Back again. Sorry for the long time, Ii was busy with school work and moving in, and I didn't have the internet for a few days.. but I m back!!