Title: The Weeping Wraith, Chapter Ten

Author: Katharine the Great

Summary: "What were the Riders trying to do?"  "They tried to pierce your heart with a Morgul-knife which remains in the wound.  If they had succeeded, you would have become like they are, only weaker and under their command.  You would have become a wraith under the dominion of the Dark Lord…" --Frodo and Gandalf at Rivendell

Notes: This is now completely A/U, and has elements of the books and the movies within.  . 

Disclaimer: Some of this story is quoted directly from the trilogy itself.  I will note these excerpts with italics, so pay attention and don't sue me for plagiarism!  I wouldn't dream of such an offense against the great JRR!!

Further notes: My Elvish resources include: the LOTR trilogy, The Silmarillion, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth by Robert Foster, the LOTR movie soundtrack's lyric booklet, and the Ardalambion website. 

Replies to reviews:

Treehugger: Hi!  So glad you liked the laurëquéndi.  Well, I'm glad I got across the whole "chilling" theme I had in mind! :)  As for the green leaf's portent, well, I ain't tellin' nothin'.  Enjoy!

PepperVL: Francine started out small, but all the reviews are making her fat.  Saruman get the Ring?  Hmmm.  We shall see…

Amancirith Carangarien: Hi, and welcome!  Sweet pen name.  What does it mean?  Thanks for the review…keep 'em comin'!

Salak: You danced?  Like the Snoopy dance?  Hee hee!  Cool!  And don't die, or you won't be able to review me! : (

On with the tale…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Alcarin of Rivendell was the first of the Company to leap onto the shore of the Anduin, and close behind him was Lelemir of Mirkwood.  The two Elves stood for some minutes upon the treeless bank, listening intently and sweeping the horizon with intense gazes.  The world was awash in shades of gold as the bright Sun approached its zenith.  To the west there lay rolling grasslands of green and tan; this was the very southernmost portion of Eastemnet, that part of Rohan which lay east of the Entwash River.  Beyond the eastern shore of the Anduin there was a vast marshland, which was known to the people of Gondor as Wetwang.

            Here the Renewed Fellowship would be forced to abandon the Great River, for they had at last reached the mighty Falls of Rauros.  Aragorn had elected to go ashore on the western bank, as a journey through Wetwang would be unduly arduous and would also bring the Ring too close to the mountains that bordered Mordor.  No decision had been made yet as to whether the Company would make for Mount Doom straightaway, or rest briefly in Minas Tirith before moving on into the Black Land.  Aragorn did not think it wise to allow the Enemy such near access to his treasure until they were resolved to face the perils of Mordor.

            Frodo watched the Elves from his boat as they surveyed the surrounding region for danger.  Alcarin was straight and tall; his alabaster skin fairly shone in the noonday beams, contrasting sharply with the sheet of dark hair waving about his face in the breeze.  Lelemir made a striking figure as well, though she was not nearly so imposing a presence as the Elf-lord.  Her long flaxen hair flowed down her back, and Frodo stifled a gasp as she tilted her head slightly to listen to the winds.  So often he had seen Legolas gesture in an identical manner as he had kept careful watch over the Company.  Frodo experienced a sudden chill as he realized that Lelemir looked very much as her brother might have, if in the daytime he had fallen instead of the night.

Alcarin turned and motioned to Aragorn and the others.  "Come.  There is nothing to fear in the hinterland at the moment," he called. 

Aragorn and Boromir carefully guided the vessels closer to the bank.  The hobbits were assisted onto the verdant embankment by the strong arms of the Elves, and the men followed.  The boats they set adrift upon the River, for they did not wish to leave any obvious trail for enemies to track.  "It will be difficult for our foes to say for certain where we deserted the River for the land," Aragorn said.

"It's a shame, though, isn't it?" Merry asked as they watched the vessels float ever further away, unguided in the currents.  "They are such very nice boats, and the Lord and Lady went to the trouble to give them to us."

"I am sure they will understand the necessity, Merry," Boromir said amiably, ruffling the hobbit's hair in a friendly fashion.  But he cast no glance at Frodo, and neither did he say a word to him.  The son of Denethor seldom spoke to Frodo any more, and when he did it was with a strangely over-eager note in his voice.  Frodo did not know what to think of it yet, but he made no attempt to initiate conversation with Boromir; the man's look sent small shakes of apprehension through him that he could not discount. 

The Company continued southwestward through the plains of Eastemnet, with Aragorn at the forefront, the hobbits filing behind him, Boromir striding thereafter, and the ever-alert Elves flanking them.  Now and then Alcarin or Lelemir—and sometimes both—would stop and look about, as though expecting to see someone nearby.  Then, after scrutinizing the horizon intently, they would speak softly to Aragorn in the Elven-tongue.  Their tone was steady but uneasy, and Frodo had no wish to know what they were sensing.  He dimly recalled seeing similar behavior on the part of Glorfindel when that Elf had led Frodo and the others to the Ford of Bruinen at Rivendell; the Nazgûl had been in close pursuit then, and Glorfindel had been keenly aware of it the whole time.  Frodo began looking over his shoulder nervously whenever he saw one of their present escorts displaying such wary conduct.

They paused only once for a short rest, and the hobbits flung themselves upon the ground in great weariness.  They were glad to sit motionless for the while; their muscles and joints ached from the swift pace Aragorn had set for them thus far. 

Boromir spoke quietly with Aragorn, but Alcarin and Lelemir came and knelt among Frodo and the others.  "How fare you, young periannath?" Lelemir asked kindly, using her people's word for the Halflings, as they were called in the Elven-tongue.

"Tired, my Lady, but otherwise, well, just tired," Sam said with a yawn and a sigh.  "Strider is a good man, but by the Shire! he is a merciless taskmaster when it comes to traveling, I'll say that much."

"Such has not always been true, Master Samwise," Alcarin said thoughtfully.  "Your Strider was once a merry child, unhurried in manner and full of curiosity."

Frodo laughed to think of grim Aragorn as a cheery youngster.  "Did you know him then, Lord Alcarin?"

"Yes, I did," Alcarin said.  His eyes grew distant and strangely sad, and Frodo's mirth faded.  "Alas, but those were different times.  The weight of darkness has changed many, some for the better, and many for the worse."  The Elf cast his dark gaze upon Aragorn, who stood some paces away still speaking with Boromir.  "I suspect that we shall not see the merry heart of the man ere the shadow of Mordor has been driven from the land."

Aragorn and Boromir finished speaking, and shortly thereafter the hobbits were compelled to rise and continue on.  It seemed to Frodo that a kind of renewed urgency had come upon the group, and he wished for some sort of cover to hide them upon the vast, flat plain.  There was none, not even a tree, which made Frodo feel all the more vulnerable.  Alcarin and Lelemir had resumed their duties as sentries, but their increasingly frequent glances behind only served to worsen Frodo's agitation.  He knew something evil was afoot, but he had not the perception to determine precisely what.

Night fell with a sprinkling of glittering stars, but the Company pressed ahead at Aragorn's urging.  The hobbits stumbled along in the dark with only the faint starlight to guide them ere the Moon's silver disc rose.  For a time, they were only able to make out a vague outline of Aragorn's figure walking ahead of them.  Boromir fared a little better.  Alcarin and Lelemir walked without difficulty, for the keen eyes of the Elves were the stuff of much lore among the other races of Middle-earth. 

Frodo glanced once at Lelemir, and he was amazed to see that a soft glow clung about her face and hair.  It was as though she had veiled herself in the muted light of the stars.  Alcarin appeared much alike, his fair skin contrasting sharply with his night-hued locks.  Then, Frodo remembered with a pained wince that he had witnessed the very same sheen upon Legolas' features when that Elf had stood high on the bank of the River, crying warning as the Nazgûl dashed through the trees intent upon their prey.  Frodo gazed up at the stars, and held a hand to the pocket wherein was carefully folded the green leaf that had fallen into his boat the day before.   

At length the Company halted for the night, and Pippin drew his cloak tightly about himself and asked whether they might make a small fire for warmth and the preparation of a late supper.  "No, Pippin, no fire tonight," Aragorn said, with both firmness and compassion in his voice.  "I do not wish to draw the attention of the Rohirrim, the horsemen of Rohan who patrol tirelessly upon these grounds.  They would mean no harm, I think, but their curiosity and suspicion would delay us more than is prudent."

"Are the Black Riders following us again?" Frodo asked suddenly.

Aragorn looked at him in surprise.  "Why do you ask that, Frodo?"

Frodo looked away with a discomfited blush creeping about his cheeks.  "I have seen Lord Alcarin and Lady Lelemir glancing around as if they see something we do not," he said hesitantly.  "And Glorfindel did the same before we reached the Ford at Rivendell, when the Riders chased us there."

Lelemir's light, soft laughter reached his ears.  "You are more observant than I had given you credit for, Frodo of the Shire," she said.  "I shall not make that mistake again."

Alcarin's reply was solemn.  "Do not worry yourself unduly, Master Perian. Yes, we have felt pursuit drawing nearer as the day has worn on, but whether it be the Riders we cannot say.  If they should assail us, however, I think they shall find themselves rather forcefully set upon by those you see here."  The Elf lord's dark eyes gleamed in their fair setting.  Frodo hoped he would elaborate and in so doing further heighten the hobbit's courage, but Alcarin fell silent and would say nothing more on the subject.

"Wrap yourselves in your blankets and cloaks and huddle together for warmth," Aragorn told the hobbits, laying a hand on Frodo's shoulder reassuringly.  "The night is not so cold that you will find it unbearable.  Perhaps we will be able to light a fire tomorrow eve, after we have passed over the Entwash."

"What of you and Boromir and the Elven folk?" Merry asked, dropping to the ground next to Pippin and the others.  "Will you not be cold?  Or will you huddle together as well?"

Boromir chuckled.  "We shall be fine, Merry, without huddling even.  I do not think I should be able to sleep well with Aragorn's sword hilt sticking into my side all night, and neither are Elven quivers suitable bedfellows."

"Sleep now," Lelemir told them gently.  "We shall keep watch until you wake."

Frodo and his companions clustered together in a close knot, wrapped in many layers of cloak and blanket, and though the grass beneath was chilled they managed to maintain some warmth between them.  Boromir was tired as well, and he lay down nearby with his sword at the ready should it be needed in the night.  But Aragorn and the Elves stood a slight distance apart from the others and spoke quietly.  Frodo heard faint snatches of their conversation, but sleep dragged heavily at his eyelids, and he drifted off into the land of dreams with the quiet breathing of his friends in his ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Whilst the hobbits and Boromir rested on the grassy plain, Aragorn held counsel with Alcarin and Lelemir.  The Elves had been unwilling to lay a burden of anxiety upon Frodo's shoulders, but now they spoke plainly.

            "They are coming, Aragorn," Alcarin said in his own tongue, cautious of frightening any half-awake listeners among the others.  "The Úlairi are once again hunting the Bearer of their Master's Ring.  I have felt them drawing closer with each passing hour upon this plain.  It would be wise to allow the others only a few hours' sleep before urging them onward once again.  We must pass through the vale of the Entwash ere night falls tomorrow, or the Riders shall strike us down one by one as we become lost to one another in the fog of that place."

            "There is something else as well, Aragorn," Lelemir said soberly.  "The creature Gollum, whose keeping you charged the Elves of my homeland with, is also in close pursuit.  He has been following at a distance for nigh on four days, but I did not wish to alarm the others, and so I said nothing until now.  He too seeks the Ring Frodo carries."

            "We are set upon by all sides," Aragorn murmured in the Elven-tongue he had learned during the long years of his fostering in the house of Elrond.  "And I carry these tidings as well: there was word from the southern reaches of Lórien that a silver-clad figure boding ill had been sighted upon a hill near that border.  It is not known from whence it came or what it seeks, even to the Lady and her Mirror.  It may be among those pursuing us."  The Dúnadan sighed.  "How I wish we were not so bereft of allies in this land!  But alas, the Rangers of my watch are to the North in Eriador, for they do not willingly mingle with the folk of Rohan.  Perhaps King Théoden of the Mark would be of some help, if we asked it of him in the name of Gandalf and of Gondor.  Are they not longtime friends to him?"

            "That may be, but I fear that turning aside to Edoras will merely delay the inevitable attack," Alcarin said gravely.  "Still, it would be best to find shelter against the night so long as the Riders are about.  Perhaps a solution awaits us in the halls of the Mark."

            "Then we shall turn toward Rohan's chief city as soon as we have passed beyond the dell of the Entwash," Aragorn said.  He turned a concerned eye to the southeast, where the land of Mordor was yet a distant shadow.  "I do not like to remain here in the open when fleeing the Dark One's servants as we are.  Edoras is but a two-day journey from the fog of the River, and I shall rest easier when we have reached it," he sighed.

            "And what of Gollum?  He is a treacherous being, Aragorn, as you well know.  I do not think it wise to allow him to follow freely as he has," Lelemir cautioned.

            "We have not the time to lay in wait for so crafty a creature," Aragorn said reluctantly.  "Also, Gandalf was loathe to kill him in the Mines of Moria, owing to his belief that Gollum still had a purpose to fulfill.  Whether that purpose has been met, I do not know, but I am unwilling to so callously destroy a creature as wretched and hopeless as Gollum."

            "Many of my people lost their lives to the Orc-raid that made possible Gollum's escape," Lelemir replied, her lilting voice darkening with remembered anger.  "There may yet be some who suffer in the darkness of Dol Guldur.  Shall I allow such a creature as this Gollum to move about freely whilst my kin are tormented in black captivity?" 

            "Remember our purpose, Lady of Taur e-Ndaedelos," Alcarin said softly, and while his speech was even, it betrayed a note of deep sympathy and shared pain.  "We have come to aid Frodo Baggins in his Quest.  Vengeance for fallen and captive kindred must be set aside until the larger concern has been addressed."

            Lelemir's tone turned to one of muted sorrow.  "Yes, my Lord, you speak rightly.  I shall not endanger this Fellowship in the pursuit of recompense."

            They passed a minute in silence, and then Aragorn said, "I grieve for Legolas as I would for a blood brother, Lady.  Had I the choice, I would have stayed the Quest for his sake."

            "I know this, Aragorn, and I do not fault you for choosing the path you did," Lelemir told him steadily.  "I too chose against my heart, and I do not regret it.  Nay, it is better that I am here; for the Enemy is nigh, and there is a measure of defense in greater numbers.  The Nazgûl will surely be matched should they attempt an assault."

            "Are you truly so eager to challenge the Úlairi, Princess?" Alcarin inquired gently.

            She was silent for a moment, and then she replied, "Nay, my Lord, and I did not intend to seem so.  Taur e-Ndaedelos is not like fair Imladris.  The shadow of Dol Guldur lies heavy upon the southern regions of my father's realm.  From my youth I was taught to beware the creatures of the darkness, for the great spiders and the Orcs have claimed many a traveler in the wood.  I myself have been beset by these and other dangers on countless occasions."  Lelemir's countenance conveyed utter equanimity, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her pale gray eyes.  "Fear of the Enemy has long lain in the souls of my people, from the time when oppression first corrupted my father's kingdom.  I confess that I greatly dread the coming attack, my Lords.  Yet I shall not hesitate to defy the Úlairi for the sake of those I have sworn to preserve; on this you have my word."

            "Your word is sufficient, Princess," Aragorn said.  "I value your honesty in this matter."

            "As do I," Alcarin agreed.  "Be not ashamed, my Lady.  You are wise to dread the Nazgûl, for they are vile adversaries.  It is no wonder to me that Thranduil's realm has endured thus far, if all his subjects are as prudent."

            Lelemir inclined her head slightly.  "Thank you for your kindness, my Lord.  But you make me curious, for you speak as one who has been met with such foes in the past."

            "It is as you say," Alcarin told her.  As he spoke, a strange weariness descended upon him.  "I was but a subordinate Guardian when I first beheld the Úlairi. The Head of my contingent was slain in a ruinous ambush laid down by the Orcs of the Hithaeglir; therefore, I was called upon to lead a company of reserve Guardians into the Battle of Fornost, whereupon the alliance of Elves and Men waged war against the Witch-king at Angmar. 

"The Witch-king himself engaged with Glorfindel, who held command of the forces of Imladris.  I was near them as they struggled, and there came a time when I was compelled to trade blows with the Witch-king."  The Elf-lord's gaze was distant.  "Though I knew it not at that time, I faced the Lord of the Nazgûl.  The distance between his armored shoulders and the peak of his crown-helm was empty, devoid of a visible countenance.  I was able to repel him until Lord Glorfindel could rejoin the battle, however I cannot say with certainty that I would have otherwise bested him.  The Witch-king was a fierce foe indeed."

"My Lord, how then shall we stand against not one, but nine of his kind?" Lelemir questioned with wide eyes. 

"I did not know then such things as I have learned since," Alcarin told her.  "The Úlairi fear the flame, and also the name of Elentári Gilthoniel.  These weapons you shall possess against them, so that you may hold the advantage over the Fell Riders.  Aragorn and the periannath have witnessed this, as I have been told."

Aragorn had not spoken for some time, but now he opened his mouth.  "Yes, we were set upon at the dell beneath Weathertop.  There Frodo was wounded, but I was able to drive off the Nazgûl ere they wrought further evil."

Lelemir's voice held great admiration.  "You did this unaided?"

"Nay, my Lady, not unaided," Aragorn said.  "I possessed a brace of flaming boughs, and I appealed aloud to the Lady of the Stars.  Also, there were only five of their number at hand, as the remaining four had gone ahead to hold the Ford of Bruinen against us."

"Your deed remains valiant in my estimation, Aragorn, regardless of the stipulations you may place upon it," said Alcarin.  Aragorn said nothing in reply, but only gave a slight bow of acknowledgement.  The Elf-lord continued, "And now, my friend, you must take the opportunity to rest along with the others.  You may be the heir of Isildur, but you are also mortal.  Frodo needs you in peak form, as do we all."

Aragorn gave a sigh.  "You speak rightly, as is your custom, Alcarin.  Very well, I shall lie down for a short time.  But wake me ere the Sun rises, for we must not waste even a minute of the daylight if we are to cross the Entwash before nightfall tomorrow."

"Be assured of a timely awakening," Alcarin told him.  "Now rest.  We shall stand guard while you sleep."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of Chapter Ten.

Note: Yes, I know the account of the Battle of Fornost in Appendix A at the end of the LOTR trilogy doesn't say that Glorfindel actually fought the Witch-king of Angmar; it just says the Elf-lord rode up, and the Witch-king took off running like a sissy.  But for the sake of establishing the utter coolness of Glorfindel and Alcarin, I decided to "reinterpret" a little bit.  I think Glorfindel kicked the Witch-king's hind end, and that's why the latter scurried away in such a hurry.  After all, we know that old Glory certainly could have done it…  : )

Review, please!