- - - Elladan - - -

The remainder of the Fellowship joined us. Grace's hand gripped Legolas' tightly. I watched her gingerly reach up and touch her neck. When I examined it closer, I saw that there was a shallow cut there, still bleeding slowly. I caught her eye and nodded my head, as I would to a passing elf in my home.

Aragorn stepped forward. We watched as the air rippled. A whole city filled with the dead appeared all around us and one figure stood in front of them all to speak.

"You cannot pass through here," he said.

"Let us pass," Aragorn insisted.

"None but the king of Gondor can control us."

Aragorn then lifted Anduril and stared at the King of the Dead. An angry noise came from him and Aragorn fastened a hand round his throat.

"Fight with us," he said, "and I will consider your debt repaid."

He released the King of the Dead and turned. Estel started walking among the dead and we followed his lead. "What say you?" he asked.

- - - Grace - - -

"What say you?"

Yes Aragorn, I think we get it. You want to know what they'll say. He wandered between the dead and they parted to let him through. Some of the others started to move around. I followed Elrohir and Elladan at a distance .

When someone's hand fastened on my wrist, I turned quickly. A small cry of alarm left my mouth when I saw who was holding me. Some man I didn't know. And not just any man. A dead man. His ghostly, greenish fingers were wrapped tightly around my wrist and I twisted it and reached for my knives.

Oh, way to Aragorn. Take my only means of defence.

"What say you?" I heard him ask yet again, louder.

Er, yeah, Aragorn, I think it's time to stop questioning the dead people.

The icky dead guy was slowly reeling me in like a fish on a line, no matter how hard I struggled. He bent in close to me and whispered (well, I guess that's what you'd call it) to me.

"You're ours now. You should have been long ago."

Okay, no. I am not dead as far as I know. I mean, if I was dead, would I be able to feel those disgusting DEAD hands all over my arms? No, I don't think so. Then I'd be all green and icky looking. Yeah, and if I could get Elf Boy over there, I can't have looked that bad, alright?

"What say you?" Aragorn cried, louder yet.

Yeah, now you're just pissing them off. Way to go. I didn't think that was the wisest thing to do since I was slowly being pulled into the group of them. I turned my head while kicking and squirming and searched for Legolas or Gimli. Or anyone really.

No one seemed to be noticing my little problem. And I wasn't really scared. At least, not until more dead people decided it would be nice to grab my hands and arms also. Well, this was just peachy. I mean, first I try to kill myself for the SECOND time and when that doesn't work, the dead decide to try and do it for me.

"Er - Elladan?" I asked.

"Yes Grace?" He turned to look at me. "Ai! Elbereth!" he cried when he saw my situation.

My point exactly.

When he cried out, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. Quicker than I could see, Legolas fired an arrow off. It passed through the neck of the ghost that was holding me. Effective yet subtle.

I had underestimated how strong elves were because Elladan had grabbed me from behind and was pulling, and seemingly winning too, when Aragorn came running. He pointed his sword at my captor's face. Oooh, this was getting dirty.

"Release her!" he demanded.

"Yeah!" I echoed. "Release me! Bitch!" I couldn't resist the last part.

My ghost was now eyeing the sword with extreme dislike. He left me go swiftly and I plummeted to the ground on top of Elladan. I watched the ghost move out of view with another ghost at his side. Then I turned my attention back to my position. Which, it seemed to Legolas judging by the look on his face, was a bit too sexual. It really wasn't. Okay, so I was lying on him. But other than that, nothing. Alright, so my face was only a couple inches from his and I was lying extremely close to him. But still.

Legolas pulled me up off of Elladan and stepped in close to me.

"You're alright?" he asked and brought up one of my hands to kiss the back.

"I'm perfectly fine. I just feel a little... different."

Legolas stopped looking at my wrist. There was a white handprint around it. I knew it would hurt the next day.

"Different how?" he questioned me.

"I don't know," I answered. And really I didn't. I only knew that something was missing.

When we all turned to walk out of the Paths of the Dead, hopefully never to return, something caught my eye. There was a figure of a woman standing with all the men. She raised a hand and waved at me. It struck a chord in me and I couldn't place it. While walking and glancing back periodically, I realized what it was:

The woman was me.

- - - Gimli - - -

Once we were out of that blasted place, we go back on the blasted horses and rode. I was seated with Aragorn, which wasn't much of a comfort since that blasted man didn't believe in saddles any more than the elf did.

After a horribly uncomfortable ride, we arrived at some docks. In port were several ships with black sails. I watched the elf's eyes light up at the sight of the water and ships. Blast! I hated the water and everything to do with it, yet I would show no weakness or crack in the armour that the elf could scoff at. The blasted incident with the cave was a disgrace to my kind.

I slid off the horse with the grace only my kind possesses and stood with my axe at the ready.

"We're storming the ship, Gimli," Aragorn whispered to me. "When I yell."

I nodded in understanding as the word was passed among us. Discretely, swords were unsheathed and the lass' knives were handed back to her.

Aragorn yelled and we started to the ship. The elves let arrows fly. They were quite handy for that, I must admit. Grace charged up the plank as Aragorn swung himself up on a rope and onto the ship deck. I tripped on my way up the plank and fell. Quick as a flash, I was on my feet again.

"C'mon Gimli!" Grace called to me, laughing as she swung her knives beside Legolas.

In several minutes we had taken the ship and were all on deck. Though they were barely visible, the dead were there too. I walked up to the elf and laughed.

"Yes Gimli?" he questioned, his hand linked with the lass'.

"Twelve," I said simply.

"Well done Master Dwarf!" he congratulated me. I grinned at him. Then, "Sixteen," he said.

"BLAST!"

(A/N: Teehee, silly dwarf, killing things is for elves! Wow, this chapter was fun to write. Dunno why, but it was! I love you all, for we are drawing near the end of this story. And I don't want to! I don't want to! Erlack... I shall see you soon. And the more you Review, the sooner I shall see you!)