Chapter 26

Legolas's POV

"Lad, get up." Gimli's voice interrupted my dream. I slowly opened my eyes, realizing that I had slept with them closed. Perhaps I had been more tired than I had thought. I looked up and saw Adette's head bent forward, her hair creating a canopy around my own head. I gently lifted her chin upward as I lifted my head from her lap. She stirred, letting out a soft moan as her eyes fluttered open.

"What is it Legolas?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. I felt guilty for waking her. She then saw Gimli, and yawned. "Gimli?"

"What is it Gimli?" I asked, getting to my feet. I turned to face him…well to face the direction he was in.

"Lord Elrond is here, speaking to Aragorn in Théoden's tent." He said quickly. "We should go to the tent and wait for him."

"Lord Elrond?"

"Arwen." Adette breathed.

My eyes widened when she said this. Could Arwen be dead?

"Let's go." I turned back to Adette, and gently lifted her onto her feet. When her left foot touched the ground, she wobbled on it slightly, but was able to stand on it without it giving out. I put an arm around her waist anyways, and the three of us rushed out of the tent. We made our way to Théoden's tent just as Aragorn was bringing his horse out.

"Just where do you think you're off too?" Gimli asked him. Aragorn shook his head, pausing beside him.

"Not this time. This time you must stay Gimli."

"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" I asked. Aragorn turned to see Adette and me standing on the other side of him.

"Might as well accept it. We're going with you laddie." The look of disbelief on Aragorn's face was absolutely priceless. I grinned at him.

"Did you really think we'd let you go alone? No way in hell." Adette snorted.

The trail that led to the Dimholt was barren. I saw no animals, no birds above in the sky. The mountains were colored gray, as was everything else on the trail. I led Herenvardo behind Brego, guiding my own horse by voice. I kept one hand on my thigh just in case I needed to get my bow and the other arm around Adette's waist. She had to ask me to loosen my grip once, as I was crushing her. The trail gave off a great wave of evil.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked, looking up at the mountains from behind Aragorn.

"One that is cursed." I answered. We finally came upon the Dimholt door. Skulls were imbedded into the mountain over and beside the opening. Gnarled trees lined the path that led towards it, black as the midnight sky. I felt Adette tense in front of me, and slipped my other arm around her waist as well. She turned her head to the side, and I leaned in close. "I'm here."

Although seeing her afraid wasn't something I liked to see, I was grateful that I was not the only one.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stole away." Gimli said as he and Aragorn climbed down from Brego. Again, at least I was not the only one.

I dismounted Herenvardo and turned to help Adette down but she had already gotten down herself. I went over to where Aragorn and Gimli stood before the door. Hieroglyphs were carved about it.

"'The way is shut. It was made by those who were dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut.'" Once the words spilled from my mouth, wind and noises came from the door. The horses whinnied in fear and bolted. I turned to see Adette still holding Herenvardo's reigns, trying to calm him. He reared up, trying to escape her hold. She finally released the frightened horse, and it followed after Brego.

"I do not fear death." Aragorn said boldly, entering into the darkness. Adette came to my side, and I took her hand. We then followed after Aragorn into the door. As we followed Aragorn deep within the mountain, I looked around. Skulls met my every turn. I squeezed Adette's hand in reassurance.

"What is it? What do you see?" Gimli asked from behind me.

"I see shapes of men and horses." I said quietly.

"Where?"

"Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following. They have been summoned."

"The Dead? Summoned? I knew that. Very good. Very good Legolas." Gimli said sarcastically.

I looked to my side and saw Adette waving her free hand around as shapes of arms began to appear, trying to grab us. I helped her to brush them away as we continued walking.

"Do not look down." Aragorn commanded over his shoulder. Of course, I looked down and saw that with every step we took, we were cracking skulls with our feet. As I went to take a step, I heard a loud cracking sound and Adette's hand resisted against mine. I turned to see her looking down in horror.

"Oh!" She cried out. Through the smoke I could see that her left foot had gone completely through a skull and she was trapped. She wobbled, but I used on hand to catch her arm as it flew about, while I kneeled down and used my free hand to gently free her foot. The bone had scraped her ankle a bit, and it was bleeding a little. I stood back up and faced her.

"Are you alright?" I asked, bringing my hands up to hold her face.

"F-fine." Her eyes flickered up to meet mine as I raised an eyebrow. After a moment had passed, I returned to holding her hand and carefully led her through the skulls. When we finally got to the great underground hall, I released her hand to pull out my bow. She in turn unsheathed her sword.

"Who enters my domain?" A chilling voice asked. Slowly, a ghost appeared a few feet away from Aragorn. I assumed him to be the king.

"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn answered.

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass."

"You will suffer me!" The king simply laughed, and behind him and around him appeared a ghostly city. Buildings towered up to the ceiling of the mountain, glowing an eerie green. Things got even worse when a ghost army surrounded us. Adette and I backed up into each other, facing different directions.

"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it. The way is shut. Now you must die." The king then began to approach Aragorn. I readied an arrow and shot it through the king's head. He kept approaching, unfazed. Adette turned around, coming to stand beside me.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath." Aragorn told the king.

"None but the king of Gondor can command me!" Aragorn unsheathed his sword, and the two ran at each other.

"Aragorn!" Adette shouted, moving forward. I grabbed her arm but she pushed me backwards and continued running. But when she reached them, she saw that the two swords had collided.

"That bind was broken!" The king sounded horrified. Aragorn moved his sword and pressed it to the king's neck.

"It has been remade." He shoved the king back and turned to the ghosts that still surrounded us. "Fight for us and regain your honor. What say you?"

When they did not answer, Adette spoke up in a fierce tone.

"What say you?"

"You two waste your time! They had no honor in life, they have none now in death." Gimli said from beside me.

"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled! What say you!" Aragorn shouted once more. The king only smirked, and I watched as the ghosts began to fade away into nothing. "You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death! What say you?"

"Damnit." Adette snarled.

"Stand you traitors!" Gimli bellowed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us began to shake. Skulls began to loosen and fall onto the floors, some breaking into pieces. I turned to the doorway and saw thousands upon thousands of skulls rushing at us like a tidal wave.

"Out!" Aragorn shouted, already running. We all began to run through the halls overflowing with human skulls. From behind I watched as Adette suddenly flew forward, probably from her ankle. As she got to her feet, I continued running but tossed her over my shoulder as I did. Light was up ahead, and we would be out soon.

When we reached the outside, I set Adette down on her feet.

"Legolas, maybe you should just carry me around forever." She folded her arms, and turned away. She went to her brother's side, who was kneeling on the ground, staring out over a burning city. The black ships had been through. She put an arm around him, and he leaned his head against her side.

Suddenly, Aragorn got to his feet and turned. We all did as well, and saw the ghostly king standing before him.

"We fight." He declared. Now that we were in daylight, I could see him better. He gave off the same eerie glow as everything else had. I could see a skull beneath torn, decaying flesh. He had hollow, green eyes and a faint, red colored beard. He looked menacing.

I turned to look at the burning city, hoping that we would be able to prevent the next one from burning. As I did, a hand went around my neck, caressing the side of it with a thumb. Adette, still a hand on my neck, circled to my front. She smiled.

"Is this an apology?" I asked. She frowned.

"For what?"

The corsairs of Umbar began to sail into sight, and I grinned. We would be able to stop these men from doing anymore damage with our new allies. Aragorn, Adette, Gimli, and I watched from the shore as the ships sailed nearer and nearer.

"Gimli, you should throw your axe at their ship," Adette looked down at him, "and sink it."

He laughed, raising his axe.

"Sounds like a plan." Aragorn halted him however, and lowered his arm for him. He then called out to the pirates.

"You may go no further! You will not enter Gondor!" He shouted to them.

"Who are you to deny us passage!" Corsair asked, unafraid of us. Who would be afraid of a man, a woman, an elf, and a dwarf? Little did they know that we had a secret weapon that would be unleashed upon them if they didn't comply with Aragorn's demand.

Corsair was heavily armored, dressed in practically all black. He had matching black hair and the tannest skin I had ever seen. He seemed to be the kind of man who was feared by many – but not us.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear." Aragorn said to me. I quickly pulled out my bow, aiming an arrow in the exact place. I was about to release when Gimli spoke up.

"Mind your aim!" He exclaimed. I smirked, of course I would mind my aim.

"Look they have a woman with them! Perhaps we should teach her a good time eh!" Corsair and his crew laughed, and I saw Adette unsheathe her sword, but Adette stopped her from moving off of the shore. "And she's feisty too!"

I changed my mind, and aimed at a pirate's chest. I then released, and watched as the pirate was hit and staggered backwards, cursing and yelling in agony. He then fell over dead, and I merely grinned.

"That's it, we warned you! Prepare to be boarded!" Gimli shouted to them.

"This army!" Aragorn called.

I didn't turn, but watched as the army simply passed through Aragorn, Adette, Gimli, and I and ran across the water towards the ships. They demolished the pirates swiftly and easily, and we watched. Adette tried to go into the water but this time I stopped her.

"Can't I just kill Corsair?" She asked as she struggled.

"If I have to hold my temper then so do you." I said, letting go of her arm. She frowned, but sheathed her sword. Once there was not one pirate left standing, one of the ships was sailed to shore to allow us on.

When night swept over, Aragorn and I stood at the bow of the ship, looking out over the water. Gimli had fallen asleep at our feet, covered in Aragorn's cloak. The stars were out, and blue met blue from the water and the sky. It was a beautiful sight.

"Do you think we have a chance?" I asked suddenly without taking my eyes from the water. I heard Aragorn turn towards me.

"I don't know mellon. I don't know what to think anymore." I turned to face him. "Perhaps with the army we do have a chance."

"Perhaps."

Aragorn patted my shoulder, smiling.

"We should get some sleep." He then sat down and folded his arms across his chest, leaning his head back against the ship. I stood a moment more, looking up at the sky. Who knew what would happen? I only knew that we would fight hard or die trying.

I quietly crept from the bow, and traveled the length of the ship until I reached the middle. Adette was sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest and shivering. I went to her side and sat beside her.

"Where is your cloak?" I asked.

"I think I left it back in Dunharrow." She answered sheepishly. "I didn't think I would need it."

"You should have told me you were cold." I slid out of my own cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, drawing her close. She wrapped her arms around my waist while I wrapped mine around hers. She rested her head against my chest, and I rested mine on the top of her head.

"Do you have faith Legolas?" She asked softly, tilting her head back to look up at me. I met her eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of hers and her skin. She glowed beautifully in the light.

"I don't know dúlinn."

"I do…I have faith that we can defeat this. I have faith that Frodo and Sam will reach Mount Doom and destroy the Ring. I know that we, me and you, will survive this," she unwrapped one arm from around me, and placed a hand over my heart, "because I love you."

"And I love you." I pressed my lips to hers, holding her even closer as we kissed beneath the moonlight, bathing us in its warm glow. When we broke away she smiled and looked deep into my eyes.

"So we have something to live for." She whispered before resting her head back against my chest. I listened to her breathing, waiting for it to even out. Once she had fallen asleep, I leaned my head back and allowed sleep to take me over as well.