~The Paths of the Dead~

Ominous, that was how the dark pine forest felt. Straight, grey trunks reached like spears towards the sky and no breeze stirred between the bare thorn-like branches. A path had been hewn long ago, probably when the trees had still lived.

Aerlaer did not like it at all. They had run steadily for many miles under the lifeless trees in silence, each to their own thoughts. Aerlaer lead, choosing to be alone with her bruised heart and wishing distance from Legolas, but her efforts were futile for she kept an ear focussed on his near silent footfalls and the soft sound of his quiver moving against his back as he ran.

In her heart she had forgiven him almost instantly, but she was still annoyed with him and angry with herself. How had she managed to end up so close to him? And her hair, how long could her hair go un-realised by him? Why had he been holding onto her? Was he truly sorry? Why had he sunk so low to blame the darkness?

The questions raced around her head until she became sick of them and pushed them to the back of her mind and tried thinking of something else. It was impossible. Her thoughts kept returning to him. Stupid Sinda. It was becoming an annoyance.

She could not distract her mind by the forest around her in its lifelessness and if she let her thoughts dwell on its deathly stillness, it made her wish to be closer to the other Elf to take comfort from his presence.

"Aerlaer daro, mellon nin." Aragorn called out to her and she slid to a halt as the Ranger, Gimli and Legolas came to stop beside her. She could feel Legolas watching her but refused to look at him, instead looking to Aragorn.

"We will rest a moment while we have a supply of water near us." Aragorn said as he indicated to the quiet and narrow stream they had been following alongside the path. Peering ahead, she realised it disappeared underground. Aerlaer made her way towards the stream, following Gimli, intent on avoiding the other Elf. She watched the trees as Gimli crouched down and drank and then stood again. As he made to pass her he looked meaningfully up to her.

"At least run with him, he misses you." Gimli grunted quietly before he walked back over to the others. Aerlaer sighed as she knelt beside the stream. She couldn't deny she missed him too in all his confusing complexity.

...

Legolas sighed despondently and turned to sit on a log. He really had ruined everything. She was avoiding him. She had not spoken a single word to him since they left the campsite and rightly so. He waited, watching as she knelt gracefully and dipped her cupped hands in the clear stream, bringing them to her lips and drinking from them. Eru, I cannot bear this any longer!

Standing, he tentatively walked towards the stream, passing Gimli who gave him an encouraging grin, and knelt a couple feet away from her hoping she would look at him. She had finished drinking and was gliding her hand along the surface of the water, causing ripples, studiously ignoring him.

"Aerlaer I-" He was stopped mid-sentence as a splash of water hit him in the face and he glared at her. "You imp."

"You're meant to be drinking." She said dryly, and he caught a dark glimmer in her eyes. He narrowed his own at her and then made a point of studying her left cheek intently.

"Yes?" She asked, annoyance in her voice.

"You have dirt on your cheek." He replied nonchalantly and splashed her back. "It's gone now." He smirked, and she narrowed her eyes at him, and he was so busy trying to discern if they were darkening or not her next splash took him by surprise.

"As I said, you are meant to be drinking." She gave him a brief smirk and leapt up, shaking the water he had splashed from her hair, causing droplets to rain down around him. She stalked away.

Aragorn came to kneel beside him. "Consider yourself very lucky." He whispered quietly. "She's already forgiven you, now she's just playing it."

"I do." He replied as he stood once more, moving towards her and Gimli. He held back a laugh as she intently examined her right vambrace, checking the straps as a means to once again ignore him. However, as he made to turn half away from her, he noticed from the corner of his eye she had glanced up, surveying him from under dark lashes.

"Let's keep moving." Aragorn said as he returned from the stream and they all leapt straight into a run. Aragorn now led, and Legolas was gladdened that instead of racing off ahead of them all, Aerlaer now ran beside him. Although she still would not look at him. His heart felt lighter for it and he glanced back at Gimli who ran just behind him and the Dwarf gave him a knowing grin and a wink.

...

They ran on through the forest into the late morning. It was an eerie forest and Gimli did not like it one bit. He would face Fangorn a hundred times over compared to this foreboding place. He noticed even the Elves did not look at ease under these trees. Aerlaer was still mostly ignoring the lad on her part although she now ran beside him, and Legolas did not seem as broody as he had when they first set out.

As they ran on, he began to feel a heavier sense of foreboding in the land around him. He could feel it even in the rocks. The mountains creating the pass on either side of them seemed to reverberate with it. He glanced at the Elves, they too looked slightly distressed, now peering around as they ran.

"Where exactly are you leading us Aragorn, for even the Elves are stressed by the foreboding presence in these lands." He called out warily to the Ranger, and Aragorn slowed them again to a walk.

"In these lands dwell those that are cursed." Legolas said, and Gimli turned to him in surprise. "Long ago the men of the Mountain swore an oath to the last king of Gondor, to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest, until they had fulfilled their pledge."

"Only the heir of the one whom the oath they swore can command them. It is only his call they will answer for he is the only one who can release the curse." Aerlaer added mysteriously and Aragorn barked out a laugh.

"Do you have to make me sound all dark and mysterious, Aerlaer?" He asked dryly, and the Elf laughed, the musical noise welcoming but a stark contrast to the deathly quiet forest.

"We are here." Legolas called back to them and sure enough the tall trees thinned out in the next fifty meters to reveal the pale grey, sheer side of Dwimorberg. A narrow entrance cut from the rock led into the darkness of the great mountain. Legolas strode forward towards the entrance and he and Aragorn and Aerlaer followed the Elf, looking to the writing carved above the entrance. There was a strange chill in the air and he saw Aerlaer shiver beside him.

"It is as if this place would try to freeze my very soul." She murmured.

"Aye, it is not such a welcoming place." He replied to her.

"'The way is shut. It was made by those who were dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut.'" Legolas read aloud and suddenly a blast of icy wind erupted from the entrance, chilling them all.

"I don't like this, Aragorn. We are not welcome." He said to the Ranger, but Aragorn ignored him.

"It's our only hope." The Ranger murmured seemingly to himself. Suddenly he leapt forward and ran into the entrance. "I do not fear death!" He said defiantly as the darkness enveloped him. He's mad! Does he fear nothing?

Gimli watched the Elves nervously. This would be the closest he would come to understanding their lack of desire to venture underground. He watched as Aerlaer begun to walk towards the entrance and then stopped. Shaking her head and backing away.

Legolas watched her intently and beckoned to them and then he followed in after Aragorn. Aerlaer made a quiet, strangled sound of distress and wild eyed, bolted after the other Elf to be enclosed by the darkness. He was now the only one left outside.

Well this is something unheard of! Elves will go underground where a Dwarf dare not! And what's more, one dislikes the dark! Ah, I'd never hear the end of it! Plucking up his courage, Gimli charged into the mountain and into pandemonium.

...

"Gimli don't move." Aragorn said warningly, holding the Dwarf by the arm as Legolas searched in the dark ahead of him carefully.

"What's the matter?" The Dwarf whispered up to him.

"Aerlaer. There is a great hole in the centre of this cavern. She fell down it, Legolas is trying to find a way down to her."

"Is she alright?" Gimli asked worriedly. "Lass, are yeh alright." He called out to her.

"Splendid!" Came a sarcastic answer from below them.

"Well her wit is certainly intact." Aragorn muttered as Legolas felt about the edge of the hole, the darkness a hindrance. He could barely distinguish the outline of his own hand before him.

"Aerlaer, can you make your hair glow like it was this morning, so I can see better." Legolas called down to her and she laughed sarcastically back up at him from the darkness.

"Honestly Legolas, do you really think my hair is going to glow? I am stuck down a hole, under a mountain, in the dark. I am far from happy right now." She snapped up to him and he saw a couple strands spark copper. Perhaps if I annoy her enough, I might just be able to find a way to get her out.

"So, you were happy this morning?" He asked nonchalantly and was rewarded with more sparks. He realised she was pacing back and forth.

"No!" She called up indignantly. "I mean yes. Yes, I was dreaming." Behind him Aragorn laughed, and Legolas grinned in the darkness.

"It must have been a wonderful dream, tell me what it was about?" He called down to her.

"By Eru, Legolas if you do not get me out of this forsaken hole, I am going to make your life extremely difficult." She seethed, and her hair sparked brilliantly, and he could finally make out the sides of the deep and narrow pit. "Oh." She said, and the sparks dimmed a little.

"No! Keep thinking about things that annoy you." He called down to her. "Think of what has annoyed you the most." He willed her, knowing he would likely be feeling the repercussions of it when he finally got her out of the hole.

Her hair stopped sparking and they were all surrounded by darkness once more and then, after a moment, her hair blazed like live copper and in the light, it created he found a narrow ledge he could jump down to.

"What exactly are you thinking about?" He asked half curious, half worried it concerned him as he leapt down nimbly onto the ledge. It truly was narrow, and he took up most of the space as he got down onto his belly and lowered an arm down towards her.

"Elrohir!" She seethed as she walked over to stand beneath him.

"What of him?" Legolas asked as Aerlaer leapt up in the air and caught onto his outstretched hand. He rolled his body towards the wall of the hole as leverage to pull her up with one arm and create space for her on the ledge. She let go of his hand as she climbed up to kneel over him on the ledge, so she would not fall back into the pit

"He can manipulate others while they sleep." Aerlaer bit out and then he realised what must have happened.

"He manipulated us?" He asked to be sure and she nodded.

"I'm going to kill him when I next see him." She growled as she carefully stood up and reached her hands down to him. He grasped onto hers and she pulled him up.

"Will you accept my apology now?" He asked, and she nodded.

"If you will accept mine"

"Agreed." He replied. Maybe Elrohir had manipulated Aerlaer, but he was certain the Elf had not done so to him. He'd had Elrohir try doing so before and he knew what the feeling was, and he had not felt like his head had been clouded.

Then there was Aerlaer's hair. Had she just been dreaming? It did make sense, especially if Elrohir had tricked her into moving closer to him. The revelation she had not sort him out hurt, but he was glad she was no longer mad with him. Together they clambered up and out of the hole with the help of a relieved Aragorn and Gimli.

"If I had known throwing you both in a hole in the ground together would sort you both out I would have dug the damn hole myself hours ago." Aragorn muttered and both Elves smirked at him.

"Glad you're alright lass." Gimli said warmly. "Now if you can make your hair keep sparking you can lead us through this cursed place."

"I thought you liked being under mountains, Gimli?" Legolas teased.

"Not in here I don't, give me Fangorn any time over this." He replied, and Legolas gave a light chuckle.

Aerlaer's hair had slowly dimmed and they were all in darkness again. Aragorn sighed.

"I wish I had brought at least one torch with us." He admitted quietly. "Is there a way you can make your hair glow as brightly as it did this morning?" He asked Aerlaer and Legolas felt the elleth stiffen slightly beside him. Although he could not see her, he automatically glanced worriedly towards her. She was silent for quite a few moments and he started to feel uneasy.

"There is a way." Aerlaer finally spoke quietly and Legolas was dismayed to hear the hesitation in her voice. "I will need to close my eyes to remember." Legolas understood immediately; she was going to enter the Elven realms of dreams and memory. "I need someone to lead me through the mountain." Something was not right, he could sense it as he felt her fingers brush against his, seeking his hand questioningly.

Gently he threaded his own fingers through hers. He'd led her safely through darkness before, he would do it again. Beside him Aerlaer let out a shuddering breath and then strands of her hair began to glow and spark more brightly than he had ever seen.

"Thorin's beard, I've never seen her do that before!" Gimli rumbled in surprise and awe.

"Let's go." Aragorn said, and Legolas gently tugged at the glowing elleth's hand, setting her into a slow run beside him as he looked ahead into the cavern. Aragorn and Gimli followed closely behind, guided by her light alone.

…

Aerlaer let herself be guided at a steady run, automatically putting one foot in front of the other, trusting fully in the one who held her hand. Her mind however, had withdrawn seeking a door, opening it, and with it, a part of her heart she had locked securely away.

Memories, as perfect as dreams, flooded behind her closed eyes. A conspiracy, a risk, a hand, a smile, a dance. Joyfully spinning around and around. So precious, so fleeting, so painful as her heart comprehended the lurking darkness within the light, the lurking end.

…

The path was narrow and rough, worse than those mined by the Dwarves of Moria. Without Aerlaer's light, Legolas feared what would befall them if they should become lost to darkness in this deathly mountain tomb.

He glanced over his shoulder to check the elleth, ensuring she had no trouble following his lead and with shock, pulled her to a halt causing the others to also stop. Tears streaked down her cheeks. He placed a hand to one, bewildered.

"Aerlaer what is wrong?"

"Keep going, keep running." She choked out and he looked at Aragorn and Gimli in the light of her hair, they both looked equally shocked by the elleth's state.

"No, we cannot go on while you are so upset." He replied, trying to wipe the tears from her face and for a moment two sea green eyes gazed sorrowfully into his, before closing under dark, tear-soaked lashes again.

"This is the only way I can get you out of here." She whispered, her voice sounding far off. "Keep running." She urged him, breaking away and moving to drag him stumbling forward.

"What choice do we have?" Gimli muttered sadly as Legolas resumed running and leading the other Elf, his jaw clenched. The sooner we get out from this cursed mountain the better.

…

Trees and jubilant music, and a soft but joyful voice. Brown eyes and smiles and laughter. To each happy memory, her heart became heavier as she ran on beside the other Elf. Led by his gentle and comforting hand, not so different to the one which had held hers and lead her in thrill-filled dances. Soon it would end, for she knew how this dream ended, leaving her heart unguarded to be torn apart.

...

Whatever could she be thinking about for her hair to glow so brilliantly in joy but to feel such sorrow? Never had he seen her so sad. He admired her courage to face what were surely memories which brought her such pain. He wished dearly he could take it from her and leave her only with the joyfulness, but knew he could not.

As they ran, he could only comfort her as he held onto her hand and comfort himself by the thought that by her light, they would leave the Paths of the Dead sooner. Then maybe she would smile once again.

He could feel the spirits of the dead lingering around them as they ran ever deeper into the mountain, through silent caverns and passages. The only noise, their feet hitting the stone and the heavier breathing of Gimli and Aragorn.

I hear the whispers of voices." Gimli hissed fearfully, holding his axe tightly as he ran just right of Legolas through another cavern.

"We are being followed by a great host." Legolas said quietly and then he heard the distinctive crunch of bone shattering under foot and Gimli cried out in dismay.

"The dead may be following, but they are also scattered beneath my feet!"

"Those who enter this mountain do not usually leave it." Aragorn murmured from behind them, the first he had spoken since they had set off from the entrance.

"Oh, well that's just wonderful now isn't it." Gimli muttered fearfully and resumed running closely behind he and Aerlaer. They entered another narrow hallway which seemed to be leading them upwards.

The narrow hallway eventually opened into a wide expanse of a cavern. So wide, Legolas could barely tell where the walls of the cavern began. As they cautiously slowed to a walk, he peered at Aerlaer. Still tears fell slowly down her cheeks and he clenched his jaw tighter.

"Legolas, bring Aerlaer over there." Aragorn asked and gestured to where something glittered to their left. Holding his tongue, he gently led Aerlaer towards it, Aragorn walking beside them. They reached a wall and the glittering form was that of a rich gold crown which sat upon the brow of a skeleton.

"Do you feel no fear, laddy?" Gimli muttered to the Ranger who knelt before the remains of the man.

Aragorn spent much time observing the skeleton, lightly tracing his fingers over the silver mail he had been clad in and the still intact leathers of his harness, preserved forever by the dry air of the cavern. The man was lordly, even in death, he exuberated once been greatness.

His hauberk was gilded, and his belt adorned with gold and garnets. Aragorn reached and touched the closed door which was set in the cavern wall, the skeleton was knelt facing. Legolas wondered if it would offer a way out, but then he noticed marks scratched upon the rock and upon the floor between the fallen man and door, and a notched and broken sword. That was not the way out. Still Aragorn lingered, and Legolas grew impatient. Had he forgotten Aerlaer was slowly torturing herself beside them for them to get out?

"Aragorn, we must keep moving." He murmured but the Ranger did not seem to hear him. All around them he could feel the spirits of the dead pressing in and while they did not bother him much, he could feel Gimli's fear radiating in waves.

"Aragorn!" He hissed, finally startling the Ranger into looking up at him. "We must go, Aerlaer is not reliving Eru knows what for you to be idling down here!" Understanding seemed to register upon his face and he leapt up after gazing again at the door. He turned to consider the depths of the cavern where the spirits lingered around them.

"We leave in haste and you will join us!" Aragorn commanded and there was a blast of biting, icy cold wind, which took them all by surprise. Legolas stood in front of the other Elf, shielding her.

"You will join us!" Aragorn called out again and gladdened to be moving again, Legolas gently pulled on the Aerlaer's hand, encouraging her to run slowly through the cavern and then through narrow and twisting hallways.

They were still slowly travelling upwards and as they ran around a rough corner, Aerlaer stopped abruptly and he felt their arms pull tight as suddenly there was no ground beneath his feet. He gasped as he fell and then was jolted to a halt, dangling by the arm, Aerlaer firmly gripping onto his forearm with both hands.

"Don't you dare let go." She growled out and then Gimli was at her side also grasping him by the arms and with Aragorn's help, they dragged him back up over the ledge to safety.

"That was close, laddy." Gimli muttered. Aerlaer's hair had stopped sparking but they were no longer in darkness; a very faint light from ahead in the tunnel indicated the end was near.

"They have death traps at each entrance then." Aragorn murmured. "We have been lucky, still, we must somehow pass around this hole to get out. Aerlaer can you-"

"No Aragorn, leave her be, she has done enough for us. There is light enough." Legolas snapped, glaring at him in the dim light and he could see Aragorn was taken aback by his outburst.

"Maybe for you and I there is enough light, but they do not have the sight we do." Aerlaer said quietly beside him and he felt his stomach twist as she once again closed her eyes but this time as her hair began to glow, she only looked tired and wistful. "Find a way across and then I will go last." She instructed and quickly he and Aragorn and Gimli cast about the sides of the pit but there was no path.

"Up there, on the left." Gimli pointed. "There is a narrow ledge, the distance of that gap." Aragorn turned to follow the ledge with his eyes and Legolas looked too, it began just behind them.

"That is our way out." Aragorn decided with a steely determination and climbed up onto the ledge, followed by Gimli. Legolas watched with baited breath as his two friends painstakingly navigated their way along the narrow ledge. In one place, stone crumbled, and Legolas's heart nearly stopped in fear as Gimli began to slip, but Aragorn grabbed the Dwarf and hauled him to safety.

The rocks that had crumbled and fell did not hit the bottom of the hole for quite a few moments and Legolas felt incredibly lucky Aerlaer's reaction had been so swift when he had slipped over the edge. Some feet later, Aragorn and Gimli were safely on the other side, two stooping silhouettes against the dim light behind them.

"Aerlaer, they are safely across, you can open your eyes now." Legolas said softly and brushed his fingers against her cheek, quelling his anger as he felt a couple tears settled upon her soft skin. She opened her eyes and he looked intently into them, but she only looked away. It did not matter, he caught the pain present within them.

"Let's get out of here." She spoke quietly and leapt up onto the ledge. Legolas followed her as she made quick work of crossing along the precarious path, leaping over the part which had crumbled and then jumping down safely on the other side. They followed the tunnel as it began to grow lighter and Legolas could hear running water close by.

"I hear water!" Gimli cried out excitedly, and then they were passing through a high arched gateway and emerging out from the mountain. A stream leapt out from an underground spring beside them and flowed steeply down beside a road between sheer cliffs that were stark, and knife edged against the sky, high above.

So deep was the chasm they now stood in, that the sky was dark although it was not quite yet sunset.

Immediately Legolas turned to look at Aerlaer beside him. The elleth's face was unnaturally pale and she seemed lost as she gazed unseeingly ahead, lashes still damp from her earlier pain. Pain she still surely felt.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her head against his shoulder and realised she was ever so slightly shaking. She was a mess, whatever she had been remembering had torn her up. They may have escaped the mountain, but she had paid dearly for it.

"Aerlaer, are you well?" Aragorn asked quietly, and Legolas's temper finally snapped. He glared angrily at the Ranger.

"Does she look well?" He growled. "You knew we were taking that road when we left. Why did you not bring torches?" Legolas hissed, and the Ranger looked at him helplessly, his eyes full of pain and remorse.

"Forgive me, I did not think it through well enough." He said regretfully, and Legolas suddenly felt guilty for snapping. "If I had known, Legolas I would not have asked it of her." He added sadly. Mutely, Legolas nodded. He felt Gimli place a hand on his arm.

"We better press on." The Dwarf rumbled softly, and Aragorn nodded, eyes cast down. He walked a few meters ahead with Gimli following, leaving Legolas alone for a moment with Aerlaer, who had remained silent during their exchange of words. He was glad to note she no longer shook.

"Aerlaer, we must go." He murmured and released her. She nodded but would not look at him and stepped forward after Aragorn. He followed her, wishing to know the truth, know what or perhaps who had hurt her so deeply. Instead he remained silent as they ran down the steep ravine, the presence of the dead following closely behind.

...

As they ran, Aerlaer carefully pushed those beautiful but painful memories that had enabled them to escape from the mountain back into the far reaches of her mind and heart. It was however proving difficult.

She'd had glimpses of those memories in the past few days, but not enough to cause her as much distress as letting the floodgates crash open. Now she had relived them after all these years, she only felt numb by the lies her own father had made her believe.

Legolas ran closely by her side as they bounded down through the ravine and every now and then glanced at her, worry in his eyes. What had shaken her deeper than any memory; the very real fear of nearly losing him down the deep pit in the mountain.

Nothing had felt more reassuring that he was indeed safe, when he had embraced her once they had left the cave. His heartbeat had calmed her. For all the pain mingled joy of those memories, somehow, she felt cleansed. As if she had walked beneath a raging fall and come out the other side better. It was time to fully let go, something her very fea had never been able to for the pain it caused to forsake all hope.

Now, it only felt free. Wistful, yet free.

She realised he was watching her again and tilted her head towards him.

"I am well, do not worry so."

"I am not convinced." He replied, furrowing his brows. She inwardly sighed.

"I am glad we did not lose you down that hole." She offered. "Does that not constitute as well?"

"Well for me, but I will not believe you are well until it is your smile that lights up the darkness." He replied, and she shook her head, feeling a little lighter of heart and a small smile playing on her lips at his words as they ran on.

Quite suddenly they arrived as if from a crack in the rock wall now behind them into the uplands of a great vale. The stream they had been following flowed on and came down in many waterfalls before them. Aerlaer gazed down at the vale's natural beauty.

"The dead still follow." Legolas commented beside her and Aerlaer turned and saw the pale wispy shapes of men and horses and even the tattered remains of flags they proudly held. Gathered behind them.

"Where in Middle Earth are we?" Gimli asked uncertainly as they gazed down below to where tiny lights shone far below indicating the dwellings of many men in the vale below.

"The Morthond Vale." Aragorn replied and jogged forward. "Come we must reach the Stone of Erech by midnight." He called back to them and Aerlaer followed him down the path with Legolas and Gimli just behind her. As they crossed over the swift stream upon a bridge. The green trees and soft, springy grass underfoot was a welcoming change from the dead pines and the stone of the mountain ravine.

Aerlaer breathed in the cool, refreshing air which came with twilight. Such was her joy of being amongst the green again she nudged Legolas playfully and with a smirk and a challenge in her eyes, dashed down into the cool vale, the other Elf running swiftly behind her, only just managing to keep up. After half a mile she paused to wait for Aragorn and Gimli to catch up and Legolas came to stand before her grinning.

"Now I believe you are well again." He said happily, and she grinned at him. Their two companions caught up to them and as they entered the village in the bottom of the vale, she heard voices calling out in fear that the Army of the Dead were passing. Lights were extinguished, and doors closed securely as they ran silently through the dwelling, the spirits following.

Thank you to the following reviewers:

RachelTW - Thank you for such a lovely review! Glad you are enjoying the set out of the story and its good to know it feels realistic to the reader. Hope you keep on enjoying it, some of my favorite to write chapters are coming up soon!

Riley Vaughn - Thank you!

EmberBeastie - So... how are those pots going? you might need them for the next couple chapters! :D

Aralinn - Unfortunately she thought none of that through as she was ignoring him because she was in a right strop haha! They are getting closer though! Happy reading!

ScreamingTomCat - Delving a bit too far, but it kind of works. you'll see what I mean soon enough. Think you'll love the chapts to come!

littleMissMarie10 - I feel like some drug lord, except I'm getting peeps hooked on stories not drugs! Great to know you are enjoying it and the twins antics!