Hello once more! Christmas is nearly upon us, and work is getting more and more hetic! But yet I have found the time to write another chapter. This one is longer than usual as I'm gonna be pretty busy over the next few weeks but I promise to have the next chapter up for christmas! Again I apologise for any errors but I'm a tad hungover today and can't really spot them! Enjoy.
The sky was still grey as the rode the path, sparse tree branches scratched at her neck and face. A silent dread fell over them and Elanor could feel Aeglos tense beneath her as if ready to bolt. They rode single file, so narrow was the path. Aragorn led the way and Elanor rode behind her fellow rangers, following Talin. They had passed lines of ancient stone, most likely unseen by the eyes of men for hundreds of years. Under the gloomy, darkened trees Elanor felt cold and restless. She glanced up ahead at Legolas and saw that look very much the same. Even her father and uncle, who followed behind her, were grim faced and quiet. In fact nobody had spoken much since they had entered the mountain. They moved onwards, the footfalls of their horses falling dead on the damp ground until they reached a shear face of rock, and there in the wall, gaping at them like a dark mouth, stood the Dark Door. Writings, unknown to Elanor, were carves across its archway to dim to be read. Elanor could feel her heart shiver as fear flowed from the Door like the mist at their feet. Elanor could feel Aeglos trembling beneath her and lent forward, resting her cheek against the horse's neck and softly stroking her side.
Suddenly Aragorns horse reared, lifting its front hooves from the ground and stamping down hard. The other horses, spooked by Brego, began to panic, even Aeglos who had been so steadfast, pawed angrily at the ground. Mannen let out a yell as his horse reared and tried to turn back, unable to do so in the narrow road. Aragorn leapt from Brego and grabbed at its reins. He brought the animal to calm and looked around. The horses had stilled, though not from Aragorns actions but from fear. The riders dismounted and looked to Aragorn but it was Elrohir, who spoke out to him.
"Bid you remember the words of the seer Aragorn; 'The Dead awaken; for the hour is come for the oathbreakers. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the North shall he come, need shall drive him: he shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead.'"
An eerie silence fell upon them and they stared back into the darkness. Suddenly Gimli gave a loud huff,
"I said I would go with you even on the Paths of the Dead and I will, to whatever end they may lead." said the dwarf.
Legolas smiled. "Elves do not fear the dead." He said. "The ghosts of men hold no terror in my heart."
"Then I also have nothing to fear." Elanor said aloud and Elrohir nodded with a smile.
"This is an evil door," Edain said quietly, "and my death lies beyond it. But I will pass it nonetheless. But the horses will not enter."
Aragorn handed the reins back to Mannen and walked back to Brego, his face set in grim determination. Mannen looked to Raef who simply nodded and tightened his hands around his own reins.
"But we must go in, and therefore so must our horses." Then Aragorn led the way and such was his strength that all the Dunedain and their horses felt compelled to follow him. Elanor watched as Aragorn disappeared into the dark. But Arod, the horse which bore both Legolas and Gimli, was a horse of Rohan and refused to move and stood sweating in fear. Then Legolas softly laid a hand across his eyes and sang words, until he suffered to be led and Legolas led him in. Gimli stood alone, staring into the depths.
"Well this is unheard of!" he exclaimed, "An elf will go underground where a dwarf dare not!"
Elanor gave a soft laugh at Gimli's cry and watched as the dwarf plunged himself through the Door. Elanor kept her heart steady and tightened her grip of Aeglos' reins, trusting her to follow. The love that the horses had for their riders was so great that they willed themselves to be led in the dark and Elanor was ever glad to have the comforting warm of Aeglos' breathe upon her neck. Elanor waited as Edain and Talin crossed the threshold after Aragorn, followed by Raef, Mannen, Adan and Isil. One by one she watched her fellow rangers pass the door until finally, taking a deep breath, she crossed into darkness.
Elanor could see nothing but the dim flame of the torches held by Aragorn with one in front and Elladan with another at the rear. The relentless chill still stung bitterly at Elanors face and there seemed an endless whisper of words that Elanor could not make out. The ground was hard and cold beneath her feet and something crunched as she walked but she dare not look down. The stifling dark encompassed her making the air seem thick, like the darkness could swallow her. Nothing stood in their path and no danger threatened them yet Elanor could not stop the steadily growing fear as she went on; most of all because she knew that there could be no turning back.
Time went on and the path had widened as far as she could tell when suddenly the company came to a stop. Elanor looked up and realised they had stopped. A heavy dread fell upon her and she could hardly walk another step. She peered past the others in front to see why they had stopped. Something to the left, away from the path glinted in the gloom as Aragorn moved over to it and his torch drew nearer. Elanor inched forward until she stood along side Legolas and Arod. She saw Aragorn kneel down and pass his torch to Edain who held it aloft. Elanor stifled a gasp as before her were the bones of a man, still clad in mail. Around his waist hung a belt of gold, the same rich gold which was on the helm that covered his bony head that hung downward towards the floor. His body had fallen upon the cave floor and as the light grew nearer Elanor could make out a door closed fast as if carved from the wall itself. The dead mans hands were still clawing at the cracks and his sword lay notched and broken as if he had hewn at the rock at the very ends of his despair.
Nobody dared to touch him and after a moment of silence, Aragorn rose and sighed.
"Where does it lead?" Isil asked, he voice sounding deafening in the stillness of the cave. "Why would he pass?"
"None will ever know." Aragorn answered him, walking back to Brego. He turned and looked behind them and spoke to the whispering dark; "Speed is what we ask now. Keep your hoards and secrets! Come! Let us pass."
There was no answer, not that he expected one but the whispering had stopped and was replaced with a silence that Elanor found much worse. Then a sudden blast of air rushed past them. The torches flickered and then went out, refusing to relight despite Edains best efforts. But Aragorn would not stop. He pressed on, the others following.
Elanor walked in the grip of horror that seemed to hang above her, waiting to seize her. She stumbled on, wondering if the darkness would ever end or whether she would fall into the madness of her fear when a sudden warmth grabbed her hand. Elanor jumped in the dark but warm relief flowed through her as Legolas' soft voice whispered in her ear. In that moment she knew not what he said, neither did she care for all she needed was the soft touch of his hand in hers and his comforting voice. She looked over to him and she could almost make out the features of his face. It was then Elanor realised the cave had brightened. The company mounted again and rode in file. Aeglos trotted slowly following Arod, snorting softly. Elanor could not shake the fear clawing at her back and she looked up and saw Legolas glance behind him. She smiled at him but his eyes were fixed on something behind her. She turned slowly and saw Elladan riding behind them, the last of the company, but not the last that took that road. Elanor blinked as something pale like a shred cloud floated past the corner of her eye.
"The Dead are following." said Legolas. "I see shapes of men and horses."
Elanor gasped and saw Elladan nod. "Yes, the Dead are coming. They have been summoned."
Elanor turned about in her saddle, looking back as they rode. She knew she should be afraid but some unpleasant intrigue in her forced her to look. But she never saw more than a floating wisp.
Someway ahead of them light grew and the company passed another high arched gateway that led to a large circular space walled by stone arches carved into high ragged cliffs that stood stark against a darkened sky. It was as though someone had made a royal hall from the walls of the cave. They rode out to the middle and dismounted, waiting patiently for something. The shadowy mist that lingered around their feet now shone green in the light and seemed to float towards Aragorn from the walls of the cave. The mist swirled upwards and a ghostly, half dead face appeared in the greenish haze before him. Elanor stood amazed as a body emerged from the mist and hovered in front of them. It stood taller than Aragorn, its face shifting between ghostly flesh and a hollow eyed skull as it stared down at him. Upon its head was the resemblance of a crown and its body was clad in torn shadowy armour.
"Who enters my domain?"
A voice boomed around the empty hall. Elanor knew it was the ghost that spoke but its mouth never moved. Aragorn steeled himself and spoke; "One who would have your allegiance."
The ghost looked at him with what Elanor could only guess as surprise.
"The Dead do not suffer the living to pass."
"You will suffer me." Aragorn growled. The King of the Dead let out an echoing laugh, one that low and rumbling from the back of its throat. The cold wind ran through them again and suddenly they were surrounded by the Dead, thousands upon thousands of ghostly green figures, pale faces glowing in the dark, each one still wearing the armour they died in. Elanor immediately reached for her sword and withdrew it, noticing the others did the same.
"What kind of army is this?" Adan asked alarmed, his sword raised high.
"One that is cursed." Edain said grimly.
Elanor swallowed. She had heard the stories; 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. These were the men that now surrounded them, mere shadows of their former lives, phantom soldiers, restless souls. A cruel sneer spread across the dead king's face.
"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."
In a blink Legolas released his arrow and it flew straight through the Dead as if through thin air. The cave filled with the whispering laughter of the Dead but Aragorn stood fearlessly. "I summon you to fulfil your oath."
The King of the Dead sneered at him. "None but the King of Gondor may command me."
Aragorn glared at the ghost and slowly raised his sword, the flat of the blade shining directly onto the face of the dead king. The King of the Deads hollowed face contorted and it sneered down at Aragorn. With something akin to a growl the dead king lifted his sword and brought it down quickly towards Aragorns head. The ranger parried the blow easily and grabbed the ghost by the throat. The shock was clear on the dead mans face as Aragorn tightened his hold. The King of the Dead gasped in a vain attempt to get air, some innate reaction left from his days amongst the living.
"That line was broken."
"It has been remade." Aragorn growled and released the ghost, turning away to address the surrounding Dead. "Fight for you and regain your honour."
He turned and walked through the Dead army, the soldiers shuffling and looking around uncertain. "I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled!" Aragorn yelled out to them as they watched him, unable to decide. "What say you?! You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death!"
Slowly the Dead began to fade, their faces disappearing back into the walls of the cave.
"What say you?!" Aragorn cried out at their retreating backs.
"Stand, you traitors!" Gimli bellowed, his axe swinging dangerously.
The wind whipped up around them and the mist blew, rolling away across the floor. Suddenly the ground began to shake and the floor cracked beneath their feet.
"Get Out!" Aragorn screamed. The horses panicked as the walls of the cave began to give way, debris falling down upon them. The animals bolted and fled towards a narrow opening on the far side of the wall. Aragorn yelled out to follow and the company darted after them. The walls continued to fall mercilessly around them and Elanor screamed in horror as she saw it was not rock that fell but human bones. Another deafening crack rang out and skulls bounced down from above and she pushed on, her heart pounding. She stumbled breathlessly running now on instinct and fear.
Finally Elanor made it to the passage and glanced back just as a final landslide of bone closed the gap behind her. Elanor stopped, breathing hard. She blinked in the dim light and looked around her. She couldn't see any of the others and began to panic. She hadn't even been looking for them-she just ran. What if they hadn't made it? What if..? She shook her head, not even allowing the thoughts to enter her mind. Elanor reached out with her hand and, finding the wall of the passage way, began to walk towards the small sliver of light.
"Elanor?" Legolas' voice echoed down the passage.
Elanor sighed and called back to him, smiling in relief when his face came into view. His hand went immediately to her face, brushing against her softly. "Are you hurt?" he asked her quietly. Elanor shook her head and lent into his touch. "Come. The others are just ahead." Legolas gently took her hand and lead her up and out of a small opening. Elanor blinked as she stepped into the light and found herself standing atop a steep, grass covered field, the mountain looming behind her. A river flowed below and looked around, wondering where they had come out. Elanor smiled as she saw the rest of their group but her relief was short lived when she saw the look on Aragorns face. Grim and beaten, his face hung in despair as he looked out upon the river and Elanor could see why. On the horizon, billowing black sails of black ships appeared, floating down towards them.
"The Corsairs of Umbar." She heard Legolas say beside her, "Raiders from the south." He explained when he saw her confused look.
"On their way to Gondor." She said with a whisper, understanding Aragorns pain. A morbid silence fell over the group and Elanor watched as their brave captain sank to his knees in despair. A noise from the cave attracted their attention. Elanor turned and stumble back in surprise. The others looked back to the mountain and gasped as the King of the Dead appeared, looking none less fearful in the morning light. Aragorn stood and walked towards him, holding its gaze. The dead king looked back with hollow eyes and spoke in a raspy, lifeless voice.
"We fight."
Well... that was a mix from the book and the movie. Hope it wasn't too bad! I just love the Undead army!