First, let me say that I have been trying to post this chapter since last Tuesday, but for some reason I couldn't upload it from any computer I tried to do it on. Okay, now that that is said; thank you very much for your reviews and I hope some of you like this chapter better than the last few chapters. I know I used a lot of movie dialogue but that was because I needed to have a few filler chapters before the action began and I still hadn't figured out where to place Carita in the mix. This one starts out movie-ish, but it becomes my own after the first couple of paragraphs. Again, thank you all very much for your reviews and as I ask every time, please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 32

Carita was walking towards the main hall to see what Pippin was up to and to check on Denethor to see if he was still looking into the stone like she felt he had been; that was the reason to his madness. However, Denethor and Pippin were not the only ones in the hall. "I will not yield the river and Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be retaken," Denethor said from his seat at a long table and Faramir lowered his head and took a breath before he looked at his father.

"My lord, Osgiliath is overrun," Faramir told him and Denethor shook his head.

"Much must be risked in war. Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?" Denethor asked and Carita narrowed her eyes as she walked further into the hall and closed the distance between her and the men. Denethor was saying that Faramir had no courage and subtly Carita knew he was dismissing his youngest son for his oldest.

"You wish now that our places had been exchanged. That I had died and Boromir had lived," Faramir said, pain all to evident in his tone. Denethor looked at Faramir and Carita could make out no hesitation or no lie in his eyes.

"Yes, I wish that," Denethor said. Carita could easily see Faramir break, but the man would not show it.

"Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead," Faramir said before he turned. His eyes fell on Carita and she looked at him. She shook her head and stepped towards him with her hand out, but Faramir shook his head and held up his hand for her to stop. He turned to look at his father once more. "If I should return, think better of me, father." Faramir turned towards the door and started to walk away when Denethor spoke.

"That will depend on the manner of your return," Denethor said before he began to eat his meal and Faramir paused before he continued on.

"You are mad," Carita hissed in anger as she stormed over to the table where Denethor sat and the man looked up at her. "You send your son, whom you show no love for to his death and wish it upon him!" Her voice echoed about the hall, but Faramir continued on and Pippin stared at Carita with wide eyes while Denethor's only narrowed.

"Be silent you mindless woman!" Denethor shouted and Carita scoffed.

"I may be a woman but I am not mindless, I assure you that," Carita said. "You sit to eat while your people and soldiers die around you. You've let this glorious city fall to ruin. You do not deserve the title of Steward, you do not deserve the position you hold, and soon it shall be taken from you." Denethor stood with such force he threw his heavy wooden chair to the floor.

"Silence or I shall throw you into the dungeons," Denethor threatened and Pippin watched with wide eyes, but knew not what to say.

"Try it," she hissed as she closed the distance between her and Denethor and stood merely feet from him. "Try to have your guards take me away from speaking the truth to you."

"Guards!" Denethor shouted and four armed men charged at her swords drawn but lowered. Carita practically growled at Denethor before she turned and looked at the guards.

"No!" Pippin exclaimed, but the men were closing in on her. Without drawing her sword, she moved with all her speed away from them and turned around when the came to a stop and then turned to look at her. Denethor looked startled, but his eyes settled upon Carita before the guards'.

"You fools, she is behind you!" Denethor shouted and pointed at her.

"Stop!" Carita exclaimed as she held out her hands as they turned and made to charge her once more. "I do not want to harm any of you," she told them as she turned her palms up and Denethor laughed.

"Harm? What harm can you do?" Denethor asked.

"You don't want to know," Pippin said quietly, and Carita smiled at hearing his quiet words.

"Seize her!" Denethor shouted angrily and the guards went after her once more. Carita sighed and with her speed once more she avoided the guards, moved quickly to Denethor, and grabbed Denethor by his robes.

"You do not know what your actions have led to," she hissed in his ear and Denethor whimpered as her fingers dug into his upper arm, her height and strength an advantage against the aging man. "Try to throw me in the dungeons, do as you please, but know all you have done during your reign has brought nothing but death to you people," she finished before she pushed Denethor away from her and against the table. The guards shouted as they came after her, but just as she had before she avoided them and left the Citadel in a flash. Denethor screamed and banged his fists on the table.

"Send word that if anyone is to see Gandalf's female companion, she is to be brought before my council immediately," Denethor called and one of his guards nodded their head before he quickly left to send word to the other guards that remained in the city. Pippin stood confused and frightened for what was to happen to Carita, but he knew that if he was to go after her, his fate would not be much better than what hers was about to become.

Legolas rode on top of Arod with Gimli behind him as their party came into Dunharrow. His eyes scanned the men around them and instantly he knew that their numbers were not large enough to fight the foes of Mordor. "Make way for the king. Make way!" a rider in the encampment shouted as he ushered others out of the path.

"The king is here!" another shouted.

"Grimbold, How many?" Theoden called to a man that stood with a few others.

"I bring five hundred men from the Westfold, my Lord," Grimbold called back.

"We have three hundred more from Fenmarch, Theoden King," Gamilng said as he rode his horse next to Theoden and Theoden sighed as he looked about the party and continued to ride on.

"Where are the riders from Snowbourne?" Theoden asked with a frown.

"None have come, my lord," Gamling said and they continued on towards the cliff top. Once they reached the top of their encampment, Legolas dismounted Arod and helped Gimli from the horses back before he looked about the camp.

There was something unsettling about the air around them and he could not put his finger on the sensations that were running through him. The horses around them tried to break free from the bindings, and they were restless; much like Legolas' mind at that time. Legolas and Gimli walked over to Éomer and the elf looked at the man.

"The horses are restless and the men are quiet," Legolas said quietly and Éomer sighed as he put down the heavy saddle and looked to the mountain's pass.

"They grow nervous near the shadow of the mountain," Éomer said. Gimli's eyes narrowed as he saw the pathway between the cliff face and his curiosity was peaked.

"That road there, where does that lead?" Gimli asked and Legolas followed Gimli's eyes.

"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door under the mountain," Legolas said and his own eyes narrowed.

"None who venture there ever return. That mountain is evil," Éomer said before he turned and walked away. Legolas sighed and walked towards the pass, but turned a different path. However, he could not shake the feeling that something other than the unsettling air was going on.

Carita sighed as she came to a stop and slid down the wall of a narrow alley that she had found refuge in on the sixth level of the city. She did not want to be too far from the Citadel, but she knew she could not remain where she was. However, she needed rest as she used far too much energy.

Carita closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and there she sat for an hour before footsteps upon the stone caught her attention. Her eyes snapped open and she saw a Gondorian soldier coming her way. A bundle was in his arms, but she figured it to be rope to bind her with if he had found her. Slowly, she got to her feet. If he was about to throw her in the dungeon she had no choice, she was not able to flee with speed and her energy was too gone to battle for her freedom.

"You are the one they are looking for," he told her and she nodded her head.

"Aye, that I am," Carita said as she squared her shoulders and met the dark haired man's grey eyes evenly. "If you have come to take me to your Steward," she nearly spat the title but continued, "then I will not fight you. I have not the strength."

"My lady, I do not intend to take you to the Steward," he said calmly and Carita frowned as he unfolded a thick and heavy cloak. The bundle he carried was a dark blue cloak and not rope as she had thought. "My wife and son spotted you as they came back from the market. I had came home to sit for lunch with them when they told me," he said. "The words you spoke to the Steward have spread through the guards like flame to dry grass, and many of us agree with your words. I have come to offer you refuge within my home." Carita was speechless, but she did not know if she could trust the man's words. "My lady, I swear to you on the life of my son that I speak no lie to you," he said when he saw the doubt in Carita's eyes.

"Before I accept your offer, tell me your name," Carita said and the man gave her a smile.

"Beregond, my lady," he said.

"I am Carita, Beregond, and I will accept your offer with the utmost thanks," she said and his smile grew before he bowed his head.

"Quickly then, put on this cloak and I shall lead you to my home," Beregond said. "It is just up the path." Carita nodded and with Beregond's help put on the cloak and hood before he ushered her down the street and into a small, modest home. Once inside, Carita lowered her hood to find a dark haired woman and a young boy looking at her with wide, but kind eyes. "Lady Carita, this is my wife, Landria and our son Barrison," Beregond said after he closed the door tightly behind him.

"Are you hungry?" Landria asked and Carita gave her a smile and shook her head.

"No, I am not, but thank you," Carita told her kindly and Landria nodded her head.

"Sit," Beregond said as he motioned near the fire. "Warm yourself." Carita smiled and did as he said as she would not tell him that she did not feel the chill as he did. "Keep her out of the line of the windows, and if any that saw me usher her in come to you and ask tell them you ill sister had journeyed for you to watch over her." Landria nodded her head. "And Barrison if you see your friends, do not let them know of her presence here." Barrison nodded.

"I won't papa, I promise," Barrison said and Beregond smiled and patted his son's head.

"I will be back at nightfall," Beregond said before he kissed Landria's cheek before he looked at Carita. He bowed his head to her before he turned and left the house. Carita looked at the woman and her son and smiled, hoping against hope that her time with them would not be awkward.

"Come my friend," Legolas said quietly as he fastened his saddle onto Arod's back. "We have a journey to make with our friends." He led Arod towards where he found Aragorn standing with Brego and talking to Gimli.

"Not this time. This time you must stay, Gimli," Aragorn said as Legolas closed the distance and the elf brought the horse to a stop next to Aragorn as Gimli huffed.

"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" Legolas asked with a smile and Aragorn looked at him with a sigh.

"You might as well accept it. We're going with you laddie," Gimli said as he stood and Aragorn turned his eyes to the dwarf before he nodded briefly. The three of them mounted their horses, Legolas helping Gimli onto Arod's back, and soon they were on their way through the passageway.

"Your hospitality and kindness this day, Landria, is greatly appreciated," Carita said as she settled into a chair near the fire a cup of hot tea in hand. Landria, Beregond's wife smiled kindly as she settled into a chair across from Carita.

"You're a companion to Mithrandir," Landria said, "and my husband regards the wizard highly." Landria sighed quietly and ran her finger around the rim of her cup. "And our Steward has had better days."

"Denethor's mind has been slipping since his wife's passing," Carita said before she took a drink of her tea. "There is little doubt in that, but I had hoped for him to see reason. However, all I found was him sending his last heir into battle without so much as a care for whether or not he returns." Landria nodded and turned her blue eyes to the dancing flames.

"I could not imagine it," Landria said into the flames.

"Imagine what?" Carita asked quietly and the woman looked at her.

"I could not imagine sending my son into battle, especially now," Landria said. "It is hard enough for me to see my husband in his armor, let alone sending him to the lines. My empty minutes are filled with nothing but worry for him, that Barrison will not know his father as he should. Our son is only nine summers, and for that I am thankful because I will not send him away as I do my husband." Carita gave her a sad smile and lowered her cup to her lap.

"Landria, you have just shown me something that for many years I have over looked," Carita said and Landria frowned as she looked at her. "In my life, I have fought many battles with a blade. That is one of my strengths, but I do not know if I shall ever have yours. I do not know if I will ever be strong enough to send my love away not knowing if he'll return." Landria blushed slightly and lowered her eyes to her cup before she looked at Carita.

"You may envy my strength, but I envy yours even more," Landria said. "You seem to fear nothing." Carita bit back a sigh but forced a smile. Little did Landria know Carita feared one other thing aside from the Nazgul and that was a certain blonde elf that rode with the men of Rohan and just what his fate would be in the battle to come.