When the boats arrived at Osgiliath, Aragorn's was first to the dock. He, Legolas and Gimli were hunkered down beneath the rail as the ship came to a creaking halt in front of the city. Aragorn looked to his comrades and signaled for them to be still.
"Late as usual! Get off those stinking ships…there's knife work needs doing down here!"
"If he insists…" Aragorn said with a smirk. He leapt from the deck of the ship, followed by Gimli and Legolas. The three of them stood on the dock and stared casually at the orcs in front of them.
"There's plenty for the both of us…may the best dwarf win!" Gimli muttered as the three of them charged the orcs, the great green host disembarking behind them.
The ghosts tore through the river city as if the bonds of earth had no claim on them. They burst on to the field of battle and obliterated company after company of orcs. Intara paid no heed to the bodies of the horses and Rohirrim scattered about. It didn't matter to her as long as this army died today. Intara was amazed as she saw the ghosts overrun one of the great oliphants and slaughter everyone on board. The cave trolls were next and then more orcs. A deep swatch was cut through the ranks of Sauron's army. Rohirrim and Rangers stopped and watched as their enemies were cut down by the ethereal green haze.
For the first time Intara felt as if it were vital she remain with the rest of the host. There was strength to be had in numbers and the solitary fighting style of a ranger was just not going to work in this environment. She relished the feeling of belonging and took satisfaction in every drop of blood spilled.
The battlefield fell silent except for the occasional groans of the wounded and dying. It was done. The army of the dead had poured into the city, killing all of the orcs that had invaded. Once they were sure every last orc had been killed, they filed out slowly, some looking up at the white walls of Minas Tirith and remembering when they had once lived in the homes with their families. From the highest level of the city, it looked as if a green mist had amassed on the Palenor fields.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stood in awe as the army of the dead stood near them and grew silent themselves.
"Release us." The leader breathed. Intara moved forward and stood beside him looking at Aragorn.
"I wouldn't do that." Gimli said quickly. "They're very handy in a tight spot, despite them being dead." The leader growled suddenly.
"You gave us your word!" He shouted, he took a step towards Intara and lifted her above his head, crushing her windpipe in his strong hand. "We told you what would occur if you broke it!" Intara kicked her feet trying to free herself from the ghost's hold as she felt his fingers dig into her throat.
"I hold your oaths fulfilled." Aragorn said quickly as he stepped forward. The ghost stopped and slowly lowered Intara back to the ground. "Be at peace." The ghost general stared at Aragorn for a moment before grinning slightly.
"You are an honorable man Aragorn, son of Arathorn." The old general said, inclining his head. A breeze blew softly across the battlefield and dissolved the host before their eyes.
"What of Intara!?" Aragorn said stepping forward and shouting at the general as he began to fade. "You said you would release her!"
"And so she shall be…." The voice sighed on the breeze. A harsher wind blew back across the field and kicked up piles of dirt, lashing at the skin of anyone standing too close.
Intara suddenly screamed. It felt as if she were being pulled in a thousand directions. She dropped to her knees, eyes wide and staring at the boat where her body lay. A strong pull from that direction violently yanked at her. She latched onto the grass beneath her still ghostly fingertips and stared up at Aragorn.
"There is someone there…" She screamed again as the pulling sensation grew stronger, feeling as if it would draw her inside out.
"Legolas, go!" Aragorn and Legolas raced across the field to where the boats still sat dockside. A keening filled the air around them and passed by on the strong breeze at their backs.
"We'll never make it!" Aragorn began to despair. If someone was on the boat with Intara, they might try to destroy her body. Her spirit would then be forced to wander Middle Earth forever and she'd never find the rest that she so desired. He'd never forgive himself if that happened.
"I will." Legolas put on an extra burst of speed and seemed to fly over the ground. In a moment he was little more than a speck darting through the streets of Osgiliath.
Legolas leapt aboard the ship, bow drawn and arrow knocked, and raced down to the cabin where he had placed Intara's body earlier.
Intara felt the first burning breath of air fill her un-used lungs and she opened her eyes, coughing. Above her was the shocked face of an orc. Frightened it raised its short sword to kill the woman, but she was faster. She fumbled with her own knife for a moment before she drove it into its neck and watched as it drew one final, gurgling breath and died beside the bed. Legolas came down the stairs to the cabin in time to see the creature fall and saw Intara breathing heavily on the bed, as if she had run the distance between the battlefield and the ship and not he.
"Intara?" She coughed in response and flopped heavily back on the bed. She felt heavy and slow and found it difficult to sit up. Legolas rushed to her side and helped her rise slowly. "Are you alright?"
"Well enough." She whispered. Aragorn's heavy footfalls sounded on the deck above them and he leapt into the cabin to see the dead orc beside Intara's bed.
"Diola lle, Legolas."
"I did nothing." Legolas said. "It was she…"
"I'm too stubborn to allow for any help." She coughed again. Her words seemed slurred and thick, as if she were recovering from a stroke. She shook her head clearing it of the cobwebs that clouded her mind.
"How do you feel?" Aragorn asked as he knelt before her. She swayed slightly before answering.
"Heavy….slow." She almost fell backwards, but Aragorn grasped her arm and kept her upright. "Weighted down and most of all, dizzy."
"Let's get her off the boat." Aragorn looked to Legolas who picked the woman up and carried her off the ship.
"I want to walk." She whispered against the elf's shoulder. She did not want to appear weak.
"You can't. You said yourself that you felt heavy and dizzy…a combination that would make it difficult for you, I'm sure." Aragorn said. They found a cart in Osgiliath and managed to find a wandering horse to hitch to it. Aragorn led the horse towards Minas Tirith and began to assess the damage that the orcs had wrought on his city.
It took Intara the better part of a day to regain her senses. Just as it had taken her time to get used to the weightless feeling of being without a body, it was taking her time to get used to the feeling of being confined to a body again. She forced the healers away from her and insisted on walking about the city and up to the top of the citadel where she knew Aragorn and Gandalf were. As she went along she gathered bits and pieces of what had happened before her arrival on the river and that now, with Aragorn's return, Minas Tirith had a rekindled hope.
Aragorn berated her for being out of bed so soon. She waited until he was finished telling her the hazard's of going against the advice of the healers and then spoke her mind.
"Of the two of us, Aragorn, who is the eldest?"
"Well, you are…but…"
"Enough said then." Intara walked away slowly, her left leg dragging still from where she'd been hurt in the mountains before Lorien. He shook his head and followed her into the throne room.
She reclined against the stairs at the base of the throne of Gondor while Gimli sat smoking in the Stewards chair.
The assemblage before her looked as if every race of the free peoples of Middle Earth had been assembled to the city of Minas Tirith. Legolas was representing the elves and Gimli the dwarves. Aragorn stood for the men of Gondor and Eomer for Rohan. Eomer was standing in the place of his uncle, King Theoden as the monarch had fallen during the battle. Intara had heard a few rumors that his niece, Eowyn, had slain the witch king of agmar in order to prevent him from slaying the king, but the king had sustained injuries far too great in the battle and died anyway. They were only rumors though and Intara wasn't sure she could believe them. Merry and Pippin were chatting animatedly about the past battle and were the only hobbits present. Gandalf paced back and forth across the white marble floors muttering to himself. Intara watched as they all spoke about the events that had led them to stand where they were. In all of it, she wasn't quite sure where she figured into it. Everyone else had their place, but where was hers? Was she for the elves of Rivendell? Perhaps she was more aligned with the Rangers of the north…or what of the lands to the west and the place of her birth? It troubled her slightly that she didn't know. She was gratefully distracted from her thoughts when the conversation turned to what they were to do now.
"I say we let him rot." Gimli's head was ringed with smoke and Intara smirked. The dwarf was happy and had plenty of mead to drink and weed for his pipe. He didn't care about much else in the near future.
"What of Frodo?" Gandalf asked. "He is still on the road to Mount Doom. Ten thousand Orcs stand between him and the mountain."
"Were I him, I'd be hoping for a distraction." Intara spoke slowly and softly, not sure of her place in this council of war. "Something to draw the attention of the orcs and divert the gaze of Sauron."
Gandalf muttered something that Intara could not hear.
"She's right." Aragorn said. "There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time... and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."
"How?" Gimli said still puffing away on his pipe. Intara slid further away from the dwarf fearing that he might ignite as the smoke grew denser.
"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." Aragorn looked to the others in the room, trying to convince them of his idea. Gimli almost choked.
"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Eomer said, a sour look passing across his face. "It would be suicide."
"Sometimes, victory for all must mean a suicidal act by one." Intara said rising slowly to her feet as she joined the circle.
"A diversion." Legolas said nodding.
"Sauron will expect a trap…he will not take the bait." Gandalf sided with Eomer. He knew that Frodo's quest depended on getting across Gorgoroth, but was not sure that the sacrifice of thousands of men was the answer.
"Certainty of death, small chance of success…what are we waiting for?" All turned to look at the dwarf who still puffed passively on his pipe. "Luck would seem to be on our side thus far."
Aragorn called Intara to the room he'd been given two nights later.
"I know you won't stay behind. I know it is futile." He said grinning.
"That's good. Even if you asked me to stay here, you know I'd follow."
"And if I ordered you?" He stood on his balcony and wouldn't face her. Intara shrugged.
"It isn't your place to order me. I am not a servant of Gondor, I am a servant of the Lord Elrond."
Aragorn nodded and turned back towards her. "Go to the armory and get yourself some armor."
"No." Aragorn turned back to face her as she stood defiantly at the door. "I'll not wear the white tree of Gondor."
"Intara, don't be so obstinate." Aragorn said as he came closer. "That is a foolish notion to carry about before going into battle. You can't go in unprotected!"
"I'll wear the other armor. It's still good except for the place where the male is dented and cut. I'll have it repaired on the morrow." Impulsively she reached out and touched her cousin's arm. "I will not wear the colors of Gondor. I am not of the city."
"I just want you to be protected in battle."
"I will be. Do not worry for me so. There are far bigger things for you to be concerned with than my safety." She moved off and disappeared in to get her armor.
Diola lle—Thank you