A/N: I own nothing. And oh yeah, Lemons.
**Chapter 30**
**Deirdre's POV**
I suppose somewhere in the world, there are people who have never been on a road trip, people who have never ridden in the car through the night and into the evening of the next day, or spent long hours sitting on their asses. I had never been one of those people. And just like there are those people there are people who have never ridden a horse and felt the pain of sitting in a saddle too long. Well, I had been one of those people up until I had come to Middle Earth, aside from a few short times riding horses with my friend. But, the ride from Edoras to our camp was hell on my ass. At least on the ride from Isenguard, I wasn't weighed down with my clothing, weapons, and armor.
By the time that I dismounted my horse once we had reached the top of the mountain, I was thinking that when I tried to walk there would be some breeze from my missing butt. Unfortunately, there was only the pain of riding a horse in heavy armor for too long.
However, we did manage some luck it seemed. As we had arrived with King Theoden and his entourage, the camp around us was already set up for the most part. But that didn't mean that our personal tents were already set up. Instead, I sat there staring at the tent that was yet to be assembled. It was little more than rope, sticks, and cloth. The only tents that I had ever set up had tent poles, stakes, and sleeves to put the poles through. So I held a stick and the cloth in my hand and pondered how it worked.
"One would think you had never seen a tent before, melethnin." Legolas' voice came from behind me.
"Oh, I have spent plenty of time in a tent before. However, mine always had room for five to ten people and a mud room to take your shoes off in." I responded with a smile, before grumbling. "And doors."
He looked at me with a raised brow, confused at how complex my tent had been. I felt like a spoiled rich child. But instead of saying anything, he just shook his head with a smile and began setting up my tent for me. A frown crossed my face; I knew that it wouldn't be long before our party split once more and approach the battle from two different paths.
After waiting a few minutes longer as Legolas constructed the tent, I rose from my place watching him and wrapped my arms around his torso from behind. He paused in his actions, turning around within my embrace.
"Is this not satisfactory?" he teased me with a smile as he leaned down to brush his lips against my own.
"Actually, I was going to tell you that I'm going for food. I figured that you might be hungry when you finish building our quarters." I smiled, leaning back up to recapture his lips.
I slipped out of his arms when the kiss broke, beginning to walk away from him in hopes of finding something edible. I tossed a glance back over my shoulder to see him smirking at me.
"Be back soon." I called, before disappearing down a make-shift avenue between the tents of the encampment.
I wandered through the camp, finding myself at the entrance to the Dimholt Road. Aragorn was standing, staring down the path. My eyes flashed to where he was looking and noticed a hint of green in the ravine, my head tilted to the side while I tried to figure out if I was actually seeing what I thought I was. Then Gimli's voice interrupted my concentration and Aragorn's as well.
"Let's get some food." He announced gruffly.
"That's one of the best things I've heard all day." I replied to him, and the three of us went off looking for some food for dinner.
After scavenging a couple of bowls of hot stew from one of the men, I knew to avoid Eowyn's cooking; I began my return to where Legolas was setting up our tent.
"Is that for me?" Saffy's voice cut through my thoughts and caused me to almost spill the hot stew on my hands.
Turning to look at her, I saw that she was alone, oddly enough. A smile emerged on my face before I answered her question.
"Sorry, darling. But this is for Legolas." I informed her in a teasing voice.
"Is this how it will be from now on then? You will simply replace me with your latest lover, and forget all about our time together." She feigned hurt.
After shifting the bowls so that I held one in my hand and the other was balanced on my hip being held in place by my arm, I placed my hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"I will never forget the time that we spent together in my bed." I teased lightly. "I especially won't forget the time that you almost hit me for climbing in."
"I was asleep." She defended. "You came in without warning early in the morning."
"Well, I told you ahead of time that I would climb into bed when I got home and that it would be the early morning when I got there." I justified.
She frowned at that, but it quickly turned into a smile on both of our faces. We continued walking in the direction of where our tents were. After a moment, her face regained its seriousness.
"Are you going to come on the paths of the dead?" Saffy enquired.
I paused in my step; her question had caught me entirely off-guard. My mind had been too busy living up to this point to really concentrate on what would happen when the fellowship would separate from the army of Rohan, leaving only Merry behind to fight with them. My eyebrows furrowed deeply in thought as I walked and Saffy watched my face.
"I honestly don't know." I answered her. "I know that I'm going to fight, but I can't help but think that I would have more use staying here and fighting with the Rohirrim."
It was her turn to frown; apparently she had been hoping that I would go with Aragorn through the paths of the dead.
"You should go with them." I blurted out quickly.
She stopped walking, I turned back to face her and noticed that she was looking both confused and angry at the same time.
"Why?" she questioned. "Why do you always try to separate yourself from us so you can be heroic or help in some way?"
"Because, I couldn't live with myself knowing that if you got hurt it was my fault." I sighed.
"Di, I don't want to see you hurt either. But why do you want to stay here when we know that everything is going to be fine. They won't need you here, Di." She attempted to persuade me.
"But that's just it, Saffy. They will need me here. When Aragorn and the other leave, these people won't have hope. And if possible, I want to help provide them with some. Besides, who knows maybe I could help save a couple of lives." I replied.
Saffy breathed out a sigh of discontentment, but nodded her head understandingly. I patted her shoulder and we kept walking.
"I can't believe that I'm agreeing to this, but alright. You stay here with Merry and the army and I'll go with the others."
"Thanks, Saffy. Take Nimiwen with you, so you don't worry about her here in danger." I suggested.
"And what about Legolas?" she questioned.
I paused in walking once more, knowing that we were almost within elven hearing range and I didn't want him to know what we were talking about.
"Saffy, please can you watch over him. I know he doesn't need it. But it will make me feel better knowing that he has you watching his back." I said in a low voice.
She simply nodded her head and we both continued our trek back to where Legolas was standing outside of a tent. He was staring at it with a proud smile upon his face, obviously glad that he had set up our tent. I wrapped my arms around his waist holding both of the bowls of stew out in front of him.
He took one and pulled to his side so that I still had an arm wrapped around his waist but held my bowl in front of me, his arm went to my shoulder. A glance back over my shoulder told me that Saffy had met up with Nimiwen and the two were heading into their tent.
"Come on in." he bent down and murmured into my ear.
Pushing the tent flap aside, I saw that our bedrolls were set up side by side with no space between the two. I took a step inside and flopped down on one of the rolls and reached up pulling him down beside me. We ate our dinner in silence, heavy with worry about the battle the next day.
"Are you worried about the battle tomorrow?" I asked cautiously, setting our empty bowls aside and leaning back against his chest.
"We don't have as many men as we had hoped for. The chance of winning this battle is not very high." He stated grimly. "You wouldn't reconsider going into battle tomorrow, would you?"
I smiled up at him, my arms going back over behind his head. He drew his fingers through my hair, gently brushing against the tips of my ears. A soft moan escaped my lips, and he smiled down at me amused that he distracted me.
"Sorry, love. But by your will or not, tomorrow I intend to ride out with the rest of the Rohirrim for Gondor." I replied, suppressing the urge to kiss him.
"Are you worried about the battle, melethnin?" he questioned, trailing kisses down my neck.
"Yes, but not enough to discourage me." I replied with a sigh of contentment.
"Maybe I can help you forget your worries, at least for tonight." He commented, bringing our lips together in a fierce kiss.
I spun around in his arm, keeping my lips locked firmly to his as his lip traced my lower lip. Opening my mouth to him, our tongues dueled for dominance tangling wildly. I shifted over him, moving my knees to either side of him so I straddled him. His hands traveled to my back, pulling me to him firmly. A gasp of pain erupted in my mouth from him holding onto the fading bruises that Aragorn's fall had left me with. Legolas pulled away slightly, noticing the slightly pained expression on my face.
"Sorry, love." He muttered, loosening his grip on my back before turning his lips to my neck.
"It's fine." I gasped out as he nipped at my neck.
My hands traveled to his chest, quickly untying the lacing on his tunic before lifting it up and pulling it over his head. His lips returned to mine after the short break, tongues tangling once more. Again, his hand moved to my back and deftly released the lacings before they traveled to my hips griping me tightly against him. I rolled my hips into his eliciting a gasp from the both of us. One of his hands roamed down my leg and began pulling my dress up my legs, skimming across my skin as he did so.
With a small thump, my dress hit the ground next to our bedrolls. Legolas quickly set to work covering the recently exposed flesh with kisses much to my delight. Another sigh escaped my lips before I rolled my hips into his once more. Swiftly, his hands worked at releasing my breasts from the corset and it fell to the ground to join my dress. His mouth moved to my now fully exposed chest whilst I raked my nails across his hard chest, leaving a soft trail of red behind. Rising from my place for a moment, I removed my petticoat and underwear before dropping back over Legolas.
I heard a primal growl escape his lips as I pulled away slightly to get him out of his leggings, a smirk crossed my face as I leaned forward capturing his lips once more. His leggings were only pushed down to his calves before we came together once more. As I entangled my hands in his hair before kissing him, I leaned us forward so that he was lying on his back. Releasing his lips, I set my hands on either side of his head. One of his hands found its way to the apex of my thighs, reaching the wet core. A gasp tore from my mouth, my lips returned to his flesh relishing in the taste as I licked and sucked my way along his collar bone to where his shoulder met his neck. He moaned before lifting me up slightly from him. Growling at the loss of contact my lips abandoned their work on his flesh and my eyes darted to meet his. He smirked at my sound, amused that I wanted our connection. His hand crept up my thigh until he reached my core. I rocked back to a seated position, hoping to allow him more access. But instead his hand left my skin and I couldn't suppress the growl of disappointment. Instead, I felt one of his hands wander to the curve of my waist. Without warning, he pulled me down upon him. A cry escaped my lips as I was impaled upon him, but once I felt him I rose up again before dropping back down. My hands moved to his chest as I continued to rise up and drop back down onto him. Throwing my head back as he brushed against the sensitive spot within me, he thrust up into me and my vision flashed for a moment.
The tension gathered in my abdomen, my rhythm began to falter but his hands remained on my body urging me onward. With a few more of his thrusts my muscles tensed before quivering with my release. His name left my lips like a prayer before he pulled my head down to meet his. He flipped us over so that I was lying beneath him with my legs wrapping around his hips. He pounded into me quickly, mouth leaving mine so he could look me in the eyes as they rolled back in my head with the pleasure. I griped his shoulders, digging my nails in deeply to hold onto him better. Between the massing tension in my core and the more erratic his thrusts grew, I knew the both of us were nearing our peaks again. His brought his lips back to mine just as my climax washed over me and I felt him reaching his peak. Our mutual cries were trapped between our lips.
Rolling over and collapsing next to me, Legolas pulled me to him as we both fell into a light slumber.
My eyes came back into focus to find that I was lying in the tent by myself wearing nothing but my boots and covered in a blanket. With a stretch, I pulled the blanket off of me and redressed. Outside of the tent, the sky had faded to darkness and the only light came from the torches and fires dotting the encampment. The night air was bracing compared to the warmth from inside, so I walked toward the closest campfire pulling my cloak tight around me.
Just as I sat down with the men gathered around the fire who were taking their evening meal, I noticed the disruption coming from the paths of the dead. Men had gathered around to watch three horses ride away from the camp. Weaving my way through the crowd, I watched as my closest friends began riding away.
"Lord Aragorn!" one of the men shouted. "Why does he leave on the eve of battle?"
I stood there and watched as they left. A small smile appeared on my lips as Legolas looked back over his shoulder and his eyes met mine instinctively. For a moment, I feared that he was going to turn his horse around and come back to me there was so much regret burning in his eyes. Instead, I raised my hand in a farewell parting and he nodded before turning back around and riding into the misty darkness.
"He leaves because there is no hope." Gamling remarked flatly.
Whipping around my eyes meet his and he looked pitying for me, that my friends had seemingly abandoned me here.
"He leaves because he must." Theoden corrects, approaching the mass of people that had formed to watch as my friends left.
Gamling at least had the decency to look slightly repentant at what he said, but the words had already left their mark on the men. Then Gamling raised his head back to his king and spoke the words that were burning fear into every man who stood here.
"Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor." He stated quietly.
Silence falls around us once those words left his mouth, fear ripping through the gathered men in tangible waves. I strode from the group and stood before Theoden as he met my eyes with a fierce passion burning behind his.
"No, we cannot." He stated solemnly before his voice revealed the strength and will to fight and leave a mark on the army of Mordor. "But we will meet them in battle none the less."
A smile broke out on my face as I heard him say that, though the fears of the men were not quelled we all would ride out on the morrow, to death and glory.
"We will meet them in battle, and the only thing left of them will be their lifeless corpses." I proclaimed, earning a cheer from the men who stared at Theoden and I.
Theoden nodded his head once in agreement before turning to return to his tent and rest for the coming battle. The crowd dispersed and I walked back over to the campfire and took a seat among the men. A mug of ale was passed to me and I thanked the man who gave it to me before taking a drink.
"Lady Deirdre, do you know any songs of war?" one man sitting round the fire asked.
"Of course, there is war where I am from as well and we have songs for it." I replied to him, earning a grin from several of the men.
"Sing one for us, Lady." A cry went up.
With a nod and one last swig of my ale, I opened my mouth and sang a song about the war. But I doubted it was entirely what they meant when they asked for a war song.
Hello mother it's been long
I'm still here fighting, be proud of your son,
My friends are dying, and I just wanna come home.
The stars are under a different sky,
Your prayers must be working cause I'm still alive,
This place is so cold and I just wanna come home.
I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming but I'm still breathing,
Not giving up, not losing love,
Not running away, I'm not afraid,
I miss America, my miss America
When does the fighting end, where does our freedom begin.
Hey there love how have the kids been,
Wish I could be there to tuck them in,
But freedom is calling while your tears are falling.
I've seen lines broke in two,
Through these eyes red white and blue,
I know why I'm here still I just wanna go home.
I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming, but I'm still breathing,
Not giving up, not losing love,
Not running away, I'm not afraid,
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does our freedom begin.
My hair stands on its end,
Chilling thoughts as I defend,
Running for cover, take cover my brother,
To die another day as that man I yet waste.
Hey there son, it's your time to go,
I'm so proud, more than you'll know,
But freedom aint free and now you're just like me.
I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming, but I'm still breathing
Not giving up, not losing love,
Not running away, I'm not afraid,
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does the freedom begin.
Where does the freedom begin,
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does the freedom begin.
As I stopped singing, I looked around to all the men around me whose eyes had filled with sadness and thoughts of home.
"Do you not know any marches or anything of the sort? Something to strengthen the spirits before battle?" another man asked me.
With a smile I looked at the man, nodding my head in response as one of the old marches filled my head.
"I think I have just the sort of song you are looking for." I admitted with my smile intact.
So, I taught the men the march that I knew that my brother and his friends had sung while we walked so many years ago, before they all left for the military. Once the men had learned the words, I finished off the last of my ale and bid my 'goodnights' before leaving them around the fire and heading back to my empty tent and curling up sleep.
Sleep evaded me most of the night, between the facts that I lay alone in my bedroll without Legolas or that the lyrics of the march echoed through the camp in the night it seemed. Either way, it wasn't until the late hours of the night when my eyes lost focus and my mind relaxed allowing sleep to claim me.
**Saffy's POV**
It was well into the night without any source of light but the moon and stars. I had given up the reins and now leaned back against Nimiwen, who could see in the scarce light. So instead of focusing on the journey down the Dimholt road into the mountain, I rested my head against her shoulder and tilted my face into her neck.
"Do you think we did the right thing leaving Deirdre behind?" Legolas' voice carried through the group, it wasn't directed at anyone in particular instead he wanted reassurance.
"Regretting not bringing her along with us on the scary road to find some ghosts?" I teased him, turning my head to look over in his direction.
"Well, not exactly." He replied.
"Then what are you regretting?" Aragorn asked him from his place in the front of our line.
"That I left while she was asleep without saying goodbye." Legolas admitted quietly, probably hoping that none of us would hear him.
"You are out of luck then lad." Gimli stated from his place behind Legolas. "That lass will never forgive you for something like that."
Even in the low light, I could tell that Legolas blanched slightly when he heard Gimli's comment. A small laugh escaped my lips at this.
"Don't worry so much, Legolas. Deirdre may have a temper but just pin her down and kiss her; she won't remember why she was ever mad at you." I assured him, smiling when I saw the hint of relief on his face.
"And how do you know this?" Nimiwen accused teasingly, her eyes leaving the path that we were traveling on to meet my gaze.
"No comment." I answered hastily, knowing that it would result in some more playful teasing from Nimiwen, and maybe a make-out session or two.
Nimiwen hummed in mock disbelief before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips. After we broke apart, I nestled back down against Nimiwen and rested my mind as well as I could, knowing that sleep would not be something readily available before we entered into the mountain.
My eyes opened again when I felt Nimiwen shift behind me, her hand moving from the reins and patting our horse's neck soothingly. Looking around me, I noticed that the mist that had been throughout our entire trip through the mountain pass was still prevalent but with the sky beginning to lighten slightly it made the path a little easier to see. All around the pass was dead and rotting trees and bushes, not even grass dared to grow strongly here. A chill ran up my spine as the sight of the entrance into the mountain came into view, the darkness the lay inside seemed to swallow any trace of light.
"What kind of an army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked as well all dismounted from our horses.
I saw Nimiwen struggling to hold onto the reins of our horse, so I tried to give her a hand while she soothed the animal.
"One that is cursed." Legolas responded, soothing his own horse while Gimli moved away looking toward the entrance. "Long ago the men of the mountains 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. Who shall call them from their grey twilight, the forgotten people? The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the North shall he come, need shall drive him. And he shall pass through the door to the Paths of the Dead."
The last of Legolas words sounded as though he was recounting a prophecy and no longer focusing on the world around him. We came nearer still to the entrance, so that the marking around the door could be read.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away." Gimli admits.
"Definitely not where I would want to build my summer home." I half joked attempting to break the tension.
Legolas peered at the markings and it seemed that Nimiwen was reading them as well. I reached my hand out and grasped hers, hoping to provide some comfort to the both of us.
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead," Legolas read aloud to us, eyes traveling over the markings.
"And the dead keep it. The way is shut." Nimiwen finished reading the words.
Just then a blast of icy air gusted out of the opening, sending a shiver through me and spooking the horses. All three of our horses pulled their reins away from those holding them with a whinny and backing away from the entrance. Eventually, Nimiwen, Legolas, and Aragorn lost hold of their horses, leaving us alone before the entrance with no way to head back to the encampment, for we would never reach them before they left.
"Brego!" Aragorn shouted after his fleeing horse before turning to face the gaping doorway. "I do not fear death."
And with that comment, Aragorn strode into the mountain as darkness engulfed his form. Legolas seemed to be steeling himself before he walked into the darkness after Aragorn. I glanced over at Nimiwen who gave me a reassuring smile.
"Well, better head in or we will be left out here alone." I remarked and with a final glance back at the worried Gimli, we walked into the dark hand in hand.
To say that it was black in here would have seemed an understatement, there was no light penetrating into the depths of the mountain and I wasn't entirely sure how we were going to make our way through without falling off of a cliff and into a ravine. Though one thing can be said for losing one sense, I heard Gimli's words echo into the cave better than I thought I would have.
"Well this is a thing unheard of. Elves will go underground while a dwarf will not." He asked himself in a questioning tone. "Oh, I'd never hear the end of it."
And so he came into the darkness of the mountain after us, while a smile spread across my face. Even in the darkness, it was reassuring to hear Gimli's worries about what people would think of him.
**End Chapter 30**
Hey, sorry that I haven't posted in a while. The song in this chapter was Miss America by Saving Abel. And I'm sorry that you won't get to find out what the March is yet, but that will be in a later chapter. And on a more bittersweet note, my darling Saffy best friend ever is leaving me behind and traveling across the country to go to school while I remain at home. So Congrats to Saffy.
Read and Review, it helps get me through the dark recesses known as writes block.