Sorry that it took so long to get this up. Uni just suddenly decided to give everyone homework. It's all good now! Now I just need to worry about work so I should be able to finish this story by July, the end of July. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, you give me motivation to write.

Oh! And I've just set up an account on FictionPress, because I've got all these old stories on my computer that I just need to get rid of. Not all of them are very good but I'm posting them anyway. If you want to read any of them my name is Apprentice Torinator.

On with the story!

Key:

"Blah" westron

"Blah" elvish

Blah thoughts, dreams, etc.

The Immortal Hero

The marshalling army moved quickly across the plains, not stopping for lunch but continuing at a walk to give the horses a rest. Tegalad amused himself by creating small whirlwinds and dropping them after they passed them. When they stopped for the night Tegalad and Merry sat together, Merry slumping from exhaustion against his pack and Tegalad making little wooden figurines from the wood he had saved and the knife he had borrowed from the armory after Gimli had demonstrated the technique.

He had seen Aragorn's necklace several times and knew that it held great value to the man, and he wanted something to remind himself of his past. He had his scar, but it had faded after Voldemort's death and when he had seen his reflection he had noticed that it was almost invisible, and probably would be soon. So using the smaller blocks of wood he marked out the shape of a lightning bolt and carved away the excess bits of wood the way Gimli had showed him. He wasn't able to get too far, because Boromir had spotted him and ordered him to sleep. He wrapped the cut wood up in a cloth before placing it back in his bag and curling up in a ball under Boromir's watchful eyes.

When he woke the next morning he carved a little more before eating breakfast and climbing back on Aragorn's horse.

It was on the second morning, the day they were expected to arrive at Dunharrow, that Tegalad gathered his courage to ask what would happen to him. He was realistic to know that he wouldn't be a part of the fight, no one would let him, but he also knew that Aragorn and the others wouldn't follow the army. Aragorn looked uncomfortable and moved his horse away from the column so they could speak privately. Tegalad looked up at him fearfully.

"I'm staying with you aren't I?" he asked softly in elvish.

"I'm not going to take you into the middle of a war," Aragorn replied in the same language. "I promised that I wouldn't leave you behind, unless it was safe for me to do so. I won't put you into danger if I can prevent it."

Tegalad turned away so that he could control the betrayal he felt. He supposed that this was how his friends had felt when he tried to push them away for their own safety. But what was different then was that his friends had ganged up on him and dissuaded him of his ideas, here he was alone and there was no way that he could persuade Aragorn, never mind the others, that he could take care of himself.

"So what's going to happen to me?" he asked once he was sure he could control his voice. To his relief it didn't give away how hurt he felt.

"You'll return to Edoras with Éowyn, Merry and the others who will not fight," Aragorn replied, almost sounding relieved at how calmly Tegalad was taking the news. Tegalad nodded but refused to turn around and look at Aragorn.

"When do you leave?" Tegalad asked without emotion.

"We would ride out at dawn tomorrow if we were to get to Minas Tirith before the battle is over," Aragorn explained. "We can't delay much longer."

"I see," Tegalad muttered. He didn't speak another word and refused to look at anyone. Aragorn guided them back into the column next to Legolas and Gimli. The two took one look at Tegalad's blank face before wisely deciding to stay silent.

When they reached Dunharrow midmorning Tegalad only briefly paid attention to the thousands of little white tents set up in the large glade and then up the mountain. As they travelled onwards, Théoden spoke with several men, asking for numbers and the further they moved the more the King frowned. They stopped at the top of the mountain and set up their own tents quickly. Tegalad walked away from the group and sat at the edge of the hill. He was far enough away from the pathway that few noticed him, but still he was joined by Legolas who brought food with him.

"You shouldn't disappear like that," he said passing the plate over. "You had many of us worried."

"You going to leave me too?" Tegalad asked, still looking out over the glade of tents.

"It's not that we want to leave," Legolas said softly. "It's that if we don't, the army will be down men when we need all the help we can get."

"I can help," Tegalad murmured. "I can fight from a distance. They won't even know I'm there until it's too late."

"I'm sure that's true," Legolas said with a smile. "But you shouldn't have to. You should be somewhere safe. We'll find you after everything is over. That I promise."

"You might not want to find me," Tegalad said in an almost inaudible voice. "Why would you? You'll probably be too busy to come after me. It would be better if I just left."

"No it wouldn't," Legolas said firmly, finally switching to elvish. "You are very precious to us and everyone would be devastated if anything were to happen to you. Especially Aragorn, when he speaks of you a blind man could tell how much he cared about you, about what happens to you."

"That's why you'd be better off without me!" Tegalad stated. "If I'm not here then you can focus on what's important and fight your war. I know when I'm not wanted."

"You are wanted!" was the shocked answer.

"You don't want me!" Tegalad said with passion. "You want the child I represent! The elfling I've become! You've even given me a new name, another one to add to my growing collection! I just want to be me! Yet even here, in this strange place, I have a part to play. Even here, no one wants me around."

Legolas stared at Tegalad in shock and was startled enough that the elfling was able to disappear amongst the maze of tents that had been erected before he could do anything. He stood to follow, his mind processing the information he'd been given to be looked over later.

"Let him go," a gruff voice ordered. Legolas spun around and saw Gimli staring after Tegalad, his hands resting on his axe.

"He shouldn't be alone," Legolas said quickly. "I had no idea he felt that way. He might do something foolish."

"He needs to be alone to come to terms with everything," Gimli continued. "Besides, what can you tell him that would make him feel better? He knows that he can't go with us, he just needs to understand it."

"He thinks he's worthless," the elf moaned, sinking to the ground. "He believes that we don't care for him and the only reason we pay attention is because of his status as an elfling. He has to be the most insecure child I have ever met!"

"Aye, that he is," Gimli murmured. "And being in the middle of a war is not the best way to stop him from thinking like that, especially as we're leaving him tomorrow."

Legolas sighed in frustration. He saw the truth in Gimli's words but it didn't mean he had to like it.

Tegalad silently ran through the white tents until he was sure that he hadn't been followed by Legolas. It wasn't quite yet lunch time and he had the rest of the day to occupy himself with before the army marshaled out at dawn the next day. He supposed that he should spend the remaining time with Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli but he couldn't stand to see them just yet, their betrayal, breaking their promises to never leave him again, so easily broken, was still fresh in his mind.

He looked around himself and saw that he was at the edge of the white tents. He was facing a rock wall that had ample hand and foot-holds and only a small passage opening the way for travelers to enter. Mangled tree roots and dead trees grew from the mountainside, making the scenery reminiscent of a haunted graveyard. There was something about the wall that sent shivers down Tegalad's spine, like there was something in there that wasn't supposed to be, like there was something trapped within the very walls of the cliff.

Apprehensive, Tegalad moved closer to the wall and place his hands gently on the surface. Images flashed across his mind. Specters of men running through the mountain, fear etched across their faces. They all bore swords or axes and were dressed in chainmail and tunics. One specter was directing the others into the shadows while also looking back down the path they'd been running from. His face was torn, half regretful half determined. The face then shifted again and seemed to stare right at Tegalad before turning and running off after his men.

The image shifted and a man dressed regally stood at the entrance to the mountain path, cursing at the retreating men. His sword was drawn and behind him were several other knights. They all looked furious, though some of them also looked crestfallen. Tegalad wondered why, but then his eyes focused on what the regal man had around his neck.

On a fine chain hung a plain gold ring, it swung slightly as the man moved but Tegalad was horrified by how darkness seemed to extend from the ring, increasing the anger and fear of the men. Tegalad knew without a doubt that this was the One Ring, the ring Frodo wore around his neck. It wasn't until that moment that Tegalad truly understood how mentally strong Frodo was to not be completely affected by the Ring in all the time he had been in possession of it.

Tegalad pulled his hands away from the mountain and bowed his head. The powerful influence of the Ring had created a curse on the mountain, trapping the souls of the men inside, to never be free. Tegalad couldn't imagine such a fate, couldn't imagine that the hundreds of souls trapped in the mountain were thousands of years old. Staring at the wall again, Tegalad knew that the mountain was like one giant crypt. Nothing living existed inside and nothing living outside wanted to go in.

Gripping the wall again, Tegalad lifted himself easily and settled down on a tree branch where he would be invisible but still able to see what was going on. No one would be looking for him so close to the mountain. He pulled out his dagger and blocks of wood, determined to make the wood actually look like something he wanted, not just mangled wood.

By the time he had something that looked like a lightning bolt he was startled to realise that he had missed lunch and probably had an entourage of soldiers looking for where he had snuck off to…again. With a sigh, he rewrapped the wood and sheathed the dagger back in its holder in his boot. He'd need to sharpen it later, but for now he was hungry.

He said a mental farewell to the mountain, causing a cold wind to rip through the tents, and jumped out of the tree. No one had seen him so he moved around the tents as silently as he could and nicked some food off a plate he passed. He was getting sick of eating stale bread, despite how filling it was, and longed for some shepherd's pie, or even a roast chicken, with some of Mrs. Weasley's delicious treacle tart for dessert. Just thinking about his favourite foods made his mouth water. He deliberately focused his attention elsewhere and set about trying to find Aragorn.

He couldn't spot the elusive ranger, but he did stumble across Éomer. The King's nephew stared down at him with a sigh. Tegalad looked up at him sheepishly and tried to walk backwards and continue looking in a different part of the tent city. He didn't get very far though, before Éomer lifted him from the ground and slung him over his shoulder. Tegalad cried out in shock and his body tensed at the unexpected movement.

"It must be a child trait," the man was muttering. "Theodred was exactly the same always running off doing who knows what?"

Tegalad struggled to get down, once again reminded of how short he actually was and how tall Éomer was. The ground was a fair distance away. Éomer held him gently, but also tight enough that he couldn't get lose. Tegalad stopped struggling and instead tried to see where the man was taking him. It was as he was trying to see where he was going that Éomer dropped him gently to the ground next to a small fire.

"I doubt you've eaten," Éomer said with a small shake of his head as he dropped a plate of hot meat and some fruit on Tegalad's lap. "So you're going to sit here until you eat that and maybe even tell me where you were for the past four hours."

Tegalad started. He hadn't realised that he'd been missing for quite so long as that. Instead of answering the man, Tegalad quickly took a bite of the apple on his plate to indicate his unwillingness to answer. Éomer merely raised an eyebrow, his expression saying that he would get an answer eventually. Tegalad sighed and pointed in the direction of the mountain. Éomer's eyes went wide in shock before seemingly moving his eyes across Tegalad's small frame as if to see if there was any damage or injury.

"What is the mountain called?" Tegalad asked, uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the man.

"Dwimorberg, the Haunted Mountain," Éomer replied in a daze. "No one who enters has ever left. The mountain is evil."

Tegalad shivered and looked in the direction of the mountain. He had felt pure evil before, but he couldn't feel it now. The mountain merely felt unhappy to him, and angry at the ones who had trapped the souls within it.

"I want you to stay away from there, you hear me?" Éomer continued. Tegalad looked back at the man with a blank face. "I mean it Tegalad, the Haunted Mountain is dangerous. Many have lost their lives in that place, thinking that they could triumph over the evil that resides there."

"I did not go inside," Tegalad stated softly. "I sat on the outside. Nothing happened."

"I don't want you to take chances Tegalad," Éomer continued. "You are still a child. Don't glare at me." Tegalad was in fact glaring at Éomer and only lowered its intensity at the man's frown. "Regardless of your feelings about this, or what you think of your fighting capabilities, you are vulnerable. And it is because of this you will be returning to Edoras with Éowyn tomorrow."

Tegalad put his half empty plate down and lowered his eyes. It wasn't that he wanted to fight, he just hated being left in the dark and not knowing what was happening. He didn't deal with little information very well, Sirius's death emphasizing this point.

Éomer ruffled his hair affectionately and sent him off in the direction he knew where Aragorn and the others were. Tegalad went silently, brushing his hair back into place as he did so. As soon as he was able to he took off at a run to escape Éomer in case the man decided to follow him.

As he ducked around another white tent he finally spotted Gimli and Boromir sitting slumped together. Neither had seen him yet, though from what Tegalad could see Boromir looked ready to get up and start pacing while Gimli looked calm and was smoking a pipe. He snuck closer in order to hear what was being said.

"No one's found him yet?" Boromir asked in frustration.

"He'll show himself when he feels ready to," Gimli stated calmly. "He doesn't tend to go too far from us."

"It's been hours," Boromir continued throwing his arms up. "He could be anywhere!"

Tegalad felt his Marauder side stir and a grin appear on his face. Making his footsteps even quieter he snuck up behind the worrying man. With one quick leap he landed on Boromir's back and covered his eyes with his hands. Boromir yelped loudly and spun around. Tegalad started to laugh, and once Gimli spotted what was happening, joined in as well.

"I think you can stop worrying now lad," Gimli said between laughs. "Seems to me like Tegalad found us instead."

Boromir stopped trying to spin around and instead grabbed a hold of Tegalad's hands, pulling them away from his eyes. Tegalad was still laughing even as he was dislodged from the man's back and settled onto the ground between the two of them.

"Do I want to know where you disappeared to?" Boromir asked. Tegalad shook his head and made himself comfortable. Gimli chuckled again and asked what he'd been up to. Tegalad, in response, pulled out his unfinished wooden lightning bolt. The two of them moved on to talking about how to improve the design. Tegalad listened carefully to what the dwarf was telling him, ignoring Boromir's attempts to get his attention.

By mid-afternoon Legolas and Aragorn had joined the group, having heard from Éomer where Tegalad was, and Tegalad himself was leaning heavily on Boromir's shoulder. His emotions had been all over the place that day and he was mentally exhausted. He heard chuckling around him and moaned when he was lifted from his warm place between Gimli and Boromir.

"Relax Little One," Aragorn ordered. "I've got you."

Tegalad smiled softly and forced himself forget that in only a matter of hours he would be parted from the man in whose arms he rested. For a brief moment, he was able to imagine that this was the way it would always be, no war, no violence…just an everlasting feeling of contentment.

He was asleep before Aragorn set him down on his cot.

Tegalad woke quickly like he normally did. He sat up on his small cot and looked around the tent curiously. His pack was at the end of the bed and there was no cover on the ground. The grass was patchy in places but there were no loose rocks to trip him up unexpectedly. On the other side of the tent slept Aragorn, his belongings near the foot of his bed as well as the equipment he usually had for his horse. The man was tossing and turning, his blankets twisted up around his waist. Tegalad didn't think that his rest would be entirely restful, but it didn't look like he was having a nightmare.

Tegalad didn't want to disturb the man so he crept out of the tent silently to explore some more. From the darkness outside, he gathered that the sun had set a few hours previously, but it was still early in the night by the sounds of the men socializing around the various fires that had bee lit. He still didn't want to be seen so he continued moving along as silently as he could.

He didn't have any shoes on but it wasn't very cold and the ground was semi-soft, so it didn't bother him too much. The pants he was wearing were tight, but loose enough to give him unrestricted movement. They were dark green, almost black, but they suited him. His boots were dark brown and contrasted nicely to his pants, when he actually wore his boots though. His shirt was loose and slightly large on him, and it was the only article of clothing he wore that was white. The sleeves on his short ended mid-way down his forearm and were close enough to his skin that it didn't disturb him when it moved.

The elfling traveled through the tents until he came to the edge of the mountain overlooking the thousands of tents set up below. There were two guards at the pathway, watching the road and the skies. Tegalad sat down not far from them and swung his legs over the edge. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair and he smiled in delight. He looked down at the path and spotted a white horse making its way up.

"Someone is coming," he told the guards softly. They jumped having not seen him sitting there.

"Move away from the edge kid," one guard ordered while the other peered along the path. "It's not safe there."

Tegalad sighed but obeyed the guard and moved away from the edge. He stayed where he was though, he wanted to see who was coming up.

The figure sitting on the horse was dressed completely in black, a clear contrast to the glowing white coat of the horse he was astride. The figure spoke with the guards as he dismounted and handed over the reins. Tegalad stared at the figure and instantly recognised him as an elf. When the figure looked at him, he seemed startled but quickly masked it.

"Kid, can you take this man to see the King?" one of the guards asked. "After that would you go back to bed? You have a busy day tomorrow."

Tegalad nodded reluctantly and started to walk towards the white tents, knowing that the elf was following him. They didn't speak to each other, and Tegalad didn't look back once until he came within sight of the tent. He grinned impishly and spoke quietly to the King's guards. After that he stuck his head into the tent and caught Théoden's attention.

"There is someone here to see you sir," he explained.

"Thank you Tegalad, send him in," the King replied. Tegalad nodded and stepped back to allow the man to enter.

"Tegalad?" the elf said quietly before he entered. "Could you find Aragorn and ask him to join me?"

Tegalad nodded slowly and darted back to his own tent and slipped inside. Aragorn was still dreaming, still turning restlessly. Tegalad crept forward and gently shook the man's shoulder, calling his name as he did so. The second he did that however he dropped to the ground flat, arms covering his head. Aragorn had woken violently, pulling his dagger from where it rested next to him, and swinging it around.

Tegalad looked up slowly and backed away from the man. Aragorn looked down at him horrified and dropped the dagger. He climbed out of the bed quickly and Tegalad darted backwards, once again on his feet.

"The King wants to see you," Tegalad said quickly and turned around.

"Tegalad," Aragorn started but Tegalad was already out of the tent again. Tegalad heard the man curse in a language he hadn't been taught, but didn't slow down. He didn't know where he was going, but it took him away from Aragorn.

He knew that it had been a reflex action, drawing his dagger when unexpectedly woken, but the man hadn't even known who he was for that brief moment. If Tegalad hadn't have ducked when he did, he would have a spectacular cut across his face. The reflection of the light against the dagger had been the only warning he had gotten, and it had been a warning of extreme pain during his time in his previous world.

Tegalad stopped running and started to walk around the tents, taking note of who was still awake and where they were. He didn't go back within sight of the guards as they expected him to be in bed. He found himself standing near the Haunted Mountain and its deceptively easy path. He wasn't sure how log he had stood there, but he was startled when a large hand landed on his shoulder. Looking up he saw the worried face of Théoden.

"Aragorn is worried about you," the King began. "He didn't mean to scare you."

"It is not him," Tegalad explained, looking back at the mountain. "The way he swung the dagger, others have done the same to be before, but they didn't miss."

Théoden's grip on his shoulder tightened, but Tegalad found it comforting, not painful. He didn't say anything else for a while, he imagined that Théoden understood his reaction enough that he didn't have to explain it more in depth. Eventually he was curious enough to ask what the elf had wanted.

"Lord Elrond has a task to send Aragorn on," Théoden explained softly. "If he succeeds, the war could turn in our favor. But this does mean that he won't be joining the rest of our army when it marshals out tomorrow."

"The mountain will listen to him," Tegalad said confidently. "He will pass through unharmed."

"What makes you say that?" Théoden asked curiously. "No one has ever passed through and survived."

"The mountain is not evil," the elfling explained softly. A strong gust of wind from the mountain ruffled the tents violently and caused the horses to try and escape from their bonds. "It is just angry. There are lots of souls trapped inside who want to be free. Aragorn will free them so he will pass through unharmed."

Théoden nodded at the explanation and started to steer the child back to his tent. He explained the Elrond wanted to talk to him before he left as well, and that he should have finished speaking to Aragorn by then.

Tegalad allowed Théoden to steer him back to his tent. The two of them saw Aragorn leave, a sword in his hands. The man was preoccupied and didn't see the two of them standing there. Théoden pushed him towards the tent gently and turned around to walk around the encampment. Tegalad took a steadying breath and pushed the flap aside, walking into the tent.

The elf had taken off his hood and was obviously waiting for him. Tegalad bowed respectfully but didn't move from where he was. Elrond smiled kindly, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to disappear, making him look years younger.

"Good evening Tegalad," Elrond said softly in elvish. "I have been waiting to see you for a long time now. Galadriel speaks very highly of you, and she sends her condolences for Shadow's passing."

Tegalad bowed his head in acceptance of the message and blinked quickly to rid his eyes of tears. He looked up again and saw that Elrond looked sad, and that it wasn't about Shadow.

"Why are you sad?" he asked softly.

"I have seen the Death of Men Little One," he said sadly. "This war will determine whether or not Men will survive in this land."

"Are you a Seer then?" Tegalad asked in slight distaste.

"I have the ability to see various outcomes," Elrond corrected. "The future is not set in stone."

"So in all your 'visions' you've see the Death of Men?" Tegalad asked curiously. Elrond smiled and shook his head.

"I have seen Death, but I have also seen Life," he explained. "It is because of the possibility of Life that I have come. My daughter is dying, her fate is linked to the fate of Men. Should Sauron win, my daughter will die, but if the Ring is destroyed, there is a chance she will live. I will do whatever I can to ensure that she lives."

"So you sent Aragorn into the mountain?" Tegalad asked. He was incredibly sad that Elrond's daughter was dying, and understood that he was doing the best he could to ensure her continued survival.

"Yes," Elrond said with a nod. "You may not realise this, but the army spread out below us, is no where near enough to win. The men out there are going to their deaths if they don't receive more help."

"And there is an army hidden in the mountain, one that will do whatever it takes to be free," Tegalad finished. Elrond looked at him in surprise. "The power of the Ring kept their souls encased in the rock. They cannot be free until Aragorn lets them go."

"You are a very insightful child," Elrond murmured. "I am glad to have finally met you. Would you like to pass on a message for you?"

"Yes. Could you tell Lady Galadriel that I still miss Shadow, but that I won't let his death stop me from doing what I must. And could you tell Haldir and Vanya that I will see them soon, and that Vanya shouldn't let Haldir control her movements while she's still pregnant. Finally, could you make sure Hedwig's happy? She was one of my first friends and I miss her presence sometimes."

"I can do that," Elrond said with a nod and a smile. "Now why don't you go and find Aragorn? He should be leaving very soon if he wants to make good time."
Tegalad nodded in agreement. With a final bow he left the tent and ran to where Aragorn was already riding towards the path into the mountain. Boromir, Legolas and Gimli were behind him, also on horseback. He called out to them, intending to have them stop so that he could say goodbye, but was unable to as Aragorn ordered him to stop.

"You can't come with us Tegalad," the man said. "It's not safe for you."

The wind from the mountain wrapped around Tegalad comfortingly as he stopped running. He looked to the retreating figures and murmured six words before turning around and running back to his tent. The wind carried the words through the air so that the four riders could hear them, before dying out completely. Aragorn spun in his saddle as the words reached his ear, but it was already too late, Tegalad was gone.

Tegalad hurried back to the tent, hurt and betrayed. He quickly pulled his brown boots on and tucked his white shirt in before throwing a dark brown vest on, his green jacket that reached to his thighs and his equipment belt. The belt went over his dark green jacket and had a small dagger attached to it. Over everything went his travelling cloak from Lothlorien and all his personal belongings were quickly shoved into his backpack.

With a desperate plea to his magic, Tegalad wished to be somewhere where he would make a difference, somewhere he wouldn't be constantly coddled, and somewhere where he could finally do what he was meant to do in this world.

With a rush of flames Tegalad disappeared. The only thing that remained of him was the echo on the wind of his final words:

"I just wanted to say goodbye."

Ta da! It's not as long as I wanted it to be but it seemed like a good place to end it. Don't know when the next chapter will be up but it shouldn't be any longer than two weeks. I'll try and get it up sooner.

Review Please!