A/N: Ok so I had a goal for Tuesday for the chapter but soccer got in the way so I apologize. I hope you enjoy! BTW I'm still grounded so I can't access my reviews so I'm sorry if I missed someones. I really appreciate the reviews.
delenawolves: No, they are just riding to the encampment like Eowyn was supposed to do.
20JenWinchester12: Thanks for the review!
Chapter 18
The road to Dunharrow was not a difficult one. The riders of Rohan rode swiftly and quickly. Osric was asleep for most of the way and it amazed Iasbelin that he could sleep with the loud noise. It took them a full day of riding without stopping to make the journey. As they arrived they could see the amount of men who had come to assist Gondor in their darkest hour. Iasbelin looked at the encampment and wondered if all these men knew that they would be riding to their deaths. Of course they knew that they were going to die but they came anyways to assist their fellow men in a fight against evil. Iasbelin had always admired men's spirits. Ever since she met Aragorn for the first time she knew that men had hope still.
"Make way for the King! Make way for the King!" The soldiers yelled as Theoden and his court rode into the encampment.
"Grimbold, how many?" Theoden called.
"I bring five hundred from the Westfold, my lord." Grimbold yelled.
"We have three hundred from Fenmarch, Theoden king." Another solider called.
"Where are the riders from Snowbourn?" Theoden asked concerned.
"None have come my lord." A solider called after Theoden. Theoden's face grimaced and he continued to ride with his head forward. Iasbelin shot a look at Legolas, who was riding next to her. She was worried that not enough men had come and that they would not be able to save Gondor. Legolas looked back at her with longing eyes and simply nodded. Like every battle he walked into he knew that this could be the last. He knew that in three day's time his wife could be a widow and would have to return to Mirkwood to bring news of his death to his father. He winced at the thought of Iasbelin holding Osric's hand and explaining the situation to his stern father.
The company continued to ride to the highest part of the encampment on a cliff jutting out from a mountain. The rode up to this camp was winding and long. It took a few hours for all the men to make it up the mountain and get settled into their camps. Legolas rode in ahead of Iasbelin and Osric and quickly dismounted his horse so that he could help Iasbelin down from her's. She pulled her horse to a stop and saw Legolas coming over to help her down. She handed a now awake Osric to him and Legolas set him on the ground. She flung her leg over the horse and slid down into Legolas' waiting arms. All she wanted to do was stay there forever and never let go. All too soon Legolas let go of his wife and went to take Arod to the horse pasture. Iasbelin led Osric to a tent to get settled in. He grabbed Iasbelin's mare as well and led them both. He stopped at the sight of one of the men's horses behaving very badly at the mouth of the spilt in the mountain. Eomer rode up next to Legolas and Gimli made an appearance as well.
"The horses are restless and the men are quiet." Legolas stated.
"The grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain." Eomer replied.
"The road there. Where does it lead?" Gimli asked worried.
"It is the road to Dimholt, the road under the mountain." Legolas answered.
"No one ever returns from there. The mountain is evil." Eomer responded. Aragorn, who had come into the conversation a little late, stared down the long passageway of the mountain. He looked blankly for a few seconds before Gimli yelled at him.
"Aragorn!" Aragorn jumped and turned to face Gimli, "Let's find some food." Aragorn nodded distantly and followed Gimli to the fire pit. Legolas continued to take Arod and Iasbelin's horse to the pasture. After doing this he made his way back to camp to see Iasbelin and Osric. He found their tent easily and entered without asking. He found Osric asleep on the small bed and Iasbelin cleaning some of his clothes. He came up behind her and whispered softly in her ear.
"Let us go somewhere." Iasbelin turned around and eyed Osric.
"Who is going to watch him?" Iasbelin asked sternly knowing full well what her husband wanted but not willing to give in that easily.
"I will ask Merry or Eowyn." Legolas said distracted. He walked up to her and embraced her in a soft hug. Iasbelin was still not going to give in to him.
"No, I have work to do." She answered. Legolas did not respond. He kiss her lightly on the mouth and then proceeded to kiss her jaw line. Iasbelin sighed and gave up. "Fine." She said simply.
Legolas smiled and gestured for her to leave the tent. It was almost dusk and the stars were just beginning to appear on the horizon. Gimli was the first of their friends they saw and Iasbelin thought it would be very entertaining to let Gimli watch Osric. The two Elves approached Gimli with their hands entwined.
"What do you want now?" Gimli asked.
"Gimli, would you be ever so kind as to go to my tent and watch Osric while he sleeps? Legolas and I have some things to discuss." She asked smoothly. Gimli eyed the two Elves knowingly and sighed.
"Aye. I wil watch the young Master." Gimli consented. Legolas smiled and Gimli shot him a look before picking up his axe and walking to the Elves' tent. He grumbled the entire way there. Iasbelin and Legolas smiled and broke into a jog that took them to the furtherest they could go from camp but still on the cliff. As soon as Iasbelin thought that they were a decent way from camp she attacked Legolas' lips with her own and pushed him against a tree to kiss him. He encircled her waist with his arms and kissed her back just as passionately. Iasbelin giggled against his lips and Legolas pulled back to look at her.
"Something amuse you?" He asked.
"I had forgotten how wonderful it felt to have your lips upon mine." She answered.
"Tis a wonderful thing." Legolas replied and he captured her lips again. Legolas pulled her closer and eased her onto the ground underneath the tree. He pushed up her dress hem with his hand a little and Iasbelin fingered the hem of his tunic. Iasbelin smiled as Legolas kissed her more intensely.
Aragorn lied in his tent dreaming of Arwen and her decision to lead a mortal life. He woke with a start as the Evenstar pendant fell and shattered onto the hard ground. He found himself with a dagger in his hand and a solider in his door way. Aragorn looked up at him puzzled and gestured for him to continue.
"King Theoden awaits you." The soldier said as he walked away from the tent. Aragorn ran his fingers through his hair and rose out of bed slowly. He made his way to the King's private tent and walked in without announcing his arrival. Theoden stood in the center of the tent and looked at Aragorn when he entered. He averted his eyes.
"I take my leave." Theoden walked out of the tent leaving Aragorn alone with a mysterious hooded figure who rose and walked toward him. The figure took down his cloak and revealed himself to be none other than Arwen's father.
"My Lord Elrond." Aragorn addressed as he bowed.
"I come on behalf of one whom I love. Arwen is dying. She will not long survive the evil that now spreads from Mordor. The light of the Evenstar is failing. As Sauron's power grows her strength wanes. Arwen's life it now tied to the fate of the Ring. A shadow is upon us Aragron. The end had come." Elrond lectured. Aragorn looked at him in astonishment.
"It will not be our end. But his." He said after regaining his composure.
"You ride to war but not to victory. Sauron's armies ride on Minas Tirith, this you know. But in secret he sends another force which attacks from the river. A fleet of Corsair sails from the South. They will be in the city in two days. You're outnumbered Aragorn. You need more men." Elrond told the heir of Isildur.
"There are none." Aragorn said defeated.
"There are those that dwell in the mountain." Elrond encouraged. Aragorn looked at his only father figure oddly. Why would he ask the aid of those who had betrayed Gondor in the past?
"Murders, traitors. You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing, they answer to no one." Aragorn snapped.
"They will answer to the King of Gondor." Elrond said as he majestically pulled out the sword of Isildur from his robes. "Anduril, the Flame of the West, forged from the shards of Narsil." Aragorn examined the blade and then took it from Elrond's hands.
"Sauron will not have forgotten the sword of Elendil." Aragorn whispered to himself. He unsheathed the blade. "The sword that was broken will return to Minas Tirith."
"The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon him an army more deadly than any that walks this earth. Put aside the Ranger and become who you were born to be Onen i-Estel Edain." Elrond told the future King.
"I have kept no hope for myself." Aragorn said as he put the sword back in it's rightful place, bowed to Elrond, and walked out of the tent to find his horse.
Legolas and Iasbelin walked back to camp about an hour after they had left Gimli to watch Osric. They walked hand-in-hand through the camp laughing. Their tent was situated on the far side of camp close to Aragorn's. They passed his tent not seeing noticing the emptiness of the tent. They arrived at their tent shortly and pulled back the flap to reveal Gimil sitting on the ground watching Osric sleep intently.
"Well, it is about time you two came back!" Gimli snorted when they walked in.
"Forgive us, Gimli, we lost track of time." Legolas smirked. Iasbelin nudged him and looked back at Gimli with a smile. Gimli just gave another snort and looked at Legolas.
"Aragorn is going somewhere and he intends to leave us behind." Gimli stated. Legolas looked at him and then realized that the only place he could be going was into the mountain.
"Then we will just have to follow him, Master Gimli." Legolas responded. Iasbelin looked up at her husband with sad eyes and let go of his hand. She knew that she would have to let him go eventually but she didn't think it would be this soon. She thought she had until dawn to be with him before he faced a terrible battle. "Go make sure he does not leave. I will follow closely."
"Aye." Gimli replied as he got up from his spot on the floor and ran out of the tent. Legolas turned to Iasbelin and attempted to say good-bye as he always did before a battle. It seemed as of late this was happening frequently.
"Don't you dare worry about me. Aragorn is your friend and you have a duty to him. I will not stop you or speak against it. I will be fine." Iasbelin said strongly.
"I will say this as I always do. I will return to you I promise. When you hear word of out victory ride to Minas Tirith. If you hear of our loss ride straight back to Mirkwood and wait for me. If I do not return in a month you can assume I am with Mandos." Legolas explained. It pained him so much to watch her face fall as he said that. "I love you, Iasbelin. I love you more than anything in Arda. If I should perish tell Osric of me. Be sure he knows of the man you gave your life to."
Iasbelin nodded and did not say a word she simply went into Legolas' arms and pressed a soft lingering kiss to his lips. She stayed in that position for a long time with her eyes closed unwilling to let go. When she found the strength to release him she stepped back and gestured to the door of the tent.
"May the Grace of the Valar protect you, Legolas. I love you." Iasbelin said as he slipped out of the tent and into the night. Iasbelin turned to the sleeping Osric and found herself wiping tears from her eyes.
Legolas sprinted off into the night to ready Arod for the journey into the mountain. He grabbed his reigns and led him to where Gimli was sitting. Aragorn had just arrived and Gimli stopped him abruptly.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Gimli asked. Aragorn looked down and sighed.
"Not this time. This time you must stay Gimli." Aragorn said.
"Have you learnt nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Legolas asked as he walked up with Arod in tow.
"You might as well accept it. We're going with you laddie." Gimli said. Aragorn smiles and mounts his horse. Legolas and Gimli do the same. Legolas looked behind him once more and saw his wife standing outside their tent in a beautiful dress with her hair blowing in the wind. She did not look joyous, though, she looked in despair. Legolas could see the tears falling down her face. She put her hand over her heart and extended it out from her chest in the traditional Elven farewell. She watched her husband disappear into the distance. Legolas kept his head turned until he could no longer see her.
"Eyes on the road pointy-eared." Gimli huffed. As the three made their way through camp they attracted the attention of the men within the camp. They paid them no heed and continued on.
"What's happening? Where is he going? I don't understand." The three disappeared into the mountain, "Lord Aragorn! Why does he leave on the eve of battle?" A frightened solider asked.
"He leaves because their is no hope." Gamling said.
"He leaves because he must." Theoden answered.
"To few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor." Gamling said hopelessly.
"No, we cannot but we will meet them in battle nonetheless." Theoden responded majestically.
A/N: Ok I'm a terrible person. I thought I would have this up on Tuesday but I have so much school work and soccer got in the way too. I'm very sorry but I hope it was worth the wait! Please leave a review!