Niethen whinnied slightly as I pulled him next to Aragorn, strapping my gear onto him at the same time as he was. Aragorn turned to me, frowning.
"Where are you going?" he asked. I smiled, tears still in my eyes and traces of them on my cheeks.
"With you." I said simply and tied my pack onto Niethen's back. Aragorn grabbed my shoulder and turned me around not roughly.
"You have been crying." He said and I turned my face from his.
"Secrets that have been kept from you, Aragorn. Things I had wanted to forget." I said, "Brought back to my attention by Lord Elrond... my ada." Aragorn did a double take as he looked at me.
"Your ada? Your father?" he asked, he was astonished. I nodded.
"You wear my half sister's necklace." I said, nodding toward the Evenstar. I pulled the slits of my tunic to the side, "And I wear one as well." Aragorn reached out and touched it... his face unbelieving. "And I will follow you to the death if I have to." Aragorn looked down.
"What else did Elrond tell you?" he asked gently. I looked at him.
"You must promise me you won't tell anyone." I said, "This is for your ears alone."
"Not a soul." Aragorn promised, putting his hand on his heart, "You have my word as your friend." Tears brimmed in my eyes as I told Aragorn of what Sauron was looking for... and why it was me. Tears continued to fall and he pulled me into a hug, his eyes sad.
"But I wont!" I cried fiercely, looking at him in our embrace. "He will not take me!" Aragorn looked at me sadly before kissing my forehead.
"You are strong, my old friend. My sister." He said and took my shoulders. "You will not be taken. I know it." Suddenly, Eowyn strode up to us.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked fiercely coming to stand before us. I hurriedly wiped away the tears on my face. No mortal but Aragorn would see me cry. "The war lies in the east. You cannot leave on the eve of battle." Aragorn turned to her, looking down at her. "You cannot abandon the men."
"Eowyn..." he said and walked around her.
"We need you here!" she begged.
"Why have you come?" he asked, tightening the bit on his horse. She looked at him.
"Do you not know." She loves him... I thought and looked down.
"It is but a shadow and a thought that you love." He said, Eowyn looked at him pleadingly, "I cannot give you what you seek." She took steps away from him him her face sad and her eyes begging. He looked at her sadly and turned away from the Lady of Rohan, walking away.
As soon as she was out of sight I put my hand on his shoulder, rubbing it over his back as we walked through the camp.
Suddenly, Gimli's voice rang out. "Just where do you think you're off to?" he asked, standing. Aragorn looked at him.
"Not this time, Gimli. This time you must stay, Gimli."
"Are you alright?" I asked him, his face was still sad. Aragorn looked at me.
"I am sorry, Rhasslairiel." He said, "I should be helping you... not wallowing in my own problems." Gimli continued to stand there.
"She thinks not enough of herself." Legolas's voice from behind me. I turned to look at him as he looked at Aragorn. "Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Gimli smiled.
"You might as well accept it." He said, "We're going with you two." Aragorn and I exchanged a glance before sighing and jumping on our horses. Legolas looked at me.
"Are you alright?" he asked. I smiled and looked at Aragorn.
"Yes," I said distractedly, "Yes I am fine." Aragorn rode in the front of the line through the camp with me behind him and finally Legolas and Gimli. The warriors sitting by fires looked up at us, frowning.
"Where are they going?" one of them asked another. People began to come out of their tents.
"I dont understand," my Elven ears caught from behind us.
"Lord Aragorn! Lady Alandia!"
"He leaves because there is no hope."
"They leave because they must." Theoden's voice... and the conversation was lost to me as we rode into the darkness of the mountain... of the Dimholt road.
"What kind of an army would linger in such a place?" Gimli wondered as we rode slowly through the Dimholt road and into the mountain Dwimorberg, grey daylight peeking over the edge of the mountain.
"One that is cursed." I replied. "Long ago the Men of the Mountains swore an oath to the last King of Gondor," I said as we rode through the mountain ravines, "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." Gimli shuddered as he listened to my quiet, unemotional voice tell the tale.
We walked through the last ravine, our horses following after us. I kept my sword out as did Aragorn, Gimli kept his ax close, and Legolas's bow was no longer on his back. A rectangular doorway stood ahead, the sides of it covered with, I looked closer... skulls .
"The very warmth of my blood seems stole away." Gimli whispered. I shivered too. Legolas looked up at the top of the doorway.
"The way is shut... it was made by those who are dead... and the dead keep it... the way is shut." He read. I exchanged glances with Aragorn. A wind blew from the doorway and blew onto us, making the horses rear and run away, all but Niethen, who stayed by me, shaking though.
"Brego!" Aragorn shouted to his horse.
"Go, Niethen." I said, "Take care of the others." Niethen let his breath out and bowed his head, leaving the way we came with all haste.
"I do not fear death." Aragorn said finally, walking dramatically into the doorway. I looked back at the other two and followed, the darkness all I could see or hear for a time, before hearing Legolas's light footsteps and Gimli's muttering behind me.
Through windy roads we took, through the dark passages and steep slopes we ran, Aragorn found a torch and picked it up, letting me light it with two stones.
My breath came out in frightened gasps as we ran into a much larger place. Stairs to our left with a door. We stood there for a few moments.
"Who enters my domain?" an eerie, yet deep voice commanded. Aragorn froze and turned around, I watching with wide eyes as warriors appeared around us, the army of the dead, all glowing green and donned in armor. The one before us stood in armor and a crown on his head, the flesh falling off his face exposing bones... the King of the Dead.
"One who will have your allegiance." I pulled out my bow, sheathing my sword.
"The Dead do not suffer the living to pass." The King said.
"You will suffer me." Aragorn warned. The King began to laugh, the laughs echoing through the cavern. A green glowing city came to life as we turned around, an army coming from its doorways. My eyes, if possible, widened even further.
"The way is shut." The King said, "It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it... the way is shut." We were surrounded by thousands. The King stepped forward toward Aragorn. "Now you must die."
"No, Aragorn!" I cried and pulled out an arrow, shooting at the King's heart, just as Legolas shot on at his head... they went right through him.
"I summon you to fulfill your oath." Aragorn said dangerously.
"None but the King of Gondor may command me." The King said, walking toward Aragorn hastily. I backed up. And suddenly, the King pulled out his sword, almost transparent and brought it down at Aragorn... Aragorn raised his sword I made to walk forward but Legolas grabbed my arm.
"Wait." He said and I looked back up... Anduril had blocked it! Aragorn twisted the sword, making the King's fall to his side.
"That line was broken!" he said in disbelief. Aragorn reached up and grabbed the dead one's chest, holding Anduril to his neck.
"It has been remade." He said and pushed the King back. He fell back a few steps, crying out.
"Fight for us." Aragorn said, "And regain your honor. What say you?" He began to walk through the army, his sword out. "What say you?"
"Ah," Gimli said, "You waste your time, Aragorn. They had no honor in life, they have none now in death." I watched the army around him, hoping that they wouldnt attack my Dwarven friend.
"I am Isildur's heir." Aragorn said, his sword still up. "Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled." The King smiled, "What say you?" There was a long pause.
"We will fight for you, heir of Isildur." The King said. "And you will release us." Aragorn smiled greatly and nodded.
"Follow us." I said and walked away from my companions, Aragorn right behind me.
We found our horses outside of the mountain rode as I patted Niethen's head.
"We go to the River." Aragorn said and I nodded, jumping onto Niethen and riding with all haste to the East, Aragorn following me and the army following behind us.
A day passed...
"The River Aragorn!" I cried and pointed to where water could be seen... "And look! The Black Ships just like Gandalf said!"
"Yes..." Aragorn said... Legolas and him looked at each other... "But what of the men on the ships..." We looked back to the King of the Men of the Mountains.
"We will break them." And with that the army ran forward...
By the time the four of us got to the ships, the last of the dead bodies were being thrown over. I smiled widely at the King.
"You know your stuff." I said. The King bowed slightly... almost mockingly.
The four of us jumped off our horses and walked towards the ships, all except me who turned to Niethen.
"Go home, Niethen old friend." I said, smiling, "You will be called when needed." Niethen neighed and whinnied before turning and galloping off, the two other horses behind them.