The next day Kali rode with Aragorn, he assured her that it was only a short ride from their camp to Edoras, but it felt like hours to her as she sat there in fear that the horse would try to throw her off. Once they had finally reached the gates, people garbed in black stood about, almost lifeless. "You'd find more cheer in a graveyard…" Gimli muttered. No one laughed at his remark, the air was too thick with the feeling of despair. When they had reached the Hall they dismounted and walked up the steps to the Great Hall.

When they got to the door a group of soldiers and guards stopped them. "I cannot allow you to be so armed before the King, Gandalf Greyhem. By order of Grima Wormtongue, I would ask that you all please remove your weapons and place them over next to the wall, they will not be touched." Gandalf nodded to the Fellowship and they took that as a sign to do as the man said. Aragorn was the first to take his sword off and place it on the ground, and then he took off his knife. Legolas followed his lead and set his bow down, then his quiver, and finally his knives. Gandalf took his sword from his belt and laid it next to all the other weapons. Gimli and Kali were more hesitant to relinquish their weapons. Kali gently set down the bow Legolas had given her along with his old quiver, next she set down her knives, but doing so she looked very anxious. Gimli finally, grumbling, handed his walking axe, his fighting axe, and his throwing axe to the guards who put them down on the floor with all the rest.

The company moved forward but was stopped again, "We still have to check you for hidden weapons, we do not want out King to get hurt by our lack of security, you see." Gandalf gritted his teeth and once more nodded to Aragorn, who stepped forward first to be checked. This reminds me of a pat down like they sometimes do in airport security… Kali thought. The two soldiers lifted the tunic slightly and checked the boots then the belt for any hidden compartments. They touched the back of his tunic and his arms to make sure her didn't have a dagger in there. Next Legolas stepped forward, the same process started all over again. Legolas tried to remain calm as they inspected him, did they really have to push him and tug his clothes? Then Gandalf went, they checked his cloaks, both of them, and his belt. They still didn't find anything… Then they checked Gimli, who growled at them every time they did something he didn't like. Once that was done Gandalf started forward again but also again was stopped. (Who would have thought?...) "You'd think that just because she is a woman we wouldn't check her for weapons. I'm sorry, but you are mistaken."

Kali felt her breath quicken in panic as the two guards moved forward to check her as well. Oh no… Their hands weren't exactly gentle or respectful either. Kali trembled in distress as they patted her back and legs, checking in her boots and her belt. This already felt like some sort of sexual harassment, but it was only when one of the guard's hands went up her shirt that she gave a cry of alarm, feeling panic overwhelm her she blindly kicked, and accidently got him right where no man would ever want to be kicked.

Legolas ran over to her and held her close "Is everything alright? He didn't hurt you or touch you in any way you disliked, did he?" She just whimpered and shook terribly, terrified to death. Her fear of horses was almost nothing compared to this; she didn't want to be touched like that so brutally and without her agreement. Not getting an answer, Legolas turned to the man and glared at him, "What," he asked voice cold and hard, "did you do?"

The head guard saw that this was the time to break things up, "You can be allowed inside now; that has been enough searching. But your staff,"

Gandalf adopted the demeanor of a kindly old man in a split second, "Oh, well, you wouldn't part an old man from his walking stick, would you?" The guard gave him a, I'm not quite convinced that's the case, glare but he did open the doors to let them in.

Legolas offered his right arm to Gandalf and his left arm to Kali; both took it and took up a guise of harmlessness. Gandalf hammed up the old man act, leaning on his staff and shuffling a bit, also leaning on the elf's arm for support. Kali was already frightened and did look the part of a fragile girl being escorted by an elf, for now…

On the dais a throne sat with a shrunken old man with a huge beard and flaky, wrinkly, disgusting skin. Wow… he looks way more dead than I am! Kali thought in awe as she stared at the King of Rohan. And next to him sat a creature almost as disgusting, garbed in black and paler than Kali by far, he looked like a giant black worm if you squinted. The man whispered something to the King and thin words stained out of the Kings mouth, "Why … should I welcome you… Gandalf Stormcrow?"

"A just question my liege." The man in black said to his king. Turning to the Fellowship he addressed them. "Late is the hour in which this conjuror of tricks chooses to appear. Ill news I name him, and ill new is an ill guest."

Gandalf stepped forward and let go of Legolas' arm, losing all softness in his motion. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not battle with fire and death to exchange words with a witless worm!" he snapped. Then he raised his staff and the pale man got even paler, which Kali though would kill him, but unfortunately it didn't.

"His staff!" Men came rushing in from all directions at the man's distress, "I told you to take the Wizard's staff!" The armed guards and the unarmed thugs came running at them to attack. Now unarmed except for her teeth, Kali felt very helpless and also very useless, and she didn't want to bite any humans, so when a man came at her with a sword she just ducked. Then she decided to put those two months of Karate lessons to good use and she side-kicked the man in the back then jumped on his back, causing a cracking sound to come out. Another man attacked from behind, tackling her and pinning her to the ground. She struggled fiercely but then grew stock-still when she heard the man utter, "Remember this?" his hand went up her shirt again and she panicked, thrashing around more. His hand slid down her waist and slipped under her pants, she screamed. Then he wasn't on her anymore, she looked up and saw Legolas holding the man in a death grip around the neck, fury in his eyes. Gimli stood a few feet away with his foot on Grima's chest and his axe pointed at him, his jaw hanging open. Gandalf put a hand on the elf's arm to calm him. "Now is not the time," then the Wizard stepped forward and proclaimed, "I release you from the spell," casting a spell on the King.

Faint cackling came from the dry lips of the King, and then he laughed loudly, "You have no power here Gandalf the Grey!" Gandalf threw back his outer robes to reveal his new white cape underneath. He glowed with light and power and the King was pinned back to his throne, "I will draw you Sarumon, like poison is drawn from a wound."

"If I go, Théoden dies!" Gandalf thrust his staff forward and the King was pressed even farther back into his chair. "Rohan is mine!" Sarumon snapped from within the King. Gandalf pushed forward once more with his staff and whatever possessing the King seemed to leave him. A girl rushed forward just as the King was falling forward, she caught him and helped him sit back in his throne. Then he started to look younger, his age diminishing till he looked healthier and less, well, zombie-like. He seemed to be coming back to his senses, he touched the girl's face, "I know your face, Eowen! Eowen!" he said softly, the girl cried and laughed delicately in relief. The King looked out into the Hall, "Dark have been my dreams of late," he said.

Gandalf smiled wisely, "Your hands may remember your old strength better in the grasped your sword," The King's sword was brought forward and the King slowly pulled the sword form it's sheath. Kali stood up slowly as he did this, watching him feel restored to his former glory. Then the King turned to Grima, who was being held by Gimli, with hate glowing in his eyes.

The man was tossed down the stairs roughly and he crawled backwards away from the angry king, "I have only ever served you my lord!" he begged desperately. But the King would have none of it,

"Your leech craft, would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" he growled, about to swing his sword and bring it down on the man's head. But Aragorn held him back, "No my lord, no. Enough blood has been spilled on his account."

Grima staggered backward and stumbled to his feet, running away. "Get out of my way!" he yelled as he pushed through the crowd of townspeople. Kali shuddered and hoped she wouldn't have to come face to face with him again.

"Hail Théoden King!" One of the townspeople called, they all knelt.

Théoden turned to the Hall and said, "Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" When no one answered, a heavy silence hung in the air.

Kali stood in the Great Hall a little ways from the group as Gandalf spoke to the Head of the Guards. She looked on as Legolas came over to her, "Are you sure you are alright?"

Kali turned her golden eyes on him, "I can survive," she teased with a small smirk then grew serious. "I don't like the atmosphere in here, it is like a gravesite. The mourners in black, the thick silence, the smell of damp soil in the air; it makes me want to die again to escape it all." She shivered and tried not to think of her Father's funeral, the memory always tore her apart every time she thought about it. Legolas regarded her sorrow, I have seen much death over the course of my life; being long-lived is sometimes a burden when you have to watch the people you know die. I have a long time to get over it but Kali is another story… He touched her shoulder in sympathy and walked away to leave her alone with her thoughts.

Once the elf had gone back to the others, Gandalf had arranged sleeping quarters for all of them in a spare room. They left to go and put their things away and left Kali wondering where they were going. Kali felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned around to see the beautiful blond girl who had caught the King earlier. "You are to share a room with me for the night, Lady Kali." Kali curtsied and smiled shyly at the older girl. "I noticed that you are traveling with men, how do you fair in their company?" The Eowen asked.

Kali thought about the question, "I have grown to love them; they are the only family I have." The woman looked saddened by this,

"I lost my Father to war and my mother to grief. I understand your pain." She motioned for Kali to follow her, "I shall show you to our room,"

Later in their shared room they sat on the bed talking and laughing. "I am so glad that parasite is gone… long has he haunted my steps."

Kali giggled and wrinkled her nose, "He is so disgusting!"

"I know!"

They laughed, both relived to have someone to talk to.

"If I ask you about your family will you answer?" Eowen asked,

Kali nodded, "Of course." The older girl looked down onto the bed sheets.

"How did your parents die?"

"My mother died in childbirth and my Father in war." Eowen saw tears form in the girl's eyes and she hugged her new confidant, it was a warm and sisterly hug that made Kali feel appreciated.

"I know how you feel." Kali nodded with her head on Eowen's shoulder. Eowen released the hug and tugged at Kali's hair gently, "On a brighter note I think the elf might fancy you!" Eowen giggled and pulled a comb out and started to comb Kali's hair. Kali blushed lightly and started to protest, "But you do like him back, don't you?" Kali shut her mouth and thought about it as the older girl braided her now silky hair.

"Yes, I do like him. A lot actually." Kali reached up and touched he braid, it felt smooth and soft at her touch, "Thank you," she exclaimed and hugged Eowen once more. They both could tell they were going to be great friends.

At night Kali waited until Eowen was asleep then she snuck outside for a bit of fresh air and maybe to find a meal. As she stepped out onto the night air she noticed two things; No guards were posted for the night watch, and someone was already out there. Legolas heard her come outside and he turned, she looked back at him with those glowing eyes. She joined him on his end of the deck and smiled, "Hey," she said softly, "I'm going to go get something to eat, if Eowen wonders where I went off to can you cover for me?" He nodded and smiled back. She was about to turn to go when he caught her wrist; he wanted to say that she could just drink from him, but couldn't seem to find the words. Kali watched him fall silent and wondered what he was trying to say; then his scent hit her like a truck. Without thinking she lunged forward and bit. She bit harder than last time, but also more heatedly; Legolas felt the throbbing sensation again only more intense. Her hands grasped his hair tightly and her lips on his neck; it made him feel faint, or was that the blood loss? When she let go she felt mortified, she didn't know what came over her; "I am so sorry Legolas! I didn't mean to-!" she was cut off by the touch of his hand on her cheek,

"It is fine, I actually wanted to ask you, but you read my thoughts…"

Kali flinched at his touch and staggered backwards, "Um… I have to be going back now… Good night!" She retreated into the palace and ran as fast as she could to Eowen's room. It had been too scary feeling her heart suddenly come alive like that. She put her hand over her chest and felt for it again, but it was gone, but she could have sworn she had felt something. Kali breathed a sigh and Eowen woke, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Lady Kali? What is the matter?" Then the woman saw the golden eyes in the dark and gasped.

Kali looked momentarily confused then it dawned on her; "Oh, my eyes. Sorry… They do that in the dark."

Eowen nodded slowly and carefully sat on the bed, "You aren't human, are you?" She questioned sort of fearfully.

"No, I used to be. But now I'm… dead."

Eowen didn't understand what Kali meant; surely she wasn't a reanimated corpse or a ghost… "What?"

"It is a long story… but I was killed by a…" she thought of the equivalent of a truck in Middle Earth, "Um, a horse… and I was taken here, and brought back… but now I have some strange tendencies… like the glowing."

Eowen felt more at ease, "Can you be killed again?"

Kali shrugged, "I have no idea, but I heal fast."

"And is that why you were allowed on such a dangerous quest?"

Kali noticed a hint of envy and longing in her voice, she grinned, showing her fangs. "Maybe. But was the jealousy I heard in your voice?" The girl's eyes sparkled, "I think it was!"

"Yes, I would love to prove my worth in battle just as you do, but my duty and my femininity keep me from doing so."

"What is wrong with being a woman? Why should that stop you from going into battle? We have a higher tolerance of pain, we have it worse than men, and we have more reason to defend ourselves, yes?"

Eowen laughed, "You have very strong views my friend."

Kali took that as a compliment, "Why thank you. You would love where I'm from; they let women engage in combat…"

Eowen's eyes widened, "How do I get there?"

Kali snorted with laughter, "I don't remember, but I would take you there if I could!"