Hi readers! This chapter comes a little sooner than I expected, but I had a little time to write recently, and was able to finish it fairly quickly. It's a bit of a filler chapter before the action picks up, but I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 136

The next morning dawned cloudy, and a sharp chill was in the air. I knew the weather could be cold in Rohan, but it seemed unusually so. I wrapped my cloak more tightly about me, and wandered over to the fire, where the Dunedain were gathered and speaking in hushed Sindarin. I looked uneasily at the Rohirrim nearby, who eyed us with suspicion; perhaps speaking in a foreign tongue was a mistake.

I said as much when I settled down next to Calenglad, and the conversation flowed seamlessly into Westron. "Do any of you know how long it will take to get to Dunharrow?"

Corunir frowned in thought, "We could easily make it by midday at a good clip, but we have refugees to consider, who will not all be on horses." We remembered all too clearly the carnage we had come upon recently. Luckily, our party included capable fighters who could repel an attack, but it would be better to avoid conflict altogether.

"What is the date?" I asked, trying to determine how long we had been traveling since my escape from Isengard.

"It is March 4th," Candaith answered, sitting on my other side and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Time tends to blur together," I said with a sigh. "So much has happened these past few months. It is hard to comprehend sometimes."

Candaith squeezed my waist gently in comfort, "When this is all over, it would be good to take some time to process everything, and perhaps speak with a healer."

I stiffened and felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment, "I do not need a healer." I knew he referred to one who heals the mind, and I had no interest in telling a stranger about my struggles.

"Gwin, there is no shame-" he continued, but I cut him off with a glare. "I will let it go," he sighed, pulling me close. "I do not mean to pry, meleth nin. I only wish you to be well."

"I am well," I insisted, despite knowing that was perhaps not fully the truth. There were secrets I was keeping from Candaith about past events, including my time with Galthrod in Isengard. It filled me with shame to think of it. "Let us focus on our current objectives and discuss the future when it is clear there will truly be a future to live."

"Do not be so dour, Gwin," Radanir quipped with a smile. "It is not wrong to plan for when we are victorious, which I believe we will be." He truly did seem very sure of this, and I knew it was because of how much he looked up to Aragorn. He was also very young for a Dunedain, and despite all the hardships he had undergone this year, he still had much to learn about the world.

"What will you do when this is all over?" Corunir asked curiously.

A blush dusted Radanir's cheeks. "Well…ah, I intend to…to ask Mair to marry me." He scowled as we all grinned. "I know you think I'm too young to do this, but I know she is the one for me." I held in a smirk as his eyes softened and he continued dreamily, "Mair is so courageous, beautiful, smart…I do not know what she sees in a scruffy ranger like me."

"Well, I will tell you from experience that despite the scruffiness, the Dunedain are difficult to resist," I said with a glance at a widely-smiling Candaith. "Truly, I am happy for you both, and wish you nothing but joy."

"Thank you," Radanir replied softly. "It means much to have your support, mellon nin."

Our conversation was cut short as the order was given to move out, and we quickly did so. A guard was stationed around the refugees who were not well-equipped to do any sort of fighting, and my hands were continuously on my weapons, just in case of a sudden attack.

Luck was with us, for no enemies approached our traveling party as we made good progress to the South, following the river as we went. There was little chatter or laughter, as everyone seemed to note the seriousness of the situation, but it made the journey feel longer than it perhaps was. Finally, Eowyn waved a hand toward an aged, wooden sign. "Dúnharg," she read. "Or Dunharrow in Common Tongue." Her eyes scanned the large, open grassy plain in the low evening light. "This is to be where the Eorlingas muster a fighting force great enough to challenge Sauron and his ilk." She sighed. "Or perhaps not great enough. Who can say how many will come? Our people are besieged throughout Rohan, and many may not wish to leave their cities undefended."

"Do you have an inkling of how many Eorlingas serve under King Theoden?" I asked curiously.

"From studying Uncle's maps and writings, I estimate 135 Eoreds, or 16,000 riders," she replied, her brow furrowed. "Yet this was a tally done before the more recent, larger battles. A formal census of the riders has not been done in months, mostly due to Uncle's health and the whispers of Wormtongue."

"Whatever the number may be, any challenge to the enemy is a worthy one," Candaith said firmly. "Gondor will need aid, for Mordor is on their doorstep. If they fall, the rest of Middle Earth will fall with it."

"Yes I am aware of that, my lord," Eowyn snapped. "It is a great honor to fight in the defense of Rohan, one which I am not afforded." There was an awkward silence, her frustration sitting heavily in the air. "Please settle yourselves for the night, I have much to do." With that, she strode away purposefully, tension visible in her shoulders.

"I know how much it irks her to be forced to stay out of the fighting," I said with a frown. "The laws of keeping women out of the Riders seems archaic to me."

"The ways of Men are not those of Elves, in this case," Golodir gently reminded. "They wish to protect who they deem to be vulnerable."

"They are stronger than Men believe, and I know if they were just given the option to fight, a fair number might choose to partake," I replied fervently. "The mentality over it would need to change, yet I deem it would be difficult to achieve such a feat."

"Certainly it could not be done in the short time left to gather the forces of Rohan to fight," Candaith said. "Yet who knows what the future will hold? If the battle goes ill, the women of Rohan and Gondor will be needed to fight to defend their homes, as the men will not be able to do so."

Considering they would all be dead or enslaved. The thought of it made me shiver.

The next two days passed without any incidents, with the exception of when we traveled up the switchbacks to the top of Dunharrow, called the Firienfeld. We came across a passage which wound through a dark forest and ended at a door ringed with skulls and strange markings. This door seemed to pass into the mountain Dwimorberg. It had a fell air about it, and we instinctively left quickly. Was this where Aragorn meant to come? A door with skulls on it seemed likely to be an entrance to the Paths of the Dead, a name which had darkened my thoughts since first hearing of it from Elladan. To me it seemed a risky plan, likely to end in his death and the deaths of all who went with him.

I had assumed I would go wherever the rest of the Dunedain went, but the thought of facing more Oathbreakers after the horrible events of the Forsaken Road was terrifying. I wondered if everyone would truly follow Aragorn into such a place, especially those who had fought in the desperate battle after attempting to fool the Oathbreakers into believing Candaith was the Heir of Isildur.

Yet, I knew how loyal they were to Aragorn, and how brave and honorable. They would not let their fears overcome their duty. Where Candaith went, I would follow, but I knew he would stay behind with me if I asked, despite his duty to his Chieftain. Would it be fair of me to ask him to make such a choice, just because I was afraid?

I noted Candaith watching me carefully after we returned to the base of Dunharrow, and I tried not to let my dismay and fear consume my thoughts because he would surely notice through our bond. Luckily he did not ask me to share my worries, and I appreciated the courtesy.

March 6th dawned with gloomy, cloudy weather. I was startled awake by the sounds of a commotion in the camp, and Candaith and I scrambled to dress and stumble outside.

A cheer went up as a familiar face came into view. Aragorn looked disheveled and exhausted, but he greeted his kin with a shadow of a smile as he approached. I could see the grief in his expression, but he tried to hide it from the others, determined not to burden them during such dark times. Before I could approach, a familiar set of arms swooped me up onto his horse, and I laughed as Elladan hugged me tightly.

"We missed you, muinthel," he said joyfully.

"Are you well?" Elrohir interjected, doing a quick once-over of my appearance to determine my well-being.

"I certainly am, now that you are here," I replied, pushing all of my negative emotions down where they belonged. "You must rest, and then tell me of your journey."

"Unfortunately, there is little time for rest," Elladan said, becoming more serious. We dismounted, and I put my hand on his cheek in concern. "The King intends to muster as many of his soldiers as he can over the next few days, and Estel intends to leave soon." His face darkened, and I knew he was thinking of the Paths of the Dead.

"Will you travel with him?" I asked tentatively.

After a brief pause, he nodded. "I and Elrohir will join him, as well as those of the Dunedain who wish to come. Estel believes all of them will travel with him, but…" he looked at me warily. "They have gone through much at the hands of the Oathbreakers, and may encounter those who accosted us on the Forsaken Road."

"Those traitors would not join those who dwell here," I argued, despite being unsure of the truth of this. "They fought to eliminate us from their caverns, and I doubt they would leave."

"Are we even certain any spirits dwell here in the first place?" Elrohir asked. "It is all a rumor, and perhaps this journey will prove fruitless."

"Yet I must take it nonetheless," a gravelly voice interjected, and I sighed as Aragorn joined our little group. "Lord Elrond insisted it was the best option, and I trust his foresight and wisdom."

"Suilad, mellon nin," I greeted him with a small bow. "I am glad to see you, for I feared what you would be facing once you left Edoras."

A dark expression crossed his face. "We did indeed face many trials, ending in us fighting for our lives at the Hornburg at Helm's Deep." He explained how Gandalf had gone in search of Erkenbrand's eored, who arrived just as dawn was breaking. "Without the timely aid of Erkenbrand, the battle would have been lost. Despite his aid, many lives were taken before he arrived. While the defeat of Saruman was a great success, it came at a heavy cost."

"Saruman's armies were surely much larger than King Theoden's," I mused. "This will be a significant blow to him."

Aragorn's gaze was heavy as he looked into my eyes. "We met with him at Isengard, which has been destroyed by the Ents of Fangorn." I gasped in shock. "I will explain later. Despite his best attempt, he could not deceive us with his lies. Gandalf broke his staff, and his Palantír was thrown from his tower by Wormtongue."

"Did you recover it?" I asked shakily, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Gandalf has it in his possession." Aragorn placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry Gwin, he will keep it safe and away from the enemy." There was something he was omitting regarding the palantir, for I could see a flicker of something strange in his eyes, but I held my tongue. If he said it would be closely guarded, I believed him. "Now, I believe there is another visitor who would dearly love to see you."

"Visitor?" I asked curiously. Suddenly I was tackled to the ground by a small body and I grinned in delight as it became clear it was Merry.

"Gwin! You're here!" Merry exclaimed. "I did not expect to see you!"

"And I you!" I replied, sitting up to get a better look at him. "How do you come to be here? Last I heard, you had taken up with Treebeard the Ent!"

His wide smile lessened. "Yes, and encouraged the Ents to go to war against Saruman, and they agreed. They besieged Isengard and it is now flooded." He huffed a laugh. "Pip and I raided the food stores and had quite a good meal." He patted his pocket. "And found some good pipeweed, from the Shire no less!"

I furrowed my brow at this. Why would Saruman have pipeweed from the Shire? Setting this aside for the moment, I looked past Merry for another familiar hobbit. "Where is Pippin? You said he was with you?"

At this, Merry became sad. "Yes, he was, but…but he looked into that cursed stone ball, and Gandalf took him to Minas Tirith on Shadowfax." He looked close to tears. "Why does he always have to look? His curiosity has always gotten him into trouble, and this was the worst trouble of all." He leaned closer to me and looked around for eavesdroppers. "Gandalf thinks Sauron believes Pippin has the Ring, and so he brought him to Gondor. I don't know why he thinks Gondor is safer than Rohan, but that was Gandalf's decision. I have always been there to get Pip out of trouble…now who will look out for him?"

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, and he leaned against me, clearly exhausted. "Gandalf will be there to make sure he is well," I insisted. "He is in good hands, for I would trust Gandalf with my life."

After a few minutes, Merry pulled away from me. "It seems our reunion will be a short one, if Aragorn intends to part ways with King Theoden, and you go with him. I will be remaining at the King's side, as his squire." He smiled sheepishly. "It was perhaps a spur of the moment decision of mine to swear fealty to him and his people, but it felt like the right thing to do. The King is a good man, and one I am proud to serve."

"That is an admirable charge," I replied with a smile. "Let us enjoy each other's company for a little while, until we must part ways once more." We spent the next few hours catching up, and telling the more light-hearted stories about our respective journeys, as few as there were. I even put up with him smoking, despite my distaste for it. Candaith and the others gave the two of us some space, and I appreciated it. I knew the near future held much uncertainty, and a large-scale battle was to come, so this short time of comfort and laughter refilled my cup, so to speak.

Elladan and Elrohir eventually became impatient, and asked me to tell them of what occurred in their absence. They frowned at my mentions of the few skirmishes I was a part of, but I insisted I had been in little danger. Whether that was true or not was up for debate. Despite my assurances and the increasing number of soldiers arriving by the hour, they kept their tents close to mine.

Two days had passed since our reunion, and I knew it was time to decide my next course of action. Aragorn had informed the Dunedain of his decision to travel the Paths of the Dead, and everyone had stated their choice to join him, including Elladan and Elrohir.

Everyone except Candaith, who was waiting patiently for my decision. "Meleth, Aragorn would not fault you for staying here and traveling with the Rohirrim," he said gently. "Or, if you desired, you could travel back to Imladris, should you be weary of battle and in need of rest."

I shook my head, "I cannot abandon the Free Peoples now, not when their need is greatest." Duty, along with love for my friends and family, were what propelled me to make the choice I did. I turned to Aragorn and said, "I am of the Dunedain now, and you are my Chieftain. I will follow you, my Lord Aragorn, to whatever end."

He seemed genuinely shocked for a moment, before a small smile appeared on his face. "Very well. I am glad to have you with us, my friend. You are one of us now."

It was not until this moment that I felt like I truly belonged among the kinsmen of my husband, but seeing their welcoming expressions as they looked upon me, it became clear how much they valued me as one of their own. I was certainly afraid of what the next days would hold, and what horrors we would face, but if I had to pick a group of valiant, brave and intelligent comrades, they would be who I would choose.

"I am so happy to see you," I replied sincerely, seeing the shadow of the little boy I once knew within the future King before me. "To go with you on this journey is a great honor. I am glad to have your trust, and friendship."

I fell into reverie that night, with Candaith's arm loosely around my waist, with mixed emotions. All I could do was rest while I could, and face tomorrow when the sun rose in the East.

Gwin makes her decision to follow Aragorn and the Grey Company as they journey to the Paths of the Dead. Will she regret her choice or not? It remains to be seen. Thanks for reading, and leave a review!