Starting the next story arc! Thanks for sticking with me, I know the wait has been long!

Chapter 137

My eyes cleared of reverie as I felt a breeze in the tent. Candaith must have just left, and I shivered under the thin blankets at his sudden absence. Peeking out of the entrance flap, I noted it was still dark, but dawn was not far off. I quickly dressed and walked into the camp, a chill wind blowing ominously. Despite the early hour, the camp was bustling with activity. More Rohirrim had arrived during the night, and I was surprised I had slept through the commotion. It was hard to tell the number of them, but I hoped it was enough to satisfy King Theoden. Gondor needed all the help it could get, but I feared the muster was too little too late.

I wandered over to where some familiar faces had gathered, and tried to smile as Candaith handed me some dried meat and an apple. "I know it isn't much, but we must conserve our supplies, as there is still far to go on our journey."

I nodded in understanding, before asking, "Does the King know of Aragorn's plan?"

Candaith furrowed his brow in thought. "I would hope Aragorn would have made him aware of it by now. It would be an unwelcome, sudden surprise if he were to approach the King as we made to ride off."

"I have spoken to him," Aragorn interjected, and I startled, not noticing him arrive. "He was not happy, but respects my decision, if not fully understanding it." He sighed, "I can tell he does not believe we will make it out alive, but he wished us well despite his clear misgivings." We both turned as we spotted Lady Eowyn stomping her way through camp, with cold anger on her face. Aragorn sighed again, "I told her of our road, and she became upset. She asked to come along, but I turned her down." His expression was troubled, but he did not elaborate further. I could tell there was more to the story: I suspected Eowyn had feelings for him and was perhaps told of his betrothal to Arwen, but I did not ask him to confirm it.

"When do you wish to leave for the Dimholt?" Halbarad asked, coming to stand beside Candaith.

"As soon as we are able," Aragorn replied. "Time is short, and if we hope to reach Southern Gondor in time, we must not tarry long." He clearly had some idea where he wished to use this so-called Army of the Dead, but even thinking about entering the fell mountain made my skin crawl.

I was not alone in worrying about what we would face. Aragorn was the only one who was not a part of or affected by the disaster on the Forsaken Road, and despite his many years of facing countless foes, he could not fully grasp how we felt about venturing into another such place. The Dunedain tried to hide their discomfort under their characteristic, grim expressions, but I could see it all the same.

Aragorn had been upset and shocked to hear about the events on the Forsaken Road; he appreciated how much we had wanted to help bolster the fighting force of the Dead, but wished we had not risked our lives on such a gamble. I was proud of Candaith for standing up to try and convince the undead he was the Heir of Isildur, but the result had been disastrous.

Shaking myself out of the memories, I noticed the King and his royal guard were awaiting us, along with Eowyn and Merry. We spent a moment saying our farewells to the King, who wished us good fortune but with a grim expression on his face. I dismounted and gave Merry a hug, for he looked nervous and sad as we approached, and I knew he must have felt very alone in that moment. "We will see each other again," I said earnestly, even though we both knew I couldn't keep that promise. He attempted a smile but couldn't quite manage it, and turned to Aragorn, as he said his own goodbye. Eowyn's face held little emotion, but her eyes blazed with dejection and anger, and she slouched off the arm her brother Eomer had put around her shoulders.

Along with Elladan and Elrohir, Legolas and Gimli had also decided to join our party, and I was glad to have more friends by my side as we began to move through the camp and toward the Dimholt. Strange stones lined the path, dark in color and ominous-looking. The path grew narrower as we rode, until we were only able to go single file. The trees were numerous and dark, and I thought I could hear fell creatures moving through them, but none approached us. Nevertheless, all of us had our hands on our weapons, and bows strung and ready for use.

The horses began to get skittish, but with some soothing words of Sindarin, they did not bolt. The air grew darker and more oppressive, and a sense of dread filled my heart as we approached a fell-looking door. A large skull was on the top of it, with 3 torches lit with a strange green fire. Smaller skulls adorned the sides like a frame, with bones sticking out intermittently. I shivered as I heard whispers in the air, but the words were indistinct. We all dismounted, deciding to lead our horses through on whatever path there might be.

I noted Gimli was not with us, and with a furrowed brow I looked back down the path. "Here is a thing unheard of," the dwarf whispered, trembling. "Elves will go underground and a Dwarf dare not." I walked back to reach out and grasp his hand, and his eyes snapped up, seemingly unaware I was by his side. "I will guide you through the door," I said encouragingly. "Do not fear."

Before I had even finished speaking, Legolas appeared. "I will take over Gwin," he said, taking my place next to Gimli. "Your husband needs you."

"Very well," I replied, the Ellon's hand replacing mine in Gimli's. Candaith moved closer to me, our hands joined. "No harm will come to you while I draw breath," I said fiercely to Candaith, and we strode forward with purpose.

Taking a deep breath, I followed the others through the dark door.

Immediately I felt pressed in by darkness, and tried to remain calm. Candaith had a tight grip on my hand, and I could feel him trembling slightly.

The air was thick and heavy, and strange smoke drifted in the air and through invisible vents along the path. The whispers grew closer as we moved, and I felt boxed in. Squinting, I noticed the bones of a person, clad in mail, against a cave wall, a broken sword by his side. "This must be Baldor," Aragorn whispered sadly. "He was an ancient King of Rohan, who set forth to explore this place, never to return. I fear we will see others of his like as we go."

"W-what is that?" I said suddenly, startled by what appeared to be Oathbreakers floating above us. My brow furrowed in confusion as the Dunedain looked around, but appeared to be unable to see them.

Legolas confirmed it, "The undead traitors who refused to follow Isildur when he needed them." He continued the tale. "Long ago, the Men of the Mountain swore an oath to the last King of Gondor, 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." The Dunedain seemed to know of this piece of history, but Gimli's eyes were wide as he heard Legolas' words.

"Do you think it will work this time?" Radanir asked quietly. I felt Candaith flinch badly next to me, and I knew he felt guilty about what happened in the past. "Will Aragorn be able to summon them to fulfill their oath?"

"Oaths have great power," Legolas replied. "Just look at what the Sons of Feanor suffered because of the one they took foolishly at the behest of their father. It is a heavy burden to bear. My Adar knew some of them, and when they attacked Doriath to attempt to claim the Silmaril within, he saw the look in their eyes as he hid from them. He said they looked haunted, almost under some kind of trance, as if they were doing something they did not wish to do but felt they must."

"Let us speak of them no more," Aragorn said firmly. "We have a job to do, and the less time we linger here, the better." With that, we moved with more urgency.

We entered a more open space, and noted the blurred outlines of a city. It was like there were halls of stone and a fortress. A stream which had green, likely poisonous water flowed its way through the halls, but a rickety bridge was there to get us across. "How can this be?" I whispered. "Can the dead build things?" My question remained unanswered as an even heavier weight settled on our shoulders. I felt strangely drawn to wander toward these mysterious structures, but Candaith kept a firm grip on my arm so I kept moving forward. Suddenly, our voices were stolen from us by some fell act, and I felt like there was something tightening around my neck. None of us could make a sound.

No one except Aragorn.

"Keep your hoards and your secrets hidden in the Accursed Years! Speed only we ask. Let us pass, and then come! I summon you to the Stone of Erech!" he shouted, and it cut through the air with authority. None answered, but a chill blast flowed through the caves, and our torches went out. The only light to be seen was the faint glow of myself and the other Elves, but it was certainly not enough to light our way.

We continued on, almost blindly, but I was able to make out faint outlines of the path. Aragorn had the Elves go before the group, since we were the only ones who could see anything. A rumor came after us like the shadow-sound of many feet, and I could sense the Dead following. Gimli stumbled to the ground, crawling on all fours. Legolas fell back to his side and attempted to pull him to his feet, but Gimli refused to rise. The darkness seemed to steal his ability to walk, and Legolas reluctantly let him go but stayed close to him. It was unclear how much further we had to go, but our pace slowed significantly to accommodate Gimli's "handicap". He was muttering something we could not understand, likely in Khuzdul, but I could tell he was terrified. I wanted to pick him up and carry him out of there somehow, if only to get us to the exit faster. I tried not to look behind me, but my gaze turned back anyway, and I choked out a cry. "C-can you see them?" I gasped, the breath stolen from my lungs.

Elladan and Elrohir turned, their faces grim. "I see shapes of men, and of horses," Elladan murmured.

"Where?" Candaith asked, clearly unable to see them.

"Pale banners, like shreds of cloud," Elrohir added. "Spears rise like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following. They have been summoned." Indeed, I could see the same, but the Dunedain could not. Some of them faltered, afraid of the invisible army behind us, but Aragorn bade us to continue moving forward. "We must leave this place post-haste," he said firmly. "We have more to do once we emerge in the Blackroot Vale." His face was smooth as stone, and he looked fearless. A fey light shone in his eyes, making him look more than just an ordinary man.

Finally, after what seemed like an Age, another door of identical like to the entrance appeared. Stumbling through it we shielded our eyes against the admittedly weak, fading light outside. I resisted the urge to fall to the ground in relief, continuing forward so the others could exit. I could hear Candaith letting out a shuddering breath, grateful to be on the other side of the mountain. Once we were all out, I looked behind me once more, but the Oathbreakers were no longer visible. "Where did they go?" I asked nervously.

"Hopefully to the Stone of Erech, where I bade them go," Aragorn answered grimly. "It is not far off from here. I know you must wish to rest and recover from our difficult journey, but we must press on." I was amazed at his resolve and confidence, for he seemed unaffected by what had just happened. Perhaps being the Heir of Isildur gave him added resistance to the effects of the Paths of the Dead. Or maybe he was better at hiding it.

We passed by the small town of Morlad, but I could spot the townspeople eyeing us curiously as we went. Normally it was my way of traveling to stop and see if they needed anything, but we had a mission to accomplish. The road turned to the Southeast, and we climbed a steep, winding path.

My eyes went wide as I beheld the Stone of Erech. It was much larger than I had imagined, and was a dark color that reminded me of the Palantir. My eyes slid over to Lothrandir, who had also seen one of them, and noted his suddenly pale complexion. I wondered if I looked the same. It shone as if someone had polished it only yesterday, and I knew it was thousands of years old.

As we gathered next to it, the area darkened and I could feel a sense of dread surround us. The Dead materialized, and were now clearly visible to everyone.

Abruptly I noticed Candaith step in front of me, as if to protect me from something. He was looking directly at one of the Oathbreakers, who was smirking at him. Candaith's eyes narrowed, and his hand moved toward the hilt of his sword. I looked around and saw a few others, including Elladan, also eyeing this undead Dunlending with anger on their faces.

"We meet again, Dunedain," the spirit said, his voice echoing eerily. His eyes burned with a fell light. "I see the false Heir of Isildur still lives. What a pity." His gaze slid my way, and I could feel him appraising me. "And who is this? Your lover?"

"Silence," Candaith said roughly. "You will not speak to her. You will not even look at her, Britou."

I gasped, recognizing the name of the Oathbreaker who tried to kill Candaith. Steeling my resolve I gently moved Candaith aside, with me standing in front of him and my twin blades drawn. "If you take one step toward him, you will regret it."

The spirit laughed cruelly. "What will you do, Elichthi? Kill me? It is too late for that."

"No, but I will send you to the abyss," Elladan interjected, and I could see his sword shone with the bright light I had seen in the past. Britou's eyes went wide, and he took a step back. "I am sure you remember this sword."

Britou seemed to shake off his momentary fear, drawing his own ghostly sword, "As you surely remember mine." The air was thick with tension, and I feared a fight would ensue which could derail all of Aragorn's plans.

"Enough!" Aragorn shouted, stepping in between us and the Dunlending. "Enough," he said more quietly. "Let us put the past behind us, at least for now." It was difficult, but Elladan and I sheathed our weapons and stood down.

Aragorn took a deep, steadying breath, turned toward the gathered Dead, and proclaimed, "You will follow us to Pelargir. I will hold your oath fulfilled when you have aided us in ridding the world of Sauron's servants." He turned to Halbarad, "Unfurl the standard." Halbarad did so, and it fluttered in the breeze, proclaiming his status as the future King. The white tree was depicted, along with seven stars above it. The thread shone of a breathtaking silver, and I was amazed at Arwen's great skill.

The Oathbreakers seemed to bow as one, albeit reluctantly, and faded into the surrounding air. Despite this, their presence could still be felt, so I knew they remained close by. Aragorn bade us to camp here for the night. I knew the rest of us were not fond of this plan, due to recent history. However, it was a good vantage point to spot any approaching enemies due to its elevation. Elladan, Elrohir, myself, and Legolas chose to stay awake for the night to watch over the others, as we had less need of rest. Candaith tried to also stay awake, but I could tell he was tired and bade him go to sleep. "I will watch over you, meleth," I said soothingly. "You will come to no harm, I promise." Anticipating his next protest, I added, "The twins and Legolas are right here, and we will protect each other, should the need arise." All three Ellyn nodded in agreement; we had fought together for millennia, and knew how to fight fluidly and seamlessly when required. I watched as Candaith's eyes fluttered shut, and he fell asleep.

Hopefully, the night would remain quiet and uneventful, despite the depressing atmosphere. Aragorn looked somewhat apologetic about these circumstances. I doubt he had even considered some of the Oathbreakers could be from the Forsaken Road, as we had believed they would never deign to agree to follow Aragorn if summoned. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile, and he nodded before turning to speak with Halbarad.

Speaking of Halbarad, he had said something strange under his breath that I had almost forgotten about. "This is an evil door, and my death lies beyond it." What could he mean? Did he think we would not be able to survive this war, or did he have some premonition or vision telling of his death? I frowned and tried to push it out of my mind; losing Halbarad would hurt greatly. We had been through much together, and I considered him to be a father-figure, despite his half-hearted protests that he couldn't possibly fill the shoes of my own father. Yet I knew he was greatly touched when I told him this, and it was the honest truth.

I sighed and pulled my cloak more tightly about me. "The air grows chill," I whispered, and Elladan put a comforting arm around my shoulders. "What other horrors must we face?"

"Whatever comes, we will face it together. We are family, are we not?" Elladan replied, giving me a small smile.

"Of course, muindor. Always," I said, laying my head on his shoulder. We remained such for a while, our eyes never straying from our diligent watch. Legolas was humming something light-hearted under his breath, and I appreciated the effort to raise our spirits.

Tomorrow we would continue our journey to Pelargir, and face the forces of the Enemy will all the courage and skill we could muster.

This was tricky for me to write; I tied in book verse, movie verse, and LOTRO verse into the Paths of the Dead, and tried to depict how it looked and felt as best as I could. If you want a refresher on what happened on the Forsaken Road, you can go back and read Chapters 71 and 72. Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you'd like!