8th Day of March
Third Age, Year 3019
Paths of the Dead

“Laurëanna.”

“Laurëanna.”

Elladan’s voice startled her and Laurëanna jumped slightly. “What?”

“I have been calling your name for sometime now. Are you well?” Elladan could feel her trembling and her eyes showed her terror as well.

“I am fine,” Laurëanna answered then shook her head. “No, I am terrified. I feel them, the dead, all around me. I hear their whispers as if they are screams. And every once in awhile, one will reach out to me, to touch me and I feel like they want to pull me into the darkness and keep me there ever more.”

“I feel them too. They are drawn to your fëa, to all of the life inside each of us. The dead covet our spirit and feed on your terror,” Elladan whispered in her ear. “Do not allow them to draw you to them.” Wrapping his arm around her waist protectively, he continued riding as swiftly as possible.

Laurëanna tried to focus on the men in front of her rather then her fear. They walked for hours, yet it seemed like days to her. She no longer had any concept of time in this place. They had mounted their horses after dark and she rode now with Elladan. She could sense the fear of everyone present, but the Dunedain seemed so stern and brave, she was embarrassed that she was unable to quell her own fear. Pride stiffened her resolve, determined not to let anyone know how afraid she was. Being the only female among them, she did not want to be doubted again. As it was, Legolas, Elrohir, and Elladan had given her concerned looks the whole time they had been walking.

“It is normal to be afraid,” Elladan said, his voice soft over the sounds of the hooves of the horses.

Laurëanna’s face was a mask of frustration. “Yes, that is what I need-- for these men to think I am afraid. Poor defenseless…”

“I assure you, no one here is without fear,” Elladan replied.

“Even you?” she asked.

He grinned slightly at her surprise. “Yes, even I.”

‘Aragorn does not seem afraid, nor does Elrohir or Legolas. No, you are just a coward,’ she thought to herself.

Gimli had been the one who had helped her make it through the earlier parts of the day, surprisingly. His fear had almost overwhelmed him and he had reached out to her in sympathy, but also in comfort. The two had barely mustered the strength and courage to continue in the darkest moments. Laurëanna had held tightly to his hand, reassuring herself that she was not alone, despite feeling utterly full of dread. She had not even felt the tears that fell on her face until later when she had wiped them away. The emptiness and sorrow of the Paths of the Dead was almost her undoing.

Never had Laurëanna faced death before other than in tales. But here, even if she was not a witness to the deaths, she felt them. She felt their anguish, anger, and horror of being bound to walk in the spirit world for all of eternity. Nothing anyone told her could have warned her of this feeling. She wondered if this is what her father had felt while in the Halls of Mandos, a time of which he would never speak. But the fëar bound there were in their rightful place. No, these spirits, the ghosts of the forgotten Men of the Mountain, were stuck in twilight and sleepless death, not at peace. Closing her eyes, Laurëanna recalled a discussion she once had with her father.

~*~*~

“Ada, what does it feel like to die?” she had asked shortly before she had learned about the final days of Middle Earth.

Glorfindel had stiffened at first and Laurëanna almost withdrew the question with an apology, but something in his eyes stopped her. She saw something she had never expected to see: relief. Glorfindel felt relieved although he himself did not realize it at first. He had known that one day she would ask the question that no one else, not even Indil, had ever dared put into words.

“Laurëanna, I am certain that not all deaths feel the same. An elf that fades, chooses to do so, while an elf that dies in battle does not,” he had answered, watching her face closely to confirm she understood. “I have seen many things Laurëanna, many evils and torments against elves, that I will never discuss with you. I will not talk of battles or war. But if you wish to know what I felt when I died, I will tell you this.”

Rising, he had walked to the edge of the balcony, the setting sun reflecting off his golden hair. It was hard for Laurëanna to see her father as anything other than the kind and wonderful father he was, but now she could also see the great and powerful warrior he had been. Glorfindel turned slowly and she looked into eyes that were almost identical to hers in color and shape, but vastly different due to what he had seen in his life, his wisdom, and his power. Laurëanna and Glorfindel sensed, rather than saw, Indil standing in the doorway listening quietly.

Closing his eyes, Glorfindel thought back through the ages to the day that Gondolin fell. His heart ached when he saw his once beloved home being destroyed. He had seen this vision many times over the years and each time, he felt the same sense of grief. This time was different though-- for the first time he felt his daughter’s fëa reaching out to comfort him, as well as Indil’s, and was not surprised when Laurëanna took his hand in her own.

“Tell me Ada,” she whispered, tears rolling down her face.

“At first there was pain and sorrow, the sense of loss, of failure, of hopelessness. It filled every fiber of my being as I clung to my hroa, afraid to let go. Then when the fear almost drove me mad, I heard the song…” Glorfindel’s voice trailed off as he heard the aria fill his memory once again. “It soothed me, called out to me and then I let go of my mortality and felt a sense I cannot explain. I was alone but not lonely, comforted in the notes of the song. I felt all the elves that had gone before me surrounding me, welcoming me and guiding me as I floated weightless and unencumbered. I felt…peace for the first time since the darkening of the trees, yet this was more complete than any peace I had felt before. I had never felt so close to Eru as I did at that moment.”

Glorfindel opened his eyes and saw both Indil and Laurëanna beside him. Indil smiled gently, relieved that he was able to share this with them at last. She had always hesitated to ask, but knew when the time was right, he would tell her. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb, the love he felt for her in his eyes. Turning he saw Laurëanna looking away towards the sun and he reached out and gently turned her to face him, wiping away her tears that flowed freely now.

“Ada, I am…forgive me…I…”

”No, Laurëanna, I wanted to share this with you. I was given this second chance and in this lifetime I have found love and blessed with a beautiful daughter, but I was almost gifted with the memory of that feeling. I remember being so close to Eru, and that feeling has guided me through many things. Laurëanna, I do not regret having died before nor do I regret living once more,” Glorfindel reassured her.

Throwing her arms around her father’s neck, Laurëanna said, “You deserve all the blessings you have been given, Ada. I am more proud to be your daughter than I can ever put into words. You are the bravest and most honorable of us all. There is no one who will ever compare to you in my heart.”

Glorfindel chuckled and whispered, “One day, you will find someone who does and then he will win your heart forever.”

~*~*~

Tears stinging her eyes, Laurëanna looked at Elrohir who at that moment glanced back at her. Holding her gaze, he felt a tug on his fëa that made his heart tighten. He knew this feeling, he could sense the familiarity of it in the deepest reaches of his mind but it continued to elude him.

Throughout the day, Elrohir had been fighting his own battles with fear and anguish along the haunted paths, but also he had felt an irrational sense of foreboding when it came to Laurëanna being with them. He had continued to check on her as much as he could, but he knew Elladan was mindful of her safety as well as Legolas and Gimli. Needing to make sense of his feelings, he had kept his distance. But now, he had to force himself not to go to her, sensing her sorrow and needing to comfort her.

Laurëanna turned away from Elrohir before she could no longer breathe. Amid all the dread, she felt a spark of hope. He knew her, she realized. Even though he had not loved her in his past, he somehow sensed his love for her, his place with her. Looking down, she could not help but smile. She knew that the only way he would know her fëa now was if Eru had deemed it so. Even in her past it had taken Elrohir a long time to know he loved her, so for him to know it so soon and for her to feel it from him now, was only divine intervention. Silently she thanked Ilúvatar for granting her this gift once more. She felt the strength at last to continue on this journey, to the end of the world if need be.

Elladan caught his brother’s eyes and made an unspoken promise to keep her safe, before Elrohir at last turned away. He was not certain what had transpired between the two of them, but Elladan sensed the change between Elrohir and Laurëanna as much as he could always sense his brother’s feelings.

“The Valar have entrusted you to protect her, but you must help Elrohir see his fate. Only you can assure that he opens his heart to her,” he heard Arwen’s words from his dream last night once more and wondered if once again, the Valar had intervened, but he sensed that was not the case. Whether Elrohir knew he loved her or not, their fates were still unknown to them all and Elladan must continue to protect her.

~*~*~

At last they exited the ravine and Laurëanna looked upon Morthlond Vale, gray in the night. She felt exhausted from the emotions she had battled most of the day. A chill ran over her and goose bumps rose on her arms when she heard Aragorn’s words called back to them.

“Friends, forget your weariness! Ride now, ride! We must come to the Stone of Erech ere this day passes, and long still is the way.”

Elladan followed Legolas and Gimli as the riders all rode swiftly through the fields to a bridge. Crossing the bridge they continued along the rode as the men of the village fled before them in terror.

“The King of the Dead! The King of the Dead is come upon us!”

Laurëanna heard the people call in terror as they locked their doors and windows against the sight of them. But she did not need their cries to assure her the Army of the Dead was still following them. She felt them as well as saw them if she looked back, so she tried to only look forward. Her fear was replaced with a sense of urgency and purpose. Once again, her sole focus was on her mission and the hopes that all would be as foretold now that Aragorn had traveled the Paths of the Dead. Her thoughts raced as the Grey Company rode to the Stone of Erech, trying to recall every word that the Valar and the others had said to her about the visions Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel had. Other than her being here, everything seemed to be as foretold, but she also knew that her presence had altered things as well. Everything was out of her hands now and she reluctantly accepted that her fate was unknown as well.

Legolas heard Gimli grumbling about the pace at which they traveled and smiled slightly. His friend had been quiet for most of the journey through the Paths of the Dead, so even his complaints were a welcome change. Gimli had been mortified by his previous fear but the elf did not doubt the stouthearted dwarf’s bravery. Most men would have turned back in the face of that fear, but Gimli had conquered his enough to keep going. Even now, Legolas knew he was still more concerned by the King of the Dead then he was with their ‘break-neck speed’ as he put it.

“Gimli, I assure you, I know what I am doing. I am an elf and we are naturally blessed with the ability to ride horses faster than a dwarf can find precious gems,” Legolas quipped.

“You need to focus more on what is in front of you than trying to prove Elven superiority to me,” Gimli shot back, clinging to the elf as his horse veered to avoid the horse before them.

As exhaustion began to overtake the horses and riders as well, they finally reached the Hill of Erech just before midnight. The inky blackness of the night fit the mood of those present as they approached the black Numenorian stone, brought here by Isildur himself. When the company halted before it, Elrohir gave Aragorn a silver horn upon which he blew.

The echo of ghostly horns answered him, the tumultuous wind blowing down from the mountain. All around them, Laurëanna could feel the host of the forgotten men of the mountain and it chilled her to the bone. Elladan held her closer and she welcomed his presence as she heard the whispers among the dead. Her eyes wide, she watched in awe as Aragorn dismounted and stood before the stone. He seemed to have changed since this morning and she saw before her the Heir of Elendil, last hope of the Numenor that remained in these lands.

Aragorn cried out in a great voice, “Oathbreakers, why have ye come?”

And a voice was heard out of the night that answered him, as if from far away: “To fulfill our oath and have peace.”

Then Aragorn said, “The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever. For I am Elessar, Isildur’s heir of Gondor.”

Halbarad unfurled the great standard he carried, but in the darkness, Laurëanna could not see the markings. There was no answer from the Army of the Dead, no whispers among them, but she felt them still, as did the others.

Dismounting, Elladan then turned to help Laurëanna down. She felt weak with the events of the day and sighed tiredly. Feeling a hand on her elbow, she did not need to look up to know it was Elrohir. He led her away from Elladan’s horse and to where the others were making camp near the stone. Keeping some distance from the men, Elrohir spread out a blanket and pulled her to sit down beside him. She looked at him for a long time and when she appeared about to speak he shook his head.

“Rest Laurëanna,” he whispered, urging her to lie down.

Elrohir knew he would not sleep much this night and watched as Legolas, Gimli, and Elladan joined them. Everyone was too tired to even notice the hard ground beneath them. They were merely relieved to have stopped for the night. Legolas nodded to the twins, a silent agreement that he would keep first watch. Elladan, who was on Laurëanna’s other side, looked at his brother for a moment before lying facing the other direction, giving the two of them what little privacy he could.

Lying back, Elrohir stared at the sky trying to fall asleep but he was too alert. The weariness in his body was nothing compared to how drained he felt emotionally. The Paths of the Dead had taken a toll on all those present, but the elves felt the restlessness of the spirits more strongly than the men did. Glancing over at Laurëanna, he watched her for a minute thinking she was asleep but soon he felt her fingers intertwine with his as the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. He could not help but feel comforted seeing her beside him. Eventually she was so worn out she fell into a light sleep under his watchful gaze and he was amazed at how peaceful she looked despite the dread in the air.

How was it possible that she was able to be so innocent yet so strong, he wondered. It amazed him how truly naïve and vulnerable she seemed, yet King Thranduil trusted her enough to send her this far from her home. Something was not right about her story. Why would the Mirkwood warriors that escorted her to Rohan leave her alone at Helm’s Deep, not even knowing for certain that Legolas was there? From the information he had gathered from the others, it did not seem possible that she was telling them the whole truth yet neither Gandalf nor Legolas seemed to question her. That fact baffled Elrohir even more. And now, Elladan appeared to believe in her without question as well. What had transpired between her and his brother that eased all of Elladan’s doubts? Granted, Elrohir was the more suspicious of the two of them, but his brother was no fool. Looking at her now, Elrohir wanted more than anything in Arda to know what secrets this beautiful elleth was hiding.

~*~*~

“Laurëanna, wake up. You have slept far too long,” Rumil said with a chuckle.

“Rumil what are you doing here?” Laurëanna said, gazing at him intently.

“Why do you think I am here? Where else would I be? Besides, I knew you would follow me,” he laughed and jumped up suddenly. Turning away from her, he began to run down the beach and Laurëanna jumped up to chase after him. Soon she caught up to him and, grabbing his arm, she pulled him to a stop. Gray eyes looked down at her with amusement. “Why can you not see what is right before you?”

“Rumil, stop speaking in riddles. Where is everyone? Where are Elrohir and my parents?” Laurëanna looked around and noticed that the two of them were the only ones anywhere in sight. In fact, all of Alqualondë seemed empty. Suddenly filled with terror, she began to back away from him, expecting him to turn into Sauron or some other evil creature any moment now.

“Silly child, they are waiting for you. You need to pay attention to me now,” Rumil said, his face becoming serious. “Things are as they should be now but you cannot interfere in what must happen, even if it is something that you wish would not.”

“What do you mean?” she asked confused.

“I mean, there are those who must die and you cannot interfere. Things have changed and are as they should be, but you cannot stop what must happen. Trust in Eru, Laurëanna and remember, all things happen, as they should. You cannot stop death,” Rumil said quietly, his eyes sadly watching her.

Laurëanna looked down at her feet as the tide swept over her ankles, thinking about what he was saying. Suddenly she realized he was warning her she would lose someone and said, “No! Not Elrohir!”

When she realized she was alone, she began screaming for Rumil.

~*~*~

Elrohir felt Laurëanna stirring in her sleep and reached out to stroke her forehead. Her eyes flew open and she looked at him in shock. Thinking she was merely disturbed by the shadows, he smiled gently and pulled her closer to him. Resting his forehead on hers, he whispered, “All is well, Laurëanna. You are safe.”

“Elrohir, promise me,” Laurëanna began, then stopped her eyes drinking in the sight of him. “Promise me, you will not leave me.”

Stunned by her brazen comment, he did not answer for a moment, his mind racing. Without realizing his own intent, he whispered back, “I will not leave you willingly.”

Not understanding all that had transpired so quickly, Elrohir merely held her and let himself be soothed by her presence. When the danger was over, he would sort through his feelings for her, but now he simply enjoyed the peace she brought him, even if it was only for a brief time. They did not sleep for the rest of the night, she because she feared another nightmare; he because he was too aware of what lingered in the shadows of the night.

~*~*~

Galadriel felt a sense of foreboding wash over her as she rose from her bed. Trying not to disturb Celeborn, she walked out of their room and began to descend the stairs to her mirror. She was uneasy, but these days, that was not unusual. But this threat in her mind felt closer. Someone she cared about was in grave danger, she sensed it; Elrohir and Elladan perhaps or even Arwen, someone very close to her heart. Filling the vessel with water, she then watched the mirror closely for a long time waiting for some image to appear.

After nothing was shown to her for a long time, Galadriel began to grow more concerned. Just as she was about to lose hope, an image of her daughter formed in the water. Surprised, Galadriel watched her daughter for a moment, noticing how happy and at peace she seemed. She was talking to the twins as well as an elleth with long golden hair and after laughing at something the elleth had said, Celebrían hugged the younger elf tightly. For a moment, her daughter’s eyes seemed to be looking directly at Galadriel. Pulling away, the elleth looked directly at her as well and smiled.

Before she had long to ponder the meaning of this vision, the mirror began to change again. The images moved swiftly and blended together, one overlapping another, so fast that she could not comprehend all that she was seeing. Then as suddenly as it had begun, the images disappeared and the water rippled lightly, but showed her nothing further. Frustrated she waited for a while before realizing that the mirror would reveal nothing further. This was the first time none of what she had seen made sense to her. Who was the elleth with Celebrían and the twins? They obviously were not in Middle Earth so it was not a vision of the past. The other images were even more disturbing. She had seen a battle at Dol Guldur, but the pieces of this puzzle were unclear to her.

“What is it, Melethrilen?” Celeborn’s voice was soft, but it still startled her.

“I am not certain,” Galadriel answered honestly. Her husband looked at her for a moment, his head tilted in confusion and concern. Walking to him, she allowed him to draw her into his embrace. Celeborn always helped to calm her mind. Closing her eyes, she mentally replayed the images, trying to make sense of them. Suddenly she looked up at him and said, “Melethen, I think the time has come to make plans to attack Dol Guldur and we need King Thranduil’s assistance. The elves of Lóthlórien and Mirkwood need to unite to succeed in its destruction.”

“What?” Celeborn asked confused. “Now? Before we know if the One Ring has been destroyed?”

“That is what I saw. The combined attack of Mirkwood and Lóthlórien on Dol Guldur,” Galadriel replied. “And once the Ring has been destroyed, some of my power will fade as well so it make sense now.”

Running his fingers through his hair, Celeborn thought of many questions but knew that she had not lead him astray in ages. Finally, he sighed, “Before I alert the captains, can you at least tell me if we will win this battle?” At her laugh, he shook his head, “Of course not, you never know the actual outcome of things.”

“My lord, that would take all of the joy and surprise out of our life,” Galadriel said with a smile.

~*~*~

At dawn, the Grey Company was awake and preparing to ride. No one had slept much and the tension in the air was thick. Laurëanna watched Elrohir and Elladan talking quietly with Legolas and thought back to her dreams. Surely Rumil did not mean Elrohir would die. Besides, it was merely a nightmare. There was no meaning to it other than that, she tried to reassure herself.

“Are you well, my lady?” Laurëanna jumped when she heard Halbarad’s voice from behind her. Smiling gently, the man said, “Forgive me. I did not mean to startle you.”

”I am more easily startled today than normal,” she grinned. “I think it is the company we are keeping.”

“Yes. I do not think anyone feels more comfortable with the Army of the Dead around, no matter which side their weapons are on,” Halbarad replied back with a wink. Glancing around, he lowered his voice further, “But do not forget, they are needed to fight this battle against Sauron.”

“Yes, I am well aware how important they are,” she whispered in reply. If only he knew how critical their aid was, she thought to herself.

“Good morning, Halbarad, Laurëanna,” Aragorn nodded to each of them. “Did you rest at all last night, Laurëanna?”

“Yes, I think I was one of the few that did manage to sleep,” she nodded. With an impish grin, she said, “It takes more than a few ghosts to keep me awake if I am tired enough.”

Aragorn smiled tiredly. “You were blessed with that good fortune then. We should depart soon Halbarad.” ” Nodding once more to Laurëanna, he walked to his horse.

“He is a very strong man to continue on after what he has been through,” Laurëanna said watching Aragorn walk away. “I hope that strength continues for I fear today will be another test on his will.”

“There is no test that could break his will. Do not fear my lady. Aragorn is strong enough,” Halbarad reassured her.

“Yes. He will be a good king, I know,” Laurëanna answered without thinking.

“You know? Did you have another vision?” Halbarad asked.

Quickly, Laurëanna smiled and shook her head. “No, merely an observation on the strength of his character.”

“Aye. It is time to depart. Stay safe, my lady.”

“Yes, Halbarad, you do as well,” Laurëanna said. She tried hard to remember what had happened to Halbarad in the past but could not remember his fate after the battle of Minas Tirith.

“What is it Laurëanna?” Legolas asked, seeing her struggling not to panic.

“Legolas,” her voice dropping to an anguished whisper. “My memory…something is wrong.”

Pulling her away from the horses, hoping that no one would notice, Legolas whispered back, “What do you mean something is wrong?”

“I cannot remember details of what happened in Middle Earth during the battle at Minas Tirith. Things I used to know, I do not remember anymore. I thought it was merely one or two things, but there are many details I do not remember, huge blanks spots in my memory of that battle.”

Legolas tried to comprehend what she was saying and calm her at the same time. “Laurëanna, I am certain you are merely tired. You have too much to concern you now and it is affecting your memories.”

“No, Legolas. I can remember vivid details of everything I was told about that battle except for certain people’s part in it. It is like…I cannot explain it…it is as if they were never there or their part in my memory has been erased,” Laurëanna replied, almost hysterically.

Legolas was quiet for a long time before saying, “Perhaps you cannot remember because their part in the battle has changed. The Valar never told you that all of your memories would stay with you, only that you would remember your past in Aman. Those who were there during those battles told you what happened in Middle Earth. It was not something you experienced personally. Perhaps as the events are changed or a person’s life is altered enough, you will forget those memories”

Laurëanna looked at him with even more panic in her eyes. “Legolas, I cannot remember all of the details that Elrohir and Elladan told me about that battle specifically. Everything they told me after leaving Rohan…I cannot remember.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Even more author’s Notes: The following were direct quotes from the book Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

~“Friends, forget your weariness! Ride now, ride! We must come to the Stone of Erech ere this day passes, and long still is the way.” ROTK, Chapter 11 - The Passing of Grey Company

~“The King of the Dead! The King of the Dead is come upon us!” ROTK, Chapter 11 - The Passing of Grey Company

~Aragorn cried out in a great voice, “Oathbreakers, why have ye come?”

And a voice was heard out of the night that answered him, as if from far away: “To fulfill our oath and have peace.”

Then Aragorn said, “The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever. For I am Elessar, Isildur’s heir of Gondor.” ROTK, Chapter 11 - The Passing of Grey Company

This story has also been nominated for a MEFA. :) If you enjoy this story, I would really appreciate a review(vote). There are lots of SoA stories there so please check for your favorite authors and stories to see if they have been nominated. MEFAs are located at: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2006/