Night came and Aerin sat next to a fire with Éomer and Gamling. They offered her whatever they were eating, but her appetite was long gone. ''Will more men come?'' she asked. ''I do not think anyone else should come during the night,'' Éomer said, and then he looked at her softly.
When Merry appeared behind her, swinging his sword in the air, Aerin had to move away and lower her head. Éowyn laughed, and so did Aerin, but when she saw him making his way through the camp with his sword cutting through the air, Aerin grew a bit worried. She did not want him to hurt himself, or anybody else for that matter. ''You should not encourage him,'' Éomer said to his sister. ''You should not doubt him,'' she responded. Aerin felt she was in the middle of something that held no place for her, but there was no escape now. ''I do not doubt his heart, just the reach of his arm,'' he said, and Gamling could not help but laugh. Aerin only observed with caution. ''Why should Merry be left behind? He has as much cause go to war as you! Why can he not fight for those he loves?'' Éowyn insisted.
''You know as little of war as that Hobbit. When the fear takes him, and the blood and the screams and the horror of battle take hold, do you think he would stand and fight?'' spoke Éomer sternly. ''He would flee, and he would be right to do so. War is the province of men, Éowyn.''
''And what am I, Éomer?'' Aerin asked, incapable of holding in the annoyance that had overtaken her. ''You... are different. You have fought before.'' Aerin scoffed slightly. ''I am but an example of what women could be and what we could do. It is men who deny us the chance to be great.''
''That-''
''I take pride in what I do, and I am willing to die fighting for the ones I love. No one should be denied that chance.''
''The ones who stand no chance should be!''
''Look at me! Do I look like I stand a chance against a big filthy Uruk-hai? I do not! Yet I have slain more of them than you know,'' Aerin told him with such anger seeping out of me that she could no longer sit there. She walked away to go and sit with Gimli, shortly followed by Éowyn. "We were just talking about dwarvish mothers, care to join us..?" Aerin stayed quiet before she looked down. "Ahh, lassie I'm sorry." Gimli responded generally sorry. "Do you ever miss your mother?" he questioned to face Aerin. "My father does not remember meeting your mother."Aerin spoke softly but quickly, "Always, she's be gone for a long time." Éowyn looked up at Aerin with beady worried eyes, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly happened to your mother?"
"The year is TA 2509." Aerin started slowly. "I was 418 at the time, so still very young. My mother was visiting her parents in Lothlorien when she was waylaid by Orcs in the Redhorn Pass of the Misty mountains. She.." Aerin paused before continuing. "She was tortured by them and was left with a poisonous wound. My twin brothers arrived much later to rescue her. My father healed her.. but my mother.. she was never the same, she was left horrified and haunted by her torture that she sailed away a year later to the Undying lands." Aerin said wiping a tear from the corner of her left eye.
"My twin brothers, Elladan and Elrohir never forgot or forgave our mother's torment, and frequently rode with Aragorn.." Aerin said as she pointed to Aragorn who was sharpening his sword whilst chatting to Legolas. "and the rangers of the North, killing any orca that they came into contact with." Aerin stayed quiet for a while. "I have to stay strong for her.. and my father."
"Are you crying?" Gimi asked stupidly. "No it's just eyeball sweat!" Aerin joked as she wiped her eye making Éowyn and Merry burst into laughter. "Elves," Gimli muttered.
...
Just as Aerin grabbed her sword and sheathed it, Gimli entered. ''Ah, great, you're awake! Come, lass.'' Aerin wiped her eyes, ''What is it?''
''We have a stubborn lad to deal with.''
"What is Aragorn up to this early?'' Aerin followed with a scowl, still almost half asleep. Gimli led her and Legolas to what seemed to be the path to the Dimholt. What in the world were they doing there before dawn? Just what was Aragorn doing there? ''Just where do you think you're off to?'' asked Gimli. ''Not this time. This time you must stay, Gimli,'' said Aragorn. ''Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?'' asked Legolas. ''Might as well accept it. We're going with you, laddie.'' Gimli laughed. ''I cannot quite believe you actually thought you could go without me,'' Aerin smiled. Aragorn let out a desperate sigh of defeat and mounted his horse.
The road was dark and frightening, and it was utterly, eerily silent. The four of them could barely see a thing before dawn came, and they dared not speak unless absolutely necessary, not knowing what strange things they might awake in the mountains.
The mountain path seemed completely barren, there was barely a green blade of grass anywhere. ''What kind of army would linger in such a place?'' Gimli asked, and Legolas recited the prophecy which made a chill settle in Aerin's bones, that what they will enounter is "An army that is cursed. 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."
She was clever enough to dread what they were about to face now. Aerin winced and my stomach twisted when they actually got to the Dimholt Door. It was adorned with skulls. Human skulls, it seemed.
''The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away,'' said Gimli. ''I think I know what you mean,'' Aerin said, a small shiver going through her spine. They all felt that fear, though they knew not what they were afraid of exactly. It was the place itself, and the very air in it, that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. ''The way is shut,'' the inscriptions above the door said, ''It was made by those who were dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut.'' Strong wind whistled through, and a shrill shriek of a sound came from the inside - their horses reared and fled before they could do anything about it.
YOU ARE READING
to love someone else
Fanfic''My heart doesn't matter, does it? Even if it is true, and he feels something for me too, it is still doomed to fail, isn't it? Elves can only love once. I am doomed to die of heartbreak, it's my fate as I know Haldir was the one... I'd never want...
