They left her body there as they continued to fight- with more anger this time. Giving Orcs no mercy. ''The battle's almost over. The Dead Army is sweeping the inside of the city,'' Aragorn explained as he watched the Dead army enter the city of Minith Tirith. ''Really?'' Gimli jumped up at that, ''Do we have victory?''
''We seem to be driving them out, but victory is a tricky word. Too many fell.'' Aragorn sighed, remembering the look on Aerin's face when she closed her eyes. ''It is not your fault, Legolas,'' Aragorn said, and Legolas felt he could cry, ''No need to feel guilty.'' Aragorn finished. ''I cannot help but think what would could have happened, had we not come. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.''
''Do not think about that.'' Aragorn said looking into the elf's eyes. He swallowed and looked somewhere into the distance. He looked sad. "I wish she was here to see this." Gimli whispered as he walked over and put a hand on the top of Legolas' leg as he couldn';t reach his friends shoulder. To which, he moved away leaving Aragorn and Gimli standing alone surrounded by the already decomposing bodies of Orcs and men. ''What happens next?'' Gimli asked. ''I do not know.'' Aragorn replied looking at the now pinprick of Legolas as he walked closer to the city. "How am I going to tell Arwen?" Aragorn whispered. "That her younger sister died right in front of me and I couldn't save her.." Gimli spoke in his usual gruff voice, "That she fought valiantly but she was cornered and too focused on the orcs in front of her that she didn't see one behind her." Aragorn sighed and just nodded.
Too many of the bodies were that of the Rohirrim. Aragorn felt such gratitude that from heart felt it could burst. People of Rohan were people of honour. The city had already grown quiet. ''Is it over?'' Gimli asked again. ''It seems to be.'' Gimli left Aragorn to deal with the Dead Army himself. He was in no mood for it. Fatigue seemed to take him all of a sudden, in barely a minute, and he all but dragged himself across the field, looking to see if there were any familiar faces among the fallen. He couldn't find any. Heading back to Aragorn's side and glimpsing the freeing of the Army from Isildur's curse, it was a moment of their realisation. Aragorn was King now. Not officially, but he was King nonetheless. ''My lass,'' Gimli breathed. ''You are King now,'' He said. ''Not yet.''
''But you are,'' Gimli said. ''I am your friend,'' he almost protested. Gimli knew he would never let him kneel. A tear slid down his cheek. His brows furrowed and he reached out to wipe it away gently with his thumb, before he pulled Gimli into a hug. "Am I seeing a Dwarf cry?" Aragorn joked. "No it's just eyeball sweat!" Gimli laughed, remembering what Aerin said to him around the campfire a couple of days before.
...
''Search the fields. We'll carry the wounded into the city.'' Nodding their heads to Aragorn's orders, the remaining soldiers and people of the city, all scattered across the battlefield. Luckily, there were many who were still alive in spite of their wounds, so some of them were carried on horses from the city, and some on the backs of strong men.
Legolas found Éomer kneeling next to his sister, crying, as she lay there unconscious. Legolas panicked. ''Éomer,'' He barely breathed out. ''I told her to stay behind,'' he said, tears streaming down his face. Legolas knelt next to her. She was breathing, and her heart was beating slower but it was still beating. ''She will be alright,'' He said, uncertain of it himself. He quickly spilled some of the water he was given from the city into her mouth, and some over her forehead. She barely moved, but at least she stirred. Legolas then helped Éomer get her on a horse and he quickly rode to the city with her. ''You should get help too,'' Aragorn told Legolas as they later walked towards the city. ''I'm fine.''
''The cut on your arm is bleeding,'' he pointed out. Legolas did not even notice it amidst all the madness; when he took a look, he was surprised to see blood leaking out. ''It might have deepened,'' Gimli added. ''It's nothing serious,'' Legolas said, clasping a hand over it. The blood seemed to trickle through his fingers. The pain is heart was covering the pain his body was feeling. Legolas heard a piece of fabric being torn away. Aragorn had taken a strip of his own tunic beneath all that leather armour and was tying it around his arm. ''You need to clean the wound properly and tend to it.''
''Aragorn is right. You could lose your arm, if it festers. You don't want that,'' Gimli said. ''No, I don't,'' Legolas chuckled, ''I will get help when others are taken care of.''
''I am King now, you will get help when I tell you to,'' Aragorn said, fighting a smile. ''Have you not just said you are not King yet?'' Gimli pointed out and Aragorn jokingly pushed him away. ''Do you question my authority?'' He gestured. ''I have only ever served you, my liege,'' Gimli said, and the three of them burst into laughter. Standing at the gates of Minas Tirith, Aragorn wasn't sure what he was feeling. The gates and the walls and all the buildings were as wounded as the people, but they still stood, almost heroically. The King of the Dead stood before Aragorn. "Release us." The King demands and Gimli whispers, "Bad idea" and "Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead." The King of the Dead grew impatient. "You gave us your word!"
"I hold your oath fulfilled. Go, be at peace." Aragorn smiled and sighed. The dead army dissipates into the wind and Aragorn sees Gandalf walking over. Before Gandalf bows to the new King he asks, "Where's Aerin?" Aragorn and Legolas stay silent, but Gimli speaks up. "She was shot." He then looked down. "Ahh" Gandalf said as he lost colour in his eyes. "She was a wonderful fighter, may she rest in peace." The White City was too ruined to shine in its beauty, but there had just been a battle. They walked through the gates as a trio now and a Wizard.
However, back on the battlefield a soldier of Rohan comes across the body of Aerin. He saw her faint heartbeat. It's very slow. He gently picked her up and put her in front of him on his horse. They then rode all the way back to Rohan.
YOU ARE READING
to love someone else
Fanfiction''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...
