Avadis - A legolas story (slow moving!)

Chapter 38 - Tides Are Changing

"Who enters my domain?" The ghostly man stepped forward, materialising from thin air behind Aragorn. Avadis quickly sucked in a sharp breath of air and shot a look at Legolas before slowly reaching for a sword. Gimli clung to his axe and Legolas' hands twitched as he fought the urge to reach for his bow. 

Aragorn turned around slowly to face the King of the Dead. "One who will have your allegiance" he replied, his loud voice filling the space. Nothing about his demeanour betrayed even the slightest thought of fear, his face was set and calm. 

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass" the king replied.

"You will suffer me" Aragorn replied, taking a small step forwards which was immediately mimicked by his company behind him. 

The king laughed, and around them the room began to transform. The whisps of walls, houses and people began to descend around them. Hundreds, if not thousands of ghostly figures surrounded them, carrying spears, swords and arrows. Their voices whispered to them, chanting in a language none of them understood as the closed in around them. Avadis brought both of her swords out, holding them out towards a the mass of men that crept in towards her. She was horrified however to see that their bodies passed straight through them, and she jumped backwards in surprise. "We cannot defeat them" she whispered so low that only Gimli who stood close to her was able to hear. "Who can kill those who are already dead?"

"The way is shut! It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it." The icy words that warned them of their fate now made it apparent that there was indeed no way out. 

"The way is shut! Now you must die!"

An arrow whistled through the air and through the face of the king, clattering loudly to the ground. Avadis turned quickly to see that Legolas had drawn his bow and had already reloaded, holding it up threateningly towards anyone that would dare come forward. His eyes glowed with determination to defend his friend.

Aragorn walked towards the king again, "I summon you to fulfill your oath!" He spoke in a commanding voice. Avadis followed just behind him, her muscles tensed and ready to pounce, even though she knew full well it would do nothing. 

"None but the King of Gondor may command me." The ghostly king lept fowards and drew his sword, bringing it down towards Aragorn. Before Avadis could even cry out, Aragorn's sword clashed loudly against his, the sound cutting through the unsettling silence of the cave. She breathed out in relief, watching in amazement at the strength of Aragorn, who held his sword high in the air against the sword of the ghost. In the flickering light, the inscriptions of the blade glistened, and Avadis finally understood. It was Andruil, the sword of legend that Gandalf had told her of many times before.

"That line was broken!" The king said in disbelief. 

In response, Aragorn reached forwards his hand a grasped it around the king. "It has been remade" he pushed the king backwards and swung Andruil around in a circle, the rest of the ghostly cohort stepping backwards in shock. "Fight for us, and regain your honour. What say you?" 

Avadis glanced around at the faces of the men around them. Surely there was no doubt left in their minds. Surely Aragorn had proven himself. But they remained silent, staring at them with not a single thought evident on their faces. Aragorn paced between them, swinging his sword infront of their faces, "what say you?"

"Ah, do not waste your time Aragorn!" Gimli loosened his grip slightly on his axe, "they had no honour in life and they have none now in death."

Avadis glanced over to Legolas, who had lowered his bow and simply watched as the ghosts began to slowly disappear from view. 

"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you?" Aragorn pleaded with them, still walking through them desperate for a response. The king only laughed and withdrew, back into his realm and out of their sight.