Aleana and Aragorn

Chapter 48

***Aleana POV***

We stand at the shore, wathing the ships approaching. I could see the mercenaries on them, and we await their arrival. When they are close enough, Aragorn calls out to them.

"You may go no further," Aragon states coolly and the ships boson stands up in response, "you will not enter Gondor."

"Who are you to deny us passage," the boson asks amusingly.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear," Aragorn whispers to Legolas who fits an arrow to his bow.

"Mind your aim," Gimli states just as Legolas releases the arrow and his aim is off as the arrow kills a mercenary standing next to the boson. I turn to Legolas in surprise, never once imaging him to miss a shot. But when I see him glaring at a very satisfied Gimli, I realize it had not been him.

"Oh," Gimli puts his hand to his mouth in mock surprise, "that's it, right, we warned you! Prepare to be boarded!"

The mercenaries laugh at his comment and one speaks up.

"Boarded, by you and whose army?"

"This army," Aragorn says with a smirk just as the King of the Dead and his army emerge through us and attack the ships, easily killing the mercenaries on the ships. We stand and watch until they are all dead and then we board a ship, and with the help of the army of the dead, we move forward towards Minas Tirith.

As we draw up towards the Orcs awaiting the ships on the shore, we duck behind the side of the ship.

"Late as usual, pirate scum," we hear an Orc speak, "there's knifework here needs doing. Come on you sea rats, get off your ships."

Aragorn nods to us and we jump off the ship, the orcs looking at us in surprise. I take out my bow and load an arrow as we approach the Orcs. The Dead Army materializes behind us and charge at the orcs just as we do, who move back in astonishment. With much ease we overrun the orcs, killing them all, the Dead Army doing most of the work.

I could hear Legolas and Gimli counting off their kills as we enter through the gates into the fields before Minas Tirith, seeing Theoden's army already in deadly battle with the Uruks and Orcs. Huge Mumakil, or in more common tongue, the oliphaunts, trampled the soldiers or threw them aside with their sets of tusks.

I shoot arrow after arrow, killing Uruks and orcs while avoiding the feet of the Mumakil. I see one coming straight towards us and I run towards it before jumping on its tusk and climbing up with the help of arrows embedded into his thick hide. Balancing myself at the top of his head, I shoot arrows at the occupants seated atop it, killing them with ease for I had taken them by surprise.

A few remain, gaining their bearings and trying to fight back, and so I quickly put away my bow and move forward, grabbing a rope and swinging down to the side of the animal. Drawing my blade, I slash twice at the straps of the saddle at which the occupants were seated and the whole thing slips sideways, tipping off everyone on it. I keep a hold on the rope until I am once again on the top of the animal, standing alone now. I look up to see Legolas doing something quite the same to another oliphaunt, before sticking three arrows into his head and sliding down the trunk of the falling animal, to gracefully land on his feet with a dead oliphaunt beside him.

Moving towards the Mumakil's head, I fit three arrows in my bow before releasing them into it's skull as Legolas had done. The animal drops to the ground and I try to slide down its trunk, and almost succeed until the end, where I stumble and fall face first into Aragorn. We roll to the ground, stopping with me on top of him. I smile at him sheepishly before standing up.

We both stop, no orcs running at us, and instead look at the battlefield. The Dead Army bring down a Mumakil before making their way through the city, killing all the orcs in their path. Before long, the few remaining orcs retreat, the victory ours.

I spot father and Pippin, moving forward to look at the army of dead that stood in front of Aragorn. They flash a smile at me which I return before turning my attention back to Aragorn and the Dead Army.

"Release us," the King of the Dead demands.

"Bad idea! Very handy in a tight spot these lads, despite the fact they're dead," Gimli states.

"You gave us your word," the King yells in outrage and Aragorn nods.

"I hold your oath fulfilled. Go. Be at peace," Aragorn says and the King of the Dead smiles. There is a great wind and the Army of the Dead disappears. Aragorn looks around, he sees father who bows low to him. Aragorn smiles before finding my eyes, relief washing over his features at my sight.

***Aragorn POV***

I smile, noticing Aleana, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, and Pippin watching me. We were victorious, we had beat the first battle of Middle Earth. This would show Sauron that Men were not as weak as he would like everyone to believe. When it came to defending our own kind, we would stop at nothing to see it done.

...

I enter the House of Healing, my eyes searching for Aleana, only to find her standing high atop a tower, gazing out at the field of battle with tears in her eyes. We had heard of Theoden's death, and Eowyn and Merry had been gravely wounded, not to mention the many good men that lost their lives on that field. I see her speak a few words, a tear falling down her cheek, before placing her hand on her heart and bowing her head in respect.

I look down and spot Eomer sitting with an unconscious Eowyn. I quickly approach her, feeling the life leaving her body. Kneeling beside her, I lift her damaged arm to look at it. I squeeze water out of a cloth close by and bathe her head with it. Eomer watches, grief in his eyes, as I speak a few words in Elvish. Eowyn begins to breathe heavily, and suddenly she opens her eyes, looking at me in surprise.

Eomer moves forward, taking his sister in his arms and holding her close, scolding her for fighting in the battle while tears ran down both their faces. Leaving them be, I stand and move away, looking out at the many wounded in the House of Healing, when suddenly a beautiful voice in song floats through the air, heavy in grief. All eyes turn upwards, including my own, settling on Aleana, who sang with her eyes closed for all those that had fought and passed.

"With a sigh, you turn away,

With a deepening heart no words to say

You will find that the world has changed forever.

And the trees are now turning from green to gold,

And the sun is now fading, I wish I could hold you closer..."

A/n: So close! Only a few more chapters to go! Are you excited?! Hope you like this chapter!

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