I wish I could have said that Vaile trotted happily while we were walking on the road, but it was the opposite. In fact, I was surprised that she didn't refuse to take another step every time. And I was very grateful that she didn't panic and sent me flying across the sky. We walked on the stone road, and everywhere I looked I couldn't stop thinking that his place was somehow familiar. Yes, I know, it's a crazy thought.
"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli said.
"One that is cursed. Long ago, the men of the mountains swore an oath to the last King of Gondor to to come to his aid, to fight," Legolas answered. So we were going to summon an army that is cursed? Cool.
"Let me guess, Mr. Greenleaf. They didn't come to his aid, did they? So I suppose Isildur cursed them to never rest and linger on in here. That's a little harsh," I continued his sentence, murmuring the last one to myself. We dismounted from the horses when we came to what seemed like where the door would be. It made me shiver. The place was so creepy, that you had to actually be there to know the feeling it gave you. And trust me, you do not want to know what that feels like.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away," Gimli whispered.
"If your blood was cold, you would probably freezing to death by now, Mr. Dwarf," I whispered back as a matter of factly. Then I saw the door we came here for. There were some strange markings at the top of the door, which Legolas read it out loud.
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it. The way-"
"The way is shut! We get it! No need to repeat, prince!" I whispered loudly to cut him off. It was already creepy, and his talking, reading, wasn't helping at all. And then there came an eery sound form the door, which caused Arod and Brego the horse to run away in fear. The boys tried to go after them, but it was no use. Vaile didn't run at once, but she looked at me with pleading eyes that I knew the meaning. I petted her to sooth her down, then whispered to her.
"You can go if you'd like. I'm not forcing you to stay here, you know that, right? Go back to Eowyn and help her." I felt a little sad of letting her go, but caves with ghosts were no place for horses, even Mearas. Vaile seemed happy about my order, but she looked at me worriedly.
"I'll be fine. Go!" I said pushing her to the exit. She weighted one last time and ran towards where we came in. If I was right, Eowyn could use a fast horse when she was at a war. I just hoped she wouldn't be killed. When I looked around, Gimli was surely trembling with fear. And Aragorn and Legolas? Well Aragorn walked into the door saying that he does not fear death, and Legolas went in after him. Before Gimli could say anything, I grabbed his beard.
"Come on, Gimli. We don't want to lose them here, right?" I said as I pulled him by the beard. He grunted a lot, so I had to let go when we were in. Aragorn lit a torch, and we went further in. And I saw shaped of men on horses. Gimli asked, and Legolas told him. Why does he have to ask? Oh, because he was an idiot. And then there were mists, or what ever that was, rising from the ground in the shapes of hands. Gimli tried to blow away, and I almost took my dagger out to cut the mist hand. Soon, there was a crunching sound under our feet.
"Do not look down." Aragorn warned us. Just like any stupid dwarf, Gimli looked down, and he gasped. We were on a cave filled with ghosts, and the sound was disturbing. Conclusion = bones or skulls. Maybe both. After a few minutes of living hell, we entered somewhere with a cliff and what seemed like a palace.
"Who enters my domain." a voice asked. And I got the feeling that I heard his voice before. How on earth was that possible? And a ghost appeared.
"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn answered, facing the ghost who seemed like the King. He was wearing a crown, you see.
"The dead do not suffer the living to pass." he said. By 'he' I meant the ghost King.
"You will suffer me!" Aragorn said, and the ghost laughed in a disturbing way. And there were other ghosts appearing on or at the cliff with their houses. And it was strangely familiar.
"Aragorn, is this a good idea?" I asked, trying not to sound scared. He looked at me and gave me a nod. Okay. So this was a good idea after all.
"The way is shut," ghost said. We turned to look at him again. Gosh. Even his face was familiar now. What was wrong with me?
"It was made-"
"OK! Who cares if the dead made it or not! Just SHUT UP!!!" he started saying what Legolas said earlier, so I was very much annoyed to hear it again. This time, it was awkwardly silent. I guess I shouldn't have cut him off? Now he was staring at me with what was left of his eyes. Just when I was starting to get worried, the ghost spoke again.
"I did not expect to see you in here, Taurieth." It took a while for me to notice that the ghost king know my name. How on Middle Earth was that possible?
"How do you know me?" I asked, fear replaced with confusion. He laughed his laugh again and I had a strong urge to pull his beard out.
"Of course you would not remember me. Forgive me, my lady. It is hard to remember things when you're as old as I am." he said.
"How do you know me. Answer the question, dead." I said coldly, with the rest of my companions staring at me.
"Surely you remember your mother. She brought you with her sometimes to visit when we weren't dead." he answered, only asking me more confused. Why would my mother come into these mountains just to visit them? Why?
"You don't really remember anything? The spell worked better than I thought." wait, the spell? What spell? So he put a spell on me to forget this whole place? Then he started telling me a story.
"Your mother had gifts, you know that. We came by pure luck one day. She and I shared similar interest, magic. So she came here once or twice a month to share her knowledge with me. And when she found out that one of her daughters had the same power, she brought her here to teach you how to control them. And that 'her' was you. But as we studied you, we found out that your powers were stronger than your mother and others who had the same ability. So we thought that it would be the best if you remembered nothing about your lessons, about the true amount of your powers, about who you could really be. For if the enemy knows about it, and made you join him, it would be the end of the world." and it was all silent again. I realized there were millions of ghosts surrounding us now. I was a bit angry about making me forget such things, but I wasn't surprised. Ok, maybe a little. Should I be freaking out that I might be able to end the world if I wanted to? Yes, I should be. Did I freaked out? Hell, NO.
"Interesting fact. Thank you for sharing. Aragorn, you can do your business now." I said. The ghost looked confused, but when he saw the man ,who he was talking to earlier before I cut him off, grip him and put a sword to his throat, he was surprised.
"That line was broken!" He said a Bit panicking. And again by he I mean the ghost.
"It has been remade," Aragorn answered calmly, and let him go. There was a third silence among the ghosts.
"Fight for us. And regain your honor. What say you." Aragorn spoke. The deads did not answer.
"What say you?" He asked again. Silence.
"Ah! You waste your time, Aragorn. they had no honor in life, they have none now in death." Gimli said. Aragorn ignored and kept on saying.
"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me... and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you?!" He yelled. Instead of giving an answer, the ghosts faded away.
"Stand, you traitors!" Gimli shouted furiously. Did they listen? No. There was a rumbling starting to begin, making Legolas and I look around. And hurray! The whole place was starting to collapse. Good. I will be buried in here by skeletons with others. I thought. What kind of 'magic' was this??? The thing that looked like a palace started to break, and there were skulls pouring out of it.
"RUN!!!!!!!"
"OUT!!!!!!!" Aragorn and I shouted at the same time. And we ran. I have never seen that much skulls before. And I definitely did NOT wanted them to bury us. The skulls seemed to be coming form every direction while we headed for the exit, and I gotta admit, I was LITERALLY FREAKED OUT. Aragorn was at the front, behind him Gimli then me, and Legolas at the last.
"RUN!!!" Aragorn yelled again. It was easier said than done. Really. Have you ever tried running on bones? The worst thing ever. And more worse if you trip over something, which I did right after Aragorn said 'run'.
"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!" I screamed as I fell down. Skulls started to bury me alive for real. I couldn't see anything except for bones everywhere I looked. A lot of skulls hit my head, so it hurt. When I was really starting to worry what if I die here, suddenly a pair of arms lifted me up, and pulled me to the exit. When we were out, I saw the that the arms belonged to Legolas. And also that he was looking at me worriedly.
"You alright?" he asked. And this was the 3rd time he saved my life. I'll never be able to pay this debt back, I thought. How can I? It's not like I'll have a chance to save his life three times. I'll figure it out somehow.
"Yes. And I'm never EVER going into underground where a dwarf would dare not. I don't wanna be buried by skulls again." I said, making him smile. There was a river below us, and on there river there were ships. And there were also something being burned. It took me for a while to realize that it was a city.
"Oh my god. Is that-?" I was so shocked. I couldn't even finish my sentence! Aragorn kneeled down miserably. Legolas went beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. While I was hoping for Faramir to not die, Aragorn stood up, (very early) to my surprise. He turned around, and I saw the reason. There was the king of the ghosts. The one who said I am more than I seemed to be, the one who was close with my mom, and the one who put a spell on me before all those years ago. Also the one who ALMOST buried me alive by skull ambush, I added in my head.
"We fight." he said.
I am sorry for the late update. I tried to, I really did, update more sooner, but I just couldn't. I'm terribly sorry and thank you for reading!