So I have hit a bit of writer's block with the other story I have been writing but whilst watching Return of the King this little fanfic came to me. Its based around the extended edition, I have watched it so many times and have always wondered what would have happened if Legolas hadn't emerged from the skulls when Aragorn shouts his name, so here is my take on it. I have elaborated a little on dead armies abilities for the story. Hope you enjoy!
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Path's of the Dead
A sense of foreboding flooded over the elf as they walked towards the stone entrance that was hidden deep in the mountainside. This was the place that contained either their death or the salvation of Gondor. His keen ears could hear the rapid breaths of the Dwarf that walked beside him.
'The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away.' said Gimli, so quietly it was almost a whisper.
They soon came to a standstill, symbols etched into the stone above them that neither the man nor the dwarf could read. Legolas took a few steps forward, his eyes scanning them over.
'The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it… The way is shut!' Exclaimed the elf, his voice touched with a nervous tone.
A ghostly voice seemed to scream from deep within the cavern as a strong wind began to blow, startling the horses and causing them to bolt.
'BREGO!' shouted Aragorn as he tried to call back his loyal steed, but to no avail.
Legolas looked at Aragorn with worried eyes but the ranger looked on at the smokey entrance with a face full of determination. The man was not scared easily.
'I do not fear death!' he said as he began to walk through the stone archway, his cape flapping behind him.
Legolas watched him, his face was one of concern, but he soon squashed that feeling and after a few moments of hesitation he followed his friend into the darkness.
'Well this is a thing unheard of!' said Gimli, his voice raised 'An elf will go underground, where a Dwarf dare not!… Oh, I'd never hear the end of it.' finished the dwarf as he sprinted off after his companions.
They entered a wide tunnel, black metal torches jutted out from the jagged walls and small rooms filled with skulls began to appear on either side of them as they continued through the cold stone halls. Aragorn grabbed one of the torches and led the group on, sweat dripping from his brow despite the chill in the air. Legolas' heart raced as his keen senses were assaulted by the spirits that surrounded them, his eyes searching the darkness as Gimli followed him closely behind.
'What is it? What do you see?' Asked the dwarf as he looked at the elf with wide eyes.
'I see shapes of men, and of horses.' said the elf as he took small steps, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
'Where?' ask the Dwarf as he attempted to see what his friend saw.
'Pale banners like shreds of cloud.' Continued the elf, paying no heed to the dwarves question 'Spears rise… like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist.' The elf paused, his eyes opened wide and a chill ran down his spine 'The dead are following. They have been summoned.'
Legolas looked up to see Aragorn had ventured ahead, feeling concerned for the rangers safety he pranced on ahead leaving a rather scared Gimli looking around in the low light of the tunnel for the spirits that his mortal eyes could not see.
'The dead… Summoned? I knew that!' said the dwarf as he turned around, only to realise he had been left behind 'Very good, very good, LEGOLAS!' he finished as he ran after his elven companion.
The dwarf ran into a large cavern where before him he saw Legolas fighting off ghostly hands as they grabbed at him from below, genuine fear filled the wood elf's features. Aragorn did not seem fazed by the supernatural shapes as they twisted about him, only stopping a moment to look at them before continuing on. Gimli had chosen his own way of dealing with the spirits attention by blowing at the ghastly hands as they appeared around him. Aragorn turned to see Legolas behind him, surrounded by the green mist and ghostly arms that drifted about them. He then saw the genuine fear that his old friend felt etched into his face and he felt a pain of regret for allowing his friend to follow him here. A crunch sounded beneath the man's foot as he took another step making him look down quickly, the sight that greeted him made him look up again swiftly as the reality of where they were began to dawn on him more and more.
'Don't look down.' He whispered as he began to move forward again.
Gimli instantly did the opposite and began to panic as the crunch of bones beneath his heavy boots filled the air and in a bid to get out of there as soon as possible the dwarf practically skipped behind his friends, grimacing at each step he took. They continued to sprint through the dark tunnels and were then met by a great cave, on one side was a stone building carved into the cave wall and on the other a large drop for which they could not see the bottom. Aragorn looked around at the seemly empty room as he wondered where this army of the dead was hiding.
'Who enters my domain?' sounded a low gruff voice, the trio turning to see a man appear before them.
'One who will have your allegiance!' stated Aragorn as he stood his ground, his sword raised, ready to fight at any moment.
Legolas looked at the dead man with quizzing eyes, his uneasiness growing as he sensed more spirits grouping, just out of eyeshot.
'The dead, do not suffer the living to pass.' Replied the ghost, his face seemed to change from one of a man to that of a skeleton.
'You will suffer me.' replied Aragorn quickly, his voice thick with frustration.
The man began to laugh and it echoed through the halls like thunder. The walls began to glow as ghostly buildings began to appear and pouring from their doors, men, all armoured and ready for battle, chanting as they marched towards their King.
Aragorn and Legolas turned around swiftly and were both terrified by what they saw. Hundreds of dead soldiers surrounded them, and in that moment they both knew that they would have no chance of surviving if Aragorn was unable to convince them to join the fight.
'The way is shut…' began the man as Aragorn turned to face him, his eyes filled with fear 'it was made by those who are dead… And the dead keep it.'
More and more soldiers began to appear around them, Legolas' eyes flicked around as he attempted to hide his terror from the ghosts that looked at him with their dead eyes.
'The way is shut. Now you must die!' finished the King as he grinned at his victims.
Legolas quickly shot an arrow through his head, but all it did was fly through him like a stick through smoke, shattering against the stone steps behind.
'I summon you to fulfil your oath.' said Aragorn as he took a step forward, his face calm and his composure relaxed, despite the danger they were in.
'None but the king of Gondor may command me.' spat the leader as he stepped closer to the ranger.
Aragorn dropped the torch and held Narsil straight up in front of his face, taking a deep breath in as he did so. The leader lifted his sword and screamed at the ranger as he then brought his sword down, his face filled with shock as it was stopped dead by the dwarfish blade.
'That line was broken.'
Aragorn grabbed the leader around the throat and pushed Narsil against his neck, causing the man to yelp in discomfort.
'It has been remade' replied Aragorn as he shoved the ghost back, sending him flying towards his men.
He paused and looked around at the dead faces that surrounded them.
'Fight for us, and regain your honour… What say you?' said Aragorn as he walked between the rugged ranks, their dead faces filled with no emotion 'What say you?'
'You waste your time Aragorn! They had no honour in life, they have none now in death.' spat Gimli.
'I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me… and I will hold your oaths fulfilled.' Aragorn continued as he pointed his sword at them 'WHAT SAY YOU!' he finished as he brought his sword down and stepped towards the King of the dead.
The man began to laugh his thunderous laugh again and the army began to vanish before their eyes.
'You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death!… what say you.' yelled Aragorn as he pleaded for the army to return.
'Stand you traitors!' shouted Gimli as the last of the army faded back into the walls.
Legolas looked around as a rumble sounded from behind the stone structure that stood before them. Something was coming. The ground began to shake and dust fell from above as the rumble got louder. Skulls rolled around their feet as more dust began to fill the air. The stone wall began to groan at the pressure that pushed against it and then began to crumble, thousands of skulls pouring through the gaps like water through a leaking damn. Aragorn looked up in disbelief as a scream resonated through the decaying cave.
'OUT!' screamed Aragorn as he dashed towards the closest doorway he could see.
Gimli was close behind the ranger as they tried desperately to wade their way through the tumbling skulls that threatened to push them over the ledge beside them. Aragorn turned to see Gimli hot on his heels and then looked over the dwarves shoulder to see Legolas become buried underneath the wave of bones, his hand was all that the ranger could now see.
'LEGOLAS!' he shouted as his stomach dropped, the elf then completely disappearing from his sight.
All Aragorn could do was push on, there was no way that he could turn to aid his friend without endangering Gimli also. He prayed that the elf would make it through this ordeal, for it was his loyalty to him that had brought the elf here. He grabbed Gimli and pulled him through the doorway by the scruff of his neck.
'RUN!' He shouted at the Dwarf as he turned to see if Legolas was behind him.
Nothing.
His heart began to beat so fast, it felt as if it would push itself out of his chest.
'LEGOLAS!' he yelled again as his eyes scanned the tumbling skulls for any sign of the elf.
Rocks began to fall around him and he was forced to flee the tunnel, the dwarf stumbling over the boulders that littered the floor in front of him. Aragorn pushed him on as the skulls began to fill the tunnel. The cold light of day began to fill the tunnel with a dim light. The dwarf and the man then stumbled out of the tunnel onto the grassy hill outside. Once Aragorn knew the dwarf was safe he turned to the tunnel again, half expecting to see Legolas stumbling from the rubble.
'Wheres the elf?' asked Gimli as he grabbed Aragorn by the arm.
Aragorn did not answer, only stood and stared at the at the stone archway, waiting for his friend to emerge.
'Aragorn!' shouted Gimli, making the ranger jump.
'I…I don't know.' he replied as tears pricked his eyes.
'He was right behind me!' Said the Dwarf and he threw his arm in the air in frustration.
'I saw him slip under the skulls, but I couldn't get to him!' Choked Aragorn as he fell to his knees, his eyes dropping to the ground as he allowed his tears to fall.
Gimli stared at the man in disbelief, was the elf really gone? A green shape emerged from the darkness of the tunnel they had just fled from, but Aragorn paid no attention to it, all he could think about was how he had left his old friend behind in that wretched cave. It was only when more began to appear before him that he looked up to see the army of the dead stood before him. He looked to his right to see the leader stood there, holding an unconscious Legolas by his quiver. Aragorn stood to face him with his bloodshot eyes wide open, his gaze fixed on the motionless elf that hung limply from the ghost's grasp. He released the elf from his bony hand and Legolas hit the ground with a thud, his eyes closed and face bloody.
'We fight!' was all the leader said before standing there, as still as a statue.
Aragorn's mouth opened but no words followed, he glanced at the leader and then back to Legolas who was still yet to stir.
'He is alive.' spat the king of the dead 'We will fight with you, do what you must with him and then we will attack those ships.' he finished as he pointed to the river that sat at the base of the steep hill on which they stood.
Aragorn turned his gaze to see black ships sailing down river leaving fire in their wake, a new wave of grief washed over his as he saw the destruction the dark lord was reaping upon his lands. When he turned around the dead men were nowhere to be seen.
'How do we call on you!' Growled Gimli.
'We will know when you need us.' replied a fell voice.
Aragorn ran to Legolas' side, rolling the elf onto his back to reveal deep cuts across the elf's face. He went on to inspect the elf for any other injuries but was relieved to find that he had sustained nothing life-threatening.
'Oh Legolas! I am so sorry for leaving you behind.' said Aragorn as he began to rummage through his pack for his supplies.
'Its okay Estel.' Replied the elf as he began to stir, wincing from the pain that his injuries gave him.
'You gave us quite a scare there lady!' said the dwarf.
'I remember little of what happened. One moment I was behind you and the next everything went dark. The sound of breaking bones still rings in my ears.' Replied the elf and he pushed himself up, falling back again as pain ripped across his chest.
Aragorn managed to catch the elf before he hit the ground, his eyes filled with concern.
'I think you may have some broken ribs my friend.' said the ranger as he placed a comforting hand on Legolas' shoulder.
'Better broken ribs, than being dead.' joked the elf as he allowed Aragorn to lower him onto his back again.
'I will clean your wounds and bind your chest. I can give you some herbs for the pain, you should heal quickly though old friend.' Smiled Aragorn as he poured some of his water from his waterskin onto a cloth and started to clean the many cuts that littered the elf's beautiful features 'you should rest though my friend, perhaps you should sit this fight out.'
'You'll have to kill me,' joked Legolas 'I'm in this till the end. I will be fine Estel, I've suffered worse than this as you are well aware.'
'Aye that you have.' said Aragorn as he chuckled with the elf.
Gimli often forgot that Legolas and Aragorn had been friends long before this venture began, and part of him felt a pang of jealousy for the friendship that the pair shared. Aragorn worked quickly to patch the elf up, time was not on their side and they needed to get ahead of the ships if they had any chance of stopping them before the made it to the white city.
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Well, there it is, I hope you guys enjoyed and let me know if you would like me to continue. Would love to hear what you guys thought!