Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Twelve: The Mountain, the Battle of Minas Tirith has Begun Without Us

Aragorn lead us with a torch.


"What is it? What do you see?"


"I see shapes of men and of horses."


"Where?"


"Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter thickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following. They have been summoned."


"The dead? Summoned? I knew that! Huh. Huh. Very good. Very good. Legolas!"


"Do not look down."


***


"Who enters my domain?"


"One who will have your allegiance."


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


"You will suffer me!"


"The way is shut! It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it. The way is shut! Now you must die!"


He fired an arrow which passed straight through the King and clattered to the ground.


"I summon you to fulfill your oath!"


"None but the King of Gondor may command me!"


He approached Aragorn to attack him. Aragorn retaliated and blocked his sword with Andúril.


"That blade was broken!"


"It has been remade. Fight for us and regain your honor. What say you? What say you?"


"Ach! You waste your time Aragorn. They had no honor in life and they have none now in death."


"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you? You have my word! Fight and I will release you from this living death! What say you?"


"Stand you traitors!"


The Dead Army disappeared. There was a cracking sound and the walls of the building in front of us began to collapse. Hundreds of human skulls fell down towards us.


"Out!"


"Legolas! Run!"


We managed to leave the place running out of the cave as the skulls continued to rain down behind us. We emerged into the sunlight. We looked down from the high place to see ships on the river and a burning town. It looked like he thought he was too late. He sank down on his knees in despair, tears in his eyes. We approached him and I put my hand on his shoulder. Aragorn bowed his head.


There is a sound behind us and we looked around to see the King of the Dead come out of the rocks and approach him.


"We fight!"


***


Ships were sailing up the river. We awaited them on the shore.


"You may go no further."


The ship's boson stood up in response.


"You will not enter Gondor."


"Who are you to deny us passage?"


"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear."


"Mind your aim."


He fit an arrow to his bow and took aim. Just as he released the arrow Gimli deliberately knocked the bottom of the bow sending his aim off. The arrow killed a mercenary standing next to the boson. He glared at Gimli, Aragorn looked across at him.


"Oh! That's it, right, we warned you! Prepare to be boarded!"


The mercenaries laughed.


"Boarded? By you and whose army?"


"This army."


The King of the Dead and his army emerged through Aragorn and attacked the ships.


***


Up the river, we ducked down as we came up to the orcs waiting for the mercenaries.


"Late as usual, pirate scum. There's knifework here needs doing. Come on you sea rats, get off your ships."


We jumped off the ship. The Orcs looked surprised. We began to approach the Orcs.


"There's plenty for the both of us, may be best Dwarf win!"


As we moved towards the Orcs the Dead Army materialized behind us and charged at the Orcs who moved back in astonishment. The Dead Army overran the Orcs and killed them all.


We ran to the battle field, killing orcs, and some of us counting...


"Fifteen, sixteen."


"Sixty, sixty-one."


I noticed Éowyn crawling towards Theoden, who lay on the ground under a horse. Éowyn reached for Théoden's sword but it fell away from her fingers as an orc closed in on her. Gimli and Aragorn finished him between them. They were unaware of Éowyn. I noticed Cy and Wyn not too far away, Thia defending a hurt Cy from two orcs, and Wyn making her way towards them.


I turned around to see an orc's club hit my head and everything went dark.