#technically yes shes older than elrond but there are ReAsOnS as why shes still a smol kid

[urwendii]

<- author who has realised once again she can do whatever she wants with her own plot: I'm bringing Maedhros in the chaos of ATFB just because.

"Nelyafinwë."

"Mairon."

Elrond looked between the two men with a confused expression that did not last long, and while Amarëa had dropped from her father's hold and latched onto Elrond's own (former foster) father's leg and was beaming at the tall Elda, he suddenly recalled the reason as why exactly would the Maia and the newly Returned Fëanorion be acquainted in the first place.

Mairon had a small smirk, Maedhros' face was unreadable, his left hand ruffling the shock of red hair of the tiny child happily babbling hundreds of words a minute in a painful mix of Valarin and Pre-exile Quenya.

"I was told you were the one bringing Amarëa here." The Maia finally bowed his head im a wordless thanks and a sudden fierce expression took over Maedhros, a relic of the fearsome smile he would wore when chasing Orcs down Ard-Galen.

"I have a habit of picking up stray kids ."

Elrond felt a strange mix of emotions swelling within him but most of them by now were nostalgia and the uncanny sensation of feeling so very young. He smiled ruefully, admitting to himself that Amarëa's specific case aside, he was indeed centuries younger than everyone else present.

#story: all the fire bright #more vague disjointed snippets #this plot is so nonsensical so why not indulging even more #no mairon never tortured russo in this verse #if my own timeline is correct Mairon was not in Melkor's good graces yet by the time of Maedhros capture #annddff i love my tiny maia ♡ #technically yes shes older than elrond but there are ReAsOnS as why shes still a smol kid #spoilerish but then again this plot has changed so many times it might be ok to peek lol

[blankdblank]

Ridikulus Pt 33

Into the clearing Legolas slid on his heels down the hill wide eyed looking you over, “What has happened? Two of our guards mentioned Naneth had come to your lands.”

Celeborn stated, “Queen Jaqi passed through to these waters, crossed beyond the falls into Valinor and surfaced again moments later with her Cousins Leta Lestrange and young Corvus. It seems Irmo willed her to sleep, it must have been tiring.”

Maglor, “These are extensive wounds.” He said inspecting the hand gripping the Lord’s sleeve on the arm holding your legs equally as bruised and bloody.

Legolas asked, “Why has she not been taken to the Healers?!”

Haldir, “Queen Jaqi has requested the presence of her Aunt Narcissa.”

Legolas’ gaze however shifted to Leta in her timid thanks to an Elleth who brought a large towel to drape around her seeing she wished to be covered. Stepping around the Lord he came to crouch beside her making her ask, “Where am I? I don’t know where this Loth place is. I’ve never heard of it.”

Legolas nodded saying, “There was a war, and your people used a book to travel here for safety for their children to escape that war. Queen Jaqi led the evacuation. Your people landed across our lands in groups, one in Rivendell and another in the Shire. Since then have granted protective barriers to the Elven lands of Rivendell and here in Lothlorien as well as the Greater Greenwood and the Dwarven kingdoms as well. You are safe here and once her aunt has arrived no doubt they will house you and young Corvus and explain things fully to your understanding.”

Leta nodded then looked to you, “You know her?” Legolas’ eyes narrowed a moment, “I kept seeing her there, in that place, bringing me flowers.” She shook her head, “But I died, I know it. Grindelwald killed me.” Hastily she wet her lips and reached out placing a hand on his forearm giving it a tight grip, “Did they win? Did they kill him? Grindelwald?”

Legolas, “I do not know, I apologize.”

 *

Just as soon as the drama with the spiders had occurred the masses of Wizarding Britain now stared at their fireplaces wide eyed in a wafting sea of feathers the spiders had exploded into now coating the rooms with all connected now green flaming fireplaces signaling the system was now linked. Somehow the system had given one last hyjinx before submitting to work again and through the volunteered group demonstrating that the system was functioning again by heading to the predestined location to return with signed notes. Each link would be checked thoroughly but for now as the feathers were being gathered up people calmed that finally the kerfuffles were a thing of the past and a bit of normalcy could be found again once the lines were open to the public.

An out of place bell from the front door had the trio of Malfoys facing one another before their House Elf returned stating, “An Elf to see you Madame.”

She nodded her head and looked to the tall blonde who bowed his head stating, “Queen Jaqi is in Lothlorien and has requested your assistance.”

“Ah,” she muttered.

And Draco said, “Probably best we all go. In case more feathers pop out.” Brushing a few more feathers off of her back as his father pulled a few from the top of her head.

With a few more feathers dropping off of them the trio followed the blonde back to the archways and through Lothlorien eyeing the gathered Elves speaking amongst themselves

Legolas’ head however turned seeing Orophin helping your relatives down the slick bank where Narcissa and Lucius’ lips parted. Narcissa however broke their silence stating, “Jaqi!” hurrying forward after Draco, who was looking you over.

Draco, “What happened to her?! More feathers, did the spiders explode out of your chimneys too?”

Elrond asked with eyes narrowing a moment, “Spiders?”

Celeborn, “Jaqi crossed these waters into Valinor, and resurfaced with her cousin Leta Lestrange and young Corvus.”

Lucius shifted on his feet looking the duo over then you again, “Huh…Interesting.”

Draco’s brows furrowed a moment, “Valinor, that’s your afterlife, place, right?”

Elrond answered, “Of sorts, yes, our Valar dwell there. If she was allowed there they must have called her.”

Narcissa walked around him joining Legolas, “Hello Leta, may I call you Leta?”

Leta nodded and wet her lips and accepted Legolas’ help to her feet and replied, “Your name is Narcissa?”

“Yes, my late sister married into your line, the Lestranges. Are you injured?”

“No, but they won’t tell me if Grindelwald is dead, if we won the war.”

Lucius, “That is a complicated answer. However, you may come with us and until Thesius can be contacted you are welcome to live with us.”

Leta, “Thesius escaped then? Last I saw him and Newt were facing off against Grindelwald.”

Narcissa, “Leta,” her hand extended to land on her shoulder, “It’s 1999,” dropping the wet witch’s jaw, “We don’t know how you ended up in Valinor, or how Jaqi was able to find you, but until we can have those questions answered it is late, we will fix you a warm bath and let you rest.”

Lucius’ eyes shifted to Corvus, “Would you be wanting custody of your brother?”

Leta wet her lips, “I-,”

Lucius, “Because if you don’t we would be more than glad to care for the boy in your stead, and offer you a home if need be. And we would contact Thesius-,”

Leta, “But, he’s, it’s been 50 years. How could he-,”

Draco said, “Technically Jaqi’s partners are over 14,000 years older than her, and there’s no spilled tea over that.” Her eyes twitched larger a moment, “Yup, big gap, but for Elves that’s like, mid adulthood range, so she’s not that much younger, maturity-wise. I mean you at least got to have tea with him. He never got married, still mad about you.” Her eyes sank and he added, “Think it over, at least.”

Her lips parted for her to nip at one and he continued, “But, good news, we landed in these lands and now we’re sort of Elves now. And a lot of people have been de-aging, including Theseus and Newt, they only looked to be about 50-ish back home, but now they are late 30’s at best, so, you can still get married if you like…”

Leta, “What happened-,”

Lucius replied, “Grindelwald was imprisoned years after your death, Newt aided in his fall along with Dumbledore. After him another Wizard rose to power, Tom Riddle Jr, who our niece Jaqi killed. There were more factions that rose up in his death, whom Grindelwald aided in their destruction to cover our escape.”

Leta’s brows furrowed, “Why would he help you? Or anyone?!”

Narcissa, “Because we had thousands of children from those who were trying to fight, say what you will about his nature and affinity for destruction and torture but he never touched children. Either matter, now they are in our old world and we are starting over here in this one. We don’t know if he’s dead or not, but we’re safe. You are safe, your brother will be too.”

She looked to Corvus in Arwen’s arms cooing in his hand tapping her chin luring out her grin at the boy. She nodded and glanced at your relatives saying, “I do not believe it best I raise Corvus, for obvious reasons.”

Lucius nodded, “Of course.”

Leta asked, “He will be taught well?”

Narcissa nodded, “Yes as I said, my late sister married into your father’s line, we also are part of the Sacred 28, I am from the Black Family and Lucius from the Malfoys. He will be well looked after, given the best foot up.” Making Leta nod again.

Narcissa approached collecting the boy and offering a hand to Leta, “We’ll mind him, you focus on mending,” her eyes shifted to Leta, who eased her hand into your aunt’s, “We’ll get you comfy and cozy with some tea and start slow with what you’ve missed in landing here. World’s changed, so many new things to learn.”

Lucius looked to Legolas asking, “I take it you would want to patch Jaqi up?”

Legolas replied, “Our Healers would be grateful to aid in her wounds. They do seem minor, though numerous.”

Draco smirked drawing his wand drying you and changing your clothes to a fresh pair of shorts and a baggy tank top cut from one of your father’s old t shirts. “Be sure to have some fresh fruit by her when she wakes up, she smells like blueberries, not fond of blueberries. Someone must have hit her with a knockout cloud to sleep like this. See you at the zoo tomorrow. We can hear about this all then.”

Summoning your door to shorten the trip while Lucius accepted hold of Corvus saying with a grin, “We’re going home young lad we’ll get you a nice warm bottle. I think you’ll love your new room, and in a few months you’ll have a baby sister to share it with.”

Looking to Celeborn Legolas said, “I will take Naneth home to our Healers.”

Celeborn chuckled and said, “If you do not mind I shall carry her, due to her tight grip on my wrap.”

Tenderly you were laid out across a plushy cot in the Healing Wing where a team of Elleths got to fetching herbs, oils and creams to tentatively spread across your exposed skin. Your hands coated in everything were wrapped in towels as word through a series of servants had the King and Glorfindel sliding through the entrance approaching the visiting Lord who shared all he knew. Which wasn’t much but inspecting the lingering glow to your skin and hair under the dull bruises and scrapes they could tell you went through a struggle.

Celeborn, “For now, she has been urged to sleep. We might ask once she has awoken. Though young Draco did mention in their home spiders had exploded into feathers, Lothlorien also is now coated in feathers.”

Glorfindel replied, “The lands I awoke in were coated in feathers as well. Manwe ordered my return.”

Thranduil asked as he stroked his fingertips along the side of your bloody bruised stomach an Elleth had revealed to coat it with creams, “What purpose could calling Jaqi to Valinor serve?”

Celeborn, “I was informed it seemed like she was following something. Though nothing was spotted, and she did seem to be blind to it, Orophin had guessed a voice perhaps.”

Legolas looked you over again, “To be called and face such wounds…”

A sigh from you lured their eyes back to you only to watch you mutter in Valinorean, “Can’t you hear them singing.”

Eyes narrowed on the Lords around you and Celeborn asked, “Who is singing?”

Again you sighed out, “The stars.” That parted their lips only for them to all inhale sharply when you muttered, “Dancing with Telperion, Laurelin.”

Thranduil, “You can see the Two Trees?”

“They were so heavy, so heavy, and far,” Their eyes shifted to the base of your bed that at the shift of a finger had vines of bluebells and forget me nots spreading up, your voice faded off as you muttered, “Let the shadow’s fool try me now.”

On the breeze a strong waft of green apples flowed through the kingdom in your breaths deepening making Glorfindel mutter, “Shadow’s fool,”

Celeborn stated after a glance at Thranduil and Glorfindel, “They reminded her,”

Legolas, “Of what?”

Celeborn, “Who she is.” His eyes shifted to you again, “Pluto, their Precious Pluto.”

Legolas gawked at you in the soaking of your name through the group, each knowing their own tales of the formidable pupil of the Masters of Spirits. The one Morgoth knew to kill first before striking at the other Valar. Each opening bloom on the vines around you releasing its own glimmer of light that seeped into your skin healing your injuries in the start of the forest beginning to sing a deep song in their dancing under significantly brighter stars luring all conscious Elves to come out and admire them.

Thranduil stated, “Now that her wounds are healed, we should return her to bed.” Carefully draping your arms across your now covered and healed middle, underneath you his arms eased and against his chest he lifted you.

Glorfindel stated, “Truly, if that is a call to arms-,”

Celeborn, “The scent of apples is a warning-,”

Thranduil turned stating firmly, “I am aware of that. When the fool returns we will be ready.” The Lords followed as he continued, “For now, our Queen is resting.”

Legolas, “I am not concerned,” he stated causing them in the hall to glance at him, “For the ease she destroyed the One Ring, and all those lands her kin have cleansed. Truly any sent after her is no match.”

Continuing on Celeborn replied, “No, not if she has been carrying the Two Trees with her all this time.”

Into bed you were placed and around the dining room table his meeting was moved while Glorfindel laid down beside you smoothing his fingers through your hair, each stroke of his fingers stirring up glimmers of starlight between your now deep silver curls while your past life played in your dreams.

.

Half an hour before your waking while Glorfindel handled the waking, dressing and prepping of the boys for breakfast Thranduil laid out beside you stroking your cheek feeling a difference in your strength already. The once untapped strength now free flowing without a block from your severed link to your past life you would start to slowly remember over time. Though in the signs that you were stirring to his gentle touch his smirk ghosted out remembering your goodbye the night before and his promise on how to wake you up.

At your deep inhale he leaned in to kiss your forehead, “Dew drop,” you sighed it out and a smirk ghosted across his lips.

“Are you awake?” he asked in your arm shifting and fingers tapping against his chin, the contact causing his eyes to droop in the tilt of your head allowing your lips to ghost against his. Leaning in his lips planted on yours forcing your fingers more across his cheek and into his hair. Around his neck your arms draped in the deepening of the kiss luring him to ease more on top of you, a move easier had there not been a comforter between you.

A pause for air from him had you smacking your lips and asking, “Blueberries.”

Thranduil’s brows inched up and he stated, “Yes, Draco did mention to have fruit waiting for you when you awoke.”

“Draco, how was he? I must have fallen asleep.”

“Yes, it is common for those who return from Valinor to be forced to sleep. Draco was well I hear, curious for what you faced, asked if spiders had exploded into feathers. I hear your Aunt has taken custody of Corvus and someone named Thesius is being contacted for Leta to meet. His marital status was relevant.”

“Thesius is Newt’s brother, they were engaged when she died. I’m glad they took Corvus in. No doubt Lucius is having baby fever readying for baby number two. Spiders, they mentioned spiders?”

“Rumil went to fetch them at your request and stated their home was coated in feathers, something about their fireplaces. But he was specific on spiders exploding into feathers.”

“I must have broken the block somehow. There were so many spiders and no one could see them until I got there.”

Thranduil stated, “Perhaps it best to wait on the full explanation until we are all at the zoo. All the Lords will be there, and we are all curious to hear what you faced in your travels to Valinor.”

“I kind of think I used to be someone very important.”

Again he smirked leaning in to steal another kiss then sweetly hummed, “I know.”

“You know?”

“None can claim a name of a Maiar or Valar for their child without their Fea taking hold of their body. Even Durin the Deathless cannot be named again all the same. To be named after stars or celestial beings is something sacred and allowed rarely. You seem to be taking this well.”

“We learn about past lives in Divinations courses. It isn’t that hard to believe. Though I can’t get any hints of one from you.”

“Because this is my first life. Rarely do we return with different names.”

For a moment your grin flinched and your fingers stroked his cheek, “Were you happy?”

Concern flooded into his gaze as he asked, “When?”

“Before I landed here. Even when you were just in my dreams staring blankly I hoped you were happy.”

“We had each other. Not nearly as happy as we are now, however, there were moments of joy in our exhaustion.”

Over his eyebrows your finger traced making him smirk again, “No wonder these were locked so low.”

Sliding off the bed he murmured, “For now, breakfast, then we can talk about my expression.” Scooping you up he carried your smirking self to the dining room.

The boys smiled at you as you settled into your chair and Legolas helped to bring the food over asking, “Did you rest well, Naneth?”

“Seems like it. You?”

“I did not sleep. Made a round on guard it seems feathers have been blowing from Lothlorien since last night. Their artists are gathering up as many as they can, a few of ours have been utilizing the chance to as well.” Leaning in Glorfindel stole a kiss on your cheek taking the seat beside you. “I would assume your artists are utilizing it as well, Draco did mention an explosion of feathers.”

“Feathers are always useful. Art or otherwise.”

All three boys seemed to explode with questions on how the zoo would be while Legolas and the pair seated near you seemed to be ghosting around the question they wished to be answered as to what happened last night. “Here,” You said after blowing out a marble with swirling clouds inside of it the trio eyed as you went to change in Taule helping the trio to keep distracted for a few minutes by looking at the pictures and plushies you had brought. Lords Elrond and Celeborn came with their children who all circled the trio still inspecting your marble. Staring at the now floating marble lifted from Glorfindel’s palm then let out a blink of light warning them to a mist filling their vision that wafted into the memory of you settled on the bed in Thranduil’s room when you first heard the voice calling you.

Moment by moment they were pulled along with you open mouthed staring at all you had endured and seen. The memory faded with your slump to Celeborn’s chest muttering about blueberries and the trio glanced at one another unable to even think of what to say only to look to you when you came back in jeans and a layered flowing floral tank top tied with a sash under on open cardigan with comfy heeled boots. “Answer your questions?” Em was still waking up after her own breakfast settled in a comfy shirt and plants matching the colors of yours.

Glorfindel, “And adds a few more.” Making you smirk. The boys hurried in and Legolas lifted Estel to his hip while Thranduil and Glorfindel lifted one each of the twins and followed you and Legolas back through your doorway to your home.

Through the halls you guided them to the front entrance to take them out of Grimmauld Place with Legolas asking, “Will we be taking the train as well? I do not have papers.”

Smirking up at him you said, “Now that the Flue System is repaired I can take you through our London entrance in Grimmauld Place. See, the house itself is hidden but our family has vast properties to our name, including one in the heart of London, England. We will have to take the Knight Bus though.” For a moment they paused eyeing the flat you had just walked out of so far from the house they knew it was linked to and they turned as you did in the slide of the buildings together again. “It’s enchanted to hide from Muggles.”

Jostling didn’t come close to describing the ride the men sat wide eyed through while you, Em and the boys giggled at sliding back and forth with Celeborn grateful for your anchoring bubble to keep his chair in place as he held Tin leaving the other chairs sliding around his. Slowly they adjusted to the odd way of traveling until you led the group to stand and exit wondering what was next. It was puzzling to say the least how so many things in your Wizarding world was both amazing and nonsensical at the same time, seemingly free but so regimented to laws that had been so harsh to nearly rob you of your freedom.

On the curb you guided the men down the street through people milling by eyeing the tall men behind you with scattered forced grins at the lot of you all the way to the press surrounded zoo. Gasps came from the boys and after the small speech from the Prime Minister, who smirked at you remembering your being banished from England, a fact now wiped from the Queen’s mind and all record with it, later and you were allowed in. Each Lord around you along with a small group of Durins that Hermione had brought here through your doorway she’d called was introduced to and greeted by the Prime minister and pair of young teen Princes glad to be out of Buckingham Palace for the first time since settling. The young pair of royals drew curious subtle glances from the group wondering why you and Hermione both curtsied even in your place representing Remus at this occasion and buffering in the first meeting of new leaders of the kingdoms around those you had saved.

Just hours, exhibit by exhibit every animal through the protective barriers you witnessed their free roaming animals now happier in the magical near endless lands or waters to call their own. Every fact cherished and with floating magical camera following orders from the boys and men to capture certain moments they wished to keep.

.

By dinner you were back to your home for them to share all you had seen and let the Lords conference on your memory of Valinor. Every moment scrutinized for details on what the returned had missed with questions between on how long the spiders had descended there as well.

Curiously following a gentle tug you came to one of the larger spare rooms in one of the lesser used wings and pressing your ear to the door you could hear Opal inside making you smirk knowing why she’d moved here. Gently you knocked and a half hearted growl came through the wood making you say, “Opal, it’s Jaqi. I just wanted to ask if you’re in any pain.”

Through the wood you could tell the bristles behind her ears and eyebrows had shifted in a small recoil of her head snapping for a moment out of her protective mindset. “Iron said sometimes females have cramps with laying their clutches. I assume this is the nest you’ve chosen and I won’t force myself in if I am not welcome.”

“I am not in any pain. You are always welcome.” Timidly you eased the doorknob to turn and peeked inside seeing her sideways cocked head with both bright eyes fixed on you. Since your last session had fully healed her left eye and nearly fully healed the right that seemed to her to be growing clearer by the day with your Pheonix candies now working to heal the minor cataract like affliction to her lighter eye. “I have three eggs.”

A smile split across your face in her tail easing out to scoop you inside and bump the door shut again bringing you closer but still not right up to her nest in the room heated by the pile of wood and hot fire she kept lit to keep her eggs warm. “That is amazing. Three babies. I am so happy for you.” You said stroking her muzzle as her forehead pressed to yours. “Would you like me to tell Iron?”

She gave a nod and said, “He shall be pleased. I did not assume I might carry more than one egg from my injuries. Iron was eager all the same to aid in my clutch to grant me a chance.”

“Well you certainly made a great choice, and a great friend. I take it you might want to go to the breeding grounds then for a time?”

“No, males do not Mother the young for our kind. He shall meet them when they are just learning to fly, that is when his role begins.” Her eyes looked you over and she asked, “How are your mates?”

“They are well. Speaking with their friends about a trip I took through an enchanted pond of theirs. It seems I am still puzzling to them. Even myself occasionally.”

Lowly she chuckled and settled more around the trio of eggs on the mattress she’d pulled off the bed frame leaned up against the wall. “They will learn you. And their young seem to admire you as well. Such a large clutch for beginning a family.”

“Well I’ve never been one to follow the normal scheme of things, courting first then babies. You know me. Has to be as much juggling as possible.” She chuckled again and at the slight drop of her eyes you grinned saying, “I will let you sleep. You look exhausted. I’ll post a sign outside and let everyone know this is your nest.”

“Thank you, my dearest friend. Your kindness is the greatest treasure I have ever been graced with.”

Again you reached out to stroke her muzzle saying, “I feel very much the same Opal. Let me know if you need anything. Get some rest sweetheart.” The nickname making her smirk in her body coiling up around the trio of giant Opal like eggs as you made your way out again.

Across the door in various languages with a picture of Opal a sign spread the door to warn others in your turn to head through your enchanted door to find Iron, the Opaleye who had taken Opal as his mate. His excited roars and bounding around drew the Dragon Breeders over who joined in on his celebration with his family on his impressive three little ones to come. Far from the average dragon Opal was seen as far too timid to have been taken as a mate by all but Iron who could see the strength in enduring all she had faced and how powerful their little ones could be. A match that with time and now news of her very fertile status among her kind, who rarely had more than two eggs, had all the other breeds joining in on the celebrations as well. Each sending you home with tokens to hand over to the isolating mother to comfort her with their distant support until the hatching when she could introduce the triplets to them all.

Pt 34

#Thranduil x Reader OC #Glorfindel x Reader OC #HP Crossover #Opal and her eggs #Trip to the Zoo

[paradoxcase]

I was mistaken earlier: Dunharrow is important later in the story, but not in the Two Towers - it’s the place where the Dimholt, the entrance to the Paths of the Dead, is.

From what I remember of the movie, the chronology for Theoden et. al. in Return of the King is that they travel from wherever they were when Pippin looked in the Palantir (which I think was not the same place they were in the book at this point, because in the movie this scene happens in some sort of fortified stone building, but in the book they were camped out in the open) to Dunharrow to marshal the troops, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are all with them.  Then Elrond shows up out of nowhere with Anduril and tells Aragorn that corsairs are going to be attacking on ships and he needs to go through the Paths of the Dead to stop them, and also he should recruit the dead to join him, which he can do because he has this fancy sword now.  Aragorn seems to know what happened with the Paths of the Dead because when Elrond mentions them he refers to them as cowards and traitors, but it’s Legolas who actually gives the history of it and recites the poem that foretold Aragorn’s coming to recruit the dead to fulfill their broken oath.  This is kind of odd, because Legolas is not really the party member I’d expect to have a deep knowledge of the history of Gondor.  When they get to the Dimholt, Legolas reads “The way is shut.  It was made by those who are dead.  The way is shut.” in some sort of what looks like hieroglyphics above the door, and then their horses get spooked and leave, which was sort of foreshadowed by all of the horses at Dunharrow getting spooked just from being in the general vicinity of the Dimholt.

In the book, when they realize they need to start preparing for war, they all go back to Helm’s Deep first.  On the way, they are met by a bunch of Dunedain on horses, one of which is carrying a gift from Arwen, which is not Anduril, since Aragorn has by this point by carrying Anduril for the past several months, but is instead a standard that is later used to call upon the dead to fulfill their oath.  Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond’s sons, are also with them.  It is at this point that the Paths of the Dead are mentioned for the first time, and the prophetic poem is recited by Aragorn - it may be that Elrond appearing at Dunharrow was meant to be the movie’s version of this, since it doesn’t really make sense to introduce three new characters (Elladan and Elrohir, plus the guy bearing the standard) who are not really important again in the story.  It’s a little mysterious why these guys are here, though - they claim that a message was delivered to Rivendell saying that Aragorn was in need of his Dunedain friends in Rohan, and they just randomly happened to bump into the group of people containing Aragorn while they were looking for Rohan (they did not even know they had found Rohan until Theoden confirmed that yes, this is Rohan).  It’s not clear who sent this message.  The characters seem to suspect that Galadriel sent it, and somehow read Aragorn’s mind that he wanted them to come when he was in Lothlorien, except when the company was in Lothlorien they were still on a mission of secrecy to destroy the ring, for which thirty guys on horseback is not really useful, and also they were not really headed to Rohan, as opposed to how Aragorn is now in the middle of preparing for a big war, for which thirty guys on horseback is in fact quite useful.  So some sort of other Galadriel magic happened, or something.  I don’t think this is ever actually cleared up.

Anyway, they return to Helm’s Deep and Theoden and Merry do some bonding.  Gandalf had given Aragorn the Palantir after Pippin looked at it, on the basis that Isengard did at one point used to be a vassal of Gondor, so therefore the Palantir at Isengard technically belongs to the king of Gondor, which is Aragorn as far as Gandalf is concerned.  Anyway, while they are at Helm’s Deep, Aragorn looks into the Palantir and reveals himself to Sauron as the heir of Elendil, etc. and while doing this, perceives from Sauron’s mind that the corsairs will be coming from the south during the battle.  I believe Aragorn looks into the Palantir in the movie, but not until the end of the Return of the King, after the major battle has been fought.  The companion notes that this happens on the same night that Frodo and Sam spend climbing Cirith Ungol, where they are detected by the Nazgul in Minas Morgul.  But Sauron is distracted by Aragorn using the Palantir and doesn’t respond to the Nazgul reporting this, which allows Frodo and Sam to escape without alerting Sauron.  Anyway, after this, Theoden decides to travel to Edoras via hidden mountain roads that go through Dunharrow, and muster the troops there.  But Gandalf, who left already, has figured out that the muster needs to happen sooner, so on his way to Gondor he sends all of the Rohirrim to muster at Dunharrow, and they are all there to meet Theoden when he arrives.  Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Dunedain (+Elladan and Elrohir) see everyone off, have a discussion, and decide that they need to travel to Dunharrow as quickly as possible and then take the Paths of the Dead.  They actually beat Theoden there by a day, because they are not going through the mountains.

At Dunharrow is Eowyn, who has (in the book) been out of the action for some time now.  When Aragorn arrives, she begs him to take her with him, as she wants to do important things and be part of the story and also be close to Aragorn while doing it, etc., and she’s been sort of shunted off for a while now.  Book!Eowyn honestly has a lot more reason to think she’s been locked in a cage than movie!Eowyn, who went to Helm’s Deep and I believe was by Theoden’s side for most of this part of the plot.  The movie is much more direct about Aragorn rejecting her, but he also lets her down softer.  The book does something that I’m sure no modern English speaker would immediately understand unless they’ve been immersed in older varieties of English, where Eowyn uses thou/thee (familiar “you”) to address Aragorn while Aragorn uses you (formal “you”) to address Eowyn, reflecting their differing opinions about the intimacy of their relationship.

When they get to the Dimholt, the horses do not bolt - the Dunedain’s horses are said to love their masters so much that they are willing to go in with them, and the one Rohan horse, the one that Legolas and Gimli are riding, is calmed by Legolas’s magic elf powers.  This is important, because in the book, they actually do need the horses to get where they’re going after they leave the Paths of the Dead - in the movie the Paths of the Dead let out right where the corsairs are docking, really convenient.  “The way is shut...” does not appear at this point in the book - it’s part of a story that Theoden tells about some of his ancestors who poked around up there when he later hears that Aragorn has gone that way.  Also, this part of the story is told from Gimli’s perspective - the companion points out that the viewpoint character is always a hobbit when hobbits are present, but since no hobbits are present here it uses Gimli instead.  This fits with Gimli being the junior member of this particular group.  This is relevant because Gimli cannot actually see the ghosts, he only feels intense fear and horror in proximity to the ghosts and thus guesses that they are there.  Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir can all see the ghosts and describe them to Gimli, it’s not clear whether or not Aragorn and the Dunedain, who are of “pure” Numenorean blood, can see them or not.  They actually find the skeleton of the ancestor from Theoden’s story, who eventually went into the Dimholt and was never seen again, which is kind of cool.  Aragorn only mentions off-hand that he can hold the ghosts’ oath fulfilled when he is in the Paths - he then leads the ghosts out of the Paths and up to the rock that Isildur actually used to curse them in order to officially call on them to fulfill their oaths.  Meanwhile the people in the nearby town sense the ghosts and react sort of like the people in Corpse Bride initially reacted.

An interesting bit of history about the ghosts that isn’t present in the movie is that the reason why they didn’t come when called to war against Sauron the first time wasn’t so much because they were cowards as that they had been worshipping Sauron in the intervening time between then and when they had made the oath.  So they had actually changed sides, and apparently there are temples dedicated to Sauron in the Paths of the Dead that Aragorn, etc. did not explore.

#lord of the rings #lotr #aragorn #eowyn #the paths of the dead