Previously:
No one spoke as they all climbed back into bed. Except for Percy, who groggily sat up on one arm, much like Boromir had earlier and slurred, "Annabeth? Was'goin'on?"

"Go back to sleep, Seaweed Brain," she muttered sleepily, already curling back into his side.

He grumbled and plopped back down on his pillow, put an arm around her, pulling her closer and continued drooling.

"How are we looking?" Percy asked Annabeth as she and Aragorn trudged up to their small camp from meeting with King Theoden. Clarisse and Percy had been waiting with the rest of the fellowship around the fire.

"We are at six thousand." she told him solemnly.

"It's not enough to defeat Mordor." Aragorn sat heavily on a log next to the fire.

Clarisse snorted. "What we would have given for six thousand when we fought Kronos or Gaea."

"That's different, Clarisse," Annabeth said. "We could control where Kronos' army filtered through to an extent and Gaea's army was mostly giants and dirt. Mordor's army is already tens of thousands and he pulled in help from another country."

"How did he manage that?" Clarisse asked in surprise.

"Who cares?" Gimli said, poking at the fire. "We'll take care of whatever army stands in the way. "

"I like this guy," the daughter of Ares said appreciatively as she was handed a plate of whatever the dwarf had been cooking.

Annabeth smiled in unsurprised amusement. The group had followed Théoden and the Riders of Rohan to the mountains where they would pass into Gondor's lands. They had gotten the call through the beacons from Gondor barely a week ago. They pulled everything together faster than Annabeth thought they could but it wasn't fast enough for Clarisse. She had actually complained about riding the horses because they were so slow.

Percy had covered his horse's ears at that.

As Annabeth reflected on the last few days, her gaze was drawn to the growing darkness coming from the path into the mountains.

Percy and Legolas was there, trying to calm the horses that were fighting their masters right at the opening.

"The horses are restless," Legolas said curiously. "And the men are... quiet?"

Éomer came up to help in time to hear Legolas comment. "They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain."

"The road there -" Gimli said, sounding nervous "-where does that lead?"

"It is the road of the Dumholt," Legolas answered. "The door under the mountain."

"None who venture there ever return." Éomer said darkly. "That mountain is evil."

"I've heard stories of this place" Boromir whispered. "It is said the ghosts of the past roam in there--never at peace because of some curse."

"Cool," Clarisse said, grinning.

Annabeth, knowing what had hidden themselves in the mountain, glanced quickly at Clarisse. She debated telling her considering the last time she knew Clarisse had heard of someone not fulfilling their oath to fight for someone. Would it be worse if she found out in the mountain or right then before she met the ghosts hiding in the mountain?

"Hey, Merry!" Clarisse called, breaking Annabeth from her thoughts. The hobbit was running as fast as he could past their camp. "Where are you going?"

"To the smithy! "Merry answered enthusiastically. "I've got to get this blade sharpened."

"Oh, I'll go with you." She said. "I need my knives and spear sharpened too."

Well, Annabeth thought without feeling. Guess we'll see how she takes it in the mountain.

_______

"Annabeth, you need to sleep," Percy said, poking his head out of the tent to see his girlfriend sitting in the dirt, watching the road.

"Elrond is coming," she said in reply.

"Elrond?" Percy said in surprise. "Why?"

"He holds the sword that was to be reforged for the true king of Gondor." She said. "This meeting with him and Aragorn is to spark a side quest of sorts. He needs to recruit the ghosts in the mountain."

"Didn't Boromir say they were traitors after Clarisse left for the smithy?''

"Yeah."

They say nothing as a dark figure on a horse flies up the hills to Theoden's tent. The guards spend some time figuring out who the figure is before sending for the king of Rohan.

"Let's go get the others," Annabeth said, getting up from the ground. She dusted off the pants she wore and turned to meet Percy's eyes. "Aragorn is going to try this alone."

"What?" Percy said. "Why would he do that? He's got friends for a reason for Hades sakes."

Annabeth couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Either way- "You've tried doing the some thing, Seaweed Brain, don't even try."

Twenty minutes later, a group of seven (of which included a dwarf, an elf, three demigods, and two humans) entered the narrow pass into the mountains.

The mist rose around them as they rode on the path through the mountain. The walls on either side grew more narrow and closed in. At times, Annabeth thought she heard whispering coming around them.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked, trying to be quiet. Dwarves weren't known for their stealth.

"One that is cursed." Legolas answered. "Long ago, the Men of the Mountain swore an oath to the last King of Gondor-- to come to his aid, to fight, but when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled...vanishing into the darkness of the mountain... And so Isildur cursed them-- never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge. Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The Forgotten People. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore, from the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the paths of the dead. "

"Wait, you mean the cowards ran away from a fight?" Clarisse said loudly from the back.

Almost immediately after she shouted that to the whole world, causing rocks to fall from higher up the mountain- Annabeth wasn't exaggerating- a cold wind blew through the pass. The horses got spooked, it was all they could do to not get thrown off. Percy had to speak to them to calm them down before they could do anything.

"Hey, wait, Hasufel, calm down!" Percy shouted to his horse. "Do you really think I won't protect you here?"

The horses slowly calmed with Percy continually talking to them. "What do you mean I wouldn't be able to fight ghosts? No, you are full of - no you shut up!"

Annabeth looked to Clarisse who sent a much too innocent smile her way. "Maybe don't insult the ghosts while we're here?"

Clarisse only smiled. "No promises."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked ahead only to catch the gaze of Boromir as he looked from Clarisse to Amabeth. He laughed a little and smiled. "I like her."

"Of course you do." Annabeth muttered, exasperated. Gryffindors. The lot of them.

They eventually came to a stone doorway that they could only assume led deeper into the mountain. They'd had to dismount the still skittish horses. The path had become too low, blocked by over grown trees and roots. Annabeth made sure to grab everything she thought they would need from her horse.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away." Gimli said nervously.

"The way is shut." Legolas began translating. "It was made by those who are dead, and the Dead keep it. The way is shut."

The cold wind was back, rushing from the doorway more fiercely now. And this time, the horses weren't having any of Percy's arguments. From Percy's reaction, she could tell Hasufel had said some less than respectable words. The company watched as the horses all ran off back the way they came.

"Bergo!" Aragorn shouted in an attempt to bring them back.

''It's no use, Aragorn,'' Percy said, exasperated, if not a little bitter. "They won't listen. They don't trust me."

Aragorn acknowledged Percy's words and pouting with a grim smile. "I do not fear death." Without hesitation, he walked forward into the darkness.

He was followed swiftly by Legolas, Boromir, and Clarisse. The latter of which seemed too excited to be going into a mountain haunted by cowards.

Gimli was the next closest so he somewhat blocked the path for Annabeth and Percy. He hesitated, obviously having a hard time with the haunted cavern.

"Well, this is a thing unheard of," he muttered, taking slow steps towards the opening. "An elf will go underground when a dwarf dare not." He growled, suddenly throwing on a burst of speed. "Oh! I'd never hear the end of it!"

Percy chuckled nervously before following the dwarf. Annabeth too followed, though she couldn't explain why she was feeling so nervous. She was the only one here who understood and knew what was about to happen under that mountain. Perhaps it was the fact that she thought Clarisse would make things worse just by being here.

That thought happened to chase away the nerves and she let out a sigh as she ran ahead to find Clarisse. "That girl is going to get us all killed someday."

She found her walking with Percy.

"Why are you walking with me and not your girlfriend, Punk?" she demanded.

"The way l see it, they will attack you first because you'll insult them," Percy said. "My chances are much better if we stay close to you."

"Percy, it's the other way around." Annabeth said.

"Are you sure?" Percy's face scrunched in thoughtful concentration.

Clarisse snorted. "Idiot."

"Clarisse, we are going to need you to hold in your anger with these ghosts when we see them." Annabeth said, letting Percy work out the logic on his own.

"Why?" Clarisse challenged.

"Because we need them to not kill us while we're in their territory and we need them to fight in a big battle in Gondor."

"Dad would not like for me to just let them get away without fulfilling their oath," she protested.

"They'll fulfill their oath," Annabeth promised. "Just let Aragorn do his thing."

The daughter of Ares grumbled but seemed to agree so Annabeth let it go.

"What is it?" Gimli asked ahead to Legolas after a long period of silence. "What do you see?"

"I see shapes of men." The elf's whispering voice echoed in the hall they walked through. They hardly spared a glance at the alcoves that riddled the walls. Annabeth knew she would only find skulls there. "And of horses."

"Where?" asked the jumpy dwarf.

"Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise, like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist." He pauses and despite her knowledge, Annabeth could feel a cold grip in her gut. "The Dead are following; they have been summoned."

"The dead?" Gimli asked as he hurried to look behind him. Percy had kicked a rock and snickered at his response. "Summoned? I knew that." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the demigod.

Annabeth elbowed Percy in the ribs but it was pointless. Clarisse let out a much louder laugh that echoed evily off the walls.

"Very good," Gimli slowly turned back around only to see that Legolas was no longer there. "Legolas!" He hurried to catch up with the two demigods snickering behind him.

Passing through a rocky threshold, Percy and Clarisse suddenly stopped snickering.

They had entered the large chamber filled with ghost-mist. There were hands that weren't really there clinging to their clothes with every step they took.

Annabeth felt a chill run through her as she followed her companions into the large cavern. Somehow she knew that things were about to go very wrong.