The Last Dreamwalker

An Army of Ghosts

Gandalf rode for the lower parts of the City of Gondor where the war raged on more fervently and intensely.

Pippin seemed tense as he rode with the two others and Lessien tried her best to not feel any remorse. What scared her was how easy it was to feel indifferent towards her friend and towards the whole event that had occurred before Denethor's death.

The facts were simple.

Lessien had killed all of those guards who were after her out of self-defense. It didn't matter if it was their master's will or not. It was her life and the world needed her.

People were going to die. She had killed men before. Besides, guilt was a feeling that was pointless. There was no changing the past.

It did not matter what Pippin thought of Lessien. Within a span of days, she would be dead. Even more likely, within a span of few hours.

Lessien felt this unpleasant feeling of anticipation churning in her stomach. For Valor's sake, why am I still so afraid of death? she mentally reprimanded herself.

Now, the sounds of battle were growing closer.

Suddenly, a brief vision flashed through her mind.

Legolas, Gimli, and her father at the docks.

The preview did not shock her. At this point, Lessien was so used to the samplings of the future.

Lessien then remembered what she had thought before. She would be dead within a span of few hours.

Abruptly, she was overcome with this intense desire to see her father and Legolas again before she died.

It was a reckless feeling.

Making her way all of the way to the docks with the raging battle going on as it was was insanity. Here she had been a few minutes ago disregarding guilt but this unexpected eagerness was overpowering. This was another emotion of the heart. It was another emotion she should not act on.

Lessien desperately tried to work logic into this yearning.

The only cogent reason she could muster was that she needed to hone her Dreamwlming skills while she had the chance. She could explain to Gandalf why she needed to go with that excuse.

Still, though, the both of them would know it was just that. An excuse. He would be outraged.

It seemed to Pippin and Lessien that Gandalf was content with where they had reached, for Gandalf was dismounting and reached out to help Pippin down.

Lessien simply paused on the steed, not making a move to dismount. She did not say a word.

In fact, her mouth was pressed together in a thin line.

Gandalf looked up at her. "Dismount, Lessien Tiwele, and come fight by my side," he said, almost a command.

"I cannot, my friend."

"Lessien."

Without another word, she took off. Behind her, she heard Gandalf protest loudly. "Come back! Where are you going? Where are you going, girl?"

-

Lessien had been a warrior for such a long time and she had been able to develop skills outside of fighting.

She was hyper-focused.

As she rode out of the City of Minas Tirith, she was astounded by what she saw, but not too intensely. The battle she witnessed was fierce, more so than any other clash she had fought in, but she was used to the scene.