I follow my mother and sister, pushed along as we are led into the caves
I follow my mother and sister, pushed along as we are led into the caves. My father is behind me, a worried look on his face, just like everybody else. "It's okay, Elias," he says. "Don't be scared. We'll be safe."
Of course we'll be safe. After all, this is just a dream, and I know this. There can't really be thousands of evil beasts – the men are calling them "Uruks" – coming to Helm's Deep. The men say that we will all die, and we might, but soon I'll wake up, and I'll be back at Edoras, and everything will go on as normal.
We are entering the caves now. My mother chooses a spot by the wall, away from most of the people. My older sister smiles at me. "Look at you," she says. "You seem so calm."
"I am calm," I reply. "There isn't anything to not be calm about."
"Oh Elias, you're too young to understand."
"Understand what?" I'm not too young for anything. Even if this is a dream, I have to know what I supposedly "can't" understand. "Elivara," – that's her name – "I'm not a baby anymore. What can't I understand?"
Elivara sighs. She goes to sit down at the bottom of the wall with Mother. She motions for me to sit as well. As I do so, she asks, "Mother, can you please tell Elias what's going on?"
I groan. "I know what's going on. The men outside, the soldiers, they are rushing about with swords and shields. The king's voice is heard everywhere, giving orders. I know that there is a war coming."
Father comes over and looks me in the eye. "Elias, don't be scared, everything will be alright."
I stand up abruptly and say "For the last time, I'm not scared!" rather loudly. I continue with "There is nothing to be scared of!" because this is just a dream.
Mother shakes her head at me. "You are right, Elivara. He is too young."
At this, I feel very, very angry. Never have I felt such emotions in a dream, even in real life. This is one different dream. I begin to shout: "Why do you care so much? I hate it!" I've never said such things to my family before, but at least this is just a dream. They won't know that I had shouted at them.
Suddenly, Mother begins to cry. Could she be mad at me? But she is not looking at me, she is looking past me. Elivara gasps. And Father is wearing a shocked face. I turn to see what they are staring at.
I am confused. The soldiers are coming into the caves, speaking to all of the families. None of them are leaving, but they are taking old men, farmers, boys my age…
A soldier comes this way. He looks at my crying mother and sister with a hard face. "Rohan needs you," he says to my father.
Now I understand. The king thinks that there are too many of the evil beasts coming, so he is getting more people to fight.
The soldier now turns to me. "What is your name?" he asks.
"Elias, son of Elijah," I reply in an equally hard voice.
He looks me up and down, nods his head. "Yes, you seem to be a strong lad. You are to go with your father to the armoury."
Mother shrieks and pulls me close. I try to get away, but she will not let go. "No!" she cries. "He cannot fight! He is only twelve years!"
The soldier shakes his head in apology. "I am sorry. It is the order of King Théoden."
"NO!" Mother and Elivara embrace myself and Father tightly. I am still mad at them, but I might as well play along, so I do not bother struggling to get away.
Elivara buries her face in Father's chest. "Oh, Father! You'll come back, right?"
Father runs his fingers through her hair. "Do not worry about me, my daughter. You must be brave." He kisses her head then turns to Mother. "Farewell my love. Take care of our daughter." He pulls away, leaving Mother and Elivara behind. "Come Elias." Father grabs my hand and tows me to the exit.
"No! Elijah! Elias!" Mother cries while Elivara is on her knees, bawling.
I turn away from the scene. My mother and sister are never like this, at least not in real life. They are always happy and smiling. Oh, how different this dream is.
The soldiers have led us to the armoury. Father and I follow the long line of men as we wait for our turn. The looks on everyone's faces say that they are scared, frightened. I'm starting to feel it, too. No, I can't be. This is just a dream, I tell myself. This is just a dream.
It's my turn now. The soldier behind the table takes one look at me and shakes his head. He grabs a helmet, hands it to me. I place the over-sized helmet on my head. This will never protect me…Like I'm going to die.
"Grab you a weapon, lad," the soldier says to me.
I take a look at the table before me. The weapons laid out seem too real, not something from a dream…
I grab a sword. It is very heavy, and I have to use both my hands to hold it. "Are you okay with that, son?" Father asks me from behind.
I turn to face him. He looks very different wearing chain mail, holding a bow. "Yes, Father," I answer him.
Father stiffens up a bit. "How I wish that you do not have to fight." He bites his lip. "Now, move it along, son, there are others waiting."
I make my way towards the exit, when suddenly the armoury is silent. I turn around along with Father and see two men glaring at each other. Then one seems to argue with the other, in a tongue that I do not understand. The men themselves seem very peculiar. They do not look like Rohanians. One of the men, the one that hasn't spoken much, he looks like an outlaw, and the other…doesn't look like he can be called a man. "Father, who are they?" I had to know. Strange people can't just stroll into my dreams, bad or good.
"They are not from Rohan," Father whispers. "They rode into Edoras before we left. And that one," he jerked his head in the direction of the speaker, "I've heard word that he is an elf."
"Really?" I whisper back. Mother used to tell me about the elves. She said that they were friends of men, but this elf doesn't make it seem so. At least it, correction, he, is keeping the conversation in a different language… "Are they speaking…elvish? I thought that most men did not speak nor understand that language."
Father shrugs. "Then I guess that this is one special man." He nudges me forward. "We should be getting outside to receive orders. Stay close."
We stand, stand at the front of the archers. I do not have a bow, but I'd like to be next to Father.
All of the men are silent, save for the elf-speaking one that chose to stand with the elves. I cannot imagine what can scare the men, especially my father. I've always imagined him as a fearless being, even in my dreams. But I ask anyway: "Father, are you scared?"
He does not answer; I will not press him further.
I start to think: Am I scared? I know, and I've always been thinking it, that this is a dream.
But there is a sliver of doubt that I do not wish to exist.
Everything seems too real to be a dream. Father's eyes that portray panic seem too real. The fear of all of the men seems too real. The sharp sting on my finger – I had cut myself while awaiting orders and had stroked my sword – seems too real. Mother and Elivara…
Mother and Elivara. It has been a while since I've thought of them. I expect to feel the same hatred that I had as their faces cross my mind, but it is not there. Instead, I feel a twinge of guilt that I do not understand. What did I do? Why am I feeling this way? This is one very different dream.
Then the man next to me says quietly in a voice clothed with fear: "Oh! Of all the evil things!"
My gaze shifts to the ground below. And I see them, and I realize that all of my previous thoughts were wrong.
The Uruk-hai. They march towards us. They march with swords and axes and bows and torches and shields and armour and weapons we have never seen before.
Suddenly, I understand a lot of things. I understand why Elivara kept this from me. I understand why Mother was so worried. I understand why the men are so scared. I know that we are all fighting for our lives, and if we die we will never set foot on Middle Earth again.
This is not a dream.
"Elias." Father hugs me, taking me out of my thoughts. "Whatever happens… whatever happens…" he stammers, "don't forget that… that your family loves you."
I nod my head fiercely. "Yes, Father" is all that I can force out of my mouth.
But Father's words awaken something in me. I have to fight. Although the years I've lived are a quarter of most of the men here, I will fight hard…for my family. And, no matter how many Uruk-hai there are, I will live to see Mother and Elivara again, to return home in Edoras, to live a happy life with my family…
And then those thoughts are shattered. The uneven breathing around me, the pitter-patter of the newly falling rain, the dark, starless sky above, the heavy thuds as the feet of the Uruk-hai hit the ground – a mood is set, a mood that says that Rohan is doomed, and we will all die.
The Uruks – they are close now. They form a line across the ground. They roar, shaking their weapons madly. Father and the others raise their bows. The Uruks continue their tirade.
Suddenly, an arrow whistles towards them. One of the men had fired, but I do not think that it was intended. A beast at the front falls forward, dead.
The war has started.
The Uruk-hai run forward towards us. A volley of arrows – the elves are the first to shoot – flies out, and a score of evil beasts fall. But I know that it will take a thousand volleys to bring down the whole of them. I hear one of the men shout, "Fire!" And more arrows are released into the night.
Then ladders come up, and then the Uruks have breeched the wall. Now that I see them up close, I realize that there is reason to be scared of them. They are both hideous and ferocious. Their thick armour makes their already enormous bodies look even bigger. Their jaws are set in a permanent growl, black holes in a dark body. Their eyes are eerie, piercing blue and green colours creating large beads under the helmet. Despite my rage, I cower behind Father, terrified.
I find myself wishing, begging to no one that this is a dream – that all this evil is just a nightmare, not something that I am experiencing for real.
Now I know the meaning of the guilt. I will not live through the night. I will not live to be with my family, happy again. Father and I will leave Middle Earth tonight, and Mother and Elivara will be staying. My last words to them were of hatred towards them and their thoughts of love and protection for me. And they will not hear anymore words from me. I struggle to fight back the tears. I don't want to die.
Father fires an arrow towards the oncoming Uruks, and a beast falls. The other men with us follow his lead, releasing arrow after arrow. I let out a loud scream. If I am to die, then I will die fighting – at my best, whatever that is – alongside Father.
Then something unexpected and terrible happens. An arrow from the Uruk-hai flies out. And then I am staring at the fallen form of my father.
My sword falls from my hand. Forgetting about my own safety, I drop down beside him. "Father?" I ask, shaking his body. I shriek. "Father!"
He utters one word weakly: "Elias." Then Father exhales one last time before his eyes glaze over and I am holding his lifeless form.
I stand up, my jaw hanging open. The Uruk-hai are so close – they strike fear into my heart, more now because Father isn't with me anymore. My last bit of strength leaves me, and the tears flow freely down my face. So I run away. I run across the fortress, stopping only when a sudden thought occurs to me.
There is a chance that Rohan will survive this nightmare, this bad dream. I might live to be with Mother and Elivara again. But I will never be truly happy. Always will the memory of Father's death be in my mind. There is only one thing I can do.
I climb onto the wall, looking out at the sea of beasts before me. One last memory of Father, Mother, Elivara, and myself happy together sticks in my mind…
And then I toss myself over the edge of the wall.
A/N: Please review!