Chapter 4: The Siege Begins

"This has got to be the most depressing valley I have ever seen," Treize remarked as he, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli led their horses through the narrow, stony canyon. "I can well believe only the dead live here, because anyone living would have long since left or slit their wrists in despair."

"Those who lived here are betrayers," Aragorn said darkly. "They will find no peace until they repay their debt to me."

Treize lifted an eyebrow. "You're usually not so gloomy, Aragorn."

"Faithfulness in honor is the one thing to which all men should cling," Aragorn replied sternly. "Your given word is a sacred oath."

"I would agree with you were I not a nobleman and a politician," Treize said. "In the upper classes and the halls of power, a man like you would not last a day." He patted Aragorn's shoulder. "You're going to have advisors when you become king, right?"

Aragorn scowled. "I shall rule my kingdom with justice and honor."

"Ah, I see. I hope that works out for you."

The four of them continued up the valley. It grew increasingly narrow as they progressed, until finally it ended in a dank box canyon. The dark gap of a cave mouth punctuated the end of the canyon. A cold, dusty breeze gusted out of the cave, carrying with it scents that would have been better left in the cave.

"Here we shall find the shades of the oathbreakers," Aragorn said gravely. "This is a terrible place and I will not ask you to enter after me." With that, he plunged into the cave, dragging his very unhappy horse behind him. Legolas followed him without a word.

Gimli shifted his feet unhappily. "We dwarves do not fear the dark, or the dankness of places far underground, but we have no love at all for the shades of the dead. No good ever comes of disturbing them."

Treize smiled. "I can't say I agree with you. Had Roku not disturbed my shade, I would not be alive right now. Let's go." He led his horse into the cave and Gimli hurried in after him.

Aragorn had brought torches, so they were able to follow the path, such as it was, as it wound through the cave. Bringing up the rear, Gimli stumbled along muttering to himself. Eventually, the path widened into a larger road and they were able to walk abreast, which made Gimli feel better since he pushed up in between Legolas and Aragorn. But the darkness through which they walked seemed to have a life of its own, because the light from their torches refused to extend far beyond them, so the walls of the cave could not be seen.

"How big is this place?" Gimli finally exclaimed. He flinched when his voice echoed back from a great distance.

"We have entered a great cavern," Aragorn said. "This is the final resting place of those who are indebted to me. They are all around us now."

"Was it really necessary to point that out?" Gimli muttered. "The whispering and the feathery touches were quite bad enough."

"They look more miserable than dangerous, if you ask me," Treize said casually.

"You can see them?" Gimli whispered.

"Yes," Treize shrugged. "I suppose having died once I have something of an affinity for them. But honestly, I don't think they can even see the rest of us. They're all just staring at Aragorn."

"As well they should," Aragorn said in a deep, commanding voice. "For in me alone shall they find their salvation." He raised his sword. "I charge you oathbreakers who would be free, follow me into battle! I am Elessar, Isildur's heir! When you have fought beside me, I shall hold your oaths fulfilled!" With that, Aragorn marched forward briskly and the others had to hurry to keep up with him. The ringing of their horses shod hooves on the rocky path was muffled by the susurrus of thousands of voices whispering.

"The dead follow us," Legolas whispered. "We have become a mighty host."

"And with it we shall crush the servants of Sauron when they least expect it," Aragorn declared.

The road they followed narrowed again and they pushed forward as fast as they dared. The weight of the dead pushing at their backs had them all feeling a little uncomfortable. But at last they exited from the cave into a knife slit of a canyon that led steeply down to the foot of the mountains. Far below them, grassy slopes dotted with fields and farmhouses rolled down to a wide, slow-moving river.

Aragorn pointed at the river. "This is where our battle will begin," he said. "Do you see the smoke far to the south? Pirates already lay waste to the southern regions. We shall not let them come any farther north." He swung up onto the back of his horse and set off down the canyon at what was probably an inadvisably fast pace.

Legolas looked back. "I see the shadows of men and horses issuing forth behind us."

"I wonder if they will kill with swords or with fear," Gimli said. "I am ready to drop from fear myself just from being so near to them."

"Don't worry about it, Gimli," Treize said. Being a gentleman, he was bringing up the rear. "I really am quite sure they can't see you." He grinned. "But I suspect they will be able to see anything Aragorn points them at very well. This ought to be quite exciting."

Night had fallen by the time they rode out of the canyon into settled pastures, but they saw very few people. As they galloped through the fields, anyone who was still outside threw one terrified look in their direction and plunged inside, bolting doors and shudders desperately.

Aragorn finally called a halt to rest the horses, but even those winded animals didn't seem all that happy about it. They swished their tails nervously and huffed air through their noses loudly. Although the sky above them was clear and glittered coldly with a wash of stars, all around them they were hemmed in by impenetrable darkness.

"There is no chance any of us shall sleep tonight, Aragorn," Gimli said. "We may as well go on."

"Aaarraagoorrnn!"

"Ah!" Gimli cried. "What was that ghostly voice?"

"Aarraagoorrnn!" The cry came again, faint and haunting. "Wait up!"

"Wait?" Gimli shouted. "Wait for what? Our deaths?"

"No! For us!" Now they could all hear the sound of horses' hooves pounding along the road they had just traversed. A moment later, as if appearing out of a black fog, two riders came into view, tightly wrapped in dark cloaks, their faces muffled with scarves.

"What evil minions of Sauron are these?" Gimli exclaimed. He reached for his axe.

"We are hardly minions of Sauron!" a rather musical male voice answered with a chuckle. The two riders neared them and pulled down their scarves. "We are the sons of Elrond; Elladan and Elrohir." The second rider, who had not spoken, bowed from the saddle at the introduction. "We owe you an apology, Aragorn. Our father wanted us to join you but we were late in receiving his word. So we hurried to catch up with you."

"And we wish we had reached you ere you entered the caves," the second elf said, "for we have ridden all this way with the dead pressing in all around us and it was most unpleasant."

Aragorn smiled. "Nevertheless, it is good to see you, for you are as kinsman to me and your faces are a most happy sight." The two elves returned his smile. Aragorn turned to the others. "Behold the twin sons of mighty Elrond. You will not find better fighters in all of Rivendell and we are fortunate to have them beside us." His expression darkened. "It is my intention to cleanse all these southern lands of the stain of Sauron, so that none may come from here to aid his forces in the north. This is how we shall help our brethren in Gondor to withstand the battle that is to come."

"Are you sure these shades will help?" Elladan asked. He gestured at the deeper darkness all around them.

"It is their only path to eternal peace," Aragorn said. "When these lands are cleansed, their oaths to Gondor will be fulfilled and they may pass beyond to their final rest."

A loud sigh like a whisper of wind blew over them.

Treize nodded. "I think we have an agreement. I see determination on the faces of those watching us."

Gimli stared suspiciously. "I thought you said they couldn't see us! Just Aragorn!"

"Well, there's seeing and then there's seeing," Treize replied. "I think they're aware of all of us. I just think Aragorn is the only one they can actually see. This should prove quite interesting when the battles begin. I think terror rather than swords really might be their weapon of choice."

"Let's go," Aragorn said abruptly. "We have a lot of ground yet to cover."

As the six of them galloped south, followed by a rising tide of ghosts, the men of Minas Tirith prepared for a siege. The orcs had constructed dozens of sturdy new bridges over the river and were moving soldiers and siege engines toward the city in orderly groups. Giant ogres pulled and pushed massive catapults and assault towers into place, while neat squares of orc soldiers formed ranks all across the plain. The Nazgul sat on the broken battlements of Osgiliath and oversaw everything, their horrible screeches periodically shattering the air.

Watching with pursed lips from the lowest wall of Minas Tirith, Gandalf slowly nodded. "They mean to break us with one blow if they can," he said. "They know we do not have enough men left to send anyone out to face them."

"We would if that fool Denethor hadn't wasted all those men defending a defenseless city!" Heero snapped.

Gandalf waved an irritated hand. "But it was done, so now we must fight with what we have."

"Who's that?" Wu-Fei pointed at a rider galloping desperately along the base of the cliff toward the city. Orc soldiers were firing arrows at him, but he was too far from their lines to be hit.

Duo closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. "It's Boromir!"

"Open the gate!" Gandalf immediately shouted. "Admit that rider!"

Men rushed to open the small door in the gate and Boromir galloped through, pulling to a halt so sharply when he was inside that his horse skidded on the flagstones. He flung back the hood of his cloak to loud cheers, and men crowded forward eagerly. "Boromir! Boromir!" they chanted.

Gandalf hurried down from the wall. "Well met, Boromir. Your return is well-timed."

"Gandalf!" Boromir exclaimed with a broad smile. "How is it that you are not dead?"

"It's a long tale for another time," Gandalf replied. "Your return is well timed."

"When I heard that Osgiliath had fallen," Boromir said, "I knew it was time for me to return. Where is my brother?"

"Alas, Faramir was gravely wounded in that same battle. Your father is tending him in the castle."

"My father?" Boromir frowned. "My father never had any love for my brother. Why would he tend him now?"

"Your father is not the man he once was," Gandalf said. "These times have tried him greatly."

"I should go to him."

"Not now," Gandalf said. "We have need of you here to rally the men. We are faced with a battle that many fear we cannot win. But if our hearts quail, we will surely fall. But these men love you dearly and will fight hard for you. If they see your confidence, it will strengthen them."

Boromir made a face. "Very well, Gandalf. I will defer to your wisdom for now. But I want to know that my brother is all right."

"He's well enough," Duo said. "He's still unconscious. But Pippin's there. He'll tell us if there's any change."

"Pippin?" Boromir exclaimed. "Then the little ones are all right? The Uruk-Hai didn't kill them?"

"There's another long story there which I'm sure Pippin will be glad to tell you one day," Duo said, "but for now, we should focus on the problem at hand."

"True enough," Boromir sighed. He swung down from his horse. "Let's go up on the battlements. I did not have a good view of their forces racing along dodging arrows."

So everyone went back up.

"We will certainly have our hands full," Boromir said. Then he grinned fiercely. "But it's nothing I can't handle! I was sorely tried by the Ring of the enemy, but I have come through it. Now I am ready to heap my revenge on his foul forces!" Around him, soldiers began to straighten up. "Not one life will I concede while any orc still draws breath! Who is with me?"

Soldiers stuck their weapons in the air and shouted in response.

"I am!"

"Me!"

"He certainly is a good speaker," Wu-Fei remarked.

Heero nodded. "Men fight better with a leader. Things are definitely looking up."

It took the orcs all of one day and one night to set up their siege. The morning after Boromir's arrival, dawn broke over the forces of the orcs, the sunlight glinting off countless spear tips and casting long shadows from the siege towers. As watery light filled the plains, the sound of a winch being turned creaked loudly.

"And so it begins," Gandalf said gravely.

The crack of a catapult releasing announced the official start of the siege. A massive boulder smacked into the wall, cracking the stones and sending shudders that tossed men off their feet.

"Release!" Boromir screamed. Horns sounded and half a dozen trebuchets whipped their heavy burden of stone through the air, hurling chunks of masonry onto the army below.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Heero exclaimed delightedly. "Enemies squished flat by impossibly big projectiles! You can't not like that!"

Beside him, Wu-Fei giggled gleefully. "Do it again!"

"Bowmen!" Boromir cried. The snap of a thousand bows sent a flight of arrows into the sky that momentarily cast a shadow as it arced over the wall and dropped onto the orcs below. The orcs responded with a flight of their own and the men of Gondor ducked down behind the battlements. Boromir grinned savagely. "Collect the arrows! Send any that can be reused back to their masters!"

"Aye!"

Gandalf nodded approvingly. "Boromir is a good commander," he said. "With his leadership, we may even last the night."

"You could be a tad more encouraging, Gandalf," Duo said. "Oh, crap!" He pressed a hand to his forehead, squinting in concentration. "That's not good!"

"What is it?" Heero demanded.

"They've got a battering ram. They're moving it across the bridge now."

"How can you see that?" exclaimed a nearby soldier, his eyes round with fear.

"I can't," Duo replied. "But there are enough orcs thinking about it that I managed to pull a coherent thought out of it. The thing is huge. It will take them all day to move it to the gate. We might want to focus on keeping it away."

"Right!" Heero nodded sharply. "I'll tell Boromir." He hurried off.

"What happens if they get through the main gate?" Wu-Fei asked.

"There are two gates blocking access to each level of the city," Gandalf replied. "If we are forced to fall back, we can defend each level as if it were another wall."

"Smart design. However," Wu-Fei pointed up. "The Nazgul will not be impeded by the gates."

As he spoke, the giant leathery-winged reptiles were circling above the city. Even as they watched, one of them swooped down and grabbed one of the trebuchets with a clawed foot, snapping the throwing arm and splintering the supports.

"I'll take care of it!" Roku said. He ran to the battements and jumped into the air, shimmering into an orange and black dragon. His wings snapped out and he climbed up into the air rapidly, where he proceeded to chase the Nazgul away from the city, shooting bright orange flame at them.

"He's having way too much fun," Duo said.

"I wish I had my Gundam," Wu-Fei said, a little morosely. "I could be out there, wreaking havoc among the enemy."

"Yeah," Duo agreed wistfully. "That would be pretty cool. I guess we'll just have to wait until they breach the walls and then fight them the old-fashioned way."

Wu-Fei nodded. "Oh, look out." He put an arm out to push Duo back and stepped aside just as a large boulder bashed through the battlements and crashed into the building behind them. "That was close."

"Indeed."

Heero came bounding back. "They're moving the siege towers forward. Looks like they're ready to start something."

"Already?" Wu-Fei peeked over the battlements. "But their battering ram is nowhere in sight."

"Yeah, but if they keep us busy repelling breaches, we won't be able to stop them from moving the ram up to the gate."

"Ah, of course." Wu-Fei gestured at the gaping hole in the top of the wall beside them. "And they've dialed in their catapults pretty well in terms of keeping us from being able to stand here and shoot at them, too."

"But they'll have to stop throwing rocks at us when the siege towers get close," Duo pointed out.

"Also true." Heero grinned. "This is fun!"

"You bet!"

The first of the orcs' siege towers reached the wall late in the afternoon. The men of Gondor promptly set it on fire with flaming arrows and sacks of oil thrown from the battlements, but many of the orcs inside still managed to scramble out and leap onto the wall. Swords were drawn and the fighting turned hand-to-hand. After that, more and more towers reached the walls and by the time night fell, orcs were everywhere.

"You called this one!" Duo shouted at Heero as he skewered a fat orc with bulging yellow eyes. "The battering ram is practically at the gate!"

"I kind of like the design," Wu-Fei said, neatly decapitating a bandy-legged orc with long arms. "It's practical, but aesthetically pleasing."

"I think it's supposed to inspire fear," Duo chuckled.

"Oh, it's definitely scary, but it's pleasing, too."

A shattering boom sent tremors through the stones under their feet.

"And effective," Heero added. "I bet it will knock the gates down in ten blows."

"I say eight," Wu-Fei spoke up quickly.

"Twelve," Duo said with a grin. "I've checked the gate construction. I think it can take a lot of abuse."

"What does the winner get?" Wu-Fei twirled gracefully on one foot so he could gut three orcs in succession. "It better be more than sex. I get that all the time."

"Really good sex?" Duo suggested with a grin.

"Try again."

"How about an hour of full-contact martial arts training every day for a week?"

Heero's eyes lit up. "I'll take that bet. I'll win even if I lose."

Wu-Fei frowned. "Who fights whom?"

"Whoever guessed the closest wins. Whoever is the most wrong loses. The other gets to be referee."

"Sounds fair."

There was another shattering boom.

"That's two!" Duo said cheerfully.

Roku padded up, his face, paws and chest completely drenched in orc blood. "Do you want me to do something about that battering ram?"

"No, we have a bet on it."

Roku blinked. "Wouldn't it be better if they didn't break through the gates?"

"Well, yeah, but it's going to happen eventually anyway, so why waste the gambling opportunity?"

Roku shook his head. "I just hope you bet something other than money or sex. You have enough of both."

Duo chuckled. "Can you really have enough of either of those?" He slashed through an orc's neck and then quickly leaped aside to avoid getting splashed with blood. "Oh, shit!" He whirled to stare up toward the citadel.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Pippin! That fool Denethor has decided Faramir is dead and he's going to burn him in a pyre!" He broke into a run. "Get Boromir!"

"Right!"

Roku galloped down to the main gate, where Boromir was directing soldiers to shore it up with timbers and blocks of stone. "Boromir! Faramir needs you!"

Boromir jerked around, the look of fierce determination on his face turning to desperate fear. "What's happened?"

"Your father's lost his mind! Faramir's life is in danger!"

"Faramir!" Boromir cried. He started to run toward the main road up into the city.

"That will take too long!" Roku said. He shifted into dragon form, grabbed Boromir, being careful not to slash him with his claws, and leaped into the air.

"Ah!" Boromir cried.

"Hang on!" Roku said. "We'll get there faster this way." With powerful strokes of his wings, Roku climbed rapidly up the face of the city, rising up over the vast courtyard in front of the palace and swooping in for a landing. He dropped Boromir before he hit the ground and the skilled soldier landed on his feet running. Roku shifted into tiger form as he hit the ground and the two of them raced toward the palace.

"This way!" Pippin shouted. He was standing at the top of a ramp leading down from the courtyard toward a lower level of the citadel.

"That's the way to the tombs of our ancestors!" Boromir shouted. His long legs stretched out even more, pounding over the stones. Roku had no trouble keeping up with him, but even with his little legs churning in a blur, Pippin had no hope of matching his pace. He quickly fell behind.

Duo caught up with him as he rounded the final corner to the door to the catacombs. "Your thoughts are a mess, Pippin! Focus, man!"

"Denethor said Faramir was dead!" Pippin gasped out. "But when they brought him out of his room on a litter, I could see him breathing! Denethor wouldn't listen to me! He threw me out and locked the door!"

At the end of the hall, Boromir was pounding on the wide doors screaming Faramir's name.

"Get out of the way!" Roku commanded. He smacked Boromir aside with one big paw and then reared up on his hind legs, smacking his front paws on the doors. "Efractum!" The doors exploded inward and Boromir immediately rushed in.

Beyond the doors was a circular space with a stone bier in the center, surrounded by carved brass candleholders the height of a man. The top of the bier was heaped with wood and kindling that reeked of oil, and Faramir lay on top, his limbs dangling limply and his face pale. Denethor stood over him holding a pewter pitcher filled with oil, which he upended over his head as they watched.

"I have lost everything!" Denethor cried. "My sons! My city! My duty! It is all gone! There is nothing left to live for!"

"You're insane!" Boromir screamed. "You have lost nothing but your mind, you fool!" He dashed forward and knocked Denethor off the bier. "How dare you risk my brother's life! He is more precious to me than anything!" Boromir snatched Faramir off the pyre and clutched his brother to his chest.

"Who are you?" Denethor squinted at Boromir. "My sons are all dead! You are not my son!"

"Those are words you have flung at Faramir often enough, when it was I who longed to hear them!" Boromir shouted. "We don't need you! Faramir and I only need each other!" Still holding Faramir close, Boromir ran away, skittering through the broken doors and disappearing from sight.

"I don't understand!" Denethor cried. He jumped to his feet to run after Boromir, but he knocked over one of the candles. It fell onto his robe which, being drenched in highly flammable oil, immediately burst into flame. "What?" Denethor stared at it dumbly for a second, giving the flame time to spread, which it did quickly. He blinked in astonishment as the flames flickered up his sides and set his graying hair alight. Then his expression turned from astonishment to horror and pain. "No!" He cried and ran out after Boromir.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Duo said.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Pippin cried. He took several steps toward the door.

"We could," Duo said, "but at this point he's probably suffered too much damage to survive with the current level of medical care available."

Roku made a face. "You know I could fix him."

"His body maybe," Duo shrugged, "but his mind is totally messed up and I think I know why. I think he's been looking in a Palantir. I can feel traces of the Dark Lord all over him. I think we're better off not getting involved in that."

The three of them hurried out of the catacombs just in time to see Denethor fall out of the city.

"That's probably not the best place to leave an opening," Duo noted.

"But at least it's not a defensive weakness like the drainage culvert in Helm's Deep," Roku said. "This is just a safety issue."

"True."

"Where do you suppose Boromir took Faramir?" Pippin asked.

"Back to his room," Duo said. "We should get him. He's needed down at the battle. You can tend to Faramir for now, Pippin."

"All right."

They went back to Faramir's room and found Boromir lying next to his brother, his arms still wrapped tight around the younger man's unconscious form.

"You need to get back to the front lines, Boromir," Duo said.

"But what if…" Boromir gasped in a weepy tone, "what if he dies?"

"He's not dying," Roku said. "He just needs to rest and recover. Go fight. I'll fix him and you can be naughty with him later."

Boromir stared, his face turning bright red.

Roku waved a paw. "Just go. If I'd known it was your brother I was smelling all over you back in Rivendell, we would have understood why you were so touchy."