Ch 10 warg riders and preperation
The group traveled slowly towards Helms deep. Lin sat on her horse, keeping an eye out.
"Something's not right. And I can't believe Aragorn let that bastard get away. He'll warn Saruman about this. We're walking into an ambush." Lin said.
Two horses with their riders moved ahead of the refugees, worried.
"What's wrong?" one of the riders asked.
"I don't know. I'm not sure." The other rider said.
Unknown to both of them, a warg attacked them, killing one of the riders. The remaining rider pulled out his sword and parried with the Orc until Legolas killed the warg and the rider.
"A scout!" Legolas informed.
Aragorn ran back to the viligars and informed the king.
"Warg! We're under attack!" he shouted.
Hearing the news, the villagers started to cry and panic.
"All riders, to the head of the column!" Theoden says, forming a defense line.
Lin rode next to Theoden and had a good view of the attacking Orcs. Legolas had already killed two wargs, and rode on horseback with Gimli.
Heavily breathing, Lin pulled out her sword, and waited for the initial clash. It was brutal and fast. Lin swung her sword and killed an orc, only for the warg to attack and kill the horse Lin was on.
Lin went wide eyed in fear, as the warg charged her. Thinking quickly, Lin bent a slab of earth at the warg, knocking it down. She then pinned the warg with more earth bending, and killed it with her sword. Lin quickly turned and fired one of her wrist blades, wounding another warg. The warg charged her and knocked her down, ready to eat her alive.
Instead, Lin stabbed it to death but was pinned down under the heavy animal. An orc appeared out of nowhere and raised its knife to kill her, but Lin metal bended the knife and killed the orc instead. Earth bending the warg off of her, Lin fired her cables and captured a warg, then proceeded to throw it into another warg.
"How many are their?" Lin asked.
"I think we've killed them all." Gimli said, walking up to her.
"Aragorn!" Legolas yells, getting their attention.
"What's going on?" Lin asked.
"Aragorn. I can't find him." Legolas said.
"Aragorn!" Gimli yells.
Legolas and Lin run to a cliff, and hear wheezing from a still living Orc.
"Tell me where he is, and I'll ease your passing." Gimli said.
"He's dead! Took a little tumble off the cliff." The orc said, laughing.
"You lie!" Legolas growled, grabbing the orc.
The orc died from his wounds, and Legolas saw the Evenstar pendent. Taking it, he ran to the cliff and looked down. A large river was seen flowing.
"Oh shit." Lin said, knowing that Aragorn fell to his death.
"Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead." Theoden said.
Legolas turned to Theoden, an expression of anger on his face.
"Legolas, we have to go." Lin said, putting her sword away.
But Lin did wonder one thing. Would she die before the war was over?
Entering Helms deep, they encountered the refugees and few soldiers stationed there.
"So few of you have returned." Eowen said.
"Our people are safe." Theoden says, helping to carry a wounded soldier. "But we paid with many lives."
Lin headed to the outer wall of the fortress, and took in the surroundings.
"Gandalf is right. We're screwed." Lin said.
Back at Isengard, Saruman was finishing his work, talking to Grima.
"Helms deep is solid wall, but has one weakness. A simple drain." Grima said.
"How can fire undo stone?" Grima asked, carrying a lit candle. Saruman grabs the candle and moves it away. Saruman had just finished pouring a dark dry substance into a vessel.
"If the wall is breached, Helms deep will fall." Saruman said.
"Yeah right. Even if the wall was breached, it would take thousands to storm the keep." Grima said.
"Tens of thousands." Saruman said, walking to his balcony.
"There's no army that strong." Grima said.
A loud horn was heard, along with much shouting. As the two walked on the balcony, Grima got a good view of the large Uruk-Hai army now formed.
"Damn." Grima said.
"A new power is rising. It's victory is at hand." Saruman said.
The army cheers and roars.
"This night, the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan! Leave none alive!" Saruman ordered.
The army roared even louder.
"To war!" Saruman shouted.
As the army began to leave Isengard, Saruman spoke again.
"There will be no dawn for men. No one, not even the earth bender can stop this army." Saruman said. Grima had a tear roll down his cheek.
At helms deep, Lin was with the king and his soldiers, devising a plan to defend the fortress. Suddenly, the doors opened, and their stood Aragorn.
"Aragorn?" Lin asked.
"Yep. You can't kill me." Aragorn said, struggling to stand.
"Sit down. You must be tired." Theoden said.
"I have news. A great host from Isengard is heading towards us." Aragorn said.
"How many?" Theoden asked.
"Ten thousand." Aragorn said.
Lin looked in shock. 'Ten thousand' she mouthed in disbelief.
"Ten thousand?" Theoden asked, not believing him.
"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men." Aragorn said.
"Let them come." Theoden defiantly said, walking away.
On board the outer wall, Theoden made known his plans.
"Within these walls, we can outlast them." He said.
"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people! Down to the last child!" Aragorn emphasizes.
Theoden grabs Aragorn by his collar.
"Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, I'll make it an end worth of remembrance." Theoden said.
"Send out riders. Call for aid." Lin said.
"Who will come? Dwarves, elves? We're on our own. The old alliances are dead." Theoden said.
"Gondor will answer." Aragorn said.
"Gondor!" Theoden spat. "Where was Gondor when the west fold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies were all around us? Where was Gondor... no. we're on our own."
"He's gonna his entire kingdom down with him, just for…" Lin said, unable to finish the sentence.
"Lin, what would you do?" Aragorn asked.
"Same as you. Call for aid." Lin said.
The sun was down, and everyone got ready for the battle. Lin heads into the caves where the women and children were put in. She saw many old men and young boys being drafted for the fight. In her mind, the conclusion was inevitable. They had no way of winning this fight. Those being drafted weren't soldiers. Just farmers, and stable boys.
In the armory, Lin sharpened her sword and retractable knives. She watched as everyone was issued swords and other weapons, and listened in on a conversation between Legolas and Aragorn.
"They be 300, against ten thousand?" Legolas asked.
"They have better chance here then at Edoras." Aragorn answered.
"Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die." Legolas firmly said.
"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn almost yells, right in Legolas's face.
Lin continues watching the men get ready for battle. He sees a young boy have an oversized helmet put on his head. Another kid looks in fear as he's handed an ax. Another child wearing oversized chainmail takes up a huge shield. Lin shakes her head in forlorn. These kids were not fit for the fight. It was sad to think about it.
She remembered that her mother and her friends, including Avatar Aang, fought the fire nation at young ages, 12-14. But Lin stuck to her belief that her mother and friends were lucky. They've been bending since they were born. These kids didn't have that luxury of training.
"Getting ready for combat?" Aragorn asked, seeing Lin putting on chainmail, and using her metal bending to make it easier to wear.
"Damn straight. I'm gonna need every advantage to win, let alone survive." Lin said, putting on her police uniform.
Just then, a horn is heard.
"That's no orc horn." Legolas said, catching their attention.
At the outer wall, the guards looked down in wonder.
"Open the gate, send for the king!"
Marching up the causeway are elves in black cloaks with some carrying banner flags, and the rest carrying their bows. Their leader, Haldir meets with Theoden.
"How is this possible?" Theoden asks.
"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and man. Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance." Haldir said.
Aragorn rushes to Haldir and bows down. "Welcome, Haldir." He then hugs the elf, overcome with joy. Haldir lightly hugs him back, stunned.
Lin only smiled at the scene. Maybe they had a chance after all.
"Lin Beifong. It's good to see you again." Haldir says, looking at her.
"Likewise. It's damn good sight to see you and your men." Lin said.
"Me and my men are wondering of your skills in combat. Should be interesting." Haldir says.
"I'm sure it will." Lin coldly said, giving Haldir the cold shoulder.
Ignoring Lin's abrasiveness, Haldir looked at Theoden again.
"We are proud to fight against men once more."