CHAPTER

–11–

Girl Power

Oli and Moni were going through the town along with Aragorn and Legolas who were collecting male fighters.

"Aragorn, I do not see why they should be allowed to fetch women to fight along side us." grouched Legolas, "They will only be a burden."

" Legolas, hasufel andrindi nemara! Nather daga thyer." Aragorn said.

"Excuse me? I assume when you say they are all going to die you are referring to either the Orcs or yourselves." Oli said, "Because only Nather daga thyer!"

Legolas looked at her blankly before saying, "Your pronunciation is terrible. But I must admit I didn't expect a troll like you to understand elvish, let alone be able to master it."

"I learnt it off my half brother's aunt's niece." said Oli.

"Heather?" guessed Aragorn.

"Who else?" snapped Moni.

" Please do not mention that…thing." said Legolas, "So, since you speak elvish I assume you understood about the swords then?" said Legolas.

"…Yeah of course." Oli lied.

"So the swords; it's okay with you?" said Gimli.

"Um…I'm still thinking about it." said Oli.

"What? What's okay! I wan…I demand to know!" snapped Moni.

"Hurry, hurry. You must collect women if you intent to rival our score." said Gimli.

"Cheeky," she muttered.

"I wouldn't waste your time. You'll not be fighting any way." insisted Legolas.

"The king has spoken and it is his decision. I dare not speak against it" said Aragorn.

"Yeah Legolas. We're going to be fighting so just get over it." said Oli

Legolas looked at her snidely then turned to Aragorn. "Aragorn, I have had it! Go and tell the King these women will not be fighting! Si balnor, nor kira." said Legolas.

"I see no purpose in that, Legolas. Besides, who knows, they could yet prove some small worth!" Aragorn stated, singling out a fourteen-year-old runt.

"This is madness!" protested Legolas, "This child could not even be a match for Heather, let alone a full-grown Uruk Hai!"

"We have no choice! He will have to do!" Aragorn stated, shoving the boy in the direction of the battlements.

"When did Gandalf say he would return with Eomer?"

"First light on the fifth day." said Aragorn, "Why?"

"Aragorn, nat norwenas." said Legolas his ears pricking up.

"What?" said Aragorn.

"Shhh." Legolas cut him off, "Someone…toe first and then sole…I recognise those footsteps. What in gods name is Haldir doing here?" Legolas took off towards the gate.

Just then the sounds of elvish horns reached their ears.

"Yeah it's blondie alright." said Oli, "With any luck he and Eomer can kill each other fighting over you." she cast a sly smile to Moni.

"Hey, it's not my fault that everyone is under some weird impression I'm attractive." snapped Moni, "And besides; I think you're jealous."

"Of who, Eomer?" said Oli, "Theoden? I don't think so."

"No just that everyone's looking at me and no one's looking at you." Moni joked, smoothing her hair down.

"Well before Haldir gets here and falls in love with you I have a plan." said Oli, "How many girls did you get so far?"

"Three hundred volunteers but I think most of them are crap. Of course Eowyn was among them." said Moni.

"Well I hope you told her Theoden flatly refused to let her fight. And I think Aragorn had something against it too. Now then, we'd best start sorting through them then. Our recruits have to be better then Legolas'." said Oli.

By the end of the day they were left with roughly one hundred girls all equipped in armour and ready to fight.

"Why can I not fight?" Eowyn screamed, hurtling a pot at Gimli, who had gotten the unfortunate task of telling her.

It had originally been Aragorn's job, but he had insisted on drawing lots with Gimli and Legolas.

"Because Theoden has forbidden it! Now if you do not mind going down to the shelter I shall be most obliged…" Gimli was cut off by another roar from Eowyn as a brick whizzed past his ear.

"I shall not lie in wait for my death while those two whores are fighting side by side with Arag…" she stopped, but knew she had already said too much.

"Whores?" Gimli roared in anger, "If there is one and only whore in Helm's Deep it is you, Eowyn, daughter of Eomund! I've seen you, sniffing around in the soldiers' tents when you think no one is watching you! And just the other day you stole Aragorn's pillow!"

Eowyn was wide-eyed, "I did no such thing!"

"Come off it, you did so! Sniffing it every night is my best guess of the horrors you inflict upon it, but I will think no more before I become queasy! You are staying here! Get used to it!" Gimli stormed off in a huff, dodging another pot that came with a shriek.

"Shhh. We need to be really quiet." whispered Monica as she and ten of the selected girls crept towards the gate.

"Why must we…"

"Shh." Oli cut the girl off sharply, "It should be about here."

She pushed on a section of the wall and the door opened just to the left of the gate out side of the castle. Their judgement of the exact location of the door Gimli and Aragorn were going to use later had been right.

"Why do we have to be secretive?" asked the same girl.

"Because we don't want anyone to know." said Moni through gritted teeth.

Soon they had climbed down the ravine and were standing on the soggy grass that would be tomorrow's battlefield.

"Right there." pointed Moni, "That's the rock the commander stands on."

"Okay, get the stuff out and let's get started." Oli pulled a sack of oil off her back and the other girls took out barrels and packs of tar and oil and began pouring it all over the field.

When they were finally done the laborious task, they crept quietly up the ravine, every now and then a little gasp escaped from one of the women as she caught her skirt or slipped on the mud. They had just opened the gate when they walked smack into Eowyn, her eyes burning with hate.

"Shh…" Moni began but it was too late.

Eowyn's mouth widened and all she got out was a muffled yell before Oli and three of the girls shoved their fists into her mouth.

"Lets hurry! Legolas will have definitely heard that!" insisted Moni.

Sure enough, Legolas, Haldir, Aragorn and another soldier came running down the steps.

"What in Elendil's name is going on here?" Haldir began, but stopped when he saw Moni, who thought for only a split second before collapsing dramatically on the floor and clutching her arm.

"Are you alright?" queried Haldir, as he and Aragorn rushed to her side.

Even Legolas seemed mildly concerned.

Eowyn pulled away furiously, "I caught this group sneaking around outside the fortress! When I moved to call for help they surrounded me and shoved their fists in my mouth!"

Legolas couldn't resist a snicker, but quickly covered it up in a throat-clearer.

"Monica appears to be in pain? What happened?" Haldir asked.

"It was Eowyn! We were on our way to the armoury when she attacked us…Ahhh!" Moni moaned dramatically.

"It's true! She lashed out at me, and Monica stood in my way and was hurt!" lied another one of the women.

"She was more then likely angry at us because we were allowed to fight and she wasn't!" piped in Oli.

"Liars, all of them!" Eowyn yelled hoarsely.

But Aragorn was all for it (probably because of his utter loathing towards Eowyn).

"It has a ring of truth to it! See these marks?" he said, holding up Moni's sleeve, which had a large dirty handmark on it (which was of course from where she had been holding it).

"It is totally ludicrous! The lady Eowyn would never…" the soldier did not finish his sentence as Legolas swung his fist up over his shoulder and hit the man in the nose, with a big smile on his face.

"I propose that for her own safety Eowyn be escorted down to the chamber with the other women and children!" suggested Oli.

"An excellent idea!" Legolas and Aragorn were quick to agree with the idea.

"I refuse to acquiesce to your demand!" she yelled.

"No choice in the matter is given to you!" said Aragorn, grinning as Haldir and Legolas hauled a screaming Eowyn to the chamber.

"You were never really hurt, were you?" asked Aragorn helping Moni up.

"No…of course not." she said, shocked.

"I had assumed as much!" Aragorn said, "But at least she is out of the way, and I thank you for that. Seems like you came in some use after all."

"Course I did! I'm a genius, remember?" Monica reminded Aragorn.

"Aragorn, she is…deposited." Legolas and Haldir returned, both of their neatly done hair messed up, and their faces bruised. Haldir had a twig in his hair. Apparently Eowyn did not want to go.

Aragorn let out a laugh, " Near Torlis! I wonder what Theoden would have to say about this."

"He will not find out, because nobody will tell him!" Haldir stated, as he and Legolas both produced packets of sap and cleansing wipes.

"We have to get to the armoury, Gimli is waiting for us." Legolas motioned for Aragorn.

Oli and Monica started forward, but the soldier, who had just come to, stopped them.

"If the lady does not fight, you do not fight." he growled, blood dripping from his nose.

"Pipe down, chachi!" Oli shoved him with her shoulder as she walked past, causing him to fall down again, then to be trampled by the women.

comments before the next chap wooould be nice