Daughter of Númenor
Synopsis: A ranger seeks her destiny as the rising dark of Mordor threatens her world, and those she cares for. Set During FOTR/TTT. Movie/Book/AU.
A/N: Short Chapter but I hope you enjoy it. I needed to finish off the battle so we can move on to the aftermath...
Please review, it not only inspires the writer but any critiques are really taken to heart and if there is anything you think needs correcting/changing then please point it out. I am not the world's greatest Tolkien expert and any mistakes are completely due to ignorance!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Tolkien invented the story and the languages, and the Elvish I use comes from the lovely site called Nevrast! You should check it out!
Chapter 9: Look to the East…
Anária and Haldir stirred, Anária quickly wiping the tears from her face as soldiers and Elves came rushing into the room, many immediately left again, going upstairs to reinforce the door above. Aragorn came in almost last, looking briefly at them, he nodded when he registered that she had remained as he had ordered. Haldir gripped her arm.
"Help me up." She looked at him for a long moment, her face pale and pinched tight with fear and apprehension. But with a jerk she pulled herself to her feet. Imperiously she waved to two elves who stood nearby, both showed signs of small wounds. The came forwards and stopped before her, inkling their heads to her.
"Stand here, guard Haldir." She ordered quietly in Sindarin. He made as if to protest, raising his head and opening his mouth to speak, but she silenced him with a look over her shoulder. He lay his head back down, her eyes were full of fire, her chin set with determination; she would save them, save him. He let her go; she turned and joined the efforts of those bracing the doors, including the members of the Fellowship.
Haldir looked up as the king of Rohan drew close, the King was wounded and he looked around, wounded soldiers crouched against the walls or were laid out upon the floor, those who were able to were assisting in barricading the doors of the hall, while the walking wounded moved their more wounded companions closer to the back and walls of the room so that if – no when, the enemy broke through they would not be under foot. Haldir motioned to his guard's, carefully they helped him sit, Haldir looked up into the eyes of the King of Rohan and saw blackest despair in them. And when he spoke it was with a voiced laced with that despair.
"The fortress is taken. It is over." The King was looking into mid-air, his eyes dim and unseeing. Aragorn's voice rang out, and angry response to the loss of hope which seemed to grip the men around him.
"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it!" He was helping Legolas carry a long wooden bench to the door to stack with the other items of furniture in the room to form a barricade. Aragorn turned, he glanced around at the wounded most of whom still held their weapons. "They still defend it. They have died defending it!" Haldir felt a spasm in his heart, the faces of so many of his men who had seen lying upon the cold stone, so far from their homes in the woods, so far from their Lady and their loved one's. He could hear Aragorn's rebuke, even sharper than the rebuke in Anária's eyes. To give up hope of survival now would make those sacrifices in vain.
Aragorn came closer. "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" Théoden did not respond, his eyes still focused on some distant vision no one else could see. "Is there no other way?" Aragorn was all but shouting, his voice urgent, insistent, for a brief second he saw Aragorn's eyes flicker over his kinswoman. And then Haldir saw it, Aragorn was not only thinking of those below in the caves, but of her, Anária. He was looking for a way for others to survive. He had hope that if some could survive all would not be lost. Finally one of Théoden's retainer's spoke.
"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many." Haldir, looked at the man, he did not know his name, he was fiar and bearded. His voice too seemed without hope.
"Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!" As the man turned to leave Aragorn kept a grip on his shoulder, Aragorn was looking to Anária. "You must go to." She was shaking her head.
"We will need to give them time! I can help buy them time!" He shook his head, his face was turned from Haldir's but he could hear the anguish in his voice.
"They will need help, leaders. They will not survive to be rescued if…" Suddenly Aragorn paused. As he did Théoden spoke, still unseeing or hearing of those around him.
"So much death…" The others looked towards him, Aragorn's head whipping round. "What can Men do against such reckless hate?" The Rohirrim were looking to their Lord with fear and doubt upon them, despair made their courage disappear and Haldir heard some begin to weep.
Aragorn looked around him, there was so much despair, how could he fight if his companions had no faith, if they could not look to their King for courage then where could they look… Gamling was shifting under his hand. Absently Aragorn nodded at him, the women and children had to start moving now, otherwise they would not make it far enough away to await rescue. Rescue…
Gandalf! Aragorn looked suddenly to an eastern window, the slitted window designed to be of use to bowmen was filling with a golden glow, the dawn was coming! Aragorn felt a wild hope fill him; there was a chance, just a chance…
"Ride out with me!" His voice was so low and commanding that Théoden was broken from his reverie. Aragorn saw something stirring in the King's eyes. "Ride out and meet them!" The King almost smiled, but it was no smile of hope, it was a bitter twisted thing that distressed Aragorn to see.
"For death and glory?" Aragorn shook his head at the King, trying to convey his hope, without raising them to high he spoke low and urgently.
"For Rohan! For your people…" Behind him Anária spoke up from beside the door.
"For the Hope of men!" he turned to look at her, she was looking at him with a wild determination set upon her face, the blood on her face had dried along her brow and cheek, it gave her a look of ferocity her own features never could have. In her eyes shone hope however, unadulterated by bitterness or despair, and beside her Gimli spoke, his deep voice reverberating through the room.
"The sun is rising." Gimli was looking at Aragorn, a knowing look upon his face, his eyes too held hope. Aragorn nodded, as he looked once more to the golden window his hope became elation an joy as he heard a voice speak softly in his head. 'Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn... Look to the east.'
Behind him Théoden knew nothing of Aragorn's hope, that as they rode out a white rider would appear, the King of the Mark was still thinking of a glorious death, not of a hope for salvation.
"Yes...The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep one last time!" Anária moved away from the door and went to a pair of broad doors behind the throne to its right. Pulling them open she stepped aside and raised two fingers to her lips and blew a shrill whistle. The sound of neighing came from the stables within the keep, the horses were kept in an indoor corral.
Within a few moments the horses that had been corralled came into the room, led by Brasnora, they were the horses of the King's retainers and closest Lord's amongst them came Brego, the horse that had rescued Aragorn, and the horse Legolas and Gimli had ridden on before, Hasufel. Brasnora however was unrivalled amongst them, alone of them Brasnora carried no bit, nor was her saddle little more than a comfort for her rider. If she so wished it she could carry you without headstall or saddle and with a just touch of the knees or a whisper in Sindarin she would obey her rider's command's.
As the horses were assembled and made ready Théoden moved forwards and placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together!" Aragorn nodded to the King, and then turned back to his horse, over it's back he saw Anária, she was standing on the other side of Brasnora, looking to the back of the hall, tears in her eyes. Aragorn looked along the path of her eyes and saw Haldir. He was now sitting on the throne of Théoden, either side stood an Elf. Aragorn paused a moment, even wounded and weak Haldir was every inch the lord as he sat upon the seat of the King. Across his knees was a sword one of his men had found, but it was his face that struck Aragorn most. His lordly face was radiating hope, and even more so love. Aragorn looked back to his kinswoman, her face had broken into a tremulous smile. She nodded briefly at Haldir, a single tear escaping her reddened eyes. Almost at the same moment they mounted their horses.
Aragorn had no time to spare, no words to speak to his kinswoman. Suddenly the King's voice rose, strong and fell amongst them.
"Fell deeds, awake! Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red dawn!" As he ended the horn of Helm Hammerhand blew a might blast and the door finally splintered. "Forth Eorlingas!" cried the King, the Rohirrim roared, and on the King's right flank a great white horse leapt before the others.
"Elbereth galad nin rád!*" And the host came alongside her, upon the cause way shone a great white light, and the Uruk-hai, dismayed, fell back before them. Legolas raised his own words to the Star-Queen upon the left, the bow of the Galadrim adding its song to his words.
And to the east came an answer. Upon the high ridge a white light shone, looking Past Anária's glittering blade as it slashed and thrust Aragorn saw a figure upon the hill to the east, a great white horse reared up, surrounded by light.
"Gandalf!" Aragorn felt a smile upon his face as from the east came a great charge… And from the north came a great rustling, as a forest sprung up amidst the night blocked the valley. Trapped by the charge from the causeway and by the charge from the east the creatures of Saruman fled, and very few there were who escaped to speak, and of them none ever came back to Isenguard, or went into Mordor for as soon as they could they found the deepest, darkest hole possible and hid from the light of the blade ever after known as Elveacrist to men, 'the blade like the stars', and they soon forgot that the blade had shone by magic and instead attributed it's glow to being a reflection of the stars.
But the Elves remembered, and to them it was Gilgaladmegil, and the one who wielded it was remembered as arwen Aurëiel, the lady of sunlight who wielded the sword of starlight.
Thus ended the battle of Helm's Deep, in the War of the Ring.
*Elbereth, light my path!
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