I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but I've just moved across the country and am getting settled in. Hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: Me no own!

"English"

"Elvish"

'Thoughts'


Two dirty children sit in the Golden Hall eating soup.

Kagome sits beside them in a dress loaned to her by Éowyn while her own clothes were being mended.

Éowyn turns from where she was crouched beside them and turns to her uncle.

"They had no warning," she says. "They were unarmed. Now the Wild Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go."

Legolas and Aragorn look towards each other as Gimli eats.

"Rick, cot and tree."

The young girl looks up as Éowyn places a blanket over her shoulders.

"Where is Mama?"

Gandalf, who had been sitting beside Théoden, speaks to him as he motions towards the children.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent, for he is driven now by fear of Sauron."

He stares intently into the unfocused eyes of Rohan's king.

"Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight!"

Aragorn adds his piece.

"You have 2000 good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."

Théoden stands and walks towards him.

"They will be 300 leagues from here by now."

He paces about his hall.

Kagome stands and makes her way over to stand beside Legolas.

"Éomer cannot help us."

He looks over to Gandalf.

"I know what it is you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

Aragorn takes the pipe from his mouth.

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not."

Théoden looks to him with a hard look.

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan."

Gandalf approaches.

"Then what is the king's decision?"

~* The Next Day *~

Kagome stays within the hall, helping them pack as the others follow Gandalf as he angrily makes his way out of the hall.

Éowyn approaches her.

"They allow you stand and fight alongside them."

The she-Elf looks up at the king's niece, waiting for her to continue.

"Why?"

"Because it is my part in this war."

The White Lady looks at her in confusion.

"Your part?"

"Depending on what skill is needed, I am able to be both fighter and healer."

"And if you were not satisfied with it?"

Kagome stood with a chuckle.

"It is not a matter of being satisfied, my lady, but of necessity."

She looks the younger woman in the eyes.

"Ask yourself this my lady; are you strong enough put aside your own hopes and dreams should a greater purpose present itself before you, or are you so selfish that you would rather see to the needs of yourself before the many?"

Without waiting for an answer, she walks past her and into another room.

Bending over a trunk, she begins to pack some blankets.

"The sight of you in a dress will take some getting used to."

Standing, she turns to see Legolas leaning against the doorway with a smile on his face.

She snorts before turning back to her task.

"Don't get too used to it. Until this nightmare is over, or I become unable to fight, I much prefer to wear pants."

She turns to back to him with an inquiring look on her face.

"Do you know how hard it is to fight in a dress?

His laughter echoes throughout the room.

~* Dawn *~

A subdued air surrounds the villagers as they make their way across the country side towards Helm's Deep, their king leading the way.

Gimli was atop a horse speaking to Éowyn as she walked beside him.

"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf men."

Aragorn looks back and shares a grin with Legolas as this conversation reminded them of another.

Look forward, Aragorn catches Éowyn's eye.

"It's the beards," he mouths to her, using his hand to stroke at an invisible beard.

Laughingly shushing him, she turns her attention back to the Dwarf.

"This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground," he looks down at Éowyn's laughing face. "Which is, of course, ridiculous."

The horse suddenly moves into a trot and pulls from Éowyn's hand.

A few feet ahead, a stunned Gimli falls to the ground.

Pulling beside Legolas, Kagome leans into him as she is about to fall off her own steed in laughter.

The king's niece jogs to the fallen Dwarf, unable to get up from landing on his back.

"It's all right," he says to those passing. "Nobody panic."

Grabbing onto his shoulders Éowyn helps him up.

"That was deliberate," he insists. "It was deliberate."

Brushing the grass from the Dwarf, Éowyn looks back and stares at Aragorn.

"This could be interesting."

The woodland Elf looks to the healer.

"How do you mean."

She looks back with an exasperated expression.

"Do you not see the way she stares at him?"

Looking towards the woman in question, Legolas' eyebrow raise in interest as he sees what his companion sees.

"See it now, do you?"

She receives a nod in reply.

~* That Night *~

The Elves look at the peaceful face of Aragorn as he sleeps.

"What do you think he is thinking about?"

Kagome leans against Legolas' chest as he wraps a blanket around them.

"I think it's more 'who' than 'what'."

The blonde Elf chuckles lightly.

He looks down to see the sad smile on her face.

"What is it that brings such a look to your face?"

"Just thinking about Aragorn and Arwen."

"What of them?"

"They love each other so much, but he let her go to leave with her people."

Legolas nods his head.

"Though he will still live many years, he will eventually grow old," he looks down at the woman in his arms as he lifts her head up so that their eyes will meet. "He sent her away to save her from the pain his eventual death will cause. He hopes for her to find happiness in Valinor."

She reaches up and places her hand over the one resting on her cheek.

"My story is much like their own."

"How so?"

"I once loved a man and he loved me. We were separated for three years before I was able to return to him," she smiles sadly at the memory. "For two years I waited for him to take me as his wife, but he only became more distant. He was always visiting a particular town. One day, I followed him. "I found him sitting beside a woman who held child with his features."

She looks up at Legolas with tears brimming in her eyes before lowering her head once more.

"He had married and had a child with telling me or our friends. I told him to go and be with his wife and child. I have not seen or heard from him since then."

Legolas drew her close and rested his head on her own.

"How any man could do such a thing is beyond my understanding," he brings her face back as he lowers his own. "Especially to one who holds such a beautiful soul."

He gently kisses her on her lips.

Neither notice the dark eye watching them with a raised brow.

'Seems like Gandalf owes me some more gold.'

~* The Next Day *~

The caravan moves once more through the mountains towards their safe haven.

Legolas rides ahead of the party ride and looks around, while Kagome stays beside Aragorn

Something in the air unsettles them, putting them on guard.

Two of the king's guard ride ahead and around the bend of the road.

The scream of a man catches Kagome's attention.

The second scream of 'Wargs!' has her kicking her horse into a run, Aragorn runs after her.

Turning round the bend, she sees only one guard and Legolas cutting the head off an Orc on the ground.

He turns back and yells to Aragorn.

"A scout!"

Understanding dawning, he turns and runs back to the caravan.

Kagome gets down from her horse and comes to stand beside the other Elf, drawing her bow and looking around for more attackers.

Vaguely she hears Aragorn call out a warning.

The panic of the people also reaches her ears.

With their sight, they see a horde of beasts make their way over the hill towards them.

From behind they hear the sound of hoof beats upon the ground.

Firing their weapons, they take out as many of the attackers as they can before they reach the caravan.

As the defending army approaches from behind, they grab hold of the reigns of passing horses; Legolas upon Gimli's and Kagome, her own.

The attacking wargs take down both men and horses.

Gimli allows himself to fall off the side of his horse.

Getting back onto his feet, he grabs his ax and faces down one of the beasts.

The warg snarls at him.

"Bring your pretty face to my ax," he taunts.

Legolas comes up behind as the beast charges.

Gimli readies his weapon as it draws near.

The warg had just begun to leap into the air when an arrow to the neck kills it.

The Dwarf glares up the Elf on horseback.

"That one counts as mine!"

Kagome, who had been passing, stops and stares at the two incredulously.

"Are you two really turning this into a competition?!"

The two look to each other before turning their gazes back to the She-Elf.

"Of course," says the Dwarf. "Can't let things get dull, now can we?"

With a roll of her eyes, she directs her horse in the direction of a soldier in need of rescuing.

Gimli turns back to look at Legolas.

"Women just don't understand these things."

With a smile, the Elf rides off.

Hearing a snarl behind him, Gimli swings his ax and catches a warg across the side of its face.

The beast falls dead on top of him.

The group fights hard and one by one, the enemy is defeated.

As the last beast falls, the survivors look around, trying to determine who they had lost.

Kagome looks, but fails to spot a certain face.

She turns to Legolas with wide eyes.

"Where is Aragorn?!"

Looking around, the blonde Elf begins to call for his friend.

"Aragorn?"

Gimli joins in the search.

"Aragorn?"

Legolas and Kagome walk towards the cliffs edge, a cold laugh draws their attention.

Looking to the side, they see a dying Orc.

Gimli approaches it and hold his ax to its neck.

"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing."

Kagome glares down at it.

"Or," she adds helpfully. "I can heal him so as to prolong it."

The Orc struggles to talk.

"He's dead."

The dying Orc laughs mockingly.

"He took a little tumble off the cliff."

Legolas drops down and pulls the Orc up by its vest.

"You lie."

The Orc dies laughing.

Kagome notices a silver glint in the Orcs hand.

Taking the object in her hand, she shows it to Legolas.

It's the Evenstar.

They hurry to the edge of the cliff and stand beside Théoden, looking for a body.

There is nothing but the river below.

Legolas draws Kagome into his arms, for her comfort as well as his own.

With a solemn air, they continue the way to Helm's Deep.

Upon entering the Fortress of Rohan, they are greeted by Éowyn.

"So few," she breathes. "So few of you have returned."

Dismounting, Théoden looks to his niece.

"Our people our safe," he says. "We have paid for it with many lives."

The elves watch as Gimli approaches her.

"My lady."

She turns to look at him.

"Lord Aragorn, where is he?"

With a chocked voice, he answers.

"He fell."

~* Sunset *~

Talking just outside the doors to the inner keep, the desperate voice of Gimli reaches the Elve's pointed ears.

"Get out of the way! I'm going to kill him!"

Looking to each other with wide eyes, they turn back just in time to see a wet figure make its way through the crowd and up the steps.

Aragorn stands before them, alive.

With a wide smile, Kagome jumps and wraps her arms around his neck.

Looking over her head, Aragorn and Legolas look at one another.

"You look terrible."

The two laugh.

Kagome let's go of Aragorn with a roll of her eyes.

Wordlessly, Legolas returns Arwen's gift.

He looks into the Elf's eyes.

"Thank you."

Giving a nod, Legolas steps to the side, allowing Aragorn to pass.

With a great push, the doors to the throne room open wide.

~* Scene Change *~

A small party stands with the king as Aragorn recounts the sight he had seen on his way to the Keep.

"A great host, you say."

"All Isengard is emptied," replies the ranger.

The king furrows his brow.

"How many?"

"Ten thousand strong, at least."

Kagome blinks in surprise of the number.

The king looks worried.

"Ten thousand?"

Aragorn continues.

"It is an army bred for a single purpose: To destroy the world of men."

Théoden looks down in thought.

"They will be here by nightfall."