Chapter Fourteen.
Helms Deep was in chaos, everyone was scattering around preparing for the coming war. Corlia walked alone, dwelling on her own thoughts. They were never going to survive this war, they barely had enough people to stand let alone fight. Corlia managed to work her way down to the armoury.
"My Lady, you should be heading for the caves" a lingering voice told her, a firm but soft hand pressing onto her shoulder. She inwardly flinched at the contact and glanced to her right, noticing Gambling.
"My place is among the Men, not in the caves" she forcefully told the man, standing her ground. Gambling went to speak again but the King, nearby and hearing the conversation, approached the pair.
"She is not under our command, she can do as she wish" King Theoden gently said, looking over at Corlia.
"But I do insist on going to the caves" he added but Corlia shook her head.
"Nay, you need all the people you can get" she told him. She pushed pass the men that crowded the armoury, seeking what she needed.
Men and children alike parted, amaze that Corlia proudly picked up chainmail and quickly tugged it over her body. She already had her sword, Tyarel, so she went to leave again but a hand grabbed her arm making her turn.
"Aragorn" she gasped in surprised, pulling her companion into her embrace.
"You should not be here" he whispered into her ear but she paid him no heed.
"I am a warrior, you know this, and I will not turn away from battle. You will need me tonight" she told him, pulling away. The pair looked at each in understanding before Aragorn sighed, shaking his head.
"You have a heart of gold Corlia… but something about you is different" he told her, eyeing her up. Corlia guiltily smiled, tilting her head to the side.
"You are right but now is not the time to speak of it" she quietly said, noticing Legolas and Gimli joining.
"Ah lass you decided to join us!" Gimli cheerfully said, a sparkle in his eye, and Corlia nodded.
"That I am. Forgive me though, I must go and rest a while… My journey has been long and hard" she told them and, with that, she left.
Corlia found herself a room with the help of a female servant who was prancing around, trying to gather her equipment to take into the caves. The War Hero found no rest though, her body shook and her head painfully thumped with the loud crashing and banging from outside irritating her sensitive hearing. She pulled out her weapons, a spare sharpening stone in her pocket. Skilfully the began to sharpen her weapons but her mind was elsewhere, her eyes almost fixing onto her ring as her hand moved backwards and forward, tightly gripping the stone. Corlia knew that she couldn't fight against herself forever, she had to be strong. She knew for sure that any Man that walked Middle Earth would not have seen her kind before, and she somewhat doubted that they had even heard stories about her kind. As for the dwarves and elves she hoped that they had at least heard stories of her kind, her kind had helped the dwarves a few times before when they were trying to recover the Lonely Mountain. Corlia couldn't explain why she hated it so much, before the death of Gil-galad she would constantly move around in her form. Corlia could only assume that it was the death of Gil-galad that sparked it, her loathing towards such a beastly thing. As for the Ring of Life she didn't exactly hate that, it was more the fact that the thought of living forever disturbed her. She was not blessed with long life like the elves, she never would be, but the Ring of Life gave her the time she needed to fight alongside the elves all those years ago…
Corlia shook her head; she should not be selfish and end her life the way she should naturally die, she was given the ring many years ago to help defend Middle Earth, her home. She had the power that many others didn't, a power that alone would not defeat this evil but with the help of others, her friends, she could help at least extend their chances of winning against such evil. No, she could no longer be selfish and hide the monster that raged inside, that wanted so badly to fight for the lives of others. With that Corlia angrily threw her sharpening stone to the other side of the room, the loud smash turning the stone into pieces.
"Corlia?" a soft voice questioned, their presence putting Corlia on edge as she glanced to the door. She was unsure whether to feel relieved that it was Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli standing by the door or on edge.
"Corlia if you do not want to fight there is still time to join the women and children in the caves…" Aragorn softly spoke, entering the room to sit alongside her. Corlia moved away from his figure, her body language making Aragorn frown.
"Nay, it is not the fight that bothers me… There is something else, something that I have been hiding away for many years… Too many years. Please, join me, I can no longer keep this from you all" Corlia nervously spoke as she walked to the open window, her jerky movements making Legolas and Gimli moved into the room, closing the door behind them.
"I don't know how to word this, I don't even know where to begin" Corlia began to murmur to herself, her hands shaking so much that she had to put Tyarel back into its sheath.
"Come out with it lass!" Gimli commanded, his dwarven attitude showing lack of patience. Corlia sighed.
"Something has happened to you…" Legolas quietly spoke as Corlia remained silent. Corlia didn't turn to acknowledge him speaking, she couldn't bring herself to turn and face them.
"There is a queer atmosphere surrounding you, it is not evil or unforgiving but it is something dark and mystical" Legolas continued in a low tone making Gimli eye the elf up, not feeling anything the elf spoke of.
"I feel it too yet there is no difference in your physical form, share with us what bothers you so" Aragorn quietly spoke, looking over the woman. Corlia sighed to herself.
"I have lived for many years yet I am no Elf… I was never blessed with the long life a dwarf may have nor was I blessed with the long life you have Aragorn. The ring I wield was given to me at the age of eighteen, with it I never age" Corlia stated, turning herself around to face her friends. The three noticed the ring as it thumped in rhythm of her pumping heart.
"That does not explain the change though" Legolas stated, his age showing the understanding and knowledge he held about magical rings.
"Nay it does not… I am someone that many people will call a beast, an animal that lives in the wild. Although I have not been one since the Last Alliance of Elves and Men recent years have proved that my kind are nearly extinct, their presence unwelcomed among most…" Corlia rambled, rubbing her temples.
"Yer making no sense lass" Gimli told her and even Aragorn hummed in agreement but Legolas remained silent, Corlia knew that he was trying to piece things together. Corlia sighed, shaking her head.
"I am loosely related to Beorn the Great" she continued but a loud gasp from Gimli caught everyone's attention.
"Beorn, as in the one my father and his people met when reclaiming the Lonely Mountain? But that would make you-" Gimli loudly said but Corlia cut in.
"A skin-changer, yes" Corlia injected, her figure going slump. A part of her was relieved that she had finally told her companions of her true race but another part of her was panicking.
"Why did you not tell us sooner?" Aragorn softly asked. Aragorn had lived among the elves for many years then travelled up North. Across his travels he had met many races, both good and bad, so he did not understand the purpose of keeping her true identity a secret.
"I could not, it was something that I planned to keep hidden, to keep separate from me. Stories and songs claimed that Tyrlylth, Corlia and the War Hero were two completely different people and were merely partners… Many believed it was dark magic and that Tyrlylth summoned the beast to either aid her on her quest or to throw her enemy off her trail. Sometimes they believed that Corlia was a separate person as well…" Corlia slowly said, trying to explain her story. Legolas had remembered such stories, even his father had told them, and the mystery of it all always fascinated Legolas. There was never any solid proof of who this woman was; one day she would be called Corlia and the next she would be called Tyrlylth… Some of his people believed that she was a fake altogether. The tales of her were quite clear back before the fall of Gil-galad but overtime many races changed the tale to add drama and romance. The truth soon changed and those who knew the true tale either died of old age or were not believed by others…Although the constant change of storyline none never linked up the tale of the War Hero being connected to Tyrlylth or Corlia. The War Hero was spoken to be a dark beast; one that danced in the shadows of the night yet in the light its form was often mistaken as a large pony.
"That does not answer my question" Aragorn quietly murmured, making Legolas lose his trail of thoughts.
"Sauron knows that I survived the battle in this form and he knows that my animal form has been spying on him for many years. It is only a matter of time before he adds it together. Although I am not a valuable person I have faced him many times and he has made it clear that, when finding me, he will hunt me down and destroy me. My race is growing thin, I will be easily detected. I have not spoken of this to anyone in fear of Sauron hunting down my friends" Corlia continued, a frown appearing on her face.
"Well lass, Sauron already hates my guts!" Gimli exclaimed, breaking the tension. Corlia weakly smiled his way, some relief being felt within her. Aragorn smiled her way in acceptance but Legolas still seemed still, thinking things over. Legolas now knew of Corlia's race, some of the old stories about her all going perfectly into place once some of the added drama was removed. It explained a lot, more than he could ever imagine, but could he accept such a thing? He placed his eyes onto hers, trying to reach out and look into her soul. The same connection that the pair had felt in Moria appeared and he knew that he could accept this news. Smoothly Legolas approached the skin-changer, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"The skin-changers have done much for us in the past, you are welcome among my kind" he gently said and Corlia let out a sigh of relief.
"But what has made you decide to reclaim your race?" Legolas added, his eyebrows knotting together in question. Both Aragorn and Gimli wondered the same thing, her actions proved that she was not comfortable with her other side.
"I can no longer hide who I truly am. I have been avoiding my path for quite some time, my life becoming meaningless. In a way I have been selfish; when Middle Earth needed me most I had cowered away, allowing the darkening power to rebuild itself. I may not have been able to rid this evil we face today, but maybe I may have been able to weaken it. Although I am not happy with this turn of events I must follow my destiny" Corlia firmly said. The three understood enough of her words but Aragorn felt a twinge in his heart. Corlia was willing to throw her life away to follow her path, her destiny. It was clear that she tried to give it up years ago but, although unhappy with it, she had returned to her old lifestyle to complete her life goal. Aragorn had avoided his fate, his destiny, and as a result of that Gondor was falling into ruin, its people left without a true leader. Aragorn wondered what had happened once Corlia refused her destiny, had something been harmed in her doing so? Or was something about to be harmed and she reclaimed her destiny to avoid it? Either way Aragorn admired the fact that she was now back on track and following her destiny, even if it held a huge risk of failure and death. A loud horn bellowed into the darkening room making the four of them turn their heads to the window, gazing out in wonder.
"By Valar…" Corlia gasped to herself.
"That is no orc horn" Aragorn loudly said, his thoughts placed to the back of his mind. If they survived this battle then he would dwell on those thoughts; was the risk of failure and death worth it in the end? Was Aragorn willing to do the same thing to follow his own destiny of becoming the King of Gondor? The four of them left the room, the conversation placed on hold for another time. They raced down to the courtyard to see what had arrived…
Corlia couldn't help but grin, as if her worries had disappeared. Elves dressed in gold and silver marched pass, their stride in formation and their heads held high. Corlia didn't even need to look at the banners they held, she knew exactly who they were.
"How is this possible…?" King Théoden gasped in amazement as the elves walked in. Corlia widely grinned at their leader as he halted before the King.
"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together" the elf spoke, his long red cape bellowing behind him as he glanced up, noticing Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Corlia.
"We come to honour that allegiance" Haldir proudly said and Corlia felt a lump rise in her throat, she couldn't believe their luck. Neither could all the Men of Rohan.
"Mae govannen Haldir" Aragorn happily said as he went to greet the Lothlorien ellon. Haldir extended his hand to greet the Ranger with a traditional elvish welcome but before Haldir had chance to grasp onto to Aragorn the dark haired man sharply pulled him into a large embrace, stunning the elf. Both Corlia and Gimli bit back a laugh as the elf patted Aragorn on the back, trying to comprehend the situation.
"You are most welcome" Aragorn breathed as he pulled away, admiration in his eyes. Legolas was next to approach the elf and he knew better than to embarrass the elf further so he clasped onto his shoulder in greeting. It was clear that Gimli wasn't going to greet the elf in the same fashion but he tilted his head in greeting. Corlia on the other hand flung herself at Haldir, making him falter back a stride or two. His marching army stopped and turned, a few biting back grins at the exchange between the two.
"Stalking me brother?" she playfully asked the elf and Haldir childishly snickered, embracing the woman.
"Someone has to babysit you… Elrond sent word that you would fight. He wishes you well and misses you dearly" Haldir whispered back, gently pulling away from the woman but he still kept her in her grasp.
"Then let us hope I can return to him one day so he will no longer miss me" she said, her words strong with hope. Haldir forced a smile, his moment of youth forgotten as he got back to business. Corlia moved herself to stand alongside him as Haldir looked up at King Théoden.
"We are proud to fight alongside Men once more" he told the King.
Author's Notes: Sorry I've taken forever to upload this chapter, I must have gone through five or six storylines just to reveal Corlia's true race. At first I was going to do it during the Battle of Helms Deep however I decided against it. I think it would have been too obvious for her to morph into her form during the battle and it would have seemed like an 'act of heroism' which I'm trying to avoid for now seeing as many writers make their characters too powerful or make them powerless and useless.
Anyway to give a bit more information about Corlia I've written a short story during her time with Gil-galad so if you're interested in finding out a bit more about her and her past then check it out. It'll be called "Saying Goodbye". If there are any questions about my stories or any requests then feel free to PM me and I'll reply to them as soon as possible.