Chapter 26- Helm's Deep
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Xana and Aragorn finally saw the great fortress of Helm's Deep
"Thank God, Aragorn, we're here!" exclaimed Xana as she looked at the sight
"And just in time to look." Said Aragorn as he pointed to the army sent to destroy them "Well done, Brego, my friend" as they cantered up to the gates hearing the gasps of disbelief that they were alive
"They're alive!" was yelled although out the fortress until it reached the ears of a certain dwarf
"Where are they? Where are they? Get out of the way. I'm gonna kill them! You are the luckiest, the canniest and the most reckless man I ever knew! Bless you, laddie! And you Xana, are the craziest, the ruff hardiest and the most foolish girl I ever knew! Bless you too, lassie!" exclaimed Gimli as he rushed forward to greet them "Xana, you better find Legolas and Nix before they decide to kill themselves" he added
"On it, Gimli!" she said as she tried to find her way to the top
"Gimli, where is the king?" asked Aragorn as he too ran up to the keep
"You're late. You look terrible." Said the elf as he hugged Aragorn and gave back the Evenstar pendent then saw Xana as she ran up the steps and pulled her into his arms thinking that she was a ghost "you are not real, you went over the cliff. You should be dead." Rambled the elf
"then I'll prove it to you that I am real and alive." She said as she breathed on his neck and pinched his arm
"Ouch! Just remember you are a nobody elf at the moment! I am a prince!" said the elf as he ruffled her hair
"Thank you" said Aragorn as he pushed open the doors to the keep while pulling Xana in as well for a secondary witness and to reunite her with Nix and Boromir
"YOU ARE STILL ALIVE!?" yelled Nix as she ran to hug her friend
"Yep, just remember that I'm fairly stubborn and only will choose to die by my own means" said Xana as she returned the hug and listened to the discussion between Aragorn and Théoden
"A great host, you say?" asked Théoden
"This big! Huge! Ginormous! Massive!" yelled Xana as she tried to find words to describe how large the army was. In the end she just gave up and used her arms
"All Isengard is emptied" confirmed Aragorn
"How many?" asked Théoden worriedly, Isengard was huge, and there could be millions of orcs coming their way at that moment
"Last head count there were about forty battalions marching but that could increase as they find more orcs to join." Xana said looking at Aragorn for a number
"Ten thousand strong at least." He said doing quick calculations
"Ten thousand?!" exclaimed Théoden and Boromir shocked at the number Aragorn had estimated
"I have fought many battles, with a great number of orcs but never that many!" exclaimed Boromir as he started to pace
"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall." Said Aragorn
"Let them come!" Théoden said courageously as he walked away
"Well, men and girls, it was nice knowing you." Said Gimli as he accepted his fate
"I aint dying just yet!" said Nix as she waved her fist in the general direction of the army that had yet to arrive as she followed Boromir and Gimli along the Deeping wall
"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall." Said Théoden to a guard before he turned to address the Hunters; "We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg."
"This is no rabble of mindless Orcs. These are Uruk-hai. Their armour is thick and their shields broad." Said Gimli holding his axe
"They almost killed me!" added Boromir showing his arrow puncture wounds which had now healed
"They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn, we've seen it before. Crops can be resown; homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them." Théoden said ignoring Boromir
"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people. Down to the last child." Aragorn countered
"Ouch!" hissed Nix to Xana as they listened and followed
"SHHHHH!" replied Xana as she listened to what was happening "Um, guys can I make a suggestion?" she asked
"Yes, you may Xana." Replied the king
"It might be a good idea if you try to remove the moss and such and use it for torches and fire arrows... also try to move the large boulders to make the place easier to retreat to. But have them somewhere where you can drop them onto the enemy IF they do break through the wall." She said pointing at a large part of the keep's wall which had collapsed from age
"They WILL NOT BREAK THROUGH THE WALL!" replied Théoden now full of rage at the suggestions
"Hey! LEAVE HER BE!" yelled Legolas stepping in front of her
"'Las, I can defend myself. I have done so for the past 17 years" replied Xana as she tried to move her boyfriend aside to glare at the king
"I agree with Xana. When Father showed me this place I made the same suggestions as an 11 year old!" said Boromir reinforcing Xana's suggestions
"What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance." Hissed Théoden drawing closer to the Hunters
"Send out riders, my lord. You must call for aid." Urged Aragorn
"And who will come? Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead." Théoden said coldly looking at the respective race in the eye as he named them
"Gondor will answer." Aragorn said simply
"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gon…– No, my lord Aragorn, we are alone. Get the women and children into the caves." Hissed Théoden before turning around continuing war preparations
"GONDOR HAS ANSWERED! I'M GONDORIAN!" yelled Boromir as he waved his fist in the air
"He is sooo d.e.a.d" hissed Xana as she and Nix gathered some moss and put it in cauldrons and fastened some around arrows for fire arrows
"Just you wait, Xana, just you wait." Replied Nix as she found her sharpening stone and sharpened her sword and Xana's arrows while they sat in the remains of the sunlight.