Disclaimer: I do not own Batman nor do I own Lord of the Rings. They are the sole property of DC Comics and JRR Tolkien.
Author's notes: Thanks so much for the reviews everyone. Judging from the threats and compliments you all got a big kick out of the cliffhanger at the end. Excellent. I love keeping you all on your toes.
And as for my over use of exclamation points, I'm well aware of that. But I have been attempting to ease off on them. What can I say? I'm a passionate writer. And don't worry gang; I still have plans for Éomer and Yolina in the future.
Chapter 25
The Calm before the Storm
"Cassie?"
Batgirl's head titled ever so slightly to her left and where Gimli walked, his dark dwarf eyes staring at her in concern from behind his bushy reddish eyebrows.
"Yes?" she asked, in an emotionless tone. It was the kind of tone, he normally heard her use in battle and while in… how had Robin called it? Bat-mode.
Gimli opened his mouth to say something but he then seemed to loose his nerve. "Err… Nothing," he mumbled.
"Just leaver her be, Gimli," Legolas hissed in a low whisper. "She has been through enough today."
Gimli have a non-committal grunt in reply. Perhaps he should just follow Legolas' advise. After all, they had lost yet another member of their Fellowship. It would be only respectful that they give her time to mourn. Even Théoden, who had been absolutely furious with Cassandra for joining them on the field of battle, had held his tongue and left her alone.
And Batgirl's mind was too riddled with questions to keep up a conversation with Gimli anyways. Something about this just didn't sit well with the Gotham heroine. Yes, they had found the Evenstar Pendant in the hand of the Orc who witnessed Aragorn go over the cliff. And yes, the tracks and evidence that they discovered from the warg that dragged Aragorn, had pointed to the same thing.
So then why was she having such a hard time believing that Aragorn could now be dead?
Maybe it was the fact that the drop from the cliff to the river didn't seem that far to her. After all, she had seen far lesser men than Aragorn survive such a drop back in Gotham.
Or maybe it was because she just couldn't accept that another person she cared about was lost to her. Accepting that Aragorn was dead would be like having to accept that was dead all over again. And maybe that just led a part of her head get fed up with the pain and just told her 'Nope, not going through that again. Time to get your denial mojo working, Cassie.'
One way or another, she could allow herself to accept it.
Slowly the King's forces traveled across the land until at last the fields of Rohan, in silence. Aragorn hadn't been the only one of them to fall victimsMany had fallen to death, and their bodies left behind. So to say that there was anger and pain amongst them would have been an understatement.
Cassandra was at last shaken out of her thoughts when she gazed up in wonder at the fortress known as Helms Deep. Carved directly into stone face, a dark sense of foreboding seemed to emanate from the structure. Later, Cassandra would truly realize the true magnitude of the stone stronghold, but her mind was still dwelling on Aragorn.
Batgirl vaguely heard random voices yelling "Make way for the King! Make way for Théoden!" as Théoden led them into the fortress. She look up to see dozens of people crowded around, in an attempt to see their King and his men return from the field of battle. Looks of fear and apprehension were visible all around.
Bring the company to a halt; Théoden and the others began to dismount just as Éowyn appeared from under a stone archway. She scanned the arrived group urgently, taking in the numbers of soldiers.
"So few," she realized. "So few of you have returned."
Her uncle turned to her, with those sad yet stern eyes that she had become all to accustom to. "Our people are safe," he said, obviously choosing his words carefully. "We have paid for it with many lives."
Théoden turned from Éowyn so as to help an injured solder down from his horse. Batgirl meanwhile began to move forward. She knew how Éowyn felt about Aragorn. Someone had to tell her.
Gimli thankfully had beaten her to it. "My lady," he said drawing the Shield-Maiden's attention away from her uncle.
Éowyn's blue eyes turned to the Dwarf, a look of relief falling on her face followed by one of fear. "Lord Aragorn…" she swallowed hard. "Where is he?" Cassandra felt the desire to turn away, as Gimli chocked out his answer.
"He fell."
Cassandra watched as Éowyn's eyes filled with tears and the stalwart woman she sat down heavily on a low wall. Gimli stood awkwardly next to her, his head bowed in grief for a moment before he looked at her again.
"Excuse me," Éowyn said suddenly getting to her feet, and racing off. Gimli opened his mouth to call after her, when Batgirl placed a hand on his broad shoulder.
"Let me talk to her."
Batgirl found Éowyn on the second outer wall, folding blankets and setting them into large woven baskets. Éowyn looked up for a moment at Cassandra, before going back to her work trying desperately to avoid the vigilante's eyes.
"Éowyn. Stop. Talk," Batgirl said in a flat voice. It was not an order but neither was it a request. Éowyn paused in her folding, and stood silent for a bit.
"I think I may have loved him."
Cassandra stared hard at Éowyn for a long and awkward while before she grabbed the blanket out of Éowyn's hands and tossed it into the basket. Romance and working of the heart had never been Batgirl's strong suits. And while she didn't want to hurt the friendship that she had gained with Éowyn, the fact was that someone needed explained the situation to the Shield-Maiden
"No."
Éowyn looked up from her folding at the young Asian woman, her eyes brimming with tears but a confused expression on her face.
"You were… not in love with Aragorn,"" Batgirl stated in a flat and bat-like tone, to which the shield-maiden looked up at her both startled and slightly angry at Cassandra's harsh statement.
"What?" Éowyn demanded.
"You were not in love with him," Cassandra repeated. "You just met Aragorn, but you didn't… know him. You have…" Cassandra paused as she tried to remember the term. "You have crush, on Aragorn. Not love. Aragorn is… in love with other woman. Necklace he wore… from her."
"How would you know?" Éowyn said in a slightly harsh tone. "What makes my feelings for Lord Aragorn so different from those you have for your Robin?"
Batgirl didn't even flinch at the remark, reminding her self that it was the anger speaking. "Because I knew Robin," she replied, thinking about the black haired, blue eyed boy who was now lost to her. "I worked with Robin… cared for Robin for… for a long time. And he knew me."
Éowyn eyes were brimming with tears, and it was hurting Cassandra to no end. She didn't want to hurt the Éowyn, but she deserved to know the truth. She knew that Aragorn's heart belonged to Arwen and her alone.
"Perhaps," Éowyn said at last. "But how can you be certain that my feeling for Lord Aragorn are not genuine."
"Your eyes," Cassandra said. "I know, because of your eyes."
Aragorn was sore.
Correction: he wasn't sore. He was hurting like hell not to mention felt weak in both body and soul.
The gash on his arm might have been infected, and he was fairly certain that he had bruised a few ribs during his unconscious jaunt down the river. But at least that meant he wasn't dead.
He still couldn't believe that he had survived the fall and the trip nearly 10 leagues down river.
And he might have died, had it not been for a certain horse by the name of Brego who had come to his rescue. His lips quirking slightly, the ranger patted the horse's brown mane and looked down at the fortress of Helm's Deep.
He wasn't certain exactly how the Prince of Rohan's horse had found him on the bank of the river, or why he had saved him, but the fact remained that he owed his life to this noble beast.
And perhaps the entire kingdom of Rohan would be in Brego's debt, because the news that they brought was of the up most importance.
Spurring Brego forward, they rode up the large ramp, leading to the main gate of Helm's Deep. The men at the gate looked down in surprise, to see the lone horseman awaiting entrance.
One inside the gates, people began to crowd about him, shocked and relieved to see him.
"He's alive!" cried one peasant woman.
"Where is he?" demanded a deep and familiar voice several times. "Get out of the way! I'm going to kill him!" Aragorn dismounted Brego in time to see a small, dwarf pushing his way through the crowds of spectators. Gimli froze for an instant as he stared at Aragorn wide-eyed. "You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew!"
Before Aragorn realized what was happening, Gimli had pulled him into a backbreaking embrace. He winced, as he felt several of his bruised ribs start to bruise more. "Bless ye laddie."
Aragorn patted the dwarf on the shoulder. Although he was touched at Gimli's emotion, he had more pressing concerns. "Gimli, where is the King?"
Gimli saw the focused look in Aragorn's eyes and nodded his head in the direction of Théoden's location. With another pat on the dwarf's shoulder, he took off into the fort.
Aragorn walked though the crowed hallways, his mind trying to recall ever detail from his memory. He was so deep in thought he nearly ran into another familiar face. He met the gaze of his long time friend, watching as the elf's eyes went from stunned to relieved and then finally to slightly smug.
"Lle ab-dollen, (You're late)" Legolas told him with a relieved smirk. He cast a glance over the Ranger's weather-beaten feature and array of injuries, before smirking a bit more. "You look terrible."
Aragorn looked at Legolas a bit taken aback before chuckling loudly. The Elf's smile faded slightly as he reached into his belt and handed Aragorn the Sliver Evenstar pendant. Relief washed over the Ranger's face.
"Hannon lle, (Thank you)" Aragorn said, clasping Legolas' shoulder warmly.
Neither of them noticed Éowyn a little ways off to one side. An extraordinary expression was fleeting across her face as she halted in mid-step. The strangest mixture of joy and heartbreak, as she saw that Aragorn was alive, but she remembered what Cassandra had told her and at last fully realized the significance of the jewel the he was reclaiming.
Batgirl meanwhile had taken the moment to race into the hallway, looking anxious. She had just run into Gimli outside, who had told her the good news.
"I knew it!" she said with a grin. Before anyone could react, she raced towards Aragorn and threw her arms around his midsection. The Ranger grimaced as yet another person today pulled him into a painful hug. But he allowed himself a smile as he returned the gesture. "I knew you weren't dead."
When she pulled back from the embrace, Batgirl tilted her head to the side quizzically. "You seem… softer," she stated.
Legolas looked taken aback but the remark, but Aragorn gave a slight shrug. "I do believe I've been tenderized," he joked in deadpan humor.
"A great host you say?" Théoden repeated, shortly after listening to Aragorn's debriefing. The Ranger stood in the center of the chamber, while Gimli, Legolas and Batgirl along with several soldiers and royal advisors, stood to one side. The King, as was his way, was pacing back and for frantically, trying to take in all the information.
"All Isengard is emptied," Aragorn replied.
"How many?"
"Ten thousand strong at least."
Théoden paused and turned to look at the ranger. "Ten thousand?"
"It is an army bred for a single purpose: To destroy the world of Men." Aragorn stated darkly. "They will be here by nightfall."
A painful look of realization appeared on the King's face. They had been right. This had all be an elaborate trap set by Saruman. And Théoden, ever the pawn of the wizard had played right into it. Anger and resolve replaced the realization of Théoden's face.
"Let them come!"
Aragorn stood and looked around the room, his eyes resting on each of his friends in turn. The three people before him had become a close to him as family.
His eyes rested on Batgirl, Gimli and Legolas only briefly- all three composed and prepared for battle. He held back a smile. There would be no other people that he would want by his side in battle. If only Boromir and Robin and perhaps even the Hobbits were there with them.
Feeling another presence in the room, Aragorn turned to look at Éowyn who was standing in the corner of the room. He met her eyes for half a second, and felt himself slightly disturbed by what he saw. Her gaze had been hard and cold, and hungry for battle. Something her uncle would never allow and they both knew it.
Turning back to his three companions, his face darkened. "Come, we have much to prepare for."
The four members of the Fellowship followed the King in his tour around the Fortress. To say the King was on edge wouldn't have probably explained his behavior. Batgirl watched his body language with slight fascination, as she would see his fear, rage, and self-doubt battle against one another.
"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready by nightfall," Théoden instructed one of the soldiers.
Batgirl paused in mid-step. "What about the woman?" she asked a bit too loudly.
A sudden hush of silence fell over all those assembled, before the King spun around to glare at her darkly. He was obviously trying to put the fear of the King in her, but she had been glared at by the best there was.
"The woman and young children will retreat into the cave, where they will be safe," he replied in forced calm.
Judging from the look in his eye, he still wasn't happy with the last time she questioned his orders. He turned to go with an air of finality, which went unnoticed by the Gotham Crime Fighter.
"But why send adult women into caves?" she persisted. "Lots of strong woman here. Almost as many as men. They can fight. Its dumb not to use them too."
There was a ripple of discomfort from all those assembled, including the other members of the Fellowship. Calling the King's plan 'dumb' was probably not the best choice of words. Yet again, Cassandra paid no mind. She was never known for her tact after all.
Théoden turned around in extreme slowness to face her again. He was no longer hiding the annoyance and anger in his eyes.
"Women are not suited for war, my lady."
Batgirl's rolled of their own accord. "Says who?" she demanded.
"Do not think I have forgotten your actions during the battle against the wargs, child," Théoden snarled. "I allowed you that pass, because you were grieving for someone we thought had fallen in battle. But I shall not allow that again."
"Where I come from… women… are just as good as men. Oracle can't use her legs… and she can kick their ass, easy." She tilted her head towards two of Théoden's guards, who looked appalled.
"I do not care about where you come from child," Théoden growled. "My only concern is for the safety of my people. ALL the women and children shall go into the caves."
"I'm not going into caves." Batgirl replied shortly. Aragorn placed an urgent hand on her shoulder in order to tell her to back off, but she shrugged it off. "You can order Rohan woman to hide. But I'm not… a Rohan woman. I'm a Gotham Girl. And I WILL fight."
"Would you die for Rohan?" Théoden shot back.
"No."
Everyone, including Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas looked shocked at her reply. Cassandra gave an icy glare. "I will die to protect people."
With out another word, she spun on her heels and away from the assemblage of stupefied men. Aragorn suppressed a groan, while Gimli and Legolas swapped knowing smiles.
Théoden's eyes twitched slightly at the girl's turned back, completely confounded by her. "Of all the insolent…" he began, his nostrils flaring and a vein in his forehead throbbing violently.
"Your majesty," Aragorn stepped in. "While I do not condone the behavior of Lady Cassandra, I must ask that you do not deny her services."
"What?" Théoden said in outrage. He'd expect that kind of thing from the dwarf, maybe even the elf, but he had thought Aragorn would have more sense. "You are not suggesting that I allow the women to-"
"No, my lord," Aragorn cut him off, "If it be your wish that the woman and children remain in the safety of caves, than so be it. But I am asking that you allow Cassandra her right to battle. She is a true warrior. I have witnessed her battle and slay the Uruk-Hai of Saruman with her bare hands. Her skills could prove invaluable."
Théoden glared furiously. "So be it. I will leave her life on your head, Aragorn."
As the King walked away, Gimli chuckled lightly. "It would' nay have been like they could stopped her anyways."
Aragorn and Legolas couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Cassandra spent the rest of the day watching as the King and Aragorn prepared for the coming battle from a perch on the Deeping Wall. She was so still, that anyone who passed her would have thought her to be an out of place gargoyle fixture. She wanted to be of more use to the preparations, but as skilled of a fighter and warrior, she wasn't a tactician. Not like Batman, Nightwing, Oracle or Robin were.
So instead she stayed in the shadows and out of the way, so as to allow those better suited plan out the fortress's defenses.
Currently she watched as Théoden 's men ushered the women and children into the large caverns hidden within the stone of Helm's Deep. She had gone exploring in the cavern earlier with Gimli, who of course had been most interested in the layout of the cavern. She had to admit that it was rather breathtaking. So different from the Batcave, which was far more dark and foreboding. But of course these caves had something else to make one feel uneasy.
The whole cavern looked like one of those refugee camps that Cassandra had seen on CNN. People, mostly the women and children it seemed, were sleeping on makeshift bedrolls or huddling together wrapped in blankets, while woman were crying as their husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers and sons were taken from their arms to join the Rohan forces.
Saruman had made certain that they were going to be trapped, and there was little chance that anyone would survive the coming battle. Cassandra turned her head to look over the horizon, praying for some glance of a white horse with his white-garbed rider, who had promised to bring them hope. Instead all she could see was the black storm clouds that were rolling over the land.
"Gandalf, we need you…" she whispered.
The young vigilante looked up to see Éowyn racing furiously through the crowds of people, looking most distressed.
Jumping off the 100-foot wall, Batgirl used her cape as a makeshift glider/parachute and landed gracefully down in the courtyard near the entrance to the cave. Several people gasp and there was at least one scream at the sight of the leather winged creature that appeared from above. But the fear subsided once people recognized the form of the mysterious companion of the Aragorn.
"I am told that you shall be allowed to join your friends in battle?" There was a look of envy in the Shield-Maiden's tear filled and envious eyes that Batgirl did not miss.
"Yes," she replied
Éowyn nodded. "Take care of yourself, my friend." Before Batgirl could reply, Éowyn had disappeared through the archway.
"Éowyn is angry," Cassandra said as she felt Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas approach.
Aragorn sighed and dropped his head slightly. He had just spoken with the Shield-Maiden, and knew of her anger and confliction of emotions. "Aye. Théoden will not let her join in the coming battle."
"Sexist pig…" Batgirl mumbled under her breath. "It isn't right. Isn't fair."
"Perhaps," Aragorn said, remembering back to when he had first met Batgirl and she had called him that. "But Théoden does not feel that the women folk are suited for battle and is doing what he feels is best for them. And as her uncle and her King, Lady Éowyn has no choice but to respect his decision, as must we." He gave the young woman before him a pointed look.
Batgirl didn't reply, but gazed over to the direction that Éowyn had gone. She felt bad for the Shield-Maiden, but there was no time to worry about one person's hurt feelings. Night was drawing close and so was the enemy.
"Come," Aragorn said breaking the silence. "There is still much that we must do."
Shortly after the Fellowship was shoulder to shoulder in the crowded armory as nearly three hundred men were given armor and weapons. Batgirl as expected had turned down heavy chain link body armor; since it would seriously cut down on her movements and that would do her no good. Her Kevlar-lined batgirl costume would have to do. She had accepted several small knives as well as a longbow and quiver of arrows.
True she didn't normal use archery weapons, but her father had made her training program very broad. Hell, she had probably been the only 4-year-old girl who had been able to assemble a semi-automatic handgun in under a minute.
Batgirl set herself in a corner, with her mask drawn over her features. Aragorn had recommended that she keep her mask on after the argument with Théoden, since few of the men would understand a teenaged girl fighting in their ranks. With her mask in place, most of course assumed that Cassandra was merely a small boy.
Legolas was refilling his quiver, while Gimli sharpen his axed quietly. Aragorn meanwhile was helping with the weapons sorting and appearing very uneasy.
"Farmers, farriers, stable boys…" Aragorn said, surveying those around him, with worry. "These are no soldiers."
There were nods of agreement for Gimli, Batgirl and Legolas. None of them wanted to admit it, but the out come of the coming conflict was bleak to say the least.
"Most have soon too many winters," Gimli said.
"Or too few," Legolas added, his eyes scanning with pity and slight disgust.
"Look at them," he continued. "They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes." Apparently Legolas had spoken a tad too loudly as silence fell over the room and everyone turned their eyes to him.
Legolas and Aragorn then began to speak fervently in Elvish, their voices drawing more anger and sound by the moment. Although few could understand them, everyone felt the emotion behind the words.
"Legolas…" Batgirl began.
"THEN I SHALL DIE AS ONE OF THEM!" Aragorn snapped, causing everyone even Legolas to wince. The group's leader froze, the sound of his own outburst ringing in his ears. Avoiding the gaze of his friends and the soldiers around him, Aragorn turn about and exited the armory.
Legolas sighed at his own stupidity. He had let his own fears cloud his judgment and he took out that fear on the wrong people. He had no right to bring more fear to these people who were doing what they could to survive. He began to take a step foreword, but was stopped by Gimli.
"Let him go lad," he said softly. "Let him be."
TO BE CONTINUED…