Chapter 26 Defending the Keep

Mariell watched as the men of Rohan attempted to keep back the orcs that were attacking the village. She winced as man after man
was struck down. Then suddenly a tall woman in a white dress stepped forward. She seemed like a spirit rather than a flesh in blood
person. She raised her arms above her head. The orcs did not even seem to see her. Her voice thundered as she spoke her spell.
"Selendil, Jonales, Jonalir, Midawa. Falina, Elomin, Aleana, Yohnkar. Sali un corran, diala me rubima. Telith an un oran. Lineth nin
Kingoris. Lineth del grili. Lineth delhala. Lineth del pietra. Lineth del Pietra"

Mariell opened her eyes. She looked around and saw Aragorn getting dressed. "How long have I been asleep?" she said throwing back
her covers and leaping from the bed.

"Only a few minutes," he said. They quickly got dressed and hurried to the armory. They spoke not a word as they prepared for battle.

Mariell thought about her dream as she sat sharpening Navia. Her mother was trying to tell her something, but what? She glanced over

at Aragorn who was sliding a mail shirt over his head. She thought about what she had promised him if he should fall. But he would not

fall this night. Somehow, in her deepest heart she knew this. She saw Legolas come silently into the room and hold up Aragorn's sword.
She watched as the two old friends exchanged words.

"We have trusted you this far, you have not led us astray," Legolas said. "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair." Aragorn placed his fist

over his heart and then gripped Legolas's shoulder. Legolas returned the age-old gesture.

"There is nothing to forgive, Legolas," he said in elvish. Mariell stood and joined the two of them. She placed a hand on either of their

shoulders. Legolas turned his gaze on her and covered her hand with his own.

"If I fall this night," he said to her, "please tell Arwen that I love her. Do not let her despair." Mariell felt her throat constrict painfully. So
many promises to keep should her companions fall. Did they have no hope at all?

"I will," she said squeezing his hand. The three of them turned as Gimli shuffled into the room dragging his mail coat along the floor.

"It's a little tight across the chest," the dwarf grumbled. Mariell bit her lip and tried not to grin. Suddenly a noise was heard. It was the

sound of a horn.

"That is no orc horn!" Legolas exclaimed running from the room. Aragorn, Gimli, and Mariell followed him. They ran to the gate where

a large army of two hundred armed elves stood. A tall blonde elf stepped forward and addressed the king. Mariell recognized him as

one of the elves from Lorien. Haldir.

"How is this possible?" the king asked.

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. Long ago men and elves fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance." Aragorn

rushed forward and embraced the elf.

"You are most welcome my friend," he said. Mariell felt as though a warm hand had just caressed her back. There was still hope.

The elven archers stood at the front. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were down there with them. Mariell made her way along the back wall
trying to find a place where she would be able to see.

"Mariell," a young voice said beside her. Mariell turned to see Eothain standing behind her, in full Rohan armor, holding a sword.

"Eothain," Mariell said in shock. "What are you doing here"

"The king's guard told me I had to fight. Freda and my mother are in the caves." Mariell felt as though she were choking. As she looked
around she saw many young boys. How many of them would die?

"Eothain," she said urgently, "I want you to stay with me. No matter what you don't leave my side"

"Yes Mariell," he said. She could see that his lip was quivering. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

"Courage," she whispered. "Courage." Her pulse jumped as a rumble of thunder was heard. The rain soon followed the thunder. It

poured down on all of them drenching them. It seeped through Mariell's tunic and soaked her hair. All of this was lost on her though.

For out of the shadows came the Urak Hai. So many of them. They all looked the same to her. Big, ugly beings with only one thought

on their minds. Death. They were coming to kill them all. She swallowed hard as the Uraks let out a mighty roar.

"Show them no mercy," she heard Aragorn shout in elvish. "For you shall receive none!" No mercy. Mariell gripped her sword hard

and laid her hand across her pendant.

"Riun de linowet gaia," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Eothain asked beside her.

"I was asking the gods to be with us this night," Mariell said.

"I hope they heard you," the boy said. Mariell managed a small smile. Below her Aragorn ordered bows to be drawn. In one fluid

motion the elves drew their bows.

"Fire!" Aragorn yelled. She saw the arrows fly toward the Uraks. All hit their mark and several Uraks went down. But not enough. The

Uraks returned fire and Mariell winced as she watched several men and elves fall. She saw the Uraks on ladders being lifted up toward

the walls.

"Stay behind me," she said to Eothain as she prepared for battle. The first Urak landed a few feet from her and she wasted no time

slicing its head off. She stabbed another as it advanced on her. They kept coming and coming and Mariell continued to fight. Her arms

grew weary but she continued to fight. Her vision blurred as she killed one Urak after another. All around her the men fought bravely. It

seemed as though Rohan was holding it's own. Then out of the corner of her eye Mariell saw a large horde of Uraks marching to the

outer wall covered by their shields. She didn't know what they were up to but it could not be good.

"Aragorn!" she screamed. Below her husband's eyes met hers. She gestured wildly to the Uraks. Aragorn looked and saw them. He

directed the archers to redirect their fire but it was fruitless. Then to her horror she saw the shields part and one Urak carrying a large

cauldron, which was sparking, raced toward the wall. "Take him down Legolas!" Aragorn shouted. Mariell did not see if the shot

Legolas fired killed the Urak for she was distracted by a large Urak overpowering Eothain. She hurried to the boy's side and stabbed

the Urak. She whirled around as she heard a loud explosion. "No!" she cried as she watched the wall crumble. Several men including

Aragorn and Gimli fell with the wall. Mariell sighed with relief as she saw that Aragorn was all right. But her relief was short lived. The

walls had been breached. It wouldn't be long before the keep would fall. But till that happened Mariell continued to fight. One by one

the Uraks fell under her sword. One particularly large Urak snuck up behind her and stabbed her through the leg. Mariell bit back the

pain and pulled the blade from her leg and stabbed the Urak with it. She went on fighting the pain in her leg quickly fading. She heard

the shouts of fall back but she refused to budge.

"Mariell!" Eothain shouted. Mariell turned and saw an Urak pushing him into a corner. She fought her way through a mass of Uraks

trying to get to the boy. The Urak raised his sword and Mariell flung herself in front of it.

She screamed as the blade was driven into her body. She staggered backwards, the intense pain overwhelming her momentarily. Then

with a cry of rage she yanked the sword from her body and stabbed the Urak through his skull.

"Mariell," Eothain's scared voice said. "Are you all right"

"I'm fine," she gasped. She patted the astonished boy's cheek. She yanked him behind her quickly as more Uraks advanced on them.

At one point she felt a hand on her arm and spun quickly to kill what had grabbed her. She stayed her hand when she saw it was

Legolas. "I saw you get stabbed," he said, firing arrows as he spoke.

"I'm fine," she shouted back, lopping of a head and stabbing through a broad shield. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

"Thirty-four Uraks," he said. "Gimli only has thirteen." Mariell managed to smile even as she took down another Urak.

"Where's my husband?" she yelled.

"Down there somewhere," Legolas yelled. "Look out!" Mariell looked up and saw a large anchor coming toward her and Eothain. She

grabbed him and Legolas grabbed both of them. The three of them just managed to roll out of the way as the anchor came crashing

down.

"They're trying to pull down the wall," Mariell shouted scrambling to her feet.

"We must cut off their forces," Legolas said. "There." He pointed to a rope connected to the wall. He knocked his bow and fired,

severing the line. Mariell saw another line and hurried to it, chopping it down with her sword. As she looked over the wall she saw

Aragorn and Gimli surrounded by Uraks. Legolas hurried to her, the rope he'd severed wrapped around his arm.

"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted throwing the rope over the side of the wall. Aragorn grabbed Gimli and then grabbed onto the rope.

Together Legolas and Mariell hauled them up the wall. As he came closer Mariell reached out and grabbed Aragorn's arm and hauled

him toward her. For a moment it didn't matter that they were in the middle of a losing battle. He was alive! She quickly embraced him.

He kissed her quickly on the lips and then pulled her away from the wall.

"The walls have been breached. They're coming in." The full force of his words hit her like an icy wave. "Fall back!" voices around her

shouted.

"To the keep"

"We must go!" Aragorn shouted. Mariell started to follow but then she remembered something.

"Eothain," she gasped. "Eothain!" She ran through the Uraks and the men who were rushing into the keep. She had to find him!

"Mariell!" Aragorn shouted at her. "Come on!" She ignored him and kept searching. She would not leave Eothain behind. Her eyes

widened as she saw him in front of her battling an Urak three times his size! She rushed to help him but was pushed back by the fleeing

men.

"Eothain!" she shouted pushing her way through the crowds. In horror she saw the Urak slash Eothain across the belly.

"No!" she shouted. Rage boiled inside her as she watched the Urak raise his sword to finish what he'd started. With all her strength

Mariell ripped her dagger from her belt and threw it. It landed between the Uraks eyes and he fell. Mariell rushed to Eothain's side. The
wound was very bad.

"My Lady," he whispered. "I think I shall die." "No," Mariell shook her head.

"Tell mother and Freda I love them," he gasped. Hot blinding tears flowed down Mariell's cheeks as she cradled him against her. It was
too much, too unfair. He was only a boy. He could not die.

"Lineth del Pietra," Mariell whispered. The words on her pendant, "protect from darkness". In a fit of fury Mariell ripped her pendant

from her neck and laid it on the boys chest. She knew she was leaving herself vulnerable but she didn't care. Why should she be

invincible while this child died? Mariell's eyes widened in astonishment as Eothain's wound began to close. He gasped and opened his

eyes.

"What happened?" he said softly looking up at her. Mariell's heart swelled with joy. It had worked. Now if she could only extend this

protection to the entire army. Then it hit her. The dream. That was what her mother had been trying to tell her. Now if she could just

make it work.

"Mariell," Eothain said. "What's going on?" With new determination Mariell rose to her feet. She handed Eothain to a passing warrior.

"Get him to the keep," she ordered. "Yes my lady," the guard said. Eothain looked at her strangely.

"I can't leave you," he said.

"You have to," Mariell said. "I'll be all right you must get to safety. Now!" Mariell turned away from the fleeing guard who carried

Eothain away and faced the Uraks who advanced upon her. She placed her pendant around her neck and closed her eyes. She felt

herself fall backwards onto the stone and darkness took her for a moment. She opened her eyes and found herself weightless. She

turned and saw her own body lying on the stone. Not dead, just on a different plane. She moved forward and floated down to the

ground landing amongst the Uraks. They did not even see her. She closed her eyes, raised her arms and began to chant.