Helm's Deep was the answer I waited with bated breath for. At first I had no idea what Helm's Deep was or where it was located, and looked around at everyone around me, silently asking that one of them inform me of both.

The gravity of the answer seemed to pull everyone into themselves momentarily though, so I was left standing until I cleared my throat, and asked quietly "What is Helm's Deep?"

Legolas turned toward me. "A stronghold by the White Mountains." He replied. "The valley is fortified, naturally. The people of Rohan have long kept small regiments there for some time."

Fortified, I liked the sound of that. Safety.

"Well, that sounds like a good decision." I said.

I was met with a few mumbled replies, and soon the plan was set in motion. Theoden's captain of the guard, Hama, proclaimed the order to the entire city, and soon everyone be they horsemen or blacksmiths or ploughmen, was packing their livelihoods into wagons. I watched from the window, everything of mine already in my pack, and slung across my shoulder.

"A sad sight, isn't it?" Gimli approached me, and took a glance out the window as well.

"How?" I asked. "They're leaving for their own safety. Homes can be rebuilt, crops replanted…lives are something that cannot be restored."

"Do you always think everything can kill you?" Gimli scoffed at me.

I was quiet, because in all truth, I thought anything on this quest capable of killing me. A bitter reality, but someone had to face it.

"I don't expect you to understand what it's like to live without a proper homeland, and to live away from the place your ancestors lived." Gimli lectured me. "You were born after that time. You and your siblings were lucky for that. But maybe if you were able to look past your own desire to save your skinny neck, you'd see how hard it is for these people."

I looked out over the village again, and realised that the people had taken on the air of the dead again, and moved about like shadows. Men leaving homes there great-grandfathers built. Land centuries of families had tilled. Women pacing back and forth and collecting dried fish and bread with empty faces, and sometimes tucking small trinkets in among the provisions, against Hama's words to not burden themselves with unneeded things. Children hiding their playthings protectively under their coats and cloaks, for fear a parent or guard would tell them to leave it behind.

Guilt surfaced in me then. Gimli was right, I was so happy to be leaving here and go on to somewhere safer that I ignored how an entire people felt about the subject. Given my own family history I should have known better.

"I'm sorry." I replied, with genuine feeling.

Gimli smiled the smallest bit. "Aye, you mean well…skittish as you are you mean well….enough of that though." He said, more firmly. "We have a whole city to move, and little time to do it. Put that apology into actions, and not words." I nodded, and slowly made my way out. "Get going." Gimli hurried me along. "Hurry, would you?"

I took off running. I found Aragorn helping some other men load barrels of provisions onto a large wagon. Wordlessly, I joined the line of workers, and began rolling barrels into the wagon, and carrying a few bags of salt up as well.

Aragorn noticed me eventually, and seemed mildly surprised. "Master Gideon." He nodded.

"Aragorn." I replied, passing onto him a bag of salt for him to place among the other supplies.

"You come to help us?"

"Upon Gimli's request." I answered honestly. "My apologies for not coming sooner."

Aragorn smiled lightly, and kept up the pace of his work. I kept along with him and the others, once looking up to the window where I had been and seeing Gimli looking down, pleased.

Just as the wagon was filled, Gandalf walked past, practically with a storm cloud over his head. Legolas followed him, and Gimli behind him. The elf shot Aragorn and I both a look that said that not all was going well between the king and our wizard. Aragorn climbed out of the wagon, and I scrambled over the salt bags myself. "Did it go well?" Aragorn asked Legolas.

"No, Theoden's choice does not bend, even with the wizard's advice." Legolas shook his head. It appeared that while the day had been spent gathering and packing for the rest of the city, Gandalf had spent it playing advisor to Theoden, trying to sway his opinion, and unsuccessfully.

Gimli sighed, and groused a little. "Helm's Deep! They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight." He shook his head. "Who will defend them, if not Theoden, their king?"

We followed in Gandalf's shadow until he entered the stables. One horse nibbled delicately upon the bead in my braid, it's eye catching the glint off the silver. "What are we doing in here?" I asked. "The stables are not a very secret place if you want to discuss something in private." I glanced around, looking for stable boys, but everyone was too occupied with packing their belongings, and the horses remained idle in their stalls.

"I am leaving, Master Gideon." Gandalf said.

"Leaving?" I echoed him. "Why?" I shook my head a little, and gently pulled my hair away from the horses lips.

"They have a full armoury here, and yet they leave so much of it behind…" Gimli criticized the choices of Theoden again.

"They cannot burden themselves with the weight of it all." Legolas defended them, lightly.

"Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Aragorn joined the elf. "The people of Rohan once took refuge there, and held out an entire winter. Theoden is only doing what he thinks is best."

"There is no way out of that ravine." Gandalf warned us, for we were likely the only once listening to him on the matter. "He is walking into a trap, cornering himself." He entered Shadowfax's stall. "He goes looking for safety, but he will only find death. A massacre."

I was quiet, and felt life draining from my face then. Massacre, such a frightening word.

"Theoden will have a strong hold, but I fear for him…and for all the people of Rohan." The white wizard seemed worried for once. I had not even seen him look so concerned when he charged before a Balrog in his then-grey robes.

He turned to Aragorn. "They will need you, Aragorn, before the end. Theoden shall need you, though he does not see that yet. Rohan lies in your guidance, and your judgement.." He spoke very seriously. "The defense must hold."

The ranger nodded, taking on all the responsibility bestowed on him so suddenly. "They will hold." He promised.

Gandalf pulled Shadowfax, sadled, from his stall, and mounted him. "The Grey Pilgrim, that is what they once called me…three hundred lives of men I have been walking this earth, and now I have no time!" He muttered to himself. He turned to us all once more. "Good luck. My search will not be in vain." He promised us. "Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day and at dawn, look to the East."

"Go now." Aragorn stepped out of Shadowfax's path, and we did the same.

The horse sprinted from the stable before Gandalf could even utter the words 'Good bye'. We stared as the wizard was carried away through the city and then onward to the open plains.

I sighed. I could have said any number of grim things, for it was easy to feel doomed then.

But I recalled Gimli's lecture, still fresh in my mind, and instead said, rather lightly, "Mother always said he had an awful habit of running off." I pulled my braid from a horses's mouth for the third time, and went to go drown my worries in labour. There had to be another wagon that needed to be filled with barrels and salt.

/

It took more than one day for an entire city to be prepared to uproot itself and then hold down in a fort. Torches had been lit for us to work long into the night, and those who were especially keen (such as Aragorn, who was taking Gandalf's words to heart) rose early when it still remained dark out. He probably had dark rings under his eyes from the lack of sleep he got that night.

Breakfast was quick, and then I buried myself in work again, this time beside Legolas, as we helped to empty out some of the armoury. Most of those working were too tired to exchange words, but I felt a question pressing on my tongue. Under the din of metal clinking against metal and store rooms being raided, I whispered to the elf "Will we need to use these?", as I passed a hatchet his way.

The elf looked around at the men, and then replied in an equally quiet tone, "Undoubtedly."

"How do you know?" I pressed.

"The wizard says so, and his judgement has proven itself many times before."

I did not know if he was speaking of the great battle my family had fought in years before my birth, or any of the other thousand times Gandalf could have come to the aid of others.

"Will I be called upon to fight?"

The look alone from Legolas's face, proved what I had known deep within my mind.

"Oh." I stared the swords and spears around me. "Very well then."

I paused before asking my final question. "Do you suppose I'm trained well enough for something like this?"

"That judgement I leave to Aragorn." Legolas replied. I frowned. "But I have seen you survive other clashes before." He added. "You'll know when you're face to face with them."

Face to face…swordsmanship was a very, close contact way to fight, wasn't it?

"Archery…"I muttered to myself. "I should have trained in archery…"

Beside me, Legolas had heard my mumblings and was now wearing an amused smile.

Most of that day passed in a sort of busy haze. Packing, rationing, gathering teams of horses. Eventually, I fell asleep on bench in the stables. My shoulder was shaken. My eyes snapped open, and even before I was completely awake, apologies for my resting when there was still work to be done started spewing forth.

Laughter followed all my words, bright, feminine laughter, and my confused head thought for a moment 'Fali?' and I saw the golden hair, and felt such relief at her presence.

"Fali." I beamed.

My eyes cleared them, sleep draining from them. I beheld the face of Eowyn, who had ceased laughing. "No." She said, kindly. "I'm sorry, I am not her."

"No." I shook my head a little. "You're not." I smiled as I toyed with the pendent of an otter around my neck, wondering if Fali was likewise fiddling with hers. "What can I help you with, milady?"

Eowyn smiled, impishly, and held up a blade, similar in make to her uncles. "I believe we promised each other a spar?"

"We had." I nodded.

"Lord Aragorn wished for me to train with you. He found me worthy of the task." Eowyn went on, grabbing my wrist and pulling me from the stables, and in fact out of the city walls. Beyond them, everything was quieter, and the landscape stretched peacefully on. I felt relieved to be removed from the air of anxiety within the walls, and for the chance to train again. I would soon need it.

"Do you know how to begin?" Eowyn asked, but I had already set myself to a ready stance. "Ah, good." She nodded, and stood ready herself, looking poised and alert.

"Well, this looks like it could be a challenge." I said, motioning to her stance. "You look ready for battle, much less a spar."

"The women of Rohan are known as shieldmaidens." She replied to the compliment. Mirth was in her eyes, and then she raced forward, her blade arching through the sky elegantly.

Things sped up then, and for a time there was no words between us, only defenses and strikes, and the odd smile or grimace when the other struck a little too close.

Eowyn was more relentless than Fali. "Do you ever stop moving?" I asked, in a puff of breath.

"Forgive me, it has been a long time since I was able to enjoy fights like this." She replied. "But I'm supposed to be training you, aren't I? Not striking you down to the ground." She slowed the smallest bit. "Should we stop and then I'll show you some of the finer points?"

I took my chance to land a solid swing against her blade, hoping it would be enough to loosen her grip. Eowyn held on firmly, but her look of surprise caused me to laugh, despite the lack of breath I had. Though the move had not been entirely successful it had been a decent enough threat as to what I could do.

"Fine, have it your way." And she lunged at me, and struck so close that I felt as though I had been cornered, though we were standing on open ground.

I shoved her. Whenever Aragorn got to close I either stepped backward or shoved him, driving my shoulder into his ribcage. I forgot Eowyn was a noble lady for five seconds and shoved her. When I had freed myself from her my eyes widened and I said "Oh! So sorry, milady."

Her reply was another swing that arched through the air, forcing my to carry my sword over my head to defend myself. "Such poor manners." She scoffed, though her tone was that of mock-scolding. "Who raised you?"

"Dwarves mostly." I said. "But my mother didn't have the strictest reputation of being a lady either." I thought of how the words came out and laughed. I would have to tell Eowyn of my mother and how the company had mistaken her for a boy when they found her. We'd need such light tales on the journey to Helm's Deep. "In fact…" And I puffed my chest out a little in a mockingly proud way. "I happen to be the third born son of Prince Fili, of Erebor."

"Prince?" Her reaction was that of surprise for a moment. Then that quickly faded among our strikes and jabs and she continued on with her offense against me. Aragorn had said that when you fought against someone all your titles dissolved. When you fought you were mortal, no matter the race. Whether you were a king or a stable hand, you were only a man fighting for his life or glory then, and all you needed was a level head and a steady hand. Titles meant nothing.

Eowyn, finally tired of so much running about and swinging her sword, stood firmly, and delivered a blow so strong and final that it tore my sword from my hands and soon I had them raised in defeat as she held me a swordpoint.

We stared at each other for a moment, both regaining our breath. "How ladylike." I teased.

Eowyn laughed.

"Come. I'll teach you how to do it." She said. "And how to strike through the air. Most of your strikes are level ones."

I was set to performing new strikes against the air, while Eowyn walked around me in a broad circle, eyes constantly checking over my form for errors. Her corrections were delivered in the form of short remarks, and sometimes she'd hold out her sword and tap it on my elbow or my ankle when she wanted me to correct my stance. When I my performance had bettered Eowyn spoke again, this time softer. "When I awoke you in the stables…" She started. "You called me by the name of Fali. Who is she? You are too young to be married but perhaps…?"

"Mahal, no." I groaned. "Fali is my sister."

"You must miss her terribly if you mistake me for her." Eowyn said. "You are a long way from home."

"She did not stay home." I replied. "She came with us. Fali is like you…a shieldmaiden in her own way. She wouldn't take no for an answer when her friends became involved. We were separated, our fellowship split apart." I sighed. "She now travels with two hobbits…she's somewhere out there, and hopefully safe." I ceased my practise, and my fingers fell upon the silver pendent again.

"You must have been very brave to follow her, and keep an eye on her."

I shook my head. "If anything it was the other way around. Fali is the brave one, I was just pulled along." I smirked. "You'd like her, the two of you are soon similar in nature and opinion that it's like you were separated birth."

"Was it she that taught you how to fight?"

"Some." I shrugged, as we started to venture back into the city on our own accord. "My family of course, a few instructors, Aragorn has taken up the task for now."

"He is good to take up that responsibility." Eowyn nodded, her gaze falling to her hands.

"He's risen to a lot of challenges." I agreed, thinking back to when he had accepted Gandalf's order to protect Theoden and Rohan. "I hope he has an easier time with everything the future. The Valar should know he has earned it."

After a pause I asked. "Do you think I'm ready to fight? In a battle, should there be one?"

"I should think you'd be able." She nodded. Those words were a comfort. "So long as you keep your mind unclouded by fear."

Those words were less comforting.

"Brilliant." I sighed. Fear, my seemingly inescapable weakness. I had too gentle a nature, sitting with my books in quiet corners, to not be afraid of dangers in the world.

"Don't worry, with any luck I'll be fighting along with you." Eowyn noted my discomfort.

"You are unafraid?"

She nodded. "I have learned to be unafraid of death."

"How?" And I waited for the secret of such spirited, brave lives to be told.

"Death is but the end of one thing. After death there is no pain, no suffering. We Men must all die eventually, mortality was our gift from the Valar so we could decide our own fates. The end may come sooner than we like, but we chose how we die." She grinned. "Death is the price of Men's freedom, I would be but paying my debt."

We parted soon after, and I fought to accept death as a natural phenomenon. Eowyn's words mixed with worries for my family and thoughts of pain, and the promise of safe, thick walls at Helm's Deep.

In the end, I fell asleep that night wondering how I would part from the world, what my fate would be.

Eowyn's speech comes from mythology described in the Silmarillion. It turns out death was actually supposed to be gifted to Men (even though immortality sounds much cooler) because that gave them the freedom to choose whatever path they wanted in life. This is why elves are so connected to nature and practically all of them are good. Somehow their fate is tied to the earth so when the earth is at peace, they are at peace and when the world is in peril they go off and fight. Men get to have choices...but they have to die.