As the hoard gradually became closer to the stronghold of stone Kail inadvertently found herself thinking of every regret that came to mind. Amongst some years-old ones there were some new scattering about her thoughts in a jumbled heap too displaced to follow any intelligent string of consciousness.
She regretted not saying 'I love you' to her parents more often than she should have before their passing, seeing her limited amount of friends more often before her disappearance, not searching Malen out before the battle began –she didn't even know where he was stationed – and making sure he was alright. She thought of Margaret Greenway and how she never even gave the woman a chance to tell her story, hell, she even regretted stealing her table mate's sucker back in the first grade and putting a tack on her angry 9th grade teacher's desk chair.
All these regrets and more flowed through her mind in a matter of milliseconds as her glassy emerald eyes trained on the advancing enemy with dread, but here was one that stuck out like a sore thumb; that one regret that spoke louder and more frequent than the others. It had to do with a certain Elf Prince to her left that currently gripped his bow before him with a mask of calm and expert hands steady. The pain of her regret ate away at her chest in a way she never thought possible to bear and as hard as she tried to resist it and focus on the battle at hand she could not stop the terrible feeling from spreading to her taut bones.
Her worst regret was not telling Legolas the three most important and sincere words she would ever speak. One or both of them might be dead before the sun rose and yet she still could not bring her lips to move or her vocal cords to obey her brain's command. If he were to die tonight and she miraculously somehow survive she would forever feel the pain of never telling the Elf of her dreams that she loved him more than her heart or mind were able to comprehend and all because of her pathetic fear of rejection.
The Uruk-hai were now mere yards from the stone walls before them and Kail brought herself out of her depressing thoughts just in time to hear Aragorn holler another Elvish command. "Tangado a chadad!"
The Elves joined the Men of Rohan in stringing their bows and aiming down below to the Uruks on the mud covered ground their sharp spears pointed before them. The Elves didn't finch, thousands of years of practice and battle experience being put to the test and pushed to their limits.
"Faeg i-varv... dîn na lanc a nu ranc," she heard Legolas say beside her and she knew he wasn't speaking to her, but to their fellow Elves and she suppressed her curiosity at what he had said. She chanced a quick glance to her left and though his features were a mask of calm alertness, she had detected the nervousness in his tone as he spoke.
"Leithio i philinn!" Aragorn shouted again and no sooner than the words leaving his lips did Kail feel her wet hair whip around her as the arrows were released and aimed true at the enemy below. Countless Uruks fell, but more poured over their fallen comrades and it almost seemed like none were shot down at all.
"Did they hit anything?" she heard Gimli taunt, but the Dwarf was ignored.
Hardly a moment later she heard the Men's command to fire and another volley of arrows was sent towards Saruman's army, most arrows hitting their mark as the Elves prepared another arrow. Aragorn cried another command and another moment passed and she felt another round of arrows fly past her, this time joined by the Elves' arrows from behind the wall. More Uruk's fell, but just as before the ones still standing continued to advance.
"Send them to me! Come on!" Gimli growled loudly, shaking his axe in front of him for emphasis and Kail had to admit she felt the same growing battle adrenaline rise inside of her. Gripping Ithilwen's handle tightly in her right hand she waited for the moment she would unsheath it and finally join the battle.
More arrows continued to fly, the Elves' quick movements allowing their arrows to be fired with amazing accuracy and aim, but unfortunately there were so many Uruks that not even the Elves could keep up with the wave that gradually came closer to the stone structure they stood upon. They were close enough now to fire their own arrows and Kail had just enough time to spot their crossbows being loaded and prepared to fire. Just as the trigger was pulled and the arrow went sailing towards them, Kail dodged to the left only heart stopping milliseconds before the black stick of wood flew past where her head had just been. Her heart pounded dangerously loud in her chest as she gasped in relief.
Unfortunately a few of her fellow Elves were not as lucky and as more arrows left the Uruks' crossbows Elves fell to their backs or over the stone ledge with a cry of pain, an arrow lodged deep into their chests, heads or necks. She wasn't given time to dwell on the pain that their deaths caused in her chest because a few small waves rippled amongst the army below and before she could fully comprehend what was happening black ladders were being lifted from the ground.
"Pendraith!" Aragorn yelled, spotting the wooden contraptions as well and Kail, with more excitement than she should have possessed, drew her blade with her eyes trained on the raising ladders.
"Good!" Gimli grinned, heaving his own axe and taking a step away from the wall.
"Swords! Swords!"
Dropping or putting their bows back into their quivers the Elves followed the command almost in unison and drew their shining silver blades just as the tops of the ladders reached the top of the stone ledge and Uruk-hai began pouring over onto even ground with their enemy. A ladder that bore only one Uruk was placed on the ledge before Gimli and as it jumped off its rungs to attack the Dwarf's axe was heaved and he let out a roar of a battle cry that Kail remembered from Moria.
Not long after the first wave of Uruks to pour over the stone Kail found herself in a clashing battle with one rather small but agile creature. It had very little armour aside from its helmet, but it was quick and she found herself having a difficult time catching and gutting the black skinned sorry excuse of a life form. Though her silver blade nicked it a few times she found her heavy swings were getting her nowhere and decided a change in tactics was in order.
Taking a slow deep breath, she allowed her body to relax somewhat and almost instantly her movements became easier and more swiftly delivered, managing to keep up with the Uruk. A sick grin spread on her lips in satisfaction when Ithilwen finally struck true and a deep oozing gash was torn through the creature's chest and it fell to the stone beneath it a moment later with a gurgle of death leaving its disgusting parted lips. She had little time to bask in her victory until she was attacked again.
The battle became a blur to her as she stabbed, sliced, dodged, kicked and punched and though she was hardly becoming tired thanks the the adrenaline rush coursing through her recently aquired Elven veins and she was beginning to think the flow of Uruks was never ending. She had lost track of her friends during the fray, but she was reassured with the random glimpse or two of Aragorn and the taunts she could hear being thrown back and forth between Legolas and Gimli. Heart throbbing and muscles tight with concentration of battle, Kail had to try her hardest to ignore the death of the Elves, and Men, all around her and focus solely on defeating as many Uruk-hai as she possibly could. The only thing that kept her grip from sliding off the hilt of Ithilwen from all the Uruk-hai blood was her determination to see her friends at the end of the battle.
That hope was dwindled when an explosion rocked the wall of stone in a terrible shock and it took most of Kail's concentration to stay standing. The distraction gave her a chance to thrust her sword into the Uruk she was facing's chest, swinging around after to catch a glimpse of what had happened. Large chunks of the stone wall flew in the air, taking some soldiers with them and a plume of dust and smoke rose from what was no doubt a bomb of some sort. Dread filled the Human turned Elf and she pleaded that none of her friends had been on that section of the wall when it had been blown to pieces.
She didn't have time to think of it further because another Uruk had spotted her and raised its black sword to strike. With an angry growl Kail easily spun around, the sharp edge of her blade slicing at the creature's stomach and before she even saw it hit the ground dead she turned and raced through the crowd Uruks and Elves in search of her friends, dodging swords and fists as she went. Reaching the edge of the destruction of the wall she didn't have enough time to leap forward and stop Gimli from jumping of the side and to the ground where there were hundreds of Uruk-hai waiting.
"Gimli!" she cried at the same time as Aragorn who she spotted already on the ground and behind what remained of the wall with the rest of the Elves. Her eyes were wide with shock and before she had a chance to jump off after the Dwarf she felt a hand grasping her arm to stop her.
"Nay, My Lady!" shouted Haldir, holding her arm firmly and pulling her back away from the edge and Kail looked at him pleadingly even as Aragorn gave more orders for the Archers to fire upon the Uruks that had submerged Gimli under the water that spilled between the gap of stone. "You will meet your death if you go down there."
"But those are my friends! I have to help!" she protested attempting to wrench her arm from the March Warden's, but he held firm.
"You can still help from above," he assured her and the next thing Kail knew he was thrusting his bow and quiver into her hands with a meaningful expression. "I trust your aim is fair?"
"Fair enough," she replied and Kail stared at him for only a moment before she nodded and strapped the light as a feather quiver onto her back with his help. No sooner than had they fastened the last buckle they were attacked by the recovered Uruk-hai from the blast. Lifting his sword the blonde haired Elf defended them from oncoming attacks while leading her through the throng of enemies to get to a better vantage point for her to shoot. She helped slice through their enemies with Ithilwen until the Lothlórien Elf finally stopped at a section of the ledge and nodded to her.
Though Aragorn had led the Elves on the ground into the battle and seemed to be doing just fine, Kail had taken Haldir's advice and shot arrows as best as she could from upon the wall and even if her aim wasn't the greatest most of her arrows hit their mark as Haldir defended her back. It wasn't until she had run out of arrows did she draw Ithilwen again and help Haldir with the flow of Uruk-hai that seemed to start becoming too much for the limited amount of Elves left on the wall with them.
She only glanced away once in a while to the ground to look for Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to make sure they were alright and each time felt a wave of relief when she found them holding their own. She wanted to go down and help them on the ground, but Haldir needed her help on the wall. He didn't say as much, but the look in his eyes when he glanced at her told her she needed to stay, that her friends were fine and could take care of themselves.
But there were just so many. The attacks never seemed to end and every time they cut down one foe, another was immediately there to replace it. Kail felt as if it was never going to end, but she kept her arms swinging, her feet moving and her head ducking. She had a few cuts and scrapes, but they were nothing she couldn't handle even as the Orc blood that coated her face, hands and tunic stung them as it reached the open wounds.
Just as she thought there was no end in sight she heard King Théoden's booming voice echo through the night and rain that had lessened to a light dribble. "Aragorn! Fall back to the keep!" He yelled. "Get your men out of there!"
Immediately following the order Kail was relieved to hear the Ranger's voice shout, "Nan Barad! Nan Barad!" She couldn't tell if anyone was heading his orders because the next thing she knew an Uruk was upon her and Haldir and together they slashed and hacked, the creature falling dead at their feet. "Haldir!" The Elf turned, acknowledging Aragorn's call, leaving Kail to swiftly strike down another black creature. "Nan Barad! " Kail saw the blonde nod out of the corner of her eye before he shouted some orders to his remaining troops in Elvish.
Kail turned when Haldir gave her a nod to do just the same and she turned and cut down an Uruk that was in her way and moved only a few feet from her comrade attempting to clear a path for them to reach the gates to safety. It was just as her foe fell to the ground that she heard a gasp and yelp of pain amongst the clattering of armour and clashing of swords. Immediately turning she watched as a hunched over Haldir stabbed the Uruk-hai that had sliced through the side of his belly.
Letting out a shriek Kail swiftly turned around and her feet led her back to the Elf as fast as they could take her, shouting his name in fear when she spotted another creature behind him raise its sword above its head to strike down. Haldir didn't seem to notice the beast behind him and even if he had he wouldn't have been able to fight back in his weak state or without his sword as it had fallen from his grasp after dispatching his last enemy. Everything almost seemed to move in slow motion as Kail's feet left the stone beneath her and she leapt at the black creature behind her friend, ramming it into the ledge beside them.
The Uruk howled in surprise and pain as it hit the hard stone, its sword falling from its grasp as Haldir fell forward to his knees. Just as Kail and the creature fell to the ground beside him, she rolled away and raised her sword, giving out a cry of anger as she brought it back down to sever its head from its body in a clean cut, black blood oozing out onto the stone.
Dropping her sword next to her Kail turned her attention back to the March Warden that had been her battle partner for the past however long since the explosion. kneeling beside his slumped body with held back tears she grabbed his shoulders a little rougher than she should have and turned him over hoping he was still alive even as she ignored the battle around her. She let out a sigh of relief when he let out a choked cough as she turned him onto his back and placed her index and middle finger at his throat to check for a pulse. Letting a smile grace her lips she had to resist the urge to hug him as Aragorn approached.
"Haldir!" he shouted, his blood stained brows furrowed as he too dropped to his knees beside their friend.
Haldir let out another choke and Kail hushed him with a shake of her head. "Don't speak, you'll just hurt more," she ordered then turned her head to look at the Ranger. "We need to get him out of here."
Aragorn immediately nodded and without a word rose to his feet while helping her lift the injured Elf to his, but a group of Uruk-hai were upon them as soon as Kail had picked her sword back up, sheathed it and lifted Haldir's arm over her shoulders to help him walk. Releasing his other arm Aragorn leapt at them slicing away and driving them back before punching out another one as it tried climb off a ladder nearby and onto the wall. Wrapping an arm around the side of it he spared Kail a glance.
"Go, Kail!" he shouted right before pushing off from the wall.
"Aragorn, no!" she yelled back eyes wide, but it was too late. Her friend pushed off the stone and back down to the black mass below. Mentally cursing the Man, Kail lifted the injured Elf's arm higher on her shoulder, thankful that Elves were lighter than Men and grumbling to herself as she tried as quickly as she could to lead Haldir through the hoard of Uruk-hai and Elves around them.
It was nothing less than a miracle that they reached the gate that would provide some cover for at least little while and as the soldiers guarding the door ushered them inside she couldn't help but wonder if Legolas and Gimli were alright. Aragorn had just jumped back into the fight so she had no idea how that would turn out either.
Shaking her head and her brows creased with worry she lead Haldir to the Healing Ward, thanking her lucky stars that it was close and lay him on one of the beds amongst the very few still unconscious patients. As his back hit the stiff cushion of the mattress Haldir let out another cough and though Kail could tell he was in pain she was thankful that there was no blood dripping from his mouth. That meant it wasn't too deep to cause internal bleeding, but deep enough to hurt like a motherfucker.
"You still with me, Buddy?" she asked with a smile while placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Through his pain the Elf gave her a confused look. "Of course, Lady Kail. You brought me here," he replied and Kail couldn't help but chuckle.
"What I meant to ask was if you're still conscious so I'll take that as a yes." Her smile faltered slighty when she looked down at the blood seeping into the mattress and reached over to pull the ruined part of his armour away from the large wound. It was very unfortunate that armour barely covered the sides of one's body, Kail thought as she pulled away fabric and slid his chest plate to the side, but mobility was a must and some areas had to be sacrificed.
Reaching over to the side table, she lifted a small dagger and brought it to his red cloak that he wore, lifting her eyes apologetically to his. "Sorry about this, but I need to stop the bleeding," she said softly and the Elf gave a light nod before she cut into the fabric and ripped a large chunk off to roll up and place at his wound. Ripping off another long strip she proceeded to wrap it around his waist, over her makeshift bandage and tie it tightly to put pressure on the bundle.
Throughout the ordeal Haldir hardly made a sound beside a choked gasp of pain, but when she was finished he let out a relieved sigh and opened his eyes to look at her. "Thank you," he rasped out.
Kail shook her head in reply. "Don't thank me yet, you're not completely healed," she replied.
"But were it not for you I would be dead," he countered and Kail felt an embarrassed blush rise on her cheeks. "You should go."
"What? But you're hurt and-"
"They need you more than I," he interrupted softly. "The battle is not yet won."
Heaving a sigh, Kail nodded sadly knowing he was right. The battle was far from over and their odds now were even more slim than when they started and they needed all the help they could get. "Are you going to be alright? I can whip up a quick herbal analgesic to numb the pain," she offered, but the March Warden shook his head.
"Go," he insisted and Kail gave another reluctant nod before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, ignoring the blood and dirt that was plastered on his skin. Straightening she gave a small smile at his somewhat shocked expression before standing and grabbing a key from a table near the door as she approached it. As she exited the room she gave Haldir a reassuring smile that didn't reach her eyes and when she closed and locked the door, she stuffed the iron key into one of the pockets of her tunic. If the Uruk-hai broke past their defenses and took the fortress they were as good as dead, but she hoped locking them out would at least protect them for a little while longer.
As soon as she exited and the key was hidden, Kail dashed toward the main hall where she assumed all the survivors were holing up to mull over a strategy. She just hoped the Uruks hadn't broken through that barrier yet.
Valar help us, she silently pleaded.