Denethor POV
"So, tell me Imrahil, how are our defenses? Are there any things I need to solve right now?"
"I can only tell you about the east side of the first level. How it is in the other areas I do not know for certain."
Imrahil does not know? How? Imrahil is in charge, right? He should know. So why can he not? There is only one thing he can think of. Imrahil split command up because the entire level would be too much for him. It is no surprise where it the case. Overseeing the defenses of the entire level is impossible considering the siege. So who knows what the situation is in the other areas of the first level?
"Who do I need to ask about the remainder of the first level."
"That would be Mithrandir. He oversaw everything on the west side."
"Is that so?"
He turns toward Mithrandir. Mithrandir would not be someone he would give the command. He would never give an Istari any sort of command over his men. Never. Not after his experiences with Saruman. It made it clear to him that Istari should not be trusted. But Imrahil does trust Mithrandir and was the one in charge. So Imrahil made the decisions. He cannot begin to fault Imrahil for his decisions. There is simply a difference in opinion.
Looking at Imrahil, he is met with a knowing smile. He narrows his eyes. What did Mithrandir see that warranted this expression? Mithrandir's smile deepens. He nearly growls. He does not like it and wants to change Mithrandir's thoughts. To do so, he raises an eyebrow. All in an attempt to get Mithrandir to answer his question. Hearing a sigh, he is pleased to know he will now get an answer.
"Yes, Lord Denethor, I did indeed oversee the west side."
"Then you will explain the state of the defenses there. But first, Imrahil, you will explain what you know. And I want to know everything which is happening. And what has happened."
"Of course."
He nods. It is not like he expected any other response. He did not ask anything. He gave an order. Something everyone would have understood. But before Imrahil talks about that there is something else he needs answers to. Something more pressing.
"Imrahil, start by explaining why you are here right now. What reason is the reason for that."
He looks expectedly at Imrahil. He would have thought they would be closer to the first level. Or on the first level. It is something he would have thought to be wiser. They would have a better view of the battlefield there. It is something he would prefer to do. Even if it would be dangerous. He wants to have a good view of the battlefield regardless of the risks it presents to him.
"We are here because it offers the best place to discuss strategies and tactics. There is less of a chance we will need to stop from time to time. No attacks from orcs manage to reach us here. In the first level, I have had situations where arrows reached over the wall and into groups. For those groups, it did not matter if they were inside buildings. Some were always hit.
"But as for the first level, the fighting has been dreadful there. We managed to hold the orcs out. But only just. I do not know how much longer we can keep it up. You should know that most of the first level has been destroyed. That creates even greater risks to the men."
"Not surprising. I could hear some of the things going on from the citadel. And nothing I could hear sounded good. Also, I could see the war machines of Mordor while combing here. It makes your struggle understandable. You are highly outnumbered."
"That is true. Those machines and the overwhelming numbers of orcs make the situation dreadful."
He nods. There is nothing he can say against it. He knows how dreadful such a situation can be for defenders. He has seen it before. No matter how much he might despise the situation, it is good to know it. He turns his head towards Mithrandir. Before he can say anything, Mithrandir speaks up.
"Lord Denethor? You should know the situation on the west side is not much different. The difference is that I have even fewer men available than Imrahil has."
He narrows his eyes. He did not give Mithrandir permission to speak just yet. Still now, he knows the situation as it is on the first level. Not that he likes the information Mithrandir provided any more than he did Imrahil's.
Looking at down, he wants to consider everything he learned in detail. It is only now that he notices that he stands before a table. On the table lies a map of the first level. Looking at it, he knows he needs to decide what he will do. More specifically, he needs to decide what the best course of action is. But the map interests him more. On it, he can see how many men are where and where the orcs are.
"Is this map accurate?"
"Yes, Denethor. This map is accurate. The orcs have not moved too much. Or at least they have not since I checked it about thirty minutes ago. So, have you made a decision yet?"
"No, I have not made a decision yet. Are there enough men available."
Maybe with this information, he can make a plan. Even if he will have to change it later. He knows from experience that it is better to act on an initial plan than on no plan at all. Besides, plans are always changed. No matter the situation. No plan has ever lasted through an entire battle.
He looks Imrahil in his eyes. Sadness can be seen there. He bites his lips already not liking what he will hear. Again news which he does not want to hear or even needs.
"As of this time, barely. But it should not become any worse. Only a small amount of more problems and the men will not be enough."
He nods. There is nothing else he can do. He sighs. He will have to work with what he has. And what he knows. Not a prospect he looks forward to. Turning his attention back to the map, he considers what to do and what he knows.
"The orcs are here in large numbers. It makes a long time defense difficult. Even a short time defending the city will be a hard task. Whatever we do will not be an easy task."
"I know, Denethor, but I have hope we can hold out long enough for Rohan to offer us support."
Denethor nearly groans out loud. Why does Imrahil bring Rohan up again? He has already talked about Rohan with him. How can Imrahil still hope to hold out until Rohan reaches them? How? Looking at Imrahil, he narrows his eyes before speaking his mind.
"And when will Rohan be here? When? You know how dangerous the roads are. It will take Theoden a long time to reach us. If he received my call for aid, that is. And if he manages to do reach us in time, I wonder if he still has a large enough force behind him."
"We should hope for it, Lord Denethor. You know I was in Rohan before coming here. The entire Éored is in Edoras. I am confident Theoden King will call for the muster of the rides once he receives your message."
Did they not listen to him? He told them already what he thinks about it. The force with which Theoden leaves will not matter if he cannot bring a large part of it to Minas Tirith. And that is also the problem which exists. He looks at them. Neither man reacts and they should; they look determined. Well, he will have to remind them.
"If they manage to get through then we might have a chance, Mithrandir. Yes, that is true. But only if Theoden does not lose many of his men. And that is a real possibility of occurring. But let us not focus on Rohan. They might come to our aid but we should focus on what we can do. We on our own. So, ... what can we do?"
"We could pull back to the second level."
"I do not think it is so severe yet, Imrahil. We still have time and should not retreat until the last moment to do so."
"Oh, I agree with you. I only informed you about the option we had. One I do not like. Nor deem appropriate at this time."
"Then why did you offer it?"
Imrahil does not answer. Denethor narrows his eyes. Oh, he can make some guesses why Imrahil offered it. Like wanting to have all options on the table. Or wanting the least appropriate option handled first. It does not matter. He should focus on the matter on hand. Like what options they have to deal with the situation. So he turns his head back to the map.
"What other option do we have?"
"We could move more men to the first level to strengthen the line there."
He nods. That sounds like a reasonable solution. Looking around, he finds a list with the location of the troops in the city. A glance and he knows this option is no longer reasonable. It is a great option. He can pull some men from the other levels to protect the first. And creating any risks.
"Lord Denethor, if I may? I would like to make a suggestion."
"Yes, Imrahil? What is your suggestion?"
He lifts his head. Imrahil is biting his lip and looking uncertainty around. What idea does Imrahil have? And why the reluctance to give it? He frowns. Imrahil's reaction does not evoke confidence in the idea. Imrahil does not speak up. And because he wants to know which strange idea Imrahil has, he lifts an eyebrow. This evokes a quick reaction.
"It is a bold idea, Denethor. I have to admit it. Instead of waiting here, we can take the fight to them."
"What do you mean to say?"
"We can use our cavalry to break through the lines of orcs in front of the city."
His eyes widen. This idea must be the night of [foolishness]. It will not serve anyone. No, it will only create more problems than there are already. Why, oh why does Imrahil want to create more problems. He should be solving them not creating them. He sighs. Imrahil seems to have a death wish. And they thought he was not in his right mind earlier. He shakes his head. It all makes no sense to him. Still, there is only one way he can react.
"Imrahil, have you lost your mind? You would be sending those men to their deaths. What purpose would it serve? That idea is the height of [foolishness]."
"It would be better than keeping the cavalry stuck in the city. They are getting restless. Just like their horses. They want to ride out in the field and not be stuck here in Minas Tirith."
"Oh, if you know them that well why have you not given them the permission already?"
He narrows his eyes. Oh, he has an idea why Imrahil has not given the order. But he wants to hear it from Imrahil. Turning his head to Mithrandir, he scowls. Mithrandir's amusement annoys him to no end. It is not why they are here right now. There are other things which are more important than amusing Mithrandir. He sighs and turns his head. As he does so, he taps his fingers on the table. Imrahil is quick to pick up on his unspoken order.
"Because I know that is a decision I cannot make. Only you can do that."
"Yes, only I can permit the cavalry to ride out. So for your information, I refuse. The only thing I will do is strengthen our lines. If that does not work then maybe I will allow the cavalry to ride out. But only afterward. Not now."
"Of course. You make the decision. We will follow you no matter what you decide to do."
Minas Tirith
He nods. Imrahil is sufficiently abashed right now. How could he even think to do something so stupid? He does not know nor does it make any sense to him. But one other thing [interests] him; Will Imrahil follow him no matter what he decides? He highly doubts it. Imrahil might follow him but Mithrandir would never follow him. Especially if Mithrandir thinks he makes a bad decision. He knows the reputation of the Istari. They do what they deem necessary no matter what someone else might decide to do.
He sighs. No matter how annoying he mind find Mirthrandir, he will now have to work with him. For as long as he can. And that means he has to give orders.
"Imrahil, there are some citadel guards who came down with me. I do not need them. Take four of them with you. Mithrandir, you take the other two. Any man you find who has not joined the guards you drag with you. From now on every capable man will defend the city. Pass out all the weapons you have."
He looks at both men in their eyes. He cannot fail now. Faramir needs him. If he fails then he has failed his son. But he knows he will not only fail his son for he will also fail Gil. He remembers being in the Reunited Kingdom. He remembers Gil ruling. He cannot fail. The kingdoms will be reunited. He will do all he can to ensure it for he saw it in existence. Even if it is the last thing he will do.
Imrahil nods and so does Mithrandir. Imrahil looks at him with concern and Mithrandir with interest. Can they tell what he is feeling? He shakes his head. They must know something is pressing him. It would be difficult to hide anyway. So, he does not mind. All he does is nod and both men leave. He looks at the map once more. Now it is time for him to make good on the promises he made to himself. Taking a deep breath, he walks towards the first level. Guards following close behind him.
A short while later, Denethor enters the first level. He has his sword drawn just in case. Not that he expects to use it. He just does not want to be caught unaware. He wants to be prepared for anything which may happen. In front of him, his guards walk. They also have their swords drawn. He smiles amused. No one wants to be caught unaware.
Well, no one? Not really. They are the only ones holding their swords. No one else does. So only they consider the danger of the first level. He shakes his head. He will not be responsible if they get themselves killed due to their stupidity.
He walks on for a moment before reluctantly sheeting his swords. There is no active fighting here. Holding his sword is unnecessary. It might create more problems and nervousness around him than there already is. It is something he wants to avoid. Without a sword in his hand, he finds time to consider what is going on around him. Men stand on the walls. Nearly all of them are archers. The other men stand divided; some on the walls, others in the first level.
Suddenly he hears the sound of metal hitting metal. He looks around. Around him swords are unsheeted. Where did the sound come from? It is then he notices what happens on the walls; a fight has broken out. Orcs managed to set foot in the city. His hands move to his sword upon seeing it. Unsheeting it, he hurries forward just as orcs run down the stairs from the walls.
He increases his speed and plunges into the fighting. Time passes without notice. His mind solely focused on the fighting. He blocks attacks and attacked back. He tries to kill any orc coming close to him. Sometimes it succeeds, other times it fails. But regardless, the orcs die. If not on his hands then on the hands of his guards.
Suddenly, a sword passes next to him nearly hitting him. A body drops on the ground. Turning around, he sees a citadel guard standing in front of an orc. The orc has the sword still in his chest. Another sword passes next to his face. He moves, pulls out his dagger, and pushes it into the orc's neck. Pulling the dagger out, the orc drops to the ground dead.
Turning around, he focuses on all the orcs around him. Those require his attention. They need to leave the city. He will not let them defile it. He will not let the future he saw be undone. Narrowing his eyes, he plunged into the horde of orcs. Guards close on his heels.
Fighting continues even after dark. As time passes, weariness seeps into his bones. He fights his way to a more quiet area. There he leans against the building. He needs to rest.
"My lord, are you alright?"
Turning his head, he is met with the captain who looks worriedly at him. Looking around, he spots the other guards. They have taken up strategic positions around him. Looking back at the captain, he sees the worry has not left. He sighs. He now needs to answer the captain even though he does not want to. Well, that just means he will keep his explanations to the bare minimum.
"I am fine, captain. Only tired."
"Then let us accompany you back to the citadel so you can rest."
"No! The furthest I will go is the second level. There should be enough room there for me to rest."
The captain stares at him and looks like he will refuse. He narrows his eyes. The captain gulps before nodding quickly. He returns it and walks back to the second level smiling. It still amuses him how fast he can get his men to cower before him. Especially, if he disagrees with their idea. Reaching the second level, he searches for a place to rest. Finding it, he lies down without paying attention to his guards. He knows what they will do.
After sleeping for a few hours, he returns to the first level with his guards closeby. As he enters the sounds he hears make some things clear to him; the fighting has not eased up. No, it has only increased since he left. He sighs. He had hoped it would have eased up right now. Hurrying forward, he plunges back into the fighting. Once again, he fights for hours. He kills many orcs but there seems to be no end to them.
A horn sounds in the distance. The fighting stops all around him. Orcs look around bewildered. Some seem scared. The men on the ground look at each other. From all of them, he cannot get a hint of what the sound means. A hint he receives from the walls where cheering can be heard. It is a deafening sound. He hurries up on the wall. Once there, he looks over the fields. His eyes widen in realization; Rohan has come to their aid. Finally. He looks more closely at what he can see.
First level, Minas Tirith
The flags of Rohan whistle in the air. More and more riders arrive on the outskirts of the field. All riders move into formation. They look small to him which is no surprise. They are far removed from the city. In the distance, he can see even more Rohirrim gathering. It looks to him as if Theoden has emptied his land of all men.
Seeing all this, a burden leaves him. He takes a deep breath and is surprised by how easily he can breathe. He did not know there was a tightness in his chest before. He knows they have managed to hold out long enough. Long enough for salvation to come in the form of the Rohirrim. Hope fills him for real now. None of his earlier doubts remain. Gondor has a good chance to survive the siege.
Turning back to the city, he sees fighting occurring. He can hear no sound. Everything sounds static. He looks around and sees the fighting happening around him. Guards and warriors protect him. An orc comes upon him from the side. He turns to defend himself when a body appears in front of the orc. Someone he easily recognizes; one of his citadel guards. The guard and the orc fight for a moment before the orc drops death.
The guard looks at him. He nods. The battle inside the first level is what he should focus on. He does not wait long before plunging back into the fighting. This time, he fights on top of the walls. It does not take long before the fighting abates. He takes a deep breath before looking over the wall. Is this where the orcs went to?
The siege towers remain standing where they are. But the orcs do not. They all flee from the city. Their attention solely focused on Rohan. He can see them forming lines. Turning his head, he sees how orcs are still being killed in the city. So not all of them have been dealt with or have fled. Regardless, he knows his men can handle whatever amount of orcs remain in the city. As such, he turns to the fields once more.
In the distance, Rohan attacks the orcs. Theoden leading the charge. The orc's lines remain. Once the Rohirrim reach those lines, they decimate them. He smiles knowing what this means; victory. Looking around, Imrahil catches his eyes. The desire in Imrahil's eyes is clearly visible. And knowing the situation in the city, he can send out the cavalry. But shall he? No, he will not allow the cavalry to ride. Not without him. They will only ride when he joins them.
"Prepare my horse! Tell the cavalry to prepare! I want to ride out in ten minutes!"
Behind him, sounds increase. He hears his order being relayed. Looking to his side, he sees Imrahil has not moved far. Imrahil still looking at him. When their eyes meet, he receives a smile. He nods in return. Moments later, Imrahil leaves the wall in a hurry.
Following Imrahil's path, he sees the cavalry assembling in the courtyard. Horses trample around. Knights running to their horse and jumping on. Others checking their gear. In the distance, he can see his horse arriving.
Looking over the wall once more, he sees Rohan fighting. His eyes narrow. He will ride out soon. He will meet Theoden in the fields. Even if it is the last thing he will do.