Chapter 40: The Glittering Caves
Back at Helm's Deep… the refugees that were camping behind the Deeping Wall were led into the Glittering caves by the soldiers. The villagers gathered their provisions that they brought with them from their homes. Max was assisted the Rohan soldiers to bring the people into the caves.
"Move back! Move to the caves!" the soldiers ordered as they were picking up some of the old men that were with them, "keep moving! Quickly now!"
But among the women… only one of them disagreed with being sent underground…
"My Lord! Trent!" Tori cried out as she ran towards Trent, who was making plans for reserves to be placed along the wall to support the archers from above the gate. Dustin was with him.
Tori stopped in front of Trent and complained indignantly, "I'm to be sent with the women into the caves."
"That is an honorable charge," Trent told her quietly and fervently.
"To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return," replied Tori in agitation, "what renown is there in that?"
My lady," reasoned Trent, "a time may come for valor without renown. Who then will your people look to in the last defense?"
Unwilling to listen, Tori reproached, "…I've heard that you've had women travel with you… also a young boy who wants to fight as much as you do. And they're letting young men into this fight, so why should I be any different from them…?
"…Let me stand at your side, Trent," ended Tori, desperately.
Tori grimaced in distaste in her breath, hearing Trent's excuses.
"Only Théoden can release you from his service… so it is not in my power to command you to fight with us," finished Trent uncomfortably, as he turned away from Tori…
"You do not command the others to stay, whether they were in one or the other's service or not!" Tori contemptuously called out to Trent as he turned back to her, "they fight beside you because they would not be parted from you…
"…Because they love you," concluded Tori, with flashing eyes and a hint of despair in her voice.
Trent looked at Tori sympathetically, with blinking eyes. He had begun to guess that Éowyn's feelings toward him were stronger than he had thought or realized, from just hearing her last statement.
Tori became horrified as she had just realized that she spoke a little too much about her feelings. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically… and quickly hurried off, brushing past Dustin in haste to make her escape.
The Glittering caves of Aglarond were a place of wonders, vast and beautiful. Where everything sparkled gloriously, there were small pools of fresh water all around them. Max, helping to assist the people into the caves, looked around, admiring their great beauty, feeling that it would be a most suitable place for a company of Dwarves to dwell in and pay gold for a brief glance. Tori, with sword hidden, tied her hair back, believing that she may get her chance to fight off against Saruman's Uruk-Hai.
Soldiers moved around the cave, taking old men from their clinging wives and strong boys from their crying mothers, being drafted for war to help defend the keep.… as the women and children said their painful, tearful and very reluctant farewells to their fathers, husbands, and sons that were led away by the troops. Some, to many of the women and children in the caves felt… that their loved ones would never return from the battle that will take place…
They were taken back into the fortress, to the armory and were given helmets, armor, and weapons. Trent, Max, and Dustin were in the armory as well, observing the number of drafted people willing, or unwilling, to fight this dangerous battle. They watched the desperate arming of old men and boys. Trent picked up a battered sword, looked at it for a moment, then tossed it back onto the pile.
farmers, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers." Trent concurred, in exasperation.
"Most have seen too many winters," Max added his observations.
"Or too few," said Dustin.
That last remark made the people in the armory fall silent. Dustin walked off away from everyone by himself and turned around in frustration.
"…Boe a hûn (…and they should be)…" Dustin went on, switching to Elven…
"… neled herain (…three hundred)…
"… dan caer menig (…against ten thousand)?"
Trent knew of what Dustin speaks, but replied with reason, "Si beriathar hýn amar nâ ned Edoras (They have a better chance defending themselves here than in Edoras)."
"Trent," Dustin countered, "nedin dagor hen ú-'erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer (They cannot win this fight. They are all going to die)!"
"Then I shall die as one of them!" Trent reproached Dustin loudly as he stalked angrily towards the elf.
Afterwards, he turned and strode away from the armory. Dustin wanted to go after Aragorn… but was held back by Max.
"Let him go, lad," advised Max, "…let him be."
"Dustin's made it clear that he wants to fight and die with these people," added Saito, "we cannot make him decide otherwise. And besides, there are times like this when all people are ready and willing to fight and die for their beliefs,