The refugees of Edoras were traveling through the plains of Rohan toward their destination and a place where they could be safe : Helm's Deep. Kopa and Vitani were walking side by side with Eothain, Freda and Ioreth on their backs while the rest of their comrades were riding with either King Theoden or Lady Eowyn. Speaking of the King's niece, she was walking beside Gimli who was on a horse. The two of them were chatting to each other.
" It's true you don't see many Dwarf women... And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, they are often mistaken for Dwarf men !" Gimli chuckled as he spoke to Eowyn who listened with an amused smile on her face. Then she turned her head to look at Aragorn who whispered softy so the Dwarf wouldn't hear " It's the beards ! " he even made an imaginative beard with his hand to prove his point.
The King's niece shushed Isildur's heir while trying to contain her laughter. The two Lions , who were walking beside Aragorn, shared an amused glance while the kids on their backs giggled softy but not loud enough for Gimli to hear. The say Dwarf was still talking to Eowyn without noticing their amusement " And this in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women... And the Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground !"
As he said those words, Gimli waved his hands to emphasize his story which caused the King's niece to laugh out loud along with the Dwarf. Kopa himself couldn't hide his amusement and laughed as well while his mate snickered out-loud. On their backs, the three kids were laughing to their heart content especially Freda and Ioreth.
Kopa, seeing this, grinned mischievously before glancing at his mate " Watch this..." then he approached the Horse Gimli was riding from behind and the Dwarf was completely unaware of the Lion as he kept talking " Which is of course ridiculous. Whoa !" the last part was a cry as the Brown Maned Lion letted out a soft roar which scared the Horse who took off with a neigh of fright. Gimli went flying off to the ground which caused some of the refugees to gasp in shock, hoping he was okay.
Eowyn, for her part, found it amusing but she quickly rushed forward to help him get back up . "It's all right ! It's all right ! Nobody panic ! That was deliberate ! It was deliberate !" said Gimli as Eowyn was helping him. Behind them, Kopa, Eothain, Freda and Ioreth were laughing loudly. Aragorn ,him, smiled a bit as he tried to contains his laughers. Vitani ,herself, was laughing but still she tried (and failed) to look at her mate with a stern expression on her face "That was immature of you Kopa !" "Come on Tani ! It was to make the kids laughs ! Ow !" he yelped in pain when Vitani punched his shoulder with her paw with a glare.
"I told you before.. Never call me 'Tani' !" "Its not fair ! You let the kids call you with this nickname !" the Brown Maned Lion retorted back with a glare but she didn't bulge. "They are children ! They are allowed..." was her answer. "Fair enough..." Kopa muttered as he walked forward, ignoring the look of amusement coming from Aragorn, Theoden, Legolas , the children and some of the Rohirrim soldiers.
Speaking of the King of Rohan, he was looking at his niece with a smile while riding his horse beside Aragorn's " I have not seen my niece smile in a long time...She was a girl when they brought her father back dead... Cut down by Orcs… She watched her mother succumb to grief..." Theoden began to say which caused Strider to look at Eowyn who looked back at him while brushing some dirt from Gimli , still laughing.
"And she was left alone to tend her king in growing fear... Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father..." Theoden finished with a calm tone still looking at his niece who was still looking at Aragorn as the Ranger was glancing at her with a saddened expression on his face. Smiling at first, it quickly disappeared from her face when she saw the sad look on his.
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Some times later, the refugees and the Rohirrim soldiers were camping around a rather small lake to rest for the coming night. Aragorn, Legolas , Gimli and the two Lions were sitting together when Ewoyn approached the group with a pot of soup in her left hand and spoons in her right one. She seemed to look for someone to give some soup to.
Then she saw Gimli approaching her and she lowered the soup toward him to which he responded in a hurried tone while walking past her " No, I couldn't... I really couldn't ! " Not feeling outraged by this, she turned her attention toward Kopa and Vitani "Hello there , do you want some ?" she asked the two Lions while showing her stew.
"Eowyn, we don't mean any offense but..." Kopa began to say before his mate took over "We are carnivores… We don't really eat stew..." The King's niece seemed a bit sad by their words but she nodded in understanding as she walked away toward Aragorn. "How long it had been since we last ate something ?" The Brown Maned Lion asked his mate who went deep in thought before responding "Well… since Boromir's death… and I know what you think… I DO miss the taste of meat ! I would love a plum zebra right now !"
"And now you are making me hungry..." Kopa muttered to himself but flinched when he received a glare from Vitani. Then the two looked at Aragorn who was talking with Eowyn with a bowl of her soup in his hands. The Lions saw the look on his face and they instantly knew he didn't like the stew but couldn't do anything with Eowyn around. Vitani and Kopa looked at each other before nodding as they made their way toward the two Humans.
"Eowyn ? Can I talk to you ?" The Beige Lioness asked as the Blond Woman turned around to face her "Now ?" "Of course but if you are busy..." "No no no its fine… but what about my stew ?" Eowyn asked her with wide eyes until Aragorn stepped in "Its all right my lady… I will take care of this in your absence..." he had understood what his leonine friends were doing.
The King's niece went deep in thought for a moment but then smiled "Alright then..." Vitani lead her away , leaving Kopa and Aragorn alone. Zira's daughter glanced back at then and saw Aragorn mouthing a 'thank you' which she responded with a nod before walking away. When he was sure Eowyn was away, the Brown Maned Lion glanced at the stew with a raise-brow "Did it taste THAT bad ?" Aragorn glanced at him with an expression which was a mixture of disgust and horror.
Kopa frowned but then smelled the soup before recoiling in disgust. He glanced at Strider who looked at him with an expression which seemed to say 'I told you'. Grunting in annoyance , he watched as Isildur's heir turned around to pour out the soup in the grasses as fast as he could. "Thank to this 'soup' I lost my appetite..." Kopa muttered loud enough for his friend to hear and Aragorn nodded at him with agreement.
Back to Vitani and Ewoyn, the two were chatting calmly to each other. "I heard about your parents… I'm sorry..." The Beige Lioness said to the Blond Woman who sighed deeply in sorrow "Thank you… I miss them… But I have my uncle and brother..." then Eowyn looked at her " What about your family ?" Vitani took a deep breath before answering " My family was kinda strange… My mother was evil and ruthless… my older brother Nuka is dead when we tried to kill Simba..." "Wait you wanted to kill your King ?!" The Blond Woman asked with disbelief and shock "At this time, the Pride was still divided… My mother hated Simba and never saw him as King… she brainwashed some Lionesses to follow her… she trained her own cubs so they would follow in her paw-prints..."
"Its horrible..." Eowyn whispered in shock as her eyes was wide in horror. "I know but in the end everything went back to normal after Zira's death… the two prides were reunited thanks to Kiara and Kovu..." "Who are they ?" the Blond Woman asked her with curiosity "Kovu is my younger brother and Kiara is Kopa's… The two of them are mates and when Simba will retired or die, the two of them would be the next King and Queen of the Pridelands…" Vitani responded calmly but felt a pang on sadness in her heart as she missed the Pride and her home.
"You… Lions... are really lucky ! You don't have to pay for foods, you don't need clothes and you all fight despise your gender ! I envy you…" Eowyn said with a sad sigh. "I know but hey… Do you really see us wearing 'clothes' ?" the Lioness inquired with a playful grin which caused the two of them to burst into laughers. The two were unaware that Theoden was watching them with a smile : he loved seeing his niece happy and had missed this smile he cherished more than anything. Still smiling, he turned around and walked away, leaving the two girls alone.
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The next morning, the refugees packed up before resuming their journey to Helm's Deep. It was not really far now thankfully so they won't have to pass another night in the plains. Kopa and walking side by side with his mate Vitani and between the two of Eothain who wanted to walk for a change. Freda and Ioreth ,for their parts, were laying on Vitani's back but the Lioness didn't complained. In fact, she loved this two especially Ioreth because she was an orphan… Well… Freda and her brother were still orphans until they found their mother… Hopefully, she will be at Helm's Deep and was waiting for them.
Then two Rohirrim Soldiers, known as Hama and Gamling, rode their horses ahead of the caravan, passing near the Lions and Legolas who was in the lead of the column. The Elf watched them riding off to scout the area ahed with a troubled look on his face. "Auntie Tani ? How much further Helm's Deep is ?" Ioreth asked the Beige Lioness who turned her head to look at her " I don't know little one but from what I heard its not far ahead~"
"We will be there before you know it..." Kopa began to say before stopping dead in his track. He smelled the air and his attention turned away from the girl. Then he let out a feral growl " What is it ?" Vitani asked him with concern. "Stay here..." he inquired her as he ran away to who know where. Aragorn , who was not far, looked at the retreating form of Kopa with a frown of confusion "Why is he leaving ?" "I don't know...a moment ago he was fine and then he became angry..." Vitani began to explain when a powerful roar was heard along with cries of surprise and shock.
The roar scared the refugees who looked around worriedly. Aragorn climbed the hill and saw Kopa pinning down a large brown haired wolf-like beast on the ground while Legolas killed an Orc but not before the Ugly Beast letted out a loud screech which echoed in the air. One of the Riders , Hama, was killed. The Brown Maned Lion slashed the Warg's neck with his claws before running away to climb another hill.
"A scout !" Legolas called out to Aragorn before following Kopa. Strider turned around and ran back toward the refugees with a worried look on his face. As he approached, Theoden came forward with his horse after hearing the commotion " What is it? What do you see ?" the King asked him with alarm to which Isildur's heir responded by " Wargs! We are under attack !" Those words caused the crowd to panic as many women and children began to cry out in fear.
All soldiers were alerted as Aragorn ran toward his horse who was near Eowyn. The Blond Woman handled the horse to him and he mounted it just as Theoden called out "All riders to the head of the column !" "C'mon get me up here, I'm a fighter ! Come on !" Gimli said as two Rohirrim soldiers helped him to mount his horse.
Up ahead, Legolas and Kopa ran onto a rock over a hill before looking at the other hillside. Their eyes widened slightly when they saw a large group of Warg Riders coming. The two glanced at each other before nodding in determination. Legolas aimed his bow and began to shoot his arrows while Kopa charged the Wargs with a roar of challenge before pouncing on the closer one.
The King of Rohan then rode up to Eowyn who looked like she was ready to go fight "You must lead the people to Helm's Deep and make haste !" His niece looked back at him with determination " I can fight !" "No !" Theoden said back before adding softy " You must do this...for me" Eowyn looked unsure but soon nodded and turned around just as her uncle called out to his soldiers "Follow me! Argh!" Vitani looked at Eothain, Freda and Ioreth with a worried expression on her face "You three stay with Eowyn !"
"But auntie Tani-" Freda began to say in protest before being stopped by Vitani who said in a hurried tone "Don't be afraid I will be back..." Ioreth then looked at her pleadingly " Promise ?" "Yes I promise now go !" Zira's daughter inquired as she pulled the girls into a hug before glancing at Eothain whispering "Protect them..." he nodded and he and the two ran toward Eowyn.
The Beige Lioness looked at them for a moment before running after the Riders just as Gimli was shouting loudly " Forward, forward, march forward !" the Dwarf was trying to make his horse running in the right direction : in short, the direction of the soon-to-be brawl. Eowyn ,for her part, was leading the remaining Soldiers and the refugees away shouting loudly " Make for the lower ground. Stick together !" Freda, Ioreth and Eothain were by her side , helping as much as they could.
Then the Blond Woman turned around to look at Aragorn who returned the stare. Then the Ranger turned his horse away before running forward along with some Rohirrim Soldiers and Vitani. Ahead of them, Legolas was still shooting his arrows at the upcoming Warg Riders while Kopa had just killed another one with his fangs.
However, the Lion had to admit he was becoming outnumbered. He could take on two Wargs but not a whole pack of them. Then from behind the Elf, appeared the Rohirrims soldiers along with Vitani who rushed forward to pounce at a Warg who was charging her mate from behind. Legolas turned around and grabbed his horse who was approaching him with Gimli riding it before pulling himself around its neck to his saddle.
The Warg Riders then charged the Soldiers who drawled their swords back from their sheaths. The Orcs letted out a battle cry as their Leader raised its hand to signal to attack. Theoden did the same , throwing his sword forward as he and the others charged their enemies. The two parties crashed against each other at full speed and the battle began.
A horse and a Warg collided right into each other which took their riders out. Another Rohirrim threw his spear forward and took out another Warg rider. Legolas fired another arrow straight to another Warg out as it front flips forward to the ground. Rohirrim, and Warg Riders were now all over the place, chasing or being chased ; charging towards each other. Another Rohirrim soldier brings his spear forward and striked the Orc off its mount. Elsewhere a Rohirrim soldier and his horse went down as the Warg stops and turns around. The man attempted to swing his sword but the large wolf-like beast was much faster and pounced on him
Kopa clawed the face of one of the Wargs before pouncing on it and biting its neck, killing it instantly. Vitani , who was not too far behind, was circling another one as the two of them growled to each other threateningly. Gimli cried out as he fell from his horse and his cries caught the attention of Legolas who looked back at the Dwarf but couldn't do anything.
Gimli picked himself up with his axe and before him, a Warg was eating a dead horse. But then the Beast noticed him and growled "Bring your pretty face to my axe !" The Dwarf snarled as he lifted his weapon , ready to strike as the Warg charged him. Then Legolas , still on his horse, appeared and shot an arrow which went through the beast's head, killing it instantly.
Gimli cried out in anger and said in the same tone to the retreating Elf " That one counts as mine !" then he turned around and he just barely dodged another Warg's attack as he brang his axe back before swinging with a battle cry into the side of the beast's face, killing it in the process. Unfortunately for the Dwarf , the Warg right on top of him which caused him to groan out in surprise as he found himself stuck under the creature's weight.
Around him, the fight was still raging on. Kopa had just slashed a Warg's neck with his claws when he saw an Orc charging him from behind. With a growl, he swifly turned around and delivered a powerful blown which sent his attacker flying in the air with claw marks on its chest. Vitani clawed the face of a Warg who was about to kill a Rohirrim Soldier who just fell from his mount. Then she pounced on it before biting its neck.
At the same time, Aragorn cut beheaded an Orc as it passed him while King Theoden cut down another one as a spear went right into the side of a Warg which took it out, sending its rider flying in the process. A Rohirrim pulled back his bow and released an arrow which took down another Warg rider. The same soldier pulled another arrow out when suddenly ,another Warg pounced on him.
" Stinking creature..." Gimli muttered in an annoyed as he pushed the dead body of the Warg off him (or at least trying to) , when suddenly an Orc appeared above the corpse which cause Gimli's eyes to widen in surprise . The Orc raised its dagger to finish him off, but Gimli quickly grabbed its head with his hands before snapping its neck. The body went limp as he fell down right on the Warg, adding more weigh on the Dwarf.
Gimli groaned out in annoyance again at his misfortune. Not too far away, Kopa was roaring in the face of a Warg who snarled back at him before charging. The Brown Maned Lion jumped aside before quickly jumping on the creature's back, pinning him down. Then he raised a claw paw before slashing its neck. Huffing in satisfaction, Kopa stepped away from the corpse but then he saw Gimli trapped under the bodies of a Warg and an Orc.
His eyes widened when he saw another Warg stood above the Dwarf. The Lion was about to rush in and help his friend when Aragorn appeared with a spear in his hand. Then he threw straight to the Wolf-like Beast who added more weigh on the pile of corpse on Gimli who groaned in surprise and Kopa had to laugh because of the expression on his face.
Meanwhile, Theoden blocked an Orc's sword and cut it down before turning to his left as a Warg charges him. He attempted to counter it but was unable to do it in time as it leaped at him. Suddenly , a flash of beige fur, appeared and it pinned the Warg down before slashing its neck, killing it. To Theoden's shock , his savior was none other than Vitani who looked back at him with a neutral expression. The King of Rohan then nodded his head in gratitude and the Beige Lioness nodded back in respect before pouncing on an Orc who was charging her just as Theoden rode away.
Kopa approached Gimli , who was still stuck, with a grin on his face " Need some help partner ?" the Dwarf looked at him with an angry expression but said nothing. Chuckling, Kopa then used his shoulder to lift the corpse up enough for his friend to crawl away before stepping back. Gimli grumbled in annoyance and muttered something as he walked away to find a new opponent, leaving the Brown Maned Lion behind who rolled his eyes muttering out-loud "You are welcome..." then he charged at a Warg who was feasting on a Rohirrim Soldier.
Theoden blocked an Orc's sword before stabbing it right in the stomach. He pulled his sword out before turning around to throw his lame outwards as a Warg appeared from behind him with its mouth open. His sword went right into it and the Warg growled as it tried to get the King of Rohan.
Aragorn was clashing swords with a Warg Rider a few times before finally slashing it across the chest and stabbing it which caused the creature to cry out. But as Aragorn turned, a Warg leaped up and knocked him off his mount before falling on the ground. Thankfully, he quickly recovered and he turned around to see another Warg rider coming straight at him. It was none other that the Leader of the Warg Riders. Strider managed to grab onto the Warg before pulling himself onto its back behind the Orc leader who turned around only to be head-butted by Aragorn.
Sadly, the Beast quickly recovered and punched his opponent on the face, knocking him but Aragorn managed to grab the straps of the saddle to keep himself from falling down but was still bouncing up and down against the ground. Above him, the Orc Leader screeched at him as he pulled out a dagger.
The Beast then tried to kick him off as he attempted to pull himself back up but suddenly Aragorn launched himself upwards and drove the dagger right into the Orc's chest causing it to cry out in pain.
As the Warg kept galloping, Aragorn and his opponent were fighting each other. Soon, Isildur's heir managed to throw the Orc off his mount but his hands were entangled in the straps of Warg's harness. As he worked out to free himself, the Ranger turned his eyes to see that the Wolf-Like Creature was running toward a cliff. At this sight, Strider tried to free himself with much haste but it was too late as the Warg tripped forward and went sliding down the cliff with him.
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A few moments later...
One Warg was on its side whimpering in pain when Gimli appeared beside it before bringing his axe down , ending its suffering. Pulling his weapon out, the Dwarf grunted in annoyance as he looked up at the scene before him : The battle was winding down as the Rohirrim cried out in victory. The remained ones were now taking care of any wounded Orcs, and Wargs, and driving off the remaining Warg riders began to retreat. Theoden began to look around : even if they were victorious, there were many dead Rohirrim, and many more that were wounded during this battle.
Kopa approached his mate, panting in exhaustion. Wargs were a much bigger challenge that Orcs or Uruk-Hais. Vitani looked just as exhausted , her paws was covered in the blood of her enemies. She pressed her head against her mate's , purring, glad that this batle was over. But then the two became concerned when Legolas called out in a worried tone "Aragorn !"
Gimli looked around and saw that their friend wasn't in sight and called out in the same tone "Aragorn ?" Kopa and Vitani looked at each other before looking around with concern "Aragorn !" "Where are you ?!" No response was heard from their comrade.
Theoden ,noticing this, also looked around in a panicked state as Legolas approached the edge of a cliff before kneeling down. Suddenly , someone began to laugh behind him and he turned around to spots the Leader of the Warg Riders who was lying on the ground. Black blood was coming out from the side of his mouth and yet he kept laughing , gargling on his own blood.
Legolas, Kopa and Vitani approached the Orc when Gimli lowered his axe at him "Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing !" he ordered him with an angry frown. " He's... (cough)… dead..." the Orc began to say before laughing a bit more and adding "He took a little tumble off the cliff !" Theoden ,who has arrived behind them, looked at the edge of the cliff before walking over just as Kopa and Vitani clenched their fangs in anger.
Legolas grabbed the Orc before saying in anger "You lie !" The Beast laughed one more time before dying. The Blond Elf tossed the body back to the ground when he noticed something in the Orc's hand and grabbed it. He recognized this pendant to be Aragorn's Evenstar, a necklace given to him by Arwen, Daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. Kopa and Vitani looked at each other in horror and the two approached the end of the cliff with Legolas before the three of them looked down : they were nothing except sharp rocks and a river.
Theoden turned around with a deep sigh before looking at Gamling as he approached them "Get the wounded on horses ! The Wolves of Isengard will return..." Theoden sheathed his sword away before adding "Leave the dead..." Legolas looked back at the King of Rohan with an angered look in his eyes. Kopa and Vitani were glaring at Theoden with the same look of fury.
They were about to abandon their comrade without seeing if he was still alive !
"Come..." Theoden said softy but gravely as he turned around before walking away. Legolas, Gimli, Kopa and Vitani stood there , looking over the edge at the river rushing below them. Vitani's eyes then began to water as some tears started to fall from her eyes. She pushed her face against her mate's mane and Kopa had his own eyes filled with tears. With an heavy heart, the group followed the King of Rohan and the remaining Rohirrim Soldiers to Helm's Deep.
(To be continued…)