Chapter XII: The Battle Begins

Ali returned to Elaina and me soon bringing with her two large brass helmets. Elaina and I each tried one on. The helm slipped down over my small head, making it so I could barely hold it up.

"Well, they're far too big," I said, trying to adjust it so that I could actually manage it. "But, I guess they'll have to do."

I looked through the narrow eyeslits towards Elaina, who was also having trouble managing her helmet.

"Where are our cloaks?" she asked. I, too, was wondering the same thing.

"On your backs," Ali smugly replied. Elaina and I looked at our grey coats in disappointment.

"Well how will we blend in with these?" Elaina and I turned to Ali.

"You won't." She continued before we could protest. "In fact, unless you plan on growing a couple feet before nightfall, there's nothing that you can do to blend in. The helms oare for protection. For cover, you will have to ride unseen under my cloak."

We sighed, but agreed and prepared for sleep.

* * *

The sun did not rise the next morning, and that night lasted for days, though it was hard to tell what was day and what was night. It was uncomfortable riding under Ali's cloak, but we knew that things were not much better outside.

From time to time, Ali would whisper under her cloak to keep us aware of what was happening. We were even able to look out from time to time to see my dear cousin Merry, who, also, was riding with us.

Eventually, we met up with a group of wildmen, whom Ali spoke of later. She told us that they had offered to help us, as they hated to orcs, so they led us by another route to avoid any problems.

We rode for some time alongside the woses, until one morning when Elaina and I were awoken by Ali.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Who knows in this cursed darkness," I heard Elaina mumble to herself. She looked around. "What is happening now, Ali? What happened to the woses? Have they gone?"

"Yes Elaina," Ali replied, "They are one now. We have come to the end of the wood. By tomorrow, we shall be in Minas Tirith."

"And what of the battle there?" Elaina asked.

"Things do not look good. The primary walls have been broken, and the orcs have not retreated yet. I fear that the next wall will come down before morning."

We had by now come to rest beneath a tall tree. Elaina and I both looked down, deep in thought. I knew not what thoughts plagued Ali and Elaina's minds, but in mine, I felt a sense of excitement. I had a pressing feeling that at any moment, something wonderful and horrible was about to happen. My companions slipped into sleep, but that night, I could not even close my eyes. I sat there for hours and hours, waiting, waiting for my time to come.

Ali was awake early the next morning, but I pretended to be asleep as she wandered off. Once she was gone, I turned to Elaina and shook her to wake her up. Her eyes were grave and looked almost empty. I sensed that she was exhausted and her sleep had most likely been haunted by nightmares.

We sat in silence for some time. Until I finally spoke. "Can you imagine, Elaina? Us? Here?"

She made no reply but simply smiled back at me.

Ali soon returned. "Prepare yourselves, my friends," she said, "The king is about to speak."

We mounted Arauka and took our place with the other riders. Theoden stood tall on a stone. His eyes, filled with emotion. His voice echoed around us.

"Now is the hour come, Riders of the Mark, sons or Eorl! Foes and Fire before you, and your homes far behind." I thought of the Shire. "Yet, though you fight upon an alien field, the glory that you reap there shall be you own forever. Oaths ye have taken: now fulfill them all, to lord and land and league of friendship!" (JRRT)

As he spoke the last words, I turned to Elaina and Ali. All the men began to cheer and held up their weapons. I could not help but to do the same.

We began to ride, and Theoden spoke again, this time even louder and stronger than before:

Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden!

Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!

Spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered,

A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises,

Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor! (JRRT)

At the sound of his horn, chills ran down my spine, and we rode with a great pride.

As we rode, daylight came, but not all powers of darkness were gone.

* * *

The battle began, and I cried to Ali to let us out so we could take part. I jumped out and unsheathed Armath. I looked above me, and saw a great shadow in the sky.

"Nazgul," I heard Ali mumble.

Before I could think, the orcs came charging at us. Ali frantically slew three in a series of majestic movements, and begin to dismount Arauka.

"Ali, no! Wait!" I cried, but it was too late, she had already left us.

Elaina and I jumped off just in time to meet a huge beast. He was tall and hunched over. Black liquid oozed from open wounds in his disgusting skin. He opened his mouth and let out a loud shriek, but Elaina and I stood our ground.

I let out a yell and ran at him, digging my small dagger into his flesh. He let out a cry of pain and sliced at me as he fell. I jumped back, narrowly avoiding his sword. He continued to reach at me and yell, and I saw the hate in his eyes.

I turned to see Elaina warding off another monster. Still more approached us and I managed to stab another. One more came and I ran at him. He swept me up in his terrible grasp, but I stuck his arm with Armath and he dropped me in pain. At this oppurtunity, I struck his heart and he fell.

I turned at the sound of a shriek coming from Elaina. I turned and saw her hopelessly trying to ward off a foe. I recognized it immediately. It was the first orc I had attacked. He had not been killed as I had thought. The hate still raged in his eyes.

I looked on in horror as he pulled Elaina into his grasp. I ran over and, using a rock nearby, jumped at his head and dug my dagger straight into his eye, knocking him to the ground. He dropped Elaina and turned his hideous gaze at me.

"I thought I killed you already!" I yelled at him and this time swung my dagger, slicing his neck. Black ooze splurted out and the life receded from him. I stood and looked at the corpse. It was a hideous thing and the hate still remained in his yellow, lifeless eyes.

"Laurie," I hearda voice from next to me call. I turned to see Elaina on the ground, a stream of crimson blood flowing from her side.

"Elaina!!" I ran over, but I had not the time to tend to her, foes continued to approach. Arauka stood by and warded off any demons who tried to attack, and I helped too, killing four more to protect my dear friend.

Another came at me and a sliced a gap in its belly. Just then, I saw a dagger whoosh past my head, I turned to see an orc fall dead behind me. It was then that I saw the sorce of the dagger, Ali was now running to us. She lifted us onto Arauka beside her and led us to a small tree away from the action. Ali laid Elaina against the tree and used a piece of her cloak to stop the blood from the wound.

"Watch her, Laurelin," She told me, "Let no one come near." And with that, she ran off again, leaving us with Arauka beside the tree.

I knelt over Elaina. "You'll be fine, don't worry. Ali told me that it's really nothing at all."

"You're such a liar," she replied in a quiet, meek voice. I looked at her eyes, they looked empty. "Laurie, you're bleeding." She pointed to my forehead, right below my hair.

I touched my hand to my head and flinched at the pain. I looked at my hand, now covered in blood. "It's no matter," I said, wiping the blood away with my sleeve. "I'll be fine. We'll both be fine." I hated lying.