Rain poured down. Anarkyn was soaked straight through. She knew her chain
mail was going to rust now. At least her chest plate and back plate were
made of heavy leather and didn't have to be worried about. She was climbing
the ridge to Helm's Gate and could see the fortification clearly up ahead
of her. She nudged her horse.
"Come on, Nethranhil," Anarkyn said to the black stallion, "almost there my friend."
The big horse threw his head and snorted. Anarkyn sighed and her breath curled away in the cold air.
"Right," she said as she patted him.
The rain finally stopped as she pulled up to get a better view of Helm's Gate. She turned around and saw a group of riders in the distance. Behind them was a dark mass.
"Orcs," Anarkyn said in disgust.
She urged her mount forward. If orcs were there, no telling what had already happened at Helm's Deep. Anarkyn cursed and kicked Nethranhil into a canter, a rather dangerous thing to do considering the terrain. She looked down at the riders again and recognized one as Legolas. Before she was done watching, several massive orcs lunged out from behind some nearby rocks.
Anarkyn reacted fast enough to kick the first one in the head, then slash it through the throat. She kneed Nethranhil forward, letting the big horse run down the orc in front of them. It expired with a shriek. Anarkyn dropped the reins, turned and fired two arrows at once on the orcs behind her. Nethranhil gathered himself and lunged over a pile of rocks and slid down the ridge on his haunches. Anarkyn managed to swing her bow back onto her back and pick up the reins before the last part of the rough ride. She turned the black horse's head towards Helm's Gate and sent him at full speed considering the terrain. Nethranhil finally pulled up at the edge of the dike surrounding the fortification. Foam dripped out of his mouth and from under his harnessing. Anarkyn dropped off of him and lead him towards the opening.
"Who goes?" a sentinel of Rohan challenged.
Anarkyn realized that a small force of Rohirrim had somehow held the gate against the invading orcs.
"Servant of Elrond, on orders from the lady Galadriel," Anarkyn answered.
She heard the sentinels whisper, " The Dark One!" in surprise to each other.
"Our reputation precedes us," she said with a smile to her horse.
She took the confusion as her welcome and lead Nethranhil through the break in the dike. Gamling, the leader of the guard for that area, rushed up to her. He grasped her forearm in friendship.
"How are you here?" he asked curiously.
Anarkyn looked around at the scant forces.
"Seems like you may have use for me," she said, "though I believe I saw more of your forces coming."
"We have women and children from Westfold hidden in the caves along with provisions and livestock," Gamling said, "we've been holding against the orcs as best we can."
Anarkyn nodded. As he spoke, she untacked Nethranhil and turned him loose.
"He'll be fine," she said noting the old man's surprised expression.
Without further ado, she left him and climbed to the top of Deepening Wall. She looked around. Helm's Deep itself had been transformed into a massive fortification riddled with caves. Deepening Wall was about 20 feet high and wide enough to accommodate 4 men standing side by side on top. Anarkyn scrambled up on top of the parapet to get a better look. She could see the riders approaching. She turned and dropped back down onto the wide walkway. She could wait. With that she pulled out her white knives and began sharpening them. If her instincts proved correct, and they usually did, this was going to be a bloodletting. Might as well be prepared.
"Come on, Nethranhil," Anarkyn said to the black stallion, "almost there my friend."
The big horse threw his head and snorted. Anarkyn sighed and her breath curled away in the cold air.
"Right," she said as she patted him.
The rain finally stopped as she pulled up to get a better view of Helm's Gate. She turned around and saw a group of riders in the distance. Behind them was a dark mass.
"Orcs," Anarkyn said in disgust.
She urged her mount forward. If orcs were there, no telling what had already happened at Helm's Deep. Anarkyn cursed and kicked Nethranhil into a canter, a rather dangerous thing to do considering the terrain. She looked down at the riders again and recognized one as Legolas. Before she was done watching, several massive orcs lunged out from behind some nearby rocks.
Anarkyn reacted fast enough to kick the first one in the head, then slash it through the throat. She kneed Nethranhil forward, letting the big horse run down the orc in front of them. It expired with a shriek. Anarkyn dropped the reins, turned and fired two arrows at once on the orcs behind her. Nethranhil gathered himself and lunged over a pile of rocks and slid down the ridge on his haunches. Anarkyn managed to swing her bow back onto her back and pick up the reins before the last part of the rough ride. She turned the black horse's head towards Helm's Gate and sent him at full speed considering the terrain. Nethranhil finally pulled up at the edge of the dike surrounding the fortification. Foam dripped out of his mouth and from under his harnessing. Anarkyn dropped off of him and lead him towards the opening.
"Who goes?" a sentinel of Rohan challenged.
Anarkyn realized that a small force of Rohirrim had somehow held the gate against the invading orcs.
"Servant of Elrond, on orders from the lady Galadriel," Anarkyn answered.
She heard the sentinels whisper, " The Dark One!" in surprise to each other.
"Our reputation precedes us," she said with a smile to her horse.
She took the confusion as her welcome and lead Nethranhil through the break in the dike. Gamling, the leader of the guard for that area, rushed up to her. He grasped her forearm in friendship.
"How are you here?" he asked curiously.
Anarkyn looked around at the scant forces.
"Seems like you may have use for me," she said, "though I believe I saw more of your forces coming."
"We have women and children from Westfold hidden in the caves along with provisions and livestock," Gamling said, "we've been holding against the orcs as best we can."
Anarkyn nodded. As he spoke, she untacked Nethranhil and turned him loose.
"He'll be fine," she said noting the old man's surprised expression.
Without further ado, she left him and climbed to the top of Deepening Wall. She looked around. Helm's Deep itself had been transformed into a massive fortification riddled with caves. Deepening Wall was about 20 feet high and wide enough to accommodate 4 men standing side by side on top. Anarkyn scrambled up on top of the parapet to get a better look. She could see the riders approaching. She turned and dropped back down onto the wide walkway. She could wait. With that she pulled out her white knives and began sharpening them. If her instincts proved correct, and they usually did, this was going to be a bloodletting. Might as well be prepared.