Disclaimer: Tolkien owns all of these wonderful characters except Aralyn.
This is a revision of my earlier story. I think the romance plays out much
better in this version then the other version. Tell me what you think
please!
I paced the floor back and forth, fuming. Eoywn knew the whole story and sympathized with Legolas. She had no idea of me staying up there to fight. She thought I would better serve my people down here in the caves.
"He told you he wanted to save you by sending you away?" She asked me.
"Yes, the nerve of him." I spat, still pacing.
"He cares about you. Why else would he physically bring you down here and lock you in?" She asked slowly.
"I don't care what he feels about me! I want to fight and defend my people!" I said, and slammed my fist against a rock.
"Alright, alright." Eowyn said, trying to calm me down. "After the battle is over, you can go and talk about it with him."
"Wait, did you here that?" I asked, shushing her.
"No." She said, straining her ears harder so she could hear what I was talking about.
"That." I said, hearing a horn blow. "That's no orc horn!" I said happily, and itched to be up where the men were fighting so I could see what was happening. "It's not a human horn either."
I looked around the cavern to see if other people heard it to. Everyone's eyes were looking up at the ceiling, listening for the horn sound that had sounded.
When my eyes ran over the people, they stopped on the little girl and boy I had rescued from the horse in Rohan. They were with a woman and were cuddling up to her, calling her 'mommy'.
So they did fight their mother. This sight gave me another surge of fighting energy and a fresh sense of hope. I had to get up there and fight.
I turned to Eowyn and asked her something important. "Eowyn, is there a way out of these mountains other than the door that Legolas locked and the men barricaded. Answer me truthfully."
Eowyn stared at me for a few seconds. "Are you sure you want to go up there, Aralyn? It's a battle. You had the vision yourself."
"I have to go up there milady." I said earnestly. A look crossed Eowyn's face. I recognized it.
"He'll survive, Eowyn. I'll go up there and protect him myself." I said, regarding Aragorn.
She looked as if she was arguing with herself. Then she made the decision. "Legolas won't hear about me telling you how to get out of the mountain passes, will he?" She asked softly.
"My lips are sealed. Everything is my fault." I said, almost giddy.
"Follow me then." Eowyn said reluctantly. I followed her across the cavern and to a tiny corner no one would have noticed unless you were looking for it. "There's a tunnel up there that leads to the wall of Helm's Deep." I started to climb then I felt a tug at my skirt.
"You will come back, and tell me about it, won't you?" She asked, fear filling her eyes.
"Yes, milady." I agreed.
"And don't lie to me Aralyn. Tell me the truth about what's really going on up there."
"You have my word, milady." I said, and formally bowed to her, in the proper fashion.
I was surprised when I felt that Eowyn pulled me into a fierce hug. "You come back too, Aralyn." She whispered softly in my ear.
I stepped back and grinned at her. "I will, milady." She gave me one last smile as she turned her attention towards the scared women and children. I shimmied up the side of the stone and found my way to the tunnel which milady spoke of. It was a small and damp tunnel, but as my head popped up from the stone, I felt alive again.
I looked over and saw the stairs to the Helm's Deep gates. I pulled myself out of the hole and stood up. I brushed myself off hurriedly and hid behind some rocks while I pulled my hair back and put on a cloak to hide my womanly features. I pulled out my long knives and held them in both of my hands, ready for battle. I casually walked up the stairs and took an empty place up by the stone wall. Once I got there, I glanced down to the gate to see who was blowing that horn I couldn't place.
Standing there was a whole army of elves. Of elves! I saw an elf standing with gold and red armor talking to King Theoden. The rest of the elves stood in perfect formation. Conflicting feelings rose up in my chest as I saw Legolas leap forward and greet his kinsman.
The elves were here to help us, so we weren't so badly outnumbered. Many men were going to die that night though. But many more orcs will die then men.
A hush fell over the fortress as sounds of heavy feet marching could be heard. With my elven eyes I could see the enemy coming closer and closer. Their fierce looking metal glinted in the light of our burning lanterns, making it look like demons were coming to take our souls.
My heart rate sped up when I saw lighting flash and heard thunder roll. Soon after water began to fall, pinging on men's armor relentlessly. The water soaked through my hood and plastered it to my head. Raindrops dripped down my face and off my nose, and when I breathed, I could see my breath. Shivers ran through me as the ice-cold rain bit at my fingers.
This is what I lived for.
The adrenaline of the battle. I saw Legolas and Gimli take their places along the wall about ten meters down, Gimli not able to see over the wall. I hid a grin as I observed Gimli's jumping up and down. Legolas obviously said something funny to Gimli, because he burst out laughing.
Then the enemy demanded our full attention. They started pounding their weapons on the cold wet ground, sounding as if a giant monster was arising from the deeps; it's heartbeat building.
I stared down the orc army, almost muttering curses when I saw how huge the army was. I just rolled my long knives in my hand, ready to fight if they breech the walls. I wish I had my bow with me.
Then all at once, the pounding of the army stopped. The battle was about to begin.
I paced the floor back and forth, fuming. Eoywn knew the whole story and sympathized with Legolas. She had no idea of me staying up there to fight. She thought I would better serve my people down here in the caves.
"He told you he wanted to save you by sending you away?" She asked me.
"Yes, the nerve of him." I spat, still pacing.
"He cares about you. Why else would he physically bring you down here and lock you in?" She asked slowly.
"I don't care what he feels about me! I want to fight and defend my people!" I said, and slammed my fist against a rock.
"Alright, alright." Eowyn said, trying to calm me down. "After the battle is over, you can go and talk about it with him."
"Wait, did you here that?" I asked, shushing her.
"No." She said, straining her ears harder so she could hear what I was talking about.
"That." I said, hearing a horn blow. "That's no orc horn!" I said happily, and itched to be up where the men were fighting so I could see what was happening. "It's not a human horn either."
I looked around the cavern to see if other people heard it to. Everyone's eyes were looking up at the ceiling, listening for the horn sound that had sounded.
When my eyes ran over the people, they stopped on the little girl and boy I had rescued from the horse in Rohan. They were with a woman and were cuddling up to her, calling her 'mommy'.
So they did fight their mother. This sight gave me another surge of fighting energy and a fresh sense of hope. I had to get up there and fight.
I turned to Eowyn and asked her something important. "Eowyn, is there a way out of these mountains other than the door that Legolas locked and the men barricaded. Answer me truthfully."
Eowyn stared at me for a few seconds. "Are you sure you want to go up there, Aralyn? It's a battle. You had the vision yourself."
"I have to go up there milady." I said earnestly. A look crossed Eowyn's face. I recognized it.
"He'll survive, Eowyn. I'll go up there and protect him myself." I said, regarding Aragorn.
She looked as if she was arguing with herself. Then she made the decision. "Legolas won't hear about me telling you how to get out of the mountain passes, will he?" She asked softly.
"My lips are sealed. Everything is my fault." I said, almost giddy.
"Follow me then." Eowyn said reluctantly. I followed her across the cavern and to a tiny corner no one would have noticed unless you were looking for it. "There's a tunnel up there that leads to the wall of Helm's Deep." I started to climb then I felt a tug at my skirt.
"You will come back, and tell me about it, won't you?" She asked, fear filling her eyes.
"Yes, milady." I agreed.
"And don't lie to me Aralyn. Tell me the truth about what's really going on up there."
"You have my word, milady." I said, and formally bowed to her, in the proper fashion.
I was surprised when I felt that Eowyn pulled me into a fierce hug. "You come back too, Aralyn." She whispered softly in my ear.
I stepped back and grinned at her. "I will, milady." She gave me one last smile as she turned her attention towards the scared women and children. I shimmied up the side of the stone and found my way to the tunnel which milady spoke of. It was a small and damp tunnel, but as my head popped up from the stone, I felt alive again.
I looked over and saw the stairs to the Helm's Deep gates. I pulled myself out of the hole and stood up. I brushed myself off hurriedly and hid behind some rocks while I pulled my hair back and put on a cloak to hide my womanly features. I pulled out my long knives and held them in both of my hands, ready for battle. I casually walked up the stairs and took an empty place up by the stone wall. Once I got there, I glanced down to the gate to see who was blowing that horn I couldn't place.
Standing there was a whole army of elves. Of elves! I saw an elf standing with gold and red armor talking to King Theoden. The rest of the elves stood in perfect formation. Conflicting feelings rose up in my chest as I saw Legolas leap forward and greet his kinsman.
The elves were here to help us, so we weren't so badly outnumbered. Many men were going to die that night though. But many more orcs will die then men.
A hush fell over the fortress as sounds of heavy feet marching could be heard. With my elven eyes I could see the enemy coming closer and closer. Their fierce looking metal glinted in the light of our burning lanterns, making it look like demons were coming to take our souls.
My heart rate sped up when I saw lighting flash and heard thunder roll. Soon after water began to fall, pinging on men's armor relentlessly. The water soaked through my hood and plastered it to my head. Raindrops dripped down my face and off my nose, and when I breathed, I could see my breath. Shivers ran through me as the ice-cold rain bit at my fingers.
This is what I lived for.
The adrenaline of the battle. I saw Legolas and Gimli take their places along the wall about ten meters down, Gimli not able to see over the wall. I hid a grin as I observed Gimli's jumping up and down. Legolas obviously said something funny to Gimli, because he burst out laughing.
Then the enemy demanded our full attention. They started pounding their weapons on the cold wet ground, sounding as if a giant monster was arising from the deeps; it's heartbeat building.
I stared down the orc army, almost muttering curses when I saw how huge the army was. I just rolled my long knives in my hand, ready to fight if they breech the walls. I wish I had my bow with me.
Then all at once, the pounding of the army stopped. The battle was about to begin.