The darkness fell faster and faster and wiped out the stars from the
heavens. A very unwelcome rain began to pour down then, beating softly on
the metal armory as if holding the rhythm of the battle. Irulan did not
look away from the incoming army of Uruks. They were very close now, and
she could almost see their faces.
Gimli was mumbling next to her again, failing to see the view because of the wall in front of him that reached actually only up to Irulan's waist. "Damn it! What does it look like, Irulan?" he asked in desperation, and once more she had to fight the grin from spreading on her features.
"Not very charming, I can tell you that," she said matter-of-factly. Now that the battle was here, she felt the usual Irulan receding back into a safe chamber, beyond the reach of the tumult of the world. The Black Knight had been invoked. Soon, the Sister in her would join him. For now, her eyes scanned the army in front of her, as it had scanned the incoming orcish raids in Gondor, many times. She did not feel fear or sadness any longer. She was here to fight, and fight she would. If she died........well then she would be dead and beyond questioning that incident. So........all was well. She even fell back to the light hearted carelessness of the Black Knight.
"I can't decide.........are they uglier than the ones we killed in Parth Gallen, or is it my eyes deceiving me? What do you think, Legolas?" Legolas, who was standing on Gimli's other side threw her an amused smile.
"Let them come! Too long have I gone without blood on my axe! I was beginning to rust, I tell you!" boomed Gimli and Irulan laughed at the sick delight in his voice.
"Is that why you have been squeaking like an old wheel, my friend?" she said and Legolas could not help to join her in laughing. Luckily, Gimli was too far gone in his war fervor.......or perhaps he was too used to their ways and gave no indication of anger.
"Irulan, you will fight with us?" Haldir said from beside her suddenly, mild surprise in his melodious voice.
Irulan grinned at him with mock innocence. "Never! Just enjoying the view, Haldir."
He looked her up and down with a perplexed expression. "I heard about your skills, and certainly if you were not capable, you would not be on such a mission. And yet........"
"Spare me, Haldir," she said curtly, enjoying his suspicion. She had seen it on thousands of both elvish and human faces today as she walked to resume her position with Legolas and Gimli. Even King Theoden had opposed gravely (although he had witnessed her skills against the Wargs) and Eomer had hoped to persuade her for one last time. Yet, Irulan had only laughed and walked by them, not really delaying herself for an explanation. The Fellowship had done that for her. Aragorn and the rest of them had followed her around, stopping for every such interference to explain that Irulan had not only great skill but also much more experience than many and that she was a part of the Fellowship and therefore, belonged with them. They had even told them about her Black Knight identity, and both Theoden and Eomer had stared at her from afar with serious shock on their faces. They would have doubted it, if they had not known that Irulan was one woman crazy enough to do such a thing. And of course, as always there had been other curious ears to hear that and the gossip had spread like wildfire amongst the men.
Even now, she felt the eyes of both the Rohirrim and the Lorien elves on her, their looks speaking of doubt and yet respect; of mocking and yet awe. 'If we win this war, this gossip will spread even further. And who knows.....maybe other women like me will find the courage to spring to their feet and do something with themselves, hearing it,' she had thought, and the idea had given her immense satisfaction.
None were told that she was a Darma Druid, of course. Not because it would strike fear, but rather because most probably no one here knew of their legendary existence and it would just require too much explanation for which none of her friends felt up to.
"How is Eowyn?" Irulan said suddenly, a deft smile adorning her lips as she turned to Haldir once more.
Haldir's gaze glazed and he too, began to smile. "How? She is.....perfect. She is simply the most charming woman I have ever seen, Irulan. She is graceful and lovely, intelligent and strong, she is........"
Irulan laughed and Haldir woke up, looking at her with confusion. "I did not mean that, Haldir. I meant........how does she feel?"
"Oh........she is disturbed and afraid of course," he said a moment later, a little caught off guard at this.
"You like her," Irulan said softly, trying only to be heard by him, but knowing that Legolas would pick up every word.
Haldir sighed. "I like you........very much," Haldir said and smiled down at her. "And I am most impressed by you, Irulan. But my feelings towards Lady Eowyn....Alas, I do not know what I feel yet, myself!" he said and the last part sounded a bit desperate.
"Do not worry, Haldir. As you yourself have said earlier, these are strange times. And what you are going through is not nearly strange enough compared to the things I have seen on this trip."
Haldir smiled in amusement and cast a sidelong glance at Legolas, who was looking ahead, pretending not to listen. Which of course meant that he was all ears. "Perhaps we will have to discuss this issue in privacy with you, Irulan," he murmured into her ear. Irulan bit her lip and tried very hard not to look at Legolas' direction. She gave Haldir a slight nudge in the ribs, though. The elf seemed delighted by this and leaned even further. "And I promise a far more beautiful braid, as well," he whispered and Irulan had to fight with all her strength not to giggle.
Finally though, she could not help it any longer. "Begone, elf!" she said, chuckling and gently shoving him away, "you will start a battle IN the fortress if you continue with this mischief."
"Well it was worth a try," he said with cool amusement as the locked eyes with a very annoyed Legolas.
Suddenly Aragorn was with them, peering into the dark. "How are you all?" he said, not really looking at them.
"Some of us bold, some of bored, some of us.......short," chirped Irulan and Aragorn followed her gaze to look down at Gimli who was still hopping desperately to see over the wall before him. Aragorn looked at her with a blank expression for a moment, but then grinned softly and a moment later chuckled along with Irulan. To her surprise, both elves joined them.
"Irulan," Aragorn said, shaking his head, "your sense of humor certainly grows sharper in battle."
"Humor?!" yelped Irulan, "I was merely telling the truth."
"I remember being called fairer things by you!" boomed Gimli.
"Ah well.......I told you I was not myself when I said those," she teased and grinned more openly.
Another horn sounded. "Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas said suddenly and both Irulan and Gimli joined him, turning around to look at the ranger. He nodded with respect and gratitude shining in his eyes.
"Let's hope they'll last the night," Gimli added a moment later, being the ever pouting and grumpy dwarf that he was and Aragorn squeezed his shoulder before he strode away again.
"Well, are you men up for a challenge?" Irulan sighed leisurely.
"What kind of challenge?" said Gimli.
"Let's see who will kill the most Uruk-hai! I'll even give you a fair start. How about fifty?" she said, grinning.
Both elves and the dwarf looked back at her with annoyance written over their faces. "Fifty?!" snorted Gimli, "I'll give YOU that fair start, for it will be a number you will need many times over to come even close to my killings!"
"No need for a fair start for me, gentlemen!" she said in amusement. "But let us settle a prize for the winner."
"What would you wish to have?" said Legolas softly, smiling at her with sparks in his eyes.
"I wish you all to serve me......for an entire day!"
"Serve you?" said Haldir from beside her, intrigued by the whole issue.
"Yes. Do anything I please. You know.........fetch my boots, serve my meals.......ah.......and constantly praise my skills and strength. You know.......throw yourselves at my feet and such things."
The men's eyes widened at that. "What?! Never!" yelled Gimli and shuddered with the bare thought of it.
"Then I assume you already accept defeat?" Irulan said slyly.
"I accept the bet," said Haldir suddenly, "only if you will do the same for me."
"Deal," smiled Irulan.
Legolas and Gimli grinned at each other. "That is certainly something I would like to see," said Gimli and turned to her. "Deal, woman!" he added a moment later, laughing with delight.
"Deal, Irulan," said Legolas. "You said anything, is that correct?"
Irulan was so carried away by the lightness of the moment, she almost stuck her tongue out to him. But then remembered the many men and elves surrounding them and only smiled back cheerfully. "Correct, Legolas."
"Well.......I certainly want to hear a lot of flattering, on my behalf," said the dwarf and seemed lost in the thoughts of what those might be.
"Perhaps you will braid MY hair, then, Irulan?" said Haldir with suppressed joy and even Legolas laughed at the thought of that.
Irulan only chuckled and shook her head. "ANY of you beat my number, I shall do these willingly. However, I will beat all of you many times. And I will be so fast doing it, there will be enough time to think of YOUR services to me before you are finished, I assure you!" She made a mental note to herself to remember counting even while she Shifted and hoped that she would be able to do that.
"Hah! Let the war begin!" yelled Gimli and they watched the army of Uruks halting a few hundred feet away from the tall walls of the fortress. A silence set in amongst the humans as they gazed on these creatures, growling and moaning in the darkness. The Rohirrim and the elves looked at this evil that was composed of claws and teeth, of anger and hatred. Irulan allowed her eyes to dance along the army and found no end to their number. They were like a plague, ever-devouring in their hunger and greed. She knew instantly that they had no way of warding off so many. Their only hope would be to hold on till Gandalf arrived. At least the fortress was known for its strength.
The Uruks had found a hateful rhythm now and were openly teasing the owners of the fortress. Yet, Aragorn bade them to hold their fire. Gimli was jumping up and down again. "What is happening out there?" he mumbled with frustration.
"Shall I describe it to you?" said Legolas with open amusement, "Or would you like me to find you a box?"
Irulan laughed out loud at that and glanced at Legolas. "A box!" she said and laughed harder, Gimli joining her. The Rohirrim around them raised eyebrows, but continued staring out. A moment later a frightened man accidentally shot an orc. And then the Uruk-hai charged.
For a brief moment, Irulan closed her eyes and tried to engrave this moment along with the many other memories of battle that she had witnessed. She smelled the sweat of the soldiers around her; the fire that was adorning the torches; the rust on the metallic armors and swords.......she heard the cries of battle that had an odd melodic ring to it. She felt the cool rain falling down on them, not caring whether the drops hit an orc or a man; an elf or a woman - nature doing its job, completely ignoring everything else.
When she opened her eyes again a moment later, arrows were flying into the darkness of Rohan, like pools of fish, dancing in the dark ocean. She hear the soft swishing of their trails and felt the slight breeze as the passed her, darting out like a strange aura from Helm's Deep.
Battle was here. And Gimli was right........long had it been since she had felt the thrill of it. She felt like an old, forgotten toy, left in the attic and now pulled out into the sunshine again. Her system was beginning to creak and slowly rewind, preparing itself to do what she was made for. Hormones were dancing in her body, surging through her bloodstream, filling her mind and her heart with the urges that had been lost to her. And with all this, came the instant wish for Shifting.
But Irulan repressed it, as she stood motionless, watching the ladders slowly being erected towards the walls, arrows still dancing around her. She took out her staff and gently extended it. The throbbing lust of slaying was beckoning to her, haunting her like some exotic animal, luring her ever farther into the dark forest. She was but captured in the deed, unable to resist the temptation. Her feet felt restless and itchy, her arms stinging painfully to be moved, her muscles burning with the desire to pull, push, bend and break. When the first Uruk-hai climbed from the ladders and joined the Rohirrim, she almost greeted them as if greeting long awaited lovers.
So a dance began again, and Irulan danced once more. Though she tried to avoid Shifting as much as she could, knowing that she would need the skill as the battle raged on, she nevertheless could not help herself from tentatively testing her ability in that field tentatively.
The calmness was like a shadow to her, dancing around her, engulfing her and then falling back to her feet, but never leaving too far. She draped herself with it momentarily and forced the world to stop - and the world obeyed her wishes like the most submissive of servants, and halted. It did not halt of course, but only slowed drastically, but the movement seemed so frozen, it might have halted altogether. She swung her staff, cutting through the dense armory and flesh of the Uruk-hai, moving among them gracefully with the rhythm of the dance, ever careful not to misplace a single step, not to arch with a single unnecessary blow.
Something was different, but her mind would not linger on what that was. She felt light and feather-like. She felt like she could jump off the high fortress wall and glide down like a soft leaf falling willingly from a tree and kissing the humid earth of Rohan. Swish, pang, twirl, cut...........Irulan hacked with grace and stroke with glamour and could not help herself gently touching the cheek of a Rohirrim soldier she passed by and combing her finger through the hair of another, who was about to receive a sword into his abdomen and most probably die, but who was saved from that very act for this instant.
She killed three, five, eight, twelve; then felt like bowing with the end of the dance as she stopped herself and forced to leave the void. Turning on her heels as the world clashed back onto her, she gracefully moved through the cut path, looking at neither the falling Uruk-hai nor the soldier who was awarded with the sword in his abdomen and gliding to the ground with unseeing eyes. Instead, she went on hacking the newcomers, murmuring welcomes as they climbed from their ladders to their death.
Then suddenly, both her actions and her feelings seemed odd to herself and she stopped, despite the ongoing battle around her. The feeling was eerie........as if she was drunk and she was experiencing reality, and yet a different and twisted aspect of it. She was here and now, but her mind flirted with her, joyously stepping away, then returning to glide around her, drawing circles and giggling. Irulan swallowed and frowned. Death and life were erupting around her, but she remained blind to it. Her mind was racing through the past moments, trying to grasp what was avoiding her fingers. Trying to understand what the strangeness was.
"Irulan!" said Legolas from beside her, instantly releasing another arrow, then glancing at her again as he was placing the next one on his bow. "Irulan, what is it? Are you well?" he said and turned sideways, aiming to prevent any attack to her or to himself. Irulan turned to look at him with confusion, but did not answer. Neither did she wake up, the frown settling deeper on her beautiful features. Legolas sent another arrow flying and as his hands replaced it, he once more dared a concerned look at her. "Can you hear me?" he said in desperation. She nodded softly and Legolas' eyes widened at the approaching figure that had raised his sword to her, but before he could swing his bow to shoot it, a felt a soft gush of wind (or he might have imagined feeling it - so soft it had been), and Irulan was not there any longer. A few droplets of the blood of the Uruk-hai landed on his pale cheeks and once more, the hair on his nape rose and sang in cold anticipation. He frantically looked around and found Irulan a good distance away from him, standing with that odd look in her eyes again, not really looking, but killing everything around her. Her body seemed to be moving with a solitary move, needing neither the focus nor the contribution of her mind at this stage. Her hands caressed the staff as it whirled in her arms, her legs bent and arched as she paced and orcs fell around her almost as if falling with an invisible spell. The path between them was adorned with orcs falling into heaps of hacked flesh even as he was standing. She looked like a blazing comet that had left a burning trail behind her.
'I touched that man's cheek!' thought Irulan suddenly and something cold trickled down her back even as her right arm shot out and she turned her legs to stab another in the chest. 'How can I do such a thing in the void?' She paced ahead, turning her torso and this time bringing the right end of her staff sharply up so that it would cut another Uruk-hai lengthwise into half. Even as the blood of that creature gently splashed against her cold skin, she had danced away, still in deep thought. 'I can not do that. I should not be conscious in the void!' she thought in dismay. She should be unable to think, to feel. Yet she could remember feeling distinctive amusement and pleasure.
'Twenty-one,' she thought and Shifted once more, moving back to Legolas at the far end. The elf seemed to be frozen in the act of shooting, his bow drawn, his hair the remnant of sunlight, floating around his features that bore concentration and mild disgust. His blue gaze directed at something that Irulan could not see from this angle. She ducked under an arrow in her path, slowly and painfully inching its way towards the Uruk-hai and continued her hacking. Swish, cut, twist, crunch........ah the irreplaceable sound of steel on flesh, of metal on bone! The distinctive smell of blood and sweat! It had been long indeed! Suddenly she was next to Legolas and her right hand darted out while she watched in fascination, gently tracing along his shoulder blades as she glided to his other side. 'Twenty-eight' she thought and Shifted out.
She remained calm, leaning leisurely on her staff when a moment later Legolas became aware of her closeness and a moment after that, became aware of her identity. "Irulan!" he shouted almost with shock, and his head made half a turn, as if he meant to look back where he had last seen her only just now. But his mind was faster and he stopped himself before he completed that movement. He grabbed her arm, softly then, leaning in closer to be heard above the clatter of battle. "What is wrong?"
"I do not know," she said calmly and still a little confused. Again, she denied the battle around her. Legolas' eyes darted around, trying to locate every movement in their periphery, but Irulan's glazed looks remained fixed on him. Yet, he knew that she was perfectly alert and this alone scared him deeply. "It feels........different, Legolas," she said finally, swiftly leaning towards the wall and dealing a hefty blow to an orc, who fell back into the depths before he could hold on to the wall. Irulan used her staff to tilt the ladder back and it dropped on the orcish crowd below. She turned back to him, her face still alarmingly calm and unaware.
Legolas let go of his grasp on the bow and hastily placing it around his arm, he grabbed and shook her by the shoulders. "Different like what, Irulan?" he said in frustration giving up on any caution at the moment. She looked up at him then and the glaze in her eyes lifted ever so slightly. "I do not know. Also.......I do not feel tired or exerted," she said softly. "Perhaps that is a good thing," she said a moment later and extended her staff even further, unconsciously.
Legolas knew not what to say. He looked her a moment longer, then released her and grasped his bow again. He pulled an arrow of a dead orc and placing it in on his bow, said "Perhaps. But do not trust it. Try not to Shift too much, my love." With that, he leaned in and placed an urgent kiss on her lips and Irulan almost jumped up with surprise. Legolas had darted by her when she realized what just happened and a part of her woke up to that.
She ran after him, trying to keep close and at the same time cutting her way through the dense forest of orcs that had grown in this part of the wall in her short absence. "Legolas!" shouted Gimli suddenly, "Two already!"
Legolas smiled with amusement "I'm on seventeen!" she shouted back and continued his killing, enjoying the glimpse of shock on the dwarf's face.
"Do not flatter yourselves, I have thirty-five," said Irulan as she gracefully passed by them and managed a smirk before she continued her dance. "And I am only warming up!" Both elf and dwarf stared at each other and then at her retreating form.
"You think she would lie?" shouted Gimli finally with irritation, hacking the arm of an orc.
Legolas softly shook his head. "No."
"Damn that woman!" Gimli said and sprinted away.
Irulan was a killing machine. She knew of course that no man here could rival her. Even Legolas was only a skilled fighter compared to her. Whereas she was beyond a skilled fighter. She was a Darma Druid. She was a master of prowess and Time. She was a weapon forged so strong, it would outdo any other weapon, except perhaps another Darma Druid. Yet, her skill was not without a price and it was not unlimited. She was still made of flesh and bone, of blood and tissue and both her concentration for Shifting and her intensely fast physical movement that was undetectable for another eye required immense energy. An energy that was gently oozing out of her. The battle had yet new begun and the dawn seemed centuries away........but Irulan knew that she would have to use her skills sparingly if she wished to continue all throughout the night.
She had fought many battles that had consumed long hours without Shifting as the Black Knight. True, these Uruks were more skilled and certainly better prepared, yet she could and should continue to try not to Shift if she could help it. She forced her curiosity down and decided not to give it another try for at least another ten minutes or so. And then maybe prolong the time intervals even further if it would help. She knew that she would eventually have to Shift. Irulan was not naive, neither was she inexperienced and she knew the odds of this battle too well. But for now, it could be helped.
Swish, bow, crunch, twirl........
Suddenly Aragorn was by her side, stalking the upper walls of the fortress, slicing his way through them. "Irulan," he shouted over the commotion when he was close enough, "how are you feeling?"
"Wonderful!" Irulan said and laughed back, not missing a beat of the action around her, "I am winning in our death-toll bet and soon you will see two elves and a dwarf throwing themselves at my feet for my every wish!" Irulan glanced at him for a moment, "Care to join the bet, Ranger?"
Aragorn threw her an irritated look. "I still have sense in me, woman!" he said and grinned with amusement before he moved away towards Legolas.
'Forty-three' thought Irulan and kept on extending and retracting her staff with minute movements, trying not to stray too far from Legolas. Death was blooming around her like an eerie flower with a sickening, thick smell. This was battle - there was no point of thinking of the Uruks as something else than what they were...but what they were....was alive, after all. And Irulan happened to be the reason they died this night, leaving this world forever.
She was so engulfed in her own thoughts and so lost in her own world, she did not see the anxiety of Legolas and Aragorn as an attempt to breach Helm's Deep was made. Neither did she realize their futile attempts to stop it. She was moving towards them with darkly grace, handing out death as if handing out a cool and refreshing drink in the heat of the summer, when she felt a soft hum beneath her feet that was instantly replaced by the loudest noise she had ever heard and even before she could register that to be a sound, she felt herself both crushed and at the same time lifted to be thrown away with great force.
Irulan hit the stone hard and her mind went dark. Her eyelids fluttered, but she was nowhere near waking. A cool liquid seemed to envelop her, first biting at her with its iciness, then her body growing accustomed to the lack of heat and responding with a dull throb. 'Irulan, wake up,' said a voice in her head, but Irulan was lost to its call. The cold liquid ran along her body, growing in intension and depth, gently reaching up to engulf her. 'Irulan, open your eyes!' the voice repeated, echoing in the empty halls of her mind. She felt herself pulsing with cold anticipation of the frosty touch on her, growing and growing. Neither memory nor thought bothered her here. She only felt confusion and the remnants of physical pain, but even that seemed distant. 'Open your eyes!' whispered the voice again and she sensed the tense anxiety in it, 'Rise! Now!' But the cool liquid was so tempting.....'Open your eyes!' it shrieked with such unexpected intensity, her eyes flew open on their own accord. She drew a ragged and slow breath, her brain jumping from notion to notion, trying to understand who she was, where she was and what she was doing.
And suddenly she remembered. She closed her eyes again, and mustering all her strength, forced them open once more. There; everything seemed clearer now. She began to hear the voices around her again, but they seemed soft and distant. Wondering if she was hurt beyond movement, she tried to stir, and to her surprise, her muscles obeyed almost instantly. She moved to sit up and almost collapsed face down as a slight dizziness overcame her. She closed and opened her eyes again and completed the movement.
Suddenly she was hauled from the floor and turned upside down. Her eyes grew with the realization of an orc attack, and she tried to find her staff, but it was gone. Irulan moaned with the effort, but she was unable to lift her head as the world swam and jumped around her. Just when she was about to wonder what kind of attack this was, she felt herself lowered to the ground again, her back coming to rest on something and helping her to remain sitting. Irulan blinked with surprise as Legolas' face appeared before hers, worry and fear written all over it. He anxiously touched her forehead with his cool fingers and then moved on hastily checking her body for wounds.
"Legolas," she said and it came out much better than she thought it would, "I lost my staff."
"I have it," he said and Irulan followed his swift gaze to the floor where her staff was lying.
She almost sighed with relief. "What the hell happened?!" she said with anger and sat up.
"They have managed to breach the outer wall, Irulan," Legolas said and he looked like he was about to cry. He was still gently checking her for broken bones. "I have failed to stop the attempt!"
"You mean you were unable to kill ten thousand Uruks?" said Irulan and actually managed to snort.
Legolas looked up at her with pain in his eyes. "The fortress will fall, Irulan," he whispered, and for the first time in all their time together she heard his voice shaking.
"Help me up, Legolas!" she hissed and Legolas felt himself moving unconsciously with the tone of command in her voice. He moved in to help her, but she actually stood up herself.
"You are not wounded," he said, gently gliding his fingers on her forehead, his eyes locking onto hers.
"Don't you despair on me now!" she said with a dark voice. "And don't you DARE thinking of taking responsibility for this defeat!" Legolas blinked, but did not look away. She tested her staff and then moved in to kiss him. Legolas could only remain as he was when she gently grabbed his tunic and pulled him down to her. His surprise melted into relief within moments. Calmness and sanity returned to him as her lips seemed to push everything else into the background. The war was raging around them; orc blood was running into elf blood, which was trickling into pools of human blood. Arrows were penetrating flesh, swords cutting bones, spears delving into skin. But all that vanished from his mind as he found Irulan amongst the incredible chaos that had threatened to overcome his mind moments ago. It was as if Irulan had approached him with a small box, a coy smile on her beautiful lips. She had slightly lifted the cover, her eyes never leaving his, and behold....all reason, all hope, all the strength required to continue rested in there and everything returned to him in the blink of an eye.
"We are not done yet," whispered Irulan and with exactly the same smile on her lips now, beckoned him along as she sprinted towards the fallen ruins of the wall. And although only mere moments had passed, a completely different Legolas adjusted his quiver and fell in behind her.
Gimli was mumbling next to her again, failing to see the view because of the wall in front of him that reached actually only up to Irulan's waist. "Damn it! What does it look like, Irulan?" he asked in desperation, and once more she had to fight the grin from spreading on her features.
"Not very charming, I can tell you that," she said matter-of-factly. Now that the battle was here, she felt the usual Irulan receding back into a safe chamber, beyond the reach of the tumult of the world. The Black Knight had been invoked. Soon, the Sister in her would join him. For now, her eyes scanned the army in front of her, as it had scanned the incoming orcish raids in Gondor, many times. She did not feel fear or sadness any longer. She was here to fight, and fight she would. If she died........well then she would be dead and beyond questioning that incident. So........all was well. She even fell back to the light hearted carelessness of the Black Knight.
"I can't decide.........are they uglier than the ones we killed in Parth Gallen, or is it my eyes deceiving me? What do you think, Legolas?" Legolas, who was standing on Gimli's other side threw her an amused smile.
"Let them come! Too long have I gone without blood on my axe! I was beginning to rust, I tell you!" boomed Gimli and Irulan laughed at the sick delight in his voice.
"Is that why you have been squeaking like an old wheel, my friend?" she said and Legolas could not help to join her in laughing. Luckily, Gimli was too far gone in his war fervor.......or perhaps he was too used to their ways and gave no indication of anger.
"Irulan, you will fight with us?" Haldir said from beside her suddenly, mild surprise in his melodious voice.
Irulan grinned at him with mock innocence. "Never! Just enjoying the view, Haldir."
He looked her up and down with a perplexed expression. "I heard about your skills, and certainly if you were not capable, you would not be on such a mission. And yet........"
"Spare me, Haldir," she said curtly, enjoying his suspicion. She had seen it on thousands of both elvish and human faces today as she walked to resume her position with Legolas and Gimli. Even King Theoden had opposed gravely (although he had witnessed her skills against the Wargs) and Eomer had hoped to persuade her for one last time. Yet, Irulan had only laughed and walked by them, not really delaying herself for an explanation. The Fellowship had done that for her. Aragorn and the rest of them had followed her around, stopping for every such interference to explain that Irulan had not only great skill but also much more experience than many and that she was a part of the Fellowship and therefore, belonged with them. They had even told them about her Black Knight identity, and both Theoden and Eomer had stared at her from afar with serious shock on their faces. They would have doubted it, if they had not known that Irulan was one woman crazy enough to do such a thing. And of course, as always there had been other curious ears to hear that and the gossip had spread like wildfire amongst the men.
Even now, she felt the eyes of both the Rohirrim and the Lorien elves on her, their looks speaking of doubt and yet respect; of mocking and yet awe. 'If we win this war, this gossip will spread even further. And who knows.....maybe other women like me will find the courage to spring to their feet and do something with themselves, hearing it,' she had thought, and the idea had given her immense satisfaction.
None were told that she was a Darma Druid, of course. Not because it would strike fear, but rather because most probably no one here knew of their legendary existence and it would just require too much explanation for which none of her friends felt up to.
"How is Eowyn?" Irulan said suddenly, a deft smile adorning her lips as she turned to Haldir once more.
Haldir's gaze glazed and he too, began to smile. "How? She is.....perfect. She is simply the most charming woman I have ever seen, Irulan. She is graceful and lovely, intelligent and strong, she is........"
Irulan laughed and Haldir woke up, looking at her with confusion. "I did not mean that, Haldir. I meant........how does she feel?"
"Oh........she is disturbed and afraid of course," he said a moment later, a little caught off guard at this.
"You like her," Irulan said softly, trying only to be heard by him, but knowing that Legolas would pick up every word.
Haldir sighed. "I like you........very much," Haldir said and smiled down at her. "And I am most impressed by you, Irulan. But my feelings towards Lady Eowyn....Alas, I do not know what I feel yet, myself!" he said and the last part sounded a bit desperate.
"Do not worry, Haldir. As you yourself have said earlier, these are strange times. And what you are going through is not nearly strange enough compared to the things I have seen on this trip."
Haldir smiled in amusement and cast a sidelong glance at Legolas, who was looking ahead, pretending not to listen. Which of course meant that he was all ears. "Perhaps we will have to discuss this issue in privacy with you, Irulan," he murmured into her ear. Irulan bit her lip and tried very hard not to look at Legolas' direction. She gave Haldir a slight nudge in the ribs, though. The elf seemed delighted by this and leaned even further. "And I promise a far more beautiful braid, as well," he whispered and Irulan had to fight with all her strength not to giggle.
Finally though, she could not help it any longer. "Begone, elf!" she said, chuckling and gently shoving him away, "you will start a battle IN the fortress if you continue with this mischief."
"Well it was worth a try," he said with cool amusement as the locked eyes with a very annoyed Legolas.
Suddenly Aragorn was with them, peering into the dark. "How are you all?" he said, not really looking at them.
"Some of us bold, some of bored, some of us.......short," chirped Irulan and Aragorn followed her gaze to look down at Gimli who was still hopping desperately to see over the wall before him. Aragorn looked at her with a blank expression for a moment, but then grinned softly and a moment later chuckled along with Irulan. To her surprise, both elves joined them.
"Irulan," Aragorn said, shaking his head, "your sense of humor certainly grows sharper in battle."
"Humor?!" yelped Irulan, "I was merely telling the truth."
"I remember being called fairer things by you!" boomed Gimli.
"Ah well.......I told you I was not myself when I said those," she teased and grinned more openly.
Another horn sounded. "Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas said suddenly and both Irulan and Gimli joined him, turning around to look at the ranger. He nodded with respect and gratitude shining in his eyes.
"Let's hope they'll last the night," Gimli added a moment later, being the ever pouting and grumpy dwarf that he was and Aragorn squeezed his shoulder before he strode away again.
"Well, are you men up for a challenge?" Irulan sighed leisurely.
"What kind of challenge?" said Gimli.
"Let's see who will kill the most Uruk-hai! I'll even give you a fair start. How about fifty?" she said, grinning.
Both elves and the dwarf looked back at her with annoyance written over their faces. "Fifty?!" snorted Gimli, "I'll give YOU that fair start, for it will be a number you will need many times over to come even close to my killings!"
"No need for a fair start for me, gentlemen!" she said in amusement. "But let us settle a prize for the winner."
"What would you wish to have?" said Legolas softly, smiling at her with sparks in his eyes.
"I wish you all to serve me......for an entire day!"
"Serve you?" said Haldir from beside her, intrigued by the whole issue.
"Yes. Do anything I please. You know.........fetch my boots, serve my meals.......ah.......and constantly praise my skills and strength. You know.......throw yourselves at my feet and such things."
The men's eyes widened at that. "What?! Never!" yelled Gimli and shuddered with the bare thought of it.
"Then I assume you already accept defeat?" Irulan said slyly.
"I accept the bet," said Haldir suddenly, "only if you will do the same for me."
"Deal," smiled Irulan.
Legolas and Gimli grinned at each other. "That is certainly something I would like to see," said Gimli and turned to her. "Deal, woman!" he added a moment later, laughing with delight.
"Deal, Irulan," said Legolas. "You said anything, is that correct?"
Irulan was so carried away by the lightness of the moment, she almost stuck her tongue out to him. But then remembered the many men and elves surrounding them and only smiled back cheerfully. "Correct, Legolas."
"Well.......I certainly want to hear a lot of flattering, on my behalf," said the dwarf and seemed lost in the thoughts of what those might be.
"Perhaps you will braid MY hair, then, Irulan?" said Haldir with suppressed joy and even Legolas laughed at the thought of that.
Irulan only chuckled and shook her head. "ANY of you beat my number, I shall do these willingly. However, I will beat all of you many times. And I will be so fast doing it, there will be enough time to think of YOUR services to me before you are finished, I assure you!" She made a mental note to herself to remember counting even while she Shifted and hoped that she would be able to do that.
"Hah! Let the war begin!" yelled Gimli and they watched the army of Uruks halting a few hundred feet away from the tall walls of the fortress. A silence set in amongst the humans as they gazed on these creatures, growling and moaning in the darkness. The Rohirrim and the elves looked at this evil that was composed of claws and teeth, of anger and hatred. Irulan allowed her eyes to dance along the army and found no end to their number. They were like a plague, ever-devouring in their hunger and greed. She knew instantly that they had no way of warding off so many. Their only hope would be to hold on till Gandalf arrived. At least the fortress was known for its strength.
The Uruks had found a hateful rhythm now and were openly teasing the owners of the fortress. Yet, Aragorn bade them to hold their fire. Gimli was jumping up and down again. "What is happening out there?" he mumbled with frustration.
"Shall I describe it to you?" said Legolas with open amusement, "Or would you like me to find you a box?"
Irulan laughed out loud at that and glanced at Legolas. "A box!" she said and laughed harder, Gimli joining her. The Rohirrim around them raised eyebrows, but continued staring out. A moment later a frightened man accidentally shot an orc. And then the Uruk-hai charged.
For a brief moment, Irulan closed her eyes and tried to engrave this moment along with the many other memories of battle that she had witnessed. She smelled the sweat of the soldiers around her; the fire that was adorning the torches; the rust on the metallic armors and swords.......she heard the cries of battle that had an odd melodic ring to it. She felt the cool rain falling down on them, not caring whether the drops hit an orc or a man; an elf or a woman - nature doing its job, completely ignoring everything else.
When she opened her eyes again a moment later, arrows were flying into the darkness of Rohan, like pools of fish, dancing in the dark ocean. She hear the soft swishing of their trails and felt the slight breeze as the passed her, darting out like a strange aura from Helm's Deep.
Battle was here. And Gimli was right........long had it been since she had felt the thrill of it. She felt like an old, forgotten toy, left in the attic and now pulled out into the sunshine again. Her system was beginning to creak and slowly rewind, preparing itself to do what she was made for. Hormones were dancing in her body, surging through her bloodstream, filling her mind and her heart with the urges that had been lost to her. And with all this, came the instant wish for Shifting.
But Irulan repressed it, as she stood motionless, watching the ladders slowly being erected towards the walls, arrows still dancing around her. She took out her staff and gently extended it. The throbbing lust of slaying was beckoning to her, haunting her like some exotic animal, luring her ever farther into the dark forest. She was but captured in the deed, unable to resist the temptation. Her feet felt restless and itchy, her arms stinging painfully to be moved, her muscles burning with the desire to pull, push, bend and break. When the first Uruk-hai climbed from the ladders and joined the Rohirrim, she almost greeted them as if greeting long awaited lovers.
So a dance began again, and Irulan danced once more. Though she tried to avoid Shifting as much as she could, knowing that she would need the skill as the battle raged on, she nevertheless could not help herself from tentatively testing her ability in that field tentatively.
The calmness was like a shadow to her, dancing around her, engulfing her and then falling back to her feet, but never leaving too far. She draped herself with it momentarily and forced the world to stop - and the world obeyed her wishes like the most submissive of servants, and halted. It did not halt of course, but only slowed drastically, but the movement seemed so frozen, it might have halted altogether. She swung her staff, cutting through the dense armory and flesh of the Uruk-hai, moving among them gracefully with the rhythm of the dance, ever careful not to misplace a single step, not to arch with a single unnecessary blow.
Something was different, but her mind would not linger on what that was. She felt light and feather-like. She felt like she could jump off the high fortress wall and glide down like a soft leaf falling willingly from a tree and kissing the humid earth of Rohan. Swish, pang, twirl, cut...........Irulan hacked with grace and stroke with glamour and could not help herself gently touching the cheek of a Rohirrim soldier she passed by and combing her finger through the hair of another, who was about to receive a sword into his abdomen and most probably die, but who was saved from that very act for this instant.
She killed three, five, eight, twelve; then felt like bowing with the end of the dance as she stopped herself and forced to leave the void. Turning on her heels as the world clashed back onto her, she gracefully moved through the cut path, looking at neither the falling Uruk-hai nor the soldier who was awarded with the sword in his abdomen and gliding to the ground with unseeing eyes. Instead, she went on hacking the newcomers, murmuring welcomes as they climbed from their ladders to their death.
Then suddenly, both her actions and her feelings seemed odd to herself and she stopped, despite the ongoing battle around her. The feeling was eerie........as if she was drunk and she was experiencing reality, and yet a different and twisted aspect of it. She was here and now, but her mind flirted with her, joyously stepping away, then returning to glide around her, drawing circles and giggling. Irulan swallowed and frowned. Death and life were erupting around her, but she remained blind to it. Her mind was racing through the past moments, trying to grasp what was avoiding her fingers. Trying to understand what the strangeness was.
"Irulan!" said Legolas from beside her, instantly releasing another arrow, then glancing at her again as he was placing the next one on his bow. "Irulan, what is it? Are you well?" he said and turned sideways, aiming to prevent any attack to her or to himself. Irulan turned to look at him with confusion, but did not answer. Neither did she wake up, the frown settling deeper on her beautiful features. Legolas sent another arrow flying and as his hands replaced it, he once more dared a concerned look at her. "Can you hear me?" he said in desperation. She nodded softly and Legolas' eyes widened at the approaching figure that had raised his sword to her, but before he could swing his bow to shoot it, a felt a soft gush of wind (or he might have imagined feeling it - so soft it had been), and Irulan was not there any longer. A few droplets of the blood of the Uruk-hai landed on his pale cheeks and once more, the hair on his nape rose and sang in cold anticipation. He frantically looked around and found Irulan a good distance away from him, standing with that odd look in her eyes again, not really looking, but killing everything around her. Her body seemed to be moving with a solitary move, needing neither the focus nor the contribution of her mind at this stage. Her hands caressed the staff as it whirled in her arms, her legs bent and arched as she paced and orcs fell around her almost as if falling with an invisible spell. The path between them was adorned with orcs falling into heaps of hacked flesh even as he was standing. She looked like a blazing comet that had left a burning trail behind her.
'I touched that man's cheek!' thought Irulan suddenly and something cold trickled down her back even as her right arm shot out and she turned her legs to stab another in the chest. 'How can I do such a thing in the void?' She paced ahead, turning her torso and this time bringing the right end of her staff sharply up so that it would cut another Uruk-hai lengthwise into half. Even as the blood of that creature gently splashed against her cold skin, she had danced away, still in deep thought. 'I can not do that. I should not be conscious in the void!' she thought in dismay. She should be unable to think, to feel. Yet she could remember feeling distinctive amusement and pleasure.
'Twenty-one,' she thought and Shifted once more, moving back to Legolas at the far end. The elf seemed to be frozen in the act of shooting, his bow drawn, his hair the remnant of sunlight, floating around his features that bore concentration and mild disgust. His blue gaze directed at something that Irulan could not see from this angle. She ducked under an arrow in her path, slowly and painfully inching its way towards the Uruk-hai and continued her hacking. Swish, cut, twist, crunch........ah the irreplaceable sound of steel on flesh, of metal on bone! The distinctive smell of blood and sweat! It had been long indeed! Suddenly she was next to Legolas and her right hand darted out while she watched in fascination, gently tracing along his shoulder blades as she glided to his other side. 'Twenty-eight' she thought and Shifted out.
She remained calm, leaning leisurely on her staff when a moment later Legolas became aware of her closeness and a moment after that, became aware of her identity. "Irulan!" he shouted almost with shock, and his head made half a turn, as if he meant to look back where he had last seen her only just now. But his mind was faster and he stopped himself before he completed that movement. He grabbed her arm, softly then, leaning in closer to be heard above the clatter of battle. "What is wrong?"
"I do not know," she said calmly and still a little confused. Again, she denied the battle around her. Legolas' eyes darted around, trying to locate every movement in their periphery, but Irulan's glazed looks remained fixed on him. Yet, he knew that she was perfectly alert and this alone scared him deeply. "It feels........different, Legolas," she said finally, swiftly leaning towards the wall and dealing a hefty blow to an orc, who fell back into the depths before he could hold on to the wall. Irulan used her staff to tilt the ladder back and it dropped on the orcish crowd below. She turned back to him, her face still alarmingly calm and unaware.
Legolas let go of his grasp on the bow and hastily placing it around his arm, he grabbed and shook her by the shoulders. "Different like what, Irulan?" he said in frustration giving up on any caution at the moment. She looked up at him then and the glaze in her eyes lifted ever so slightly. "I do not know. Also.......I do not feel tired or exerted," she said softly. "Perhaps that is a good thing," she said a moment later and extended her staff even further, unconsciously.
Legolas knew not what to say. He looked her a moment longer, then released her and grasped his bow again. He pulled an arrow of a dead orc and placing it in on his bow, said "Perhaps. But do not trust it. Try not to Shift too much, my love." With that, he leaned in and placed an urgent kiss on her lips and Irulan almost jumped up with surprise. Legolas had darted by her when she realized what just happened and a part of her woke up to that.
She ran after him, trying to keep close and at the same time cutting her way through the dense forest of orcs that had grown in this part of the wall in her short absence. "Legolas!" shouted Gimli suddenly, "Two already!"
Legolas smiled with amusement "I'm on seventeen!" she shouted back and continued his killing, enjoying the glimpse of shock on the dwarf's face.
"Do not flatter yourselves, I have thirty-five," said Irulan as she gracefully passed by them and managed a smirk before she continued her dance. "And I am only warming up!" Both elf and dwarf stared at each other and then at her retreating form.
"You think she would lie?" shouted Gimli finally with irritation, hacking the arm of an orc.
Legolas softly shook his head. "No."
"Damn that woman!" Gimli said and sprinted away.
Irulan was a killing machine. She knew of course that no man here could rival her. Even Legolas was only a skilled fighter compared to her. Whereas she was beyond a skilled fighter. She was a Darma Druid. She was a master of prowess and Time. She was a weapon forged so strong, it would outdo any other weapon, except perhaps another Darma Druid. Yet, her skill was not without a price and it was not unlimited. She was still made of flesh and bone, of blood and tissue and both her concentration for Shifting and her intensely fast physical movement that was undetectable for another eye required immense energy. An energy that was gently oozing out of her. The battle had yet new begun and the dawn seemed centuries away........but Irulan knew that she would have to use her skills sparingly if she wished to continue all throughout the night.
She had fought many battles that had consumed long hours without Shifting as the Black Knight. True, these Uruks were more skilled and certainly better prepared, yet she could and should continue to try not to Shift if she could help it. She forced her curiosity down and decided not to give it another try for at least another ten minutes or so. And then maybe prolong the time intervals even further if it would help. She knew that she would eventually have to Shift. Irulan was not naive, neither was she inexperienced and she knew the odds of this battle too well. But for now, it could be helped.
Swish, bow, crunch, twirl........
Suddenly Aragorn was by her side, stalking the upper walls of the fortress, slicing his way through them. "Irulan," he shouted over the commotion when he was close enough, "how are you feeling?"
"Wonderful!" Irulan said and laughed back, not missing a beat of the action around her, "I am winning in our death-toll bet and soon you will see two elves and a dwarf throwing themselves at my feet for my every wish!" Irulan glanced at him for a moment, "Care to join the bet, Ranger?"
Aragorn threw her an irritated look. "I still have sense in me, woman!" he said and grinned with amusement before he moved away towards Legolas.
'Forty-three' thought Irulan and kept on extending and retracting her staff with minute movements, trying not to stray too far from Legolas. Death was blooming around her like an eerie flower with a sickening, thick smell. This was battle - there was no point of thinking of the Uruks as something else than what they were...but what they were....was alive, after all. And Irulan happened to be the reason they died this night, leaving this world forever.
She was so engulfed in her own thoughts and so lost in her own world, she did not see the anxiety of Legolas and Aragorn as an attempt to breach Helm's Deep was made. Neither did she realize their futile attempts to stop it. She was moving towards them with darkly grace, handing out death as if handing out a cool and refreshing drink in the heat of the summer, when she felt a soft hum beneath her feet that was instantly replaced by the loudest noise she had ever heard and even before she could register that to be a sound, she felt herself both crushed and at the same time lifted to be thrown away with great force.
Irulan hit the stone hard and her mind went dark. Her eyelids fluttered, but she was nowhere near waking. A cool liquid seemed to envelop her, first biting at her with its iciness, then her body growing accustomed to the lack of heat and responding with a dull throb. 'Irulan, wake up,' said a voice in her head, but Irulan was lost to its call. The cold liquid ran along her body, growing in intension and depth, gently reaching up to engulf her. 'Irulan, open your eyes!' the voice repeated, echoing in the empty halls of her mind. She felt herself pulsing with cold anticipation of the frosty touch on her, growing and growing. Neither memory nor thought bothered her here. She only felt confusion and the remnants of physical pain, but even that seemed distant. 'Open your eyes!' whispered the voice again and she sensed the tense anxiety in it, 'Rise! Now!' But the cool liquid was so tempting.....'Open your eyes!' it shrieked with such unexpected intensity, her eyes flew open on their own accord. She drew a ragged and slow breath, her brain jumping from notion to notion, trying to understand who she was, where she was and what she was doing.
And suddenly she remembered. She closed her eyes again, and mustering all her strength, forced them open once more. There; everything seemed clearer now. She began to hear the voices around her again, but they seemed soft and distant. Wondering if she was hurt beyond movement, she tried to stir, and to her surprise, her muscles obeyed almost instantly. She moved to sit up and almost collapsed face down as a slight dizziness overcame her. She closed and opened her eyes again and completed the movement.
Suddenly she was hauled from the floor and turned upside down. Her eyes grew with the realization of an orc attack, and she tried to find her staff, but it was gone. Irulan moaned with the effort, but she was unable to lift her head as the world swam and jumped around her. Just when she was about to wonder what kind of attack this was, she felt herself lowered to the ground again, her back coming to rest on something and helping her to remain sitting. Irulan blinked with surprise as Legolas' face appeared before hers, worry and fear written all over it. He anxiously touched her forehead with his cool fingers and then moved on hastily checking her body for wounds.
"Legolas," she said and it came out much better than she thought it would, "I lost my staff."
"I have it," he said and Irulan followed his swift gaze to the floor where her staff was lying.
She almost sighed with relief. "What the hell happened?!" she said with anger and sat up.
"They have managed to breach the outer wall, Irulan," Legolas said and he looked like he was about to cry. He was still gently checking her for broken bones. "I have failed to stop the attempt!"
"You mean you were unable to kill ten thousand Uruks?" said Irulan and actually managed to snort.
Legolas looked up at her with pain in his eyes. "The fortress will fall, Irulan," he whispered, and for the first time in all their time together she heard his voice shaking.
"Help me up, Legolas!" she hissed and Legolas felt himself moving unconsciously with the tone of command in her voice. He moved in to help her, but she actually stood up herself.
"You are not wounded," he said, gently gliding his fingers on her forehead, his eyes locking onto hers.
"Don't you despair on me now!" she said with a dark voice. "And don't you DARE thinking of taking responsibility for this defeat!" Legolas blinked, but did not look away. She tested her staff and then moved in to kiss him. Legolas could only remain as he was when she gently grabbed his tunic and pulled him down to her. His surprise melted into relief within moments. Calmness and sanity returned to him as her lips seemed to push everything else into the background. The war was raging around them; orc blood was running into elf blood, which was trickling into pools of human blood. Arrows were penetrating flesh, swords cutting bones, spears delving into skin. But all that vanished from his mind as he found Irulan amongst the incredible chaos that had threatened to overcome his mind moments ago. It was as if Irulan had approached him with a small box, a coy smile on her beautiful lips. She had slightly lifted the cover, her eyes never leaving his, and behold....all reason, all hope, all the strength required to continue rested in there and everything returned to him in the blink of an eye.
"We are not done yet," whispered Irulan and with exactly the same smile on her lips now, beckoned him along as she sprinted towards the fallen ruins of the wall. And although only mere moments had passed, a completely different Legolas adjusted his quiver and fell in behind her.