"Jo, dear, don't hope any more. It won't do any good."

-Beth, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women

Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own any recognizable characters and/or places in this story.

Cat Eyes: Yay! Eh, most people who've seen it once are like "Haleth? Who's that?" and then I tell them and they don't remember.

Umbrella-Experiment: Thanks!

Emmithar: Stupid ff.n! Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long!

*****

Haleth came upon a pyre of wood, where a single body had been set ablaze. "Who burns here?" he asked, for many stood nearby in sorrow. Who was the much-loved man that now went to Mandos? Who had he been? There were few people in Edoras that Haleth had not at least met once or twice, and reflecting on this he feared the answer to his question.

"He burns Hama, doorguard of Edoras--"

Haleth heard no more. All sound was taken from him, all feeling left his body. It seemed as though his mind was all that remained of what had once been Haleth, son of Hama. Emotion surged, and Haleth suddenly wanted to leap forward and to burn with the father he had loved, and had never imagined loosing. He wanted to cry, but he shoved his tears away with his grimy wrists.

"Do not cry," he could hear Aioch tell him. "If you stay strong, you will grow, Haleth, and this will be but a part of who you become."

"Thank you," he whispered to his friend, and turned to walk away from the fire. As he did so he stumbled, and suddenly the night before loomed over him. . .

~* "Daer ú-o chyn, Ú-danno i failad a thi; an úben tannatha le failad!" Haleth did not know Elvish. He had no idea what had just been said. In fact, he hardly heard the words: he was scared out of his wits, shaking so much, he could feel his heart racing, he jumped from foot to foot. Aioch squeezed his hand for reassurance.

The Uruk-Hai army approached, like a black wave coming slowly up the seashore. Their steps were timed to perfection, and thousands of feet landed at once, shaking the ground. Their orc-horns sounded ferociously and their torches burned with uncanny brightness. Suddenly they stopped, not fifteen yards from the fortress.

"Hado I phillin!"

This one Haleth guessed the meaning of, for afterwards a volley of arrows assaulted the Uruk-Hai--and that was it. The battle had begun. There was nothing for a young boy with a sword to do but watch as the archers, Elves that had appeared as if by magic and Men Haleth had known most of his life. He trusted them, but was still uneasy. *~

Haleth came out of his reverie as he slammed to the ground. No one noticed. He picked himself up, but did not bother to brush off the dirt. He was dirty already, what would a bit of soil do to change that? He turned to see what he had just tripped over, and was again returned to the night before.

~* The Uruk-Hai were managing to get onto the wall now. Haleth swung his sword with both hands, and when it first found flesh he was shocked. The Uruk stopped, having been cut half-way through with a sword, then fell to the ground. Haleth was shocked. He had taken a life. It may have been a mine-or-his matter, but that did not change the fact: he had taken a life.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. "It is your life that maters now," said rapidly a consoling voice. "Mourn later. You are a warrior now."

Haleth turned, but whomever had spoken to him was gone. *~

Haleth's eyes lingered on the unusual shock of red hair, dirty but unable to hide its color. The wide eyes seemed to penetrate Haleth's very heart. The fingers of the body curled as if holding a sword: someone had taken a weapon from this dead soldier. Where was the wound that had killed him? Dried blood surrounded him, but no wound showed.

~* "Back to the Keep! Fall back!" the order was called out, and Haleth obeyed at once. The outer wall had exploded, and he was still amazed to think of the Dwarf that stood in the gap, swinging out at the Uruk-Hai with his axe as they swarmed in. The people of Edoras were losing this battle, Haleth realized, but by returning to the Keep their forces would be more focused, striking as one. *~

He had not seen what had happened, but had stumbled outside in a daze with the knowledge that it was over. Moments later he had come upon his father's funeral pyre. Dead bodies were being moved away, piled and burned in the case of Uruk-Hai. But one seemed to have been overlooked.

Haleth fell to his knees. He took the body of his friend in his arms, cradling him, embracing him. He sobbed, burying his head Aioch's hair and shaking miserably. His shoulder convulsed as he did his best to hide the sorrow that took him. Memories flooded back to him of each Uruk-Hai warrior he killed, of every person he had lost--memories of Hama, memories of Aioch. Memories of Joshul and Laina, who might yet have lived--Haleth did not know.

Haleth gazed around at the people who stood together or apart, each of the dead having loved ones to stand and send him or her to Mandos. "He died in this battle as well. He was twelve years old." Haleth was slowly becoming hysterical. "He had a name, but no family to love him. His life was a thing to mourn and yet he loved it. You gazed on him with pity in the streets! You mourned him then for living! Will you not mourn him for dying? Who will mourn him now? Who will mourn him!"

"He died bravely."

It was the same person that had spoken to Haleth on the deeping wall, when he killed his first Uruk. Haleth looked up, this time not caring if or not he saw the face of his companion. It was an Elf, somehow clean save a smudge of dirt mixed with blood on his cheek, gazing at Haleth with sympathy and understanding. As Haleth blinked back tears, the Elf knelt beside him.

"I fought beside him. I admit I saw him fall, and that I took the arrow from his body and used it as my own. I knew him not. But I will mourn his passing."

Haleth's shoulders rose and came together as he tried not to cry. The words of the Elf touched him deeply. Despite his effort's Haleth cried again, bereft of any way to hide his tears. The Elf seemed surprised, but he was not stupid. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, the Elf gently cleaned off Haleth's face, then helped the boy to his feet. Haleth did not want to leave Aioch, but was too weak to protest.

What the Elf did next shocked Haleth: he knelt again, and scooped up the body of Aioch with such tenderness it might have been the body of his own son. "Come. We will gather wood for a small pyre, and free his spirit for Mandos."

*****

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Author's Note: Yeah, guess who that Elf was. And no, that is not the ending, there will be more.