Author's Note: Thank you all for your patience in regards to this chapter. I am sad to announce that this is the second to last chapter. Yes, it will be over soon. But I also want to thank everyone for their reviews. I never expected to get 15 reviews for this story. Keep them coming. That is what drives me to keep going: knowing that you all keep wanting to know what happens next. :)

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

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Chapter 8: Victory and Failure

Eowyn has been rushing along the passage for a few minutes and now was following the torches that flicker in the darkness and grow larger as she nears. One of the lights starts towards her.

"My Lady?" a woman's voice breathlessly says uncertainly as the light stops.

"Yes," Eowyn answers, moving into the light.

The woman in front of her shakes uncontrollably, her face deathly pale, eyes wide.

"What has happened?" Eowyn demands. "Did some of the orcs reach you?"

"Yes, about ten; I could not really tell," the woman answers. "They swept down upon us. We could barely push the children back and try to defend ourselves against the orcs. Then three of the young women came to our rescue and killed the orcs."

Eowyn breathes a sigh of relief. They have been victorious. They are safe…for now. She silently thanks the Valar for their deliverance. But then she looks at the woman again. There is a strange sadness in her eyes. Eowyn's stomach ties in a knot in a dreaded warning.

"What? What else happened? What are you not telling?" she demands in a hushed voice.

The woman looks at her, tries to speak, then lowers her head, sobs racking her body. She wordlessly gestures behind her. Eowyn pushes past her towards the other women.

She comes within the torches' light and sees the ground littered with bodies. Her eyes take in the foul creature -- all dark and large, with armor that did not protect them… Eowyn gasps as her gaze lands on a woman, in a pool of her own blood, the last breath long gone from her body. Eowyn's horror grows as she sees several women lying among the orcs. She makes her way among the bodies. Her attention is drawn by a wailing sob. She lifts her eyes and sees Freda, kneeling on the ground, surrounded by women who watch sadly, tears on their cheeks. Freda bends over two bodies, stroking the hair of the women, uncaring of her dress and hands being marred by blood. The wails that escape her lips are heart-wrenching. Eowyn reaches her. She suddenly feels sick as she recognizes the two dead girls in the light, covered in their blood.

"Neisa. Larewen." Their names pass softly over her lips.

Freda lifts her head and her grief-stricken gaze meets Eowyn's disbelieving eyes. She strokes the girls' faces tenderly.

"They fought nobly and without fear of their own safety," Freda whispers brokenly.

"We had killed some orcs when more rushed by us. Larewen and Neisa immediately went after them. I was tempted to stay, to help you and the others. But the two of them could not fight those creatures alone. So I went after them. While I ran, I could hear that the battle had already started. Some had already fallen, both woman and orc. I do not know how the women were able to defend themselves before the daggers saved them. I had expected many more to be slain before we came.

"It was worse than when it was just the nine of us fighting. There were screams from the women and children. They did everything they could to protect themselves. Right before our eyes some fell, without any way of trying to defend themselves. Now that I think about it, I do not know how we were able to kill all the orcs. Neisa, Larewen, and I were so tired. I do not know when Larewen fell; but Neisa took the blow that was meant for me. I had lost my dagger, and an orc was about to run me through with his sword when I was pushed out of the way. When my vision cleared, I saw the orc was on the ground dead. I sat up and found Neisa next to me, bleeding heavily from a wound.

"She looked up at me, gave a choked sigh, and smiled weakly at me.

"'You are all right,' she whispered, resting a hand lightly on my stomach.

"'You pushed me out of the way,' I gasped. She nodded. 'You took the blow that was meant for me!'

"She smiled again. 'I could not bear to have this life destroyed.'

"I held her during her last moments. She told me to tell you that you should not let your heart be troubled by this. She said she was glad she could die defending her kin."

Freda falters and starts sobbing anew. Mowen, Thathien, Ethoethien, Tralede, and Laesien, who caught up with Eowyn while Freda spoke, cry quietly. Eowyn only stares blankly at the floor. A wave of failure threatens to drown her. This was not supposed to happen. Her dream was not supposed to become a reality. She had stayed with the women reluctantly to lead and protect them. She had failed to protect them. Did any of the dead women leave behind a child? Was the child an orphan because the child had now lost both mother and father? If some of their kin had survived the battle, what would they think when they found out? They had fought thinking their women and children were safe in the caves, away from harm. But they now had lost someone from their family.

It's your fault. If you had not lost your sword, caused Mowen to help you, the orcs would not have gotten past.

Eowyn tries to push the accusing thoughts from her mind. She cannot change the past. And they still had to go back.

Eowyn's face becomes a mask, no emotion showing except through her body. But she controls herself. She does not break like the others. She steps forward. "These women have greatly honored Rohan and its king. May what they did this day not be long forgotten." Her voice is solemn and steady.

Heads nod and voices murmur in agreement.

"We must go back," Eowyn continues. "The passage to the mountains is blocked because of a fire. We cannot stay here. We must have everyone's wounds attended, and we must bury the dead."

It does not take very for the company to turn back. The gravely wounded are assisted, and the dead are carried on cloths. Eowyn leads with Thathien and Ethoethien. She does not know what has happened since she and the women had fled the caves. If it came to them needing to fight again, Eowyn knows they will not be able to last.

Ahead of them torches appear. Eowyn tenses but then relaxes with relief when she recognizes the voice of Hana calling out to them.

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Vix: I'm glad you're still enjoying this! Your reviews are what keep me going with this story.

mouise: Thank you very much for your long review. :) I'm glad you like it. (Though yours is much better.) I will review your story's latest chapters when I get the time!

Herculeha: I am sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. So you think I should write a sequel to In the Doorway (of the Green Dragon), eh? Hmm, I will consider it. I still have to finish this story and The End and Beginning of it All, and I'm currently working on the sequel to What Has Taken You Away?

Aemilia Rose: What can I say?