Disclaimer: The characters, settings, places and languages used in this work are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate and Tolkien Enterprises. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Notes: Spoilers for Return of the King – but if you haven't seen that film by now, why are you reading this?! Get down to the cinema now!!
Mostly based on canon: the Elves didn't go to Helm's Deep in the books, here's what they were doing instead.
Originally written for the www.haldir-lives.org Fan Fic Challenge. Huge thanks to Kissaki and everyone else at www.haldir-lives.org (now www.galadhrim.net).
Many thanks to Erewyn for your review, and of course to all the people who have reviewed this story. I'm always hungry for more though, so if you have a few seconds to spare, don't forget to tell me what you think!
Chapter VIII
The orcs had begun to invade Caras Galadhon, where no creature of evil had trod in all the long years since its foundation.
The Elves had not planned the defence of their home without thinking of a strategy to combat the orcs should they get through the gate. Some of the Galadhrim remained in the trees, firing a rain of arrows down upon the brutes' heads, but most leapt down from the flets to the ground, drawing their blades and preparing to meet their assailants head-on. Hundreds of Elves divided into three companies, one on the left side of the gate, under the command of Orophin, another to the right, led by Rúmil, the third directly in front of the stampeding orcs, led by Lord Celeborn.
As the orcs poured through the broken gate, the Elves gave a great battle cry, and charged towards them with their long swords held high. In one fluid motion, all three companies converged upon the invaders, and a great many orcs were slayed in the first charge alone. The two armies began to merge, countless evil creatures were killed, but the cost to the Galadhrim was great, and many an immortal life was lost. There were yet thousands of orcs crowding outside, waiting to get through the gate, and though the Elves hacked and hewed tirelessly at the orcs, more and more came forward to replace them, while the numbers of the Galadhrim were limited.
Galadriel realised that the time had come for her to reveal her power to this enemy, though she knew that using Nenya when the fate of the One Ring was uncertain was extremely perilous. But having made her decision, she now found herself trapped in her flet, orcs swarmed at the base of the mallorn, which was close to the gate, and she could not attempt to join the warriors on the ground.
Celeborn became aware of Galadriel's predicament, though she had not spoken in his mind for fear of distracting him, which in battle could prove deadly. But there was little he could do; at the moment he was being pushed back, further away from the wall. He looked for Rúmil, but though his company was holding on the right side of the gate, he too was far too occupied to help, and Celeborn could not even see Orophin.
Then, out of the blue, the orcs outside the gate started dropping, from the back of their lines. Volley after volley of white-shafted arrows flew from the trees on the western side of the clearing. The orcs faltered, caught unexpectedly between two enemies. Galadriel saw her opportunity, and dropped lightly from the tree. Orcs ran at her, but undaunted she raised both hands, a gleaming sword in her right hand, and on her left the Ring of Adamant, glimmering bright as a star. A dazzling light shone from her, power radiated from her, and Galadriel's enemies squealed in terror as the 'elf-witch' of legend was revealed in all her terrible glory. Turning away in terror, the orcs fled from the Lady of the Wood. Many were killed as they tried to leave the city, for though their numbers were diminished there were still a number of Elven-warriors fighting near the gate. Yet there were more than one thousand orcs outside the fortress who had not seen Galadriel's power, and who were still trying to force their way inside. Though they would not win out against the might of the most powerful Elf to the east of the Sea, many Elves would die if the battle dragged on much longer.
Still arrows poured out of the trees opposite the wall, and slowly the enemy's lines began to thin. Some of the orcs who had not even set foot inside Caras Galadhon began to flee into the forest, but stopped in their tracks when they were met at the forest's edge by forty-six Elven warriors. These charged out from under the trees and easily cut down the scrawny goblins without even slowing. The Galadhrim in the high flets in Caras Galadhon looked out into the clearing and cheered as the Elves plunged into the rear of the crowd of orcs, led from the front by an Elf whose armour shone even in the darkness, though black orc-blood stained his red cloak. Sporting a gash in his forehead and favouring his left arm, Haldir thrust his sword through the neck of one orc, and then swinging it one-handed, lopped off the head of another. All around him the survivors of those who had stayed with their captain on the eastern border and the march wardens of the north fought with unsurpassed valour, creating havoc in the mass of orcs.
Heartened by this unpredicted turn of events, Celeborn and Rúmil swiftly organised the Elves inside the city to prepare to launch an attack on the orcs still lingering near the gate. Galadriel strode forward, followed by many cheers from the Galadhrim, and together with Celeborn and Rúmil she led the counter-attack. The orcs quailed before the Elves, especially Galadriel, and they were swiftly driven away from the wall and into the deep fosse, where they could be picked off from those archers who had remained in the high flets. Some hundreds of orcs fled from the forest across the Anduin, but they were only a small part of the force that had assailed Lórien.
Celeborn went back into the city to organise a small force which would follow the orcs to the Great River, ensuring that they did not double back, and to set up a watch on the eastern border. Galadriel and Rúmil met Haldir on the white bridge before the gate to Caras Galadhon amidst much cheering and rejoicing. Rúmil, grinning widely, grasped Haldir's hand.
"Brother, I have never in all my life been happier to see you!" Rúmil exclaimed.
Lady Galadriel stepped forward, smiling at the two warriors.
"Indeed, Captain, your part in this battle shall be acclaimed, as one of the most timely interventions in all the Elves' wars. As a Captain and a warrior you have fought with great valour, and your loyalty and courage are to be highly commended. You also, Rúmil, have fought well, as did your brother Orophin, and I think it will be a proud day for all of you when the two of you join your elder brother as captains of the Galadhrim. Yet I fear that you may be under-used in your new roles, I doubt if there is much strength left in Dol Guldur. Lórien shall not be assailed from that dark place again. Our fate now lies in the hands of others, not our own. If the Ring is destroyed, Lothlórien shall be saved, but not preserved. If it is not destroyed, and the Dark Lord takes it back, then the Golden Wood shall fall into Shadow with the rest of the world. See! The great Darkness that covers Middle-earth is not yet receding! There is still much to do in the wide world in order that the darkness may be defeated. Ours was but a small part in the great War of the Ring, a skirmish on the edge of a much larger conflict, and if it is ever revealed to those who do not dwell in Lórien, it will be quickly forgotten, a mere footnote in the histories of Men. But that does not make the deeds done today any less great, or honourable."
Celeborn came up to them at the end of this, and nodded in agreement, though he looked very grave and did not smile.
"Indeed," said Celeborn, "as long as the Elves of Lórien live they will remember this day and honour Captain Haldir and his brothers Rúmil and Orophin for their courage and heroism. But now I feel we must attend to our Captain, who seems to have taken one or two wounds in the fray."
"I am well enough, my Lord. There are others with greater hurt then I, who ought to be attended to first. And I am anxious to look for Orophin. I am surprised that he did not find us here."
Celeborn bowed his head, and was silent, but he did not dismiss them as they had expected him to. The Lord looked at the two brothers sadly, and after a long moment spoke again.
"You will find your brother near the gate that he so valiantly defended, Haldir. He fell within ten strides of the wall. I am sorry."
Celeborn and Galadriel watched as, without waiting to be dismissed, Haldir and Rúmil ran through the ruined gate to the spot where their brother lay, being attended to by several Elven maidens. They stepped away to let Haldir and Rúmil near him. Orophin lay face up; a great rent in his armour had let his blood flow out over the ground about him. Evidently the gash went deep into his chest. Someone had closed his eyes, but his mouth hung open as if in shock, and no breath passed his lips.
Looking at his brother's dead body, and imagining the agony with which he passed from the world, Haldir felt his own injuries keenly, and collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and pain. Rúmil knelt down beside him, and for a few minutes they wept silently together. All around them the bodies of dead orcs were being taken outside of the city and flung onto heaps, while the bodies of Elves were reverently carried further into Caras Galadhon, away from the site of the carnage. As Orophin was lifted up, Haldir went to stop them, but Rúmil compassionately led Haldir away to their flet. There he gently cleaned up the deep cut on his brother's head, and tended to his left arm, where Haldir had suffered a fractured wrist. They did not speak, and the silence was made heavy with grief. Each of them had thousands of years of memories of their youngest sibling to think about. Finally Rúmil broke the long silence.
"Orophin would have been greatly surprised to see how well you wielded that long-handled Elven-blade with just one hand, Haldir. He would have been very impressed. I was impressed… it was a great example of swordsmanship."
Haldir smiled, though his eyes filled with tears. Once again his skill in battle had not been enough to save his brothers from harm. Rúmil had come through unscathed, but Orophin was dead. His spirit now dwelled in the Halls of Mandos, and never again would he walk underneath the mallorn trees of Lórien. Haldir found his thoughts wandering to the vision in the Mirror, and wondered what Rúmil would say about his plan to leave Lothlórien. But for the moment he said nothing.