DISCLAIMER: Please see Chapter One for the disclaimer. I wish I owned the characters sigh
Chapter Three: The Storm Breaks
Aragorn quickly pulled Haldir and his lieutenants into the keep and into conference with Theoden and his chief advisors. Gimli hurried after. Plans for the defense of Helm's Deep were drawn up, discarded, and redrawn over and over until all were satisfied.
The Elves, two hundred experienced warriors would take position on the outer wall and the first courtyard as the first line of defense. The Uruk-Hai would find it no easy task to approach the wall in the face of the Elven archers. Even if they broke through, the Elves were equally skilled with the slightly curved swords they carried.
Defense of the keep itself then fell to the humans. Those who showed any skill with bows were stationed on the outer ring of the keep and in the watch towers. As many skilled fighters as could be spared took place over the gates where they could defend the causeway. Every man who could fit was given space on the walls and above the gate. Those left over took up position behind the gates: if the Uruk-Hai tried to break down the gates, they would reinforce it or slay any of the foul creatures breaking through.
The final plans laid, the meeting was about to break up when someone knocked on the door of the chamber. A tall Elf entered, bowing slightly. "My lords, we have spotted the Uruks. They will be upon us within the hour," he said as calmly as he might announce dinner was ready.
"Thank you, Tauril," said Haldir. The Elf bowed and left.
Theoden straightened, his handsome face creased with tension. "That's it, then. To your posts. And may dawn find us all in good health."
They left the chambers and quickly broke into groups, issuing orders to take positions and making final checks of weapons and armor. Gimli jogged after Aragorn and Haldir; the action would be on the outer walls and he planned to be right in the thick of it. Standing on tip-toes, he could just see over the crenellations in the outer wall. Fires, just pinpricks of light at this distance, burned in the distance. In a flash of lightning, he could see movement but could not make out any details.
The Elves stood as motionless as the trees of their forests with the patience only long life could teach. Aragorn moved among them, speaking the occasional word of Elvish that Gimli couldn't understand. He looked around, hoping to see Legolas somewhere among the warriors, but could see nothing but golden armor and cloaks. Turning, he tried to peer over the wall again.
"You could at least have picked a better place to stand," he grumbled to Haldir.
The marchwarden smiled slightly but didn't respond. Aragorn moved up beside them then, hair blowing in the wind. He peered out across the plains, trying to discern enemy movements in a bright flash of lightning.
"By the luck you live by, lad," Gimli said, "let's hope it lasts the night."
Haldir placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "Your friends are with you, Aragorn."
Aragorn looked at him in gratitude, then smiled as Gimli added, "Let's hope they last the night."
Someone shouted Aragorn's name and he moved to them. Gimli glowered at the stone wall in front of him as a heavy drop of water splattered off his helmet. Another soon followed, then another. In moments rain was pouring from the sky and making a strange pinging sound as it bounced off the armor.
Over the sound of the rain came another sound, a deep thudding sound. It built in a steady crescendo to the sound of thousands of marching feet. Less-frequent lightning flashes accompanied the rain but revealed the massive army marching on the keep with the steady pace of a drum beat. Indistinct shouts and battle cries could be heard from the army now. The black armor reflected no light from torch or lightning but glinted off spears and hooked scimitars.
The wind carried Aragorn's voice to the Elves on the battlements as he spoke to them. The strength of his voice encouraged even the humans close enough to hear it although they could not understand the strange language. Soon the march of the army drowned out his voice and he moved once more to the battlements.
The Uruk-Hai suddenly halted, perhaps in response to some command the defenders couldn't hear. They formed ragged lines stretching back into the darkness, grunting and blowing steam into the cold wet air. The front rows then began pounding the butts of their spears rythmically on the ground and chanting. The action was soon taken up by those behind.
Aragorn drew his sword, attention on those around him as well as the horde. The experienced warriors knew the tactic well---such chanting served to make the attackers bolder while breaking the morale of the defenders. The entire valley echoed with the thrumming noise that bounced off the mountain and the thick walls of the keep.
"Tangado a chadad!"
Upon Aragorn's command, the Elves moved seemingly as one creature, raising their bows and putting arrow to string. Each Elf drew the string back until the feathers brushed lightly against the cheek and waited.
"Faeg i-varv din na lanc a nu ranc."
Those quiet words drew Gimli's gaze around. He knew the voice, if not their meaning. Legolas stood a few feet to his right, also ready to release an arrow. He didn't look at Gimli, nor at Aragorn.
Suddenly a lone arrow flew out from the keep, striking an Uruk.
"Dartho!" commanded Aragorn.
The Elves held steady as the black-skinned orcs ceased their actions. One fell creature fell to the ground. The attitude of the orc army began to change. Enraged roars reached the ears of the defenders and the lines began to shift and move. Suddenly the entire mass of Uruk-Hai began to surge forward.
"Hado i philinn!"
Elven arrows flew straight into the front ranks of the Uruk-Hai, dropping many instantly. A second volley followed, this released by the Men in the keep. Then Aragorn signalled the Elves in the courtyard and more arrows flew, arching high into the air to fall onto the attackers beyond the wall.
Gimli shifted his weight from foot to foot and clutched his axe tightly., impatient for the fight to begin. Too many orcs waited on the plains below to hope the archers would stop them all. Aragorn was constantly on the move, watching the orcs and trying to anticipate their actions. Suddenly Aragorn was at the wall, staring out.
"Pendraith!" he shouted.
Too soon, Uruk-Hai were topping the walls where they had managed to raise ladders. Legolas planted an arrow in the face of one who rose directly in front of him and had a second arrow ready before the next orc appeared. Elves were exchanging their bows for swords as more and more of the misshapen creatures climbed onto the walls.
A hulking, half-naked Uruk---his skin painted white and stained with blood---viciously cut down an Elf with his scimitar. The dying Elf staggered back into Gimli, knocking him off his feet, and the savage orc spun to deliver a blow to the Dwarf. With a cry, Gimli brought his axe up in a two-handed chop. The Uruk squealed in pain as the axe sank into his groin. Gimli jumped to his feet and delivered a killing blow to the orc's unprotected back.
Aragorn fought hard, trying to help the fighters as well as monitor the battle as a whole. A large number of Uruk-Hai were marching up the causeway, their shields held over their heads and around them in a protective wall. Men on the gatehouse were attacking the shield wall with thrown stones and spears, but they still marched on.
"Na fennas!" he shouted, gesturing with his sword. "Na fennas!"
Immediately Elves along the wall, firing as soon as they saw their targets. Uruk-Hai fell from the causeway as arrows decimated their ranks.
Gimli scrambled onto the top of the wall between two siege ladders. Orcs were scrambling up as fast as they could, hampered by the narrowness of the ladder. Crying out his count with each blow, Gimli hacked into each orc as it scrambled up the ladder toward him, dropping one with each stroke.
Legolas had exchanged his bow for his two knives, better suited for the close fighting as more and more orcs joined the battle and more Elves fell to their blades. He darted in, parrying an attack with one blade while the other stabbed in to find a weak spot in the armor or slash a throat.
He heard Aragorn screaming over the noise of the battle and paused, looking around. Aragorn stood at the wall, staring at the army below with a look of horror and shouting for someone to "kill him." Grabbing the bow from his back, Legolas ran to the wall and sought his target.
A big Uruk-Hai, naked but for a helmet and a loincloth, was running toward the wall with a brightly burning torch in his hand. Others had opened a path for him and chanted something as he ran. Glancing down, Legolas saw he was running for the storm drain where a small stream fed out of the keep's walls.
Legolas drew an arrow quickly and fired. Even as he nocked a second, he saw the Uruk-Hai stagger but not fall, the arrow protruding from his chest. From the corner of his eye, he saw Haldir also aiming at the orc. Legolas' second arrow hit home at the same time as the Lothlorien's first but the enemy didn't fall. Instead, he dove head-first into the culvert.
A massive explosion rocked the fortress.
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tbc