Sorry for the long wait everybody :( But I have an excuse: I went to Paris, and I have to study for my exams. Anyway, here's the big battle scene :) I hope you guys like it.
But first: tx for reviewing, those little things keep me alive :)
Kelly: nice you liked the Boromir/Aragorn - look . I thought to make them good little boys ... for a while :)
Aislynn: Thanks for reading the story, but I'm afraid you're going to have a little patience before Boromir finally reaches Gondor. I have some plans for him when he gets there though :))
collegetwin: thank you for the advice on the paragraphs, let me know if I've improved :)
Debby: Yep, we're still going to have a little fight between Lurtz and Boromir. Nobody tries to kill the oldest son of the Steward of Gondor and get's away with it :)
skahducky: here's your battle! Let me know if you liked it!
Lady of Legolas & Princess of Mirkwood: the comment get's mailed to me :) Indeed, A/L is overrated, and Boromir should 'reward' Legolas for saving him so ... *wicked grin*
Anne-Marie: Boromir will have to go on without his brother for some time still, but the reunion will be spectacular, I promise! :)
And now, without further ado ...
Chapter 6: Helm's Deep
-----------------------
Boromir stood in the arch of the gate that controlled the access to the Golden City of Meduseld. At his left stood Legolas, one of his hands absently stroking Arod's mane. Together they looked out towards their destination, the planes around the stronghold in the Westmarch of Rohan. Gimli stood a little further, beside Éomer, who had asked him to ride with him, as a token of friendship. They waited for Gandalf, Théoden and Aragorn, who had been making last-moment preparations.
Finally the Wizard and his company emerged from the city and called their horses to them. The King of the Mark was cheered at by his people and mounted his own horse. Boromir janked himself up as well, taking his place beside Legolas. Then, with a load thumping of hooves and a fierce warcry, they were off.
Gandalf and Théoden rode first, followed by Aragorn and Éomer, who had Gimli behind him, and then came Boromir and Legolas. The two talked a lot among each other for the rest of the ride, mostly about things they had once seen or done. An occasional comment came from the Dwarf, when he had gathered enough courage to let go of Éomer with one hand to look behind him.
That night the three sat close together for some warmth, although Boromir suspected that the Elf mostly did it for the company. He had never seen Legolas shiver once, not even on Caradras. He chanced a quick look at Aragorn, seeing him sitting next to Gandalf.
"He feels his destiny pulling at him." Legolas observed from his place on the ground, his gaze also on the Ranger. Boromir nodded. He suspected that Aragorn would be in for a very rough time, the last days of his 'normal life' and the first days of his kingship. Cracking a light grin, Boromir realised that he didn't mind that much anymore that Aragorn would rule his people in his stead. Not that he wouldn't have tried to do as good a job at it as he possibly could, but meetings with councilors had always been boring to him. Imagine a Ranger, used to the outside and freedom, sitting in a meeting like that. It was enough to make him feel very sympathetic towards his King-to-be.
Nothing happened that night, but everybody was weary, and not much sleep came to any in the entire host. When the next morning dawned, they were awoken from a fitfull sleep by the ringing of trumpets. The air was heavy around them, and tension seemed to be a living thing, crawling around them.
"I wish we would meet something, instead of this uncertainty." Boromir muttered to Legolas when they had ridden for some time. The Elf turned understanding eyes towards him, and Boromir could well imagine that his friend felt the anxiety that hung over them still more heavily because of his attunement to the world around him.
"It will not be long now." Legolas answered looking around him.
Suddenly Gandalf came up beside them. "Tell me what you see, Legolas, in the direction of Isengard." Boromir raised an eyebrow. If the Wizard was concerned enough to ask for help, things were looking gloomily indeed.
"There are many miles between here and the Tower." Legolas answered, as he stood up in the stirrups. "I can see a darkness. Great shapes are moving in it, far away by the shore of the River, but I cannot see what they are. Something other than fog or clouds is blocking my sight. It feels as if a conceiling shadow lies across the land."
"And behind us a storm from Mordor approaches." Gandalf sighed, "It will be a hard night indeed."
A little after the midday, a rider came from behind them. He was spotted by the rearguard and brought before Théoden, reporting the grave situation they had been forced into. As Théoden reached the decision to help his people as swiftly as possible, Gandalf nudged Shadowfax to the fore.
"Protect the Lord of the Mark whilst I am away." the Istari told them, "Wait for me at Helm's Deep! Farewell!" And with that the great horse galloped of, leaving them behind.
Boromir and the others now left the road and went south. Not stopping for the night, they rode further until they reached Helm's Deep, lying in a great green dale. Before they reached the Burg itself, Legolas turned in his saddle, looking backwards, focusing on something behind the army.
"What is it?" Boromir asked, his hand almost automatically reaching for the hilt of his sword.
"They are behind us." the Elf answered softly, "I can almost hear them comming." And indeed only a few moments later, their scout came back, harried by arrows. He told of the great army of Orcs and Wild Men that was heading towards Helm's Deep.
"Let us be quick then," Éomer admonished, "We'll cut through any ennemies there might be between us and the stronghold."
For the next hour or so they road on, until finally they came to the Hornburg, where they were stopped by the guard on the wall.
"Who rides to Helm's Deep?" the cry went out from the wall.
Éomer answered him. "The King of the Mark does. I, Éomer, son of Éomund, speak." The guards murmered approvingly and let them in. The army moved inside the walls, securing the horses and then taking their positions on the walls.
Boromir stood with Gimli and Legolas. The Dwarf was voicing his happines at being rid of the horse and being able to put his axe to use on some Orcs soon. "This is much better than a horseback." he grumbled, stamping on the stone. Suddenly his face twisted into a wicked grin. "Come, master Elf, let us play a game this night."
Legolas and Boromir exchanged a quick glance. "What game?" the Elf asked curiously.
"A warrior's game." Gimli answered, still with that grin plastered on his face. "Whoever kills the most Orcs and other creatures of Saruman wins. It shall prove to be an interesting sport. So, what say you? Shall we play?"
Boromir laughed. "Agree with him on this, Legolas. I should surely like to see this peculiar game." The Gondorian knew this game: it was one he had frequently 'played' with the men of his company back in Minas Tirith, and even sometimes with his brother. It was hard to guess at who would be the victor in the play between Dwarf and Elf. They both had their advantages and disadvantages. The Dwarf was strong, but because of his posture his reach was somewhat shortened. Legolas was strong as well, and had the advantage of his flexibility and speed, but the Man thought that he would be hindered by the sheer idea of having to kill somebody, even if they had fallen into darkness.
"Fine then," Legolas said with a smile of his own, "let us play this game. It will surely make this figth pass more quickly."
The battle began a little before midnight, fires running over the plains in front of them. The rearguard of the people of the Westfold stopped them, but were driven inside the walls themselves. The storm Gandalf had forseen came a little later, soaking friend and foe alike.
The army of Saruman stood amassed before the great walls, cheering in their near-certain victory, stamping their booted feet on the ground together with their spears, making the ground into a gigantic wardrum. Boromir felt their hate, their lust for the battle, sweep over him. He had been in battle before, so instead of provoking the fear that the children standing in his region of the wall, it lit his own determination: these foul creatures would not prey upon his friends and the good people of Rohan, he would not allow it!
The first waves of arrows were now sent from their ennemies, who cowered for some moments when no direct answer was given from the enormous and treathening stone walls of the Helm's Deep. Beside Boromir, Legolas notched an arrow of his own and took aim.
A scream was heard and the archers released their arrows. Scores of Orcs fell, but there was no stopping Saruman's army that easily. They kept coming, the holes in their ranks almost immediately filled again by others. Ladders swayed up, arching through the air. Soon battlecries filled the air and Boromir drew his own sword, leaping into the fray.
"Gondor!" he shouted, then brought his blade down, cleaving an Orc as he did so. All around him chaos ensued. Men fell together with the ennemy and blood made the rock underneath his feet slippery and treacherous. Gimli's roaring battle shout went along the walls, spurring the men in his vicinity onwards. No doubt the Dwarf was having a great time in his 'game'. Legolas had switched to his blades and was staying near him. It could be his imagination, but it was almost as if the Elf was protecting him. Wich would have been annoying if he had not known the Elf so well by now: Legolas was very protective over his good friends. He had caught quite a few glances from the Elf towards Gimli, the prince wanting to reasure himself that the Dwarf was alright.
And then Boromir suddenly ran out of ennemies, the assault on the Deep lessened for a few moments.
"Two, master Elf!" the low voice of the Dwarf cut through the silence. "'T is a good beginning of our game, is it not?"
"Yes indeed, but I have 20." Legolas answered, and Boromir dissolved into laughter at the look of shock on the Dwarf's face.
"Still interested in playing, master Gimli?" he asked, wiping the tears from his eyes. The Dwarf gave him an indignant look, took a more firm grip on his axe and marched some paces away, mumbling about crazy Elves and even crazier Humans.
Before long, the battle began again. The Orcs now had not only ladders to scale the wall, but also a ram to use against the great doors. The Human could feel the vibrations underneath his feet each time the door received a thud. He dispatched a man that sought to impale him, spinning swiftly under the man's stroke and using his own blade to pierce the armor, gutting his opponent in one cut. He came back up in time to stop another from running him through, dispatching the Orc with a vicious slice across the throat.
Nobody on the walls received any warning for what happened next. One moment they were fighting off Orcs and Men, the next a part of the wall exploded. The people that had been standing there were thrown aside like dolls. Boromir himself was picked up by the violent burst and came to a hard landing several feet further, jarring his shoulder. He could hear the Rohirrim shouting to each other, and the voice of Éomer somewhere in the distance, giving commands, probably to retreat to the safety of the Hornburg itself. He shook his head to clear it of the ringing and looked around for his friends. Aragorn was fighting nearby, seemingly uninjured, and Gimli was swinging his axe wildly some meters further, chopping down his opponents as if he was felling a tree. That only left Legolas unaccounted for.
Casting his gaze around, Boromir found the Elf at the bottom of the stairs that led down from the wall, fighting the Orcs that were coming through the shattered gate. Seeing that the Elf had been close to him when the explosion occured, the Human thought he must have fallen from the wall to the stairs below. Realizing their might be too many opponents if the Elf had hurt himself in his fall, he moved to the stairs to help his friend, but was stopped by a cry from Aragorn.
"Boromir, we must get everybody into the Burg!" Boromir nodded, but still descended the stair, telling everybody he passed to head for the stronghold. He only stopped when he was next to Legolas, who had just dispatched his last ennemy and did not appear to be hurt, although his breathing came in rather short gasps.
"Are you alright?" he asked as they both began to make their way back towards the Burg. The Elf nodded quickly. They were still a little way apart from the Burg as they saw a small amount of Rohirrim being cut of from the main host and being forced into the caves at the base of the mountain. Legolas seemed to tense as he watched them, retreating and loosing lives. "What's wrong?" Boromir asked, glancing along the Elf's gaze. Then he saw what had his friend so troubled: in the front rank of the beleagered group, Gimli wielded his axe next to Éomer.
"Gimli." Legolas whispered, starting to change his direction to where his friend was. Boromir glanced over to where Aragorn was. The Man was drawing back among a score of others and was in no immediate danger, so Boromir decided to follow the Elf in his attempt to get to Gimli. But they did not get far, for some of the Orcs saw them move in their direction and attacked them, leaving them pinned at the foot of the mountain, since they were still far from the cave.
'This is going wrong.' the Son of the Steward thought, parrying fervently. Legolas at his side was also dodging and his blades whirled freely. They were facing five foes each, a mixture of Orcs and savage Men, armed with large swords that already dripped with blood. Boromir stood back to back with Legolas, one of their sides covered by the mountainslope, as they defended themselves against their attackers. The Man could see Gimli and Éomer enter the caves. 'Wel at least they are safe.' he thought to himself, felling another of his assailants with a thrust through it's heart.
Deciding that he would not give up so easily, Bormir called out to Legolas. "Still keeping count, master Elf?" Something between a snort and a chuckle was his answer.
"Fourty!" the Elf called back, then sliced down another and added, "Make that fourty-one!" Boromir grinned and doged the next swordblow that came for him. Despite their light comments there was no denying that their situation was dire. The last groups of Rohirrim had now found refuge in either the Hornburg or the caves below, leaving the two friends out alone with all of Saruman's army's undivided attention. Wich was not exactly where they wanted to be, but nobody seemed inclined to ask for their idea on the matter.
"We need to get into hiding!" Boromir called at the Elf, using his shield to stop another blow. He looked around, trying to find an escaperoute that would allow them to pass the hoards that swarmed in through the broken gates. He saw one and leaned slightly against Legolas to let him know they would start moving soon. He felt the Elf tense for the run, and decided to go after he had finished of his latest opponent, before the new squadron that was trying to help their comrads reached them. He stabbed the last one, and ran towards the Hornburg, shouting for his friend to follow him.
Legolas got rid of his last assailant and ran after Boromir, both moving quick across the corpse-littered terrain, putting as much ground between them and the Orcs as they could. But their opponents had seen them by then, and charged after them at full speed. Just as everything seemed lost, a charge came from the Hornburg itself, as a deep horn sounded everywhere around them. Aragorn rode to them, just as they heard the shouts from the caves behind them as those captured there broke through the Orcs in their way.
"Grab the reins!" Aragorn shouted at them as he led Arod and Boromir's horse close to them. The Elf swiftly swung himself in the saddle, and Boromir hoisted himself up as well.
"What happened?" he asked the Ranger, indicating the shouting, frightened Orcs. Aragorn shook his head, smiling slightly as he pointed towards the open plains that now lay in front of them. Gandalf was there, talking to King Théoden, and he had a large army with him. There were also a lot of tree in the valley that had not been there before. He raised an eyebrow at Legolas, but his friend could do little else then raise his shoulders in response. Not even the immortal Elf had seen such a thing in his lifetime.
"Hey Elf!" they suddenly heard. Legolas turned in his sadle to see Gimli trotting up to them, a bandage around his forehead. "I hope you didn't forget to keep count, master Legolas." he rumbled, smiling at his friend.
"Indeed I did not. I have 44 kills. How stands your score?"
Judging from the stern glare that the Elf received, Boromir decided that that hadn't been the answer the Dwarf was expecting.
"I have 42," Gimli said, mock-disgusted at having to give the victory to his companion. Boromir decided to interrupt.
"It seems that both your races will have to make way for Humans, since I have 45 kills ..." He had no time to finish his sentence since both Dwarf and Elf had already bowled him over and were now tickling him ferociously.
**************************
Miles from there, a young Captain of Gondor took his leave of two Hobbits and a treacherous guide. He felt more at peace now, knowing that he had passed his own test in letting them go. And he felt a tiny speck of hope, for the little ones had not known Boromir was dead. Wich meant that maybe he wasn't.
---------------------------------------
pfew, I'm really not a good battle writer :(
Anyway, please review ! (please?)
But first: tx for reviewing, those little things keep me alive :)
Kelly: nice you liked the Boromir/Aragorn - look . I thought to make them good little boys ... for a while :)
Aislynn: Thanks for reading the story, but I'm afraid you're going to have a little patience before Boromir finally reaches Gondor. I have some plans for him when he gets there though :))
collegetwin: thank you for the advice on the paragraphs, let me know if I've improved :)
Debby: Yep, we're still going to have a little fight between Lurtz and Boromir. Nobody tries to kill the oldest son of the Steward of Gondor and get's away with it :)
skahducky: here's your battle! Let me know if you liked it!
Lady of Legolas & Princess of Mirkwood: the comment get's mailed to me :) Indeed, A/L is overrated, and Boromir should 'reward' Legolas for saving him so ... *wicked grin*
Anne-Marie: Boromir will have to go on without his brother for some time still, but the reunion will be spectacular, I promise! :)
And now, without further ado ...
Chapter 6: Helm's Deep
-----------------------
Boromir stood in the arch of the gate that controlled the access to the Golden City of Meduseld. At his left stood Legolas, one of his hands absently stroking Arod's mane. Together they looked out towards their destination, the planes around the stronghold in the Westmarch of Rohan. Gimli stood a little further, beside Éomer, who had asked him to ride with him, as a token of friendship. They waited for Gandalf, Théoden and Aragorn, who had been making last-moment preparations.
Finally the Wizard and his company emerged from the city and called their horses to them. The King of the Mark was cheered at by his people and mounted his own horse. Boromir janked himself up as well, taking his place beside Legolas. Then, with a load thumping of hooves and a fierce warcry, they were off.
Gandalf and Théoden rode first, followed by Aragorn and Éomer, who had Gimli behind him, and then came Boromir and Legolas. The two talked a lot among each other for the rest of the ride, mostly about things they had once seen or done. An occasional comment came from the Dwarf, when he had gathered enough courage to let go of Éomer with one hand to look behind him.
That night the three sat close together for some warmth, although Boromir suspected that the Elf mostly did it for the company. He had never seen Legolas shiver once, not even on Caradras. He chanced a quick look at Aragorn, seeing him sitting next to Gandalf.
"He feels his destiny pulling at him." Legolas observed from his place on the ground, his gaze also on the Ranger. Boromir nodded. He suspected that Aragorn would be in for a very rough time, the last days of his 'normal life' and the first days of his kingship. Cracking a light grin, Boromir realised that he didn't mind that much anymore that Aragorn would rule his people in his stead. Not that he wouldn't have tried to do as good a job at it as he possibly could, but meetings with councilors had always been boring to him. Imagine a Ranger, used to the outside and freedom, sitting in a meeting like that. It was enough to make him feel very sympathetic towards his King-to-be.
Nothing happened that night, but everybody was weary, and not much sleep came to any in the entire host. When the next morning dawned, they were awoken from a fitfull sleep by the ringing of trumpets. The air was heavy around them, and tension seemed to be a living thing, crawling around them.
"I wish we would meet something, instead of this uncertainty." Boromir muttered to Legolas when they had ridden for some time. The Elf turned understanding eyes towards him, and Boromir could well imagine that his friend felt the anxiety that hung over them still more heavily because of his attunement to the world around him.
"It will not be long now." Legolas answered looking around him.
Suddenly Gandalf came up beside them. "Tell me what you see, Legolas, in the direction of Isengard." Boromir raised an eyebrow. If the Wizard was concerned enough to ask for help, things were looking gloomily indeed.
"There are many miles between here and the Tower." Legolas answered, as he stood up in the stirrups. "I can see a darkness. Great shapes are moving in it, far away by the shore of the River, but I cannot see what they are. Something other than fog or clouds is blocking my sight. It feels as if a conceiling shadow lies across the land."
"And behind us a storm from Mordor approaches." Gandalf sighed, "It will be a hard night indeed."
A little after the midday, a rider came from behind them. He was spotted by the rearguard and brought before Théoden, reporting the grave situation they had been forced into. As Théoden reached the decision to help his people as swiftly as possible, Gandalf nudged Shadowfax to the fore.
"Protect the Lord of the Mark whilst I am away." the Istari told them, "Wait for me at Helm's Deep! Farewell!" And with that the great horse galloped of, leaving them behind.
Boromir and the others now left the road and went south. Not stopping for the night, they rode further until they reached Helm's Deep, lying in a great green dale. Before they reached the Burg itself, Legolas turned in his saddle, looking backwards, focusing on something behind the army.
"What is it?" Boromir asked, his hand almost automatically reaching for the hilt of his sword.
"They are behind us." the Elf answered softly, "I can almost hear them comming." And indeed only a few moments later, their scout came back, harried by arrows. He told of the great army of Orcs and Wild Men that was heading towards Helm's Deep.
"Let us be quick then," Éomer admonished, "We'll cut through any ennemies there might be between us and the stronghold."
For the next hour or so they road on, until finally they came to the Hornburg, where they were stopped by the guard on the wall.
"Who rides to Helm's Deep?" the cry went out from the wall.
Éomer answered him. "The King of the Mark does. I, Éomer, son of Éomund, speak." The guards murmered approvingly and let them in. The army moved inside the walls, securing the horses and then taking their positions on the walls.
Boromir stood with Gimli and Legolas. The Dwarf was voicing his happines at being rid of the horse and being able to put his axe to use on some Orcs soon. "This is much better than a horseback." he grumbled, stamping on the stone. Suddenly his face twisted into a wicked grin. "Come, master Elf, let us play a game this night."
Legolas and Boromir exchanged a quick glance. "What game?" the Elf asked curiously.
"A warrior's game." Gimli answered, still with that grin plastered on his face. "Whoever kills the most Orcs and other creatures of Saruman wins. It shall prove to be an interesting sport. So, what say you? Shall we play?"
Boromir laughed. "Agree with him on this, Legolas. I should surely like to see this peculiar game." The Gondorian knew this game: it was one he had frequently 'played' with the men of his company back in Minas Tirith, and even sometimes with his brother. It was hard to guess at who would be the victor in the play between Dwarf and Elf. They both had their advantages and disadvantages. The Dwarf was strong, but because of his posture his reach was somewhat shortened. Legolas was strong as well, and had the advantage of his flexibility and speed, but the Man thought that he would be hindered by the sheer idea of having to kill somebody, even if they had fallen into darkness.
"Fine then," Legolas said with a smile of his own, "let us play this game. It will surely make this figth pass more quickly."
The battle began a little before midnight, fires running over the plains in front of them. The rearguard of the people of the Westfold stopped them, but were driven inside the walls themselves. The storm Gandalf had forseen came a little later, soaking friend and foe alike.
The army of Saruman stood amassed before the great walls, cheering in their near-certain victory, stamping their booted feet on the ground together with their spears, making the ground into a gigantic wardrum. Boromir felt their hate, their lust for the battle, sweep over him. He had been in battle before, so instead of provoking the fear that the children standing in his region of the wall, it lit his own determination: these foul creatures would not prey upon his friends and the good people of Rohan, he would not allow it!
The first waves of arrows were now sent from their ennemies, who cowered for some moments when no direct answer was given from the enormous and treathening stone walls of the Helm's Deep. Beside Boromir, Legolas notched an arrow of his own and took aim.
A scream was heard and the archers released their arrows. Scores of Orcs fell, but there was no stopping Saruman's army that easily. They kept coming, the holes in their ranks almost immediately filled again by others. Ladders swayed up, arching through the air. Soon battlecries filled the air and Boromir drew his own sword, leaping into the fray.
"Gondor!" he shouted, then brought his blade down, cleaving an Orc as he did so. All around him chaos ensued. Men fell together with the ennemy and blood made the rock underneath his feet slippery and treacherous. Gimli's roaring battle shout went along the walls, spurring the men in his vicinity onwards. No doubt the Dwarf was having a great time in his 'game'. Legolas had switched to his blades and was staying near him. It could be his imagination, but it was almost as if the Elf was protecting him. Wich would have been annoying if he had not known the Elf so well by now: Legolas was very protective over his good friends. He had caught quite a few glances from the Elf towards Gimli, the prince wanting to reasure himself that the Dwarf was alright.
And then Boromir suddenly ran out of ennemies, the assault on the Deep lessened for a few moments.
"Two, master Elf!" the low voice of the Dwarf cut through the silence. "'T is a good beginning of our game, is it not?"
"Yes indeed, but I have 20." Legolas answered, and Boromir dissolved into laughter at the look of shock on the Dwarf's face.
"Still interested in playing, master Gimli?" he asked, wiping the tears from his eyes. The Dwarf gave him an indignant look, took a more firm grip on his axe and marched some paces away, mumbling about crazy Elves and even crazier Humans.
Before long, the battle began again. The Orcs now had not only ladders to scale the wall, but also a ram to use against the great doors. The Human could feel the vibrations underneath his feet each time the door received a thud. He dispatched a man that sought to impale him, spinning swiftly under the man's stroke and using his own blade to pierce the armor, gutting his opponent in one cut. He came back up in time to stop another from running him through, dispatching the Orc with a vicious slice across the throat.
Nobody on the walls received any warning for what happened next. One moment they were fighting off Orcs and Men, the next a part of the wall exploded. The people that had been standing there were thrown aside like dolls. Boromir himself was picked up by the violent burst and came to a hard landing several feet further, jarring his shoulder. He could hear the Rohirrim shouting to each other, and the voice of Éomer somewhere in the distance, giving commands, probably to retreat to the safety of the Hornburg itself. He shook his head to clear it of the ringing and looked around for his friends. Aragorn was fighting nearby, seemingly uninjured, and Gimli was swinging his axe wildly some meters further, chopping down his opponents as if he was felling a tree. That only left Legolas unaccounted for.
Casting his gaze around, Boromir found the Elf at the bottom of the stairs that led down from the wall, fighting the Orcs that were coming through the shattered gate. Seeing that the Elf had been close to him when the explosion occured, the Human thought he must have fallen from the wall to the stairs below. Realizing their might be too many opponents if the Elf had hurt himself in his fall, he moved to the stairs to help his friend, but was stopped by a cry from Aragorn.
"Boromir, we must get everybody into the Burg!" Boromir nodded, but still descended the stair, telling everybody he passed to head for the stronghold. He only stopped when he was next to Legolas, who had just dispatched his last ennemy and did not appear to be hurt, although his breathing came in rather short gasps.
"Are you alright?" he asked as they both began to make their way back towards the Burg. The Elf nodded quickly. They were still a little way apart from the Burg as they saw a small amount of Rohirrim being cut of from the main host and being forced into the caves at the base of the mountain. Legolas seemed to tense as he watched them, retreating and loosing lives. "What's wrong?" Boromir asked, glancing along the Elf's gaze. Then he saw what had his friend so troubled: in the front rank of the beleagered group, Gimli wielded his axe next to Éomer.
"Gimli." Legolas whispered, starting to change his direction to where his friend was. Boromir glanced over to where Aragorn was. The Man was drawing back among a score of others and was in no immediate danger, so Boromir decided to follow the Elf in his attempt to get to Gimli. But they did not get far, for some of the Orcs saw them move in their direction and attacked them, leaving them pinned at the foot of the mountain, since they were still far from the cave.
'This is going wrong.' the Son of the Steward thought, parrying fervently. Legolas at his side was also dodging and his blades whirled freely. They were facing five foes each, a mixture of Orcs and savage Men, armed with large swords that already dripped with blood. Boromir stood back to back with Legolas, one of their sides covered by the mountainslope, as they defended themselves against their attackers. The Man could see Gimli and Éomer enter the caves. 'Wel at least they are safe.' he thought to himself, felling another of his assailants with a thrust through it's heart.
Deciding that he would not give up so easily, Bormir called out to Legolas. "Still keeping count, master Elf?" Something between a snort and a chuckle was his answer.
"Fourty!" the Elf called back, then sliced down another and added, "Make that fourty-one!" Boromir grinned and doged the next swordblow that came for him. Despite their light comments there was no denying that their situation was dire. The last groups of Rohirrim had now found refuge in either the Hornburg or the caves below, leaving the two friends out alone with all of Saruman's army's undivided attention. Wich was not exactly where they wanted to be, but nobody seemed inclined to ask for their idea on the matter.
"We need to get into hiding!" Boromir called at the Elf, using his shield to stop another blow. He looked around, trying to find an escaperoute that would allow them to pass the hoards that swarmed in through the broken gates. He saw one and leaned slightly against Legolas to let him know they would start moving soon. He felt the Elf tense for the run, and decided to go after he had finished of his latest opponent, before the new squadron that was trying to help their comrads reached them. He stabbed the last one, and ran towards the Hornburg, shouting for his friend to follow him.
Legolas got rid of his last assailant and ran after Boromir, both moving quick across the corpse-littered terrain, putting as much ground between them and the Orcs as they could. But their opponents had seen them by then, and charged after them at full speed. Just as everything seemed lost, a charge came from the Hornburg itself, as a deep horn sounded everywhere around them. Aragorn rode to them, just as they heard the shouts from the caves behind them as those captured there broke through the Orcs in their way.
"Grab the reins!" Aragorn shouted at them as he led Arod and Boromir's horse close to them. The Elf swiftly swung himself in the saddle, and Boromir hoisted himself up as well.
"What happened?" he asked the Ranger, indicating the shouting, frightened Orcs. Aragorn shook his head, smiling slightly as he pointed towards the open plains that now lay in front of them. Gandalf was there, talking to King Théoden, and he had a large army with him. There were also a lot of tree in the valley that had not been there before. He raised an eyebrow at Legolas, but his friend could do little else then raise his shoulders in response. Not even the immortal Elf had seen such a thing in his lifetime.
"Hey Elf!" they suddenly heard. Legolas turned in his sadle to see Gimli trotting up to them, a bandage around his forehead. "I hope you didn't forget to keep count, master Legolas." he rumbled, smiling at his friend.
"Indeed I did not. I have 44 kills. How stands your score?"
Judging from the stern glare that the Elf received, Boromir decided that that hadn't been the answer the Dwarf was expecting.
"I have 42," Gimli said, mock-disgusted at having to give the victory to his companion. Boromir decided to interrupt.
"It seems that both your races will have to make way for Humans, since I have 45 kills ..." He had no time to finish his sentence since both Dwarf and Elf had already bowled him over and were now tickling him ferociously.
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Miles from there, a young Captain of Gondor took his leave of two Hobbits and a treacherous guide. He felt more at peace now, knowing that he had passed his own test in letting them go. And he felt a tiny speck of hope, for the little ones had not known Boromir was dead. Wich meant that maybe he wasn't.
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pfew, I'm really not a good battle writer :(
Anyway, please review ! (please?)