I leant back against the cold stone wall and closed my eyes. My legs were aching slightly as I stretched them out across the floor. A group of soldiers walked past and tripped over my feet. I gave a cry of pain and tucked them back underneath me. There wasn't a spare inch of available space in this place.
Helm's Deep.
Helm's Dump, it should be called. I have never seen such a tangled mess of narrow corridors, staircases and towers. It looks more like a children's playground than a serious defence system. Still, at least we were safe. Which is more than could be said for the men who faced the Warg riders earlier this morning. Éowyn and I were abandoned to guide the women and children to the Deep alone. Éowyn was longing to fight, I could tell. She smouldered in sulky silence for a few miles before I managed to convince her that she was doing something just as useful.
"You look shattered" Éowyn crouched down next to me and smiled. I didn't have the energy to reply. She waited a moment for a response, then burst out with what was troubling her.
"Why do you think they're taking so long?" I shrugged, trying to put the idea that they had all been slaughtered firmly out of my mind.
"He's got to be alright." she muttered under her breath, then she blushed and corrected herself. "I mean they've all got to be alright." I smiled.
"Remember what I told you about the pendant he wears" I warned gently. "Don't build your hopes up too high."
"I'm not" she replied quickly. "It's just... just that I asked him about her earlier."
"About who" I murmured sleepily, my eyes closing again. As long as I replied once in a while, she wouldn't notice if I was nearly asleep.
"The woman who gave him the pendant" she answered patiently. "He said that she had left to go with her people"
My eyes jerked open.
"What did you say?" I asked quickly. Suddenly a horn blew across the battlements.
"They're here" Éowyn cried and ran towards the courtyard. Suddenly I didn't care about the arrival. Arwen was leaving for the Grey Havens? When? What had caused this? Last thing I heard, she was determined to stay with Aragorn. Did that mean Daddy was going too? Were they all slipping away quietly whilst I was away? Were they all leaving without me?
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Ten thousand orcs…
Can this day get any better?
I don't think so.
When Aragorn didn't arrive with the other riders, I had an almost hysterical Éowyn to deal with all afternoon. That was definitely the most difficult task I've faced yet. When he finally appeared, well, let's just say I've never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life. The effect was like magic. Éowyn cheered up right away.
And then we hear the bad news. 10,000 orcs heading this way. Seeking only to kill, maim and destroy.
We're all going to die.
Well that's just great. I've travelled all this way just to be slaughtered by orcs in Helm's Dump. Excuse me if I'm not in the best of spirits.
I think I've got an excuse.
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Sorry about that last entry, I was feeling a bit depressed. We've been working hard since then, I've been so busy that my depression has totally lifted. We might just be in with a chance of survival. A very slim chance, but still a chance. And believe me, we're all going to give it our best effort.
Once again, Éowyn wanted to fight. Once again, we've been ordered to take the women and children to safety in the glittering caves. To be totally honest, I don't mind too much. I'm not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of standing on the battlements watching the orcs come.
They're recruiting almost everyone to fight. I was helping to deal out armour to old men and little kids. It was the kids that affected me the most. They should still be playing in the yard with their friends. Not standing in the front line against a ruthless army. Life isn't fair.
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The glittering caves were cool and dark. The smooth stone steps led down to the huge cavern, twinkling points of light set in the walls living up to their name. The atmosphere was so tense that you could probably have cut it with a knife. I suddenly realised what people meant when they said they could sense your fear. It was almost like an oppressing atmosphere. Heavy, dense. You could almost smell the stench of panic gathering in the cave. The women holding each other for comfort. Mothers crying for their sons and husbands. Children asking about their fathers.
I stood at the base of the stairs, holding the lighted torch above my head, gazing around at all the people huddling in groups.
I wasn't afraid.
For once in my life, I didn't fear the impending danger. I knew that our men would mostly die, that the orcs would stream in here and kill us all. But for some unknown reason, I couldn't feel the familiar grip across my stomach.
I was free.
The realisation of this hit me suddenly. I was mentally above the panic stricken group. I could think clearly and act rationally. I could help.
I spotted Éowyn moving slowly from group to group, offering words of comfort and advice. I took a deep breath and followed her lead.
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I was in the middle of wrapping a cloak securely round an old woman, when I first picked up the tremors. I froze and listened carefully. The faint vibration was travelling through the earth, a premonition of what was to come. I made my way over to Éowyn and whispered the news in her ear.
"They are coming."
She turned to face me quickly, her face cool and collected.
"We are ready for them" she announced. She sounded as if she believed what she was saying, except for the tiny flicker of doubt in her eye. I watched her gaze over her friends, her people. Her hand came to rest on the hilt of her sword. I knew that she would stand and fight at the doorway. I knew that she would die before any orcs got through to the women and children.
I knew that I had to join her.
I placed my hand on top of hers.
"My sword may not amount to much" I admitted. "But I will stand with you." She smiled at me gratefully. These were not even my people, yet I was willing to die for them. I could hardly comprehend what I was saying. I certainly would not be able to give clear reasons why I was doing it. But it felt right - and even now, I was not afraid.
As the vibrations grew louder, they materialised into a rhythmical thudding that even the people could hear. They glanced nervously at the solid rock walls, imagining the immense army that was causing the noise.
The thudding grew until it sounded right overhead, shaking the very foundations of the caves. The people looked towards Éowyn and me for comfort, somehow we had emerged as leaders and protectors. But there was nothing we could do.
Just wait...
Thud...Thud...Thud...
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Hours later, the battle still raged above us. Gradually we noticed the noise getting louder. Éowyn sidled closer to me, out of ear range from the other women.
"This is it" she whispered, her hand still on her sword. We made our way up the stairs to stand at the doorway. The battle sounds grew even louder, the orcs must have broken through. Running footsteps tore down the corridor towards us. With one fluid movement, Éowyn drew her sword and tossed her hair out of the way. Her face was set, determined. Ready to fight.
A lone soldier appeared breathlessly in sight. He stumbled against the doorframe and gasped for breath. Éowyn was at his side in an instant.
"What news?" she asked quickly.
"orcs...broken through..." the man panted. "...Flee.."
I glanced around the dark cavern. There seemed to be no way out.
"What does he mean?" I asked. "Where can we go?"
"There is a passageway through the mountain." Éowyn replied slowly. "You must go, guide them through to safety. I'll stay here and keep them back for as long as I can."
"You must guide them" I replied desperately. "I do not know these caves or passageways. I will lead them the wrong way, it will take much longer, and the orcs will be upon us."
"I cannot come" Éowyn insisted, her eyes flashing. "I cannot flee. I will stand and fight."
"You must" I insisted. "What would be the use of dying here, when your people will be lost in the tunnels and killed as well." I forced her to look down at the frightened faces turned up towards her.
"They look up to you Éowyn. They need you to lead them. I cannot lead through tunnels I do not know, You could save more lives this way, than fighting."
Éowyn looked down at the floor, her face hidden behind strands of blonde hair. At last she gave a deep sigh and re-sheathed her sword.
"Why won't anyone let me fight?" she muttered bitterly as we hurried down the steps. I gathered people together, raising the older women to their feet, and herding them all towards the dark shadows in the corner of the cave.
Éowyn was standing at the stone wall, heaving at a large rock that covered the doorway. I ran to help her, calling others to join us. The rock was heavy and difficult to move. It took a lot of effort before we created a crack large enough for the people to squeeze through.
Éowyn and I stood on either side of the chink and helped the people clamber through, one at a time.
"Go to the front, lead your people." I told her, whilst grasping the hand of a teenage girl and hauling her through the gap. Éowyn turned wide-eyed towards me. The torch casting flickering shadows across her face and hair.
"What about you?" she asked.
"I'll bring up the rear." I announced. "Don't worry about me. I'll do anything I can to save these people from the orcs."
The battle noises were getting louder, the orcs were obviously brutally battling their way deeper down into Helms Deep. We sped up the pace, continuously glancing back towards the entrance, fearing the orcs would pour through at any moment. Finally, I helped the last woman through the gap and squeezed through after her. There was nothing I could do to move the rock by myself, so decided to leave it and not waste time trying. I encouraged the people to hurry along, hoping to get a big enough gap between us and the orcs following behind.
I hated the tunnels. The dark, damp walls seemed to be closing in on me. The air was stuffy, making it hard to breathe. Occasionally, the ceiling dipped down, and we had to duck underneath. I hated that bit most of all, I was paranoid that the ceiling would fall in, and I'd be smothered and buried in this dark, airless tomb. I fought my claustrophobia as hard as I could, I found that my fear faded in comparison to some of the women. So I brought up the rear with them, I encouraged them and they encouraged me.
Éowyn led us deeper down into the depths of the mountain. Every so often we would come to a junction and she would immediately lead us on with no hesitation. She had told me once that she used to play in these caverns when she was a child. I hoped that her memory was still strong. The idea of wandering lost in these caverns was terrifying.
We were going too slowly. Even my basic mathematical skills could work out the difference in speed between women & children and vicious, fighting orcs. I glanced behind, almost expecting to see eyes looming out of the darkness. There were none yet, but what I saw was almost as bad. In the light of my flaming torch I could see the marks we were leaving. My footsteps hardly made an impression on the damp sand. But all those women and children had left a trail that even the stupidest orc could follow. They wouldn't even lose time making mistakes at the junctions. They would follow the trail and slaughter us all.
I had to do something... and fast.
I tried to force my way towards the front of the trail to talk with Éowyn. I soon realised that it was pointless. There was no way I could squeeze through so many people in the narrow, dark passageway. I walked in silence for a moment, my brain desperately trying to think of a solution. Mithrandir had once said that I was vaguely intelligent. Well, now would be a useful time for it to show.
Suddenly the pace slowed to a halt. I noticed that the women were slowly forcing themselves through a narrow crack in the wall. Obviously Éowyn was hoping that the orcs would run straight past.
I was doubtful. The orcs were not that stupid. They would easily see that the trail of footprints had suddenly stopped. Suddenly I had a flash of inspiration.
"I've got it!" I cried. The women standing near me turned to look in surprise.
"You hurry down that tunnel as quickly as you can." I told them. "Tell Éowyn not to wait for me. I'm going to create some false trails."
I hoped that the orcs would follow my fake trails and run straight past this crack without noticing. I waited for the last of the women to climb through, then I brushed away all the footprints at the entrance. I didn't have much time.
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It is easy to make a set of tracks if you try hard enough. Just scrape your feet along the damp sand and scuff it here and there as if you stumbled in the dim light. It is much harder to make a trail that looks as if hundreds of pairs of feet have passed through.
I continued around the corner. My torch casting huge shadows on the walls. The continuous dripping in the corner was the only sound.
I took a large branch to the left and a fork to the left again. My trail would fool the orcs if they were moving fast enough and not looking closely. My biggest problem would be what to do when they caught up with me. I put the thought out of my head and continued with my tracks. I could hear something very faintly in the distance. Something that could easily be heavily armed orcs pouring down a dark tunnel. I was eternally grateful for my elvish hearing. I estimated that I had a few minutes to make up my mind before they arrived.
If I could only make the trail just a bit longer. I was walking backwards now, scuffing the ground as hard as I could. I took one more passage to my right, rounded a corner, and felt the ground give way beneath my feet...
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As I started to fall, I nearly let out a scream of fear. I stopped it just in time, dropped the torch and flung my arms out instead. I grasped a large rock and clung to it. My shoulders jolting as I came to a halt, my feet dangling in mid air.
I moved my head slightly and looked down, watching the torch tumble down into dark crevasse. The orange light fading away to darkness. I felt physically sick and had to take several deep breaths to calm myself down.
As soon as I could think clearly, I tried to haul myself back up onto the level. Each attempt, I slipped back down again with a little shower of loose sand. Dangling above a bottomless pit is not the place to hang and think for long. Especially as my grip was slipping. My sweaty palms sliding over the smooth black rock. The panic was rising again.
I threw my legs up, one last time, and finally contacted with firm ground. I hauled myself up and lay trembling on the sandy floor. My breath came in quick, torn gulps and I felt dizzy. Without the torch, the darkness seemed even blacker. I could hear the orcs running, much closer now.
Following my trail.
I hauled myself to my feet and thrust my hair out of my eyes. I finished my trail, being careful not to get too close to the edge of the chasm. If the orcs were running, they wouldn't know it was there until it was too late. Of course, the later ones would realise what was happening to the ones in front. But this chasm should thin down the numbers slightly. Make the fight a bit fairer.
I carefully felt my way, back the route I had come. The orc noises were getting louder. I could distinctly hear the clumping of hobnailed boots, and the clanging of chainmail. I found the crack the others had passed through, and squeezed myself into it.
Only just in time.
I watched the orcs round the corner and clatter past. Most running in darkness, with the odd torch lighting up the cruel gleam in their eyes. A large number passed the crack where I was hiding. I knew that we would have had no chance if they had caught up with us. Their swords glinted in the torchlight. Sharp and cruel, many already stained with the blood of our men.
The last of the spaced out group passed by and I let out my breath in relief. I turned and felt my way cautiously along the narrow passageway. My claustrophobia wasn't affecting me as much any more. It was as if my fear of closed spaces had fallen into the chasm along with my torch.
I heard a great cry penetrate through the rocky walls. It sounded as if several voices were crying out in pain and terror. I realised that the majority of orcs must have fallen for my trap. I let out a sigh of relief, we were safe
Suddenly, I caught a distant noise. I turned and saw a lone orc peering through the crack, his torch thrust forward to penetrate the darkness. I tried to melt myself into the rock face, but it was no good. He gave a cry when he saw me and started to haul himself through the crack. I glimpsed at least two others behind him, before I turned and fled.
Running in the dark is not easy. You never know when a rock will spring out of the ground and trip you up. I tumbled over several times, cutting great gashes out of my legs and arms, the blood slowly trickling down my limbs. Each time I pulled myself up to my feet and continued running.
As I rounded another corner, I saw a small, pale speck in the distance. As I approached, I realised that it was daylight, flooding into the tunnel. The route out into the open. I pelted towards it, the orcs sounded even closer behind me, though I didn't dare to look. I put on an extra spurt of speed and dashed out into the brilliant glare of morning sunlight. I had to shield my dazzled eyes for a moment, blinking behind my fingers. Fresh air filled my lungs and replaced the musty stench of the tunnels. Freedom.
I moved further away from the tunnel exit as my eyes adjusted. I finally spotted the large group of women gathered further down the mountainside. When Éowyn spotted me, she gave a cry of relief and started sprinting up the grassy slope, drawing her sword as she ran. I drew my own sword and we stood silently on either side of the tunnel exit. I could hear the orcs coming, their ragged breathing and stumbling over rocks was unmistakable. As the noises increased, I nodded at Éowyn. We raised our swords together and waited breathlessly.
The first orc stumbled out into the clearing. The blinding flash of morning sunlight would have been the last thing he saw. The other two orcs proved the stupidity of the species. They staggered out and tripped over their comrades body before they too experienced the caress of cold steel.
We waited some time before we were convinced no more orcs had followed us down the tunnel. At last we re-sheathed our swords and headed down the mountainside together. The women stood as one body and started applauding and laughing. Some started singing a song of victory, the happy voices carrying over the mountainside.
We were free. We were alive. We were safe.
Suddenly Éowyn turned with a huge grin and flung her arms around me.
"We did it" she whispered in my ear with a smile, ignoring the tear trickling down her cheek. "We saved our people" I hugged her back, brown hair entangling with blonde in the stirring morning breeze. 'Our people' The words made me feel warm inside. For the first time I felt that I belonged.
"Thank you" she continued. "I couldn't have done that without you."
We broke apart slowly and made our way through the crowd. Smiling and laughing with the children, comforted the women worrying about their husbands. Embracing all those who needed encouragement.
I turned suddenly and noticed our army triumphantly marching over the ridge on the mountain. Mithrandir led the way on Shadowfax, his robes glistening a dazzling white. I picked out the other people I recognised, thankful that they were among the limited number of survivors. The reunion was tinged with sadness as certain women realised their husbands were not among the survivors. I turned and watched the sun rise high in the sky. A new day dawned, and we lived to see it. Who knew what the days ahead would bring. Part of me knew that last night's battle was only the beginning...