**Wolf Riders**
When Aragorn ran back, to get the horse that Ẻowyn had held for him, Théoden shouted to him, "What is it, what do you see?"
"Orcs, we're under attack!" Aragorn shouted.
"All riders to the head of the column!" Théoden shouted. He looked at Ẻowyn and spoke quickly, "You must lead the people to Helm's Deep, and make haste!"
"I can fight!" Ẻowyn protested.
"No!" Théoden said firmly. "You must do this… for me."
Ẻowyn frowned, but complied with the wishes of her Uncle and King.
Aragorn mounted up, and a couple of soldiers helped Gimli onto his horse. Ẻowyn gave her horse to one of the soldiers, and Miranda looked at Aragorn. He wasn't telling her to stay with the people, but his expression said it all. Miranda jumped off her horse and gave it to one of the guards, and went with Ẻowyn.
"Make for the lower draw," Ẻowyn said. "Stay together!"
Miranda didn't like the idea of running for safety with her friends riding into danger. Ẻowyn urged the people on quickly. With the noise of a battle behind them, they had no trouble keeping a fast pace. The sounds of swords and shouts of men and orcs was ringing in Miranda's ears. She forced herself to press on, helping the stragglers. She could almost see the battle…
*****
Orcs were riding huge ugly wolf like creatures. Their hideous steeds were every bit as dangerous as the riders, clawing and biting with their sharp teeth. The initial clash of the two riding armies was brutal. The Riders of Rohan were well trained in this kind of skirmish, but Gimli was not. He was quickly thrown from his seat behind Legolas, and landed gracelessly on the ground. He rose quickly, seemingly happier to have the solid ground beneath his feet. He did a lot of damage with his ax, and took out several riders, until he was pinned beneath a fallen hound.
Legolas was just as deadly with his bow, killing more than he could count as they were coming so fast. Aragorn fought with great skill, slashing with his sword and riding right into the middle of the fray until he was knocked off his horse by a riderless wolf. He didn't stay down, but jumped onto the back of a charging wolf, right behind its rider. He tried to kill the orc, but was knocked off, and his arm was caught in the wolf's harness. He was drug along beside the charging beast, trying to fight with the rider, and cut himself free at the same time. He finally tossed the rider off, but the wolf ran right off a cliff, with Aragorn in tow.
When the battle was over, the remaining soldiers searched for the injured among the dead and regrouped. Legolas started to panic when he couldn't readily find his friend Aragorn. He walked the field calling for him.
"Aragorn, Aragorn!" Legolas shouted.
Théoden and Gimli noticed Aragorn's absence and joined the search. The trio wound up on the cliff where a dying orc lay laughing.
"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," Gimli said to the orc as he stood over him holding his ax in a menacing position.
"He is dead," the foul creature choked out. "He took a little tumble off the cliff."
"You lie!" Legolas said angrily as he grabbed the orc's collar. No mere orc could kill a warrior like Aragorn.
The orc simply choked his last breath and died. It was then that Legolas saw the jewel of the Evenstar in the orc's hand. No doubt he had pulled it off Aragorn's neck during the fight. Legolas ran to the cliff and looked down. There was a river there, and a lot of rocks to land on. There was little hope that anyone could survive such a long drop. Legolas felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart. Aragorn had been his best friend for many years.
"Get the wounded on horses," Théoden said to his guardsman. "The wolves of Isengard will return." He paused and added soberly, "Leave the dead."
Legolas looked at Théoden with a hurt and betrayed expression. Leave the dead? Leave my friend? Théoden looked at him with deep sympathy for the loss of so great a friend, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Come," he said softly. He didn't know what to say to the elf. It was obvious the two men had been fast friends for a long time. There were no words that could give comfort at a time like that.
Gimli hadn't said a word. He stared silently at the river below. He couldn't believe that Aragorn was gone.
*****
Within the walls of the great keep Helm's Deep, Ẻowyn and Miranda waited for the King and the warriors to return. The keep was already occupied by a company of soldiers, and a number of refugees that had been gathering there for days. The people already looked defeated as the despair over the looming war weighed heavily on them. Only one thing weighed on Miranda's mind. Her friends.
With a battle going on, it was normal for everyone to worry, but Miranda was going insane. She never should have left them. She was supposed to stay with them until the end. She had to keep an eye on them until the shadow in her dreams came. She had to keep an eye on him. She was the only one who would be able to stop it. What if it came now? She would have failed.
She grew tired of staring at the horizon, and descended the stairs that led from the top of the wall down to the main level. She tried to busy herself by checking on the needs of the injured who were seated along the wall, trying to stay out of the way. Then she heard the great doors to the gate open, and the call rang out.
"Make way for Théoden! Make way for the King!"
Ẻowyn ran to meet her uncle and was shocked by the size of the returning group. "So few…so few of you have returned," she said in shock.
Théoden's face was sad, "Our people are safe, and we have paid for it with many lives."
Gimli walked up to Ẻowyn with a grave expression.
"Lord Aragorn, where is he?" she asked him.
"He fell," Gimli said with a catch in his voice.
Ẻowyn was devastated. She sat down and tried to compose herself. Miranda had watched the whole conversation from a doorway where she had been helping an old woman bandage her hand. She knew he wasn't dead, she just knew it. She ran down to the main gate and spoke to a guard.
"Give me a horse," Miranda demanded.
"My lady, I cannot," he said. "Not without the King's order."
Háma came around the corner and looked at Miranda. "What is in your mind, Lady?"
"I'm going out, with or without a horse," she said firmly.
"It is not safe out there," Háma said. "Why do you want to leave the keep?"
"I'm going after my friend," Miranda said. "Let me pass, please."
Háma looked at her for a moment, and then spoke. "Give her a horse, and open the gate."
"But sir?" the guard protested.
"I'll take responsibility," Háma said.
"Very well," the guard said as he grudgingly complied.
Miranda was off as fast as her horse could go. She searched the horizon for anything that might seem familiar. She prayed for her unpredictable gift to come through for her and lead her to Aragorn.
*****
Aragorn was floating on his back, following the current until he finally came to rest on the shore. He was lost in dreams, seeing visions of Arwen. He lay there for a while, too weak from the loss of blood to try to get up. And then he heard the soft neigh of a horse and the sound of two horses walking down the hill toward him. He couldn't see who was coming, he just hoped they were friendly, he wasn't prepared to defend himself just now.
"So, you just had to go for a swim," Miranda said as she dismounted.
Aragorn smiled as Miranda's kind face came into view. "What are you doing here?" Aragorn asked.
"Since no one thought to look for you," Miranda said. "I figured I better come and get you."
She helped Aragorn sit up, and examined the wound on his shoulder. She frowned at the gash, and then ripped a piece of fabric from her undershirt to bandage it. Aragorn winced, but said nothing. He was surprised to see her.
"Where did you come from, and how did you find me?" he asked.
"We have to get back to the keep, they are coming," Miranda said. She helped him to his feet and then onto his horse.
"Brego," he said. "Where did he come from?"
"He was wandering the field upstream," Miranda said. "I think he was searching for you." Miranda mounted up and they rode back to Helm's Deep.
"You didn't answer my question," He said, studying her flat expression.
"They returned without you," she said. "They believed you were dead, but I knew otherwise, so I borrowed a horse and snuck out."
"How did you manage that?" Aragorn asked. No one sneaks out of a fortress.
"I talked Háma into letting me come after you," she admitted.
"How did you find me?" he asked.
"Well, I'm supposed to be a seer. I thought it was time I tested that," she said.
Aragorn thought that one over a moment and smiled. "So, tell me, seer," he said. "What is it that keeps waking you up at night?"
Miranda gave him a stern look and then turned back to the path. "That is not for sharing, Aragorn," she said. "And from now on, wherever the fellowship goes, I go."
"I promise not to ask you to stay behind again," he said. "But this was not your fault."
"I know this was not my fault," Miranda said. "You should be more careful. You are very important to the future of Middle Earth."
Aragorn looked at her and started to say something, but her jaw was set, and she stared ahead at the path. She wasn't going to discuss it further. Aragorn frowned and turned back to the road. She could be quite infuriating with her cryptic words. She was starting to sound like Gandalf, dropping a hint, and then leaving you wondering about the rest. He wished she would keep her hints to herself.
On the way to the keep, they saw the advancing orc army, and Aragorn estimated the number at ten thousand or better. That was not good. They needed to get back and warn Théoden.
*****
Aragorn and Miranda rode through the gate, and right up to the main steps. Miranda led the horses away and Aragorn was assaulted by a dwarf bear hug.
"You are the luckiest, uncanniest and the most reckless man I ever knew!" Gimli said as he hugged him. "Bless you!"
"Where's the king?" Aragorn asked. Gimli pointed toward the main hall, and Aragorn headed up the steps. He ran into Legolas who just gave him a smile and spoke to him in the elvish tongue.
"You're late," Legolas said with a smirk. He looked his friend over a bit and added, "You look terrible."
Aragorn just laughed at his friend's greeting and Legolas smiled. Then Legolas handed Aragorn the necklace that the orc had taken from him and Aragorn was moved. He looked Legolas in the eye with an expression of deep gratitude and thanked him.
Aragorn and Legolas entered the hall to speak with Théoden.
"A great host you say?" Théoden repeated. This did not sound good.
"All Isengard is emptied, they are ten thousand strong at least," Aragorn said. "It is an army bred for a single purpose. To destroy the world of men, and they will be here by nightfall."
Théoden scowled at the news. "Let them come!"
*****
While Aragorn and Théoden debated the best way to prepare for the advancing army, Legolas went in search of Miranda. She had slipped out of the gate to find him, against the king's orders. Legolas figured she was hiding somewhere. He finally found her standing on the deeping wall, looking out over the horizon.
"Thank you, Miranda," Legolas said.
"For what?"
"For bringing back my best friend," he said.
Miranda looked at him and saw the sincere gratitude in his eyes. "He's my friend, too."
Legolas smiled. "Aragorn said you told him he was important to the future of Middle Earth," Legolas said.
"Well, he is a king, isn't he?" Miranda asked.
"I think you know more than you're telling, again," he said seriously.
"Legolas, do you trust me?" she asked.
"Yes," Legolas said, and she could see that he meant it.
"Then stop asking because I'm not going to tell you what I saw in that dream," she said.
"Which one?" Legolas asked.
"There only is that one," Miranda said sadly.
Legolas looked out over the horizon with her. She was determined, and she would not be pushed into telling. He glanced at her and could see the apprehension in her face.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered softly.
Legolas put an arm around her shoulder. "Try not to worry," he said. "We'll be looking out for each other just like always."
Miranda smiled. "Thanks."
"Any time."