A women's place in war
Time seemed to slow down. They waited for a long while in those positions and no one dared talk, except for Demi and Rhia. At first they were quiet, but then everyone around them seemed interested in their conversation, so they just spoke up.
"No, I would have to disagree, Too little, too late would have to be their best song." Rhia stated, chewing on her nails. She was nervous. This was a compulsive habit of hers whenever she got nervous.
"No way man, Hoobastank clearly performed Up and gone the best at their gig." Demi said. They were deciding which song was performed best by Hoobastank at their concert last year, back on earth that is.
Théoden grew weary of this and finally said, "Let us choose which is better, sing one of their songs and my guards and I shall decide." He said, then under his breath, "So we may all have some peace."
Demi perked up. "I heard that Théoden." She said. "Fine, we will sing the songs for you."
"No, lets not." Rhia said. "I don't wanna sing, there are more pressing matters at hand."
"Oh yeah, the war?" Demi asked.
"Yeah that too." Rhia said, smirking. "But look over there." She said, pointing to their left. It was an old man. "Spot the smother!" she said, indicating the man's comb over. Demi held back a laugh. She knew these people were afraid, and she certainly didn't want to insult them at a time like this, especially since they would outnumber them.
Midnight had come and the girls were sitting on the ground, leaning their backs against the stone railing. Nothing had happened, they were hungry and bored. They could barely see anything past the wall. It was pitch black. Demi had half a mind to go visit Aragorn, but lightning shot across the sky beyond and thunder sounded a storm. She groaned. This is not what they needed right now.
In the light, they could see dark figures pouring over the open land before them, thousands of them. Then came the rain. Arrows came whizzing over the wall, a few hitting someone, many too badly to be brought to Demi. She took out the pewter flask she had taken from the lady in waiting and poured half of her healing potion into it. She was carefull not to spill any and handed it to Rhia.
"I'm going to need you help Rhia. If someone is slightly injured of exhausted, give them one drop, but if they can keep going, send them away. Add a drop to the intensity of the injury, no more than 4 drops if you wish to heal someone close to death, you won't need more than that. Go easy on it though, it's all I have for you to use. When I run out, and I hope I won't, I'll have to start casting…" she cheacked to see no one else was listening, then continued, for every one else was busy, " a spell. I don't really wanna, but I think I may need to by the time this is all over."
"Ok. Got it." Rhia said nodding. Demi then tore from Théoden's side to a more open area were the wounded could be brought to her.
It seemed that after only a few minutes, men in hordes came rushing over to her, many mortally wounded. She saved those she could, many passed away before she could even get to them. Rhia was having the same problem. There just weren't enough people to help. All that could were off fighting. Soon the number was becoming too much, so the doors to the hall were opened and a temporary hospital was set up, though when they were cured, they were back out there.
In comparison to those who lost their lives on the front, few were indeed cured. There were just too few Rohirrim and the outlook looked pretty grim that they would survive the night.
The girls could hear trumpets being sounded, shouting, screaming and yells of anger. Rhia looked out to the gate. It was being forced open! 'I should be out there.' She thought to herself. ' I am no healer. This isn't my place.'
The number of casualties coming in to the girls had decreased. Many were too proud to be healed and found that they were needed to fight.
"We can't stay here." Demi said at last. "We aren't needed here anymore. I'm going to see the king." She stormed out of the hall, Rhia hot on her heels. When they got to Théoden he nodded.
"There is no more need in there for you, is there?" he asked.
"No milord, we are needed, we will draw our swords now, with or without your approval. We have seen more fights than some of these who fight for you now, who have died fighting for you." Demi said.
"Very well, for it seems your minds are already made. Go, but please, come back alive. I will not have it on my conscience to loose two women in war." The king said.
"Oh, don't worry about it. We are modern girls, we know how to handle things." Rhia said, drawing her sword and running off to the gate.
They saw that most of the Rohirrim were at the gate and they had no way through. "I'm going to stand above the gate." Demi said, "I may be able to stop a fair few that way." She said, winking and running up a flight of stairs that led to the top. Up there, she noticed a familiar set of blonde locks. "Fancy meeting you here." She said. The owner of the hair stop firing arrows and turned around.
"Vaira? Go back, you cannot stay here." Legolas said.
"Like hell." She said, and leaned across the wall to see over the edge. She saw not only orcs there, but really ugly and rugged men attacking the Rohirrim. She too saw Aragorn and Éomer, fighting many back.
"Where is Aure?" Legolas shouted over the noise.
"Trying to get to the gate, but a fat chance considering the line up." Demi said. She thought for a brief moment and said "Ram en' naur." She created a fire feild before her comrades. The wild men jumped back in fear, some even falling off the side of the bridge that led up to the gate. The fire intensified and scard more off, but the orcs weren't so easily put off.
Many walked straight through it. Some burned to death, these were the smaller ones, but the large ones like what they encountered when they lost the hobbits. Éomer and Aragorn turned back and spoke to some of the men, who turned around and left. They returned with stone and wood, trying to stop the doors being broken open. Then Aragorn and Éomer ran, but something grabbed Éomer's heels. He fell down hard to the ground. Gimli then sprung at the orcs who threatened the horse lord and fought them back.
Legolas opened fire once more, shooting many of the enemy, but his arrows were almost spent. "What's say we join our comrades?" he asked Demi.
"Sure, why not have a cup of tea whilst we're down there?" she said and her friend laughed. He unsheathed his white knives and tore down the stairs, Demi after him.
The door had been bared by the time the two elves reached Aragorn, Éomer and Gimli and all were safe within.
"You alright?" Demi asked them.
"Well enough." Aragorn panted.
"Were are Aure and Boromir?" Legolas asked.
"We are here master Legolas." Boromir said, hobbling forth.
Demi looked at Boromir in relief then in fret as she saw his injury to his leg. It looked as though someone had taken a large chunk out of it and Rhia had to help him walk.
"Here. Take a couple of drops, you'll be fine." Demi said, handing over her now quarter full flask. He took a sip and handed it back, then before their eyes, his wound was cleaned and healed completely.
"I thank you Vaira, that is now twice you have saved me." Boromir said.
"I didn't save you this time, just fixed you." she said. He laughed.
"Ok, enough of this take back you posts. This war is not over yet." Aragorn said. He then turned and climbed the stairs to the wall.
At their post were Boromir, Rhia, Legolas, Gimli and Demi. The sky was clearing and the moon sinking, yet it was brighter than ever. Ladders were being lifted to the walls and the enemy began to scale them.
"Oh, this is wonderful, they have ladders now!" Gimli stated, though they had already noticed this.
One orc peered over the wall at Demi. He was the first to reach them and she swung her sword as hard as possible, decapitating the beast. Boromir at the other end was having the same problems. Demi and Legolas hacked at the ropes holding the ladders up, breaking them and Gimli helped them push the ladder over. It plummeted to the ground, squishing unwary orcs with it.
Many orcs had made their way over the top and were rushing to the five and they braced themselves. Legolas shouted clearly above the noise "Gurth gothrim lye!" (Death to our foes!).
In response Demi shouted "Gurth gothrim Tel' Mithrim!" (Death to the foes of the Grey Company!)
The others had no idea what they said but charged forward all the same. Gimli noticed the war waging beneath them in the deep.
"Ai-oi! The orcs are behind the wall! Come Legolas, there are enough for both of us." He said, jumping off the wall into the battle.
Demi heard him clearly, but she was busy fighting off two orcs at a time. Her Sword clashed with theirs over and over again, but they were too powerfull to drive off, then help came. Boromir yelled and hew off the head of one of her foes. Whilst the other stood there in shock she pushed her blade though its torso and yanked it out again. The orc fell to the ground in a heap.
"Thanks." She panted.
"No problem, not let's get some orc!" Boromir said and he chased down a few more. Demi followed him and they found again Aragorn and Éomer, leaning on their swords.
"Oi!" she said in jest, "This is no time to be slacking off."
Aragorn laughed and said "This is a night as long as years. How long will the day tarry?"
"I hope that it will not tarry long, I grow weary even now." Boromir said.
"Dawn is not far off." Said the man of the Westfold, Gamling who had just now joined them.
"Dawn is not far off, but dawn will not help us." Gamling said.
"Yet dawn is ever the hope of men," said Aragorn "None the less, the day will bring me hope. Is it not said that no foe has yet taken the Hornburg?"
"So the minstrels say." Said Eomer.
"Then let us defend it and hope!" said Aragorn.
"Sounds good to me." Said Rhia who just joined them.
"And I, if my strength will not wear away before the dawn comes." Boromir said.
There was an explosion of the Deeping wall. Smoke and a flash of flame filled the area then the stream let loose. Their foes then poured in.
"Devilry of Saruman! While we talk he acts. Elendil!" Aragorn shouted and leapt down into the breach.
Ladders again were raised up to the wall and the last assault hurried over it. Orcs came here and there. They attacked with full force, knowing that the man were weary. They had no time to comment before they were engaged in an all out fight.
Legolas gracefully cut his way through with his knives. Boromir sliced and diced. Rhia used her skill to the best of her ability to full force and no orc got past her unscathed. Éomer was right by her side. Demi tried the best she could, but she was no swords master. She had another trick up her sleave though.
"Hyandae en' luhta!" she cried. (Blade spirits spell). Her sword glowed white and suddenly got out of her control, swinging around madly. It burnt hot in her hands, but still she didn't drop it. She saw a small smoky dragon fly around her head, and then it dived into her sword. The sword calmed down now and she knew the spell had worked. Now she could fight.
Éomer stood beside her, half in horror at what he saw, half in surprise. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. "Now I have seen everything." He muttered, and then came into battle with a large, black and smelly orc.
The spell had given Demi's sword a mind of its own, if you will. It would now do the fighting for her, so long as she held it. She fought her way through many orcs with amazing speed and the orcs were intimidated to say the very least.
Rhia was hot and sweaty from all her work, but it had to be done, if she wanted to see dawn, she had no choice. She had to make it, for Rohan.
Suddenly Legolas ushered them into the Hornburg. The orcs were becoming too many. It was their only chance for survival and even that did not seem too promising. The elf pushed the girl's along and they ran as fast as possible along the stonewall, occasionally jumping over many corpses that lay in the way. It was a gruesome and horrifying sight. So many men lay there, their eyes open and glazed over, sometimes even missing their lower half or their body entirely.
Then there was the orcs. Pungent, ugly and thankfully dead. Possibly the one time they were happy to see one. Just before they reached the main hall, Legolas said to Boromir,
"Take them inside and see no harm comes to them. I will search for our comrades."
Boromir nodded and pushed the girls inside. When they looked back, Legolas had gone.
Inside the hall, many men stood, tired and injured, but nothing compared to their original number. There were mayhap, fifty max. Boromir urged them to the back of the hall, where they met the king.
"My ladies!" he cried, half in surprise. "You still grace us with your presence. This is good news indeed!"
"Takes a lot more than a few orcs to hold us back." Rhia said, smiling.
"The ladies are to stay in the hall be request of Legolas and my self." Boromir said.
"Very well, lord Boromir. Such a wish I can fulfil. They will be safe here so long as men guard this keep." Théoden said. "No harm will come to them."
"Many thanks, King of the Mark. Now I will aid Legolas. Such a search will be futile by ones self, whether he be elf or no." Boromir said.
"Wait!" Demi cried and ran after him. "You can't just leave us! We have a right to be out there as much as you do."
"No, my friend, that I will not risk, for you have done much ere tonight, and no more can be asked of you." Boromir said, for he cared much for the girls.
"That I can agree to." Théoden said.
"But we are needed! What should happen if all your men fall? Would you risk us then? Nay lord. This we must do. I must find my friends." Demi said flatly.
"And I must find my cousin. He is not going to have all the fun!" Rhia added.
"I cannot sway your mind can I?" Théoden asked.
"No, I am afraid not, lord, for these ladies are rather headstrong, if I may say." Boromir said, receiving a playful punch in the arm by Rhia. "Well come now," he said and they followed him from the hall.
"Alas! He is right!" Théoden proclaimed, "They may be headstrong, but we would not be here if they weren't. Let us join them, and offer any assistance we may. I grow weary of not being able to help myself."
Out in the inner court, Boromir, Demi and Rhia found Aragorn. They were then informed that Éomer did not reach the Hornburg. The news grieved Aragorn and Demi greatly. Even worse to hear was that Gimli was with him. Neither had been seen since they fought side by side in the mouth of the deep.
The king came down to them and asked what news they had seen or heard.
"The deeping wall has been taken, my lord. The defence has been swept away, but many have escaped to the Rock." Aragorn replied sadly.
"Is Éomer here?" the king asked also.
They looked to each other, then Demi said after a time of silent debate with her friends, "No. He is not, but there is hope that he is with the men that retreated into the deep. I do not think he is dead."
"How do you know this? Are you a witch? For you do not seem one to me." One of the guards asked.
"Actually, good sir, I am, well, an elf witch. I am Vairarista, daughter of Uial'niire. I come here to aid Rohan now. If you need further proof… Russe tuulo' moriloomir!" she said, and lightning fell from the sky and struck an orc that she was aiming her hands at that was on the wall across from them. "I am sure that will suffice." She said, matter-of-factly.
The men yelled in horror and the King's face lit up. "You, you are a witch? An elf witch? We are blessed indeed to have such likes in our company! Though hope has long left us, there may still be a chance."
AE: Yes, long chapter I know, but I had to leave it there. You never know, I may change things so the battle goes ill ere on. Ok, so I doubt it, but just to keep you on your toes, expect the unexpected. This may have gone along with the book failry well so far, just don't expect things to gone on this way. Nor for such good things either. I'm in a particularly evil mood today, so best not to ask.
Levanna : Have fun in New Hampshire! Thanks very much, I'm glad that it is improving and for your constant loyalty. It means so much. Here is your update for your return; there may even be another by then. We shall just have to wait and see.
The stern mystic : You don't have to be sorry. Honestly, and thanks for reading!