~
Chapter 20
~
"Legolas!" Gimli yells. "Two already!"
"I'm on seventeen!" the Elf yells back.
"Arg! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" He turns and whacks another Uruk. "Three!"
"Nineteen!" This from Legolas.
Me, I'm on six. Not bad for my second battle, no?
Boromir's off to one side. We exchange a grin when we hear Gimli bellow "Six!"
Once you get the hang of this whole battle thing, well, it's still not easy, but you don't feel like you're completely lost and going to die. At least I don't. Hell, I'm even trying to keep count of the Orcs. Uruk-hai. Sorry, they're Uruk-hai.
And, anyway, Boromir and I aren't doing so bad. We're manage to hold our little section of the wall. Us and Gimli. Legolas is just all over the place.
"Dago han, Legolas! Dago han! Dago han!"
Oh, shit. I look over to see the first arrow thud into the Uruk's shoulder, the second into the other shoulder. I grab Boromir's tunic. "Run! Everybody, move! Run!"
"Kayli, what – " Boromir begins, but I'm already running. He follows.
A few seconds later, the wall explodes.
~
Ouch. Boy, did that EVER hurt.
I push my way to my hands and knees, cradling my head. "Fucking hate orcs," I mutter.
"I think the feeling's mutual," Boromir says from next to me. "Seeing as how the tried to blow us up."
I grin at him and start to look around. Just in time to see Gimli charge off the battlements.
"Gimli!" I yell, and then start to mutter all the curse words I can remember from the twins.
"Dammit," Boromir moans.
We both scramble to our feet as we see more Uruks heading our way.
Damn.
~
"Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men our of there!"
It's been...ten or fifteen minutes since the wall went. Boromir and I were separated. If he dies, I'll kill him.
Yes, I realize that doesn't make any sense.
And, y'know, I'd probably be better off if there weren't so many fucking orcs everywhere.
One of them turns on me and snarls, or maybe that's a smile? Whatever. It brings up his sword and charges. I cross my blades, bring them up for the block, then drop when down and open his stomach. Then duck, sidestep, slash. See? Rhythm.
I kill two more, and manage to break through the seemingly solid wall of flesh between me and the Keep. I look up in time to see one of the Uruks go for Haldir. "Haldir! Behind you!"
He glances at me, then ducks and rolls quickly, coming back up with his sword in hand.
Yeah, remember my little non-interference thing? That's kinda out the window. Ooops. Behold my complete lack of regret.
It takes a couple of minutes, but I manage to battle my way to Haldir's side, Boromir coming up next to me. "We must pull back to the Keep," Haldir says. He sounds very important. I think it's that funky accent.
We run.
~
Eventually, we have to run out of furniture. I mean, it's bound to happen at some point, right?
Of course, by then we'll probably have a wall a hundred yards thick between us and the approaching army.
"The fortress is taken," Théoden says. "It is over."
"You said this castle would never fall as long as your Men defended it!" Aragorn yells, suddenly just exploding. "They still defend it! They have died defending it!"
Legolas glances back over his shoulder. Our eyes lock for a moment, but I have no idea what to make of his expression. It looks almost like...regret?
Geez, everybody is just so down about this.
"There's one pass," Gamling is saying when I turn back to the King. "It leads back into the mountains. But they will not get far, the Uruk-hai are too many."
And I thought Haldir was cynical.
This rant stuff? Yeah. This is blood loss. I have a really deep gash on my arm from shoving my way through the orcs. Luckily I got all that practice with the lunchlines in elementary school. I was a skinny little kid. They thought that meant weak. Heh.
Most of the time, they were right.
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass," Aragorn orders, "and barricade the entrance."
"So much death," Théoden muses, sounding like he's just thinking out loud. "What can Men do against such reckless hate?"
Aragorn studies the King intently. "Ride out with me," he says suddenly, his eyes lighting up like Boromir's and Legolas's and Gimli's. "Ride out and meet them."
The King's eyes light up once more. "For death and glory."
I almost hear Legolas roll his eyes.
"For Rohan," Aragorn presses. "For your people."
"The sun is rising," Gimli says softly, like he's afraid to break the aura of determined stupidity that hangs over the room.
No, I know that it's necessary to ride out and meet them. I understand that it's a distraction that will allow Gandalf to arrive and take all the big uglies outside the door by surprise. I get it. It's just...
Why be so fucking EAGER to ride out and meet your doom? WHY?
Sorry, had a moment there.
"Yes," Théoden says, suddenly looking very determined. "Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time."
Gimli grins and runs for the stairs. If he thinks at all like I do, he's probably thinking something along the lines of 'thank God/the Valar/insert your favorite Deity here that I don't have to ride out with these morons.'
Somehow, I don't think my Dwarven friend thinks like I do.
I watch as they gather their horses and gear. Théoden just keeps on talking. He's like the King that wouldn't shut up. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!"
Does anybody but him know what the freaking hell he's babbling about?
Boromir looks at me, and I hold up my hands. "No, Mommy, I'm not going to ride out and play with the Orcs."
"Your word," he says evenly, and I know that this means more than what it would to someone from my world. Especially since promises don't mean shit in my world.
"Yes, you have my word. Go. Hack. Chop. Play. Have fun."
He grins at me and mounts his horse. Gimli blows the horn. Théoden bellows 'forth Eorlingas!' And everybody rides out.
I wrap my arms around my waist and slide down the wall, feeling the blood from the deep cut on my side. Oh, did I forget to mention that one? Oops.
I close my eyes. This way I can't see the room move. Oy.
~
I open my eyes a few minutes later and glare at Gimli, who's shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, lass. Gandalf's here to save th' day."
"Gandalf. Fucking FINALLY."
Gimli snorts. "Aye, aye. Heard a few stories from my father about that one. Always disappears when ye need him the most."
I roll my eyes at that. "No, really? I NEVER would've guessed."
Gimli grins at me, then peers at the gash on my arm. "That the only one?"
I smile nervously. "Yes?"
He folds his arm across his chest. I meet his eyes and manage not to flinch. He smirks at me through his beard. "All right, then, I'll just have Aragorn take a look at ye. Or maybe the Elf?"
I glare at him. "Why would I have a problem with Legolas looking at my arm?"
He laughs at me. "I think the Elf'd rather look at things that have nothin' to do with yer arm!"
I shake my head and push my way, rather unsteadily, to my feet. "Everyone's gone crazy," I tell him. "Everyone but me, and please believe me when I say this is not a situation that I am used to."
Gimli grins at me and pats my arm. "If ye say so, lass. If ye say so."
What the FUCK is wrong with these people?
TBC...
Chapter 20
~
"Legolas!" Gimli yells. "Two already!"
"I'm on seventeen!" the Elf yells back.
"Arg! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" He turns and whacks another Uruk. "Three!"
"Nineteen!" This from Legolas.
Me, I'm on six. Not bad for my second battle, no?
Boromir's off to one side. We exchange a grin when we hear Gimli bellow "Six!"
Once you get the hang of this whole battle thing, well, it's still not easy, but you don't feel like you're completely lost and going to die. At least I don't. Hell, I'm even trying to keep count of the Orcs. Uruk-hai. Sorry, they're Uruk-hai.
And, anyway, Boromir and I aren't doing so bad. We're manage to hold our little section of the wall. Us and Gimli. Legolas is just all over the place.
"Dago han, Legolas! Dago han! Dago han!"
Oh, shit. I look over to see the first arrow thud into the Uruk's shoulder, the second into the other shoulder. I grab Boromir's tunic. "Run! Everybody, move! Run!"
"Kayli, what – " Boromir begins, but I'm already running. He follows.
A few seconds later, the wall explodes.
~
Ouch. Boy, did that EVER hurt.
I push my way to my hands and knees, cradling my head. "Fucking hate orcs," I mutter.
"I think the feeling's mutual," Boromir says from next to me. "Seeing as how the tried to blow us up."
I grin at him and start to look around. Just in time to see Gimli charge off the battlements.
"Gimli!" I yell, and then start to mutter all the curse words I can remember from the twins.
"Dammit," Boromir moans.
We both scramble to our feet as we see more Uruks heading our way.
Damn.
~
"Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men our of there!"
It's been...ten or fifteen minutes since the wall went. Boromir and I were separated. If he dies, I'll kill him.
Yes, I realize that doesn't make any sense.
And, y'know, I'd probably be better off if there weren't so many fucking orcs everywhere.
One of them turns on me and snarls, or maybe that's a smile? Whatever. It brings up his sword and charges. I cross my blades, bring them up for the block, then drop when down and open his stomach. Then duck, sidestep, slash. See? Rhythm.
I kill two more, and manage to break through the seemingly solid wall of flesh between me and the Keep. I look up in time to see one of the Uruks go for Haldir. "Haldir! Behind you!"
He glances at me, then ducks and rolls quickly, coming back up with his sword in hand.
Yeah, remember my little non-interference thing? That's kinda out the window. Ooops. Behold my complete lack of regret.
It takes a couple of minutes, but I manage to battle my way to Haldir's side, Boromir coming up next to me. "We must pull back to the Keep," Haldir says. He sounds very important. I think it's that funky accent.
We run.
~
Eventually, we have to run out of furniture. I mean, it's bound to happen at some point, right?
Of course, by then we'll probably have a wall a hundred yards thick between us and the approaching army.
"The fortress is taken," Théoden says. "It is over."
"You said this castle would never fall as long as your Men defended it!" Aragorn yells, suddenly just exploding. "They still defend it! They have died defending it!"
Legolas glances back over his shoulder. Our eyes lock for a moment, but I have no idea what to make of his expression. It looks almost like...regret?
Geez, everybody is just so down about this.
"There's one pass," Gamling is saying when I turn back to the King. "It leads back into the mountains. But they will not get far, the Uruk-hai are too many."
And I thought Haldir was cynical.
This rant stuff? Yeah. This is blood loss. I have a really deep gash on my arm from shoving my way through the orcs. Luckily I got all that practice with the lunchlines in elementary school. I was a skinny little kid. They thought that meant weak. Heh.
Most of the time, they were right.
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass," Aragorn orders, "and barricade the entrance."
"So much death," Théoden muses, sounding like he's just thinking out loud. "What can Men do against such reckless hate?"
Aragorn studies the King intently. "Ride out with me," he says suddenly, his eyes lighting up like Boromir's and Legolas's and Gimli's. "Ride out and meet them."
The King's eyes light up once more. "For death and glory."
I almost hear Legolas roll his eyes.
"For Rohan," Aragorn presses. "For your people."
"The sun is rising," Gimli says softly, like he's afraid to break the aura of determined stupidity that hangs over the room.
No, I know that it's necessary to ride out and meet them. I understand that it's a distraction that will allow Gandalf to arrive and take all the big uglies outside the door by surprise. I get it. It's just...
Why be so fucking EAGER to ride out and meet your doom? WHY?
Sorry, had a moment there.
"Yes," Théoden says, suddenly looking very determined. "Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time."
Gimli grins and runs for the stairs. If he thinks at all like I do, he's probably thinking something along the lines of 'thank God/the Valar/insert your favorite Deity here that I don't have to ride out with these morons.'
Somehow, I don't think my Dwarven friend thinks like I do.
I watch as they gather their horses and gear. Théoden just keeps on talking. He's like the King that wouldn't shut up. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!"
Does anybody but him know what the freaking hell he's babbling about?
Boromir looks at me, and I hold up my hands. "No, Mommy, I'm not going to ride out and play with the Orcs."
"Your word," he says evenly, and I know that this means more than what it would to someone from my world. Especially since promises don't mean shit in my world.
"Yes, you have my word. Go. Hack. Chop. Play. Have fun."
He grins at me and mounts his horse. Gimli blows the horn. Théoden bellows 'forth Eorlingas!' And everybody rides out.
I wrap my arms around my waist and slide down the wall, feeling the blood from the deep cut on my side. Oh, did I forget to mention that one? Oops.
I close my eyes. This way I can't see the room move. Oy.
~
I open my eyes a few minutes later and glare at Gimli, who's shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, lass. Gandalf's here to save th' day."
"Gandalf. Fucking FINALLY."
Gimli snorts. "Aye, aye. Heard a few stories from my father about that one. Always disappears when ye need him the most."
I roll my eyes at that. "No, really? I NEVER would've guessed."
Gimli grins at me, then peers at the gash on my arm. "That the only one?"
I smile nervously. "Yes?"
He folds his arm across his chest. I meet his eyes and manage not to flinch. He smirks at me through his beard. "All right, then, I'll just have Aragorn take a look at ye. Or maybe the Elf?"
I glare at him. "Why would I have a problem with Legolas looking at my arm?"
He laughs at me. "I think the Elf'd rather look at things that have nothin' to do with yer arm!"
I shake my head and push my way, rather unsteadily, to my feet. "Everyone's gone crazy," I tell him. "Everyone but me, and please believe me when I say this is not a situation that I am used to."
Gimli grins at me and pats my arm. "If ye say so, lass. If ye say so."
What the FUCK is wrong with these people?
TBC...