The group entered the throne room, and it was ominously quiet. Kat kept herself relaxed and observant. There were unkempt men surrounding them on both sides, moving almost silently down each hall. They looked like brigands, and Kat knew they would attack. A small weasel of a man, with greasy hair, and pale, sickly skin was shouting at Gandalf, and the men attacked. She didn't even blink as she rammed her plated arm into a man's nose. She heard the sickening crunch, and knew it was broken. The man hit the ground and she brought the same arm down on his head knocking the man unconscious. The rest of her combined group had made short work of the other men, so they kept walking forward. Gandalf was doing something that smelled of magic on the incredibly old man sitting on the throne. The man looked inches away from death. A younger blonde girl had run into the room, and Aragorn had caught her. Kat kept her attention on her surroundings and was startled to see the elderly man growing younger before her eyes.
Everything happened so quickly, and they were outside with the weasel man riding away quickly. Kat watched the body of the young prince being led to the burial mound. The blonde woman, Eowyn was singing a haunting melody, and the king's face was haggard with grief. A flash of memory flashed through Kat's head. Another time, another place, and yet another funeral procession. So many people lost to war; so many people lost because of hate and evil.
Kat knew that her party members thought of her as cold and distant, and she had to admit it was certainly preferable to be so, but there were parts of her heart that ached. She'd seen what the orcs had done to the young man, and she remembered elf children similarly ravaged by orcs from her own world. Later, after everyone had returned inside and argued for a bit, Kat returned to the grave mound. I did not know you, but I shall avenge you Theodred, son of Theoden. she whispered in elvish. She sang an elven mourning song, for some touched deeply by the death of youth.
Theoden, Aragorn, and Legolas stood on the bridge, looking down on the woman. Tanzier stood beside them. "What does she sing?" Theoden asked.
"She sings of loss. It is a song that elves sing for their warriors who died bravely in battle." Tanzier told them. "It is rare to see this side of her. She is normally as unyielding and cold as her armor." He smirked slightly.
Kat didn't look at the group of men as she passed them to enter the hall. Gandalf looked to be preparing to leave. "Where do you go Gandalf the White?" she asked.
"I go to find help, for the people of Rohan are being attacked. The rest of the Rohirrim are heading to Helm's Deep to prepare." He said, and then turned to face her. "I thought it best for me to ride alone, but perhaps I should have someone to keep me safe? We would have to ride fast and it would be difficult."
A gleam entered the girls' eye. "I shall tell Andrinor and Tanzier."
Gandalf was followed by his friends who were firing questions at him, and Tanzier and Andrinor followed Kat.
"Are you sure you don't want to take Drom with you Kat?" Tanzier asked.
She sniffed, "You're just trying to get rid of him so you don't have to deal with a conscious. I have Gandalf the White. With as much trouble as you get into, you should keep Dromlar with you." Most of her armor was already in her bag, she finished stuffing the chest plate into the bag and looked up to find all eyes except for her friends staring strangely at her bag. "Magic." She said simply. She mounted quickly, and they took off.
They rode hard and quick and Kat reveled in the feel of riding without her cumbersome armor. Only taking short stops for their horses, even then they would continue their journey on foot. It was on the second day that Kat was talking to her horse softly in elvish, and Gandalf answered her in like.
You are quite different from others aren't you Gandalf?
Just a little more open to new information. he said with a twinkle in his eyes. We shall come upon the men of Rohan this eve.
And will we arrive at Helm's Deep in time?
I believe we will.
The Rohirrim army met them halfway, a charismatic man leading them. Kat felt the eyes of the men on her, and returned their stares with icy green eyes. Gandalf spoke with the large blonde man, and they turned to head to Helm's Deep. The leader barely skimmed his eyes over her, and for some reason it angered Kat.
They stopped into the fourth day to eat and rest their horses. She was still feeling the stares around her and it was starting to unnerve her, making her sword arm prickly. Why do they stare at me? she asked Gandalf as they sat around a small fire. To calm herself she'd taken her long sword from the scabbard and was sharpening it with her whetstone. When they heard her lilting voice in the unknown language even more of the men stared.
Eomer stared at Gandalf with questions in his eyes, wondering what the strange woman had said.
Gandalf grinned and addressed him, "Eomer, Kat would like to know why your men stare at her."
Eomer was slightly taken aback, and signaled to his men to stop staring. "Forgive them; we are not used to seeing women out in the Riddemark. They normally stay in our cities where it is safer."
"And is this why there are no women in your army? Because of safety?" Kat turned her eyes to meet those of a man leering at her. "If you continue, I shall be forced to pluck out that which grieves me." The man blanched, and looked away.
"Our women can fight if need be, my sister is a shield maiden of Rohan. But women are softer than men." He said as if it made perfect sense.
Kat leaned forward a glint in her eyes. "Perhaps women are soft to bed, and soft to the touch my Lord," she sneered, "but you might be surprised to find that women have more strength and steel running under that velvet skin than most men." Saying this she stood and went to sheath her sword, and pulled her armor from her magic bag. Once again this caused the men to stare, but this time at the bag at her feet.
Eomer followed her quickly. "Why should they fight and die, when men can do so just as well." he asked heatedly.
"Why should they stay home when they are just as capable of fighting? It is because of man's pride and arrogance. I have come across many men, easily defeated due to their disbelief that a woman holds that capability." she hissed. "You are a fool if you think that because a woman is softer it makes her weaker. If anything it gives us even more power."
They left quickly after that, not saying a word. Eomer felt some anger that a mere slip of a girl, albeit a beautiful one, would speak such words to him.
They could hear the cries of battle before the reached the crest of the hill. At the top Gandalf spoke, Kat rode to his left. "Theoden, king that stands alone."
Eomer reached the crest. "Not alone…Rohirrim!" he shouted and the ride began.
All Kat felt at that moment was the battle, it snaked into her being. This is what she was best at. Defeating, destroying, and laying waste to whatever opposed her or stood in her way. The orcs in front of her were huge. Larger than the orcs at home, more like orogs really. Their front line had placed their spears out, thinking to skewer the front line. Gripping the horse with her thighs, Kat drew her two swords. She leaned forward, reaching the line first, and sliced the two spears aiming at her in half. As she passed she kicked one of the orcs with her plate boot, and was pleased to see blood gush from his head as he dropped.
The orcs retreated quickly, and she rejoined her friends. So many of Rohan's people lay dying. As well as elves that had come to fight with men. Aragorn and Legolas were standing near a blonde elf in armor, the light was fading from his eyes, and there was deep sadness in the men. Theoden, Gandalf, and Eomer were approaching. Not realizing what she did, Kat slid from the horse, snatching Dromlar from around Tanzier's neck. She ran to the dying elf, and clutching the medallion concentrated. Her hands covered his bloody wound, and a bright golden light appeared under her slender fingers. A man's voice chanting played upon the wind, and life came back into Haldir's eyes. The wound closed, and all were astonished.
"What magic is this?" Aragorn whispered.
Kat looked up into the faces of the five men in front of her, and Haldir still lying prone. Tanzier and Andrinor stood at her back. "That is the magic of Dromlar, the magic of Lathander the morning lord." They looked at the bloodied she elf kneeling next to their comrade in awe. Scratches covered her face and arms. Blood of their enemy coated her swords and armor. Her normal green eyes glowed with what appeared as rays of the sun. She stood and helped Haldir to his feet. He was still weak, but there he stood alive. She stood and walked to Theoden. "You are wounded. If you'd like we can use this to heal you." She told him.
He nodded his assent, and she touched the medallion to him. The silence was almost deafening, and the chanting came again. This time it lasted but a few moments. "It doesn't hurt at all." He said astounded.
Kat turned and walked towards her friends. She tossed the medallion to Tanzier who clasped it around his neck again, and continued past them to her horse.
"Kat you're hurt!" Andrinor called seeing his friend limp away.
"No, Andy, this is nothing. There are children that lay hurt upon the ground, their blood still leaving them far too quickly. Help them." She mounted her horse and rode for the keep.