Chapter 20
" Farmers, Ferriers, Stable boys," Aragorn spoke, his voice grave, " These are no soldiers!"
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Niori, Carla and Jane stood in the armory, watching as every available man as they picked up a sword. " Most have seen too many winters," Gimli started.
" Or too few," Legolas finished grimly.
" This isn't going to be good," Jane muttered.
" We are so going to die!" moaned Niori.
" Look at them, they are frightened," Legolas continued, " I can see it in their eyes,"
All around them, everyone stopped and stared at the Elf, who ignored them and started to speak to Aragorn in Elvish. After moments, Aragorn's face flushed with anger and he cried out. " Then I shall die as one of them!"
Legolas started to go after Aragorn as he stormed from the room, but was stopped by Gimli. Muttering something in his native tongue, Legolas left the room, going in the opposite direction of Aragorn. Suddenly, Niori felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. She turned around and found herself facing one of the guards. " Come miss," he spoke, looking at her and then to Jane and Carla, " you have lingered here far too long. It is time you descend to the caves,"
Niori gave a stout laugh. " You're kidding right?"
" I kid you not," The guard replied, " all woman must get safely to the caves,"
" If you think that I'm going to go and hide in the caves, you're sadly mistaken buddy," Niori scoffed.
" Ditto for me," Carla smirked at the displeasure on the guard's face.
" Me too!" Jane cried.
" You know," Gimli said thoughtfully, " It would be safer for you three in the caves,"
Niori turned and glared at the Dwarf sharply. " It would wouldn't it?" She replied simply, shrugging her shoulders and walking away.
Carla glared at the guard, and he left the other two girls, mumbling how women were not meant to fight. With a shake of their heads, Jane and Carla went to find Niori, who had walked away towards the outside wall. Niori was standing outside on the wall, looking out over the mountain range. Her arms were folded squarely over her chest. " Me not fight," Niori felt like laughing at the mere idea, " whatever!"
The clouds were gathering and darkening overhead and a cold wind was starting to blow across the Deep, a sure sign that a storm was coming. Suddenly, Carla and Jane came up on either side of her. " Hey," Jane said solemnly.
" What are you doing out here?" Carla asked, trying to lighten the mood, " 'cuz we're going to have to make sure the boys all make up and all, and soon!"
" I wonder how Erin's doing," Niori said suddenly, her thoughts turning towards their pregnant friend, " How far along is she?"
" About seven months," Jane replied, " Well, at least that's what I think,"
" I hope she's alright," Niori sighed.
" She will be," Carla replied with a small smile, " Frodo will die before he lets anything happen to her,"
" You're right," Niori sighed again, " It's just.. well I've been thinking, what if we never see her again? I mean, us being here has changed the course of things, and what if that makes things bad, or deadly, for us or the others?"
" Everything will be fine," Jane said, her voice filled with hope, " It'll have to be," Then, from behind them, someone called out to them. The three girls turned back towards the inside and saw Aragorn motioning for them for them to come to him. They hurriedly joined Aragorn, who waited with Legolas beside him. " Are you sure," Legolas asked, his eyes resting on Niori, " that you do not wish to join the other women in the caves?"
" I'll, we'll be fine," Niori told him with a reassuring smile.
" We are positioning the men for battle," Aragorn told them, " which will be upon us soon. Be ready, the three of you, for we are outnumbered by far,"
" Three hundred against ten thousand right?" Niori asked, gaining a surprised look from the others.
" I listened in when you guys were arguing," Niori explained, referring to Aragorn and Legolas's fight earlier.
" Did I not just start to teach you Elvish?" Legolas spoke, raising his eyebrows.
" I'm a quick learner," Niori smirked with a shrug of her shoulders.
Just as another was about to speak, the loud sound of s horn rang throughout Helm's Deep. " That is no Orc horn!" Legolas exclaimed, his eyes widening as he hurried towards the gate, quickly followed by the humans.
The Elf and four Humans reached the now open gate in time to see an army of Elves lead by Haldir, march in. Aragorn and Legolas rushed down the steps. " Once," Haldir spoke, " there was an allegiance between Elves and Men, and Lord Elrond of Rivendell has sent aid to up hold this alliance,"
" You are most welcome," Aragorn told him with a smile, and then embraced Haldir, who was at first surprised but returned the gesture. Suddenly, the whole Elven army pivoted to face the Humans army of Helm's Deep.
" We are proud to fight along the side of men once more," Haldir told king Theoden.
Niori, followed closely by Carla and Jane, bounced down the stairs and landed a little ways away from Haldir. " Hey Haldir!" Niori cried.
" Not you again!" Haldir moaned and then moaned again when he saw Carla and Jane come up beside Niori.
Legolas and Aragorn burst out laughing and angrily, Niori glared at them " Shut up!"
Everyone was waiting on the wall. Half the Elven archers were positioned in the back, with the others lining the front of the wall. Legolas stood with the Elves with Gimli on one side and Niori on the other. Carla and Jane were further down the wall with Aragorn, who was waiting to command the Elven archers.
" Fine spot you picked!" Gimli grumbled when only the top of his helmet could be seen over the wall, " What's happening!"
" Would you like me to describe it to you," Legolas replied with a small smirk, " or would you like me to find you a box?"
Niori would have laughed had it not been for the enormous army of Orcs/Uruk- Hui that was marching towards Helm's Deep. She was afraid no she was terrified. Overhead, thunder boomed and the sky opened up, sending droplets of rain pouring down upon them. Lighting streaked across the sky, casting an eerie light over them all. The Orcs reached the land below and waited. " This was SUCH a bad idea!" Niori whispered to herself, starting to shake a little.
" You'll be fine," Legolas whispered to her, giving her a reassuring look.
I hope so she thought.
Further down, Carla watched the Orc army with growing terror. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw as an old man, not at all experienced with a bow, let the string of his bow go, sending the arrow below, into the exposed neck of an Orc. This started the battle.
The enemy started to rush at the wall and then Carla faintly heard Aragorn call for the first set of Elven archers to shoot. The arrows flew out from all around Carla, and then below, they hit the front rows of Orcs, killing many. Another wave of arrows came from the human archers were positioned. The Orcs retaliated with their own archers sending their own wave of arrows towards them.
With wide eyes, Carla quickly ducked to avoid being shot by an arrow. All around her, arrows struck numbers on the good side. Fingering an arrow from her quiver, Carla pulled it out quickly, and bounding back to her feet, strung it on her bow, and aiming quickly, sent it flying into an Orc down below.
She now discovered, with some horror, that the Orcs were setting ladders up against the wall, providing them close range access to their troops. Quickly, Carla reached back into her quiver and pulled out a second arrow. Drawing back the string of her bow, Carla aimed her bow at an Orc that was climbing up the ladder closest to her.
The arrow flew through the rain filled air and into the neck of an Orc, causing it to fall back towards the other Orcs. Just beside her, another ladder went up, and Orcs swarmed on to the wall. Pulling out her sword, Carla held the hilt tightly and then ran towards where the Orcs were closing in towards the other warriors.
With a swift swing of her sword, Carla drove the blade through an Orc's neck, sending its head flying from its shoulders. Whirling around quickly, Carla reached out her hands and roughly shoved an Orc off the wall, and only moments later, she shoved her sword deep into another Orc's chest. She turned around just in time to see Legolas pull a shield out and slide down the stairs upon it, shooting off arrows as he went.
Carla had only enough to think "Cool" before another wave of Orcs reached her. She swung her blade, hitting an Orc, and moments later, an Orc arrow flew past her, brushing against her arm. Her sword dropped out of her hand from the surprise of being cut. An Orc lunged at her as her sword clattered to the ground. Thinking quickly, Carla reached into her quiver and plunged an arrow into the thing's face, and puling it right back out, she threw it with as much force and strength as she could. It hit the chest armor of an Orc and bounced right back to the ground. She picked up her sword, and running down the wall, she killed any Orc that was in her way.
She saw, and heard, Gimli call over to Legolas. " Hah! I already have two!"
" Only two?" Legolas asked with a wide smile, " I'm on seventeen!"
" Screw you both!" Carla cried with a laugh as she killed another Orc, " I have more!"
Gimli and Legolas looked at each other. A seventeen-year-old human girl was beating them. With another laugh, Carla brought down another Orc.
Jane held her sword tightly. Throughout the time they had been fighting, she had slain many an Orc, but there was just so many!
Only fifteen minutes before, the wall had exploded from beneath their feet. Jane had not been on that part of the wall, but she knew not if her friends had been caught in the blast.
With a cry, she struck her blade down into another Orc. Jane pulled her sword out of the Orc's body and swung it back around, slitting another Orc's throat. Then, she saw a sword coming towards her.
Angrily, she kicked the hilt of it and as the Uruk-hai drew back in pain from her kick, she drove her blade into its chest. Just as she pulled the sword out, another one of the things pulled a dagger out and charged at her.
Before she could get her blade out, she felt pain travel up her left arm. Jane's aqua eyes widened and she was unable to pull her sword out and kill the Orc that had injured her. A long jagged cut seeping blood ran up her arm. It caused more pain than she had ever felt throughout her whole life. She almost dropped her sword, but she knew if she did that, it would cost her life.
With clenched teeth, she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and continued her attack. Thunder boomed, rain poured down and lightening streaked the sky. Another Orc charged at Jane, and despite the pain she felt, Jane raised her sword to defend herself.
The Orc's and Jane's swords clashed. The Orc reached forward with one of its legs and tried to trip Jane. When she jumped to avoid being tripped, Jane slipped and fell to her back when she hit the wet ground.
Just in time, she brought the sword over her to defend herself as the Orc's sword it the sword instead of her unguarded chest. When the Orc drew its sword back, Jane, using as much strength as she could muster, brought her blade up into the Orc.
Pulling herself back to her feet, Jane prepared herself for a very fierce, dangerous and hard night.
The battle raged on for the remainder of the night. Niori had run out of arrows two hours before, so her bow was of no more use to her. Now, she was using her Elvish knife. After beheading another Orc, Niori walked backwards a few steps and bumped into someone. The girl whirled around with her knife up, preparing to strike. The person she had bumped into was Jane, who also had her sword raised.
" Oh hey!" Niori said, dropping her knife to her side.
" Hey, how are you holding up Niori?" Jane asked, bringing down her sword.
" Fine I guess," Niori replied, and then she noticed the giant gash that run up Jane's arm, " What happened!"
" Oh, nothing, an Orc just cut me," Jane shrugged.
" Well OK, be careful," Niori cried as Jane again disappeared into the battle.
Niori fought for what seemed like forever, and then, just as she pulled her knife from an Orc's neck, she saw Legolas fighting not to far away from her. Plunging her knife downwards into yet another Orc, Niori looked up again to see Legolas, and saw something that made her heart stop beating. Legolas was still fighting a large band of Orcs. Coming up behind him, was an Uruk-hui with a big sword. Legolas was too busy fighting to notice the Uruk-hui coming up behind him. The Uruk-hui raised its sword and prepared to bring into the Elf.
" Legolas! MOVE!" Niori cried in horror and ran at him.
Legolas turned his head to look at her. He looked confused and still was unaware of the Uruk-hui behind him. The Uruk-hui was just about to bring its blade down into Legolas when Niori reached him.
Shoving Legolas out of the way, Niori suddenly felt pain rip through her stomach in a giant tidal wave. Niori clutched her stomach and fell to her knees. Tears stung her eyes and blood seeped out of her stomach and on to her hands. It hurt so much! Through her tears and pain, she saw Legolas killing the Uruk-hui who had hurt her. Legolas looked furious. Niori fell backwards and another wave of pain shot through her body. Suddenly, the whole world around her went black; the last thing she remembered was Legolas screaming out her name.