Chapter 12

A small group of soldiers raced up the mountain path after a group of Uruk-Hai who were fleeing the battle.

Eomer and Aragorn led the party and both feared what they would find at the other end of the path which was supposed to be a secret escape for the women and children in the caves if the fortress was taken.

As they got closer to the entrance to the caves the sound of metal on metal could be heard & they pushed their mounts faster. They continued in single file one they reached the tunnel into the mountain and they were forced to slow to a trot as the tunnel got thinner.

Suddenly when they were almost at the opening into the caves the lead horse halted nearly unseating its rider and almost causing a pile up as the horses behind were forced to stop.

What the human eyes had misses in the darkness was the mass of death Uruk-Hai that littered the floor of the tunnel and continued into the cave. Dismounting the men pushed past their houses and over the bodies into the cave. When they past the door, they were greeted by 5 blades all held by women, who were covered in dust, sweat and blood. They quickly backed down when they saw it was not the enemy.

The women and children who were huddled further into the cave rejoiced and ran forward to greet the men, reuniting with sons, brothers, husbands and fathers.

Eomer sort out his sister, both relieved to see each other after his banishment, while Aragorn searched the caves for the elf woman he had been travelling with for the last 3 months. Not finding her in the caves he went up to the main fort and into the sunlight. As he had suspected the elf had sort out the open spaces outside the cave as soon as she was able and was looking out over the forest.

"I am leaving as soon as the sun reaches its peek. You will no longer have to worry about me." Larwen informed him without turning from the view.

"And have to explain to your father why you were not escorted back? No you will stay until someone can be spared to return you to Mirkwood or at least Lóthlórien."

"I can take care of myself, no matter how much my father thinks I cannot." She snapped back.

"We are not going to argue about this you will do as you are told, you've caused enough trouble as it is." He turned and moved towards the carnage of the battle to help clear the bodies away.

"I don't know how Arwen puts up with you, you're completely insufferable." She then pushed past him, dodging his grabs for her and moved through the piles of bodies to where Gimli sat on his final kill.

"What was that about?" Gimli asked when she reached him.

"Nothing."

Gimli wisely let the matter go and changed the subject.

"Tell me how is it that even though you were in the caves throughout the entire battle that you come out looking like you've just killed a hundred orcs?"

"Well the dirt is the cave raining dust on us throughout the entire battle and they it wasn't a hundred orcs they were Uruk-Hai." She told him, "They entered the caves through the mountain entrance."

"What was that?" Théoden asked as he past.

"Uruk-Hai got into the caves through the mountain entrance." Larwen repeated.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No, a group of the women had weapons and we fought them off. Your niece is very good with a sword."

"Thank you." The king said before moving away with some of his men towards the caves.

"You know it's typical," Larwen said to Gimli when the King was out of hearing range, "If they still thought I was male then they would have had much better manners."

"Gimli," Aragorn called from the area that the men were piling the bodies of the Uruk-Hai to burn before any wild animals were attracted by the rotting flesh.

Gimli sent her an apologetic look and moved to help moving the bodies into the pile.

"He is only doing what he thinks is right."

Larwen spun around to find Gandalf standing just behind her.

"Well Aragorn will not have to worry about my father if you continue like that, my heart will fail."

"Oh I doubt that, you elves are made of tougher stuff then that."

"Why is gender so important anyway, the women in the caves proved last night that they are just as strong as any of the men. We can protect ourselves."

"It is the way of things, how would life continue if the women went to war and didn't care for their children or didn't have children?" Gandalf asked.

"It is possible to do both." Larwen insisted.

"Sometimes we must go with what we are told to do, but that doesn't mean that it has to be that way forever."

Gandalf walked off to talk to Théoden leaving Larwen with nothing to do but sit on the side lines and wait until it was time to return to Edoras.


Short and a strange ending but...