Meanwhile, Eowyn and Morwen were still face to face with the Witch King. Morwen stood up and raised her axes, intending to defend the temporarily dazed Eowyn. The Witch King hissed, and promptly knocked the Axe-Maiden aside with almost no effort. Morwen was not the one that challenged him. He was after Eowyn.
Reaching down, he seized Eowyn by the throat. "You fool," He hissed. "No man can kill me," Nearby, Morwen struggled to get to her feet, but collapsed. The Nazgul had caught her in the ribs, knocking the wind right out of her. She suspected she'd have terrible bruises later on. "Die now,"
Without warning, Merry appeared behind the Witch King and stabbed him in the back with a dagger. The Witch King made a terrible gargling noise, his limbs going rigid with pain. He dropped Eowyn, and then fell to his knees. Merry screamed in pain, his arm burning with iron-hot pain.
"Merry," Morwen choked as the Hobbit fell back. She tried again to pull herself to her feet, but stopped when she saw Eowyn. The Shield Maiden stood tall before the Nazgul, her sword back in hand. She ripped off her helmet, her blonde hair tumbling down her back.
"I am no man," She whispered. And with that, she let out a cry and stabbed the Witch King in the face, twisting her sword through the excruciating pain that shot through her entire body. The Witch King's mask crumpled, and he imploded on himself.
The Witch King of Angmar, source of so many fears, was dead.
-------------------------------------------------
"Merry! Morwen!" Eowyn gasped, crawling towards her friends. Just then, she heard something grunting behind her. It was Gothmog. The injured, Pig-like Orc was alive, and crawling toward Eowyn menacingly. Eowyn gasped even louder, and crawled as quickly as she could towards her sword.
But Gothmog stood, and began to stumble towards her. Eowyn stretched, her fingers brushing the hilt of her sword just as Gothmog went to strike her down… WHACK. Aragorn came out of nowhere and hacked off Gothmog's arm. He and Gimli made quick work of the Orc captain.
"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled to his elven friend. Legolas and Idrial, who was beside him, turned. They quickly saw what Aragorn had called to them for. One of the few remaining Mumakil was heading right for them.
"Stay here!" Legolas said to Idrial. "I have an idea!" Idrial was uncertain, but she trusted the other elf's judgment and stayed where she was, killing the Orcs she could find nearby. The Mumakil swung at Legolas as he ran towards it, but he dodged the tusks and then grabbed on to the left one. He jumped from the tusk to the front left leg, and then jumped to the left back leg.
Legolas managed to scramble up the Mumakil's calf, and perch on the area near its spine. He pulled out some arrows, and let them fly at the Easterlings in the traveling basket on its back. "Thirty-three! Thirty-four! Thirty-five!" From below, Elegost and Hadhod watched in awe.
"The elf's gone mad," Hadhod muttered. Elegost shrugged and shot down another Orc.
"Whatever works for him." He said. Back on the Mumakil, the Easterlings leapt at Legolas, and he shot them all down one by one. One he even managed to throw off the Mumakil all together and send him into the sea of the undead army.
Pulling out his knife, Legolas ran forward and slashed the ropes holding up the traveling basket that held the Easterlings. The basket fell, but the Mumakil lived on, stomping madly across the field. Legolas pulled out two arrows, and shot the beast in the neck. It roared in pain, and began to collapse. Legolas coolly slid down its trunk, and landed neatly back on the battlefield.
Elegost, Hadhod, Idrial and Gimli all stared at him with wide eyes. Gimli found his voice first. "That still only counts as one!" He barked. Legolas smiled, and he caught Idrial laughing off to the side. Elegost clapped his shoulder.
"Nice," He said, glancing back at the dead Mumakil appreciatively. "Very nice." Hadhod grunted.
"Not bad… for an elf." He muttered, glancing off to the side. Gimli ran forward, determined to beat Legolas' score, and began hacking at any and all Orcs he saw. Aragorn broke another Orcs neck, and then stopped. There were no more Orcs. The Mumakil were being taken down and ripped to pieces by the Dead, so they were no longer a problem. . Now the dead were sweeping Minas Tirith, cleansing the city of the Orcs as well.
They had won the battle.
-------------------------------------------------
Back with Eowyn, Morwen and Merry, Eowyn crawled towards her Uncle. Morwen managed to stand up, clutching her ribs in pain, and stumble over to Eowyn. "Morwen," The Shield Maiden said. "Go. We have won the battle. Go find your friends. I will care for Merry and my Uncle."
"Are you certain?" Morwen asked. She did not want to leave Eowyn alone, but she also wanted to see if her friends were still alive. Eowyn nodded.
"Yes. Now go." And so Morwen stumbled off, still holding her ribs.
"Berethor," She called hoarsely. "Eaoden!" There was no response. "Berethor! Eaoden!" She called again. There was a moan from nearby, from behind a dead Mumakil. Morwen, scared, stumbled over and saw lying on the ground, none other than Berethor. His armor was badly damaged, and it looked as though someone had pounded on him with an oversized hammer. "Berethor!" She gasped, crumbling to her knees next to him. "Oh Elbereth, you're hurt." She whispered.
Berethor, half-conscious, half-asleep looked up hazily at Morwen. "You're all right," he whispered. Tears welled up in Morwen's eyes, and a few slid down her cheeks.
"But you're not," She whispered in a quivering voice. Flinching from the pain it caused, Berethor reached up and rubbed the tears off her cheek.
"I will be," He murmured. "Did we win?" Morwen gave a shaky laugh.
"Yes, Berethor, we won." Berethor smiled.
"I… I need to find my family. My sisters… My mother… My brother… My father…" He mumbled, shaking his head. He tried to get up, but then he cried out in intense, flaming pain. Morwen gasped, and lowered him carefully back to the ground.
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
May it be when shadows call
Will fly away
"I can't move," He choked. Morwen carefully reached up and removed his helm. She stroked his hair in a comforting fashion.
"It's all right," She murmured. "We'll wait here until you're feeling better. Then we can find your family. Berethor nodded, panting, and Morwen gently placed his head on her lap. Far off, she heard the cry of Eomer as he discovered his little sister, who was near death, and his dead Uncle.
Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Elegost, Hadhod and Idrial stood before the army of the dead. "Release us," The King of the Dead commanded. Aragorn took a breath, about to speak, when Gimli said:
"Bad idea. Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead." Idrial made a slashing motion across her throat, and Elegost hissed when he realized what the reaction to this would be.
"You gave us your word!" The King said menacingly. Aragorn nodded.
"I hold your oath fulfilled. Go- be at peace." He said. The King of the Dead smiled a true smile at him, and then he and his army disappeared into the wind.