Hidden Secrets

Disclaimer: I only own Aranwen, Beran, Star, and the plot!

Chapter Twenty-eight: Helm's Deep

T.A. 3019

Aranwen paced back and forth in front of the wall, her gray-blue eyes scanning for any signs of life beyond the rock fortress that was Helm's Deep. She was already dressed for battle, a shirt of chain mail covered her torn black tunic. She had fastened her leather vest over the chain mail, trying to convince herself that it was just a heavier shirt. Aranwen detested armor and normally she would have refused to wear it, but it was a necessary precaution. Without it, she was at a greater risk and so was her child.

Her quiver was strapped tightly to her slim body(thanks to Galadriel's charm) and her bow hung beside it. Her sword and dagger hung in their sheaths from her belt. She was armed and pissed—which is never a good combination.

She was nervous. What if she did not live through the battle? What if Aragorn did not arrive in time or he was slain along the way? Her mind was full of these thoughts and each was worse than the previous one. She knew that the likelihood of Rohan winning the battle was slim to none. She knew that she would die if Helm's Deep was breached, as would everyone else. No one would survive, if Helm's Deep fell to the armies of Mordor and Isengard.

"Aranwen, you should head to the caves with Eowyn," said Legolas, who appeared behind her.

"No, I'm going to stay here and fight with others. I'm going to take ada's place, since he is not here. I'm going to fight," Aranwen insisted once she got over her initial shock of seeing the Elf.

"I swore to Aragorn that I'd protect you."

She knew that she should do as Legolas said and flee to the caves. She was pregnant

and she knew that pregnant women do not fight in battles. She was just being stubborn. But she knew in her heart that what she was doing was right. It could very well kill her, but she knew that she would die with comfort of knowing what she did was right.

"I know Legolas and I respect that, but I will not flee. I am sick of fleeing!" she yelled at Elf, surprised at her own anger.

Unbidden, memories of her fight with Beran and subsequent flight filled her mind. She remembered fleeing the village after the massacre. She remembered fleeing after she killed the assassin. All she had ever done in her life was flee.

But no longer would she flee.

"Do you ever think about someone other than yourself? Aranwen, this battle is not about you. It's not your battle. Things are different for you…"

Aranwen laughed and then she glared at the Elf, before she spoke, "Things are not different. I may be Isildur's heir and a woman but I am no coward. Hain u-gurth!"(I do not fear death!)

What she said was true. She was not afraid of death. She had never been afraid of death. She had only ever been afraid of Beran.

"That may be so, but you should still head to the caves. Eowyn could use your help. She is the last line of defense for the women and children," Legolas said, trying to change the stubborn half-Elf's mind.

"No. I refuse to head for the caves. I will stay here, on the wall, and await my fate with the others," Aranwen said, narrowing her eyes and turning her back to Legolas.

Legolas sighed and slowly walked away. Even Aragorn had never been this stubborn. Did Aranwen have a death wish? Did she wish to join her father so soon? What was she thinking? Legolas did not wonder long because shortly after his return to the main level, a disheveled man rode in on a bay horse. He was wounded and appeared to be exhausted.

This man, this stranger, was none other than Aragorn.

Aranwen did not see her father return. She had been preoccupied with her thoughts and a haunting memory of her first battle. It was nowhere near the scale that Helm's Deep was on, but it was trying all the same. After all, she was only fifteen.

T.A. 3015

She was wandering around alone, in the Wild. She had just escaped an assassin and killed a man. Not an Orc, but a living, breathing, feeling man. Sure, he had tried to kill her first, but it was still a man. Someone of her own race. And she had snuffed out his life.

She had no clue where she was. And she did not give a damn.

Silently, she crept through the trees, her senses alert for any danger. It was not long before the sounds of fighting filled her ears. Her first instinct was to turn and run. But curiosity made her run towards the battle. It wasn't large enough to be a battle, but it was not small enough to be a skirmish.

Orcs were attacking a small village and encampment of Rangers. Homes were burning and women and children were screaming. Aranwen froze as memories of the disaster at her own village filled her mind. She could not let that happen again. She could not stand by and let it happen again.

Swiftly, she drew her sword and dagger and slipped from her cover of trees and threw herself into battle. The odds were against her and the others, but she did not think about numbers. All she thought about was stopping and killing all the Orcs. All she cared about was saving the village. She did not want to let it happen again.

Waves of Orcs turned towards her, sensing an easy kill. But they were wrong. She had trained with a blade at a young age and was naturally skilled. And she was furious.

Mordor hath no fury like a Ranger scorned, she thought to herself. Not that the saying necessarily applied to her. But the forces of Mordor were nothing compared to her when she was pissed. And right now, she was pissed.

Her sword sliced through Orc after Orc, showing no mercy and pitting no one. All she could think of was stopping them. The bodies piled up all around her and she never noticed the few other Men fighting nearby. All her thoughts were bent on killing.

And kill she did. By the time she was finished, all several hundred Orcs were dead. She had help the villagers and Rangers pile the carcasses and burn them. She had been thanked for helping and for turning the tide of the battle.

She was wandering around alone, in the Wild. She had just escaped an assassin and killed a man. Not an Orc, but a living, breathing, feeling man. Sure, he had tried to kill her first, but it was still a man. Someone of her own race. And she had snuffed out his life.

T.A. 3019

But the stakes were higher this time and her skills were honed. This time she was ready and this time, like before, she would triumph again. She always did.

Night fell and the sound of a horn woke Aranwen from her nap. She mentally smacked herself for falling asleep so close to a battle. She stood up and looked out over the walls. In front of the wooden gates, stood a battalion of Elves. Elves from Lothlorien led by Haldir. Elves that had come to fight in a battle not their own. There was truly hope now for the people of Rohan.

The tide was already turning and the battle had yet to begin.

Author's Notes:

Sorry that it took me a while to update! I'm sure this title confused many of you, but the battle is coming in the next chapter. Notice the title does not say 'battle' in it. Sorry, but I promise that the battle will hopefully make up for the wait! And no, Aranwen does not know of Aragorn's return. He's busy discussing battle plans with Theoden and has not had time to come and find her, though he wants to.

Next chapter coming soon!

Reviewers!

IwishChan – Yes she is leaving, but you never know… There is still hope… : )

ElvenRyder – Yes, she does have a vision but not for a while. ; )

Fae Black – It wasn't meant to move the story along, unlike most of the chapters. It was just for the heck of it. Glad to know that it was okay. : )

Melaya Elfish Maiden – Thanks! It's going to be a while before it finishes: )

Ainariella – That is the question! Enjoy: )

ArwenFairTinuviel – I personally liked the end as well. It was originally only going to be about Aragorn but I thought I needed to throw a little Arwen in there and also Aranwen's reactions! And it turned out well, it seems: )