Théoden ordered everyone in the village to retreat to the fort known as Helm's Deep. Gimli remarked how they should stand and fight when their king wasn't willing to protect them. Aragorn told him that Théoden was doing what he thought was best for his people. Gandalf stated that he was leading them to a massacre instead of safety. Gandalf got on Shadowfax and rode off to find reinforcements. We traveled with the villagers to Helm's Deep. Gimli told Èowyn of how dwarf women were often mistaken for dwarf men. I laughed when Aragorn remarked that it was the beards. I laughed even harder when Gimli fell off the horse. He tried to act like it was deliberate but I knew different. There was a commotion up ahead. Legolas and Aragorn ran to see what was going on. A moment later Aragorn came running back shouting.
"Wargs! We are under attack!"
Legolas was on a hilltop shooting the oncoming wargs and Orcs. I rode as fast as I could toward him. In a move that even Jackie Chan couldn't do, he grabbed the bridle of the horse and swung around and up behind me. Our two armies collided and we fought to the death. I dodged a sword that was swung at my head. I morphed my forearms where the blades of the Tyrant appeared and slashed my attacker. Gimli tried his best to fight but wound up under a pile of dead wargs. I went over and helped him out, then I was attacked by one myself. From far away they resembled giant hyenas, but it was completely different once I was face to face with one. It pounced and pinned me to the ground.
"Damn you're ugly!"
I placed my hands on it's fur and concentrated. I felt its genetic structure join with my own. The warg suddenly fell over dead. I saw Legolas standing close by.
"I was doing fine on my own," I told him.
I saw Aragorn being dragged by a warg. His hand was caught in the harness. They both fell over the edge of the cliff.
"Aragorn!" I screamed.
The battle ended and the remaining Orcs retreated. Legolas and Gimli were searching for Aragorn when they noticed me standing by the cliff edge. The Orc that had been riding the warg started to laugh.
"Seems like your friend took a little tumble off the cliff."
"You lie!" Legolas shouted.
It was then he saw that the Orc was holding Aragorn's necklace. I stared at the raging river below me, hoping to find some trace of Aragorn, but with the river's strong current his body had been swept away.
"Get the wounded on horses," Théoden ordered. "The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."
Legolas glared at him in anger. Théoden and his men left but the three of us remained, looking on in disbelief at the river.
"I'll look for him. You two head to Helm's Deep with the others," I said.
"And what if you don't find him?" Gimli asked.
"I will find him."
I morphed to golden eagle and flew along the river searching. I finally found him lying on the river bank unconcious. I landed next to him and demorphed. I felt for a pulse. He was alive!
"Aragorn," I whispered and shook him gently.
"Stacey?"
"Come on, let's get out of here. The others are making their way to Helm's Deep as we speak."
I morphed to the warg I had acquired earlier and Aragorn climbed onto my back. I ran as fast as I could with Aragorn directing me toward the refuge. Hopefully we would get there before the two hour time limit was up, I sure as hell didn't want to spend the rest of my life trapped like this. I halted to a stop when I saw the army of Orcs approaching in the distance.
Oh great,> I moaned.
"We must hurry! It's not much further."
I ran faster until I reached the gates of Helm's Deep. I demorphed before entering so I wouldn't frighten the villagers.
"Mae carnen, Stacey, mellon nîn." Aragorn said to me.
"Hannon le," I said. Legolas had taught me some Elvish so I could translate some of what was being said.
"Where is he! Where is he! Get out of my way! I'm gonna kill him!" I heard Gimli say. He approached Aragorn. "You are the luckiest, the cunningest, and most reckless man I ever knew! Bless you, laddie!"
Legolas came and gave Aragorn a stern look. "Le ab-dollen." he said and smiled. "You look terrible." Legolas handed Aragorn the necklace.
Aragorn left to inform Théoden of the approaching army. Anyone that was capable of wielding a sword was ordered to fight. Théoden looked at me.
"You should go into the caves with the rest of the women and children."
"This young lady has fought by my side," Aragorn told him. "She can hold her own in battle."
"Very well, you should get yourself a sword."
I raised a hand and formed the wrist blades on my arm. "I don't need one. I am not a witch, so don't even think it."
"She is a worthy ally, my lord, I trust her with my life."
Théoden nodded and went to prepare for the battle. We went to the armory to hand out armor and weapons. I pulled a chainmail shirt over my head, if I needed to demorph in battle I didn't want to be left vulnerable. There were men old enough to be my grandfather in there along with young boys. I could see that they were scared. Legolas and Aragorn got into an argument about children and elderly people fighting.
"Nedin dagor hen ú-'erir otheri. Natha daged dhaer!" Legolas said.
"Then i shall die as one of them!" Aragorn shouted back. He turned and stormed out.
Gimli held Legolas back as he started to go after him. "Let him go lad. Let him be."
"He just needs to blow off some steam," I told him. "He's just as afraid
as anyone here."
"Mae carnen, Stacey, mellon nîn." ("Well done, Stacey, my friend.")
"Hannon le," ("Thank you.")
"Le ab-dollen." ("You're late.")
"Nedin dagor hen ú-'erir otheri. Natha daged dhaer!" ("They cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!")