Reforging the Fellowship
By Michael Weyer
The Battle of Helm's Deep
Yeah, I know it's been a while since the last update so thought I'd get back to this a bit. All comments are welcomed.
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Boromir had been in battles before. He'd faced the hordes of Mordor at the gates of his city and in the field. But he could not suppress a shudder of shock and fear as he stepped to the front of the battlements and saw the forces arrayed against them.
The line of orcs seemed to go back as far as the eye could see, a massive black wave of pure evil. They were armed with shields, broad-edged blades and spears nearly twenty feet long. He also saw many carrying ladders and was sure they were pulling catapults behind them. He couldn't make out faces but he did know that they were eager for blood.
He tried to stay calm as he paced up to where Aragon stood. The Ranger stared out with an expressionless gaze at the forces before them. Boromir gazed at the lines of elves who stood on the battlements. As one, they pulled out their bows and readied arrows.
Aragon glanced to the other man and returned his gaze to the army before them as he spoke. "Get to the main tower and aid their defenses there."
Boromir frowned. "I'd rather stay here."
"They'll need some guidance," Aragon pointed out. "They are not as experienced as the elves."
Boromir nodded as he gazed at the orc army. "This will be no easy victory."
"No, it will not."
"Well, laddie," Gimli grumbled. "Whatever luck you live by, I hope it lasts the night."
"Do not worry, Aragon," Legolas stated. "Your friends are with you."
Gimli grunted. "Let's hope we last the night."
Boromir clasped the dwarf's shoulder briefly before heading to the main tower.
At the center of the main courtyard, Morwen stood by Theoden. The king's expression was calm and defiant as he gazed out at the army massing outside the gates. If he showed fear, he did well to hide it. In that, he was doing far better than Morwen. She felt a chill as the orcs stopped in place and then started to slam their spears into the ground, pound fists onto shields and chests and began a loud thumping that echoed throughout the valley.
Everyone who had a bow nocked an arrow and aimed it down but held their fire. She could hear Aragon yelling out in Elvish. At that moment, a loud clap of thunder rang out and suddenly rain began to pour down, soaking everyone within moments.
The orcs seemed energized by the rain, pounding harder and faster. At the tower above, Boromir was looking over the shoulders of the civilians there. One elderly man was aiming his arrow at the front of the line, his arms shaking. Boromir was about to go over to steady him when something happened. Whether it was nerves or the rain or the tension, the man's fingers slipped and the arrow sailed out.
Boromir had to admire the fact that the man's aim was amazing. The arrow hit an orc right in the throat. The creature stiffened, seeming more surprised than in pain. The pounding and thumping stopped as everyone on both sides stared at the stricken orc. With a loud moan, it fell face first into the wet ground.
A new sound arose, a harsh snarling as the orcs reacted to its death. It struck Boromir that it was less concern over a comrade and more anger that the men of Rhoan had drawn first blood. They let out a long howl and then began to charge forward.
"So it begins," Theoden gravely intoned.
Aragon yelled out a command and the elves began to unload a volley of arrows. Boromir yelled at his own troops to follow suit and the rain was matched by a shower of arrows. Slews of orcs went down but it was like crushing one or two ants when a million were charging in. The forces made their way to the walls, some firing arrows of their own to strike at the elves above.
Boromir saw the orcs setting up ladders, pushing them to the wall. Some already had large berserker Uruks on them, ready to attack. "Fire!" he yelled but he could see the archers on the tower weren't as well-aimed as the elves. He could make out various hand to hand battles on the stone archways as the elves and the orcs began to fight it out. He knew Aragon, Legolas and Gimli were in the thick of it and part of him ached to be there as well.
He became aware of a pack of orcs making their way up the causeway. Once again, the Uruks were showing they had more cunning and strategy than the average orc. They were packed tightly together, moving slowly but holding shields before and above them. They were thus protected from the hail of arrows and rocks the men above were sending at them.
Boromir turned toward the battlements and cried out. "Aragon!"
The Ranger heard him, turning and seeing the problem. He quickly shouted to the elves around him who unleashed a volley of arrows onto the causeway, sending hordes of orcs down. However, the line kept right on coming.
At the Hornburg, Thoeden looked out and sniffed, a smug smile on his face. "Is this it?" he called out. "Is this all you can conjure up, Saruman?"
Morwen gave him a quick look but kept her tongue. She knew it was still early in the battle and the hordes of orcs still outnumbered them. As much as she trusted and admired her king, she could not shake the feeling that something was coming that could destroy that confidence he had.
Boromir was feeling a bit better about their chances as he watched the battle go on. The elves were taking casualties but they holding the orc hordes back. All they had to do was keep the volley of arrows and they may be able to turn the tide.
He saw Aragon yelling something out to Legolas and leaned forward. He saw a long Uruk running through a path the other orcs created for him, carrying a large burning torch. Legolas fired an arrow into its shoulder but the Uruk kept coming. Another arrow struck at its neck but it kept on, finally leaping ahead to a point in the battlements…
And the world seemed to explode.
The shockwave sent Boromir falling back, along with most of the soldiers on the tower. Morwen let out a cry and instinctively fell back, covering her head as debris showered throughout the courtyard. The men around her witnessed an entire section of the wall blasted to pieces, sending rocks and bodies flying in all directions. Several large stones crushed some of the orc forces but the damage was greater for the men and elves blown away by the detonation.
Morwen felt something strike her shoulder and looked over to see it was a hand. She pushed the grisly artifact aside as Theoden stared in shock at the place where the Deeping Wall had been. Never had a force even managed to successfully overrun it. Now, for the first time in memory, a hostile force had managed to breach Helm's Deep.
Boromir scrambled to his feet and stared down. His eyes and mouth were open at the sight of the giant hole in the wall that orcs were already starting to stream through. He could see Aragon on the ground, trying to get a rally of elves against them. His attention was drawn down to the causeway as he saw the shields seeming to ripple, several orcs pushed right off the path and to the pit below. He saw the reason as a battering ram was brought up and smashed into the thick gate.
He turned and began to race down to the doorway, yelling out as he did. "Brace the gate! Brace it!"
"Brace the gate!" Theoden called out as he looked to Gamling. "Gamling, send more men to hold…" He paused and looked about. "Where is Morwen?"
Gamling started as he realized in the confusion of the new attack, the woman had vanished. Theoden cursed but realized they had more pressing matters at hand.
Morwen realized this was probably not the best of ideas but didn't care. She charged in, her dual axes already swinging. She saw Aragon leading a charge of elves at the orcs, many pierced on spears and others firing arrows. She saw Gimli smashing an axe into one and then the amazing sight of Legolas standing on a shield to race down a flight of stairs, firing arrows as he went.
An Uruk turned toward her and she blocked his first attempt to strike with one axe and sliced his throat with the other. She kicked another one down and slammed her axe into his chest to kill him. She plowed on as the Uruks continued to rush in.
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The caverns had shaken along with everything else when the explosion had gone off, the women and children there whimpering. Eowyn gave what comfort she could as Arwen stood before the gates, her sword out and her gaze hard. Seeing her, Eowyn rose to move to her.
"They are not through yet," she softly said.
"I will be ready if they come," the elf said, her gaze still on the door.
Eowyn looked to the refugees and then leaned in to whisper. "Their fathers and husbands and sons are dying above. They need to be comforted or else their fear will overwhelm them. Seeing an elf standing ready to fight is not at all comforting."
"This is not a time for comfort," Arwen coolly replied. "They must be ready to move if things go badly."
Eowyn shook her head. "You cannot understand. You are not human."
Arwen was quiet before turning toward her and Eowyn was struck by the emotion in her eyes, if not her face. "My own kin are dying out there as well," she softly said. "Do not tell me I do not sympathize. I must be ready should things go badly." She arched one eyebrow. "If you had the spirit of a warrior as you claim, you would understand."
Eowyn was thrown by her words. Bowing her head, she turned and walked back as Arwen kept up her vigil.
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Morwen had fought her way up to the battlements and had lost count of how many orcs she had killed. Many seemed to charge at her, thinking she'd be an easy kill. She had quickly shown them how incorrect they were. She was wincing from a cut on her shoulder, her features marked with mud and sweat as she continued up the stairs.
Down below, Aragon was still fighting when Théoden's voice yelled down. "Aragon! Get your men out of there! Fall back to the Keep!"
The man nodded and yelled to the elves around him to fall back. Morwen heard him yell and turned toward him. She saw Haldir cutting an orc down, hearing Aragon and nodding. The elf cried out as an Uruk managed to stab him at the mid-section. He cut it down and stared in disbelief at the blood on his hand. The Elven captain was unaware of the Uruk racing toward him from behind, its large blade held over its head and ready to cut him down.
There was a whistling and the Uruk grunted, freezing in place. It looked down at the axe buried in its chest. Haldir whirled and sliced out, his blade cutting the Uruk down. He nodded and smiled at the young woman prying her axe out of the orc's body. "My thanks, my Lady," he rasped.
"As I keep telling people," Morwen said as she took his arm and helped him down the stairs. "I am no lady."
Haldir smiled at her. "I would argue that point."
They reached the stairs leading up toward the Keep where the battering ram was beginning to wear down the door. Boromir was racing down the stairs toward the gate, meeting Theoden and Gamling on the way. As they reached the area, they saw the ram smash through the gate, several orcs firing arrows at the defenders. A half dozen men went down immediately before some archers fired back.
Theoden battled to the front of the defenders and joined in the fighting. Swords and spears flashed around as they tried to drive the orcs back. Theoden hissed in pain as a spear was thrust into his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he took up a spear of his own and shoved it into his assailant's throat. Boromir pulled Theoden away and against a wall, the king holding his shoulder. Gamling moved in and hissed. "We cannot hold them much longer!"
Theoden saw Aragon and Gimli coming up. "Hold them!" he cried out.
"How long do you need?" Aragon asked.
"As long as you can give me!" Theoden replied as he picked up his sword.
Nodding, Aragon grabbed Gimli and rushed to a side door. Seeing them, Morwen immediately followed. Boromir was too busy fighting to notice her.
The trio moved around the edge and peered to see the horde of orcs trying to batter down the gate. "Come on, we can take them!" Gimli eagerly hissed.
Aragon studied him. "It's a long way."
The dwarf thought about, looked down and then muttered something under his breath.
"What?" Aragon asked.
"I cannot jump the distance, you'll have to toss me!" Gimli hissed.
Aragon nodded and reached to him but Gimli held up a hand. "Don't tell the elf," he pleaded.
"Not a word," Aragon promised. He then hefted Gimli over and sent him flying to the causeway. He knocked several orcs off the bridge as he started to fight. Aragon turned to Morwen and offered a hand. She took it and let him give her a push to leap to the bridge. A moment later, he was joining them and the trio were cutting down orcs, sending many falling off the causeway.
Seeing them, Theoden yelled out. "Brace the gate!" Men were bringing up wooden planks and rafters to press onto the gate and nail it shut.
Above, Haldir was trying to bandage his wound when a loud whistling sound came through the air. A huge hook attacked itself to the castle wall. Another one attached itself and a huge ladder, almost a hundred feet high, began to rise up, filled with Uruk-Hai. Legolas saw it coming and pulled out his bow to fire a pair of arrows. Each one cut through one of the support ropes and the ladder fell back, crushing several orcs on the ground along with those on the ladder.
Legolas had no time to celebrate as another huge ladder landed at the wall to dislodge Uruks. At the gate, Theoden yelled out. "Aragon! Gimli, Morwen! Get out of there!" He nailed a last piece of wood shut to seal the gate.
The trio were battling a pair of large orcs trying to grab at them. Above, Legolas hurled a rope down to them. Knocking the orcs aside, Aragon grabbed it with one hand and Gimli with the other. Morwen joined them as they kicked off the causeway. Above, Legolas, Boromir and a few others helped pull them up to the top of the tower.
Theoden saw that the gate was being smashed in and knew their time was short. "Fall back," he told Gamling. Seeing the surprised look on the man's face, he repeated the command. "Fall back to the Keep!"
"Fall back!" Gamling yelled out. "Retreat! Back to the Keep!"
There was a rush as the surviving men and elves rushed to the main throne room of the Keep. They were only steps ahead of the rush of orcs as the gate finally came down. Legolas was still firing arrows as the surviving forces made their way into the throne room and did their best to lock the door against the horde awaiting outside.
The men quickly pushed whatever furniture there was against the door to brace it. Theoden was on the other side, his face ragged and defeated. "It is over," he muttered. "The fortress is taken."
Morwen glared at him. "You have always said that Helm's Deep would never fall while men defend it! They still defend it. They have died defending it!"
There was a banging as the orcs brought a ram against the doorway. Boromir shook his head as he turned to Aragon. "We can only hope Arwen gets the women and children away before they reach the caves."
Theoden shook his head, still overwhelmed by what was happening. All his life, he'd done his best to defend his people. Now, all he'd worked for was about to come crashing down, due partly to his own actions. "So much death…" He looked up. "What can men do against such unrelenting hate?"
"They can fight," Haldir said. He was holding his wound but still stayed strong. "As my people have done. We too have died protecting this fortress. As long as one man or elf fights…they will not have won."
Theoden sighed. "But against such forces…"
"Ride out with me."
Everyone turned to see Aragon staring forward, an odd look on his face. He turned to face Theoden. "Ride out and meet them."
The king forced a wry smile. "For death and glory?"
"For Rhoan," Boromir said, coming up to him. "For your people."
"The sun is rising," Gimli noted.
Aragon stared at the window as if remembering something. Seeing his look, Theoden nodded. "Yes," he said softly. "Yes." He marched away and when he spoke, it was once more the strong voice of the King of Rhoan. "The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep…" He turned to face them all. "One last time!"
"YES!" Gimli cried out and raced out a nearby door leading to some stairs.
"Gamling!" Theoden called out. "Get the horses!"
His second nodded and raced to the stables conviently kept near the main Hall. Theoden marched to Aragon and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man of the Dueandain." He put another on Boromir's shoulder. "Man of Gondor." He smiled. "Let this be the hour we draw swords together."
Gamling came back with a pack of horses that were swiftly mounted. Boromir helped Morwen onto his. The young woman's face was tight but ready, her axes gripped in her hands. Theoden stared at the gate as it began to give way.
"Fell deeds await," he intoned. "Now for wrath…"
Aragon drew his sword.
"Now for ruin…"
Boromir and Morwen hefted their blades.
"And the red dawn!" The king pulled his helmet over his head as the door smashed inward. The orcs plowed in but stopped short at the sight of the mounted men before them. At that moment, Gimli blew the horn above which caused the larger horns at the side of the fortress to erupt in a loud howl.
"FORTH EORLINGAS!" Theoden cried out and the horsemen charged forward. They knocked the orcs aside as they made their way out of the Keep and down the stairs. Orcs were knocked back and trampled under powerful hooves, others cut down by the swinging swords of the riders. The few men and elves left on the walls cheered and fell behind the horsemen as they rode onto the causeway and headed to the thousands of orcs still on the ground.
Aragon was cutting down another when he heard a loud whinny and looked up. On a far hill, framed by the rising sun was a figure in white astride a magnificent horse.
"Gandalf," Aragon whispered.
The orcs sensed something and turned to see the White Rider as another horsemen in fine Gondor army came up to him. He drew a sword and called out. "Rohirrim!" There was a rush of hoof beats as a line of horsemen appeared behind him.
Theoden grinned as he realized who it was. "Eomer!"
"TO THE KING!" Eomer shouted, his cry taken up by his men as they charged forward. The horde came rushing down the long hill toward the orc forces. The Uruks immediately moved into defensive positions, a wave of long spears aimed at the rushing riders. They howled in defiance, ready to fight back these new attackers.
The last of the thousands of Rhoan troops rode over the ridge just as the sun came over the horizon. The entire valley was illuminated, the sunlight going right in the eyes of the orcs. They howled, throwing up their hands to block out the light and with them the spears.
The cavalry charged into the horde of orcs, knocking them aside and cutting them down with strong strokes. Revitalized, the defenders went on the attack and the orcs found themselves surrounded. Scores of them fell on all sides until the collective nerve broke and the few thousand survivors decided to turn tail and run.
The black wave of orcs rushed out of the valley and headed to the nearest shelter, which was a forest nearby. "Let them go!" Gandalf cried out. "Let them go!"
Boromir frowned as he watched the Uruk rush into the trees. "They will find shelter too soon in that forest."
Morwen frowned. "Wait…" she said. "There is no forest near Helm's Deep."
With a start, Boromir realized she was right. Indeed, the hundreds of trees had not been there the night before. There was a sudden roar and they saw the trees moving and shaking and the air was filled with the screams of orcs.
"The Ents," Aragon stated.
Gandalf nodded. "Saruman slaughtered many of them in razing Isengard. They are taking their revenge."
Theoden nodded and threw up his arms. "Victory! VICTORY!"
A cheer went up through the defenders but it was not shared by Gandalf. His face was sober as he gazed across the battlefield. He knew the truth. This was only one battle. The true war was yet to begin.
Well, hopefully not as long until the next update. All comments are welcomed, good or bad so feel free to review!