A/N: Well here's another chapter. I've put a flashback in here and there's an appearance of Elvish. You'll know the flashback when you get to it. As for the Elvish, I just got it from the movie script on Council of Elrond. If it's wrong, sorry. Elvish is not my strongpoint (wish it were…). Hope you like this update.

"Threwen!"

The young blonde turned at the sound of her name being called by a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. She searched the sea of faces, beginning to wonder if she'd imagined Rannyn calling her name. But she realized the voices were real when she saw Ruthiel and her husband (still hobbling along on a crutch) coming towards her.

I don't really want to talk with anyone right now…

On top of not having Rannyn there, something she discovered she hated, Threwen was not a people person anymore, although she did like a few once she got to know them. She used to like people a lot…but many things had happened in her life since then and she was much more cautious with people. And she had yet to find Cadoc among the crowd of women and children that were shuffling their way into the caves for protection. She looked around but soon the couple was right next to her. Their faces were grave, them obviously knowing about what she must be going through with Rannyn preparing at that moment to fight.

Ruthiel cleared her throat as she began to speak. "Where are you headed?" she asked hesitantly.

Threwen shrugged. "I was just looking for Cadoc."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence. Threwen figured they were only talking to her because she had no one else besides the old stable keeper. Besides she was wounded and couldn't really do much for herself, although the cooking aspect of her life she had learned to continue doing rather quickly since Rannyn's appetite was as ravenous as always, and for the most part Asimma had been cooperative, although the balancing was a bit tricky.

Finally Caraedry said, "Would you like to come and stay with us for the moment? Your friend, Cadoc, is welcome also…"

Threwen shrugged again and then simply nodded. Words weren't coming very quickly into her head. Too many things were clogging it up at the moment…too many emotions… and worries and…

…Too many thoughts about him. Urgh, what am I going to do if something happens? What will I do if he doesn't – The young woman thought back to what had happened just a few moments ago. A promise and a kiss. He had said he would come back. But what if he didn't?

"Threwen?"

She looked up into the face of Ruthiel. She thought, for a moment, that she saw kindness in the woman's hazel eyes, but the next moment all she saw was pity. And that was the last thing she needed. Pity. She was not helpless. She was a survivor. And she wasn't going to let Ruthiel, wife of Caraedry, to continue to think of her as weak. She would prove her wrong. She wasn't afraid of people. People were people. Relationship could hurt or heal. One of them, which might soon be over, had helped her heal. Now it was time to take the chance again.

Threwen straightened up a little bit, looked the woman in the eye and said, "That's fine with me. Let me go get Cadoc." And she turned on her heel without waiting for a response.

I am strong. And I'm going to get through this. No matter what.

Metal, so strong and hard, chained together to form armor, a protective covering against arrows and swords, now felt heavier than usual to Rannyn. He also felt like his heart was as heavy as his armor. It was all he could do to keep himself standing up right. He studied some of the men in the armory. They were still getting more people from down in the caves. He looked into their faces, some mere boys.

This is how we're going to defeat the Uruk-hai? Ten thousand of them?

He shook his head. There had been moments, mostly around Threwen, who had so little hope, when he had been optimistic. It was good to root for the under-dog. And they were definitely the under-dog. But how long could they cling to what seemed like a false hope? Gandalf had been gone for days, looking for the Riders of Rohan. As much as he hoped otherwise, Rannyn couldn't help thinking that they weren't going to get there in time. They were only going to arrive to see the bodies of the people of Edoras littering the pathways of Helm's Deep.

What happens if we fail? What will they do to the rest of them?

He shuddered at the thought. He had only just rescued Threwen from something, only to have them both plunged into danger once again. His thoughts went back, back to the day when he had found her. He had almost been too late…

Blood. So much blood. Rannyn had thought she would be okay. He had gotten her away from that place and set her on his bedroll, ready to fix her up. The wound was shallower than both he and the Dark Rider must've thought. He thought he'd mortally wounded her, condemning her to death with the stroke of a blade. But it had mostly gotten the muscle in her shoulder, but still. After cutting away some of the fabric of her dress to see the wound better he realized how much blood there was. A lot of it.

Think. What should you do? It's like his mind had ceased to function properly. For a while the fear came rushing back in with full force. I shouldn't have moved her. It made it worse. What will happen if you can't get the blood to stop? She'll bleed to death.

Rannyn started to feel the panic coming back. He had felt some resolve to save her just a while ago. He felt like everything was going to be alright because he was there to rescue her. But maybe he was just being too optimistic. Maybe he hadn't been cautious enough and now he had virtually killed her because he had moved her when he shouldn't have. But the heaviness of death had been everywhere, the dark of it hanging in the air, clinging to the very breaths he inhaled. He had been around death before and he liked to get away from it as soon as possible. He didn't want it pressing down on him or Threwen anymore.

What do I do now?

A second went by. And another. And another. Rannyn felt like he had been debating with himself for hours, watching her slip away from him, but really it had only been a few moments. He looked at her face again, brushing aside a stray piece of blonde hair, her cheeks pale. Like a fire suddenly burning up in him, he felt anger- anger towards himself, toward Threwen, toward the monster that had stabbed her.

But all this passed. Every emotion that had plagued him upon seeing the wound more closely, from despair to anger, vanished, replaced with insistence that they would get through this. His mind cleared.

Apply pressure.

He placed his hand on it, in an effort to stop the blood. With his other hand he dug into his bag for a piece of cloth to use for a bandage. All he found was an extra shirt. It'll work for the time being. He let go for a moment tear it up and then placed a piece on the deep cut. It was soon soaked up with blood, but it seemed to be slowing down. He took another piece and placed it on. He was relieved that it was starting to close up a little. It took a while, but eventually he got to the point where he could clean it out a little more and get it bandaged.

It's okay. It's going to be alright.

He sat back for a moment and wiped his brow. The sun was setting and he needed to get a small fire going. Luckily he had some supplies to do this. Threwen was still unconscious but her shoulder wasn't bleeding as much and she seemed a bit more stable and peaceful. He started to get things going.

We're going to be okay. We're going to get through this. I know it…

Rannyn was brought back to the present. They had survived that time. He had almost lost her but they had gotten through it. How would it go this time? What would happen if he didn't come back? He now felt like he was stumbling in the dark, groping toward a distant point which was blurry to him. He couldn't figure out what was going to happen.

"Look at them, they're frightened, I can see it in their eyes. Boe a hyn neled herain dan caer menig"

The blond Rider was startled at hearing such foreign speech at the end of that statement which he heard over the din of the men's voices. He was broken from his thoughts at seeing Legolas and Aragorn talking with each other, the elf looking grim. Aragorn responded in what sounded like Elvish, although Rannyn really had no idea.

"Si, beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras." Aragorn also looked grim at this point.

"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer." Legolas spat the words out.

Aragorn got a frustrated look on his face and said loudly, "Then I shall die as one of them!" The man stormed out, leaving a room full of men bewildered at this outburst.

Although Rannyn had no idea what they were talking about, he thought about it. "Then I shall die as one of them…." He began to wonder about it. It sounded like Legolas had been talking about how they were all going to die. And maybe they were. But Aragorn still seemed driven to fight to the death to protect them.

How can he still have the resolve to fight with such a bleak ending ahead? he questioned himself. Then it started to make sense. He would die protecting us. We may not win but he would go to his very last breath to try and fix that. He pictured Threwen back in the caves, her shoulder still wounded, only protected by a humble stable keeper. He could see fear in her eyes, but there was determination. She would protect herself if it came to that.

But it won't. I won't let it. I'm going to protect her or die trying.

"You're Threwen right?"

Threwen looked into the eyes of a 16 year-old girl. She was pretty and bore a strong resemblance to her brother, Caraedry. She had joined them soon after they'd gotten settled down in the caves. The older blonde forced a tiny smile. "Yes."

The young lady, only a little younger than Threwen herself, looked a little scared. "I'm Cerrarien," she said, glancing at her brother. Apparently he had sent her over to talk with her. Threwen had been sitting alone for a while Cadoc talked with Caraedry.

"Yes, I know. Your brother told my friend, Rannyn, a lot about you." She noticed the girl's torn expression. "Are you alright?"

The girl hesitated but then her shoulders slumped and she sniffed. "Blaennyn is out there," she whimpered.

Threwen softened. This girl seemed a bit upset. She apparently had been trying to make friends but her worries for this boy put that mission aside. "Who is Blaennyn?"

"My friend."

Ah, your friend, huh? She was willing to bet he was more than that. "My friend, Rannyn, is out there too."

These simple words made the girl a little more at ease, as if someone who could relate to her was a comfort. She plopped herself down next to Threwen and wiped her nose, still looking worried but not as upset as before. Threwen couldn't help but smile. She could help this girl. She could keep her company.

Suddenly she saw a soldier come up. She wondered why he was lingering near them. They had no one they needed, did they? He placed a heavy hand on Cadoc's shoulder.

He cleared his throat and said, "You're able-bodied enough. We need you to come with us."

Threwen felt like she'd been socked in the stomach. She wheezed out a protest.

"No!"

End Note: Well there you have it. What will happen to Rannyn? Or Cadoc? Will Threwen be safe as well through the battle that seems to be coming nearer and nearer? Hmm…guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter. Tehe.