Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is property of Tolkien and there are many references throughout to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I only own what you do not recognize. The character Chinky is not meant to cause offence and is named after a real horse whose name has been shortened from a Fiat Cinquecento (Chinky – Chento).
Chapter 27: It only pours
Amy sighed as she crouched on the stony ground - dotted with patches of grass - holding Chinky's reins. A phrase came back to her, "It never rains, only pours." Shaking her head she tried to think where that had come from. Something clicked in distant memories; her art teacher had once said that to her, after she had poured out her troubles onto him. She could still recall his face, the one person who understood her, well sort of. The last she had seen of him was his horrified face as she bolted from that cursed room over thirty years ago.
Wiping her face free of raindrops she embraced her power and scanned the surrounding area for any sign of Gandalf and Éomer. No such luck.
'Amy the battle has started.' Chinky said before tearing at another mouthful of the soaked grass.
'I know, but our time of glory has yet to arrive.'
'What of Aragorn and Legolas?'
'I won't say anything, it didn't happen. Legolas is never to know.'
'He is not a fool, despite what you believe all men to be.' Chinky said straightening her neck.
Amy glared at the horse before going back to looking at the same boring landscape. The distant clanging of metal and screams raging through her sensitive ears.
BREAK
Legolas had lost sight of Aragorn and Gimli along time ago. Currently he was fighting back to back with an elf that was barely old enough to be trusted with a blade without stabbing himself in the foot. A mere three hundred! In Mirkwood he wouldn't have been let out of his mother's sight for long. Still Legolas had to admit he was showing promise with the sword he was wielding, and if he survived Legolas vowed, to himself, he would train him when the time was right.
Legolas shook himself as a dead orc fell into him. Grimacing he threw the orc off him and ran to the edge of the parapet. What his eyes saw made him cringe. Aragorn and Gimli were fighting back to back in front of the great gate. Loosing an arrow quickly, he shot a rope coming from the Uruks and grabbed it.
"Aragorn!" He yelled, whilst hurling the end of the rope over the parapet.
Bracing himself with one foot on the wall, he got ready for the extra weight he would be hauling up nearly twenty meters off smooth stone wall. Once he saw Aragorn and Gimli on the rope he gritted his teeth and pulled, thankful for the young elf still fighting at his back. Using all the strength hidden in his lithe body he pulled, slowly and rhythmically being careful not to jerk the rope encase it made Aragorn lose his grip.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he grabbed the ranger's hand and hauled both him and Gimli back onto the parapet.
"Legolas once again I owe my life to you, through the many times we have fought together I have wished to repay you, but once again my dept to you builds up," Aragorn said grimacing.
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Aragorn wasted no time into leaping back into battle. Though one thought haunted him. He was in the elf's dept more than the elf knew. Quickly glancing back at Legolas he saw the elf fighting for all he was worth, he also noted with curiosity at the very young elf fighting at his back. Noting the face he carried on thrashing a pathway to the main keep.
"Bloody, Uruks!" He mumbled whilst he felt blood running down his cheek again.
He quickly killed it and threw it off the wall; he smiled grimly as it landed on three orcs and squashed them flat.
Aragorn looked towards the King as the word "Retreat!" was bellowed across the Hornberg. Without thinking he jumped onto the wall and yelled out "Retreat!" to the elves. A sudden flood of people made him wobble slightly. Drawing his bow he shot at an orc in the courtyard below. He soon spotted Legolas behind him, amongst the thong, still tailed by the young elf. Both elves were firing arrows at the orcs' in the courtyard. Aragorn grimaced it always made him feel queasy watching elves fire arrows for too long, no one should be able to move that fast!
Grabbing Gimli by the scruff of the neck he dragged the dwarf along the gangway and into the main keep. Ignoring the dwarfs splutters he ran back out to see if he could find Legolas.
"Is it me for who you search?" A voice said behind him.
Aragorn did a double take; surely Legolas was behind him on his way into the keep! How did he get into the keep before him?
As if the elf could read his mind he replied. "Whilst you were busy dragging Master Gimli here, me and Damer jumped right past you."
Aragorn shook his head and clasped the elf's shoulder.
BREAK
"Shut the gate!" Théoden yelled. "If there is anyone outside still, may the peace of the gods be with them."
Théoden grimaced as he looked at the people around him. Not even fifty had made it back to the keep; he hoped with all his heart that more were still alive. At a loss he sat slumped down onto a rickety chair.
"All hope is gone. Where is Gandalf? Where is Èomer? Where is the Child of the Dragon at our time of need?"
"Do not lose faith my lord. There may be only fifty of us here, but many more will survive, elves do not die quickly! And neither will your men!" Aragorn said hauling the King to his feet. "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them head on."
"For pain, for glory." Théoden said.
"For Rohan!" Aragorn said smiling.
"The sun is rising!" Gimli said.
"Look to the East!" Legolas cried. "Amy!"
BREAK
"Open the gate!" Théoden cried.
As soon as the gate was open forty-eight horses galloped out to meet the Uruks head on, Théoden on the mighty Snowmane at the lead.
Once out onto the main gangway the rain had stopped and the sun was rising.
A mighty crash sounded and made the horses shy. Looking to the east a hundred orcs had been blown up and were now falling to the ground in heaps. And on the crest of the hill stood three horses. Amy on Chinky in the middle, with the golden dragon flying, Gandalf on her right and Éomer on her left, all three horses on hind legs with their riders laughing grimly.
BREAK
Within seconds Amy had let loose balls of fire and the fiery sword was out of its sheath. Grinning Amy raised the dragon sword "Charge!"
She carefully knotted Chinkys reins, thus allowing her to use both her hands on her sword. Slowly she looked at Gandalf and Èomer and nodded. They both unsheathed their swords and put horses to gallop. The noise was thunderous as nearly a thousand of the Rohhirim galloped down the mountainside following Amy.
Amy gripped Chinky harder with her knees as she saw the Uruks turn and raise long spears towards the horses. She prayed that the other riders had the sense to urge their horses to jump the first line to stop them getting speared. The mud was flinging away from thousands of shod hooves creating a spray so high that Amy was wondering how the people galloping at the rear could see.
At twenty paces from the line of spears and pikes she felt Chinky's stride change as she collected herself up to leap.
Ten paces Amy gritted her teeth and gripped even harder. 'You ready for this?' Amy asked.
'Ready as you'll ever be!' Came the reply as the giant mare's forefeet lifted off the ground.
Amy leant forward with the motion of the horse as she soared over the first few lines of Uruks. Grinning Amy swung her sword as Chinky landed lightly crushing four Uruks under iron-shod hooves. Ignoring the people around her she set her self to fight.
The earth erupted under the Uruks feet blowing them ten feet into the air only to land on their own pikes and swords. The ground shook under thousands of feet, the air was rent with dust, but among it all Amy sat strong on Chinkys back as the horse leaped up and kicked out with powerful hindquarters scattering the enemy away from her.
Amy smiled as she yanked her sword from an Uruk Hai's breastplate. The enemy was running away, running away from being blown up, running away from her. Looking around her smile turned into a full grin.
"Victory, we have victory!" Théoden yelled raising his sword.
Chinky reared up playfully and brought her hooves down on an injured Uruk. Grunting she kicked it before rearing up again, nearly up seating her rider.
'Chinky, what is up with you? We won! Calm down!' Amy said patting the mare's mane.
'We won! We won! Look at Snowmane, look at the way he holds himself.' Chinky said throwing her head down and bucking.
Amy braced herself as she felt the mare buck, 'Snowmane? What should she want with Snowmane?' she said to herself looking over at the Kings stunning white mount.
Without warning Chinky trotted over towards the king. Standing before the King Chinky reached out and placed her muzzle on Snowmane's neck. Returning the favour Snowmane nudged her shoulder lightly.
Théoden looked at Amy in surprise. "Amy it seems that our horses may be friendly." He said with mirth.
'Chinky what are you doing! Leave the poor beast alone!'
'Poor beast! I'll show you poor beast, he's gorgeous, and my father approves, as Snowmane here was next in line to be ruler of horses before I was born.' Chinky said shaking her head.
'You mean to say Snowmane is one of the Mearas?'
'Yes, second only to my father. Well third now because of me. Smokescreen is his heir.'
Amy looked over at Eomer's mount and then at Snowmane. Grimacing she realised what an idiot she had been. Of course there couldn't have been only two Mearas. That explained Smokescreen's speed on their way here, and Snowmane's dignity.
'I agree with your father, you would be a good match. But what about Smokescreen, he is a handsome horse as well, and might be better suited if you don't mind me saying.' Amy personally thought Snowmane was way too stuck up for Chinky.
Chinky stamped her hoof impatiently. 'Yes he is good looking, but he is also nearly twenty years younger than me! Now if you don't mind I would like to talk to Snowmane alone. So go and find your elf boy or I'll start telling him about you and Aragorn!'
Amy looked down at the horse beneath her and frowned. Jumping off she looked at the horse. 'I will take my leave of you now Chinky daughter of Shadowfax, but remember who has been your loyal master for all these years, remember who has fed you and kept you company. Remember who has been your friend.'
With that Amy stalked off stabbing an orc through the heart as it tried to move. Before she had walked two steps she heard Chinky talk 'Amy please I didn't mean.' Without turning round she raised her hand above her shoulder and raised her middle finger to the horse.
