Blue sparks in woodland realm

Chapter 7: Helm's Deep

A/N: I own nothing except my mistakes.

Though her conversation from before with Legolas had felt like it had taken all night, especially with how much it had taken from her emotionally, she was rather surprised to find that not that much time had passed, and that now most were gearing up for battle, as loud thundering footsteps were heard in the far off distance, still beyond the reach of human's ears.

Right as Erynèth had attached her shoulder padding, to help support her still sore arm, as well as leather shin pads, to help mobilize her weakened ankle, she heard the horn of Lorién, one that was most known to her. Leading it was Haldir, who was greeted by the King, Théoden, and had explained that he had been sent by Elrond from Rivendell.

"Haldir," Erynèth exclaimed, letting herself run swiftly down the stone steps as she took him into his arms, right after Aragorn had done so. "Not long have you waited for my return," Erynèth pointed out, earning her a chuckle from said Elf.

"Who am I, to let the fair lady fight all by herself?" Haldir spoke, a firm grip resting on her arm, which made her wince a little. Immediately he retracted his grip as he lifted her sleeve, examining the still half-open wound. "A cut to the flesh, as tough as an Elven skin, do tell me, how it is you got wounded?"

Erynèth shook her head, as to dismiss his question. "It is not of matter this moment. I am above all, grateful to have you here, by our side," she said, smiling at her old friend, with whom she had fought many battles with before. To know that an Elven army was on their side, made her feel hopeful again, that perhaps, tonight would not be as doomed as she had thought it to be.

With the Elven army at their side, and a deepening night's sky, they had no choice left, but to wait. Wait for an enemy that was set on slaughtering every man and every woman, no child would be spared, no life would remain.

Lit, in the distance, were thousands upon thousands of torches, marching their way, an ominous sound clinging to the heavy metal boots on their feet.

"You could have picked a better spot," Gimli complained, unable to peek over the stone wall in front of him, just the tip of his helmet peaking over it.

Legolas had insisted she would remain close to his side, for he had worried for her well-being, and would not bare to live with himself if anything were to happen to her, if he would not have been near.

Erynèth knew better than to go against his worries, and had agreed to do so, not particularly minding the closeness to him. Though her heart was still shaken from their conversation, it had begun to feel lighter, now that the truth had been told, and he had not forsaken her.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas said, feeling the presence of Aragorn coming to stand behind them. "Let's hope they last the night," Gimli spoke doomily, earning him a smile from Legolas, and a scoff from Erynèth.

"I appreciate your hopefulness, Gimli," Erynèth said, keeping her gaze fixated in the distance, feeling the first droplets of rain falling onto her skin, the thunder rumbling above them. At this she saw Gimli turn his head sideways to her from the corner of her eyes, watching her for a moment, before breaking out into a chuckle.

Closer and closer the army moved in on them, yet all Erynèth could hear were the clinking on metal from rain, sense the fear of the young ones with them, and the broken sighs and exhalations from Men fearing their last breath.

As they were now getting near them, Aragorn began to yell his speech, barely audible over the thunder, but it boomed enough to send shivers even down her spine. Looking to her side, she watched the Elf she had always loved, and still did, his hair, loosely braided this time, since not much had been left to spare.

The sharpness of his cheekbones made her want to trail her fingers over his face once more, let them entangle into the ends of his hair, play with it, to the end of her days. It was odd, almost unnerving to think, that any moment now, neither could be alive, and yet, there was still so much to say, so much to do, so much she had wanted to set right.

It was common practice to forgive easier before battle, like Legolas had done this night, for you would not know if you were to get a morning to make things right. If morning did come, there was always a chance to dive deeper into things, to truly set things right, but just in case such chance was not given, Men, Dwarves and Elves, often lightened their heart, in spite of battle.

"Your gaze is tingling my mind," Legolas smiled, his eyes still fixed in front, though his attention was anywhere but in front.

Erynèth, feeling caught in the act, cleared her throat as she reached behind her back, double-checking whether her arrow pouch had truly been fully stuffed. "There is much to say, meleth, and the night too short," Erynèth spoke regretfully, her throat closing as she felt the sadness well up.

At this Legolas turned his head to hers, a concerned look on his face, though he quickly lightened it as he replaced it with a quirk on his lips, the softest of smiles being put on display. With that he reached for her hand that had fallen back to her side, brushing it first, with the back of his own, before carefully, tentatively, grabbing a firm hold on it.

Erynèth felt a breath getting caught in the back of her throat, for she had not felt this for far too long. Slowly, she let her own thumb caress the back of his hand, hesitant at first, but when he grabbed her hand firmer into his, she eased as she exhaled a broken breath. Perhaps tonight was not about what wrongs had happened in the past. Perhaps tonight was about the good they had in the present, with no sight on the future, of what it might bring.

"Do not be despaired, for all we have is now," Legolas comforted, turning his head back to the front as the leader Uruk-Hai roared loud into the night, a clear sign for the rest of the army to come to a halt.

"What's happening out there?" Gimli asked, hopping on the place as he tried to get a better look, but to no avail. The dwarf was completely oblivious to the emotional moment between herself and Legolas, and in a way, she was thankful for it, for it released her of her heaviness.

By now the rain had come pouring down on them, making her clothing wrap itself around her, though with an added heaviness as the water weighted it down. "Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas said, a playfulness to his voice.

Looking down at the dwarf, he smirked as he spoke "Or would you like me to find you a box?"

At this Gimli stared at him, his face rid of any emotion, until without warning he broke out laughing, Erynèth giggling in turn.

Her laughter would not hold for long, as the Uruk-Hais began to roar and growl, stomping their weapons on the ground. They, too, were reaching for their weapons, Erynèth and Legolas letting go of their hands, as they both retracted the bows from their backs and armed it with an arrow.

Without command, an old man fired his own, releasing some murmur and uneasiness at their side. "Hold!" Aragorn screamed, though it was too late, the firing shot had been the commence of the war, and now the Uruk-Hais were charging their way, their boots heavy as they left deep imprints on the muddied floor.

"Prepare to fire!" Aragorn yelled, and Erynèth held a closer grip on her arrow, squinting her eyes as she had one Uruk-Hai in particular in her sight. "Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc, a nu ranc" ("Their armour is weak at the neck, and underneath the arms") Legolas spoke to the Elves behind them, for he had fought them more than the others.

"Did they hit anything?" Gimli asked, hopping about the place as soon as the arrows had hit. "Of course," Erynèth replied, charging her bow for a new round. At this Gimli exclaimed in glee, waving his axe in the air. "Send them to me! Come on!" Gimli urged, an eery excitement in his voice.

"Ladders!" Aragorn had yelled, much to the excitement of Gimli, who rubbed his hands around his axe. Erynèth, storing her bow on her back, reached for her slim sword on her hip, looking at it in might, as she smiled to it. If she were to die tonight, it would at least be with her faithful weapon.

It was rather overwhelming, the amount of Uruk-Hais climbing on the ladder, and more so, it was rather difficult to reach for their weak spots, but so far she had managed all right. "Gimli!" Erynèth yelled, watching in horror as an Uruk-Hai behind him lifted his sword high above his head, ready to slam it down.

With a sprint against the stone wall she jumped high in the sky, her long blade whooshing through the air before it firmly planted in the neck of the attacker, leaving Gimli wide-eyed, but grateful.

Legolas did as promised, and stayed near her side, which reminded her of the battles earlier on in which they had fought together. They did make quite the team, for he would often stay levelled, and she would prefer to jump high in the sky, and charge from above.

"Legolas!" Gimli yelled, a grin on his face, "I'm on two already!" He said proudly.

As Erynèth drove her sword through the helmet of her enemy, she heard Legolas say "I'm on seventeen," followed by a disgruntled sound from their companion dwarf.

On they fought, and after a while Haldir joined her side, a smile on his face as he nodded her way after having shot an attacker coming up behind her. Erynèth bowed her head at him, and whipped her sword about her, seeing more enemies than friendlies, which began to worry her.

"Kill him!" she heard Aragorn yell, and as she sliced an Uruk-Hais leg off, she looked over her shoulder to see Legolas standing on the tip of the wall, his bow pointed to below, though it was clear that his efforts were for nothing, as not long after a wild explosion occurred, leaving Erynèth to be pulled back, not by the blow of it, but by a set of arms, and a worried companion screaming her name into her ear.

Saved by the blow she had been by Haldir, and she thanked him gratefully, though looked frightened into the fire to see if she saw another precious Elf to her. Seeing him in the far off distance, she watched as he jumped onto the shield of an Uruk-Hai, and travelled with it down the stairs, firing away with his bow.

Glad to see he was all right, she resumed in battle as she fought on the stone wall, the Uruk-Hais now coming from below as well as up.

"Erynèth, Haldir!" Aragorn yelled after a while, both looking down, he yelled again "To the keep!" he said, waving his arm as a signal to follow.

Haldir and Erynèth looked at each other and nodded, before he signalled the Elves in his army to pull back.

In front she began to ran, until a loud scream put her to a halt, and whirled her around. In front of her, she watched as Haldir crumbled down, being hit in the back of his head with a hooked sword from one of the Uruk-Hais.

Erynèth screamed, watching as Haldir looked at her one last time, crumbling to the floor. Astounded, and not fully processing that her long-time friend, her faithful companion in battle, was now lying dead on the floor.

Feeling a tear roll down her cheek, she broke free from her trance as she jumped over dead bodies, slashed merciless at nearing enemies, and rushed to his side, taking his bloodied head into her arms, feeling more tears roll down whilst one hand cupped his head, and the other angrily stabbed away at Uruk-Hais charging down at her as they passed by.

"I'm sorry, Haldir," Erynèth whispered again and again as she rocked his body in her lap, his breathing ragged as his heartrate began to slow down. "I could not protect you, forgive me," she choked, letting her sword fall to the ground, whilst arrows whooshed above her head.

With one last broken breath the light disappeared from his eyes, and for a moment Erynèth could not comprehend war, or the danger she was in, sitting like this. "Erynèth!" a voice screamed in her ear, as two firm hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Erynèth, I am so sorry," the voice went on, and suddenly her sword was back in her hands as she was pulled up by her arms, "but we must go now."

Leaning into the body that had risen her to her feet, she recognized his smell immediately: Legolas. Feeling more tears roll down her cheek, she let him push her away as they began to pull back, but Erynèth, feeling vengeful, heartbroken, but above all, very angry, gripped tighter to her sword as she lashed out at those trying to surpass them, ignoring the splashes of blood bouncing onto her face as she slid their throats. They would pay for what they had taken from her.

Behind the walls they sought shelter, and for a moment they were granted safety, though it would not be held long, for the wooden gateway was crumbling apart. Legolas, having pulled back to battle upon bringing Erynèth to safety, had no eyes on her now, which might have been a good thing, for she followed Aragorn and Gimli down the stairwell, as they planned to attack from the other side.

Glancing behind the tower, she watched as many were all grouped together, hammering against the door. Without agreement of Aragorn or Gimli, she moved swiftly past them, yelling out loud as she pushed herself from the blackened rock, waving her sword above her head, before slamming it downwards into one of their necks.

Erynèth was vengeful: unsatisfied until each and every one of them would die. Die, like her friend Haldir, as she drove her sword deep into one of their chest's, die, like her trusted friend had gone a horrible death, as she beheaded one of them, die, like everything that was good was taken from her, as she sliced off one of their arms.

She had been so engulfed in her rage that she had not noticed Aragorn and Gimli joining her side. All she saw were the ugly faces of the enemies in front, the satisfaction of watching them fall to their death below. All that she could focus on was to rid this pathway of any Uruk-Hai, to wipe them from their lives, so they would all rot in hell.

Soon they were starting to get outnumbered, no matter her rage, and though she had seen the rope that Legolas had thrown at them, had heard his cries to grab for it, she would not go easily, for she would not be satisfied until all blood had been spilled, that had been lost this night.

"We must go, Erynèth," Aragorn urged in her ear, trying to tug on her arm, but she easily freed herself. "You save yourself, I am not done here," she spoke angrily, grunting as she retracted her sword from a body with a bit more trouble.

"I would not live the night if I do not return you to him," Aragorn said, and grabbed her waist tightly, holding her so tight that she had no choice but to be pulled along, as Gimli jumped to grab for her legs, letting them be pulled upwards.

"I was not done yet!" Erynèth bellowed as Legolas pulled her up by the shoulder, groaning with the heavy weight from the dwarf hanging onto her body. "Erynèth," Legolas started, but she threateningly squinted her eyes at him.

"I know your heart is vengeful," he tried again, then tugged her along against her will when Théoden called for a pull-back, "but I will not lose you to your anger."

Down they went, until they were with the women and children, though Théoden seemed to lose hope. "Is there no other way to leave the caves?" Aragorn asked, looking about the place, trying to find an exit.

"There is one way. A passage, which leads into the mountains," Gamling replied.

"Then let me take them," Erynèth offered, and Aragorn nodded vigorously in agreement. "Let the children make ready," Aragorn said, and Erynèth nodded, passing by the scared, huddled up groups of women and children, urging them to pack and get on their legs.

"Join me," Legolas asked of her, his white horse with reigns in his hand. Erynèth, looking him over, allowed him to help her on, as he jumped up as well, positioning himself in front of her. "If this is our end, at least let it be together," he said, then urged the horse to move as the reigns made contact with its skin.

As Legolas wielded his sword at the Uruk-Hais they passed by, Erynèth lifted herself to stand on the back of the horse, her bow at the ready, and firing off into the distance, clearing the path ahead.

With the help of the Rohirim army, they were lightened at heart, for now all hope returned.