Chapter 12

After Faramir left the stables Aica remained with Halroch. The stables continued to bustle around her, until Gandalf came to find her. 'What hope do we have?' she asked quietly.
Gandalf sighed, unbolting the stall and moving over to the elf. 'There's always hope. Don't give up now. You've come so far.'
'Do you think we'll ever see the others again?' Aica rested a hand on Halroch's shoulder and scoffed. 'The whole of Mordor is bearing down on the gates of this city, and I'm worrying about those who are safe.'
Gandalf rested a hand on her shoulder. 'It's natural to worry about those you care about.' He guided her out of the stall. 'Come, there is much to do.'

Aica wandered the battlements of Minas Tirith. This meant she was among the first to see when Faramir's horse returned. She hurried down to the gates. When she arrived the guards were lowering Faramir onto a stretcher. Pippin arrived at the same time as her. 'What's happened?' He asked.
'They walked into a slaughter. Come on.' The pair hurried after the soldiers as they bore Faramir to the citadel.
Denethor emerged from the hall as they arrived in the courtyard. 'Faramir!' He hurried towards his son. 'Say not that he has fallen.' He crouched next to the stretcher.
'They were outnumbered, none survived.' One of the guards said. Aica hurried to the edge of the parapet as she heard the cries from the soldiers below.
'My son is dead. My line has ended.' The steward sobbed, moving away from his son.
Pippin moved over and knelt next to Faramir. 'He's alive!' He yelled.
'The House of Stewards has failed!' Denethor ignored him.
'He needs medicine, My Lord!' Pippin called urgently.
'My line has ended.'
'My Lord!' Pippin called once more.
Denethor stared at the advancing army far below them. 'Rohan has deserted us.' He rasped. The orcs released catapults, sending rocks flying into the walls and towers of the city. 'Théoden's betrayed me.' More boulders were released. Aica could clearly hear the screams of the panicked civilians. 'Abandon your posts! Flee! Flee for your lives!' Denethor yelled.
Suddenly Gandalf's staff made contact with the steward's face, and then his stomach, knocking him out. 'Prepare for battle!' Gandalf ordered.

Aica hurried to take position with the archers, as Gandalf rode to rally the troops. The orcs were quickly closing on the city. Aica made final checks on her weapons as the catapults of Minas Tirith were fired, causing the orcs to panic. Then, with a shriek, the Nazgûl descended on the city. Many soldiers covered their ears, trying to block out the noise. 'Hold them back! Do not give into fear.' Gandalf's voice echoed throughout the city. 'Return to your posts! Fight!'
The Nazgûl were plucking soldiers off the battlements, as one began to target the catapults, which were taking down both orcs and the battle towers.
Aica and the Gondorian archers opened fire on the towers as Gandalf joined them. 'Not at the towers!' He told them. 'Aim for the Trolls! Kill the Trolls! Bring them down!' The archers shifted their aim for the trolls, but it was too late.
The towers reached the walls, their ramps crashing down, allowing the orcs to swarm into the city. Aica switched her bow for the blades she had been given in Lothlórien. She swung into battle, orcs falling to blades. 'Drive them back!' Gandalf yelled. He then spotted Pippin, who had come down from the citadel. 'Peregrin Took, go back to the citadel!' Gandalf ordered.
'They called us out to fight.' Pippin replied, in a daze.
Aica darted past them, cutting down orcs. Pippin froze as a large orc bore down on him. Gandalf intercepted it, striking it down. 'This is no place for a Hobbit!' Pippin stabbed an orc that was coming up behind Gandalf. The wizard turned to the hobbit, smiling slightly. 'Guard of the Citadel, indeed! Now, back up the hill, quickly! Quickly!' Pippin did as he bid, and hurried back towards the hall.

They were forced back from the battlements as the orcs continued to swarm from the towers. Dusk was falling as the orcs began to chant. 'Grond!'
Aica turned to Gandalf in fear. 'Grond is the battering ram. The gates will be down in no time.'
Gandalf turned to some of the soldiers. 'To the gate.'
Aica and the soldiers followed Gandalf down to the gate. 'To the gates! Man the gates!' By this point night had fallen, and the orcs had taken to using flaming rocks against the city.
The gates rattled as Grond smashed against them again and again. 'Steady! Steady!' Gandalf commanded, as the archers readied themselves. The soldiers were afraid. 'You are soldiers of Gondor!' Gandalf continued, as Grond smashed through the upper portion of the gate. 'No matter what comes through that gate you will stand your ground!' It was then that the gates were broken through and cave trolls lumbered into the city. 'Fire!' The archers released their arrows into the trolls.
The trolls smashed into the ranks of soldiers as orcs swarmed through the gates. Gandalf felled a troll as Aica and the archers continued to lose arrows. Aica moved on the balls of her feet. 'Gandalf!' She yelled, ducking under the club of a troll. 'We can't keep this up for long.' She cut a troll down by the legs and cut its neck.

'Pull back, to the second level! Hurry! Get the women and children out of here, get them out!' Gandalf ordered, riding Shadowfax amongst the fleeing soldiers. Aica followed the soldiers up to the second level. Gandalf continued to lead the soldiers on. 'Fight! Fight to the last man. Fight for your lives.'
Aica heard Pippin's voice. 'Gandalf! Gandalf! Denethor has lost his mind. He's burning Faramir alive!'
'Up! Quickly!' Gandalf pulled Pippin up onto Shadowfax, before turning to Aica. 'Keep them fighting.' Aica nodded as they took off.
Dawn was breaking as Aica and the soldiers made it to the second level. 'Barricade the gate.' She ordered as soon as almost all the surviving soldiers were through.
Aica hurried up to the second level battlements as the sound of a horn echoed across the battlefield. 'What is it?' one of the soldiers asked.
Her mouth twitched into a small smile. She hurried back down to the soldiers. 'It seems that Rohan have answered the call.'
The soldiers cheered as Gandalf and Pippin joined them. They were all dirty, bloodied and exhausted.

The orcs were battering at the gate. Aica, Gandalf and Pippin were sat on the steps. 'I didn't think it would end this way.' Pippin said quietly.
Gandalf looked at him in surprise. 'End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it.'
'What, Gandalf? See what?' Pippin asked as Aica listened on.
'White shores, and beyond. A far green country under a swift sunrise.' Gandalf replied.
'Well, that isn't so bad.'
'No. No, it isn't.' They shared a smile and Pippin tightened his grip on his sword.
Aica pulled Pippin into a hug. 'We'll be okay Pippin.'
'I hope you're right.'

The door burst open and the trio flung themselves into battle once more. Blades flashed as the defenders if Minas Tirith fought with all they had. Aica got separated from Gandalf and Pippin. She found herself pushed back into the streets they had fled down earlier, alongside some soldiers of Gondor. Suddenly a yell made them stop. 'What is that?' A green mist seemed to be rapidly down on the orcs. Aica could make out the shapes of ghostly soldiers, cutting down the orcs. The ghosts swept through the orcs, decimating the army of Mordor, leaving the defenders alone. The men began to cheer, clapping each other on the back, and hugging in celebration. Aica let a smile break across her face as she breathed a sigh of relief. The soldiers around her pulled her into a group hug, relieved to be alive Aica allowed herself to join in. 'Aica!' She broke away when she heard her name being called. Pippin was hurrying towards her. 'We did it!'
Aica laughed and pulled Pippin into a hug. 'Yes, we did.'
'I'm going to go find Merry. He should have been with the Rohan riders.' Pippin ran off as Gandalf approached.
'Gandalf.' Aica began cautiously. 'I have a favour to ask.'
'You wish me to tell them.' Gandalf guessed gently. Aica nodded. Gandalf patted her shoulder. 'Very well. Why don't you take Halroch and go help with the wounded?' Aica nodded and hurried for the stables.

Aica worked into the night, both in the city and on Pelennor fields. She grew worried when she heard Pippin calling Merry's name. 'I can't find him!' he said worriedly when she joined him. 'I have been told that he was with the army.'
'Let's split up. Shout if you find him.' Aica led Halroch off in one direction, while Pippin went the other way, both calling Merry's name.
About half an hour later Aica heard Pippin's shout, he had found Merry. Aica quickly hurried to where he had bundled his fellow hobbit in a cloak. Aica quickly gathered Merry into her arms, placing him on Halroch, before swinging up herself. She offered Pippin a hand. 'Come on.' She said. 'Let's get him to the healers.'
Halroch cantered through the streets of Minas Tirith to the citadel. There Pippin slid down from the stallion, followed by Aica, who had Merry in her arms. Pippin quickly led Aica through the hall, to the healer's wing.

Meanwhile Gandalf was explaining Aica's history to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. 'Why did she never tell us?' Aragorn wondered.
'Would you, if you were her?' Gandalf questioned.
'No, I guess not.'
'Can we trust her?' Legolas voiced the question they all wanted answered.
Gandalf looked at the elf. 'Without a doubt. She has changed completely. Had you not known her before, and had I not just told you what you now know, you would not think that she was the same elf, save for her appearance.

The next day Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli and Éomer gathered in the King's hall. Unknown to all, other than Gandalf, Aica was hidden in the shadows. 'Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening.' Gandalf was saying.
'If Sauron had the Ring, we would know it.' Aragorn pointed out.
'It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping.' Gandalf sounded almost hopeless.
'Let him stay there. Let him rot! Why should we care?' Gimli let out a puff of smoke from his perch on the steward's chair.
Gandalf turned to the dwarf. 'Because ten thousand Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom.' He sighed. 'I've sent him to his death.'
'No.' Aragorn disagreed. 'There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the Plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that.'
'How?' Gimli asked.
'Draw out Sauron's armies.' Aragorn suggested. 'Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate.'
'We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.' Éomer told them.
'Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves.' Aragorn voiced his plan.
'A diversion.' Legolas spoke up.
'Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?' Gimli was eager to get going, and it showed in his voice.
Gandalf spoke quietly to Aragorn. 'Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait.'
'Oh, I think he will.' Aragorn sounded confident.
Aica took a deep breath, and stepped from the shadows, everyone turning to look at her as she spoke up. 'If there's one thing Sauron wants more than the Ring, it is to see the line of the Kings of Gondor destroyed. He will take the bait.'


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