Boromir cursed as he ordered the retreat. Even though they managed to hold back the Orcs, they were still too many and with two more Ringwraiths arriving with their Fellbeasts. Holding East Osgiliath became much, much harder. Eventually, they were getting close to being overrun and were pushed back to the bridge over the Great River Anduin. With the remainder of the soldiers stationed in East Osgiliath, the Sons of Denethor and the Centurion of the Iron Legion made a final stand by the bridge. Boromir looked to the Centurion and saw him barking at the Men of Gondor.

"Show no fear. Hold your ground and hold your shits!"

Titus grit his teeth as he held his gladius on one hand and a discarded Gondorian Shield on the other. It wasn't as big as a scutum but after fighting with the Iron Legion, he got familiar with using smaller shields. At least this one was almost similar in shape. He can work with that a little better. Around him, the Men of Gondor stood tall and their faces were as stoic as the mask over the Centurion's face. They held their swords and shields firmly as they prepared themselves to face the numbers of Mordor's forces. Even with the shrieks of the Nazgûl, they willed themselves to stand tall and not fall to their knees. Though a few did fall, they immediately got back up and steeled themselves once more.

Meanwhile, Faramir had set up his Rangers on the far back of their company and they were already firing volley after volley on the Orcs in the distance. They fell down by the dozen to the Rangers' arrows but that still didn't stop them from charging. The Orcs of Mordor were drawing nearer until they were only a few feet away. If one were to look at it from a bird's eye view, they would see the Men of Gondor stand tall as a sea of Orcs and three Nazgûl Ringwraiths closed the distance between them.

"Stand your ground, Sons of Gondor!" Boromir began as he saw the Orcs grow closer "We make our stand here. For our people. For our families. For our brothers-in-arms. For the city we love. For Gondor!"

As one, the battle cry of the Sons of Gondor was heard throughout the city.

"FOR GONDOR!"

"For Gondor!"

"FOR GONDOR!"

The Captain of the White Tower grabbed the horn from his belt and blew it. The sound was so loud that Titus took a glance at the source before facing the enemy once more. Around him, the Men of Gondor were overcome with renewed vigor. At the other end of the bridge, Men of Gondor with bows and Rangers of Ithilien positioned themselves and drew their arrows before letting them loose. Even the Orcs slowed their advance for a second before picking up the pace once more. Time slowed as the forces were only inches apart. Every soldier stood tall and proud even as the enemy outnumber them. Ready to fight to the death.

Then it was over. Time resumed it's normal course and the forces of Gondor and Mordor clashed. An Orc leaped into the air and brought down it's weapon only for Boromir to block it's attack then thrust his blade in it's gut as the Orc landed. He then used his shield to push the body back. Soldiers of Gondor held their ground as the sea of Orcs poured on them. The Nazgûl shrieked as their fellbeasts swooped down and attacked the Men of Gondor in West Osgiliath. Rangers of Ithilien switched from shooting at the Orcs to shooting at the fellbeasts. Titus kept his shield up but lowered himself to one knee and swiftly cut the Orc in front of him in the back of the ankles, forcing it in it's knees. The Centurion, still keeping his shield up, quickly rose to his feet and slammed his shield on the Orc's face. The soldier next to Titus roared as he cut down an Orc only for another one to skewer him with a spear. He screamed in pain as he was pulled into the ranks of the enemy while another soldier replaced filled the spot he left.

The defenders of Osgiliath fought tooth and nail against the forces of Mordor on that bridge. Unfortunately, no matter how valiantly they fight or how many Orcs they slay, it matters not. There was no victory to be made for the Men of Gondor today. Only defeat under Sauron's terrible army and a taste of his power.

~Line Break~

Mei Lin opened her eyes only to close them once more as the sun glared down at her. She shielded her eyes with her arm before slowly rising to a sitting position. The woman's eyes then widened and she placed a hand over her heart only to feel the fabric of her red tunic. She patted her body and it finally registered to her brain that she was alive and definitely not dead. The former Tiandi rose to her feet and looked at her surroundings only to find that she wasn't in the middle of a burning city but a forest. Her Dao lay on the ground next to her as falling leaves covered it as they fell. Aside from the chirping of birds, she could also hear the sound of a waterfall in the distance. The woman once more placed a hand over heart and shook her head. She had traveled west to seek refuge from the civil war that plagued her nation and found refuge in the Walled City. She lived in peace at that city for a year until the ambitious Gao Lei and his Wu Lin sieged the city. Mei Lin didn't have time to don her old armor when the warriors of Wu Lin broke through the gates but she managed to retrieve her Dao before helping the Commander defend the city from her invaders. Though they have repelled their attackers, one bowman managed to fire off a shot and struck her through the heart. Then everything went black.

"How am I still- "

"Alive?"

The former Tiandi quickly slid her foot under her blade and kicked up before grabbing the Dao midair and faced the speaker as she dropped into a fighting stance. Leaning on a tree with her muscular arms crossed was a woman with raven hair tied in a messy bun and eyes shadowed by the straw hat on the top of her head. She wore half of a shitagi that only covered the left side of her torso, revealing the bindings wrapped around her chest which concealed the rest of the intricate tattoos that ran from her chest down to her left forearm which, along with her right, were covered with cloth wrappings. The woman also wore hakama pants that were tied off at the end by the greaves and wore a pair of geta. A two swords hung on the left side of her waist, the one on top was katana and the one below it was a wakizashi, while a second katana hung sheathed on a scabbard on the right.

"Like what you see?" The Aramusha asked "Sorry but I don't swing that way."

"Swing what way?"

The woman raised her head and one amber eye gazed questioningly at her. This allowed Mei Lin to see the eye patch covering her left eye. Moments passed before Mei Lin had enough of the woman staring at her.

"What?

"Nevermind."

The Aramusha shook her head before stepping away from the tree and making her way over to Mei Lin. This made the former Tiandi tighten her grip on her blade and the woman replied by raising her hands halfway in surrender.

"Hey. No need for hostility. I just wanna know your name."

"Why would I give my name to a mercenary who may or may not be sent to kill me?"

"If I was, I wouldn't have bothered asking for your name and just shoved my blade down your heart while you were asleep and take your head back to the ones who hired me... but I didn't. Besides, you and I are in the same boat."

"Why's that?" Mei Lin narrowed her eyes and refused to drop her fighting stance.

"Because the last thing I remembered was taking a blow meant for my... friend. A spear to the gut. Courtesy of a Viking bitch with a fetish for skewering people like a wild boar. Then darkness. Next thing I know, I woke up next to this tree and saw you lying there."

Mei Lin pondered on what the mercenary said. She was right when she said they were on the same boat. Dying then waking up only to find themselves where they shouldn't be. Since her instincts wasn't screaming at her to kill this woman, she would not make the first move. Lowering her Dao before sheathing it, Mei Lin faced the mercenary.

"Who are you?"

"Rin. Aramusha payed to serve Lady Ayu. What about you? Got a name?"

"Mei Lin."

"Odd. You wear clothing by people from Ashfeld. Last I heard, the Wu Lin passed the Myre and were intent to invade Ashfeld. So why are you wearing clothing meant for their people?"

'Observant.'

"I deserted when civil war plagued my home. Looking for a new start. I found the Walled City and have been living there for a year. Then the Gao Lei and his Wu Lin came. I helped the city's defenders fight back because Lord Aurelius gave me a home in his city rather than turn me away. We won but one archer managed to let out one last shot and struck me right in the heart. I died and... you know the rest."

Silence fell as the two wondered the peculiar situation they were in. It wasn't long until they heard someone approach. Mei Lin quickly unsheathed her Dao while Rin unsheathed her dual katanas. The two dropped into a fighting stance as someone with a dark grey cloak approached them. The person was tall and the hood of their cloak his most of their face except the mouth.

"You need not to arm yourselves for I bear you no ill intent. We stand before a place of knowledge and learning. There is no need for violence here." The stranger stated with a deep and calm voice.

"Considering you're a stranger who hides his face behind a cloak, we're not taking any chances."

"I only speak the truth, One-eyed Dragon of Dawn."

Rin narrowed her lone eye at the figure as her grip around the katanas tightened. An old title from her days as a Sword Saint. Back before she failed to protect her Daimyō and became a Ronin.

"Who are you?"

The Aramusha's voice was laced with venom as she asked the stranger. Said stranger reached for his hood and pulled it back, revealing a man with long, brown hair and stoic yet he radiated elegance befit of a Noble. He didn't look like anyone from her country and he was far too polite to be considered a Viking. He wasn't as big nor filthy or hairy as the Warborn so that rules them out. He could be one of the Knights but she had never encountered anyone from the Legions who wore anything like that. This man wore robes underneath his cloak and she could see no visible weapon in sight when almost every Knight she met was in armor and held a weapon of sorts. Then her eyes found themselves on his ears. Pointed ears.

'Nani?'

"I am Lord Elrond. Lord of Rivendell. The Last Homely House East of the Sea. And I bid you welcome, friends."

~Line Break~

"Destroy the bridge! Destroy it now!"

The order didn't register to Titus head until he felt the ground he stood upon shake violently. Despite their efforts in holding the Orcs back, they were pushed back into the bridge. Their defensive line was broken and some of the Orcs made it to West Osgiliath. Even with their numbers thinning by the minute and the Nazgûl and their Fellbeasts above, they kept fighting. What few men left on the bridge fought with the ferocity of lions. Taking out as many Orcs as they can before they finally meet their end but not before bringing ten more Orcs with them. But in desperation to keep the rest of Mordor's forces from crossing the river, Boromir ordered the bridge to be destroyed even though they were still on it. Reluctantly, those tasked with destroying the bridge upheld their mission and destroyed the supports of that held up the bridge. The ground shook before forces of both Gondor and Mordor fell to the river. Their screams cut off as they hit water.

Titus resurfaced from the river and gasped for air. His helmet was gone and he didn't bother to find it. He looked around him to see the Men of Gondor resurface as well. His eyes found Boromir and Faramir and the Centurion swam towards them. Once he reached them, Titus opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as an arrow sailed between him and the Sons of Denethor. The trio looked up to see that despite the loss of their forces on the bridge, the Orcs were quick to retaliate and fired arrows down on the surviving men on the river. Titus then shared a look with the two.

"Swim for it."

Boromir turned to his men.

"Get out of the river! Get to the shore! Go!"

As the Men of Gondor flee to the shore, crude yet effective arrows of Orc-make rained down upon them. Soldiers screamed in pain as arrows went through armor and pierced their flesh. Titus grunted as he made it to shore. Those who made it first helped him up before the Centurion himself did the same to those close to the shore. He grabbed one soldier and pulled him to shore only for the man to be pelted with three arrows to the back. He fell limp in Titus' arms and the Centurion cursed before dropping the body and helping the next one.

Faramir reached the shore before his brother and helped Boromir up. As soon as he was able, he took a bow and some arrows from a dead archer and began shooting back at the Orcs. One soldier was shot in the back and fell to the water. The one next to him grabbed his body and pulled him to shore.

"Leave him!" Titus yelled.

Not a second later, an arrow went through the second soldier's throat before he too fell face first into the water.

"Gods Damnit!" The Centurion cursed before following after the retreating Men of Gondor.

Titus caught up with Boromir and Faramir and the three shouted orders to retreat. Boromir then held out his arms to the side and stopped the other two just in time to avoid the Fellbeast's talons from snatching them up. The ones in front of them weren't so lucky. The two men screamed as the Fellbeast picked them and flew into the air before dropping them into the mass of Orcs. If the fall didn't kill them, the ugly bastards certainly did. It wasn't long before the three climbed up the slope and reached West Osgiliath were they were quickly pulled into safety as soldiers of Gondor formed a wall of shields to protect the three.

Titus slammed his back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the ground. He was breathing heavily as the rush of battle slowly left his body. Beside him, Boromir mirrored his actions while Faramir approached his second-in-command, Madril.

"Where are the others?"

"Dead, my Lord." The elderly Ranger replied solemnly "You three were the only ones that made it. Those who weren't killed in the bridge or the fall or the river were killed by the Nazgûl and their Fellbeasts instead. I'm sorry, Faramir."

The Ranger put a hand on Faramir's shoulder as he sat on a rubble. He looked to his brother and saw that the two of them shared a look of despair. It was their duty to protect Osgiliath from the Orcs. Keep it away from them and stop them from advancing towards Minas Tirith's door. To the side, Titus finally steadied his breathing before noticing the solemn looks of the siblings. He looked at Boromir abd lightly punched his arm.

"Oi. Don't look so down. So we lost but at least you gave them a big 'Fuck you' by destroying that bridge. At least we know they won't be crossing to here anytime soon."

"It was our duty to protect this city and we failed."

"So you lost half a city? You're both still here aren't you? We all lived to fight another day. We all lived to give those fuckers another fight. One I don't intend to lose."

"I?" Faramir asked as he looked at the Centurion "You are no Man of Gondor yet why would you fight our enemy?"

"Those ugly fuckers? They attacked me even when I hadn't done shit to them. Don't think I'll let them off the hook that easy. No." Titus let out a grin "This is my fight now. Besides, you two seem like good men. Good leaders. I still fight for the Iron Legion but they're not here. You are. And I have nowhere else to go. I don't know shit about this place so might as well stay with something I'm familiar with."

"And what's that?"

"War."

~Line Break~

Night fell and Titus found himself studying the maps on the table. Sure he may be a drunk and whoring fool but he was still a Centurion. He didn't come this far by being a drunken fool alone. He needed information and this is what little they can offer him that wasn't destroyed. A general map of Middle-Earth. Looking down on it, he either ended up in a different continent somehow or in a different world altogether. There was no Ashfeld or Valkenheim or the Myre. No one spoke of a Cataclysm nor do they know anything about the Great Empire. His eyes traveled towards Mordor and stabbed his pugio right on the volcano.

Mount Doom. Next to it was the Eye of Sauron, a large tower that houses the Great Eye that 'sees all'. He had no idea what that meant but he asked why no one had taken the fight to Mordor. Boromir was the one to answer. Grim bastard. Mordor, a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash and dust. The very air itself was a poisonous fume. There was also the possibly infinite number of Orcs behind the Black Gates. Oh, don't forget about the Ringwraiths and their Fellbeasts. Lovely picture, eh?

"Well Titus, this is probably most interesting situation you find yourself in."

The Centurion sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Yup, he was definitely in the shit now. Might as well make the most of it. Grabbing the shield next to him and walked over to the soldiers gathered outside. They were mostly eating what passed as dinner or conversing. He had asked Boromir if he could spare him some soldiers and see if he can pass on some of his training and get them to form Testudo. He'd seen their shields earlier and wondered if Testudo would work. He hoped it did so he can implement more formations to these men. Something familiar. But that won't happen 'til tomorrow. Let the men have their rest. They're gonna need it for tomorrow.

~Line Break~

"What's he up to?"

Boromir turned away from watching Titus' formations training to face his brother.

"He's teaching them shield tactics for the most part." He chuckled as Faramir joined him and the two observed the Centurion "Who would've thought he was a perfectionist?"

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look."

And Faramir did so. Four rows of soldiers, 12 each row, were lined up with Titus standing in front of them. The Centurion had his arms crossed and a shield lay next to his feet.

"Shield Wall!"

The soldiers on the first row dropped to their knees and planted their shields on the ground, covering their feet. The ones on the second row hunched over slightly and placed theirs over the heads of the first row. Then Titus signalled for three other soldiers next to him who then started throwing rocks at the shields. It was good but not good enough for Titus. Especially when one of the soldiers dropped his shield and almost got hit with a rock had he not picked up his shield on time and blocked the rock.

"Halt!" Titus yelled as he held up a hand and the three rock throwers ceased. The Centurion marched over to the formation of soldiers and stopped in front of the one that dropped his shield.

"Up. All of you!"

The soldiers obeyed and stood up as one. Titus roughly grabbed the soldier and held his head close.

"If those were arrows heading your way, you would have been a dead man. The man behind you would take your place to keep this formation from falling apart. Now, you're a good lad. It'd be a shame if you died and I don't like my men dying so I try to keep them alive for as long as possible. That's why I'm teaching you this defensive formation to keep you, all of you." Titus looked at each of their faces "Alive. So let's not have you dying before the Orcs even reach you. That means keeping a firm fucking grip on your shield. Think about why you're fighting. Who or what you're fighting for. Do you want all that to go up in flames?" The soldier shook his head "No? Then keep a firm grip on your fucking shield and perfect this formation! Shield Wall!"

The soldiers repeated their actions from before but this time, when the rocks were sent their way, they held steady.

"That's it, lads! Hold steady. Just hold steady." Titus muttered the last part.

Then without warning, the Centurion ran yelling towards the Shield Wall and rammed straight into the. . After witnessing the man stab an Orc in the gut and then pull the weapon free on the side of the Orc and severing it's arm in the process, they weren't surprised to see the Centurion slam full force into the wall of shields and actually bring the first two rows down. The Centurion laughed as he lay on top of the soldiers who in turn were laughing as well. He may take some things seriously but that doesn't mean he can't have a little fun while they're at it. Who knows? Maybe the Orcs have something big that can slam into them. They probably do now that he thought about it.

From their spot at the archway, Boromir and Faramir shared a laugh at the spectacle. Considering their pyrrhic victory, as Titus called it, yesterday, it was good to keep the men's morale up.

"Lord Boromir. Lord Faramir."

The siblings turned to the voice as a young Ranger approached them. He bowed slightly before handing Boromir a helmet. Titus' helmet to be specific. The older of the siblings nodded his thanks as he took the helmet from the Ranger's hands. Now that he got a good look at it, Boromir noticed the scar running across the mask's nose that mirrored the same scar on Titus' face. The Son of Denethor then turned to the Centurion. The top of the helmet had a blue plume that matched the blue on the Centurion's blue and black spaulders and cape.

"Titus." He called out "I believe this is yours."

The Centurion, after rising to his feet and helping the soldiers sprawled on the ground up, turned to face Boromir just as the man threw the galea at him. Titus caught the galea and looked at it as a smile found it's way into his lips. The Centurion then placed the helmet over his head and let out a sigh of content as it covered his head. He felt whole again.

~Line Break~

Rin felt a headache coming as she rubbed her temple with two fingers. She never expected to wake up but she did and she woke up in a different world to boot. After following Lord Elrond to Rivendell, Rin was awestruck at the beauty of the Elven city. The Lord of Rivendell led them to a library where he gave them books, scrolls and maps before telling them a brief history of Middle-Earth. He left them alone to take everything in before the two women decided to read what was given to them. At first, they didn't understand a word then suddenly they knew what they were reading. Like they've known the language their entire life. So without further distractions, they read all the information given to them. By the time they were done, the sun had set and the moon was already high in the night sky.

"This is fucking ridiculous." The mercenary muttered.

"You're telling me." Mei Lin replied as she closed the book and leaned back on the chair. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the Aramusha heading for the door "Where do you think you're going?"

"I want to see if this place has an armory." Rin replied as she stopped in front of the door.

"Didn't you hear what Lord Elrond said? This is a place of learning. Why would they have weapons here?"

"Lord Elrond was part of the last alliance that fought Sauron the Deceiver. There's bound to be some weapons around here somewhere and I'm going to find them."

"But why?"

"You may not know this but I appreciate fine craftsmanship. If this city is an example of beautiful Elven craftsmanship, imagine what they're weapons would look like. Elegant and deadly, yeah?"

"This is a bad idea and I want no part of it." The former Tiandi shook her head no before grabbing another book.

Rin snorted before moving to open the door only for it to open by itself and reveal Lord Elrond.

"Lord Elrond!"

Rin bowed low as the Lord of Rivendell entered the room. Mei Lin heard what the mercenary said and hopped off the chair and bowed as well to which the Elf Lord dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"I trust you now have a grasp of your situation."

"Indeed, my Lord." Mei Lin replied before looking at the Elf with a questioning look "If I may ask, how did you know that we are not of this world?"

"Three days ago, a friend of mine had a vision of a war torn world where the only thing it's inhabitants know is war. The chance for peace, so close within their grasp, dashed away. Her vision also showed her four warriors who met their end but was given a second chance here in Middle-Earth. Four warriors who left one war only to join another."

So there were four of them. Rin and Mei Lin were the first half but who were the other two? And who said anything about fighting another war?

"We left one war behind only to fight in another. Why should we fight? Do we not have a choice?" Mei Lin asked as she looked at Lord Elrond right in the eye.

"I left my country because I was sick of all the needless bloodshed. That's why I traveled to the west. Why should I fight in a war I know nothing about?"

"But you do know, Miss Mei Lin. You know how powerful Sauron is. How terrible and almost infinite his monstrous army is. Can you stand idly by as the world around you burned as Sauron slowly destroy the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth? Will you fight?"

"...but they are not my people." Mei Lin muttered. Even she knew it was a pitiful excuse.

"Yet you defended the Walled City when you could've just packed your bags and left." Rin cut in "They weren't your people. You could've cut your losses and left the city to it's fate... but you didn't. You took up arms and defended the city because deep down you couldn't leave the innocents to suffer."

"How do you know this?"

"Your eyes gave you away." The mercenary stated "You say that you don't care but in your feelings say otherwise. You want to fight this war because you know that a lot of innocent people will suffer. When an innocent life is snuffed out, one thought would always run through your mind. "Could I have prevented this?" Am I correct?"

Mei Lin lowered her head and silently nodded after a moment of silence. Rin smirked before turning back to Lord Elrond.

"Will she fight, you ask? There's your answer."

"And what about you, Miss Rin."

"I know the threat they pose, Lord Elrond. I don't need anymore convincing than that. Although." A smirk found it's way into her lips "It wouldn't hurt to have a little reward on the side. Maybe something of Elvish make?"

"You speak of money and weapons." The Lord of Rivendell stated to which the Aramusha shrugged.

"Mercenary, remember? If it ain't money, it's weapons. But if we're talking about weapons, I have one weapon in mind."

"I know the blade of which you speak but as long as you do not accept the truth then you cannot wield such a weapon."

"Damn." Rin cursed "That's gonna be tough then."

"For you, indeed."

~Line Break~

"Accept the truth, huh? The only truth here is that I'm a Ronin. A mercenary. That's it. There's nothing else to it."

Rin sighed as she set her weapons down on the chair and untied her obi before draping it on the chair's top rail along with her shitagi. The next to go were her greaves and geta which she left on the ground, leaving her in her chest bindings, forearm wraps and kama pants. The Aramusha then plopped down on the large bed and let out a groan. This has got to be the craziest day of her life. Rolling to her back, she looked up at the ceiling before turning her head to look at the moon. Her thoughts then went to Rivendell and how beautiful it was.

'Kami, I wish Akane was here to see this.'

The thought of the child she left behind made the woman tear up before furiously wiping her eye. No. She left Akane in Ayu's hands. She'll take better care of her than Rin ever could. She just wished she could see her one more time. Hold her one more time. Kami, she's a fucking mess. Why did they even think it was a good idea to bring her back?

~Line Break~

"Aéd."

Aéd MacGillivray turned away from the moon and turned around to see Morwen walking over to him with a bowl of rabbit stew in her hands. The Rohirrim woman smiled up at the giant of a man as the Highlander accepted the bowl with a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Why don't you come inside? Éothain and Freda are eager to hear another one of your stories."

"Aye. Go on ahead and tell them I'll be there soon. I just need a few more moments with the moon."

"Of course."

Aéd watched her go before looking back up at the moon. Alive again. Another chance in life. Was this mercy or punishment? He did not know. What he did know is that he refused to lose this family and he would die to protect them from any harm. He was not foolish enough to believe that there is nothing in this world that would harm them. That there was no danger here. Only a fool would believe that and he was certainly no fool. His Claymore may not be in his hands anymore but he damn well would do anything to protect all he held dear.

With a resolute nod, Aéd turned away from the moon and made his way to Morwen and her children's house. He will protect them from any danger no matter the cost.

A/N: Highlanders are still nearly as tall as Shugoki in my headcanon.