A.N.: Have fun and please review :)

Ithilwen stood next to Aragorn. She could feel the eyes of the people around her piercing her with curiosity and awe. They had never seen a woman fighting next to them. An elven maiden, who preferred to sacrifice her life defending their lands, rather than sailing West along with the rest of her folk.

A clap of thunder broke the silence. The heavy footsteps and the war cries of the Uruk Hai were heard. They could see their torches approaching and their roars became clearer. Heavy rain started falling. Ithilwen's heart started beating faster and her ears started buzzing. She had felt the same sentiment before, the first time she fought at Lorien's guard. The Uruk Hai where closer and they could clearly see them now, despite the heavy rainfall. Their leader, stood on a rock and yelled. The army halted.

They prepared their bows and arrows.

"Hold" shouted Aragorn in elvish. An old man, knocked his arrow, and pierced one of the Uruk Hai. The army started running towards the walls. Ithilwen was ready to shoot. 'Their armors are weak beneath the arm and the neck' she thought as she was aiming at her target.

"Release arrows" shouted Aragorn again and she shoot.

It had begun.

She prepared her second arrow and after the second command she fired again.

The arrows started flying against Saruman's hordes, and many Uruk Hai were brought down. The Uruk Hai were responding to their attacks by firing their arrows from their crossbows. Several elves around them fell from the walls.

"Ladders" yelled Aragorn, and the elves started shooting at the Uruk Hai who were trying to climb the wall. Many Uruk Hai were falling but several managed to reach the top. Aragorn starting pushing them back, and Ithilwen was firing the one arrow after the other. A little farther Gimli was swinging his axe, and Legolas was shooting arrows towards the Uruk Hai who had climbed. Between them ran a little contest on how many Uruk Hai they had killed. Aragorn kicked a ladder and fell among their enemies, killing some of them. The rain had stopped, helping the archers finding better their aim. The battle seemed to turn unexpectedly well. All the waves of enemy's attacks were being pushed back, and the elven and men forces hadn't suffered many losses. The elves were still sending volleys of arrows outside the wall, while the people of Rohan were killing the Uruk Hai who had reached the top of the walls.

Suddenly, Uruk Hai were marching the causeway, heading to the gate. Elves started shooting their arrows towards them, but they were shielded, and thus the elves did not manage to cause them many losses. Somewhere in the middle of the wall, almost at the same time, Uruks started chanting, trying to encourage someone apparently. Aragorn looked down and saw and Uruk Hai running with a torch towards the wall. They had found the only weakness of this impenetrable wall. A drain, no larger than a man, could become their biggest disadvantage.

"Legolas! Ithilwen! Bring him down! Bring him down!" he shouted. Both the elves immediately turned. And started shooting the arrows battling against the time. One arrow pierced his neck, another his shoulder, but despite the hits the Uruk Hai suffered, he ran the last meters and fell into the hole of the drain.

The wall exploded. Ithilwen was thrown several meters away. She hit the ground and several stones and bodies fell around her. Her ears were buzzing. She tried to open her eyes, but she could see nothing but dust. Everything around her was wet from the rain, and the dust was turning to mud. She stood up, trying to orientate herself after the fall. She felt the mud and blood running down her face. She immediately touched her head. She was hurt, but it was nothing but a scratch. She was immediately turned back into reality from an Uruk Hai that was running towards her. She instantly drew her sword, and with a dance like move she avoided him and cut his head. She looked around and noticed Gimli and Aragorn fighting some meters away from her. She made her way to them, while killing two Uruks, with an elven grace, which was contradicting with the brutality of the battle. They were fighting together, and soon Legolas joined them too. But the Uruks were outrunning them and soon Théoden called them to go back to the Keep, where they were facing too severe problems, as the enemy was trying to breach the gate.

"To the Keep! To the Keep!" shouted Aragorn. Gimli was still fighting, and Ithilwen and Legolas hauled him away. They entered the Keep. The elves there were still firing arrows against the Uruk Hai. Ithilwen and Legolas prepared their bows and immediately joined the rest of their folk. The Uruks from the causeway were shooting their crossbows and many of their fellows were killed. Soon after Aragorn joined them too. He looked gloomy, something that was straightaway noticed by Ithilwen.

"What has happened?", she asked. Aragorn looked into her eyes and sighed.

"Haldir" he said. Ithilwen stepped behind, startled from the news Aragorn had just announced her. Aragorn held her hand, trying to show her his sympathy. "He fought bravely and he fell like a hero. But this is no time to grieve. We will pay our respects after the battle. But now we have to survive this madness." He left from her side and strode towards Théoden.

Ithilwen turned again towards the battlefield. Haldir would be commemorated by the future generations, only if they fought and survived. She took an arrow from her quiver, looking pensively towards the enemy's army flocking outside the gate. While she was preparing to knock her arrow, she was hit by one of the enemy's arrows on her left shoulder. She left a small cry and lost her balance. Despite the pain she fired her arrow and killed an Uruk Hai. She then took the arrow out of her shoulder. The leather pauldrons hadn't protected her enough, but at least they saved her from a deeper wound. Blood stained her pauldron. She didn't have time for this now.

Legolas signaled at her. He had thrown a rope at the causeway in order to pull up Aragorn and Gimli who had gone outside the gate. Ithilwen run towards him and started dragging too the rope. She grimaced from the pain but she did not stop her effort. Legolas noticed her pain and looked at the gap from the arrow at her left pauldron.

"You are wounded" he said worried. "Go back and take care of yourself. You cannot fight".

"I am fine", she answered to him and continued pulling up the rope. New ladders were pulled up by the enemy and their friends were climbing between them. After several efforts Aragorn and Gimli reached the top, and rejoined Legolas and Ithilwen.

"Pull everybody back. Pull them back" shouted Théoden. He was wounded too and retreated inside the Keep. The gate was breached, and the elves and men started going inside the Keep. Aragorn, Gimli, Ithilwen and Legolas entered the Keep too and they joined the effort to strengthen the inside door.

Ithilwen tried to help some men carry a big piece of wood to brace the gate, but her wound was hindering her moves.

Aragorn was anxious about the women and children who were hiding in the caves. Gamling suggested a passage that would lead to the mountains.

"So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?" asked Théoden, with despair in his eyes. He had seen his men being killed, and now he knew that the women and children would be slaughtered by Saruman's army. Aragorn stood in front of Théoden. Many thoughts were crossing his mind.

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them" he said to the King.

"For death and glory" added Theoden.

"For Rohan. For your people", told Aragorn.

"The sun is rising", noticed Gimli. Aragorn looked at the window. Outside was dawning and the sunbeams made their way into the hall. He remembered what Gandalf had told him and his spirit was filled with hope.

"Yes. Yes" said Theoden. "The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep on last time."

They brought their horses and rode them. Legolas drove his horse next to Ithilwen's who was at the right side of the group, so she could hit the enemy with her right hand.

"You should stay behind" he whispered to her.

"I am fine" she whispered back to him.

The deep sound of the horn was heard through the gorge. At the same moment the gates opened.

"Forth Eorlingas!" yelled Théoden and they rode outside. They were getting down the causeway, killing many enemies at their path. The flag of Rohan was waving. The sun was rising. Aragorn turned towards the sun and saw Shadowfax on its hind legs.

"Gandalf", he whispered.

Soon everyone turned and saw Gandalf accompanied by another rider.

"Éomer" whispered Ithilwen. Her face brightened and for some moments she forgot her pain.

King Theoden smiled, knowing that his nephew was still loyal to him, despite his wrong accusations. There was still hope. It seemed that the battle had paused for some minutes, just so everyone could look at the grandiosity of the Rohirrim.

They starting riding down the gorge towards the Uruk Hai. Their war screams were echoing in the valley. The thirst for battle and victory was renewed. The riders surrounding king Théoden started chasing the Uruk Hai and they were soon united with Gandalf and Éomer. Gandalf smiled to his friends. This smile gave them more courage and after some hours the Uruk Hai were chased to the Fangorn Forest, were they met the Ents' wrath.