The Battle For Helms Deep

The battle for HD part 2

A cacophony of crebian cawed in the humid night air. It was ignored by the soldiers, for abreast on the twenty foot high Deeping wall, sheltered by a high parapet. It was one of these which Gimli leant against. He stomped onto the rock. Bang. Hardly any vibration was felt through the solid rock. "This is more to my liking." He said to Legolas and I. We stood with our weapons at the ready, but not drawn. It would be a while until the orcs were upon us. Gimli continued his monologue. "My heart always rises as we draw near the mountains. There is good rock here. This country has tough bones. I felt them in my feet as we came up from the dike. Give me a hundred of my kin and armies would break upon it like water!" I gave a wry smile. Always trust a dwarf with his stone. However, the hard ground did unsettle me. I leaned over and whispered in Legolas's ear. "Indeed. The stone is so solid that you cannot even hear your enemy." I joked. He snorted a little, as a laugh, but quickly returned back to seriousness. He replied to Gimli's statements. "I do not doubt it. But dwarves are strange folk. I don't like this place, nor would I anymore by the light of day. But your words comfort me Gimli." It was true. The amusing, stubborn, stout little dwarf could be the most comforting person in the world if need be.

Slowly time passed. The humidity in the air grew, betraying a storm. I was forced to re-tie my miniature ponytail several times because my hair frizzed up and sprung loose. I'd even taken my hood down from the heat, exposing my very pointy ears. Several men stared at me now my face was revealed. Probably wondering why I was blindfolded and had suddenly turned female. I ignored them. Yells and battle cries came from the approaching orcs. I tuned myself to their unpleasantness, knowing it would be difficult to tell between friend and foe in the midst of battle. Suddenly a screaming scout ran back. "The enemy is at hand! They breached the dike!" The dike was a series of hills that ran before the fortress. Not that amazing Considering Rohan is a hilly country. The humidity gave way, and it began to pour with rain. Fat droplets fell, soaking us. Everyone who had one, flicked up a hood. Midnight. An orc horn sounded. Only a kilometre away.

All the warriors stopped chatting and sleeping at the sound of this. Gimli got off the breastwork and turned around to face the oncoming hoard, only to have his view blocked by a parapet. "You could have picked a better spot."

Then Aragorn strode up to where we stood. He had been put in charge of organizing some of the soldiers, and commanding the archers. He greeted us forlornly. Exchanged words. We were with him. "You're friends are with you Aragorn." Legolas told him encouragingly. Gimli grunted. "Let's hope they last the night." We all hoped.

Aragorn turned to walk off, just as a clap of thunder shook the sky. It reverberated around the fortress, amplifying the sound. I clapped my hands over my ears. I needed to be attuned to sound more than ever. My life, and others depended on it. I would be no use if I was shaking ringing from my ears. The rain worsened. Aragorn strode before the soldiers giving orders. "Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

The leader of the Urak army gave a illegible yell, and they halted. They began growling, and clashing weapons together. "What's happening out there?" Gimli asked Legolas. His view was blocked by a tall parapet. Legolas turned to look at him. "Shall I describe it to you? Or shall I find you a box!" Gimli let out a hearty laugh. Dwarves. I really do not know how they do it, especially just before battle. Though I had fought many before, I felt sick from nerves. My senses hadn't become attuned yet.

"Describe it if you will," I invited Legolas, with a hand gesture. He shrugged. "Very dark. I doubt the men can see through the rain, but the orc torches are very bright. They seem to have lots of siege ladders and there are a few men of the east with them as well. It makes quite a fearsome picture." I nodded my head slowly. Bad odds.

Aragorns voice rang out, giving commands. "Draw!" Bowstrings were pulled back. I slid a dart from my quiver and readied myself to through. Twang. An old man lost his arrow, and it hit an orc. The 'thock' was barely audible over the racket of the orcs, but they fell silent. "Hold!" Aragorn yelled. This command was repeated by Gamling and others along the battlements. Bang. The dead Urak finally fell to the ground. We all held our breath, the Uraks growling angrily. Then they began to run at us. The battle had begun.

"Prepare to fire!" Bow strings were drawn back to the fullest, and arrows were aimed. Legolas turned to Gimli and I. "Their armour is weak at the neck and beneath the arm." I nodded at him. That was useful to know. "Release arrows!" Simultaneously all arrows were released. I threw my dart at random into the melee below. I didn't hear where it hit, the orcs were too far away. But I did hear a large Urak fall to the ground around where I was aiming. You never know. Tens of Uraks fell to the ground, pierced. Others fell over their fallen. Theoden was heard from a hundred meters to the left on the battlements. "Give them a volley." Gamling shouted "Fire!". Aragorn repeated the order. More Urak- Hai fell.

But they were getting angrier and more aggressive. Several had crossbows and shot down several men. "Fire at will!" Aragorn shouted over the commotion. I obliged. Within twenty seconds I had sent three arrows onto the orcs directly below us. Two got hit through the top of the skull, another in the collarbone. Different parts of the body made different noises when hit. I had memorized them all. Disgusting, I know, but incredibly useful. "Come on," Gimli growled, bored. "Send them to me." I rolled my eyes. I did not understand his excitement in battle. The archers continued to fire down onto the oncoming hoard. Thock, thock, thack. Three men fell down a few meters from out trio. They toppled over the wall, but that was not the worry. "Ladders!" Aragorns cry rang out alarmed. They clattered into place along the walls. Gimli cried out. "Good!" "There is nothing good about it!" I yelled over my shoulder to him. Another orc down. Current total- 6. I threw another dart, impaling an orc climbing the ladder through the face.

"Swords, Swords!" An order from Gamling sounded. I disobeyed this. I wasn't very good with the sword, and I was more effective with darts. Legolas also disobeyed, but Gimli hefted up his axe. Aragorn stowed his bow away and drew Anduril.

The first Urak came over the battlements, Gimli hacking it through the middle. Another orc came over from another ladder swinging a mace and killing the warriors around him. Pulling out a dart I predicted his next move and got him through the side. Aragorn dodged a blow and a xing sounded as he slit its throat. There was no time for fancy through the armour blows in battle. I heard him stumble just as I slew a Wildman with a crossbow. A soft blow of wind and a thump told me he had fallen just behind me. Before I had time to react, an orc jumped off the top of the ladder over my head, as I instinctively ducked. Thump, whoosh, it raised a weapon to take a piece out of his chest, just as Aragorn parried it. I whirled around to stab it with an arrow, but tottering steps and the crack of dwarf steel told me Gimli got it first. Something that was round and head- like fell onto my boot. Without precision I kicked it, where it luckily hit a Urak hard in the head.

But the battlements were getting too busy. I could not fight well in crowded spots, and the noise was getting to confusing. No longer could I tell different people through the vibrations in the ground or the sound of their heartbeats. I had to rely on footsteps and smell alone.

Pulling out my long knife, I whirled around and stuck an orc underneath the arm. Its heartbeat stopped immediately, and it fell down the ladder, knocking down two of its comrades. Eleven down. "Legolas!" Gimli yelled over the melee. "Four already!" I nodded to him. "Eleven." Legolas yelled over the twang of his bowstring. "I'm on nineteen!" I shook my head. What was the point of these competitions? "I'll have no pointy ears out-scoring me!" Gimli yelled to both of us. Aragorn ignored us all, and began kicking down a ladder. I rushed to help him, and together we pushed it down.

Ladders, I thought. If we can get rid of the ladders, it will injure and slow them down. But the traditional kicking method was slow and dangerous. An enemy could easily hack your arm or leg. An idea dawned on me. It was earlier in battle than I was expecting, but it was time to use my wings.

Stepping to a relatively calm spot, I unfastened my cloak and put it through my belt. "What are ya' doin' mate?" A voice called from my left. I yelled a "You'll see!" In his general direction. I attracted a few brief glances, but no-one had the time to stare in the heat of battle, which I was grateful for. I made my way to the parapets and quickly clambered onto one, stabbing a Wildman as I went. I attracted a few stares now. Then I jumped off.

Immediately my wings engaged, snapping out and bringing me back into the air. But I wasn't needed there. Grabbing onto a space on a ladder, I wedged myself between the wall and the ladder. Hands on a rung, feet on the wall, wings ready to engage. I winced as and unobservant orc stepped on my fingers. I pushed. My body created a lever and the ladder quickly toppled over onto the orcs below. They screamed, as I fell, then flew to the next one. Repeat. It only took around 10 seconds to push over and get to the next, and it wasn't that dangerous. I know, I'm awesome. On the fifth one I heard Gimli at the top. "Hello!" I called to him, when I had pushed the ladder over. "Hey!" He yelled at me. "Those only count as one each!" I shook my head as I got to the next one.

As I reached the final fourteenth one, there was a sliding of shields. "Causeway!" Aragorn yelled from somewhere above me, to my right. The whistle of arrows and the toppling of orcs told me that the archers had gotten some. I added two darts to the ranks. Before the archers could reload though, I decided to use an old faithful trick. I glided fast to the side of the causeway, wings outstretched, head lowered. One wing was sticking out onto it. The orcs didn't know what was coming. A rock hard wing smashed into their ranks, scattering them like nine pins. My wing was jarred, nothing more. I repeated the trick with the other wing. All Uraks successfully incapitated.

A random commander screeched out from the other side of the battlefield. I could smell burning. Was something on fire? In a quick sprint, I reached the other side. There was a crackling sound as well. The enemies began chanting, as if in a race. The crackling and the burning came from a Urak in the middle of it all. "Darke, Legolas, Togo hon dad!" (Darke, Legolas, bring him down!) Aragorn yelled in sindrian. Something was seriously wrong if he was using his first language. I threw and arrow at it, but it glanced off the helm. I cursed, and drew another, hovering in the air.

What a stupid idea. No sooner did I throw the dart, a crossbow bolt hit me directly under the sternum. Thanks to my rock hard skin, it didn't pierce immediately, but I felt a trickle of blood make its way down my stomach. I also dropped down, falling onto the wall winded. Ow, my shoulder. I struggled to get up, catching my breath. Thock. I smiled. Legolas had hit the beast, but the crackling still increased. With a raw, it lunged and fell on the ground- beneath the wall? How was that possible? I didn't get to find out. With the loudest bang I ever heard, the wall caved in underneath me, just as I had almost regained my feet.

My left eardrum bled from the noise. There was a great flash of heat for a second. I think my trousers caught fire. I was falling. That wasn't unfamiliar, though I was back first. I covered my front with my wings out of instinct. Something hard and rocky hit my head. That hurt. Tears came to my eyes for a second. Then there was the impact. I felt my back arch, and then I bounced on the ground very painfully. Both my wings spread out at awkward angles after some kind of boulder fell on me. I took a dusty breath and coughed. The pain was very intense as well. Something crushed my foot, and lots of stuff- I'm not sure what- fell over my middle. Something sharp scratched my side. Those were the last real sensations, before I relaxed.

I felt sleepy. Tired. Strange, considering I hadn't actually slept in the last 6000 years, but I didn't bother to think of that. All I felt like was relaxing, falling into the deep abyss of unconsciousness. Was it possible that something darkened as I drifted? No, but that's what it felt like. My last thoughts were incredibly stupid. The first one was 'I think Legolas still has that necklace of mine. I should have got it back. Meh.' The second one was slightly more sane. 'Where is Gandalf when you need him?' I thought. 'He was here this morning.' My last thought was the stupidest of all. 'I hope the boys don't kill me for falling asleep in battle. Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas would be pissed.' I realized that I was covered in slime, and orc blood. And my own blood. 'Nah, Aragorn would be curious, and Legolas would be more concerned. Sweet of him really.' As I said, those last thoughts were really stupid.

Past experiences from our journey, and present moments mixed together. Boom. Maybe the gate was breaking. Heat. Something on fire was chasing us, something from Morgoth. Water rushing past me, soaking a body part. Not sure which. Quiet leaves rustling, and a sense of fear for what I had to do. Scraping as metal slid on rock, maybe a shield? I didn't care. Talking to someone, a normal conversation between friends. Yelling about a gate. Sadness. People left by boat, dead and alive. Boom as something hit another. A ram maybe? Flying and falling, holding someone against me, them clinging on for life. Warmth of dawn, or maybe fire. Meeting and old friend in a curious place. Talking with the same friend as before, actually smiling and laughing this time. The first time I had done so for 6000 years. Ground vibrating, a deep noise sounding, horse hooves beating. Pressing an object into someone's hand, a person I cared for. Believe. Then everything ended. All sensation, all thought, all emotion and memories. There was nothing. And I embraced it.


YAAAAYYYY! Everyone loves the battle of Helms Deep, am I right? :) I hope you all enjoyed, and thank-you for reading. All reviews are welcome, and constructive criticism would be great. Dislikes are welcome as well, as long as they have a legitimate reason.

Once again, thank- you. :)