Yo. 'Sup, fellow readers. This, this has been one of the most intense chapters of all to write. For almost four hours, I typed frantically away, trying to make it as realistic and awesome as possible. I hope this meets your expectations, and please leave a review!
BTW, little trivia. Helm's Deep isn't actually the name of the fortress. The fortress itself is called the Hornburg, while the valley is called Helm's Deep. Bet most of you didn't know that! The Hornburg consists of a huge stone keep built against the wall of the mountain, with another thick wall curving around it. The songs of Rohan say that as long as there are men to defend it, the Hornburg will never fall. Lesson over!
Oh, and you guys should definitely check out Chapter 3, which has undergone a massive rewrite. Chapter 21 had some minor changes added to it after LightningScar raised a valid point. Chapter 17 also had a minor plot point reworked, explaining exactly how Boromir lived. And you might also want to take a quick look over Chapter 16, which gives the demigods' elvish names and meanings.
That's all I have to say, enjoy the story!
On with the tale!
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Aragorn
Lady Eowyn met them at the doorway of Helm's Deep. Aragorn dismounted, sighing. "Your people are safe, My Lady." He tried not keep his voice neutral, but a tone of sadness must have escaped him, for Eowyn suddenly looked concerned. She looked back at the Rohirrim which were entering the fortress, and she realized the cause of his sorrow.
"Lord Boromir, and the child! Where are they?"
The battlefield. Wargs snapping, Orcs swinging their scimitars. Horsemen stabbing with their spears. Aragorn sliced off the feet of a warg, crippling it and causing it to throw off its rider, which he quickly finished off. Gimli ran past him, wielding his axe skillfully, while keeping a count under his breath. Aragorn ducked out of the way of another Rohirrim, and took a quick sweep of the battlefield, searching for his next target.
A warg rider was suddenly upon him, throwing itself on him with its scimitar raised. Aragorn hurriedly sidestepped the charge, elbowing it in the gut as it went by and slicing its head off with a neat backhand. He heard another warg approaching, and was about to kill it until he saw it was Boromir riding atop it. Boromir gave him a rushed wave, while trying desperately to hold on to the warg.
They were winning this battle. There were only a few clusters of wargs left, and they were rapidly being rounded up by the rest of the Rohirrim. He saw Nico raising his sword, presumably to cause one of his earthquakes, when he turned and saw his target, a cluster of warg riders on a cliff edge. Being taller than Nico, he saw what the boy couldn't. Boromir was among the circle of riders, valiantly fighting them off. Panicked, he ran towards Nico. "Nico, NO!"
Too late, the blade slammed into the ground, and a shockwave emanated from the point of impact. The cliff broke off, and sent the wargs and the orcs falling. At the very last moment, it seemed as though Boromir would make it, as he made a run for safety. But then an orc managed to grab hold of a strap of his armor, and with a jerk, Boromir fell back over the cliff.
"NO! Boromir!" Nico saw Boromir too, and ran forward, as if to try and throw himself off the cliff as well. Aragorn captured him in a flying tackle. "No! It's too late for him. You can't throw your life away like this!"
Nico ignored him and struggled out of his grasp. The last he saw of him was a black figure leaping off the edge of the cliff. When he managed to get up and run to the cliff, he saw nothing below but a long fall and a raging river.
Aragorn tried to maintain a stoic expression, but Gimli stepped forward and told Eowyn the truth. "They fell."
Eowyn looked stricken, and turned to him. He turned away, walking into the fortress. War always left casualties, he was familiar with this fact. War can take away your best now, he hadn't realize just how strong of a bond he now shared with the fellowship. I can't keep losing people like this. First Gandalf fell, then Boromir nearly died. Frodo left with Annabeth and Sam for Mordor. Pippin, Thalia and Merry, taken by the orcs. Percy off searching for them. Now Boromir and Nico are gone. Out of the original thirteen, how many are we now? He sighed, then stood up and went back into the hold. There would be time to mourn later. For now, they had to prepare for a battle.
"Women and children to the caves! Women and children to the caves!"
"Quickly now!"
"All men who can hold a sword or spear here!"
"Keep moving!"
The hall was alive with subdued activity. Women and children gave tearful farewells to their fathers, husbands, sons or brothers. Soldiers directed them into the caves, while others distributed weapons from the armory. Eowyn stood by the side of the hall, watching sadly as the villagers were outfit for battle. Spears were given to boys barely fourteen winters old. Swords and shields given to elderly farmers. There were young men, to be sure, but far too few of them. An oversized helmet was given to a boy. Another took up a battle axe and touched the dried bloodstains on the edges with something akin to horror. Another boy wearing chain mail too big for him struggled to pick up a heavy wooden shield.
Aragorn picked up one of the swords from the armory. It was battered and far too rusty to be of use. He gave it a disapproving look and tossed it away. He found Gimli and Legolas on one of the far sides of the room and made his way towards them. "Farmers, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers. This is no army."
"Aye." Gimli agreed. "Most have seen too many winters."
"Or too few." Legolas commented, watching as a boy of thirteen winters was taught to hold a sword. The boy gazed at the weapon in his hand, his eyes wide with worry. The soldier teaching him looked away, as if disgusted with himself. Legolas turned to him. "I can see it in their eyes. They are frightened. Most of them have never even seen an orc before."
Eowyn spotted them among the crowd and made her way towards them. Her eyes were downcast. "Look at our men." She said sadly. "Their courage hangs by a thread. I fear for them. They are no warriors, and few of them have ever experienced battle. What should we do?"
Aragorn turned to her. "How many do we number?"
"Too few. I have sent scouts, and they report the tramping of orcs can be heard from miles away. Hundreds. Thousands. Far too many."
Legolas frowned, gesturing to the ragtag army of farmers and farriers. He hissed to Aragorn."They are frightened, and they should be. Them, against ten thousand orcs!"
Gimli put a restraining hand on Legolas' side, too short to reach his shoulder. "They have better chance of defending themselves here than at Edoras. The rock here is good rock. It would take many orcs to breach it."
Legolas put a hand to his forehead. "They are no warriors, Gimli, Aragorn. Even if they were, they have no hope of winning against those odds. They are all going to die!"
A heat flared up in Aragorn. "Then I will die as one of them." He declared grimly, turning away from Legolas. Behind him, he heard Gimli and Legolas talking in quiet tones. Eowyn touched his shoulder, and he turned. She had heard every word, but her pose was still strong. She refused to be cowed. Aragorn respected that.
Eowyn tried hard to smile. "I am touched by your loyalty, Aragorn. I only pray that all the men of Rohan will share your spirit."
Aragorn nodded. "Have you sent out Riders?"
"I fear we have none to spare, My lord. We shall need every fighting man we have to defend the keep." She gave the band of drafted soldiers a sorrowful glance, then lapsed into a lament for her people.
"Where now the horse and rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and harvest, and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow,
The days have gone down in the West behinds the hills into shadow "
She sighed and turned away, walking out of the room.
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The entire keep was awoken the next morning by sounds of tramping feet echoing through the valley. The sound drew almost all the men of Rohan to the battlements, where they stared in dismay at the far end of the valley. A line of black, stretching far back. Snarls and growls bounced off the walls, audible even from that distance. The orcs were entering the valley, all ten thousand of them. Aragorn called for a spyglass, and observed Saruman's hordes approaching, carrying the banner of the White Hand. Warg riders, Uruk Hai, Dunlanders, Easterlings. Siege engines were pulled behind them. Ladders, ballistae, battering rams. It was a formidable army they faced, and utterly merciless. Their bloodlust was almost tangible. It was a sight to stop a man's heart.
Once they were in the valley, it would only take hours before the army was camped by the gates of Helm's Deep, and the battle would begin. Aragorn walked through the ranks at the battlements, steadying hands and shouting out words of encouragement, but the oppressive fear was everywhere. Eventually, he called Eowyn to send them back down into the keep.
Eowyn was suddenly standing next to him, looking out over the valley worriedly. "If Rohan ever needed help now, it would be now. We would need a miracle to save ourselves this time. The Deeping Wall is strong, but Saruman would have thought of that before sending his army. I fear we will not last long."
Aragorn opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly shut it as he felt a slight rumble travel the length of the valley. It was strong enough to be noticeable, but caused no damage...yet. In an instant, sudden hope roared in his heart. Eowyn turned to him, her eyes panicked. "Is this some new devilry of Saruman's? Has he mastery over the earth now?"
Aragorn's face broke out into a broad smile. "No...You asked for a miracle, Eowyn? I think that's him coming now."
If the orcs felt the rumble, they didn't do anything. The army continued to march into the valley, over half of them already inside. The army stretched out like sand against the shore, all eager to destroy everyone in the fortress. For an instant, it seemed as if nothing was going to happen after all. Only for an instant. The very next moment, all chaos was unleashed. Huge tremors shook the earth by the orcs, causing hundreds of them to lose their balance. More and more tremors struck the unsuspecting army, until the earth was literally shaking at their feet. Their howls and screams of panic now echoed off the valley, bringing everyone that could be spared up to the battlements, looking upon the scene in wonder.
The ground was now shaking so much that none in the army could keep their balance for long, constantly tripping and falling over. As if that wasn't enough, the chaos went up another level, with the earth seeming to gain a mind of its own. Gaping fissures and pits yawned open beneath the orcs, sending them screaming to their doom. Pillars or spikes of rock shot up from the ground, throwing more into the air, shrieking with terror at this unprecedented attack. Trenches sunk low into the ground, stone walls flew up arbitrarily. All through this, the earthquake continued with unparalleled ferocity. There was no one in that army who could stand upright now without falling seconds later. For good measure, a tall, brawny figure on one of the cliffs could be seen pushing enormous boulders to the edge of the cliff and chucking them over as a little gift to the army below.
The men of Rohan, who had been quiet all this time, watching the miracle unfold, were silent at first, then loud cheers and whoops were raised from the walls, rejoicing as the army continued to stumble and fly. There were no more curses and growls now. All they heard were screams and yells of terror. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli watched, speechless.
All of a sudden, the earthquake stopped, and the earth was still. Saruman's army could hardly believe it for a moment, standing up shakily and waiting for the next horror to happen. For ten whole minutes, they waited. Nothing happened. All that was left of the attack was the walls and trenches left behind by the earth. The first orc took a step forward, then another. A ragged cheer rose from the army, with an renewed bloodlust, they started marching... then the earthquake began again.
The entire army lost it then, and as one scrambled for the exit of the valley. When they lost their balance, they tried to crawl, not that it made any difference. Their cries were as sweet music to the assembled villagers of Edoras in Helm's Deep.
The earth attacked and rested many more times. Once, nothing happened for two whole hours, and the orcs managed to take ten steps forward before the earth burst into dance again. The whole thing stretched into the afternoon. Five whole hours interspersed with long calm pauses, then sudden, ferocious attacks. Finally, the attack stopped entirely. Still the orcs didn't attack. Even if they had been clear-headed enough to stand without immediately collapsing to the floor in a dizzy fit, none of them really felt like navigating the horrible obstacle course left by the quake. The once flat floor of the valley was now pockmarked with hundreds of pits and spires of rocks jutting out. Low trenches embedded with rocky spikes, or high rock walls with a low pit right beyond them, or even walls with trenches on both sides would have conspired to utterly frustrate the army and effectively slow them to a crawl. Not a single member of the army seemed willing to take another step into the accursed valley. They all fled outside to regroup and attack some other night.
There would be no attack tonight.
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The mood was incredibly festive down in the Great Hall. Everyone had a smile on their face, and barrels of beer were found and broken out for a night of rejoicing. Rumors and wild theories about the attack were all over the hall, from Aule the Smith striking the earth with his tools to one of Saruman's spell backfiring to dwarves tunneling underneath the army. Over a tankard of beer, the three companions sat over a table, discussing the day's happenings.
"It was the lad Nico, wasn't it?" Gimli asked, chuckling with fond laughter as he remembered the sight of the flying orcs. "That lad sure knows how to fight with earth!"
Aragorn laughed too. "I thought I had seen all the wonders Middle Earth had to offer. Who knew there were more wonders from outside Middle Earth?"
Legolas was a bit more subdued, though he was smiling. "Forgive me, Aragorn. I was wrong to despair. I should have remembered Percy's words to never give up hope."
Aragorn smiled as he clapped him lightly on the back. "There is nothing to forgive, Legolas."
Eowyn then joined them at the table, her posture significantly lighter than before, a bright smile replacing the earlier worry. "By the Valar, I asked for a miracle, and we were delivered! What happened?"
Aragorn was about to answer when the great wooden door suddenly resounded with hard knocking. "OPEN UP, OR I WILL GET MY FRIEND THE EARTHSHAKER TO SEND THE CASTLE DOWN!" Someone yelled through the door. The hall suddenly exploded with whispers of fear or excitement.
Eowyn half-turned to Aragorn. "Is the man at the door serious? Is the Earthshaker on our side?"
Aragorn chuckled. "No, just our good friend Boromir having a laugh." He ran to the door, throwing it open as fast as he could. Boromir was on a horse outside, with a exhausted but triumphant son of Hades behind him.
Boromir suddenly found himself enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. He laughed and returned the hug wholeheartedly. Nico noticed Aragorn eyeing him next, and hurriedly tried to get off his horse, but he was just a mite too slow, and Aragorn took him into his arms as well.
Gimli was next, and he gazed at both of them, shaking his head. "Why...You two are two of the luckiest, canniest and most reckless people I have ever known!" Nico managed to evade his hug this time, but Gimli managed to throw his arms around Boromir's waist.
"Well, who are the others?" Nico asked good-naturedly.
"Why, that'll be Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Frodo and the rest of the little hobbits, of course. The Fellowship of the Ring." Gimli retorted promptly, earning another round of laughter.
Legolas clapped both of them on the back lightly. "Mellon nin, It is great to see you again."
"And you too, Legolas." Boromir nodded. He then spotted a tankard of beer on one of the tables and his eyes lit up. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Nico and I need to refill."
"And take a nap too." Nico yawned. "I once told Percy, 'with great power, comes great need to take a nap'. Wake me up at noon tomorrow."
Aragorn called for some more meat and bread and set the plate in front of the starving duo. The food vanished almost immediately, and the second plate was wiped clean just as fast. Eowyn looked shocked at first at the sheer speed at which the food disappeared, but didn't say anything, watching Nico with wide eyes.
"So...Nico, was it? Were you the one to...do that earlier?" She asked hesitantly.
Nico shrugged. "Boromir helped. A little." Boromir mock glared at him, and he relented. "Okay, a lot. He was the one who came up with the idea to buy you guys time in the first place. He also prepared got food for me while I unleashed Tartarus on those monsters, that kept me going, though I was too exhausted to even consider standing up when I was done."
"It's true." Boromir confirmed. "He passed out for nearly three hours after the orcs retreated. Almost gave me a heart attack as well, if he had not been breathing normally." He then walked off, presumably to get some more beer.
"How is this possible? A child with...these abilities?" Eowyn breathed.
Nico cast Aragorn a sidelong glance, and he nodded once, telling him Eowyn could be trusted. He then launched into a short explanation about himself and his heritage. When it was over, Eowyn had to sit down for a while.
Aragorn found Boromir refilling his tankard and got him to tell him the whole story.
"You see, when I fell down that cliff, I blacked out. Lorien himself appeared to me in a vision, telling me that there was help coming, and I needed to buy all of us some more time. I must have landed on something soft, perhaps one of the wargs Nico sent down with me, so I survived the fall. Nico met up with me later, and both of us thought up a plan to send these orcs running off for a while." He grinned, downing his beer in three mouthfuls.
Aragorn grasped his shoulders. "Help is coming? More help?"
Boromir nodded determinedly. "We just need to hold out for some more time, and we can win this. I am sure of it."
Aragorn laughed. "That is the best news I have heard for weeks. Perhaps things are looking up."
"That they are, my friend. That they are."
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Nico
Nico woke up the next afternoon with the sun shining in his eyes and a tartarus of a headache in his skull. Groaning, he tried to sit up, ignoring his head's complaints and the sudden twinge of nausea. He tottered to the sides of the room and pulled the curtains firmly shut, then went back to lie on his bed to nurse his headache.
Two loud knocks sounded on his door. Nico glanced at it out of the corner of his eyes, not really feeling up to walking just yet. Maybe if he ignored it they would go away.
"Nico? Are you awake yet?" Aragorn's voice sounded through the door.
Nico contemplated answering, then settled for a feeble groan.
Aragorn then pushed the door open, and broke into a slight smirk upon seeing him on the bed. "Looks like you had a bit too much to drink last night, Daechir."
Nico frowned, raising his head slightly. "Is that what's causing the headache?"
Aragorn chuckled. "Aye. Looks like you have just had your first hangover. How many mugs did you have?"
Nico's head flopped back unto the pillow. "Is that what it feels like? By the river Styx, I shall never drink beer again. I remember Boromir kept passing them to me, and I was so whacked out I didn't really register it. Oh by the Nine Rivers of Hades!"He clutched his head again, cursing.
Aragorn valiantly tried to suppress his mirth, settling instead for bringing Nico copious amounts of hot herbal tea to try and clear his head. They tasted horrible, but it did have the effect of taking his mind of his headache. After two pots of tea, he was desperate for something else to wash the taste out of his mouth. Aragorn then took him to the Great Hall, where a small lunch was just being served by the village women.
Hushed whispers broke out the moment he entered the room. Nico picked out the words 'Earthshaker', 'Orcs Bane', 'Earth Lord', 'Istari' or 'Maiar'. Nico squirmed slightly, uncomfortable at being the centre of attention. Luckily, Aragorn knew him well enough, and led him to a table in the corner to eat in peace.
The rest of the day seemed to drag on. Everyone in the keep knew the orcs would return tonight, and were training feverishly and getting as ready as possible. Even now, scouts could be seen entering the valley and testing the ground cautiously in case of another attack. Much as he would have liked to send them off again with a good scare, yesterday's attack had taken a lot out of Nico, even with the frequent rests stops, and he didn't think he could reproduce it on that scale. He should save his strength for the battle tonight.
Everyone seemed to be watching him, hoping that he could pull off a repeat of yesterday's awesome attack. All eyes seemed to be on him. He hated it. He just wanted to find somewhere he could be alone. Midway through the afternoon, Aragorn hunted him down resting (hiding)in the shadow of a large stone column and somehow talked him into training a group of thirteen year olds basic defensive maneuvers. Watching them struggle to lift the full size adult shields, he now realized what Percy must have felt months ago, as Camp Half Blood prepared for war. These children were so young, and they didn't even have the slight advantage of being half-bloods. He felt like he was only teaching them to delay their deaths for a few seconds. Aragorn and Boromir walked through the keep, encouraging the people with words or little deeds. Gimli and Legolas were more reserved, but they did what they could to prepare for the night. Nico wished with all his heart that the night would come faster so he could get it over with.
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Night fell. Outside, it would have been impossible to see much, if not for the ten thousand pinpricks of torchlight flickering below at army of Saruman. They had come to attack. It had taken them all day, but they had finally arrived. Nico took his place beside Gimli and Boromir while everyone in the castle who could shoot well took their places on the outer wall. Legolas would be in charge there while Boromir prepared a team of swordfighters at the inner wall just in case the orcs broke through.
Eowyn strode across the battlements of the outer wall in battle armor, with the King's sword Herugrim in hand. She turned to Aragorn. "Do any of you have any words to say to the men to encourage them?"
"How about 'Stay safe, Don't die?'" Nico snarked, trying to lighten the mood.
Only Gimli chuckled while Legolas and Aragorn groaned simultaneously. "Thank you, Nico. That was very inspiring." Aragorn deadpanned.
Eowyn sighed. "I shall have to do this myself, then." She turned to the men. "Men of Rohan. I do not need to remind you what is at stake here. The forces of Mordor encroach on our borders. Shall we let them pass without a fight? If you need further encouragement, think of your families in the caves. If the orcs breach the Deeping Wall, they will all be lost. All of you know the songs of old. The minstrels say that no foe will ever take the Hornburg, if men defend it. I for one, will fight til my last breath until the monsters are vanquished and Rohan is free once more. Though Theoden King is not here, I feel he would have said the same. Fight for your families. Fight for your freedom. Fight for Rohan."
She raised Herugrim in the air. "Who is with me?!" She demanded. A resounding cry echoed as the men held out their swords, spears and bows, cheering. "FOR ROHAN!" Nico stomped a foot on the ground for dramatic effect, sending a slight tremor through the ground and sending the orcs into a frenzy of panicked shouts and grunts, which only served to encourage the people even more.
Just at the moment when the people's hopes were highest, with courage and hope at their peak, something happened to send everything crashing back down.SHRIEEEEK!All sound from the keep hushed in an instant, as hearts sank in unison, and all eyes turned fearfully to the direction of the sound. From the East, silhouetted against the bright moon, a gigantic beast with draconic wings soared towards the valley. At the sight of it, the orcs started cheering and beating their shields, laughing with triumph and an assured victory. Eowyn's face was pale. "A Dwimmerlaik."
Nico's own blood chilled as the creature approached, letting out another chilling SHRIEEK. He had faced many monsters before, and he had very little fear of the dead, but those wraiths were something else. They radiated pure fear and evil, the same feeling Nico felt whenever he ventured near the Pit of Tartarus in his father's realm. With only the slightest hesitation, he summoned his sword from the shadows. The people of Rohan were absolutely no match for this monster. Hopefully he would be able to hold it off, if only to allow time for the villagers to retreat back. He grabbed Eowyn's arm urgently. "Get the people to the castle, to the caves. I'll try to delay that monster a bit."
Eowyn was shocked. "No, Never! We cannot ask this of you."
Nico brandished his sword in front of her. "I am no normal child, you know that. I have a better chance of surviving. Go!" His words sounded brave, but inside, he suddenly understood exactly how Gandalf must have felt as he had last seen him, standing by the bridge, determinedly facing a foe which he knew he had very little chance of surviving.
Eowyn didn't back down. "The people can leave, but I am not leaving you here alone."
Nico jerked a thumb at Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, who were frantically trying to come up with something. "I'm not alone. Now there's no time to waste. You have to make your people go NOW!"
Eowyn hesitated, then whirled and called to her people in a commanding voice. "People of Rohan, retreat! Enter the caves! RUN!"
A portion of the men hurried down into the keep, but some remained. At least fifty men remained, resolutely vowing to do whatever they could to keep their family and country safe. Nico, Eowyn and Aragorn had a discussion which involved Nico saying "I'll do whatever I can to distract or annoy that monster to keep its attention off you guys, while you guys try to defend the keep, okay?" before immediately shadow-travelling off to find a spot where he could get the monster's attention.
He didn't have to look very long. Slowly, as if it had all the time in the world, the Nazgul descended into the valley, the beast flapping it's huge wings slowly. Below him, the battle horns sounded with a terrific blast, making him nearly jump out of his skin at the sudden sound. Battle had been engaged. The Rohirrim by the inner wall were brought up to the outer wall, where they sent an arrow rain at the orcs below while valiantly trying to repel the orc's siege engines. Grappling hooks were fired from below, pulling up huge ladders where the orcs swarmed. The Rohirrim were kept busy running around the wall, frantically slicing through ropes and killing any orcs nearby. Gimli ran to a spot where a ladder had already been raised and slammed his axe onto the ground, dislodging the ladder immediately. Legolas fired a steady stream of arrows downwards and towards the occasional ladder that came up his side. The orcs were in range to use their ballistae, and dozens of bolts flew towards the walls, piercing many. Nico could feel the souls of the people leaving, going into Mandos' realm, and he whispered a quiet greek blessing to speed them along. He didn't know if it would work here in Middle Earth, but that was the best he could do.
Faster than he would have thought, the Nazgul was nearing the keep. Nico took a deep breath, then concentrated on the cliffs around the Nazgul, commanding them as a Son of Hades. His brow furrowed, and suddenly a huge section of the cliff broke free and slammed right into the Nazgul below, sending it plummeting to the ground with a furious SHRIEEEK! and burying it in a pile of rock and stone. The men by the wall sent up a grateful cheer, and repelled the orcs with renewed hope. Nico stumbled, temporarily woozy from the sudden drain in energy, then straightened up. That attack wouldn't have killed the wraith. At best, he had only stunned the beast. At worst, he had pissed off the wraith and brought it's attention to him.
Sure enough, from below the rubble, something shifted, and the beast broke out, snarling and growling. As if on cue, thunder rumbled ominously and jagged streaks of lightning forked the air as the beast advanced. Nico stretched out his hand, causing a pillar of earth to erupt from the ground, rising to impale the beast. Unfortunately, the Rider saw the attack coming this time, and the fell beast veered away just in time.
The beast stopped mid-air, flapping its black wings to gain altitude. There was a horrible sound, which Nico recognized as laughter. His heart clenched as the Nazgul spoke in a hissing voice, magically magnified. "A valiant attempt, but such tricks rarely work a second time." It sneered. "I see you, boy, cowering behind the walls. Surrender, and you shall be spared. Continue to ressist, and you shall be destroyed along with the entire castle."
Nico drew himself up with an effort of will, holding up an arm to shield his face from the stinging rain. "Not going to happen, Tartarus spawn." He held out both arms, and suddenly rock spikes jutted out from both sides of the cliff, but the Nazgul soared out of the way.
"Very well, have made your choice. Die then, with the rest of them." The fell beast swung around and dived straight for the castle walls. The men on the walls scattered in a frenzy. Nico was suddenly pulled off his feet by Aragorn and swung over his broad shoulders. The beast continued on a course straight towards the castle. At this rate, it could very well break a hole in the wall.
Then the impossible happened. A blinding white bolt of lightning burst from the clouds, and streaked straight towards the hulking beast. In that instant, the beast screamed as tendrils of electricity wrapped around its body, lighting up the night sky in a brilliant flash. Instead of disappearing, the lightning flew continually from the cloud, as if the Nazgul had somehow gone too close to a Tesla coil. It reminded him of one of Thalia's light – Oh… Nico started laughing with joy and relief. Thalia! The beast writhed in the air, screaming as coils of smoke started to curl from it's body. But amazingly, it stayed in the air, slowly making progress forwards. It wasn't enough. Suddenly, like Thalia's bolt, a flash went off in his mind, and a grim smile crossed his face. well, doesn't look like the beast is going anywhere... He concentrated again, feeling that tugging in his gut. The earth underneath the Nazgul churned, and erupted up in a pillar, the tip as sharp as any sword. The beast had no chance of swerving this time, and the spike punched through it's body like a hot knife through butter. There was a final scream of pure agony that made everyone want to cover their ears, and the beast died, still impaled on the spire. The lightning continued to wrap around the beast for several seconds, then disappeared into the night, leaving a white afterimage in everyone's eyes. It was dead. There was a shriek of pure anger, and the Rider's robes collapsed as the wraith was gone too. The orcs were thrown into absolute chaos.
The spell of fear over the entire defenders was immediately broken as the beast died. The cheer that rang out from the battlements almost deafened Nico and even drowned out the cry of dismay from the orcs. But the night's surprises weren't over.
Another horn rang in the night. A bright, clear note, coming from behind the orc army. Legolas was suddenly by Nico's side, his eyes shining. "That is no orc horn." He exclaimed. The orcs turned, confused, to be met with a full charge of the elven army, led by two horses. There must have been close to two hundred of the elves, with spears, swords and arrows, all charging. On one of the horses, behind the rider, a girl brandished a spear crackling with electricity. Another voice rang across the valley, a strong voice that struck new zeal into the hearts of the Rohirrim.
"Arise now, Arise, Riders of Theoden!
Dire deeds awake, dark is it Eastwards,
Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!
FORTH EORLINGAS!"
Eowyn had tears in her eyes as the Rohirrim saddled their horses in an instant and charged out to meet the group. "The King!" She wept. "Theoden King has returned!"
To hang with Theoden King! Nico thought. Thalia's back! He grabbed a nearby horse and swung himself unto it, riding out to meet his cousin. The orcs were so confused and disoriented that they parted, allowing the elven army to reach the doors safely and enter without much resistance. Some got over their shock and managed to follow, only to have great wooden doors slammed in their face.
Nico was immediately tackled in a hug by Thalia, and he actually even hugged back a little. "yeah, I missed you too, Thals." He grinned.
Thalia's cocky grin was so wide he was surprised her face didn't split in two. "That was awesome how we worked together, Nick! I held it in place and you just impaled it with that spike! Percy will be so sorry he missed that."
Nico laughed. "Yeah, that was one of the coolest moments of my life." He frowned. "Wait, speaking of Perce, where is Perce? He went off to find/rescue you."
Thalia frowned. "He did find us, but he went off with Gandalf after Isengard to gods knows where. I'm a bit worried that talk with Annabeth rattled his brains"
"Isengard? Gandalf? You found Gandalf?"
"Yep, and get this, he's twice as powerful as before!"
Nico registered another name. "Annabeth?"
Thalia sighed. "There was this…stone that could be used to communicate with others who had another stone, like some kind of middle-earthian walkie talkie. Apparently, Annabeth and Percy picked up one at the same time, and they were able to talk for a bit before the stupid thing switched channels."
Nico's eyes were wide. "You have got to fill me in after the battle."
"Deal. After the battle, which I believe is still ongoing." Thalia smirked, sprinting up the stairway of the Deeping Wall. Nico followed at a slower pace, the attack taking a lot out of him. He sighed and popped out one of the precious squares of ambrosia from his pocket. That would be enough to keep him fighting for a while, though he better not try any more landscaping at the moment. He still had a whole packet left, but he needed to be careful about it. No one knew how long they were going to be here.
The battle was still ongoing atop the wall. The orcs were furious at the death of their leader, and apparently channeled their fear into their rage, attacking with doubled ferocity. Nico was slightly surprised to see that Haldir, the elf that had blindfolded them at the edges of Lorien, was their leader, but he didn't comment. The guy did come to help, after all. The elves then greeted them "Daechir! Farothwen!" Nico decided he quite liked having an elvish name. Daechir, which apparently meant Shadow Lord, fitted him perfectly. The elvish reinforcements were definitely welcome. Now they had a chance of holding off the orcs.
More grappling lines shot up, pulling huge ladders behind them. Ballistae bolts whistled as they flew past. Some found their marks in some elves and men, but the majority still clattered harmlessly onto the ground. Ordinary arrows swarmed up, though few managed to make it as high as the wall itself. This time, the defenders were able to repel them more efficiently, sending dozens of ladders falling back into the crowd below. Aragorn got him and Thalia to kill any orcs that managed to make it up the ladders, which they did with gusto.
"Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Saruman?" Theoden laughed as he sliced the head off another orc.
"Don't tempt fate!" Nico yelled back. Theoden gave him a surprised look, but didn't say anything else.
Finally, there seemed to be a lull in the battle where the orcs stopped attacking for a moment. Aragorn began speaking with Theoden, which seemed to rapidly escalate into a small argument. Thalia glanced at Nico, who shrugged. Both then tried to creep up surreptitiously to eavesdrop.
"Do you see now, Aragorn? Let them come. They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot in the Hornburg." The King was arguing.
"This is no rabble of mindless orcs" Gimli noted. "These are Uruk Hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad. We may have repelled them for the moment, but they are tireless, and we are not."
Theoden turned away. "I have fought many wars, master dwarf. I know how to defend my own keep."
Gimli seemed miffed, and Legolas clasped his shoulders, continuing to watch. Aragorn stepped forward. "Theoden King –"
Theoden would hear none of it as he strode along the Deeping Wall. "When last I looked, Theoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan. The people are safe. The orcs shall not breach the walls."
Then the Deeping Wall exploded.
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Legolas
The blast rocked the entire wall, momentarily throwing Legolas off balance. A large portion of the wall cracked and started to fall away, along with the men and elves on it. Legolas could only watch as they fell to the ground and were trampled by hundreds of orcs. The wall had been breached. Full battle would now be engaged. Legolas didn't feel very confident about the odds this time. His face betrayed no emotion, however, as he sprinted in the direction of the stairs, nocking three arrows to his string at once. Beside him, Gimli tried to keep up on his short legs, hefting his heavy axe. Legolas didn't know what or how the wall had broken, but it must have been some devilry of Saruman's. Some kind of blasting fire. Now, the orcs streamed in, yelling in exultation. They had breached the strong outer wall. Now only the walls of the keep prevented the orcs from slaughtering Rohan.
"Be wary!" Aragorn warned. "They may have more of that blasting fire." His sword flashed as he stopped another orc's charge.
Behind him, Boromir ducked under a sword blow and kicked the orc over, ending it with a swift slash. "Nico! Can you close the gap in the walls?" Nico pulled his sword out of an orc, then held out his hand towards the walls while Thalia covered him with her spear. For a moment, it seemed like it would work, as some portions of the earth started rumbling and rising, but then Nico collapsed to the ground, utterly spent. The hole was still there. Thalia grabbed Nico and charged back into the keep, spearing any orc unfortunate enough to get in her way.
Gimli leapt off the wall into the throng below, not before yelling "A pint of ale to the one who kills most orcs!"
Legolas rolled his eyes briefly, though he did smile, then kicked up the shield of a fallen warrior then used it to surf down the stairs, at the same time firing two arrows into the necks of two orcs, straight through the gap between their helmets and their hauberks. When he reached the bottom he kicked the shield, sending it into another orc. "Three!"
Gimli muttered a dwarven curse, something about elves and showing off, then resumed hacking at another orc. "I won't have a pointy-eared elf outscoring me!"
"Herio!" Haldir cried, and the Lorien elves slung their bows in favour of their sword-staffs, leaping down as one towards the orcs . Legolas ran about the battlefield, using his bow and his knives interchangeably, his training in Mirkwood coming to his mind. He vaulted over a orc, plunging his knives into its back as he flew over it. Twenty. Another orc came at him, so he ducked low and swept out its feet from under it, pulling his knife out of the previous orc's back and sinking it into the orc in front of him. Another lorien elf struggled against three orcs, so Legolas fired an arrow into one of the orcs, allowing him to kill the other two. Twenty two.
"Hannon le!" The elf thanked him, then he too disappeared into the crowd.
A shock shot up his leg as an orc's blade glanced off his greaves. "Rhaich!" he cursed, whirling around and slashing at the unfortunate orc. Legolas glanced about him desperately. There were just too many orcs to fight here in open ground.
Apparently, Haldir realized it too. "nedin dagor hen ú-'erir ortheri!" He cried to Aragorn.
Aragorn hesitated, then made his decision. "Nan Barad! Haldir, Nan Barad!"
Legolas made a run for the keep as fast as he could. He ran across Gimli, who hadn't gotten the message and was busy holding off a particularly vicious orc. Legolas shot it in the eye. "Friend Gimli, we must make for the keep! We cannot fight here on the ground."
"I happen to like being on the ground! And that one counts as mine!" Gimli retorted, but he followed anyway.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Haldir slicing at some Uruks as he ran, but then one of the Orcs stabbed him in the arm. Legolas immediately changed course, running towards Haldir, but he was too late. Haldir killed the orc, then stared at his wound in seeming disbelief. He was too late to stop the orc that came up from behind him, slicing his neck. Haldir went down, his eyes still open in disbelief.
"HALDIR!" Legolas cried. his cry was echoed by Aragorn, who got there first and caught Haldir as he fell, while Legolas fired three arrows into the Uruks gullet, avenging the death of his friend. Haldir's head lolled back, his eyes empty. Aragorn bowed his head in grief, then leapt up with a cry and made for the gate, but not before clearing a path of dead orcs all the way through. Legolas took a moment to glance around the field, his heart heavy at the sheer number of dead elves and men, before running his way back to the keep.
The huge doors of the keep were slammed shut by the soldiers in a quick, practiced motion, and the bolts thrown, not a moment too soon. There was a huge crash from outside, and the doors bucked as if something had slammed hard into them.
"Uh, what is that?" Thalia asked worriedly, still nursing Nico a way off from the doors.
Another huge crash, and a part of the doors splintered as something heavy was smashed against it once more. "Battering ram!" Gimli cried. "Hold the doors! Shore them up!"
Crash! A hole appeared in the door, and orc faces leered in. "Draw your swords!" Theoden commanded, slashing at the faces with Herugrim. "Hold them!" Suddenly, a lance flew through the hole and hit Theoden in the shoulder. "Aargh! Hold them!"
Another soldier ran down, panicked. "Ladders, sir! They're sending up ladders!"
"Legolas!" Aragorn called.
"I'm on it!" He replied, taking off. "Thalia?"
She pulled out her bow and rested Nico's form against one of the alcoves."Coming!"
Both of them made a run towards the top of the walls, where sure enough, huge grappling hooks were slowly pulling up enormous ladders, with dozens of berserkers holding on. Thalia fired the first arrow, one with a glowing green tip. The arrow impacted into one of the ladders with a spectacular green explosion, reducing it to dust and piles of smoking armor raining back down. At Legolas' incredulous glance, she grinned. "A scaled-down version of Annabeth's jars. Artemis told us only to use them in emergencies. This qualifies."
Legolas chuckled. "Good shot, Thalia, but can you match this?" He aimed, then fired an arrow directly through two of the ropes pulling the ladder up, severing the ropes at once. The ladder fell back down. Legolas smirked. A perfect shot.
Thalia's eyes were wide, then narrowed back in determination. "Match this!" She nocked an arrow and shot at a group of orcs that had managed to make it over the wall. As the arrow impacted, ropes sprung out of the arrowhead, binding the entire group immediately.
Then began a little competition where each sought to outdo the other in their archery. Legolas was clearly the better archer, but Thalia had a better range of arrows. Together, they succeeded in felling two in every three ladders before the reached the top, and the soldiers on the wall could handle the orcs that managed to make it over the wall. Thalia took a quick glance down the wall, then gave a triumphant whoop. "Look! Aragorn and Gimli scattered the battering ram!"
Legolas ran over and looked. The battering ram was gone, but more orcs were coming up, and the doors were still shut, with Aragorn and Gimli on the other side. "Thalia! Get me a rope!"
Thalia pushed him away and fired a hydra arrow attached to a rope at them, the ropes whipping around the man and dwarf and effectively tying them to each other. She held the other end of the rope to the soldiers, who began pulling the entangled pair up with large heaves and grunts. When they cleared the wall, Thalia slashed away the ropes, not looking sorry in the least.
There was no time for anything more than quick nods, as the orcs renewed their assault on the wall with their ladders. More grappling hooks then ever before were launched, biting into the stone walls. Legolas and Thalia got busy, but they couldn't hold off this assault forever. They were tiring. By Legolas' side, yet another elf fell with a crossbow dart in his throat. Legolas turned away, ignoring the way his heart clenched, focusing instead on slicing an orc's throat with his daggers. Thirty Nine. So much death. Even now, the Uruks below picked up the battering ram again, and the doors bucked under the force of the blows.
"There're too many!" Aragorn cried.
"Fall back! Pull everyone back!" Theoden responded.
"Retreat! Into the Keep!" Another soldier yelled.
Legolas called to his elven comrades. "Nan Barad! Nan barad!"
Call it a tactical maneuver; call it a way to cut losses. It was still running away.
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"Brace the doors! Find more timbers!" Eowyn commanded, herself struggling to lift one of the tables.
Legolas went over to help her lift one of the heavy wooden tables to the door, wedging it tight alongside the other objects they had found. He went back to the hall to find another table. Gimli was there, already pulling a table behind him. Legolas picked up the other end. "Thirty nine, Gimli." He grinned slightly.
Gimli growled. "Thirty five. But the battle is not over yet." They both fell into weary chuckles.
The orcs continued banging against the door. "This is a night as long as years." He sighed. "How long will the day tarry?" How he yearned to see the sun once more.
Eowyn nodded wearily. "Dawn is not far off. But dawn will not help us, I fear."
"Yet dawn is ever the hope of men." Boromir commented as he tended to some of the wounded soldiers.
"They are breaking in." Theoden sighed, his head in his hands. "There will be no dawn for Rohan. The Uruks will not give way for dusk or dawn like the usual breed of orcs."
"Nonetheless the day will bring hope to me." Aragorn encouraged. Another heavy crash shook the walls, and the doors sagged once more. "Is there no other way for the women and children to make it out of the caves if the time comes?"
Theoden raised his head and turned to Eowyn. "Send word to the women and children to make for the mountain pass and barricade the entrance." Eowyn nodded reluctantly and departed the room. "So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?" Theoden lamented.
Aragorn looked up at one of the high windows, where faint light was beginning to stream in. "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."
A new light shone in Theoden's eyes. "For death and glory."
"For Rohan, for your people." Aragorn continued.
Theoden nodded, growing increasingly bolder. "ROHIRRIM!" He called, and all the men who could still fight swung themselves into the saddle, gripping their spears. The remaining elves also stood and unsheathed their swords. Altogether, perhaps only half of their original force was left. Theoden didn't care. "Yes. YES! The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep once more!"
"That is the most insane plan I have ever heard, even for someone who hangs around Seaweed Brain." Thalia deadpanned. Aragorn glared at her. "But I like it." She finished, mustering up some energy to twirl her spear.
Nico eyed Theoden. "You do realize that that plan is going to get us all killed, right?"
"Perhaps." Theoden answered.
"Oh, well.I'm in." He shrugged nonchalantly. His stygian iron sword rematerialized in his hand.
Aragorn faced Legolas and Gimli, who raised their weapons in reply. Gimli made his way to the huge horn, and with all his breath sounded it. The horn rang through the entire keep, bringing fresh spirit into the hearts of men and elf alike, and sending slight trepidation into the orcs outside.
Theoden mounted his horse, with Aragorn and Boromir beside him. The three of them drew their swords. The remaining Rohirrim rode behind, about forty of them, Eowyn also hidden in their ranks. The elves preferred to stay on foot, wielding their staff-swords. Legolas took his place beside Thalia and Nico behind the line. The horn blasts continued to rumble through Helm's Deep.
"Let this be the hour where we draw swords together! Fell deeds awake! Now for Wrath! Now for Ruin! And a Red Dawn!" Theoden cried, rearing and brandishing Herugrim. Soldiers then threw the doors wide open, sending the Uruks who had been charging the door sprawling into the keep. Theoden pointed Herugrim straight at them and proclaimed the battle cry of the Rohirrim. "FORTH EORLINGAS!" The orcs were instantly trampled under the hundreds of hooves, and the company burst out to meet the first rays of the dawn.
As the faint light continued to spread over the valley, Legolas suddenly noticed a forest where there had been none before, at the rear of the valley. There had been no forest in the valley of Helms Deep. Where had it sprung from? He did not ponder long. The orcs were caught by surprise, and the Rohirrim cleaved a path straight through the huge army, clearing a huge swathe of orcs. Yet with the element of surprise gone, the tide might soon turn.
He shot down two more orcs. Forty two. The orcs were starting to recover, and Theoden and Aragorn at the front of the company stopped making that much headway. Beside him, Nico took in a deep breath and prepared to make his last stand. Thalia abandoned her bow and activated Aegis and her spear. Legend would be made here. The Last Charge of the Rohirrim. Legolas turned his gaze towards the East, hoping to catch one last glance of the sun.
His eyes widened. Two horses and riders were silhouetted against the rising sun on the clifftop. One was unmistakeably that of a young boy, and the other was a rider clothed entirely in white, holding a white staff. Mithrandir...and Percy. This is wizardry indeed! His face shone with joy.
Thalia and Nico also turned to look, and broad smiles spread over their faces. "Kelp Head!" "Percy!"
Another rider joined the pair on the clifftop. Some way off, Eowyn gasped. "Is that...my brother? Eomer?!" Nico nodded, smirking slightly.
And they were not alone. Behind them, the cliff was suddenly filled with the silhouettes of at least two thousand mounted men, brandishing spears. Theoden's eyes were wide with wonder. "Eomer! He has returned with the rest of the Rohirrim!"
Eomer raised a horn to his lips and blew a ringing blast. "ROHIRRIM! TO THE KING!"
The Riders shouted, a cry of triumph, and the host charged down the sides of the valley, straight towards the Uruk Hai army. The ground started rumbling again, shaking and moving. Legolas turned to Nico, who smiled and pointed to Percy. he then closed his eyes and joined in, causing the earthquake to increase exponentially in size and magnitude.
The hosts of Isengard roared, swaying this way and that, turning from fear to fear. From the front the Hornburg and the King's Rohirrim. From the side a valley wall sheer and steep, from the other side charged the White Rider and a host of Rohirrim. From the back, a forest of certain death. And staying, the earthquake roared ever stronger, fuelled by the power of a Son of Hades and a Son of Poseidon. The Sun rose, and cast its bright rays onto the once-dark valley, and the resolve of the Uruks failed completely, dropping their weapons and running screaming for the forest. From under the forest they would never emerge again.
Not for the first time, and perhaps not the last, Legolas' normally reserved demeanour broke, and he held his bow and cheered just as loudly as the rest of them, until the entire valley shook not with the force of Nico and Percy's earthquakes, but with the sound of pure joy, triumph and relief. Soldiers dropped their weapons and threw their arms around each other, laughing and crying. The sun's glorious rays shone over the joyful scene. Rohan was safe.
The Battle of the Hornburg was won.
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How did I do? Seriously? Did I capture everything needed? Did I capture the whole 'epicness' captured in the books and the movies? Please leave a review! You know how much they encourage me!
Also, for all those who have heard of flight MH370, I encourage all of you to pray for it and it's safe return, regardless of what faith you are. Here in Malaysia, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians alike unite in a common hope that our plane will be safe. So please, do what you can.
That's all I have to say. Questions, comments and insults all go into the review box. XP
PJCrazy signing out.