A/N: I want to apologize for the horrible duration that it has taken to get this up. I really don't know what is happening to me. I know exactly what is going to happen in this story but for the life of me I cannot get myself to sit down and churn it out. It's a bloody conspiracy!
On a better note, I have so many reviews I can hardly read them all!
Okay, I lied. I have read each and every one of them at least twice! Twice!
I'm about to get off my soap box and give you guys the chapter you all so greatly deserve, but I just need to say this.
EIGHT DAYS UNTIL THE RETURN OF THE KING!
I also want to mention that this chapter contains some subject matter that is not a very comfortable subject for many, myself included. I shall try to make sure that it is vague, but you will still be able to tell what it is. I just felt I should give you all a warning.
I'm now finished. Here is the great and wondrous (I hope) chapter.
*~*~*
I just about leapt out of my skin.
I jerked up and saw that Éowyn was standing over me. She was the one that had shaken me from my troubled sleep. I glanced around and saw that not a whole lot had changed since I dosed off. The only thing that had changed was the man I was watching over was no longer with me.
I gasped and brought my hand up to his forehead only to be met with cold flesh. He was really gone, and I had slept through it. Disgusted with myself, hot tears coursed down my face. One of the most important moments of my life and I had slept right through it.
"'Twas not your fault," I soft voice said behind me.
"Yeah, it kinda was. I slept through a man's death. I pretty much was drooling on his chest and he died. DIED!" I screamed at an alarmed Éowyn. "Don't even say it. I'm fine. Just leave me be. Please." I ended in a whisper.
With a backward look she did as I bid and left me with my misery.
Misery doesn't always love company.
*~*~*
A fear-filled shout pulled me back from the brink of nothing. I had been staring at the man's empty body for I don't know how long. If that shout had come but a moment later, I believe that I would have been unreachable.
I jerked upright and looked around. Everywhere was a mass panic. Not only where the women abandoning the wounded, they were herding like cattle towards the back of the caves. I grabbed a woman as she ran by and demanded to know, "what the hell was going on."
"The Uruk-Hai are breaking in! We must flee into the hills!"
She then wrestled herself from my grip and was lost in the crowd. Okay, apparently we could get out of here through the little crack in the wall. Uh, not gonna happen here.
I started to push towards the doors. I practically had to body serf my way up there. I raced up there and shoved open the doors. All around me was more panic.
The men were racing to bar the front doors-benches, tables, hell if someone stood still long enough they would end up propped up against the door.
Suddenly Gimli came flying at me, trying to shove me back into the caves.
"Lass! Get yerself back where 'tis safe!"
"Not bloody likely, dwarf. Now let me go so I can help," I said all this in a low voice. Gimli looked up at me with wonder and then backed off like I asked.
"We can use your help barring the doors."
"Righto."
*~*~*
There was little to no time to think, only act. Even though, Aragorn still managed to find time to have what looked like one hell of a serious discussion with Théoden.
His eyes suddenly became bright with a crazed light. "My men! To me!" he ordered.
I was just at the point where I was debating whether or not to join the men, but Legolas took that decision right out of my hands.
"Stay out of the way, little one," he said with a push as he ran by.
Little one my ass.
Although I did heed his advice, I was close enough to hear Théoden issue the order to gather horses and ride out into the Uruk-Hai with him. I always did think he was a bit suicidal...
Almost instantly all of the men were tripping over their own feet to make it to the stables, (which was conveniently connected to the fortress). I used that moment of semi-peace to make contact with Babes.
'How are you doing?' I thought to her.
'As well as can be expected. You?'
'Same. Did you hear what is going on?'
'No, but I think I should know.'
'Most assuredly. Listen, when all the men come into the stables, make yourself as unobtrusive as possible. They plan to ride out and meet the Uruk-Hai and I am worried they may decide to use you since not all of the men have horses of their own.'
'Thanks for the heads up. Here they come!'
There was a pause then all of a sudden my head almost exploded with the force of her words.
'One of them has me! Help, Emily!'
She was terrified and her terror was quickly rubbing off on me.
'Take it easy! Start limping or something. You're good at that sort of thing. Just do something to make them think that they can't use you since you aren't any good or something like that! Just do not leave that stable!'
This time the pause was much, much longer. I was just about to race out into that stable when I heard her again.
'Okay, they're gone. It was a close one. They had me at the doors and then just suddenly left. I have no idea what I did.'
'Me either, but just stay there. I'll be out to see you as soon as I possibly can. Just don't do anything stupid.'
'I won't, but the same goes for you too.'
'Gotcha. Over and out.'
Just then the men started to return with their hard earned horses from the looks of it. The horses' eyes were rolling and a couple of them were frothing at the mouth. The men were dripping from their exertion.
Wisely I staid out of their way. They milled around for a few moments, until Théoden entered, and they then fell silent. I glanced out of the window far up on the wall while he was going through his little spiel. As I watched, the first rays of sunlight entered through the slit. It was then that Gandalf's words echoed in my head.
'Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.'
I was wrenched from thoughts when a tremendous noise rattled the very stones I stood upon.
"Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!" cried Théoden. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deed awake. Now for wraith! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!" He took a deep breath and let loose, "FORTH EORLINGAS!"
With that, all of the men gathered around him burst into a charge and raced out the door, leaving me alone. I ran after them and stopped at the doors just in time.
As they galloped out of the keep, the men were cutting down anything that moved around them. Amazingly the Uruk-Hai were following them right out of the courtyard. As soon as I was sure I wasn't going to be spotted, I started to slink out the door.
I was in full sunshine when I saw a silhouette blocking some of the light. I stared and it slowly formed into Gandalf. I heard him say something and another rider rode up beside him. Suddenly the hilltop was infiltrated with riders. They were everywhere and then they started to charge down the side of the hill. They came in a tidal wave.
"Is this for real or is someone screwing with my brain?" I asked no on in particular. But, some one answered.
I heard a groan and a cough behind me. I slowly turned around, fully expected to have to face down an Orc. I wasn't prepared to find a battered and broken Nria.
"Oh my God!" I breathed.
She was lying doubled over off to the side of the two doors. I raced over to her and gasped at the amount of blood around her. I grabbed her shoulder and she shrieked in terror.
"Easy. Easy, there. It's me, Emily. You're okay. You are going to be fine."
She stopped struggling and let me roll her over. Instantly I was ready to retract my statement. She was not okay. She was very far from it. Not only was her entire body a mass of scratches, some deeper than others, and bruises, she had a massive gash in her side. This was when I saw the finger marks marring her neck.
I reached up and gently traced them with my fingers. They were much to big to be made by a normal man.
"Uruk-Hai," I said in disgust.
Since she wasn't very big, I reached under her. I was just getting ready to pick her up when she finally spoke.
"Nay, do not. Emily, I beg of you, leave me. I am no longer worth it."
"What? What do you mean?" I just ignored her and picked her up anyway. I walked inside the keep again. I had to get the blood flow to stop. By the looks of it she had already lost way too much to be healthy.
I made it just inside the doors when I sank down to the floor with Nria cradled in my arms.
I suddenly felt something and stopped in my tracks. I had noticed the blood that was seeping into my front from her side, but I hadn't noticed the blood that was running down my arms. The blood that was running down her legs from under her dress.
"Oh no. Oh God, no! Nria, did they-- Did they, hurt, you more than you show?" I said as gently as I could.
She did nothing but weakly turned her face away from me.
"Forgive me. I fought them. I truly did," her voice was getting weaker and weaker with each breath.
"Nria. Oh, Nria. Hang on just for a little longer. It doesn't matter. We are going to fix you right up and then everything is going to be just fine."
In my eyes, Nria was nothing more than a smudge of color. The tears finally spilled over and swept down over my cheeks. Even if my mind didn't want to acknowledge it, I knew in my heart that Nria did not have much longer.
I cradled her bruised face in my hands and kissed her forehead. I started to murmur and croon into her ear. I have no idea how long this went on, but before long I heard a shuddering breath and a little gasp.
"Nria! Oh, Nria! No! NO!"
Before I even knew what I was doing, I was rocking her body back and forth, weeping and wailing for all the world to hear. She had passed, her young life had been brutally ripped away from her grasp. She deserved so much more.
I slowly pulled myself away from her and wiped my cheeks. I brought up a hand and gently closed her sightless eyes. I slowly set her down and walked over and grabbed a blanket that was thrown in the corner. I drug my feet back to where she was lying and covered her-head to toe. I then tucked the ends around her and slowly rose above her.
Without looking back at her still form, I walked out the doors into the sunlight that would never warm me again. I completely ignored everything that was around me, I just walked right past the fallen bodies. I kept walking until I reached the gates of the keep. I paused a moment and then kept right on going. Suddenly I broke into a run almost as if I was trying to out run the past events.
I dodged my way through and around the last few remaining battles and just sprinted for all I was worth towards the brightening horizon.
If only I could outrun my grief. If only...If only...
I heard a shout somewhere off to my left, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. Because of me, a young girl would never again see the sun rise, dance in the rain, see a rainbow...love. She would never love again.
This thought spurred me on more. Without warning I was joined by another beside me. I glanced over and saw Babes was keeping pace with me. How she got out of the stables I shall never know, at this point in time I really didn't care. She ran with me for a little while and then issued two words.
'Get on.'
Without a sound I swung myself up onto her back and we were off. She ran on the very breeze. Somehow she managed to tap some of my stamina, for it actually felt as if I was the one running, but at a much faster pace then reality would grant.
Soon Babes was racing back and forth, bucking and leaping. She was doing exactly what I wish I was able to do. She was exhausting both of us for my sake. She was a true friend.
Finally we had reached the end of both of ours stamina. I slid to the ground and landed on my knees. I ground the heels of my hands into my eyes. My eyes were burning but I refused to let anymore tears fall. It was time for action. I would no longer take what came to me, I was going to be in charge! It was my life!
I jerked as I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Aragorn looking down at me. Behind him I noticed both Legolas and Gimli, Théoden and Gandalf on their horses.
"I have a reason for acting seven kinds of fool," I muttered. "Nria-Nria is-" I choked. I just couldn't finish. Even though I knew it was true I still didn't want to accept it as the truth.
"Hush. We know. 'Twas not your fault. She died valiantly. She gave her life to save her people. You cannot deny her the honor of that, now can you?"
I shook my head and took a deep breath. It then dawned on me that I hadn't seen Rassä nor Sienna for a very long time.
"What about Sienna and Rassä? Are they all right? How are they?" I asked urgently.
"Calm yerself, lassie. They fair fine," came Gimli's voice from behind Legolas.
"Good."
Aragorn grabbed my arm and hefted me to my feet, "Now we have the most unpleasant task to fulfill. Come, we must inform the families and bury the dead."
*~*~*
I shed more tears telling the poor families that their loved ones were not coming back that night, then I had ever in my entire life. It was sapping all the strength from me, but I still found enough deep inside to help with dragging the dead Uruk-Hai outside the keep to be burned.
I was deep in thought when suddenly one of the 'dead' Uruk-Hai grabbed me around my upper arm and began to press a dirk into my throat. No one was near me, so I was completely on my own. He was near death so he did not have his full strength, but he still had enough to make it a life and death contest of wills.
I struggled with him and he beat me upside the head. He then said something foul and I was just using the last vestiges of my power to keep the deadly point from my throat when he abruptly let go. I staggered and fell back when Aragorn came running up to me. I glanced over and saw that an arrow was protruding out of the Uruk-Hai's neck.
"Emily! Emily! Are you unhurt?"
I tried to say something, but all that came out was a squeak. I tried again actually formed a sentence.
"I feel like shit."
"That is my Emily. Come, let us get you back into the keep."
"The thing had a hidden weapon," I said stupidly.
"Aye, aye he did."
He led me like a young child and I let him. It felt good to let someone else take the reigns for a while.
*~*~*
Amazingly I had dozed off for a little while. Éowyn once again was the one to awaken me.
"Come. We are ready."
She wouldn't say anything else, no matter how I asked. I figured what the hell and followed. After all that I had been through, I could handle anything else fate threw my way.
I walked out onto the terrace and stopped in my tracks. Every live being from Helm's Deep was standing out in front of the broken wall. All around was freshly tilled ground. It was a graveyard. A freaking graveyard and this was to be the funeral.
I swallowed audibly and went down to join the people. I found Nria's dear mother and both of us cried on each other's shoulders.
I was drying my eyes again when I noticed a small yellow blossom along the wall. Somehow it had managed not to be trampled in the battle. I slowly made my way through the crowd over to it and plucked it from its rocky crevice.
I cradled it in both of my hands and made my way back to Nria's last resting place. Once there I opened the cup of my hands and let the small flower float onto the freshly turned earth.
"For you, dearheart. The bravest girl I have ever known."
*~*~*
The rest of the afternoon and the ensuring night passed in a blur of anger and tears. Before I even knew it, it was once again morning and we were preparing to leave.
The sky was darkened by both the smoke from the blazing Uruk-Hai and I like to think it was picking up the moods of the people in Helm's Deep.
In a daze all of us packed and readied everything for the journey to only God knows where. Eventually I found Gandalf just as we were mounting our horses and saying good-bye.
"Where are we headed now?" I asked, not really caring, just asking anyway for the sake of it.
He didn't reply, just continued with his "so long"'s and "hope to see you soon"'s.
It was not until we had left the keep and crested the hill. There we, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Gandalf and I, paused.
He said in a tired voice, "Sauron's wraith will be terrible, his retribution swift. The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little Hobbits. Somewhere in the wilderness. We now head for Isenguard, the home of Saruman."
"Good," I said. "I have a bone to pick with him. That is, right after I firmly plant my foot up his ass."
*~*~*
A/N: Well, there you have it. Another highly emotional chapter. I promise they will get more light and fluffy, but then again you have to look at what happens in the story. Speaking of which, I don't think I will be updating again until I can go see 'The Return of the King.' I would much rather keep this with the movie instead of the books. I think you guys will just visualize it better. So hang onto your socks!
~A~
On a better note, I have so many reviews I can hardly read them all!
Okay, I lied. I have read each and every one of them at least twice! Twice!
I'm about to get off my soap box and give you guys the chapter you all so greatly deserve, but I just need to say this.
EIGHT DAYS UNTIL THE RETURN OF THE KING!
I also want to mention that this chapter contains some subject matter that is not a very comfortable subject for many, myself included. I shall try to make sure that it is vague, but you will still be able to tell what it is. I just felt I should give you all a warning.
I'm now finished. Here is the great and wondrous (I hope) chapter.
*~*~*
I just about leapt out of my skin.
I jerked up and saw that Éowyn was standing over me. She was the one that had shaken me from my troubled sleep. I glanced around and saw that not a whole lot had changed since I dosed off. The only thing that had changed was the man I was watching over was no longer with me.
I gasped and brought my hand up to his forehead only to be met with cold flesh. He was really gone, and I had slept through it. Disgusted with myself, hot tears coursed down my face. One of the most important moments of my life and I had slept right through it.
"'Twas not your fault," I soft voice said behind me.
"Yeah, it kinda was. I slept through a man's death. I pretty much was drooling on his chest and he died. DIED!" I screamed at an alarmed Éowyn. "Don't even say it. I'm fine. Just leave me be. Please." I ended in a whisper.
With a backward look she did as I bid and left me with my misery.
Misery doesn't always love company.
*~*~*
A fear-filled shout pulled me back from the brink of nothing. I had been staring at the man's empty body for I don't know how long. If that shout had come but a moment later, I believe that I would have been unreachable.
I jerked upright and looked around. Everywhere was a mass panic. Not only where the women abandoning the wounded, they were herding like cattle towards the back of the caves. I grabbed a woman as she ran by and demanded to know, "what the hell was going on."
"The Uruk-Hai are breaking in! We must flee into the hills!"
She then wrestled herself from my grip and was lost in the crowd. Okay, apparently we could get out of here through the little crack in the wall. Uh, not gonna happen here.
I started to push towards the doors. I practically had to body serf my way up there. I raced up there and shoved open the doors. All around me was more panic.
The men were racing to bar the front doors-benches, tables, hell if someone stood still long enough they would end up propped up against the door.
Suddenly Gimli came flying at me, trying to shove me back into the caves.
"Lass! Get yerself back where 'tis safe!"
"Not bloody likely, dwarf. Now let me go so I can help," I said all this in a low voice. Gimli looked up at me with wonder and then backed off like I asked.
"We can use your help barring the doors."
"Righto."
*~*~*
There was little to no time to think, only act. Even though, Aragorn still managed to find time to have what looked like one hell of a serious discussion with Théoden.
His eyes suddenly became bright with a crazed light. "My men! To me!" he ordered.
I was just at the point where I was debating whether or not to join the men, but Legolas took that decision right out of my hands.
"Stay out of the way, little one," he said with a push as he ran by.
Little one my ass.
Although I did heed his advice, I was close enough to hear Théoden issue the order to gather horses and ride out into the Uruk-Hai with him. I always did think he was a bit suicidal...
Almost instantly all of the men were tripping over their own feet to make it to the stables, (which was conveniently connected to the fortress). I used that moment of semi-peace to make contact with Babes.
'How are you doing?' I thought to her.
'As well as can be expected. You?'
'Same. Did you hear what is going on?'
'No, but I think I should know.'
'Most assuredly. Listen, when all the men come into the stables, make yourself as unobtrusive as possible. They plan to ride out and meet the Uruk-Hai and I am worried they may decide to use you since not all of the men have horses of their own.'
'Thanks for the heads up. Here they come!'
There was a pause then all of a sudden my head almost exploded with the force of her words.
'One of them has me! Help, Emily!'
She was terrified and her terror was quickly rubbing off on me.
'Take it easy! Start limping or something. You're good at that sort of thing. Just do something to make them think that they can't use you since you aren't any good or something like that! Just do not leave that stable!'
This time the pause was much, much longer. I was just about to race out into that stable when I heard her again.
'Okay, they're gone. It was a close one. They had me at the doors and then just suddenly left. I have no idea what I did.'
'Me either, but just stay there. I'll be out to see you as soon as I possibly can. Just don't do anything stupid.'
'I won't, but the same goes for you too.'
'Gotcha. Over and out.'
Just then the men started to return with their hard earned horses from the looks of it. The horses' eyes were rolling and a couple of them were frothing at the mouth. The men were dripping from their exertion.
Wisely I staid out of their way. They milled around for a few moments, until Théoden entered, and they then fell silent. I glanced out of the window far up on the wall while he was going through his little spiel. As I watched, the first rays of sunlight entered through the slit. It was then that Gandalf's words echoed in my head.
'Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.'
I was wrenched from thoughts when a tremendous noise rattled the very stones I stood upon.
"Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!" cried Théoden. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deed awake. Now for wraith! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!" He took a deep breath and let loose, "FORTH EORLINGAS!"
With that, all of the men gathered around him burst into a charge and raced out the door, leaving me alone. I ran after them and stopped at the doors just in time.
As they galloped out of the keep, the men were cutting down anything that moved around them. Amazingly the Uruk-Hai were following them right out of the courtyard. As soon as I was sure I wasn't going to be spotted, I started to slink out the door.
I was in full sunshine when I saw a silhouette blocking some of the light. I stared and it slowly formed into Gandalf. I heard him say something and another rider rode up beside him. Suddenly the hilltop was infiltrated with riders. They were everywhere and then they started to charge down the side of the hill. They came in a tidal wave.
"Is this for real or is someone screwing with my brain?" I asked no on in particular. But, some one answered.
I heard a groan and a cough behind me. I slowly turned around, fully expected to have to face down an Orc. I wasn't prepared to find a battered and broken Nria.
"Oh my God!" I breathed.
She was lying doubled over off to the side of the two doors. I raced over to her and gasped at the amount of blood around her. I grabbed her shoulder and she shrieked in terror.
"Easy. Easy, there. It's me, Emily. You're okay. You are going to be fine."
She stopped struggling and let me roll her over. Instantly I was ready to retract my statement. She was not okay. She was very far from it. Not only was her entire body a mass of scratches, some deeper than others, and bruises, she had a massive gash in her side. This was when I saw the finger marks marring her neck.
I reached up and gently traced them with my fingers. They were much to big to be made by a normal man.
"Uruk-Hai," I said in disgust.
Since she wasn't very big, I reached under her. I was just getting ready to pick her up when she finally spoke.
"Nay, do not. Emily, I beg of you, leave me. I am no longer worth it."
"What? What do you mean?" I just ignored her and picked her up anyway. I walked inside the keep again. I had to get the blood flow to stop. By the looks of it she had already lost way too much to be healthy.
I made it just inside the doors when I sank down to the floor with Nria cradled in my arms.
I suddenly felt something and stopped in my tracks. I had noticed the blood that was seeping into my front from her side, but I hadn't noticed the blood that was running down my arms. The blood that was running down her legs from under her dress.
"Oh no. Oh God, no! Nria, did they-- Did they, hurt, you more than you show?" I said as gently as I could.
She did nothing but weakly turned her face away from me.
"Forgive me. I fought them. I truly did," her voice was getting weaker and weaker with each breath.
"Nria. Oh, Nria. Hang on just for a little longer. It doesn't matter. We are going to fix you right up and then everything is going to be just fine."
In my eyes, Nria was nothing more than a smudge of color. The tears finally spilled over and swept down over my cheeks. Even if my mind didn't want to acknowledge it, I knew in my heart that Nria did not have much longer.
I cradled her bruised face in my hands and kissed her forehead. I started to murmur and croon into her ear. I have no idea how long this went on, but before long I heard a shuddering breath and a little gasp.
"Nria! Oh, Nria! No! NO!"
Before I even knew what I was doing, I was rocking her body back and forth, weeping and wailing for all the world to hear. She had passed, her young life had been brutally ripped away from her grasp. She deserved so much more.
I slowly pulled myself away from her and wiped my cheeks. I brought up a hand and gently closed her sightless eyes. I slowly set her down and walked over and grabbed a blanket that was thrown in the corner. I drug my feet back to where she was lying and covered her-head to toe. I then tucked the ends around her and slowly rose above her.
Without looking back at her still form, I walked out the doors into the sunlight that would never warm me again. I completely ignored everything that was around me, I just walked right past the fallen bodies. I kept walking until I reached the gates of the keep. I paused a moment and then kept right on going. Suddenly I broke into a run almost as if I was trying to out run the past events.
I dodged my way through and around the last few remaining battles and just sprinted for all I was worth towards the brightening horizon.
If only I could outrun my grief. If only...If only...
I heard a shout somewhere off to my left, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. Because of me, a young girl would never again see the sun rise, dance in the rain, see a rainbow...love. She would never love again.
This thought spurred me on more. Without warning I was joined by another beside me. I glanced over and saw Babes was keeping pace with me. How she got out of the stables I shall never know, at this point in time I really didn't care. She ran with me for a little while and then issued two words.
'Get on.'
Without a sound I swung myself up onto her back and we were off. She ran on the very breeze. Somehow she managed to tap some of my stamina, for it actually felt as if I was the one running, but at a much faster pace then reality would grant.
Soon Babes was racing back and forth, bucking and leaping. She was doing exactly what I wish I was able to do. She was exhausting both of us for my sake. She was a true friend.
Finally we had reached the end of both of ours stamina. I slid to the ground and landed on my knees. I ground the heels of my hands into my eyes. My eyes were burning but I refused to let anymore tears fall. It was time for action. I would no longer take what came to me, I was going to be in charge! It was my life!
I jerked as I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Aragorn looking down at me. Behind him I noticed both Legolas and Gimli, Théoden and Gandalf on their horses.
"I have a reason for acting seven kinds of fool," I muttered. "Nria-Nria is-" I choked. I just couldn't finish. Even though I knew it was true I still didn't want to accept it as the truth.
"Hush. We know. 'Twas not your fault. She died valiantly. She gave her life to save her people. You cannot deny her the honor of that, now can you?"
I shook my head and took a deep breath. It then dawned on me that I hadn't seen Rassä nor Sienna for a very long time.
"What about Sienna and Rassä? Are they all right? How are they?" I asked urgently.
"Calm yerself, lassie. They fair fine," came Gimli's voice from behind Legolas.
"Good."
Aragorn grabbed my arm and hefted me to my feet, "Now we have the most unpleasant task to fulfill. Come, we must inform the families and bury the dead."
*~*~*
I shed more tears telling the poor families that their loved ones were not coming back that night, then I had ever in my entire life. It was sapping all the strength from me, but I still found enough deep inside to help with dragging the dead Uruk-Hai outside the keep to be burned.
I was deep in thought when suddenly one of the 'dead' Uruk-Hai grabbed me around my upper arm and began to press a dirk into my throat. No one was near me, so I was completely on my own. He was near death so he did not have his full strength, but he still had enough to make it a life and death contest of wills.
I struggled with him and he beat me upside the head. He then said something foul and I was just using the last vestiges of my power to keep the deadly point from my throat when he abruptly let go. I staggered and fell back when Aragorn came running up to me. I glanced over and saw that an arrow was protruding out of the Uruk-Hai's neck.
"Emily! Emily! Are you unhurt?"
I tried to say something, but all that came out was a squeak. I tried again actually formed a sentence.
"I feel like shit."
"That is my Emily. Come, let us get you back into the keep."
"The thing had a hidden weapon," I said stupidly.
"Aye, aye he did."
He led me like a young child and I let him. It felt good to let someone else take the reigns for a while.
*~*~*
Amazingly I had dozed off for a little while. Éowyn once again was the one to awaken me.
"Come. We are ready."
She wouldn't say anything else, no matter how I asked. I figured what the hell and followed. After all that I had been through, I could handle anything else fate threw my way.
I walked out onto the terrace and stopped in my tracks. Every live being from Helm's Deep was standing out in front of the broken wall. All around was freshly tilled ground. It was a graveyard. A freaking graveyard and this was to be the funeral.
I swallowed audibly and went down to join the people. I found Nria's dear mother and both of us cried on each other's shoulders.
I was drying my eyes again when I noticed a small yellow blossom along the wall. Somehow it had managed not to be trampled in the battle. I slowly made my way through the crowd over to it and plucked it from its rocky crevice.
I cradled it in both of my hands and made my way back to Nria's last resting place. Once there I opened the cup of my hands and let the small flower float onto the freshly turned earth.
"For you, dearheart. The bravest girl I have ever known."
*~*~*
The rest of the afternoon and the ensuring night passed in a blur of anger and tears. Before I even knew it, it was once again morning and we were preparing to leave.
The sky was darkened by both the smoke from the blazing Uruk-Hai and I like to think it was picking up the moods of the people in Helm's Deep.
In a daze all of us packed and readied everything for the journey to only God knows where. Eventually I found Gandalf just as we were mounting our horses and saying good-bye.
"Where are we headed now?" I asked, not really caring, just asking anyway for the sake of it.
He didn't reply, just continued with his "so long"'s and "hope to see you soon"'s.
It was not until we had left the keep and crested the hill. There we, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Gandalf and I, paused.
He said in a tired voice, "Sauron's wraith will be terrible, his retribution swift. The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little Hobbits. Somewhere in the wilderness. We now head for Isenguard, the home of Saruman."
"Good," I said. "I have a bone to pick with him. That is, right after I firmly plant my foot up his ass."
*~*~*
A/N: Well, there you have it. Another highly emotional chapter. I promise they will get more light and fluffy, but then again you have to look at what happens in the story. Speaking of which, I don't think I will be updating again until I can go see 'The Return of the King.' I would much rather keep this with the movie instead of the books. I think you guys will just visualize it better. So hang onto your socks!
~A~