"Oh, Aragorn," she whispered leaning her head against the cold stone. "I should have been with you. I should have fought by your side. But I didn't. I just let you go to your doom. Why didn't I go with you? I would not have gotten killed." Guilt overwhelmed her as she fingered her pendant. Then guilt was replaced by anger. What was the point of being invulnerable if all of your friends, everyone you loved got killed. "Curse you Sauron and your evil!" she screamed slamming her fist into the pillar. She looked at her hand and saw the blood on her knuckles. Sauron's blood. "Curse you! I hate you!" she screamed. She continued to pound on the pillar until she a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and pinned her arms to her sides.
"Don't do this," Legolas said in her ear. "Aragorn would not want you to do this to yourself. You are part elf. Your grief will kill you if you let it"
"I don't care if I die," she said through gritted teeth. Legolas forcefully turned her so that his eyes locked onto hers. It was then that she saw that the elf was not alone. Gimli, Theoden and Eowyn stood behind him sadness and concern filling their eyes.
"Don't you ever say that," Legolas said fiercely. "We have not come all this way to lose you now. Aragorn was my friend as well as your husband Mariell and I miss him just as much as you do. But you cannot let your grief to consume you. I've already lost one friend and I will not lose another"
"Nor will I," Gimli said. As though all her bones had turned to jelly, Mariell collapsed against Legolas her tears soaking his tunic"
"Why is he gone?" she whispered. "Why? Why, why, why"
"I don't know Mariell. Fate is cruel." Mariell's tears flowed until she had none left. Finally, she pushed away from Legolas and wiped her eyes.
"I'm all right now," she said taking a deep breath.
"You're exhausted," Theoden said. "Eowyn please take Mariell to lie down so she can rest"
"That is not necessary uncle. I should be helping with the wounded, or something," Mariell said. The truth was she did not want to sleep for fear that her dreams would be filled with Aragorn. "Please my dear, indulge your uncle. I will feel better if you get some rest"
"Very well," Mariell said, resigned. "For your sake, uncle"
"Thank you my dear. Come Legolas, Gimli, we must discuss our strategies." Mariell allowed Eowyn to take her to a small room.
"It's not much," Eowyn said. "But you should not be disturbed"
"Thank you," Mariell said. Eowyn nodded and left her alone. Mariell lay down and the bed and found that she was in fact very tired. She allowed her eyes to drift shut.
Mariell must have fallen into a deep slumber for she felt extremely rested when she awoke. She did not know for how long she had slept but the view from her window said it was late in the day. She stood up and went to the window. It was a good view. She could see the gates and the plains far into the distance. She leaned her head against the windowpane. She should not be lingering here. She should be helping. After all she was a lady of Rohan. She laughed as she thought of it. She wondered what Lenore Proudfoot would say if she knew that Bilbo Baggins's ward was royalty. As she stood at the window she noticed something strange. Her brow furrowed as she saw the dark shape coming closer. It was a man on a horse. He was riding toward the fortress at a very fast pace. There was something about the way the rider sat atop his horse. It was familiar. The rider suddenly stopped and lifted his head. Mariell blinked several times to make sure she was not going batty. No, it was not possible she was seeing what she was thinking. Her emotions were playing with her mind. The rider continued his journey into the fortress. Mariell stepped away from the window her heart in her throat. She hurried from the room and down a flight of stairs. She stopped short as she saw him. He was alive! She could barely see him for Legolas stood in front of him but he was there. He raised his head and met her eyes. She could not seem to make her body move forward. The problem fixed itself as her husband moved toward her. She reached out her hands to touch him, afraid he wasn't' really there. Her hands met with a soft shirt and hard chest. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she moved her hands over his chest, hair, and finally his face.
"You're alive," she said, the words sounding not like her voice. Aragorn took her hands and lifted them to his mouth. She blinked as he kissed her fingers. He was real. He was alive and standing there in front of her. Unable to hold back she flung herself into his arms.
"You're alive, you're alive," she said over and over again.
"Yes my love, I'm alive," Aragorn said kissing her hair.
"Legolas told me…how?" she was stuttering like a fool.
"You saved me," he said.
"What"
"I remember going off the cliff, and crying out your name as I fell. All I felt was pain and then nothing. It was like swimming in the darkness. But then I saw you. You were all in white floating above me. You kissed me and told me to live. After that I don't remember much but somehow Hasufel found me and I managed to get onto his back and he brought me here." Mariell's mouth fell open as she listened to her husband's tale.
"My dream," she said in awe.
"What?" Aragorn asked her.
"I fell asleep and I dreamed that I was floating. I was searching for you and I found you. It was just like you said. How…?" Mariell's head was spinning. Then suddenly it was as clear as glass.
"It wasn't a dream," she whispered.
"You are becoming more like your mother everyday Mariell," Legolas said coming up behind them.
"What are you talking about, Legolas?" Mariell asked.
"The ability to astral project is a rare gift," Aragorn explained. "Possessed only by elves"
"Though only a few elves can actually do it," Legolas remarked.
"Astral project"
"Yes," Aragorn said, "basically your body stays in one place and your mind travels to another. I've never seen it done till now"
"You are full of surprises, Mariell," Legolas remarked. Astral projection. It was so strange. She'd never heard of it. Had she possessed this gift all her life? And if she had why was it only coming out now? So many questions.
"This has been a very long day," Mariell said running her hand through her hair, which had come loose from its knot.
"Oh by the way," she said to her husband punching him in the arm. Aragorn groaned.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," Mariell said sternly.
"Is this how you treat your poor beaten husband?" Aragorn asked her.
"Yes," Mariell answered. "When he scares me half to death by getting dragged off a cliff. Let that be a reminder to you not to do it again"
"Note taken," Aragorn said. "Now come here and kiss me." Mariell smiled and sealed her lips against his.
"Much better," Aragorn said. "Now I have to see your uncle. The situation has become much more serious."
With the others following him Aragorn marched to the doors of Theoden's hall and pushed them open. The king sat on his throne speaking to his adviser Gamling. Both looked up with shocked faces as he strode into the room. The king stood up and approached him.
"How is this possible?" he asked in astonishment. Aragorn glanced at Mariell out of the corner of his eye.
"The Warg that dragged me off the cliff broke my fall." He noticed Mariell raise an eyebrow at him but she said nothing.
"My Lord," Aragorn said hurriedly, "I have seen Saruman's army. It is headed for Helms Deep as we speak. An army of Urak Hai."
"How large?" Theoden asked.
"Ten thousand strong at least"
"Ten thousand?" Theoden said stunned.
"It is an army bred for a single purpose. To destroy the world of men." There was silence in the hall as Theoden took in his words. Aragorn felt a hand on his shoulder and turned and saw Mariell beside him.
"Let them come!" Theoden declared marching out of the hall. Aragorn rolled his eyes as he and the others followed the king. Aragorn knew that Theoden's pride would blind him to the direness of the situation. He had seen this army and he knew that the soldiers they had here could not defeat them.
"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms. Put men on the wall. No army has ever breached these walls"
"These are not mindless orcs," Gimli spoke up. "These are Urak Hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad." Theoden was barking orders at his guards. Aragorn knew what he was going to do. Farmers, tradesman, children were to fight this army. He turned to look at his wife. She met his eyes and nodded. She knew what her uncle had in mind. So did Legolas and Gimli.
"Saruman's army will pillage and burn. Crops can be resown, homes rebuilt. Within these walls we will outlast them"
"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or her villages. They come to destroy her people. Down to the last child." Theoden turned on Aragorn and seized him by the collar.
"What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end I would have it be such an end, so as to be remembered forever." Aragorn sighed. Gandalf had warned him of this. He was fighting the urge not to punch Theoden in the jaw. Was there nothing he could do to sway the king from this foolish action?
"Send out riders my lord," Aragorn said desperately, "we must call for aid"
"And who will answer?" the king said. "Elves? Dwarves? I am no so fortunate in friends as you"
"Gondor will answer," Aragorn answered confidently.
"Gondor," the king scoffed. "No my friend. I assure you we are quite alone"
"Send word to Lord Elrond, uncle," Mariell said coming from behind him. "He has fought this kind of battle before. He will send help"
"No my dear," Theoden said, "The elves of Rivendell will not help us." He stepped close to her.
"Ordinarily, I would have you moved to the caves with the other women and children. But these are not ordinary times and you are not an ordinary woman"
"The Uraks cannot hurt me," Mariell said, "and you will need every pair of hands you can get. I will fight." Theoden nodded.
"If your husband will allow it, of course." Mariell turned and looked at him hard. He knew what she was thinking. When he'd seen her at the gate, he'd been shocked at her appearance. Her eyes had been red and puffy from crying, her face pale, and hair messy. She'd thought him dead and it had nearly destroyed her. He could not ask her to hide in the caves while he fought this battle that could not be won. He nodded.
"She cannot be killed by the Uraks. We will need her"
"You will join us then?" Theoden said.
"I fight with you, my lord," Aragorn said.
"And I as well," Legolas said.
"And I," Gimli said.
"Thank you," the king said. He then turned and yelled to Gamling.
"Get the women and children into the caves"
"My lord we need time to lay provisions…" Gamling was saying.
"There is no time, war is upon us!" Aragorn sighed as the king disappeared.
"You tried Aragorn," Gimli said. "He is a stubborn man"
"What do we do now?" Legolas asked.
"Get ready for battle," Aragorn answered.
Aragorn's stomach was in knots as he watched Theoden's "army" make ready for battle. Swords were being sharpened and bows and arrows passed out amongst the men and boys.
"These are not warriors," Aragorn said sadly.
"Most have seen too many winters," Gimli said.
"Or too few," Legolas added. Aragorn glanced at Mariell who was showing a boy no more than twelve years old how to hold his sword. My beautiful, strong wife, he thought. I fear you will become a widow this night. Please Elbereth, he prayed silently, do not let her grief consume her.
"They're scared," Legolas said. "You can see it in their eyes." All noise in the room suddenly ceased. Aragorn glared at Legolas.
"And they should be scared," Legolas continued in elvish. "Three hundred against ten thousand"
"They have a better chance here than at Edoras," Aragorn said trying to reassure the elf and himself.
" Aragorn, they are all going to die"
"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn snapped. He saw shock and hurt in Legolas's eyes. Unable to look any of them in the eye he turned and left the room. He walked out to the bridge and sat down against a pillar. All around him men were getting ready for battle. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and leaned back into his wife's embrace.
"Is there any hope at all?" she asked him.
"There is always hope," he whispered. Mariell rested her chin on his shoulder and he allowed himself to relax in her arms. He took her hand and thoughtfully stroked the ring, his ring, on her finger. As he gazed out at the plains, which he knew would be swarming with Urak Hai in a matter of hours, all he wanted to do was run. Just take his wife and run away to safety. But he knew he couldn't. He was the future king of men. He could not abandon Rohan in it's hour of need.
"You could have asked Theoden to put me in the caves," Mariell said softly.
"Theoden needs you on that wall. I don't have to worry about you getting hurt or killed"
"But I do," she whispered.
"We could run away," he said. "Leave Rohan to it's own fate"
"You know we cannot," Mariell said. "Gandalf told me that my destiny was still before me. As Sauron's heir it seems only right that I should be here fighting against his forces. I don't know much about fate Aragorn. But I know that I am here now for a purpose. I cannot abandon my uncle, my people"
"Nor I," Aragorn said. He slowly turned so that he could look at her.
"If I am killed tonight," he said, "you must promise me that you will survive it." Tears flowed from her eyes as Mariell shook her head.
"You must promise me," he said again. "If things turn for the worst, and it looks as though only you will survive, I want you to get the women and children to safety. Then go to Rivendell and take the ship to Valinor. You will be with your kin there. Promise me you will do this." Mariell threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder.
"I promise," she said against his shoulder. "But I will not have to. We will survive this"
"Yes," Aragorn said though he could not put as much enthusiasm into his words as he would have liked. "We will survive. This evil will be destroyed. Then you and I will go to the white city together. And I shall give you a proper wedding"
"Yes," Mariell whispered. "We will survive this. We have to." Aragorn wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her into an earth-shattering kiss. Into that kiss Aragorn put all his love, his desire, and everything he felt for his wife. When they parted, Mariell's eyes were flaming. Aragorn could feel his member straining against his pants.
"Mariell," he whispered.
"This way," she said, knowing full well what he wanted. She led him to a small room with a large bed.
"It's not big," she said. "But we won't be disturbed." Aragorn shut the door behind them and latched it. He then pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely.
"Aragorn," Mariell whispered as he kissed her neck, "we shouldn't be doing this now. The Uraks will be here soon"
"To remind us what we're fighting for," he said lifting her tunic. Mariell nodded and in a matter of moments they were both naked and wrapped in each other's embrace. Aragorn savored every moment for he knew all to well that this could be the last time they would ever be together