A.N. WHY ARE YOU NOT REVIEWING? Please, please, please! See, look what you've done to me. I'm begging you to review! Come on! It's not that hard! Constructive criticism is accepted and used; flames are ignored unless they have something that is constructive in them. Oh, and I'm upping the counts for Legolas and Gimli so that it fits better. Yes, I know what they originally ended up with.
Disclaimer: * sighs * See the previous chapters. I give up. Oh, and I don't own Les Mis either.
Chapter 6She was falling, falling, falling. She dimly felt a thud, and then suddenly her surroundings changed. The rainy night was replaced by a sunny morning, and the stone walls of the fortress were replaced by a small cottage. She stood up, marveling at all the changes that had been made. Her armor, black tunic and black leggings had all been replaced by a light green silk day gown, and her hair had been changed from a tight bun to many little braids.
The only logical thing to do would be to walk forward and knock on the door of the cottage. Following her instincts, she did just that.
"Who are you?" A guy in his twenties opened the door, peering at her. "What's your name?" His features were hard, his eyes that of someone who had seen many hardships, his voice that of one who was used to treachery.
She tried to answer his question, but no answer sprung to her mind. She tried again and again, finally coming to the conclusion, "I don't know."
The man's face immediately softened, and he said, "Come on in."
"Who are YOU? Where am I?" she asked, some of her old personality creeping in.
The man opened the door wider, inviting her in. "My name is Peren. And as for where you are…nowhere."
"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking her head.
Peren smiled. "We'll discuss it over a cup of tea. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."
She hesitated over the threshold. Finally making up her mind, she crossed over. I'm really confuzzled. It was a cozy cottage, clearly meant for only one or two people to live in.
He closed the door after her, stepping into the cottage and crossing over to the fire, taking a kettle off the fire. Opening a cupboard, he took out two white teacups, placing them on a small wooden table with two chairs. Pouring tea into each teacup, he motioned her to one chair, while he put the kettle back and sat down at the other.
"I think we'd best have a talk." he said, taking a sip of his tea.
She sipped too, grimaced because it was too hot, and shook her head. "Seriously, what did you mean when you said I was nowhere?"
"Because that is precisely where you are. I am the only inhabitant of this world, except the animals and plants, naturally. It's only a couple square miles, but it serves my purpose." Peren explained.
She nodded, satisfied by the answer. But then another question sprang to mind. "But who am I?"
"I don't know. Are you a Guardian?" he asked.
She turned the term over in her mind, finally concluding that it was familiar and she probably was a Guardian. "I guess so."
"What clan?" he asked next.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know anything. Stupid amnesia. It's driving me crazy."
"Perhaps this will help." Peren went to a small counter in the corner, taking six objects from it. He placed them on the table. "Which one are you most drawn to?"
The objects were a ruby, a small vial of water, a leaf, a diamond, a candle, and a small figurine of a hawk. Her hand quested forward, almost of its own will, and hovered over the objects for a while before finally descending upon the hawk figurine. As her hand closed in around the hawk, she felt a rush of information overwhelm her senses, and she reeled on the stool for a moment. Peren reached out and steadied her, nodding and smiling.
"Just as I thought."
She asked, "What do you mean?"
"What is your name?" he replied with another question.
To her surprise, she found an answer. "Allemro. My name is Allemro."
"Kestrel, Allemro. Kestrel." he said. "That's the name you've been going by for the past decade."
"What?" she queried, not really understanding.
Peren shook his head. "You don't know what's been going on?"
"Nope." Allemro said, shrugging and shaking her head.
Peren leaned back, stroking his chin. "This could be a problem." Allemro remained silent while he thought. Finally, he sat forward, an idea finally making itself known. "I have an idea."
"Go on…" she said, interested.
Peren smiled. "Spend some time here. Be at peace. You'll be called back when the time is right, and that's when you'll recover your memory."
"Dang it." Allemro muttered.
0oO0oO0oO0oO0
Allemro spent an indefinite number of days in the small clearing with Peren, sleeping out under the stars at night and walking in the woods during the day. While she WAS at peace, a small part of her wished to go back to where she was before. At least there she had her memory.
"It is time." The voice startled her, and she turned around. Peren was standing behind her, a serious look on his face that she had rarely seen.
Allemro stood up. "Time for what?"
"For you to go back. Come to the cottage. It'll be best if you're there when you're called back." he said.
She nodded and followed him back to the cottage. He motioned her to one of the stools, and she sat. "So I'm just supposed to wait here until I get called back?"
"It won't take that long, Allemro. Just a few minutes is all." he reassured. So she sat waiting, and slowly, her surroundings began to fade. The last thing she saw before she slipped into darkness was Peren.
0oO0oO0oO0oO0
Kestrel slowly came awake to the sound of a voice muttering something in Elvish. She opened her eyes to see Legolas standing in front of her, killing any Uruk that came in range. After taking a few seconds to get her bearings, she sprang up, looking for her sword. Hearing her movement, Legolas turned around and saw her. He bent and picked up Lemrocalir from where it had been lying next to his feet, presenting it to Kestrel.
"Thanks. I'm all right." she said, accepting her blade back.
Legolas nodded. "That's the second time you've lost your sword and I've had to keep it for you. Take good care of it – it's one of a kind."
An Uruk came snarling at her, and she brought her sword up, blocking the Uruk-hai's blade and slicing its throat open in one smooth move. "And that's…forty…one, I think."
"Forty-one? That's not much. I've got forty-seven." Legolas said. Kestrel could clearly hear a smirk in his voice.
Shaking her head, she decapitated another Uruk-hai. "That's forty-two." Legolas was in the middle of his own fight, but she thought that she heard him muttering,
"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one…" She growled and set to her task with a will. I probably can't beat him, but it's worth a try!
"Nan Barad! Nan Barad!" she heard Aragorn shouting through the haze of blood from a gash on her forehead that the forty-fourth Uruk had inflicted on her.
Legolas nudged her, muttering, "To the Keep, Kestrel. Back to the Keep."
"Fine." she said, shaking her head and setting off into an easy lope, following Legolas up the steps and along the battlements. "And why are we retreating?"
Legolas shrugged. "Search me. Théoden's order?" Then they saw that the strong wooden gates were slightly opened, so they sprinted to get inside before the Uruk-hai broke in. They barely made it, Aragorn crashing in right on their tails.
"To the gate! Draw your swords!" Théoden shouted as soon as the gates were closed. Kestrel heard the tell-tale hammering of a battering ram on the gates.
She shook her head. "Swords aren't much against a battering ram, Théoden King."
"I'm not counting on the timber. It's old and dry. I'm counting on taking as much Uruks as we can with us." Théoden said as he ran to the doorway. Sighing, Kestrel drew Lemrocalir as well as her short dagger. Legolas had drawn his two Elven fighting knives.
This won't hold much longer. Kestrel thought as she readied herself to fight. Stupid old wooden gates! What I wouldn't give right now for a steel plate.
With a roar, the Uruks broke through. Kestrel took one out with a sweep of her sword, then parried another blow with both Lemrocalir and her dagger, slitting the Uruk-hai's throat. "Forty-five, forty-six…"
"Timbers! Brace the gate!" she heard Théoden call. She hurridly jumped to the side as a group of soldiers came with long planks and various wooden furniture. Thank God the Uruk-hai don't have archers this time. We'd be screwed. The group of soldiers hammered the planks over the door, and Kestrel couldn't help thinking Uh, that's on the wrong stage. The next street down, fourth door, THAT's where they're showing Les Misérables. Not here.
In her periphal vision, she saw Legolas making his way up to a set of stairs that led to the roof. "Where're you going?"
"Up top. I can't stand around here waiting for them to break in." he replied, heading up the stairs. "You stay here."
Kestrel sighed, then shook her head. "Screw this. I'm coming with you." She sprinted over to the stairs and took them two at a time, hurrying to catch up with Legolas, picking him out of the maybe 75 soldiers that were still on the wall. As she leapt over the bodies, she noted with interest, I don't see Haldír's body here. Maybe he lived, after all?
"What are you doing here?" Legolas asked after she tapped him on the shoulder.
She closed her eyes in exasperation. "You expect me to stay in the Keep when there's Uruk-hai to kill and a contest to win?"
"You'll never win." Legolas said, shaking his head.
Kestrel was about to fire back an equally scathing reply when a razor-sharp hook latched onto the battlements right in front of her and she jumped back. "What the heck is that?"
Legolas didn't answer her, only pointed at a dark shape that was coming up along the rope attached to the hook. As it got closer, she saw that it was a ladder with at least fifty Uruks clinging to it. "Screwed."
"Who, us or them?" Legolas asked, smiling. Kestrel shrugged. She saw that that ladder was only one of many ladders that were slowly rising along the edges of the battlement.
The first ladder had almost reached the wall, and Kestrel was ready for it. She stood right where she judged it would hit the wall, and as soon as it came into reach, she shoved it with all her might. The ladder waved back, shuddering for a while before falling into the ground with a thud. But she had overbalanced, and was about to fall over the edge when Legolas pulled her back.
"Now how many times have you saved my life today?" she asked him.
He replied, "A lot. And by the way, that only counts as one." Then he fitted an arrow to his bow, firing it at a rope that a ladder was moving rope broke, taking the ladder of hysterical Uruk-hai with it.
"That only counts as one too!" Kestrel protested indignantly.
Legolas nodded. "Fine. It's not like Gimli's going to win."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. After all, who knows how many he's got now? His way of fighting is pretty much the same as the Uruks. Brute strength." Kestrel shrugged.
Just then, they heard Théoden's voice calling up to them through the stairwell. "Legolas! Kestrel! Get Aragorn and Gimli back in here!"
"Where's that rope you hauled me up with?" Kestrel asked.
Legolas produced a coil of silver Elven rope. "Right here. Let's get them up here!" He threw the rope down, calling out, "Aragorn!" Aragorn looked up from where he had been fighting on the causeway and grabbed Gimli in one hand and the rope in the other.
"They've got it!" she shouted. Legolas and Kestrel began to pull Gimli and Aragorn up, hand over hand, until they climbed over the wall.
"Fall back! Retreat! They've broken through!" They heard Théoden's shouted order and saw all the soldiers rush for the stairways.
Aragorn jerked towards the nearest one with his head. "We'd best be going too. King's order."
0oO0oO0oO0oO0
They made their way to the hall that they had met in the previous day, everybody doing their best to shore up the doorway. With a look of resignation, Théoden said, "The fortress is taken. It is over."
Aragorn handed a table to Legolas to shore up the door and went up to Théoden angrily. "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it! They still defend it! They have died defending it!"
"Are you stupid? Do you think you could surrender? If you're going to die, die in a blaze of glory, instead of cowering in the bowels of the Keep, waiting for the Uruks to seek you out!" Kestrel shouted, shaking the King by the soldiers.
Théoden looked at her with a burning fury. "Are you threatening mutiny? How dare you speak to the King of Rohan?"
"I do not answer to you. My king is the King of Kings. I only fight for you. Think about it, Théoden! Think!" Kestrel said, unfazed.
Aragorn asked urgently, "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" Nobody answered him, everybody looking ashamed. "Is there no other way?" he demanded.
Gamling, Théoden's second in command, said, "There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many."
"Well, you're optimistic today…" Kestrel muttered.
Aragorn ordered, "Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance."
"So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?" Théoden asked, the light of despair shining in his eyes.
The room was silent, then Aragorn spoke up. "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them head on."
"Oh yeah! Finally, you get a good idea!" Kestrel said, feeling awkward when everybody turned to stare at her.
Théoden stared back at Aragorn. "For death and glory." Now I remember why I thought he was suicidal.
"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn replied with force. Maybe he shares my thoughts.
Gimli looked up at a faint sliver of light coming in from a high window and said, "The sun is rising." Way to go, Captain Obvious!
"Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the Deep one last time!" Théoden said, the light of determination clearly seen.
Gimli ran off. "Yes!" Looking around, Kestrel noticed that a few soldiers had gone into the stables deep below the fortress and brought back their horses. Lorthan whinnied when Kestrel noticed him.
"You're a good boy, aren't you, Lorthan? Let's ride out together into battle again!" Kestrel said.
Théoden put a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds, awake! Now for wrath! Now for ruin and a red dawn!" He put on his helmet, mounting his tall battlehorse.
Kestrel mounted Lorthan, noting with interest that he seemed to be anticipating the battle to come. "You're a right old warhorse, aren't you?"
Suddenly, a low, echoing sound rumbled in her ears. Uh, that kinda sounded like a fart. Note to self: NEVER tell Théoden King that the horn of Helm Hammerhand sounds like a fart when blown. Or maybe it's just Gimli?
Théoden drew his sword (yes, the one whose hilt looks like a heart) and pointed it forward, spurring his horse on. "FORTH EORLINGAS!" Without even the slightest movement from Kestrel, Lorthan broke into a gallop, running over Uruks as he went.
"Oh, and by the way, the Uruk-hai that your horse kills DOES NOT count in your final tally!" Kestrel shouted across to where Legolas and Gimli were riding Arod.
Legolas shouted back, "That would be kind of hard to count anyways, considering the fact that Gimli and I are sharing a horse…"
The Uruk-hai fell as if a scythe had been swung through them. Kestrel looked back and saw that the halls were littered with Uruk corpses. Oh yeah. Let's go, baby!
They charged out of the gates and onto the causeway, plowing through the marching ranks of Uruk-hai as they went. Kestrel and Lorthan fought almost as one creature, her with her sword and dagger, him with his teeth and hooves. "Now how many do we have, Lorthan?"
During a lull in the battle, she looked up at the sun and saw a white rider coming to a stop. Gandalf. The whole of the Rohirrim came to a stop behind him. And Éomer... Poor Éowyn. She had to stay behind with the women and children. Next time, she's coming right next to me.
The massed ranks of the Uruks also turned to stare at the cavalry thundering at them. The front rank leveled their spears in a futile attempt to repel the Rohirrim. Uh-uh. Not going to happen. Kestrel plowed her way through the back of the Uruks, killing as she went. Now THIS is easy…
After the arrival of the Rohirrim, the battle turned into a large-scale cleanup operation, just hunting down the Uruks and essentially annihilating them. Kestrel asked Théoden if she could go grab Éowyn for it, since cleaning up after a battle never was really dangerous.
"No. Don't even think about it, and don't let her mention it." was his harsh reply.
Kestrel threw up her hands in exasperation. "And why?"
"Because she's a w-" He started before realizing that he was talking to Kestrel, who was known for being very annoyed at the people of Rohan because, in her mind, they were so very SEXIST.
She smiled. "Well? Why won't you let her fight?"
Théoden hesitated before carefully forming his answer. "Well, uh, she's the daughter of my dead sister, and, uh, I feel indebted to her."
"Your sister or Éowyn? Anyways, Éomer's her brother, and you let him fight!" Kestrel protested.
Théoden, who by now was getting VERY flustered, answered, "Well, in Rohan…"
"Oh, for Eru's sake! Don't give me all that blather about 'in Rohan' and all that crap! Listen, if you give me a good reason, I'll stop bothering you!" Kestrel interrupted. After an intense staring contest, she shook her head and remounted Lorthan, riding off to find Uruks that had run away. Remind me why Rohan was my favorite country in Middle-earth? STUPID SEXISTS! I've seen Éowyn practice, and she's perfectly fine. She could hold her own in a battle.
The cleanup took about an hour. Kestrel was so exhausted by the time it was done that she almost fell off Lorthan. I NEED TO SLEEP! she thought as she rode back inside the keep. Then she remembered something else. "Hey, Legolas!" she called.
"What is it?" he asked.
Kestrel laughed and replied, "Final tally's sixty! You?"
"Not bad. I've got sixty, too." Legolas nodded.
Gimli chuckled heartily and smiled. "Hahaha! I've got sixty-five!" As Kestrel sighed in disappointment, she noted with interest that Legolas' face fell at the same time. You're the one who said that Gimli wasn't going to win…stupid racial feuds!
Éowyn had been waiting anxiously at the entrance to the caves, and when she heard that the army was back, she ran to them. After checking up on Aragorn and making sure he wasn't hurt too much, she went to find Kestrel.
"Is she safe inside the caves?" was Kestrel's first question to her.
Éowyn nodded. "Yes. Stirring up the villagers, no doubt, and making them pretty much worship her, but she never left the caves."
"Thanks." Kestrel smiled and dismounted, stumbling and almost fallin over.
Éowyn steadied her, and when Kestrel looked up, she saw that her eyes were worried. "Are you all right?" Éowyn asked.
"Lack of sleep. Just like on the way here. I'll just stable Lorthan and give him a treat before I rest. I'm all right." she answered, taking his reins and walking towards the stables.
Éowyn shook her head. "I'm coming with you either way. I want to hear about the battle."
Kestrel realized that Éowyn was starved from lack of action, and she at least wanted to hear how her friend had fared in the battle. So Kestrel told her everything as they walked to the stables, leaving nothing out, especially the converstation between her and Théoden.
"You actually talked to the King of Rohan like that?" Éowyn asked in amazement.
Kestrel smiled. "What could he do to me? The worst he could do is banish me, and that really wouldn't be a good idea, considering the fact that I'm one of the best warriors he has."
"But still…" Éowyn protested before she realized what she was doing.
Kestrel snorted. "Are you really protesting how I talked to your uncle about letting you fight?"
Smiling, Éowyn shook her head. "You're really strange."
"As are you." Kestrel teased. Then she grew serious. "Éowyn, you're fighting in the next battle we fight no matter what. I'll help you disguise yourself and I'll also protest your case with Théoden King."
"Thanks." Éowyn smiled again.
Kestrel opened the stall door and led Lorthan in. "Do you happen to have a sugar cube, oats, or an apple on you?"
"Here." Éowyn pointed out a small sack, and Kestrel found that it was full of oats. She carried it back to the stall and poured out a small measure of oats into the feed trough. She patted Lorthan's mane.
"You deserve it." She said.
"Kestrel, you'd best go and get some rest. You look dead tired." Éowyn said anxiously.
Kestrel nodded. "At least I'm only tired, not dead."
Éowyn had said that Angel didn't leave the caves. That didn't mean she didn't try – this is her version of what happened, followed by the real one.
Éowyn was standing guard at the entrance to the caves, both to make sure that Angel didn't leave and to fend off any attackers who made it that far. Not that any did.
"Éowyn, may I leave to go help my beloved Aragorn?" Angel respectfully requested.
Éowyn snorted and slapped her on the face. "Of course not. Go and scrub the floor."
"But it's a CAVE! And Aragorn needs my help!" Angel protested.
Éowyn shook her head. "Kestrel's helping him, and that's good enough for him. He doesn't need you."
"You evil woman! You're just jealous that Aragorn doesn't love you!" Angel snapped. Éowyn pushed her to the ground and she crawled away, sobbing.
"eowin let me go help eragon sweeti!"
Éowyn: "No, Angel. You should stay here where it's safe."
"but eragonneedsmy help!"
Éowyn: "Angel, Aragorn's a perfectly capable warrior. He doesn't need your help, and you would be a burden because they would have to keep an eye on you."
"y u somean?urjust jeluos!"
Éowyn gently took her arm and led her back to the middle of the crowd, shaking her head. Why me?
The part where Kestrel comments on how she thinks Théoden is suicidal is inspired from "Why Killing Yourself Is A Bad Idea" by (oh my gosh! I forgot who it's by! Sorry!). It doesn't belong to me.