Brother's Keeper

Part 13

I hit the ground hard, the world stopped for a moment, and then I realized that I had blacked out. When I came to, I had a massive headache, and my entire left side felt like mush.

When I looked up, everything was back at normal speed...which included lots of Uruk-hai rushing in through the brand new hole in our best defense (aka, the wall). I got up, my whole body screaming in pain, and went to confront the attackers.

Aragorn was already there, fighting like a madman. I didn't understand why he would be there fighting alone until he reached down into the water and pulled out a very waterlogged Gimli. After Gimli was safe from imminent drowning, the elven archers drew their swords and rushed into the fray.

I hacked and slashed my way through the throngs. Then I witnessed the weirdest course of action I had ever seen in my life: Legolas threw down on Uruk shield, jumped on top of it, and slid down the stairs, firing arrows the whole way down. When he reached the bottom, he jumped off, allowing the shield to near-decapitate an attacker, and then started slashing with his knives.

He stopped near me and helped me back to the stairs. "Are you well, Todd?"

"Fucking show off," I muttered as he took me by the arm. My left side had gone from mush to stinging pain where I had impacted the ground, and I was a little shaky on my feet.

Theoden yelled into the yard, "Aragorn! Get your men out of there!"

Aragorn obediently started shouting the order to retreat. Gimli ignored him and the elf that has trying to pull him back from the fight. Legolas started for him, but held back when he realized he couldn't drag Gimli away and help me at the same time.

"Go." I gave him a shove. "I'll be right behind you."

He nodded reluctantly, squeezed my shoulder, and was off. Gimli protested quite loudly ("What are you doing? What are we stopping for?") as Legolas and the other elf grabbed him under the arms and hauled him off. I ran as fast as I could, trying to ignore my body's objections to its further mistreatment.

Haldir was still fighting and shouting retreat orders to his soldiers. Rúmil grabbed me and helped me stumble up to the keep.

Without warning, he whipped around, dragging my abused body with him.

"What the--" I began, but stopped when I looked up at Rúmil. The blood had drained from his face, and his eyes were wide with fear. I looked to see what he was staring at...

Haldir was clutching his side. Bright blood oozed between his fingers. An Uruk-hai stood behind him with cleaver raised to cut him in half.

Without even thinking, I raised my .9ml and fired three quick shots into the Uruk. "Go!" I shouted at Rúmil and shoved him towards his brother.

The Uruk was slowly falling backwards when Rúmil knocked him over the wall and clutched Haldir. I was already making my way into the keep when Rúmil grabbed me again. With me leaning on one side of Rúmil and Haldir on the other, the three of us limped into the keep.

Men were at the main gates below us trying to secure beams over a hole in the doors. Legolas was trying to haul something on a rope over the battlements. I was about to leave Rúmil and help Legs when the heads of Aragorn and Gimli popped over the side. Once the two were safely on their feet, Legolas took me from Rúmil, and everyone ran for cover.

A loud crunch told me the beams on the gates had failed and the whole place was being overrun with Uruk-hai. We locked ourselves in a deep part of the castle. The wounded were set down to rest. Any able-bodied person was grabbing beams, barrels, and furniture to reinforce the doors that were already being hammered down from the outside.

I found myself sitting next to a sickly-looking Haldir. He was still clutching his side, which was still bleeding. I had no idea how to remove his armor, so I looked and found Orophin trying to help with the doors, despite the nasty gash in his left arm.

"Oro," I called to him. "Lend me a hand here?"

He came over, and we began taking Haldir's chest armor off. He didn't protest as the constricting material was removed and a cloth pressed into the wound. I leaned my weight into it, and Haldir hissed with pain.

He shot me look that plainly said, Are you sure this is necessary? However, he didn't say anything since the obvious answer was, Yes, unless you plan on bleeding to death.

I waved Orophin back to the doors. "I got him, man. Go."

He smiled in gratitude. Then as he turned back to the doors, I heard him mutter, "I am not a Man."

"Fine...you're an ass-ugly woman. Now, go help."

Orophin didn't look sure if he was supposed to be amused or insulted.

Haldir just laughed at him. "I shall have to remember that when we return to Lothlorien."

I smiled tightly, but ignored him.

"You could have let me die," Haldir continued.

I didn't respond.

"You would have been rid of me much the sooner."

I sighed. "Please shut up before I change my mind. Besides, you may be a stupid fuckshit, but we're still on the same team. If commanders waited for all their soldiers to get along like best buddies, no one would ever have much of an army to command, would they?"

He gave me a searching look, then nodded as if coming to some conclusion about me. "Perhaps they would not."

The cloth on his side had soaked through with blood. "Shit," I muttered and looked around for another. I spotted one across the room. I whistled at a guard. I didn't know his name, but recognized him as one of Theoden's lieutenants. I gestured at the rag near him, and he brought it over. Then he went back to staring expectantly at his king. I pressed the new cloth over Haldir's side.

"The fortress is taken..." said King Theoden. I looked up at him and saw utter defeat in his face. "It is over."

The finality in his voice disturbed me. I shook my head to argue, but Aragorn beat me to it.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it!"

Theoden seemed unmoved by Aragorn's vehemence.

"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" he continued. Theoden ignored him, so he turned to the lieutenant. "Is there no other way?"

The lieutenant paused a moment, waiting for Theoden to answer, but eventually answered himself, "There is one other passage...It leads into the mountains...but they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many."

A particularly nasty blow to the doors punctuated his statement.

Aragorn ordered him into the caves to get the women and children through the mountain passage.

"No," I said. "I'll go."

"Todd," he said. "You are injured."

"Who the fuck isn't?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "Besides, he doesn't need to lean on the wall to stay upright. He's better off for a fight than I am."

Aragorn nodded. "Very well, Todd. The caves are through that hall. Seek for Eowyn; she will lead her people."

I turned back to Haldir. The bleeding had stopped, and he looked paler than usual. Despite this, he had a fierce gleam in his eye. I propped him up against the wall where he had a direct line of sight to the doors. I gave him my .9ml and the one last mag for it. After a brief tutorial on its use, I left him and the others to find the caves.