Brother's Keeper

Notes: If updates become a little more sporadic, it's because I am starting to turn my attention towards an upcoming convention. (The Gathering of the Fellowship in Toronto, for the curious.) Yes, I know it's eight months away, but costumes take time, and I've got at least three planned to make before I go up to the great white north. And as costuming is my first love, writing takes the back burner. On the plus side, chapters still shouldn't take the previous usual of a year or more to arrive.

Oh, and the first person to spot the Jack Sparrow reference gets chocalate chip cyber-cookies. Yay!

Part 14

Why me? was my only thought as I lay bleeding on the floor.

I had left the battle to help get the women and children out of the caves. I made my way (as quickly as possible considering I still had to lean on the walls to stay upright) through the hall Aragorn had indicated. At first the walls were smooth and straight, carved out of the mountainside. Soon they roughened and rippled into a nature-made cave tunnel.

I rounded a corner, and crack! A flash of flesh and metal connected with my face, and I fell to the ground nursing a newly broken nose. Then I felt the cold metal of a blade touching my throat.

So there I was...sitting on the floor, bleeding painfully, with a sword to my neck, and looking up at one pissed-off lady.

Why me? my thoughts repeated.

The sword pressed into my skin and drew a bead of blood. I hissed and glared at the pissed lady.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

I sat up, pushing the blade away. She backed up but didn't lower the weapon.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" I groused trying to wipe the blood from my face without touching my nose.

"I know not your raiment nor your allegiances. Now speak! Who are you?"

"You could've just asked," I said still feeling unnecessarily abused.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

I shook my head and stood up leaning on the wall. "My name is Todd. I'm looking for Eowyn. I have a message from Aragorn."

She straightened and lowered the point of her sword just slightly. "I am she."

"Great," I mumbled. I experimentally let go of the wall and tried standing on my own. "Aragorn wants us to get everyone out of the caves and into the mountain passage." I wavered a bit but was able to keep my balance.

"The battle goes ill." Her statement was quiet. I saw many emotions flash through her eyes, though the one that caught my attention was her disappointment.

Curiouser and curiouser, I thought. I unshouldered my rifle and turned back to the hallway. "You have to lead them out. I've got your six."

She blinked. "You have my what?"

I sighed. "Stupid medieval..." My muttering trailed off. "Doesn't anyone know slang when they hear it?" I asked no one in particular. "Your six - Your back - I'm the last one out - I stay behind and fight off any uglies that make it down that hall. Now get those people moving before the uglies get here and make this conversation pointless."

She opened her mouth as if to argue with me, but quickly shut it in favor of giving me a death glare and stalking off into the caves. I could hear her voice ordering people around and the frightened voices of the people she was ordering, followed by the sound of many people shuffling around and moving away.

Satisfied that my orders were being followed, I focused my ears on the doors where I had entered. I heard horses and yelling...mostly men, but some were unmistakably the animal-like Uruks. My concentration so focused on trying to tell who was winning, I didn't notice Eowyn's return until she stood beside me with sword at the ready.

"What the hell are you doing? I told you to get those people moving!"

She nodded. "And moving, they are. Morwen knows the passage, as do many others. You can barely stand. You need help if there is battle here."

I would have argued, but my leg chose that moment to shoot pain at me. I leaned against the wall again. I looked her over trying to assess her. She certainly looked fit, and she held her sword with a confident grip. "You actually any good with that thing? Or do just sucker punch people with it?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I am a Shield Maiden of Rohan...as good as any man in open, honorable combat." Her tone brooked no argument.

I assessed myself and decided I could really use some backup. "Good…Stay behind me. I'll take the first ones. If they actually get within arms-length of us, I'm gonna need a good sword arm with me." I grinned at her. "Think you can handle that, princess?"

She lifted her chin in defiance.

I took it as a yes. "Good." I slapped her on the shoulder, then turned my back on her to face the doors. "No problems then."

We waited what felt like forever. I decided that standing was probably a bad idea at the moment. I went down on one knee (my good one) and checked my rifle.

Eowyn looked at me curiously. "What manner of a weapon is that?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Just think of it as a really weird-looking bow and arrow."

"Where are your arrows?"

"In here." I took out the magazine and inspected its contents. I cursed.

"What is wrong?"

"I've only got about a dozen bullets - er, arrows left. It's too close-quartered to use grenades. And fuck all if I'll be any good with my sword anytime soon."

"Then, as you say, I will get your six." She gave me a cautious smile.

I tried to return it, but the Uruks decided that it was a good time to charge into the hallway. I noticed they didn't come in great masses, but sporadic bursts, and they looked pretty beat up when they got here. I took it as a sign that our side was still fighting the good fight out there.

I aimed carefully as I shot the charging Uruks. The long hallway was a bonus in that regard: it took a while for anyone to get from one end to the other. The first few dropped, creating obstacles for the others to climb over, and giving me more aiming time.

Unfortunately, a dozen bullets disappear pretty quickly. "I'm out," I told Eowyn.

Having been idle so far, she jumped at the chance for a fight - literally. She vaulted past me with a vicious war cry and cut down the last Uruk-hai in its group. Three more made an entrance, and she ran to them swinging her blade.

"Fuck! Eowyn, get the fuck back here!"

She was at the entrance to the hallway. "You cannot fight, Todd!" she yelled without turning away from the door.

"I can barely fight," I corrected her. "What I can't do is run over there and help you if you get swarmed. Now get back here!"

She dispatched her last Uruk and ran back to me. No one was attacking down the hall, so she helped me to my feet.

I wanted to fucking slap her. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

She lifted her chin. "I was defending my people."

I swore again. "You going off half-cocked like that isn't 'defending your people.' It's getting yourself killed."

Her eyes hardened. "You think I should not fight because of my gender."

I began knocking my head against the wall. "God, why me?" I groaned to the ceiling. I gave my head one last knock and turned to her. "I don't give a rat's ass if you have the extra flesh on your chest or between your legs. I do care that whoever taught you to use a sword didn't teach you shit about strategy--"

I would have continued, but more Uruks rushed into the hall, and one had a crossbow. I saw it aiming for Eowyn. I shouldered her behind me. The bolt hit my chest armor. I fell, winded but otherwise fine from the attack.

Eowyn screamed - partly fright, mostly war cry - and rushed the Uruks. Her scream was echoed by a gruff call behind the Uruks. Gimli had joined the battle. The two quickly finished them off.

I was struggling to sit up from where I had fallen. I ripped the bolt out of my armor. "Fuck!"

"Don' worry, laddie. That was the last o' them in the keep. The rest are outside, and-" He smiled at Eowyn. "-yer brother's just arrived, m'lady."

She smiled with joy and relief. "Eomer..." she whispered.

"'Kay, I give. Who's your brother?" I asked her.

"My brother leads a regiment of two thousand horsed soldiers. We have won the day."

She looked so happy that I half-expected her to start clapping and squealing with delight. Instead, she had the most dazzling smile, and I had to admit she was actually quite beautiful when she wasn't beating the living crap out of things.

Eowyn ran back into the caves to tell everyone the good news. Gimli helped me back out to the keep and set me down beside Haldir.

He eyed my face, then handed me my pistol. "It is empty," he announced.

I took it back, made sure he was right, and holstered it. "So's this one." I put my rifle on the floor between us.

He grunted noncommittally.

"How's your side?"

He kept his arm stiffly pressed against a cloth covering the wound. "It will heal...as will your nose in that awkward position if you do not tend to it soon." A ghost of a smile flashed in his eyes.

"I can see to that if ye like, lad," Gimli offered.

I sighed. It wasn't going to hurt any less later. I nodded at him and stuffed the shoulder strap of my rifle into my mouth. Gimli roughly grabbed my nose and yanked hard. My eyes watered, and I fought the urge to scream.

"There you are," he beamed. "Good as new!" He slapped my shoulder and went outside to help with the last of the Uruk-hai.

I spat out the strap and called to him. He turned to me.

"Who won the counting contest?"

He smiled. "The Elf and I have yet to compare numbers. What was your count, Master Todd?"

I shrugged. "Lost my count when I went airborne. If I had to guess, I'd say forty would be a generous number."

He nodded. "An honorable sum, even if you managed slightly less, lad. I have forty-three myself." He puffed up with pride. "I can't wait to hear how many the Elf got!" He turned and fairly ran out the doors.

Haldir shook his head. "Dwarves are a strange folk."

I snorted. "We have a saying where I'm from: the pot accused the kettle of being black."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Indeed."