Written by Phoenix and Sunni
The next morning the group continued on their trek to Helm's Deep. Their trip had been met with no trouble or surprise attack thus far. From afar a cloaked man looks on at the processional of people seeing five individuals that stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the caravan. Dressed in a forest green cape and black and silver vest with silver embroidery he watches the trek quietly from a distance.
Two of the King's guards rode ahead slightly, going down hill past a rocky outcropping and cliff. The two horses suddenly balk, planting their forelegs into the ground not moving forward despite their riders urging to go on. The horses sensed something that their riders did not. Tossing their heads and moving backwards, neighing in alarm the horses wouldn't continue forwards. The rest of the people were still on the other side of the hill, unaware they were about to walk into an ambush. From up above sat a warg- rider scout, looking down upon the two riders below him. The creature beneath him stood looking down as well at the two, looking for only one thing... a meal.
Needing little encouragement from its Uruk-hai rider, the warg bounded down the cliff, knocking over one of the two horses and sending its rider sprawling to the grass. The warg circled around and came at the fallen rider on the ground as the other man on horseback charged towards him. The rider who'd been knocked from his horse by the warg met his fate in the creatures jaws as the other rider reached where the Uruk-hai rider was, drawing his sword and killing the creature that it rode. Legolas had heard the fallen riders scream and raced in the direction of the noise and withdrew one of his elven blades and slit the Uruk-hai riders throat. Aragorn too heard the comotion and raced to the top of the hill overlooking the valley in which the surprise attack had just occurred. Legolas raced to where he was standing and said, "A scout just ambushed us, there are probably more coming!"
Aragorn raced back to where Éowyn was leading both her horse and his and told the King of the ambush. As those who could fight raced towards the oncoming battle, Buffy was going in the direction of those who were to fight when Aragorn said, "My lady this is no place for you to fight with us. Many will not survive it."
"I can take care of myself, plus I imagine you all will need everyone person you can to take care of what's coming." She replied, spurring her horse towards the hill.
Spike followed her, as did Willow while Anya and Xander went with Éowyn and the rest of the people on another path to Helm's Deep. Using his keen eyesight, Legolas stood atop the hill and began to fire two arrows at a time at the riders coming at them in rapid succession, downing the riders heading for them. Hearing the thunder of horses hooves coming towards him he swung up in front of Gimli and charged into battle with the rest of the men from Rohan as well as three of traveler's who'd been riding with them. Xander and Anya looked back over their shoulders as three of their friend's rode into combat amongst a sea of green banners and continued on with the people of Edoras. The shadowy figure saw the attack happening and spurred his horse into motion, charging towards combat amongst the rest of the mounted men of Edoras. Never casting back his hood so that his identity could be known he fought with valiance and power, casting down the enemy at his every turn as he caught sight of a fair blonde upon a horse doing the same thing. Legolas took down many of the wargs with his bow when Gimli fell off the side of the horse to take on some of them on foot while Aragorn and the rest of the men of Edoras had begun to slay the creatures and riders with their swords.
Many horses and riders lay fallen and Buffy, Spike and Willow had managed to dodge the attacks of the creatures and slay many. Willow using her magical advantage to take them out at a distance while Spike and Buffy took them head on. Many wargs leapt like great cats chasing their prey as they went after some of the fallen riders. Gimli got the attention of one of the wargs who had been feeding upon one of the fallen Rohan horses and stealthily crept towards the small dwarf. Crouching as if it were going to pounce it failed to see the elven prince astride his great grey mount coming up on its left side. Getting pinned beneath the fallen warg Legolas had shot the dwarf tried to raise the creature up off him to no avail. The movement caught the attention of one of the Uruk-hai riders who proceeded towards where the dead warg lay. Peering over the creature's side and seeing the trapped dwarf, the rider drew his sword seeing this as an easy kill. Unable to get to his axe, all Gimili could do was snap the Uruk-hai rider's neck in order to stay alive and goes back to trying to lift the creature and the now dead rider up to free himself. This time drawing the attention of a warg, not a rider at the movement of the dead carcass.
The creature stood in its back feet, its front paws resting on the side of the downed warg and the back of the Uruk-hai rider. Opening its mouth and emitting a rumbling growl at the trapped dwarf. All Gimli could think of was that he was going to die at the hands of this foul creature. Hearing the growl Aragorn turned and saw what was happening and wheeled his horse around to race towards the dwarf. Buffy seeing what was going on, urges her horse towards the creature and grabs a spear from the ground and reaches the dwarf before him and throws the spear into the lower left side of the warg's neck sending it collapsing on top of the other warg and rider.
A warg rider races towards Aragorn who charges towards the oncoming duo, sword drawn and ready. A swift blow to the chest from his sword kills the rider of the warg but in the process of this he fails to see the riderless warg sneaking up on him. The great creature leapt up and knocked him from his horse as another pair of warg and rider charge in his direction. Spike spears the one who had just knocked Aragorn from his horse and spun around to head towards the pair coming at the fallen member of the group he'd been traveling with. Managing to jump onto the back of the racing creature, Aragorn begins to fight with the rider when a glancing blow from one of the Edorian people cause the warg to veer to the left, causing him to loose his balance.
Quickly grabbing onto some of the leather straps on the creature's harness, his left hand becomes stuck. While being drug along by the creature, he reaches for the dagger that Lady Galadriel had given to him while in Lothlórien and plunges it into the chest of the Uruk-hai rider. Before the rider falls from its mount, he bends down and grabs Aragorn by the neck and takes the Evenstar jewel and falls off to the right side of the creature. Struggling to free his left hand, Aragorn tries everything he can when all of a sudden the warg hits stone and tries to stop but slides across the rock. Unable to get any traction it falls over the side of a cliff into a swiftly moving river below, bringing the trapped ranger with it.
As the battle with the warg riders winds down and those who are still mounted head back towards Isengard, those wargs or riders left are killed. Buffy, Spike and Willow look around them at the numerous horses and riders that lay fallen on the ground as a result of the attack as well as a fairly good portion of dead wargs and Uruk-hai riders. The shadowy figure retreats to a safe distance once the battle is over and looks on at what is going on below. His eyes focused in the direction of one of those who had survived the fight that many had not been as fortunate in doing the same.
Legolas calls to Aragorn but receives no answer. Gimli slightly confused as to why he is not answering calls out to him as well, catching the attention of the three from Sunnydale. The three ride in the direction of the two and proceed to try and find the missing member of their group. Legolas walks towards the cliff when the rider of the warg who'd gone over the edge of the cliff begins to laugh, drawing the attention of the five. Weapons drawn, Gimli is the first to speak to the rider while Legolas, Buffy, Spike and Willow listen to what is said.
"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing." Gimli said, axe in hand as he stood over the downed Uruk-hai rider.
"He's... dead." The rider said slowly, "Took a little tumble off the cliff."
"You lie!" Legolas said angrily, gripping the sides of the leather vest the creature wore as Buffy dismounted from her horse and stood next to the elf.
" You're gonna die and it just might be me who kills you because I'm still in a violent mood. Tell them what they want to know!" Buffy demanded.
Legolas never loosens the grip on the creature's vest and it begins to laugh until it begins to choke as it dies, growing silent in a matter of minutes. Releasing his grip on the creature's vest and it sinks back to the grass he notices a chain hanging out of the rider's hand. Prying open its fingers Legolas discovers the Evenstar jewel that Aragorn wore ensnared in its fingers. Figuring there could be truth to what the rider had just said, he raced over to the cliff where King Théoden stood. Together they peered down at the swiftly moving river, a look of sadness appearing on Legolas' face as he looks at the jewel in his hand. Gimli joins him on the edge of the cliff as the King prepares to leave. "Put the wounded on horses, the wolves of Isengard will return." He said, as he began to turn to head back to his mount he added, "Leave the dead."
The words Legolas heard shocked him above all. Turning to face the King of Rohan his eyes were alight with anger. The King turned to look at the young elf and said gently, "Come."
Taking one last glance at the river below, Legolas reluctantly left with a heavy heart. The rest of the journey to Helm's Deep was one of silence over the loss of Aragorn during the attack of the wargs. What was even worse was the fact that somewhere lay the potential for foul creatures to scavenge upon him, if he were really and truly dead.
Shouts rang out from inside the fortress as the group returned and headed up the causeway the great wooden doors swung open to allow them to enter. Éowyn heard the shouts as people chanted 'Make way for the King!' and rushed to where her uncle and the rest of those who'd returned from the battle were. Looking at the small number who had returned she said to her uncle, "So few. So few of you have returned."
"Our people are safe." The King replied, "We have paid for it with many lives."
Gimli comes up to tell Éowyn about the loss of Aragorn since the two had talked briefly during the overnight camp enroute to Helm's Deep.
"My lady, " he said as dread welled in his heart at the news he was to bear. Looking towards the dwarf and the expression on his face she knew something was wrong and said, "Lord Aragorn... where is he?"
"He fell." Gimli replied, his voice cracking with emotion as a look of shock and denial crossed the features of the King's niece as the group from Sunnydale go in search of their companions who had come with the townspeople to the fortress.
Back at Isengard Wormtongue tells Saruman of the one weakness of Helm's Deep. Its walls made of thick stone, the only weak point was a small drain. Saruman stood filling a large metal sphere with combustible pellets while he listened to the information being told to him.
"But how will fire bring down stone? How will they breach the wall?" he asked curiously, leaning over the sphere with a candle in his right hand when Saruman grabbed the hand with the candle in it and moved it from within distance of the sphere, never answering the man's question.
"It would take an army of thousands to overrun the keep." Wormtongue commented as Saruman began to move towards a balcony, he quickly followed. The sound of a war horn blasted around Isengard as they stepped onto the stone balcony in the tower of Orthanc Saruman said, "Try an army of ten thousand or more."
Wormtongue couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. Below in the courtyard around the tower stood close to 15 to 20 thousand Uruk-hai soldiers all in full armor with shields and spears. Looking over at him, his mouth slightly agape, Saruman addressed his army.
"A new power is rising. Its victory is at hand!" he began to say as battle cries erupted like thunder below him, "This night... the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan! March to Helm's Deep! Leave none alive!"
As he watched his army begin to march in the direction of the great fortress, he looked across the endless row of soldiers and said, "There will be no dawn for men."
Aragorn had drifted up onto the banks of the river, clinging to life by a thread. A voice echoed in his mind, an angelic sound bringing him back closer to survival. {May the grace of the Valar protect you.} came Arwen's soft voice resounding in his ears.
A great bay horse trotted alongside the pebbly banks of the river and came to a halt before the fallen man. Nudging him with his nose twice on the left side of his head and once on the chest, rolling him over Brego whickered softly to him, nudging him once more when he came back from the trance like state he'd been in.
"Brego," he said weakily as the horse whickered in response and sank to its knees next to him. Barely having enough strength to move, he manages to grasp a handful of the horses black mane and pull himself onto the horses broad back, clinging to the horses neck as he once again stands up. Riding slowly, Brego began to transport him towards Helm's Deep. Coming through a rocky outcropping he spots a great black mass of soldiers moving towards where he sits with great haste, the sound of battle armor echoing across the plain. Backing the great bay horse up he takes an alternate route to the great fortress, and entrusts the horse to pick the swiftest path there. As the crest a great hill later on that afternoon the horse stops briefly and looks towards the mountains. There nestled in the right hand corner was the great Rohan fortress of Helm's Deep. Looking at the keep and patting the bay horse on the neck Aragorn says softly, "Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nîn." {Well done, Brego, my friend.}
The next morning the group continued on their trek to Helm's Deep. Their trip had been met with no trouble or surprise attack thus far. From afar a cloaked man looks on at the processional of people seeing five individuals that stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the caravan. Dressed in a forest green cape and black and silver vest with silver embroidery he watches the trek quietly from a distance.
Two of the King's guards rode ahead slightly, going down hill past a rocky outcropping and cliff. The two horses suddenly balk, planting their forelegs into the ground not moving forward despite their riders urging to go on. The horses sensed something that their riders did not. Tossing their heads and moving backwards, neighing in alarm the horses wouldn't continue forwards. The rest of the people were still on the other side of the hill, unaware they were about to walk into an ambush. From up above sat a warg- rider scout, looking down upon the two riders below him. The creature beneath him stood looking down as well at the two, looking for only one thing... a meal.
Needing little encouragement from its Uruk-hai rider, the warg bounded down the cliff, knocking over one of the two horses and sending its rider sprawling to the grass. The warg circled around and came at the fallen rider on the ground as the other man on horseback charged towards him. The rider who'd been knocked from his horse by the warg met his fate in the creatures jaws as the other rider reached where the Uruk-hai rider was, drawing his sword and killing the creature that it rode. Legolas had heard the fallen riders scream and raced in the direction of the noise and withdrew one of his elven blades and slit the Uruk-hai riders throat. Aragorn too heard the comotion and raced to the top of the hill overlooking the valley in which the surprise attack had just occurred. Legolas raced to where he was standing and said, "A scout just ambushed us, there are probably more coming!"
Aragorn raced back to where Éowyn was leading both her horse and his and told the King of the ambush. As those who could fight raced towards the oncoming battle, Buffy was going in the direction of those who were to fight when Aragorn said, "My lady this is no place for you to fight with us. Many will not survive it."
"I can take care of myself, plus I imagine you all will need everyone person you can to take care of what's coming." She replied, spurring her horse towards the hill.
Spike followed her, as did Willow while Anya and Xander went with Éowyn and the rest of the people on another path to Helm's Deep. Using his keen eyesight, Legolas stood atop the hill and began to fire two arrows at a time at the riders coming at them in rapid succession, downing the riders heading for them. Hearing the thunder of horses hooves coming towards him he swung up in front of Gimli and charged into battle with the rest of the men from Rohan as well as three of traveler's who'd been riding with them. Xander and Anya looked back over their shoulders as three of their friend's rode into combat amongst a sea of green banners and continued on with the people of Edoras. The shadowy figure saw the attack happening and spurred his horse into motion, charging towards combat amongst the rest of the mounted men of Edoras. Never casting back his hood so that his identity could be known he fought with valiance and power, casting down the enemy at his every turn as he caught sight of a fair blonde upon a horse doing the same thing. Legolas took down many of the wargs with his bow when Gimli fell off the side of the horse to take on some of them on foot while Aragorn and the rest of the men of Edoras had begun to slay the creatures and riders with their swords.
Many horses and riders lay fallen and Buffy, Spike and Willow had managed to dodge the attacks of the creatures and slay many. Willow using her magical advantage to take them out at a distance while Spike and Buffy took them head on. Many wargs leapt like great cats chasing their prey as they went after some of the fallen riders. Gimli got the attention of one of the wargs who had been feeding upon one of the fallen Rohan horses and stealthily crept towards the small dwarf. Crouching as if it were going to pounce it failed to see the elven prince astride his great grey mount coming up on its left side. Getting pinned beneath the fallen warg Legolas had shot the dwarf tried to raise the creature up off him to no avail. The movement caught the attention of one of the Uruk-hai riders who proceeded towards where the dead warg lay. Peering over the creature's side and seeing the trapped dwarf, the rider drew his sword seeing this as an easy kill. Unable to get to his axe, all Gimili could do was snap the Uruk-hai rider's neck in order to stay alive and goes back to trying to lift the creature and the now dead rider up to free himself. This time drawing the attention of a warg, not a rider at the movement of the dead carcass.
The creature stood in its back feet, its front paws resting on the side of the downed warg and the back of the Uruk-hai rider. Opening its mouth and emitting a rumbling growl at the trapped dwarf. All Gimli could think of was that he was going to die at the hands of this foul creature. Hearing the growl Aragorn turned and saw what was happening and wheeled his horse around to race towards the dwarf. Buffy seeing what was going on, urges her horse towards the creature and grabs a spear from the ground and reaches the dwarf before him and throws the spear into the lower left side of the warg's neck sending it collapsing on top of the other warg and rider.
A warg rider races towards Aragorn who charges towards the oncoming duo, sword drawn and ready. A swift blow to the chest from his sword kills the rider of the warg but in the process of this he fails to see the riderless warg sneaking up on him. The great creature leapt up and knocked him from his horse as another pair of warg and rider charge in his direction. Spike spears the one who had just knocked Aragorn from his horse and spun around to head towards the pair coming at the fallen member of the group he'd been traveling with. Managing to jump onto the back of the racing creature, Aragorn begins to fight with the rider when a glancing blow from one of the Edorian people cause the warg to veer to the left, causing him to loose his balance.
Quickly grabbing onto some of the leather straps on the creature's harness, his left hand becomes stuck. While being drug along by the creature, he reaches for the dagger that Lady Galadriel had given to him while in Lothlórien and plunges it into the chest of the Uruk-hai rider. Before the rider falls from its mount, he bends down and grabs Aragorn by the neck and takes the Evenstar jewel and falls off to the right side of the creature. Struggling to free his left hand, Aragorn tries everything he can when all of a sudden the warg hits stone and tries to stop but slides across the rock. Unable to get any traction it falls over the side of a cliff into a swiftly moving river below, bringing the trapped ranger with it.
As the battle with the warg riders winds down and those who are still mounted head back towards Isengard, those wargs or riders left are killed. Buffy, Spike and Willow look around them at the numerous horses and riders that lay fallen on the ground as a result of the attack as well as a fairly good portion of dead wargs and Uruk-hai riders. The shadowy figure retreats to a safe distance once the battle is over and looks on at what is going on below. His eyes focused in the direction of one of those who had survived the fight that many had not been as fortunate in doing the same.
Legolas calls to Aragorn but receives no answer. Gimli slightly confused as to why he is not answering calls out to him as well, catching the attention of the three from Sunnydale. The three ride in the direction of the two and proceed to try and find the missing member of their group. Legolas walks towards the cliff when the rider of the warg who'd gone over the edge of the cliff begins to laugh, drawing the attention of the five. Weapons drawn, Gimli is the first to speak to the rider while Legolas, Buffy, Spike and Willow listen to what is said.
"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing." Gimli said, axe in hand as he stood over the downed Uruk-hai rider.
"He's... dead." The rider said slowly, "Took a little tumble off the cliff."
"You lie!" Legolas said angrily, gripping the sides of the leather vest the creature wore as Buffy dismounted from her horse and stood next to the elf.
" You're gonna die and it just might be me who kills you because I'm still in a violent mood. Tell them what they want to know!" Buffy demanded.
Legolas never loosens the grip on the creature's vest and it begins to laugh until it begins to choke as it dies, growing silent in a matter of minutes. Releasing his grip on the creature's vest and it sinks back to the grass he notices a chain hanging out of the rider's hand. Prying open its fingers Legolas discovers the Evenstar jewel that Aragorn wore ensnared in its fingers. Figuring there could be truth to what the rider had just said, he raced over to the cliff where King Théoden stood. Together they peered down at the swiftly moving river, a look of sadness appearing on Legolas' face as he looks at the jewel in his hand. Gimli joins him on the edge of the cliff as the King prepares to leave. "Put the wounded on horses, the wolves of Isengard will return." He said, as he began to turn to head back to his mount he added, "Leave the dead."
The words Legolas heard shocked him above all. Turning to face the King of Rohan his eyes were alight with anger. The King turned to look at the young elf and said gently, "Come."
Taking one last glance at the river below, Legolas reluctantly left with a heavy heart. The rest of the journey to Helm's Deep was one of silence over the loss of Aragorn during the attack of the wargs. What was even worse was the fact that somewhere lay the potential for foul creatures to scavenge upon him, if he were really and truly dead.
Shouts rang out from inside the fortress as the group returned and headed up the causeway the great wooden doors swung open to allow them to enter. Éowyn heard the shouts as people chanted 'Make way for the King!' and rushed to where her uncle and the rest of those who'd returned from the battle were. Looking at the small number who had returned she said to her uncle, "So few. So few of you have returned."
"Our people are safe." The King replied, "We have paid for it with many lives."
Gimli comes up to tell Éowyn about the loss of Aragorn since the two had talked briefly during the overnight camp enroute to Helm's Deep.
"My lady, " he said as dread welled in his heart at the news he was to bear. Looking towards the dwarf and the expression on his face she knew something was wrong and said, "Lord Aragorn... where is he?"
"He fell." Gimli replied, his voice cracking with emotion as a look of shock and denial crossed the features of the King's niece as the group from Sunnydale go in search of their companions who had come with the townspeople to the fortress.
Back at Isengard Wormtongue tells Saruman of the one weakness of Helm's Deep. Its walls made of thick stone, the only weak point was a small drain. Saruman stood filling a large metal sphere with combustible pellets while he listened to the information being told to him.
"But how will fire bring down stone? How will they breach the wall?" he asked curiously, leaning over the sphere with a candle in his right hand when Saruman grabbed the hand with the candle in it and moved it from within distance of the sphere, never answering the man's question.
"It would take an army of thousands to overrun the keep." Wormtongue commented as Saruman began to move towards a balcony, he quickly followed. The sound of a war horn blasted around Isengard as they stepped onto the stone balcony in the tower of Orthanc Saruman said, "Try an army of ten thousand or more."
Wormtongue couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. Below in the courtyard around the tower stood close to 15 to 20 thousand Uruk-hai soldiers all in full armor with shields and spears. Looking over at him, his mouth slightly agape, Saruman addressed his army.
"A new power is rising. Its victory is at hand!" he began to say as battle cries erupted like thunder below him, "This night... the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan! March to Helm's Deep! Leave none alive!"
As he watched his army begin to march in the direction of the great fortress, he looked across the endless row of soldiers and said, "There will be no dawn for men."
Aragorn had drifted up onto the banks of the river, clinging to life by a thread. A voice echoed in his mind, an angelic sound bringing him back closer to survival. {May the grace of the Valar protect you.} came Arwen's soft voice resounding in his ears.
A great bay horse trotted alongside the pebbly banks of the river and came to a halt before the fallen man. Nudging him with his nose twice on the left side of his head and once on the chest, rolling him over Brego whickered softly to him, nudging him once more when he came back from the trance like state he'd been in.
"Brego," he said weakily as the horse whickered in response and sank to its knees next to him. Barely having enough strength to move, he manages to grasp a handful of the horses black mane and pull himself onto the horses broad back, clinging to the horses neck as he once again stands up. Riding slowly, Brego began to transport him towards Helm's Deep. Coming through a rocky outcropping he spots a great black mass of soldiers moving towards where he sits with great haste, the sound of battle armor echoing across the plain. Backing the great bay horse up he takes an alternate route to the great fortress, and entrusts the horse to pick the swiftest path there. As the crest a great hill later on that afternoon the horse stops briefly and looks towards the mountains. There nestled in the right hand corner was the great Rohan fortress of Helm's Deep. Looking at the keep and patting the bay horse on the neck Aragorn says softly, "Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nîn." {Well done, Brego, my friend.}