AN Well here we go! The biggest one so far (IMO)!

Chapter 6

Flying above the gorge, Eragon got his first glance at Helm's Deep. It was an incredible piece of defensive construction, rivalling the greatest of the dwarves' strongholds that Eragon had seen.

There was only one entrance to the Deep – a ramp at one side, ending with a wooden gate embedded in the outer wall. The wall itself was flawless. Gigantic blocks of stone seamlessly joined together, without any cracks or possible footholds to be seen. There was only one break in this wall – a culvert at the bottom, letting a small stream drain out into the valley.

Beyond the initial curtain wall was an open space, in which defending forces could safely fire arrows from without being attacked. Then there was the inner fort. A stone wall even taller than the first, enclosing a keep that backed on to the mountain itself. All in all, a very impressive structure. It looked impenetrable. But as Eragon knew first hand, no building was completely safe.

Saphira, I think I should go down there and see what they're doing. Hopefully they'll listen to our information and trust us.

Well obviously I won't fit, she said, a touch sarcastically. I think I shall just stay up here. I can see some nice caves just above the castle. If you put the invisibility charm on me then I can stay here until the fight starts and nobody will know.

Eragon cast the spell on the both of them while in the sky, then Saphira flew down to the biggest cave. She walked in and settled herself down. Eragon unstrapped his legs and grabbed his weapons and the light armour he had brought with him, strapping it on in the cave.

He walked around to Saphira's front and kissed her on the snout.

I love you, Saphira.

I love you too, Little One. Be careful down there.

I will.

Eragon turned and walked to the entrance of the cave. He looked down the mountainside and planned his way down to the keep. Using magic, he lowered himself down from shelf to shelf, like he had long ago at Helgrind with Sloan. Eventually he reached the bottom.

He made his way behind a building and released the invisibility spell from around himself. Taking care to cover Brisingr with his tunic, he made his way into the crowds. For a time, Eragon simply wandered around, listening with his ears and his mind to all the information around him, knowing that through him, Saphira was listening too.

He learned that the mountain behind was riddled with tunnels, and that this was where the thousands of women and children were hiding. They had guides to lead them to the surface in case of defeat, but from what Eragon heard – and what he personally believed –if the Deep fell, they wouldn't make it far.

There were less than a thousand fighting men, and most were not fighters at all. Many were younger than Eragon himself, and there were many more who looked the same age as Garrow. Apparently all the soldiers of the kingdom – which Eragon had learned was called Rohan – had been outlawed by King Theoden, who had been bewitched by a wizard called Saruman. These soldiers were renowned riders, and prided themselves on fighting from horseback.

King Theoden himself was in Helm's Deep, making preparations in the keep for the upcoming battle. The other leaders were the King's nephew, Eomer, a wizard called Gandalf – who had left in a hurry before they had arrived at Helm's Deep- and a man revered by all who spoke of him, a man called Aragorn. He was an excellent fighter, a kind man with a gentle heart, and supposedly, the rightful king of Gondor, another kingdom in this land. With him travelled an elf and a dwarf. Eragon was very eager to meet Aragorn.

Eragon made his way to the keep. The entrance was flanked by two guards with spears.

"What is your business here?"

"I wish to speak to Lord Aragorn."

"Lord Aragorn is meeting with the King and his advisors. They cannot be disturbed."

"It is important I see him. I have information about the army marching to your doorstep."

The two guards exchanged glances.

"What's your name, son?"

"Eragon, son of Brom."

The guards turned and pushed open the doors, beckoning for Eragon to follow.

There was a group of people inside, bent over a table covered in maps. They all looked up.

"Eragon, son of Brom, wishes to speak to Lord Aragorn."

Eragon examined the group of people in front of him. There was an older man, who he assumed was King Theoden. There was also a dwarf and an elf, clearly distinguishable, who seemed to be good friends. Eragon wondered if that was as unusual in this land as it was in Alagaesia. Finally, there was a tall man with long black hair and a broad, fair-haired man. It was the black-haired man who spoke up.

"I am Aragorn. What is it you wish to say?"

"I have information about the approaching army."

They all stood up a little straighter, and the dwarf's hand strayed to the butt of his axe.

With a bit of an edge in his voice, Aragorn asked, "And how is it that you came to have this information?"

Eragon had rehearsed what he was going to say. He didn't want to reveal Saphira to them until he knew he could trust them.

"I was travelling through the country when I spotted them. They saw me too, but they weren't worried about a lone rider. I rode here as fast as I could, to get away from them and to tell you what I know."

It was the elf who spoke this time. "What do you know?"

"Their army looks ten thousand strong. They are all large, with none of the smaller kind with them. Their weapons look crude, but they look sharp. They have archers, ladders and a kind of battering ram. They do not seem to be wearing much armour, and they don't carry shields. Also, each and every one of them has a white hand on their face."

"Saruman seeks to finally to destroy us," Theoden said, grimly, "an army of ten thousand Uruk'hai. Not even Helm's Deep can withstand the hatred of such beasts. We will all be slaughtered." He turned away and leant against the table, arms shaking, with fear or rage, Eragon did not know.

"My friend, hope still lives while men do," Aragorn said to Theoden, "we are in a fortress that has never fallen, with brave men to defend it."

"How can we survive against such numbers? Against such reckless hate? No man will survive this, Aragorn. All will die." And with that, Theoden strode from the hall, followed by Eomer and flanked by the two guards. The doors closed, and the hall was left in silence.

Aragorn sighed. "I thank you for bringing us this information," he said.

"You are welcome, my lord," Eragon replied. Turning his attention to the elf and the dwarf, he asked, "May I ask what your names are? I have given you mine, and I feel at a disadvantage."

It was the dwarf who answered him. "I am Gimli, son of Gloin," he said gruffly, "and this fellow here," he clapped the elf on the back, "is Legolas of Mirkwood."

Since Eragon had entered the room, the elf had been staring at him suspiciously. Now, he spoke up. "Come here, Eragon, son of Brom. I would talk to you face-to-face."

Eragon strode forward, knowing that he would have to reveal some truths about himself in order to gain their trust.

"I thought my eyes were deceiving me by some trick of the light, but they were not wrong," Legolas said. "What kind of creature are you? Man or elf?"

Eragon took a breath. "I am both," he said.

Gimli looked shocked, while Aragorn and Legolas were both grim faced.

"Where are you from?" Aragorn said. "I have not heard of a half-man, half-in Middle Earth for hundreds of years."

"You are right," Eragon said, "I am not from Middle Earth. I left my own land nearly a year ago and have been travelling ever since, exploring."

"Why did you come here?" the dwarf asked. He too, seemed suspicious. His hand was firmly grasping his axe.

"What I told you was true. I was travelling and I saw the Uruk'hai, so I came here to warn you. Let me help you."

"Help us," Legolas said, "how can you help us more than any other man. You are just a traveller," he said derisively.

"I have fought in wars before, and won. I have withstood sieges and broken them, overcoming numbers even greater than what you face. I am an accomplished swordsmen and bowmen. I truly wish to help you. If you do not trust me, test me. I will not fail."

"Gladly," Legolas said. He took off his cloak and drew his sword. Eragon retreated to the end of the hall, and unsheathed Brisingr. The sword glowed in the dim light of the hall, and for a moment, the three companions were awed. Then the spell over them broke, and Legolas ran forward.

Eragon met him in the middle of the hall, and the duel began. Eragon knew right away that he was rusty. The last time he'd fought had been in Alagaesia, eight months ago. But he quickly got back into his old rhythm, loosening his muscles and practising some of his simpler moves.

Legolas was fast, but not as fast as Arya, who Eragon had fought regularly and won against many times as well. Once Eragon worked out Legolas' pattern, he knew he could beat him. However, he didn't finish him straight away. He wanted them to see his talent, and realise that he could help them win.

After fighting for half an hour, Eragon finished the fight. He waited for the perfect opening, and when it came, he struck instantly. Legolas lunged forward to try and hit Eragon's shoulder. Eragon side-stepped at the last moment, while simultaneously sliding Brisingr down the length of Legolas' sword and ripping it from his grasp. Turning, Eragon caught the sword with his free hand and rested it and Brisingr in a scissors motion at Legolas' throat. He locked eyes with Legolas and held the position for a moment, then stepped back and handed him his sword.

The two of them walked back to Aragorn and Gimli.

"Well," said Gimli, "I never thought I'd see the day when blonde-haired pointy-ears over here got beaten in a fight. That was incredible, I'll admit. But how do we know he isn't a trick by Saruman, or a spy from Mordor?" he added. Clearly the dwarf still had reservations.

"There is no evil in him Gimli. Trust me," said Aragorn. "I would be glad to fight beside you, Eragon."

"And I with you," Eragon replied, smiling.

"Well fought, Eragon," Legolas said, "I have not lost a fight in over two hundred years. It is a good reminder before a battle that no one is unbeatable."

"Eragon, your sword, may I see it?" Gimli asked.

Eragon handed him Brisingr.

"This is incredible workmanship. I have never seen it's like. Where did you get it?"

"It was made for me by an elf smith. She used metal that fell from the sky. She calls it brightsteel."

"Come, Gimli. Give Eragon back his sword. Let us go and get our armour. We need to be ready for battle."

So together, the four of them left the hall, and headed for the armoury.

Just as they finished putting on their armour, they heard a horn blow.

"That's no orc horn," Legolas said. He ran out the door in the direction of the gate, closely followed by Aragorn and Eragon, Gimli waddling behind in his too-long chainmail. From the inner wall, Eragon could see people marching up the ramp. About five hundred people, all wearing cloaks, with bows on their backs and swords by their sides.

"The elves! The elves are here!" came the shouts from below.

Beside him, Gimli started laughing. Catching Eragon's perplexed look, Gimli exclaimed, "We may survive the night after all!"

With the arrival of the elves, the mood in the Deep had lifted impressively, considering they were about to enter battle. Eragon himself was very interested in the new arrivals. From looks alone, they seemed very similar to the Alagaesian elves – tall, fair-skinned and with long, flowing hair. Upon probing their minds gently, Eragon discovered that they also had melodic minds, with strains of music floating through. However, unlike Alagaesian elves, they did not seem to have any mental barriers, and Eragon could not sense any magicians among them, although they were certainly more powerful than their human counterparts. Even though he wanted to learn more about them, Eragon knew it would have to wait until after the battle.

As dark approached, the soldiers took their places. Archers lined the walls, and some remained in the hidden yard below. Both the outer and inner walls were manned, and the gate had been barred and blocked from the inside. It was not long before the first torches were seen.

The night was black, and the valley in front of them was full of pinpricks of light. Thousands upon thousands of torches, leading a silent army come to destroy the men of Rohan. Before the battle began, Eragon needed to find Aragorn. Finally, he spotted him, talking to some of the elves on the outer wall.

"Aragorn, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, Eragon," he said.

"I know you only met me today, but I need to know: do you trust me?"

Aragorn stared intently at him. Slowly, he answered. "You're right, I haven't known you for very long, but in the time that I have, you haven't said or done anything to give me reason to distrust you. What is this about?"

Eragon weighed up his options. Should he tell Aragorn about Saphira? He hadn't heard a word about dragons since he arrived in Middle Earth. Was that a good or bad thing? Would they attack if they saw her? He decided to compromise. Omission was better than outright lying.

"Everything I told you was true, except that I did not come alone. I have a companion."

"What?! Where are they?"

"On the mountainside." At Aragorn's confused look, he said, "You will see how she got up there when you see her. Listen, we don't have much time. She can win the battle for us, but I need your word that you won't attack her. You are in charge. When she appears, I need you to control the soldiers. Please."

"Her? Why would we attack a friend? You need - " at that moment, the army below halted and blew a horn so loud it reverberated off the rock walls of the valley, echoing on and on.

Aragorn threw one last look at Eragon, then ran to his place on the wall to command the forces. Eragon followed suit, taking his place a stone's throw from Aragorn. He was standing beside Legolas and Gimli, who had somehow found a box to stand on so he could see over the parapet.

"Good hunting, my friends," said Legolas, "may we live to see the morning sun rise."

"Aye lad," Gimli agreed, "and may the best dwarf win."

Then the battle began.

AN So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Ugly? How are the Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli characters? Also, I've only been able to write and upload this many chapters because I'm on holidays at the minute. It'll probably slow down from here. Nym