"Éomer! Take your Éored down the left side." Théoden ordered as he rode along the lines of Rohirrim.
"Yes, my Lord."
"Gamling, follow the King's banner down the center. Grimbold, take your company right, after you pass the wall. Forth, and fear no darkness!" He turned his horse to address the Rohirrim.
"Arise! Arise! Riders of Théoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword-day! A red day,ere the sun rises!"
Théoden rides up and down the lines, rattling his sword along the row of spears.
"Ride now, ride now, ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending!"
The riders let out a roar of agreement. No fear at the sight of the massive army before them, only strength.
"Death!"
"Death!"
"Death!"
"Bàs!" Screamed the Highlander on top of his mighty steed. His mount was larger than the rest of the Rohirrim's horses. Black as night, Cogadh, as Aéd named it, was an imposing figure. The Highlander himself looked as fearsome as his mount. Half of his face was covered in red paint and his expression is that of a warrior hardened by war.
"Forth Eorlingas!"
The blowing of Rohan's horns began the charge. Théoden leads the riders in a heavy cavalry charge towards the orc battalions.
"Death!"
In the Orc ranks, Gothmog growled and ordered "Fire!"
Orc archers behind the Pikemen fired a volley of arrows, taking down some of the Rohirrim but their momentum remained.
"Fire at will!" Roared Gothmog.
The orc archers fired but the riders were undeterred.
Éomer raised his spear and plunged his Éored into the orc lines.
Today, Rohan showed the strength of her people.
~Line Break~
"Rrrraaaggghhh!"
A very unfortunate orc met his end when a Claymore cleaved him in half.
Aéd had dismounted from his horse and was now fighting with his feet on the ground.
He kicked an orc and dent him to another orc, forcing the two to fall on the ground. Before they could get up, Aéd skewered them with his blade.
"Ha! Kjúklingur á teini!''The Highlander joked before pulling his blade free and swung it low, cutting an orc's leg off. He stomped his boot on it's face, killing it.
"Drive them back to the river!" Éomer yelled over the noise of battle.
"Make safe the city!" Ordered Théoden.
The battle seemed to favor the Rohirrim, but the armies of Mordor had a trick up their sleeve.
Aéd could not believe the size of the war beasts. The beasts of war resembled elephants, only these ones were larger and had the at least four tusks. War paint littered it's body and the trunks had spikes placed on them, giving them a horrifying appearance.
"Reform the line! Reform the line!"
Aéd placed two fingers on his mouth and whistled. A moment later, Cogadh stopped beside his master. The Highlander mounted his war horse and placed himself beside the King.
"Sound the charge!"
Gamling blew on his horn and the Rohirrim charged at the massive beasts.
"Rohirrim, charge!"
The Mûmakils crushed the unfortunate riders that got too close. Some got caught in the spikes that were placed in the beast's trunks.
Rohirrim Horse Archers, with Gamling, pelted the underside of one of a Mûmakil.
Éomer stopped his horse and turned around. He waited for the right moment before throwing the spear in his hand. With a surprising amount of accuracy, the spear lodged itself in the Oliphaunt Rider's chest. The dead rider fell off the side and tangled himself on the Oliphaunt's ear, causing the beast to collide with another Oliphaunt and bringing the two gigantic beasts to the ground.
The second Oliphaunt was still alive, but the archers on it's back were quickly pelted with arrows by Rohirrim Horse Archers.
Aéd saw an opportunity and unmounted his horse. He ran to the downed beast and buried his Claymore on the Oliphaunt's head. He pulled the blade free while kicking a Haradrim soldier off the dead beast and jumping after him. The Haradrim screamed in terror as the Highlander dropped on him and split his head in half.
He rose from the ground and saw a rider wielding two swords and dodging the enormous beasts left and right. Then the rider went under a Mûmakil and sliced all of it's legs in the right spot, causing it to fall on to the ground in pain.
Seeing another opportunity, the Highlander ran to the downed beast and repeated his actions on the last one.
"Aim for the head!" Éomer ordered as he and other Horse Archers fired arrows at a Mûmakil's head.
The Oliphaunt stood on it's rear legs at it prepared to trample on the Horsemen.
"Bring it down! Bring it down! Bring it down!" Théoden ordered his men.
The same rider Aéd saw down a Mûmakil threw a spear on of it's hind legs and caused the beast to fall to the ground. Sending the Rohirrim rider flying of his horse. He realized there were two riders on that horse. One that was too small to be a rider.
"Damn Hobbit!"
He shoved, cut and swung at anyone who tried to keep him from getting to the Hobbit.
He reached Merry just in time to see him kill three Haradrim and 4 Orcs.
He reached the Hobbit and bopped Merry on the head. He grabbed by the cloak and lifted him off the ground.
"What are you doing here, lad!? As much as I'm impressed with the way you held on your own, this is still no place for a Hobbit!" He yelled at Merry before letting the Hobbit go and kneeing an orc in the gut then swinging his blade upwards across the orc's chest, sending him flying.
"Merry!"
Aéd growled in frustration as he heard a woman's familiar voice. He turned around and saw the same rider calling out to find the hobbit. He saw her battle with a pale orc and cut the back of it's thigh. Without warning, Aéd grabbed Éowyn on the shoulder and turned her around before snatching away her helm.
Éowyn looked in shock as the imposing figure of the Highlander stared down at her in disapproval.
"You too, lass! Aah, forget it!" He sighed in frustration and placed the helmet back on Éowyn's head. Merry soon joined them "No turning back now. Kill as many of these filth as you can!" He ordered as he cut down two orcs in one swing.
The three stayed together and fought off any Orc or Haradrim in their way.
~Line Break~
Titus can't help but scowl at their situation. Around him were the only able-bodied Gondorians he could muster. Some had bandages around them yet they still want to fight. At least fifteen were archers and two Scorpios. The rest were sword and spearmen, almost all of them were the ones he trained. It was not enough. He growled inf frustration as he heard the troll bang it's club against their doors again and again in an effort to break it. He grabbed his waterskin and threw it over the wall.
"Ah, shut up will ya!" He yelled.
He saw Gandalf and Pippin converse but decided to leave them to it. He rose from the ground and took hold of his Gladius. His head was bandaged but this wound would not deter him. He
He grabbed the soldiers attention.
"Attention lads!" The Soldiers of Gondor looked at him "The brave men tastes death once. Cowards... thousand times over!" He stared at each and everyone of their faces "Look around you. In these times, fear feels no pity. But I swear you this, Gondor will not fall. Not today." He raised his Gladius in the air "Today we fight! For the blood of the fallen, we will fight! Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat!"
"Rraghh!"
The Men of Gondor roared as their fire was reinvigorated.
"Spearmen, on the front! Archers, o. The back with the Scorpios. On my command, Throw your spears at the enemy, use your swords for now. Archers, ignite!"
The Archers ignited their arrows and aimed at the door.
"Ready! ... Testudo!"
The swordsmen, and Titus, formed Testudo and waited.
A moment of silence passed before the doors were broken. The troll charged in only to be met by a barrage of flaming arrows.
The troll fell dead and the orcs charged in.
"Brace!"
The Testudo managed to hold their ground.
"Steady! Archers, Scorpios, fire at will!"
The archers and scorpios let loose on the orcs. With the orcs suppressed, Titus attacked.
"Push them back!"
The shields on the front pushed the orcs back and advanced. Slowly by surely, Titus and his men pushed back the orcs. Gandalf raised his staff and conjured a bright light that blinded the orcs, giving Titus an opportunity.
"Forward!"
As one, the soldiers advanced and cut down the staggered orcs. Feeling the adrenaline course through his veins, Titus charged and stabbed his blade in an unfortunate orc. He swung left and right, cutting down orcs with a bloodthirsty grin on his face. He dropped his shield and punched an orc in the face and kneeing another in the gut before stabbing a third one in the neck.
"Ahahaha! Incredibilis!"
~Line Break~
"Feast off his flesh."
The Witch-King of Angmar ordered his Fellbeast as he stared down at the downed Théoden.
Théoden was pinned under his horse and was defenseless.
Éowyn, with her helmet obscuring her features, stood in front of Théoden in defense.
"I will kill you if you touch him!"
"Do not come between the Nazgûl and his prey." The Witch-King threatened.
His Fellbeast bites at Éowyn, who dodged out of the way.
"Rrrraaaagghhh!"
Aéd charged and swung his blade down on the Fellbeast's neck. He swung it down again and cut off the creature's head.
The Witch-King dropped off his dead mount and stood to his full height. Towering over Aéd by an inch or two.
Aéd growled under his breath and charged the Nazgûl with a roar. His first strike was blocked and he dodged the Witch-King's enormous mace. He parried the Nazgûl's sword strike and swung his blade down. The Witch-King recovered and swung his blade upwards to meet Aéd's Claymore. The force of the blow threw Aéd backwards and disabled him.
The Witch-King then swung his mace at Éowyn and broke the Shieldmaiden's shield. Éowyn crawls back as the Nazgûl opened his arms as he loomed over her.
~Line Break~
"Late, as usual! Pirate scum! There's work that needs doing." Guritz mocked as he saw the Umbarian ships "Come on, ya sea rats! Get out off your ships!"
When the ships docked, four figures leapt out off the side of the ship. A Ranger, an Elf, a Dwarf and an Aramusha stood outside the ship with their hands on their weapons.
Guritz smiled in amusement at seeing such a small force.
The four slowly advanced as the orcs raised their weapons.
"There are plenty for the three of us! May the best dwarf win!" Gimli declared.
Rin smirked and spun her blades "
The four charged and the Army of the Dead followed behind them.
The orcs recoiled back in fear as the ghosts cut them down.
~Line Break~
"You fool! No man can slay the Lord of the Nazgûl! Die now!" The Witch-King declared as he grabbed Éowyn by the neck.
Merry, crawling up from behind, stabs the Wraith's knee. He recoiled back as he held his hand in pain.
The Witch-King dropped to his knees as Éowyn stood up with a sword in her hand. She removed her helm and stared straight at the Nazgûl.
"I am no man!" She declared before stabbing her blade in the Witch-King's head.
The Witch-King's helmet caved in on itself before Éowyn fell to her knees in exhaustion.
~Line Break~
"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen!" Legolas yelled as he fired arrows at the orcs before they got close.
"Twenty one!" Gimli declared as he cut down orcs with his axe.
Meanwhile, Éowyn was crawling away from an injured Gothmog as he staggered his way to the Shieldmaiden. She saw a bloody sword and reached for it.
Gothmog raised his mace just as the sword slipped from Éowyn's fingers.
Before the orc could strike the Shieldmaiden down, Rin jumped over Éowyn and stabbed one of her blades to the orc's chest.
She buried her second blade and twisted once before twisting again then pulling it out. She quickly cut the pale orc's head off then kicking the body away. She looked at her handiwork and spat on the corpse.
She ran to Éowyn's side and helped her up.
"My uncle... Help me find my... uncle." Éowyn muttered. Just loud enough for Rin to hear. She helped Éowyn find Théoden and surveyed the battlefield
In the distance, she saw Aéd shakily stand up and lean on a large, black horse.
She looked to her left and saw Legolas take down a gigantic, four-tusked, beast of war by himself.
She looked ahead and found the King pinned under his horse.
She carefully made her way their and gently dropped Éowyn beside the King. She left, thinking that this was something she wasn't supposed to hear.
The Army of the Dead was about to besiege the castle when she saw the orcs inside run out of the city. Behind them was Titus and a company of Gondorian Soldiers.
Titus held a spear in one hand and his Gladius in the other.
"Throw!"
The Gondorians and Titus threw their spears at the retreating orcs, killing the ones nearest to them. The rest were killed by the ghosts.
The world was silent as the battle came to an end.
Titus would've cheered if it weren't for the amount of bodies that littered the fields and the city. He turned back to his men and said "Get back to the city. Rest, you men have earned it. We'll bury the dead later."
His soldiers went back to the city to mourn this Pyrrhic Victory.
He turned around and felt two arms wrap around him. He returned the embrace and sighed.
After a few more moments, the two let go and stared at each other.
They heard someone walking towards them and saw Aéd leaning on Cogadh. He limped towards them and the two enveloped him in a hug.
Titus chuckled "Never thought I'd be happy to see you, my friend." He said as he let go and stared at the tall Highlander.
"So did I, lad." Aéd brought a hand on both their shoulders as he said this.
Their reunion was cut short as they stared back at the battlefield. They saw Éomer weep as he held Éowyn's body in his arms.
"So many dead. No matter how many battles I've fought. How many blood I've spilt. I'll never get used to the body count after the battle's done." Titus stated before lowering his head and sending a silent prayer for the dead.
"It means you're still human, lad. You may feel numb sometimes but the feeling is still there. If you didn't feel a thing, well... Look at Apollyon." Aéd replied with a solemn voice and bowed his head.
Rin took of her hat and bowed her head, sending a prayer of her own.
The three stared one last time before heading to the city. It had been a long and bloody battled. They deserved the rest. Everyone does.