Chapter 13

"I never thought I could stun an elf speechless." Skyler chuckled as she sat down on the bed cover.

"An elf, my, he's the first one I've seen around this part." Ashlocke commented.

"Really? Well this is to the South and the elves had pretty much kept to themselves after the First Alliance." Skyler said as she drank in the sight of her mother.

Ashlocke noticed her persistent stare and smiled as she patted her head: "Don't worry I won't disappear into thin air, dear."

"You'd never know. One moment I was shopping with you and the next thing I knew I was in a freaking forest." Skyler snorted.

"I think we're here to stay my dear."

"I hope so."

"I know so, and believe me, I may be younger than you now, I'm still your mother."

"A lot of things had changed, mother."

"I know; you didn't speak with an accent before. Not that it's not nice, you sound like you're singing."

"Well, learning to speak Sindarin can do that to you not to mention Quenya." Skyler said wryly.

"Those are the languages of elves, are they not?" Ashlocke asked.

"Yes."

"We've been leading such different lives, my dear." Ashlocke sighed almost regretfully, "I wished I'd been there for you." She added sadly.

"It's okay mother, I'll be alright; I've always been and I always will be." Skyler said reassuringly, "I won't be like a little kid seeking attention anymore; and I certainly won't wallow in my own Greek tragedy." She murmured the last part to herself.

Ashlocke looked at her with her eyes glistening suspiciously as she sat down beside Skyler: "I'm truly sorry. I know it hadn't been easy for you. It's a cruel world for a child to grow up in."

Skyler held her mother hand and stroke it soothingly: "Don't cry mother. I told you I'll be fine."

"You've grown up on me." Ashlocke said proudly.

"While you've gotten younger." Skyler laughed. She started at the sound of her own laughter. It's been such a long time since she laughed like this. She stared at her hands and clenched them tightly. She won't go down again, now that she finally met Haldir and found her mother. She will become stronger for them.

Ashlocke noticed her daughter suddenly became silent; she sighed inwardly. The old saying certainly rang true here; time stops for no one. They're still close, but Skyler was no longer the same little girl who had always looked to her on the road of life. She no longer looked to her for guidance in making decisions.

"I don't like missing the meeting they're having." Skyler said suddenly, "Why did you excuse us anyways?"

"Because I grew up in Rohan I know what decision is going to be made." Ashlocke said softly as she stood up, "King Theoden will not endanger his people to fight, especially not after losing Theodred."

Skyler slammed her fist down on the bed: "Doesn't he understand? They're coming whether he's fighting or not. We're either going down fighting or weeping." She growled.

"The fortress has never failed before." Ashlocke said quietly.

"These are Urukais. They stop at nothing. They are no mere orcs or goblin. They're strong, brutish, and bloodthirsty." Skyler said as she stood up too, "I should know; Saruman released the test product into the Forest of Fangorn. I fought them."

Ashlocke started at this: "Forest of Fangorn? You're the Guardian?"

"I didn't kill any of Roahn's men if that's what you're afraid of. I only kill those monsters." Skyler said dryly.

"Goddess, you are old. I grew up hearing legends of you." Ashlocke said shaking her head.

Skyler snorted: "I told you so."

"You better take a bath while you can, my dear." Ashlocke said abruptly, "We'll probably be moving out next morning. And I have some clean clothes that you can wear."

True to Ashlocke's words they left the next morning, an exodus of men from the proud but crumbling city of Rohan.

"So you are Ash's sister?" Eowyn asked puzzled, "but the dwarf called you an elf and yet you have our ears. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking."

Skyler smiled at her curiosity: "Don't worry, any friend of Ash is mine as well. I suppose you can call us sisters. Before she met you we grew up together but then we were separated and I haven't seen her until yesterday. I'm about five hundred years old. I lost count a long time ago."

"Five hundred!" Eowyn gasped, "You are an elf."

"Not quite; I'm actually not sure what I am." Skyler laughed sheepishly.

"But you have to be an elf, to live this long." Eowyn persisted.

Skyler laughed again: "I don't know, perhaps."

Eowyn smiled: "You look much different from yesterday, when I first met you."

"How so?"

"Your see happier."

"Perhaps."

"I hope you are. You brought some hope for us."

Skyler stared at her in surprise: "What do you mean?"

"In Rohan, twins are lucky, and that's what the people believe you and Ashlocke are. To receive two foals from one mare is a blessing."

"Yes I suppose it is." Skyler replied.

"What are you two talking about? Sky you didn't tell her anything bad about me did you?" Ash asked as she rode up beside Eowyn with a half-hearted scowl.

"Why? Should I?" Skyler grinned then she frowned when she heard hurried hoof steps behind her. She turned around to see Legolas riding up and passed her.

Unwittingly, she immediately slipped into Sindarin: (What is it?)

(Screams, it must be the scouts!) Legolas replied back as he rode off to the front.

Skyler swore and rode after him leaving behind two shocked women.

They arrived to find the two scouts dead and a warg rider beside them.

Skyler immediately shot the rider with her crossbow while Legolas took care of the warg.

(It's a scout also.) Legolas said as he glanced at the goblin with disgust.

(We can't protect and fight at the same time.) Skyler said grimly as they rode back.

"Warg riders, the one that killed your scouts was just another scout." Skyler said to the King as they reached the convoy: "Get your people to safety or it'll be another massacre." Skyler added and turned around to congregate with Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli without waiting for his reply.

She held her crossbow tightly in her hand: "Good luck and don't breathe. I heard Warg have nasty morning breathe."

Gimli snorted: "You've got a sense of humor now?"

"It's either that or I want to bash some royal head in." Skyler muttered.

Aragorn glanced at her sharply but Skyler just shrugged.

The King rode up to them. Skyler didn't see Ashlocke; she assumed that her mother must be helping Eowyn transporting the civilians.

"How many of them, Legolas?" Aragorn asked.

"A hundred and more." The elf replied grimly.

Skyler swore again.

"They're coming over the hill." Legolas said as he readied his bow and then just as the first Goblin came over the hill he shot it in the head.

Skyler followed suit and aimed for the second one, hitting it in the chest. She then quickly slid another arrow into the slot and finished off the warg; however even though there were two of them picking them off in such long distance…there were simply too many of the enemies.

And soon they were overwhelmed as the Warg Riders came gnashing and tumbling over.

Skyler slung the crossbow over her back after a while and readied her sword. This was going to be a long fight.

It was long…and bloody. Skyler could only watch on while fighting her battle as many of the Rohan soldiers were chewed on and clawed apart and her eyes…they stung…This was a war, damn it, people die in war.

That was what she told herself as she stepped over bodies after bodies after the Wargs were rid of.

"Skyler, are you well?" Legolas asked softly as he came over.

Skyler clenched her fist tightly and nodded with closed eyes. She opened them after a while: "Yes."

"It's alright to be saddened or distraught by this," Legolas said nodding at the battlefield: "It's what makes us different from these beasts."

"I know."

Gimli came over and asked: "Have you seen Aragorn?"

Legolas' eyes narrowed: "No, you didn't see him either?"

Skyler's heart suddenly clenched: "He must be here somewhere. We'll find him."

They scoured the grounds fall fallen bodies and the horizon for standing ones, but Aragorn was nowhere to be found.

When they were neared the cliff that led down to a roaring river one of the fallen goblins gave a raspy chuckle: "You're looking for that boy?"

Within seconds Legolas was holding up the despicable object with one of his hand on the goblin's collar: "Where is he? Tell me and I'll end your misery quickly." He said angrily.

"The boy took a little tumble off the cliff." The goblin gurgled happily then he died.

Legolas glanced around him and his eyes fell on the necklace of Arwen. He picked it up gently: "Estel would have never left this."

"No, he must be alive. He's Aragorn after all." Skyler said shaking her head in denial.

Gimli took a look down the cliff and then turned back to her sadly: "Lass, no one can survive that fall."

"No!" Skyler denied fiercely, "he must be alive." She said as she strode away rubbing her eyes furiously.

No! He can't be dead. No, I won't believe it. He MUST be alive.

"Skyler!" Ashlocke called out happily when she saw Skyler riding back with the King and the elf and dwarf. Skyler just smiled at her weakly before jumping off the horse and gave her a brief hug. She then ran off without even leading her horse off.

Ashlocke glanced at the rest of the group confusedly. The elf returned a sad glance that bespoke of a heavy sorrow.

Eowyn spoke up behind her: "Where's my Lord Aragorn?"

Gimli shook his head gently.

Ashlocke lowered her eyes and walked off; another one of Skyler's friends had died. She went after her.

"Skyler." She called out softly. After much running around, Ashlocke had found Skyler siting atop of the gate that led up to the fortress's embankment. Ashlocke carefully made her way to the top, and called out again to the shadowed figure sitting there facing outward: "Skyler darling."

Her daughter turned around and smiled at her forlornly yet determinedly: "I know he's alive mother; he has to be for Gondor and for Arwen."

"Arwen?"

"His other half." Skyler said softly as she glanced out again.

"But he…" Ashlocke had heard from the gossip that Aragorn had fallen off the cliff; no men no matter how great can survive that.

"I know he's alive." Skyler said stubbornly.

"Hope kah?" Ashlocke smiled sadly.

Skyler nodded: "Because no matter how dark the night gets the morning will always come." She said firmly.

"I see." Ashlocke said glancing off into space, "even if everyone around you is dying or losing hope, the dawn will always come?"

"No matter what." Skyler said resolutely.

"I'll believe you this time." Ashlocke sighed as they sat there quietly glancing at the sunset.

This became a sort of ritual to them as they sat side by side looking out to the field everyday near sunset. Then a few days after Aragorn disappeared off the cliff, the mother and daughter saw a shadow on a horse tumbling towards them across the plain.

"Mom…is that…"

Ashlocke couldn't believe her own eyes but she nodded; it was him. She yelled down at the guards: "Open the gates! It's Lord Aragorn!"

The guards froze.

"Open the gates!" Ashlocke yelled again and the guards sprang into action.

Indeed, a few minutes later Aragorn stumbled through on his horse looking worse for wear. Skyler slid down the embankment to meet him: "Estel!" she cried with happiness.

Aragorn gave her a weak smile but quickly turned serious: "Where's the King?"

Skyler tilted her head with puzzlement but pointed toward the center court: "Take me to him." Aragorn said grimly as he slid down the horse. Skyler nodded and lead him towards King Theoden with Ashlocke following closely behind them.

Skyler's jaw nearly dropped when she heard how many Uruk-hais were heading towards them. She blinked again and again just to make sure she was alive. Then her brain went into overdrive as she calculated the number of men they have and the weapons and the civilians. There was no way they would get out of this without some serious losses even with Legolas, Gimli, her mother, and the soldiers. Saruman wasn't joking about taking them down. It would be hell when those monsters arrive.