Author's Notes: Back again. It'll be a while till my next instalment because I am going on holiday to a place with no Wifi! (cries) and school is back after that moving into a new form, got new classes and starting the lessons I choose for my options. No More Geography! Hope u like the next chapter and please tell me what you think of it.
A Decision Made In A Bloody Room
A funeral was held and slowly the group of people left the King to his own thoughts with Gandalf. I walked back with Legolas and Gimli. "You didn't spot my weapons any where did you? Or the sketchpad?" I asked whilst walking up the dry trail behind them.
"Yes, we did in fact. Laddie here, carried you weapons and sketchpad thing and Aragorn held onto your pack. Do I really look like that drawing?" Gimli said with a cheery face hidden by a thick beard and dreadlocks.
I laughed. I hadn't done a the greatest drawing of Gimli, I must admit. "No. I just failed at drawing you, sorry. If you dare repeat any of the what is written in there, you'll have six angry Immortals to deal with. But thanks anyway. So Pippin and Merry are been taken back to the Shire?"
Legolas nodded. "Yes by an Ent, apparently. I've never come across an Ent before, they sound like placid but powerful creatures." He walked up the steps to speak to Hama and Gamling.
Two minutes later Gimli had buggered off somewhere (probably to talk to Eowyn since he as taken a liking to her), and Legolas came back carrying my pack and a pile of weapons that were mine. I picked up them from his arms and avoided touching his hands or arms. "Thanks, again" I said as I put everything on, properly so my hands were free and it was less of a burden.
I sat on a bench out side of the Golden Halls and at the ground. Legolas leaned against the wall looking at the battlements of wood and stone. "War will pass quickly over this land if they are not ready to fight against Saruman and his hordes of evil" he said with a stern tone of seriousness.
In the distance, in the fields a lone horse with two small riders tiredly trudged threw the long grass swaying side to side. The riders were too small to be adults and too small to be adolescents, they were children. The biggest rider fell into the grass like a sack of potatoes. "It seems he was played his hand first. Come on" I got to my feet and pulled on Legolas's arm so he followed.
We rushed to the stables and went to the stalls where the horses of Rohan which we had rode were resting. Legolas had rode a white horse called Arod who wasn't pleased with Legolas disturbing him whilst he ate hay.
Damon sat in his stall munching at hay. I lifted his saddle on to the curve of his back and secured it around his belly that had little fat. I jumped onto his back and slotted my feet into the iron stirrups. "Rec tu" (Race you) I said accidentally falling into my own tongue.
Legolas laughed and stormed out from the stables on Arod's back. I patted Damon into action. We were in hot pursuit of Legolas and Arod. We swerved round pedestrians and through the open gates.
Thèoden was already sitting up the exhausted boy. Gandalf spoke calm and soft words to the little girl. We rode up swiftly and dismounted almost at the same time. The little girl cried for her mother and destroyed village. Under sobs she asked with a choking voice where her mother was to Gandalf who had no reply. Clearly it had been a long time since Gandalf had to calm a young child.
I walked to Gandalf's side and looked at the little girl sat on the over sized horse. Her hair was a mess of thin blonde hair, bleached by the hot sun. Soot was on her cheeks and hands. "Where's mama?" She asked, reminding me of the young Water Spirit of the River Anduin.
"I'm not sure, young one." Gandalf said holding her little hand in comfort. His eyes turned to me. "Tara, ride her back on your horse and bring her horse with you. See to it someone looks after her and her brother."
I nodded. "Come on, let's get you somewhere with a roof and a fire." I said as I picked the little girl up from under her arms and placed her on Damon. I got on behind her and held Damon's reins with one hand and the girl's horse with the other. I set Damon into a small trot up the sandy rode with the girl's horse trotting next to us. "So...err what's your name? Mine's Tara"
The little girl sniffled. "Freda and that's my big brother, he's called Éothain." She spoke proudly of her brother and patted Damon on the head. She must have been five or maybe six years old. Both of the siblings had the same Rohirrim sandy blonde and blue eyes. I lead the two horses to the steps of the Golden Halls where Eowyn waited with a maid at the bottom.
Freda was lifted off by the maid and taken into the hall with Eowyn. I took the horses into the stables and found a free stall for the new horse. "Ma'am will the horse need washing?" He asked as he threw new hay into the stalls.
"Yes, but don't call me ma'am it makes me feel like I have grand kids or something like that." I jumped out of the stall and left the stables in the hand's of the teenager who looked like a younger version of Hama.
When I got back into the Halls of Thèoden, I found the two children eating ravenously like they had forgotten what food tasted like. But every so often Freda would ask for her mother and would be quietly shushed by Eowyn or her maid. Not once did the boy look up at anyone. He was too entranced by the food in front of him.
"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the Wild Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree." Eowyn began as she turned from the children.
"That's the idea when you attack with surprise" I mumbled only to revive swift elbows in my ribs from each side. The one on my left came from Legolas and the one on the right came from Aragorn. I glared at the both of them and moved away from them. Knowing it would hurt a hell of a lot more I made any more sarcastic remarks that I could not hold in.
"Where's mama?" Freda asked again. Eowyn wrapped a blanket around the girl and shushed her into silence.
"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight." Gandalf said whilst he sat beside Thèoden who listened whilst sat on his throne.
"You have 2000 good men riding north as we speak. Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king." Aragorn said quickly, backing Gandalf's words.
The King sighed then looked at the children. "They will be 300 leagues from here by now. Eomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war. My people do not deserve this, especially the children of this land"
I now stood next to Gimli who could barely reach my ribs. One of my feet rested on the pillar on which I leaned on. Horus sat up in the rafters looking down at everyone. "And yet they do not deserve to be ruled by Saruman, either. Logically, there is no way of getting out of this...mess without blood being spilt or someone dying. With war you have a slim chance of winning, without war ...Well then you have imminent chance of been ruled or enslaved by Saruman the psycho." I paused I was receiving quite a few confused looks. Gandalf slightly glared at me for a moment after I called Saruman a psycho. I looked at my feet, rather ashamed of myself for being so open with my opinion of Saruman.
"I agree with Tara. Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." Aragorn said afterwards.
Thèoden looked at his hands which rested on his throne then straightened the crown upon his head. "Now, the last time I observed the scrolls. It stated I was King of Rohan and no one else" He spoke with seer fondness of himself and used his natural pride against us.
There was short silence and a low, sort of revolting sound came from Gimli's mouth. He had belched and rather loudly too. His face went red and his forehead sweaty. He grumbled and folded his arms though no one could understand his grovel.
"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked before anyone could do so much as laugh.
The King shifted in his throne. Thinking of a decision ahead. Then he came to his answer, but this answer would end lives and he knew it. "We go to Helm's Deep"
I coughed. I didn't know why, but I coughed. I looked at my palm. Blood. There was thick crimson blood in my palm. I moved away from the pillar and from the group. My eyes looking at the pool of blood in my palm. It seeped through my fingers and onto the floor.
Drip, drip, drip.
Horus fell from the rafters and landed on the ground with a THUD. His neck was snapped and bones shattered.
The faces in the room had become twisted and distorted. Blood fell from their eyes, noses and from the corners of their mouth. I went to rub my eyes and found a crimson residue falling from my tearduct. I was literally crying blood. I sat in the far corner of the room with my feet to my chest.
"Tara?" A voice I knew well asked. A hand was on my shoulder. I looked up. Stood drenched in blood were Aragorn and Legolas who was crouched down. Both smelt of rotting flesh and old meat. I stiffed and leaned away from them. "Tara, whatever it is you see it is not real. It's a nightmare set up by Sinolest. Tara! Listen to me!" Legolas shouted.
A high pitched ringing began in my ears. It raised in volume and pitch.
Eowyn took the children out of the room and everyone but the members of the Fellowship and King were made to leave. I wanted to scream, shout words that I had no reason to say.
There was Dark Whispers talking all around the room. The shadows were darker than the night and were as sharp as daggers. Black Speech hummed in the air.
I knew it wasn't real, but I was too scared to believe myself.
Other voices joined the serenade of this nightless nightmare. But these were not Dark, they were Light. The two choirs of voices were at war, each choir trying to be more powerful than the opposing choir. Both sang their choruses and verses at each other. It stopped after the choir of Light had sung out it's mighty chorus.
All things obscure and out of place was washed away like someone had painted over the mistakes in reality. Blood was no longer anywhere in sight. Horus was stood on my left knee looking at me with a tilted head. I stroked his head with my thumb. 'Well she's got a bit more inventive with her work, I must say I liked the old stuff better. Less blood involved' I said to him.
'She's got more powerful too. I saw what you saw. Do I really have such shabby and small talons?' He joked.
I smirked but my face became serious. Thèoden was frowning at me and Gandalf quietly explained to him. I dropped Legolas's hand off my shoulder and got to my feet.
"Before anyone asks, no I have not lost my marbles and I do not intend to loose them." I said when people entered the room again.
"Are you ok then? Not seeing any stuff...then?" Legolas asked as we walked to the stables. The rest of the Fellowship walked ahead. I smirked then nodded unsure whether I should tell him about the Light and Dark choirs.
People were now rushing too and through collecting supplies for Helm's Deep.
In the stables we listened to Gandalf whilst tending to the horses that had been given to us. "Helm's Deep. There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you all before the end. The people of Rohan will need you all. The defences have to hold"
Aragorn nodded. "They will hold."
Gandalf stroked his hand down Shadowfax's head. "The Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of Men I've walked this earth, and now I have no time. With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east." He mounted the horse without a saddle and rode the stables as a white blur, leaving a trail of White Light.