Destiny Diverted
Disclaimer: Avatar:the Last Airbender duly belongs to Bryke. The Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The movies result from the vision of Peter Jackson. No profit is made from this story other than the sheer gratification of reviews. And there is no way in Hell that I can write even a fraction as well as J.R.R. Tolkien, so no very high expectations of writing quality, please.
NOTE: There are some action sequences (hopefully convincing ones) here.
Thanks for the reviews of the previous chapter. I apologize for the fast pace of the story. It's deliberate, and this story is fast paced for several reasons:
I have no time/creativity to make a really long, fully fleshed out crossover story so I'm limiting this one to a prologue, ten chapters, and an epilogue
I'm trying to keep it short so it won't be boring
I really, really, want to finish this before the "Last Airbender" movie comes out… so I can't afford to have too many chapters
As some of you already know, I'm in my last year in university and I'm trying to keep my grades as decent as I possibly can so I won't have much energy/time to devote to fan fiction writing
Given the limits, I still want to cover at least the major battles starting from Helm's Deep until the end of "The Return of the King" so I'll be skipping some parts (for instance, they aren't going to meet Frodo and Sam until the end)
Hope you forgive the weirdness of these excuses. Like I keep saying, this was a whimsical idea but I really wanted to make a crossover.
As some of you may know, I am not so great at fight scenes and fight terminologies and all that, so I hope you can somehow imagine the scenes given my limited powers of description.
A bit long, but hopefully not boring. Enjoy.
CHAPTER TWO
As the shroud of night began to cover the land, a growing sense of dread filled the hearts of all those at the Deep.
Everyone waited with baited breath for the enemy's approach, and the earth trembled as if to announce their coming in great numbers. Saruman's army of Uruk-Hai. The very name off the foes they were about to face struck fear in Katara's heart.
And yet, in spite of all their trepidation about the coming battle, they were not completely in despair. The arrival of the two benders and the impressive exhibition they gave of their unique powers was enough to make Aragorn feel less hopeless about the situation. The heir of Gondor understood better than the king of Rohan that these two new additions would be of great help to them, even if their origins were quite dubious. Gandalf would not have sent them if they were not trustworthy.
And fortunately, just moments ago, a retinue of Elven archers, led by Haldir of Lorien, had arrived to help and to honor the ancient allegiance. Zuko and Katara had been further amazed by these new beings, so different from the people of Rohan and from any other people they had ever met. The radiance and beauty of the archers made the two benders awestruck in their presence.
The Elves were likewise intrigued by the two newcomers, especially considering how long they had been around Middle-Earth. Haldir expressed that he had never before encountered beings with the powers to control the elements, and he hoped he would have the opportunity to learn more about them after the battle.
For all this preparation and unexpected aid, Aragorn still hoped that Gandalf would bring more help to them when he returned. The wise wizard always had a way of resolving even the most complicated of circumstances.
King Theoden was nervous but also slightly comforted by the presence of strangers who were willing to fight by his side. Their arrival was all the more welcomed because it was so unexpected. He realized that there were still those allies who would come to them in the hour of greatest need.
There was one matter that perplexed both Katara and Zuko greatly as they waited for the battle to begin and after surveying their surroundings carefully.
"Why didn't Gandalf bring an earthbender along?" they both asked aloud.
They looked at each other in surprise and shrugged.
"Any skilled enough earthbender would have been a great help in a battle such as this," Katara said, "and if we had Toph with us, there would be no doubt of success. I know why he didn't bring Aang, of course, the Avatar is busy trying to save our world."
"It is curious though," Zuko added, "considering Gandalf dropped by in Ba Sing Se of all places, the stronghold of some of the best earthbenders in the world."
"Hmm…" both hummed pensively before shrugging with amused resignation.
"I suppose he had his own reasons for choosing us instead," Zuko said, "we are pretty good at bending our elements after all."
A mischievous idea occurring to her, Katara said with a grin, "I guess we'll just have to see who turns out to be the more useful bender in this battle."
Zuko saw the glint of daring in her eyes and recognized a challenge when he saw one. He smiled at her smugly and folded his arms.
"I don't doubt you'll be useful as a healer of the wounded," he told her slyly, "but in a battle as large scale as this one, there's not much even you can do with some murky moat water and your gourd."
Katara frowned and was about to retort when something eliminated the need for her to do so. For at that moment, it had begun to rain. Katara simply raised an eyebrow at the astonished Zuko. He huffed and looked away embarrassedly.
"And don't forget that the moon's out tonight as well," she reminded him slyly, "you don't have to worry about me."
But as thunder crashed and lightning struck the sky, Zuko looked at her with a renewed energy. Her eyes widened at this.
"What?" he asked, "did you think that Azula is the only one who can bend lightning? Uncle taught me a few useful tricks while we were wandering around the Earth Kingdom, you know."
He didn't mention that he hadn't been able to successfully redirect lightning yet. She didn't need to know that.
Their banter was interrupted by the arrival of Gimli and Legolas, who were preparing to compete with one another as well.
"I see you both are in good spirits," the Elf commented, "I hope you can keep that disposition in the coming hours."
"It's going to be a long night for us all," the Dwarf added, "you can count on that. Let's just hope our luck lasts the night."
Resuming their seriousness, Katara and Zuko nodded to their new friends and watched as the enemy approached them. It was a vast and formidable army, of hideous, beast-like beings neither bender could have ever imagined. The creatures roared and marched menacingly towards the outer wall and Katara felt herself tremble in fright, even if there was water all around them. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Zuko as she watched the ugly soldiers draw near.
Aragorn was shouting words of encouragement in a foreign tongue to the Elvish archers. Zuko tried his best to draw strength from the message he knew even if he could not understand the words.
The Ranger raised his sword and the archers readied their bows as they listened to the Uruk-hai roaring and pounding on their armor. Zuko and Katara followed suit, both getting into their stances, ready to summon their elements at the signal.
A nervous archer clumsily let go of his arrow and one of the foul beasts fell dead on the ground. The fuse was lit.
"So it begins," muttered Theoden gravely.
The archers began to release their arrows swiftly and silently and already the enemies' front lines were being decimated. Blades and arrows rained upon the vicious orcs as they ran towards the sturdy walls of the fortress.
"Fire!" all the leaders cried out to their men.
"My pleasure," Zuko muttered under his breath, very fervently complying with the order. Feeling his power surge within him, he summoned the flames to his hands and his golden eyes glowed bright with the excitement of battle.
Katara for her part created a huge dome of water from the rain and then began launching frozen darts at the orcs, also effectively bringing them down. Once the orcs gathered enough presence of mind to start counter-attacking, Katara would shift between launching sharp icicles and building a frozen barrier that protected the Elvish archers from the arrows of the orcs.
Zuko would alternate between instantly igniting much of the archer's arrows and launching small but powerful fire blasts at the orcs who were able to advance closer to the walls. These attacks caused minor explosions that not only handicapped the enemies but also frightened them. They had never encountered such powerful adversaries and could not quite believe that all those deadly attacks were coming from only two people.
Even the soldiers at Helm's Deep were somehow awestruck by the power wielded by the two benders and Aragorn had to call their attention so that they could focus on the task at hand.
Zuko and Katara decided to split up so that they could cover more parts of the wall that were being approached by the hordes of beastly orcs. They decided not only to compete with each other but to be more effective in spreading their powers around to help protect more parts of the wall. They put themselves in strategic positions so as to maximize their powers and cause more damage on the orcish army.
Many of the other orcs fled before the blasts of fire and darts of ice which were being flung at them. They knew not what kind of sorcery was afoot and they were terrified by this unusual power. Nothing had prepared them for such opponents and though they tried to launch their spears and arrows at the benders, they could not succeed.
So all around the outer walls of Helm's Deep icicles were being launched and walls of ice being instantly built. Fire balls were raining down upon the orcs as well as instantly ignited arrows. Zuko and Katara did not have enough power to completely overwhelm their enemies but their presence still made an impact.
Aside from the tangible contributions the benders made to the fight, their power and their presence also boosted the morale of their comrades, especially the frightened men of Rohan, who saw hope in the fight and who were more motivated to defend their people.
"We may be outnumbered," Zuko thought, remembering an old battle with his uncle, "but they are clearly outmatched."
And with that he threw another fire ball at an unsuspecting group of orcs. Some were burned and other fled in horror from the deadly explosion.
For a while, the orcs were hard-pressed to approach the wall, they soon found other ways. Long ladders were placed on the ground and then pushed against the wall, ladders filled with eager orcs, ready to climb up and slay the defenders of the fortress.
"Oh no you don't!" Katara cried out as she sent a sharp wave of ice, cutting down most of the ladders on her side. But it was becoming more and more difficult to keep up with them. It was taking all she had to keep sending sharp icicles down while slashing through ladders. She was glad that the rain had not slackened and the moon still glowed bright above her. Otherwise, she wasn't sure where she would draw the strength to continue.
In another part of the wall, Zuko was successfully able to burn the ladders that were placed near him. He sent down several blazing ladders that smashed down on the hapless orcs.
But their efforts were not enough and all those standing on the edge of the wall brandished their swords (and Gimli his axe) and made ready to cut down any who dared jump over. Soon, Legolas and the Dwarf were involved in competition on who could cut down more orcs first. So far, the Elf was in the lead.
Even after he burned down some of the ladders, some armored orcs still managed to jump on the walls, so Zuko joined the others and brandished his pair of swords, slashing away at the filthy brutes. Their armor was thick but it was weak at the neck and the legs so he often aimed there, not just with blades but with his firebending as well.
And after seeing the hideousness of their faces, with the slime and bared fangs, Zuko dropped all hesitation about hurting them and often aimed his fire-engulfed fists at their ugly faces, effectively incapacitating most of them. It also helped get rid of the eye sores that they were. He cringed and shuddered at the sight of them and did his best to keep them as much away from him as possible.
As he continued to fight, Zuko found himself wondering how Katara was doing against the vicious monsters.
The waterbender was likewise disgusted at the sight of the enemies. Some had still managed to climb on the wall in spite of her efforts and she was forced to fight some of them at close range. They were ugly and scary beyond belief and she screamed as she fought, cringing at the sight of them and launching her water whip to take down as many as she could without going too near them.
"I've fought some unattractive soldiers in the past but this is too revolting," she thought as she pierced an orc in the neck with an icicle. She shuddered as she fell before her and she kicked it away in disgust.
But soon the enemies' tactics grew redundant and the forces of Rohan and friends were able to fight at a reasonable rhythm, effectively cutting down those orcs who managed to go near them. As this strangely regular pace continued, Zuko grew suspicious. They had taken down so many orcs already and still more were coming.
And since those brutes had seen how their old strategies were failing, surely they would have something else in store. The crude and almost foolhardy strategies which they had been employing until then were not enough. After slashing and burning about half a dozen dumb orcs that tried to kill him, Zuko looked down to see what they were planning to do next.
Katara looked up as she heard Aragorn call something out to Legolas, pointing to an orc below. After freezing several ugly creatures and taking down a couple of ladders, she followed Legolas' arrows and saw his target. A sole orc bearing a torch was running towards the small drainage grill at the base of the walls.
Having explored those drains earlier, Katara knew where he was heading and understood that the torch was to light some sort of explosive device to destroy the wall. Unfortunately, the orc was not falling dead despite being hit several times by Legolas' arrows and Katara grew worried as the torch neared its destination.
The waterbender ran towards the part of the wall directly above the drainage hole. She knew now that to kill that running orc would not be enough, he would still be able to stumble into the hole and light the bomb that they had planted beneath. And if even a small part of the wall was destroyed, the effects would be catastrophic.
So with careful aim, Katara put out the torch of the dying orc and then quickly froze the small hole where the drain was, blocking it temporarily. The army of orcs below began to hack at the ice as fiercely as they could and it was only a matter of time before they cleared it and called another orc to light the bomb.
Aragorn and Legolas looked gratefully at Katara and she nodded. She would defend that vulnerable part of the wall as best as she could, raining icicles on those who tried to break the barrier she built and continuously reinforcing it. However, this task would keep her too busy to be able to further help in the other parts of the fight. Nevertheless, it was crucial for the wall to remain intact.
The man of Gondor and the Elf ran to her side and shielded her from further attacks. Legolas began shooting down all the orcs that approached the ice while Aragorn cut down all those that managed to climb the wall to attack them. Not to be outdone by anyone, especially an Elf, Gimli ran to their side and started waving his axe around expertly.
In another side of the battle, a phalanx of orcs was marching towards the main gate with a huge battering ram which they began to use with great enthusiasm. Theoden called to his men to brace the gate and to keep it from breaking from the force of the orcs.
The men threw spears and swords at the moving orcs and even resorted to hurling rocks at them to dissuade them from their task but the brutes persisted. Seeing the commotion at the gate, Zuko blasted a path of fire before him and ran towards it. He threw some balls of fire on the phalanx, heating up the shields, causing the orcs to drop them and so be vulnerable to the arrows and spears of the soldiers of Rohan. But this was not enough.
Zuko saw that the gate was one of wood. It would not hold long against the force of the orcish ram. Cutting down and burning renegade orcs on his way, Zuko made his way towards the gate where he hoped he could get rid of more enemies at a closer range. Meanwhile, Aragorn and Gimli left Katara and Legolas and went to where Theoden and his men struggled to hold the already broken gate from the forces of the orcs. Zuko soon joined them.
"How long do you need?" Aragorn asked of the king.
"As long as you can give me," Theoden replied.
Aragorn, Gimli, and Zuko carefully exited through a small side door of the fortress. They peered at the orcs who were busily destroying the gate.
"We can take them," Gimli said confidently.
"It's a long way," Aragorn reminded him. The Dwarf surveyed the distance again and could not help but agree.
Coming to a painful but necessary decision, Gimli asked Aragorn to toss him, only on the condition that he would not tell Legolas about it.
"And that goes for you too," Gimli warned Zuko, who vowed silence.
And in a moment, all three were fighting side by side, tossing orcs off the narrow bridge and successfully defending the gate long enough for the king and his men to barricade it. The man and the Dwarf were skilled fighters, to say the least, and many orcs fell at their blows. Since they were handling the bulk of the soldiers, Zuko decided to aim for the huge battering ram which they had been using. After getting rid of the orcs surrounding the large thing, Zuko set it on fire and with Aragorn and Gimli's help, tossed it to the pitiful orcs below.
Being so close to the rest of the enemies, Zuko took this opportunity to launch several fire blasts at the nearby divisions of orcs. Causing more explosions among their ranks, he was able to deter some of them from doing more damage to the walls.
He was appalled to see, however, that there were still so many left standing, even after all he and Katara had done to fend them off, more were coming. The firebender wondered when they would all just run out. Their numbers were so great that it almost seemed that the forces of Helm's Deep were not making any dents on the armies of their foes.
Unfortunately, Saruman's hordes had more tricks up their sleeves with giant ropes and hooks being launched at the higher walls and even bigger ladders filled with orcs being pushed against them. Legolas and Katara managed to cut down some of the big ladders but they could not stop all of the orcs from coming.
Observing this new strategy, Zuko tried his best to aim his fire blasts at the huge catapult-like machines that launched thick ropes to the walls. He also tried to burn down the ropes that managed to get hooked so that no orcs could climb up on them.
Still making use of the rain, Katara took a deep breath before creating huge waves of ice to cover the orcs near the wall and to at least temporarily hinder them from coming any closer. It would not last long but it would buy enough time for the injured to be brought to safety and for the others to start replenishing their weapons and ammunition.
She realized that all throughout the fight, she had been unable to use her healing powers on anyone. She was torn between continuing her stand as a warrior and also answering to the needs of so many who had fallen during the fight. Added to this dilemma was the fact that she was growing exhausted from all the exertion. Master waterbender though she may have been, she still had her limits. And she was fast approaching them.
The damage caused by Aragorn, Gimli, and Zuko was enough to slightly weaken the forces of the Uruk-hai and for a few minutes they had relented. But the fight would soon be taken up again and the three warriors were already exhausted after so much close-range fighting. The gate remained defended and the walls were somehow still intact so they were recalled.
Long ropes were flung to the three on the field and they began to scale the walls back to safety. While doing so, so as not to waste any time, they still tried to cut down any stray orcs (or in Zuko's case, he burned some ladders down while he climbed up).
As he climbed, the firebender looked about him, trying to find out how Katara was doing. For some odd reason, he felt very concerned about her and hoped she was all right. He knew well that she was a master waterbender perfectly capable of taking care of herself but he was sure even she was growing tired from the incessant fighting. He was genuinely worried and he told himself it was probably because, for all the hospitality of the people in Middle-Earth, she was still the only person from his world, and there was a great comfort to be had in her presence, even if they used to be on opposite sides of the war.
Fortunately, it wasn't too hard to spot her. He had only to glance at the large block of ice that covered a part of the wall. Once Zuko had successfully reached the ramparts again, he ran towards the ice to get a better look. He was relieved to see that she still managed to hold her own although her attacks grew smaller and weaker and it was evident that her strength was waning.
The firebender caught sight of her even in the midst of the fray and saw that she was exerting a lot of effort just to keep up her frozen defenses. She was panting heavily and her stance was not as sturdy as it used to be. Zuko narrowed his eyes at this and resolved, in spite of his own exhaustion, to give her some backup, whether or not she asked for it. To his surprise, the determination to go and help her was giving him more strength to trudge on. He could not understand why.
But as he made his way along the long wall, he noticed that some large orcs had managed to crash through her ice walls and Katara found herself surrounded by the vicious beasts. A few hours ago it would not have been difficult for her to defeat them, but she was worn out and most of those orcs were fresh and ready to fight, however stupid they were. She created an octopus of water to be able to strike them all at once.
Unintelligent though the hordes of Uruk-hai may have been, in the course of the battle, they had somehow figured out that Katara was a great threat to them. So the leaders had spared some of his orcs to try and take her down. Zuko had been seen as a threat as well but he moved around so much that it was difficult to corner him. For Katara, they had only to follow the ice.
And as she busied herself with these, Zuko noticed that those orcs that surrounded her were only a diversion. For from a higher point in the wall, an orcish archer was aiming a poison-tipped arrow towards the preoccupied waterbender. Zuko cried out a warning but he was too far off for it to reach anyone. All the other soldiers around were too busy defending themselves to be able to be of help. Legolas and Gimli were somewhere on the lower levels, comparing how many orcs they could take down and Aragorn was busy giving orders to the others.
Zuko cursed under his breath. But he was too far for any of his fire attacks to reach the assassin. And yet, he knew if he didn't act quickly, Katara would be shot down. He racked his brain for a solution and looked around frantically. And then, an idea occurred to him. It was risky but it was worth a try. There was no other option at that point.
Katara whipped yet another orc over the wall and it fell screaming into the depths. She panted heavily and was also fast losing her patience.
"How many are you?" she cried out in exasperation, "why won't you just disappear?"
But there really wasn't much time to chat as the battle raged around her. She was thankful that the rain continued so that she had a constant supply of her element but she was still growing more and more weary and worried as well.
"If this keeps up, I don't know how I'm going to manage," she thought gravely. And she found herself wondering where Zuko was and how he was holding up against the monsters.
In an instant, she had her answer.
For a flash of lightning hit the sky, and much to her (and the other orcs' shock), the lightning bolt had somehow been directed just a little above where she was fighting. The waterbender whirled around to see an electrocuted orcish archer fall to his death. From his position, Katara quickly surmised that he had been aiming for her.
She turned to the source of the lightning and saw Zuko, still in position, some distance away from her. Still shocked, she could not help but grin in relief, gratitude, and admiration.
She had not believed him at first when he had boasted that he could redirect lightning. And she was happily proven wrong.
This spectacle had an even better effect than Zuko had initially expected. It had been so phenomenal that many of the soldiers had actually paused in their fighting out of mingled terror and fascination. Aragorn and the other men of Rohan all looked in awe at the lone firebender and could not believe that he had been capable of using such power. The lesser, weaker orcs trembled and fled in fear after the scene, afraid to be struck next.
And luckily, many of the Uruk-hai who had witnessed the spectacle backed away from the wall and for a few precious moments, they ceased their campaign. The men of Rohan took advantage of this momentary distraction to push their enemies away and to reinforce the defenses of the wall.
Zuko had no trouble reaching Katara as frightened orcs fled from his sight as he ran. The waterbender effectively got rid of the rest of the other orcs who had tried to attack her and she was able to raise a new ice barrier to keep them away.
"Are you all right?" Zuko asked in concern, as he stopped to catch his breath.
"Thanks to you," Katara replied with a grateful smile, moved by the fact that he seemed so genuinely concerned about her welfare, "that was amazing."
He shrugged lightly, prompting her to tease, "I didn't think you had it in you."
To her surprise, he did not gloat or boast of his new feat but merely gave another light shrug. He seemed too tired to even bask in his victory.
"How do you feel?" she asked, her turn to show concern.
"Exhilarated," he replied breathlessly, "and also terrified."
It was then that Katara realized just how dangerous Zuko's heroic act had been. This made her appreciate his gesture even more.
"Thanks again," she said more earnestly. There was no time to continue the conversation as the troops were being rallied. Legolas and Gimli congratulated the two benders on their hard work and escorted them inside. Some soldiers of Rohan were left to take their place.
"Fall back!" Theoden cried to his men. For the meantime, the defense would hold. But many of the soldiers needed to rest and recover from their injuries. Others just needed to somehow regain their strength.
Days passed and the fighting persisted, though to a lesser degree. Still, the Uruk-hai army remained strong, because of their vast numbers. Theoden and Aragorn were sure that they had already destroyed a significant portion of the orcish army but since so many remained, the people of Helm's Deep could not afford to let their guard down.
Women and children, a whole nation lay hidden behind those ancient walls. Many had fallen to defend it and still it stood. But hope was wearing thin, even for the greatest of fighters. The strongest of soldiers were growing weary, and some parts, albeit small sections, of the wall had already been destroyed. The orcs had not been able to get through, the rest of the soldiers, Elves, and benders made sure of that, but it was growing more difficult to hold them back.
Katara decided to split her time between healing and tending to the wounded and going to the front and fighting. Zuko assured her that he was doing his best to keep the Uruk-hai from destroying the wall and she trusted him. He had also been the one to convince her that she was much needed as a healer, so that more soldiers would be able to help in the fight.
Some of the women helped her in her duties, including Lady Eowyn, who marveled at the waterbender's healing skills. Many of the soldiers who were gravely wounded had been instantly healed and were soon ready to rejoin the fray. The waterbender realized that she was able to save more lives this way.
Anyway, the rain had stopped, which left Katara with little to work with in terms of large-scale fighting so she devoted more and more of her time to healing. From what she heard of Zuko's performance in the field, she was fairly satisfied he could handle a lot of the fighting. The men of Rohan were saying good things about him and she found herself approving of all their praise somehow.
It was a comfort to know that while the orcs' forces were continually depleting through the efforts of the valiant men of Rohan and their diverse allies, the Uruk-hai were unable to significantly cripple the numbers of the people in the Deep. After all, the brutish army had no great healers among them.
But still, there were those who had perished in the fight and this proved to be a frustration to Katara. Zuko and the others assured her that it was never her fault.
Once, she could not help but weep and found solace by leaning on Zuko's shoulder. He was surprised at the gesture but did his best to console her.
"You can't save everyone, Katara," he told her sadly, "but at least you're doing what you can for those who have survived."
"I know," she replied in tears, "but it's just, even if I've been seeing all the horrors of war since childhood, I can never get used to all this pain and death."
"And you should never get used to it," he told her gravely, "no one should."
She leaned against him and he gave her a light squeeze on the shoulders. They said nothing for a few moments.
A few weeks ago, she would have never imagined that she would be seeking comfort and solace in the son of the Fire Lord. But even if they had only been together for a few days, and even if there had not been too much opportunity to know more about him, Katara felt that she could trust him, that he was so much different from the Fire Prince she had known. His actions had proven him to be an honorable man, and she had acquired a great respect for him.
There was no question, on his part, about his admiration of her. And he felt honored that she was willing to trust him, in spite of everything. Even if it seemed like this new friendship had been formed by default, since he happened to be the only other person from her world who was around, he appreciated her trust and hoped that he would prove himself to her as time passed.
Neither one knew how much longer they could hold up against their enemies, nor how long they would be staying in that mysterious, conflicted world. But they were both determined to make the most of the experience.
They were soon joined by the weary but resilient figure of Aragorn, who offered some words of comfort. From the little that he had learned about the two benders, he knew that they had seen their fair share of war in their world. And yet, they were both still so young, too young even, to have seen and experienced so much.
"We shall all see dark times in our lives," he told them, "and sometimes even worse than we ever expected. But though fear may grip our hearts, we need to remember to endure, to keep fighting to live. For we have seen brighter days as well as stormy ones. And if we live long enough, we may yet see them again."
Zuko and Katara nodded, drawing great comfort from his words.
A great horn sounded loudly through the Deep and Aragorn explained briefly the history of this ancient instrument. But even without knowing its significance, Zuko and Katara already felt their strength growing at the echo of that horn (a sound which made the orcs tremble where they stood).
They were being reminded to keep fighting, to keep living.
At this Katara strengthened her resolve to be as much help as she could. There was still so much she could do before this battle was over and she was determined not to waste any more time.
Zuko looked at Aragorn again and noticed that the tall man was gazing pensively at a nearby window. The firebender followed Aragorn's gaze and for some inexplicable reason, he felt a surge of hope.
The sun was rising.
