A/N Okay, so in this chapter there is going to be a huge difference from teh books, because I haven't read the books for the thousandth time. this story is based on the movies and what that movies reveal. So, the Battle of Helm's Deep, YES HALDIR IS THERE! DEAL WITH IT! Okay, done with my rant. Enjoy.
She pulled away and joined Legolas and Gimli at the front of the group.
"Perhaps," Nira whispered to the pair, "I should step out of the shadows. I see the doubt in the elves eyes and the fear in the Men. Maybe, I can help them, by showing that I have no fear."
"Whatever you deem fit," Legolas told her.
"It is your secret to tell," Aragorn said, coming up beside her. "You are smart. You will make the right choice."
Nira took a deep breath and pushed herself onto the wall, ignoring the perilous drop behind her. She magnified her voice so all could hear.
"Men," she said, "Elves. I stand before you but a woman. I stand before you but a child to some. I stand before as an elf. But also a sorceress. I have the heart of a dragon, and the soul of a lion. I may be a girl of eighteen, but I will fight, come hell or Sauron himself."
Men and elves listened to her in awe. The boys of the Rohan army watched her every move if they could see her. She felt a new courage and strength fill her at the ability to grab their attention so easily.
"I am not afraid. If we have hope, we have something to fight for. I have been fighting more than Sauron and Saruman since I was eleven years old, a child to any race, but I have not given up hope. Even the young and seemingly insignificant can make a difference. Sauron and Saruman are cowards. They send armies to fight, while they hide away in their towers. Your king stands with you and fights alongside you.
"I see fear in your eyes. Fear of pain, fear of death. There is nothing to fear. What is there to fear? Death? What can Death do? He takes you from this world, but holds you for so short a time, you do not notice. You are brought into a new world, one of splendor, free of pain, death, and sorrow. Standing on the brink of death, we find a new reason to fight. So what if we die? We are fighting to free Middle Earth from the reign of Sauron.
"I may be a woman and only eighteen, but I will fight. You may ask how I can speak so assured of what death is like. I'll tell you. I died many years ago, saving a friend in battle. If I had not saved him, where would the elves be?"
She looked directly at Haldir who was staring at her in amazement. She smiled and looked back out over the two armies in Helm's Deep.
"I am the last heir to Rowena Ravenclaw. I say let the armies of Isengard and Mordor come. I have seen people fight and die, but I have also seen people fight and live. I have seen a boy of seventeen defeat the darkest wizard known at the time because he refused to stand down when the odds were stacked against him. When all hope seemed lost, we stood by him and fought and won.
"Tell me. How is this different? What do we fight for? I fight for a future, one better than this. I fight for life for the children who hide within the caves. I fight to stop Sauron from regaining power and destroying all we know and love. Why do you fight? Who will fight if not us? What say you?"
The army of Men roared as the soldiers left their hypnotic state that they had been in listening to Nira. She looked at the elves, who instantly sank to one knee. She stepped off the wall and smiled.
"Rise, those who show loyalty to a Lady of the elves," she said.
All the elves stood and watched her intently. She walked up to Haldir and hit him in the head. He looked at her in shock.
"That's for getting shot," she said, smiling.
"They told you it was me?" Haldir asked, sheepishly.
"No, I remember it being you."
"You remember that day?"
"I remember everything. Just not who we were fighting."
He laughed lightly, "Of all things not to remember."
They were stopped but the sounding of an orc horn, making them turn toward the approaching army. The elves took up positions to fight on the outer wall and below them. Nira, Legolas, and Gimli stood in formation with the elves while Aragorn walked among them.
"Could have picked a better spot," Gimli complained to Legolas.
Aragorn joined them, as they stared that the orcs as they approached. Nira looked at him over her shoulder. He caught her eyes and smiled at her.
"You did the right thing," he told her. "The men have lost most of their fear, but not all of it."
"If they lost all of it," Nira replied, "I would be worried."
"Well the luck you live by," Gimli said to Aragorn, "let's hope it lasts the night."
"Your friends are with you Aragorn," Legolas said as lightning filled the sky.
"Let's hope they last the night."
"They will," Nira assured all three of them.
Rain started to fall in sheets over both armies. Nira smiled as the water poured over her face. Aragorn walked through the lines of the elves.
"Show them no mercy for you will receive none."
There was a long silence while the orcs waited for orders.
"What's going on out there?" Gimli asked, jumping to see over the stone wall.
"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas said. "Or would you like me to find you a box?"
Gimli laughed as the orcs began to beat the ground with their long spears. Legolas lower his hand to take Nira's as the orc began their attack on the wall.
"Prepare to fire!" Aragorn ordered.
All the elves drew arrows and took aim.
"Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arms," Legolas said.
Orcs shot arrow at the elves, and Nira threw out her hand shielding the soldiers of both Men and elves. Ladders were hoisted so the orcs could reach the soldiers. Swords were drawn and the fighting began.
"Legolas," Gimli called. "I'm on two already."
"I'm on seventeen," Legolas replied.
"You both are pathetic," Nira yelled over the clash of metal.
"What? It makes it fun," Gimli replied.
"I wasn't referring to that. I'm on twenty-three, without magic."
Legolas and Gimli exchanged looks before launching back into the fight. All three continued to fell foes. Nira began to fall back as was ordered. She saw Haldir get shot in the leg and ran to him. She knelt down and pulled the arrow out.
"No, Nira," he said gasping at the pain. "Not again. You can't die for me again."
"I learn from what has happened to me, Haldir," she hissed. "I won't let you die."
"Nira!" he yelled seeing something coming at them.
She spun around and threw out her hand, "Avada Kadavra!" she yelled, and the Uruk-hai coming at her, fell backward dead.
She pulled Haldir to his feet, and they ran into the Keep. She lowered him to the floor and healed his injuries. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas found them and seemed to relax.
"Never do that again, Nira," Haldir growled.
She pushed on his injury, making him wince in pain.
"What did she do?" Legolas asked.
"It was a profound sense of déjà vu, in more than one way. At least, she learns. I got shot again, same place, too. She had to play medic, again, and almost got killed."
Nira pushed on his injury again, purposely making him cry out in pain, before healing it.
"Stop complaining," she hissed. "At least, you're alive. I couldn't let you get killed."
The orcs began beating at the gate to the throne room. Sun filtered through the upper windows as they agreed to ride out of the Keep. They all rode out as the orcs broke in. They looked at the sunrise as they made their way out of the fortress, to see Gandalf with the Riders of Rohan. They started their attack. Nira smiled and charged at the orcs. She struck down any that were in her reach. They drove the orcs away defeating Sauron's armies at Helm's Deep.
Legolas found Gimli sitting on top of an orc, leaning on his ax which was lodged in the orc's skull. He grinned and asked, "So, how many did you kill, elf?"
"Final count, forty-two," Legolas stated.
"Forty- two? That's not bad for a pointy eared, elvish princeling. I myself am sitting pretty on forty-three," Gimli smiled.
Legolas pulled an arrow and shot the orc below Gimli and said, "Forty-three."
"He was already dead!"
"He was twitching."
"He was twitching because he's got my ax embedded in his nervous system!"
"Boys!" Nira snapped at them. "You squabble like school girls. You don't need to compete for the first place spot. I killed fifty-four, without magic"
Legolas laughed lightly as Gimli pouted.
"Come on," Nira said. "We need to find the rest of them."
A/N A bit of humor in the doom and gloom of battle. Review.