Here's chapter 16! Helm's Deep was sure a fun chapter to write.
Featuring some dialogue from the Two Towers movie, and my aromantic Legolas headcanon.
I hope you enjoy! This is probably the longest chapter in the whole fic, though since I'm not done that may change later.

Beneath the Stars
SIXTEEN

Tauriel stood on the ramparts, in rank with the rest of the Galadhrim warriors. She could see Haldir from her position, standing off far to the left. Rúmil was in the row ahead of her. Legolas and Gimli were at the front of the wall, three rows in front.

The orc army approached. She saw their lights and shadowy forms off in the distance, and heard their approaching footsteps like thunder. Real thunder echoed across the mountains, signaling the coming of a storm. Tonight was a poor night for a battle.

In front of her, Tauriel heard Gimli growl under his breath. "You could have picked a better spot," he complained to Legolas.

Tauriel smiled. She did not have a very good view of him three rows in front of her, but she imagined he could barely see over the wall. This place was not designed for dwarves.

Aragorn strode through the ranks of warriors. He stopped behind Legolas and Gimli.

"Well, lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night," Gimli joked to him.

Lightning flashed, revealing the sea of approaching orcs. Tauriel shivered, feeling tension hang in the air like cobwebs in a dark cave.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas told him over the increasingly louder sound of the orcs. Tauriel could hear their shouts now, off in the distance.

"Let's hope they last the night," Gimli added. Aragorn nodded, then walked away.

Lightning flashed again. The sky held its breath, then released it with one quiet sigh. Rain flooded down from the heavens, dripping slowly at first, but then with increasing fervor until it was pouring.

The orcs marched forward. Tauriel heard Aragorn calling commands in Sindarin to the elven warriors.

"Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!" he shouted.

There came a guttural cry from the orc leader. The army stopped, only a few hundred feet away from the walls. The two opposing forces simply stared at each other for awhile, waiting for the other to strike the first blow.

"What's happening out there?" Gimli demanded. Tauriel could hear him shuffling and jumping, straining to get a view over the rampart wall.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas teased. "Or would you like me to get you a box?"

Tauriel raised her eyebrows, half-afraid Gimli would take offense. After a pause, however, the dwarf only laughed.

The orc leader cried out again, and the orc army began to roar and pound their spears into the ground. The Rohirrim warriors drew their bows, but Tauriel and the Galadhrim, having received no such order from either Aragorn or Haldir, did nothing.

Suddenly, an arrow flew through air, shot from this side of the wall. Tauriel held her breath as it soared through the rain and into the ranks of the orcs.

The arrow landed in an orc's chest. Tauriel heard its scream.

"Hold!" Aragorn shouted.

The orc fell forward, dead. The first casualty. Its companions growled, their complaints crescendoing into furious screams. Their leader, standing on a rock outcropping, raised its sword and shouted a command in Black Speech. The orcs surged forward.

"Prepare to fire!" Aragorn commanded.

Now the elves drew arrows to their bows. Tauriel's eyes pinpointed an orc in the crowd, aiming her arrow at it.

"Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arms," Legolas called out. Tauriel readjusted her aim.

"Release your arrows!" Aragorn called.

The elves let their arrows fly in almost perfect unison. Tauriel watched as her arrow soared through the air, hitting its mark dead-on. She smirked, nocking another arrow to her bow.

Around her victim, other orcs fell as well.

"Did they hit anything?" Gimli shouted over the fray.

A Rohirrim commander cried to his men, "Fire!" His call was echoed, and the fighting began in earnest. Tauriel shot down several more orcs with precision, her mind detached and cool.

"Fire!" Aragorn called again, but he did not need to say it. All the elves shot at their own targets, but for every orc they shot down, another took its place.

An orc approached with a crossbow, aiming up to the wall, finally close enough to fire back. It shot wildly up to the ramparts, but its arrow found its mark. An elf cried out, struck, and fell off the wall. Tauriel's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her focus on the battle.

The orcs stormed forward, pushing ladders against the wall. Aragorn screamed out, "Ladders!"

Orc warriors continued to shoot up to the wall, and more fell. Ladders were pushed up against the wall, and orcs began the climb to the top of the wall. Close combat was about to begin.

"Swords! Swords!" Aragorn yelled. Tauriel grimaced, putting away her bow and drawing her sword. She preferred long range combat, being an excellent archer. For close combat she had her knives, but she could tell that her sword would be most useful in this situation. These orcs had thick armor, and she didn't want them to get too close.

Orcs swarmed over the top of the wall, and the fighting began in earnest. Tauriel lost count of the orcs she killed, but she was for the most part unharmed. One particularly vicious beast scored a shallow cut on her left arm before she decapitated it, but it did not hurt enough for her to pay much notice to it.

She could hear Legolas and Gimli bantering over the fray, but she did not pay attention to what they were saying. She had her own problems to worry about, and though she was confident in her skill, the amount of orcs attacking the stronghold frightened her. Never, save in the Battle of the Five Armies, had she fought against so many, and the numbers of the defenders were few.

"Causeway!" Aragorn shouted. Tauriel heard the elf archers directing their fire in a different way, but she was not among them, still being caught up in the close fighting on the wall.

Tauriel killed orc after orc, dancing around her attackers and the corpses at her feet. She heard Aragorn continually shouting commands as he dashed around the battlefield. In a rare moment of calm, she stood panting for breath where the rampart walkway led up into the keep. Aragorn screamed now directly at Legolas: "Bring him down, Legolas! Kill him! Kill him!"

Tauriel could not see which orc he wished Legolas to kill, but the increasing anxiety in his voice told her that Legolas was missing his mark. Then the wall exploded.

Those who had been unfortunate to stand above where the explosion originated flew through the air. Debris soared everywhere, and Tauriel screamed, ducking into the the stairway opening to avoid being hit by a chunk of falling rock.

When the dust cleared, it became obvious that the orcs had taken their opportunity to invade the the keep and breach the deeping wall immediately. Tauriel swore loudly, rushing back into the fray. She leaped off the remnants of the wall down to the ground, ready to face the swarm of orcs.

She arrived just as Aragorn ordered a charge. She joined the elven warriors in their advance, meeting the orcs head on. Around her, elves were skewered on orc spears, but she kept her distance, rushing her enemies at their sides. They didn't see her coming, and she soon cut a bloody path through their ranks.

All too soon, Aragorn put an end to the fighting by the wall. "To the keep!" he commanded. "Pull back to the keep! Haldir, to the keep!"

Tauriel grimaced. She finished off the orc she was dealing with, then sprinted away from the fighting. She made eye contact with Rúmil, who smiled at her grimly, then jerked his head toward the keep. She nodded, running after him. She saw Orophin running to catch up to his brother and hoped that Haldir would lead the rest of the Galadhrim back to safety.

Someone grabbed her arm. Out of instinct, the tension of battle running through her blood, Tauriel whirled on them with her sword.

"Tauriel!" the person shouted. She relaxed, lowering her weapons as she recognized him.

"Legolas," she said. "I thought you were an orc!"

He snorted. "Well, it's not the first time. It hurts my feelings to know you find me that ugly."

She laughed. "What is it?"

"Come with me," he said, turning back towards the mass of approaching orcs. "Gimli does not wish to retreat."

She nodded, following him. Gimli still stood among his enemies, chopping them down methodically with his axe. Tauriel could not see either Aragorn or Haldir down on the ground, and elves fled the area all around them. Gimli stood his ground alone.

Tauriel drew her bow, shooting at the orcs from afar to give Gimli some aid. Legolas rushed in, dodging swings from the dwarf's axe and grabbing his arm.

"We must fall back!" Legolas shouted.

"I'll not surrender!" Gimli bellowed. "There's more guts in this dwarf than in you, Lord Pointy Ears!"

Legolas swore, tugging on Gimli's arm. Only Tauriel's arrows had stopped them from being killed while Gimli stubbornly stood his ground.

"Tauriel, come help me!" Legolas shouted. She dashed forward, putting away her bow and drawing her sword again. She cut through the swarm of orcs until she reached Gimli. She reached out and grabbed his other arm, helping Legolas pull him back to safety.

Gimli kicked and screamed as they dragged him away, too drunk on the heat of battle to think straight. "What are you doing? Arghh!" Tauriel would have laughed at his obstinace had not the situation been so dire; as it was, she exchanged a grin with Legolas. "What are you stopping for?" Gimli demanded.

They pulled him all the way back to the keep. By the time they reached the great stone fortress, Gimli had stopped fighting. A door stood open with elves streaming through it up into the keep, and other elves standing guard and shooting any orc that came close. Legolas stopped, waiting for an opening so the three of them could pass through the door.

"You can let go of me now," Gimli said stiffly. Tauriel rolled her eyes and Legolas sighed, but they released his arms. The dwarf turned around and glared at each of them. "That was a bit unnecessary, lad," he growled to Legolas.

"It was either that or leave you to be killed," Legolas said mildly.

"I'd rather not let another dwarf die on my watch," Tauriel said quietly.

Gimli looked at her oddly. Then understanding lit up his eyes. "You were at the Battle of the Five Armies, weren't you, lass?"

She nodded. He sighed explosively. "Well, I suppose I ought to thank you both. Though you must promise to never lay a finger on me again."

"Of course," Tauriel said with a straight face.

"We'll see," Legolas replied. Gimli glared at him, but his frown soon melted into a hearty laugh.

The doorway now stood clear for them. Legolas dashed through it and up the stairs, Gimli and Tauriel behind him. Elves amassed on the upper floors, preparing to defend the keep. They may have let the orcs breach the deeping wall, but they could still fight to retain the rest of the Hornburg.

Tauriel looked around for Haldir and Aragorn, but she could not find either of them. Rúmil and Orophin had taken charge in Haldir's absence, ordering their warriors around. Tauriel stuck close to Legolas and Gimli, who were now reviewing who was further ahead in kills.

At last, Aragorn ran up the stairs. Legolas and Gimli cried out in relief, rushing toward him in happiness.

"I knew you'd make it!" Gimli laughed. "I knew it!"

"We were a bit worried there," Legolas admitted. Tauriel hung behind them, not wishing to intrude.

Aragorn smiled tightly. "Yes, I survived, thank the Valar. But Haldir..." He trailed off. Tauriel's eyes widened. No...

"Haldir is dead," he said grimly.

Gimli gasped loudly. Legolas bowed his head. The news hit Tauriel like a blow, more hurtful than any orc's blade. Haldir was dead. What awful orc had killed him? Tauriel felt numb, the news washing over her like a cold wind. She could scarcely believe it. She had known him since her first visit to Lothlórien, and again the second time she arrived in his homeland. He had shown such kindness unto her, encouraging her to live again, and fight alongside her kin. This battle had reinvigorated her and shown her the real threats against the world she so dearly loved. He couldn't just be...gone. Dead.

Realistically, she knew his spirit was at rest in the Halls of Mandos, recovering until he was ready to be born again, but it jarred her to know she would never see him again in this life. She stared at Aragorn in near disbelief as he told the tale of how an orc had struck Haldir down while he led his warriors into retreat. Aragorn had rushed back up to the wreck of the rampart, but he had been too late to save him.

"May his soul find rest," Legolas said quietly. Tauriel bowed her head, still reeling from the shock. Even Gimli sniffed a little, saddened at the loss of their ally and friend.

"Aragorn!" a new voice called. Tauriel looked up to see Rúmil approaching. Another pang of grief hit her: Haldir's death had reft Rúmil and Orophin from their brother. The pain for them would be all too strong.

Rúmil approached them, his expression grim. Blood dripped from a long cut on his face. Orophin lagged behind him, his eyes bleak and exhausted.

"Where is Haldir?" Rúmil asked. "One of the king's captains is asking for him."

"Haldir died," Legolas said quietly.

Rúmil's mouth fell open, his eyes filling with grief. "No!" he whispered.

"Haldir..." Orophin said, his voice breaking. He bowed his head.

"I tried to save him, but I came too late," Aragorn said. "I am very sorry, Rúmil."

"What's going on?" Gimli demanded in Westron. Tauriel realized belatedly that Rúmil had addressed them in Sindarin and the conversation had continued as such.

"They are Haldir's brothers," she explained to him, switching over to the common tongue.

Gimli's expression softened. Aragorn quickly explained to them the situation. Rúmil agreed that though he and Orophin were heartbroken, the heat of battle was not the proper time to grieve.

"I do not speak the common tongue," he apologized. He glanced at Tauriel. "Tauriel, could you help me translate to the captain?"

"Of course," she agreed.

"I will come with you," Legolas said.

"I'm going down to the gate," Aragorn said, drawing his sword. "Gimli, will you come with me?" he asked in Westron.

"Of course, lad," the dwarf said. "Let's avenge the Captain's death."

The two of them raced away. Rúmil turned and embraced Orophin, the two brothers clinging to each other in their grief. Tauriel and Legolas stood aside, not wishing to intrude. At last, they broke apart. Rúmil wiped a tear from his eye, then nodded to Tauriel. "The king's captain awaits us," he said.

When they found the king's captain, Tauriel translated for Rúmil, and it was agreed that he would take charge of the remainder of the Galadhrim. Rúmil took a section of elves to the upper half of the keep, reinforcing the Rohirrim from above. Tauriel and Legolas went above the gate, looking to watch over Aragorn and Gimli.

When they arrived, Legolas only laughed. Gimli flew through the air down below, jumping onto the orcs outside the gate from an unseen ledge. He caused quite a dent in the forces of the besieging orcs, and Aragorn soon joined him, giving the Rohirrim on the other side of the gate time to barricade the door.

"That was some jump," Legolas said admiringly.

"Yes," Tauriel agreed. "I wonder how such a small dwarf could jump so far."

"There's more to him than meets the eye," Legolas said, a note of pride tinging his voice. Tauriel looked at him sidelong, nocking an arrow to her bow. She shot down into the mass of orcs, careful to avoid Aragorn and Gimli.

"You're very fond of him, aren't you?" she said.

"Well, yes," he admitted. "He's a dear friend, after all this time. I would not say such to his face, of course, for we still have a playful rivalry, but I value his companionship very much."

Tauriel smiled at him. He was clearly very enamoured with Gimli. "This is quite a change from when you scoffed my affection for Kíli," she teased.

Legolas turned pink. He quickly fired a few arrows into the throng of orcs to distract himself. "No, no, it's not like that," he stammered. "I don't...never like that, not for you like my father thought, not for Gimli like you seem to think." He seemed very uncomfortable with the idea.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I suppose I shouldn't have—"

"Well, it's a reasonable thought," Legolas grumbled, venting his frustration on the orcs below. His arrows brought down several more orcs, their corpses falling off the side of the causeway. Aragorn and Gimli fought bravely, but Tauriel noticed with some concern that there were just too many orcs. They could not hold back Saruman's forces forever.

The orcs shot hooks over the battlements. From the hooks, ladders bristling full of orcs swung up to the wall, locking onto the wall with steel grips. Tauriel swore under her breath.

Legolas shot at a second ladder, breaking away one of the ropes. Now barely connected to the wall, the ladder and the orcs on it fell screaming back into the orc ranks.

"We ought to haul them up soon," she shouted to Legolas. Below, Aragorn and Gimli struggled to hold their own against the onslaught of orcs..

"Go, grab a rope," he agreed. She dashed away, calling out for a rope. A Rohirrim warrior threw one at her, and she thanked him quickly, rushing back to Legolas. She threw the rope at him, and he flung it down.

"Aragorn!" he cried out. He glanced back to Tauriel. "Help me haul them up!"

She nodded and grabbed the rope behind him. Suddenly she felt a great weight beneath her hands, and she pulled and pulled. Behind her, a few Rohirrim warriors noticed their struggle and rushed to their aid.

"I don't—like Gimli, or you or—anyone in that fashion," Legolas admitted, panting between words. Tauriel blinked. What was he talking about?—oh, yes, their earlier conversation about Gimli.

"Is this—the best time—to have this conversation?" she shouted at him.

He laughed mirthlessly. "Probably not! But I—wanted to clear up—a few misconceptions!"

"Alright!" she agreed. "I'm sure you can—explain later!"

"It's just that—" He didn't finish. He grunted, pulling on the rope even harder. Soon Aragorn's head appeared at the top of the wall. Legolas let go of the rope, pulling his friend over the wall. Gimli swore loudly beneath Aragorn, and both the elf and the human reached to help haul Gimli up to safety.

Tauriel was relieved to let go of the rope. Her hands hurt from gripping it so long, but she could not give them a rest.

Even more ladders carrying orcs were launched up to the wall, but Legolas could not take down all of them. Tauriel was the only other elven archer nearby, and they and the Rohirrim archers tried their best to fell as many ladders as they could while Aragorn, Gimli, and the other warriors fought the orcs who made it over the wall with their swords. There were just too many of them—the keep would soon be overrun.

A cry came from one of the Rohirrim captains: "Fall back! Fall back!"

"They've broken through!" the king shouted from down below. "The castle is breached! Retreat!"

"Fall back!"

"Retreat!"

Tauriel reluctantly turned, fleeing to the safety of the keep. She hated surrendering the battlements, but there was nothing more that could be done.

"Hurry! Inside! Get them inside!" Aragorn commanded.

Tauriel rushed inside, panting for breath. She was now separated from both Legolas and the Galadhrim. The Rohirrim warriors fled inside, barricading the door as soon as everyone was safe. They could hold the halls of the keep for a while, at least until dawn.

Tauriel grimaced, leaving the entrance of the keep to find Rúmil. He could tell her where she would be most helpful.

She found him in the halls, bleakly ordering his warriors around. Orophin was nowhere to be seen. Tauriel hoped he was still alive.

"Rúmil," she called. He looked at her and smiled, looking every inch exhausted.

"I'm glad to see you alive," he said. She could see grief for his brother hiding behind his eyes, fresh and horrible.

"Where's Orophin?" she asked.

"Guarding the entrance to the caves where the women and children are hiding," he said. "I doubt the orcs will break through there until there is no hope left. He needs the rest such a post will allow him."

"So do you," Tauriel pointed out.

Rúmil shook his head. "No. Haldir would have led his warriors into death—he did. I am in charge now. I must do the same."

Tauriel could see there was no convincing him. "Do you have any place to put me?" she asked. "They don't need me up there anymore."

Rúmil frowned. He looked at her for a few moments, then said thoughtfully, "There is a tower in the back of the keep, facing east. In it is the horn of one of the ancient lords of this land, the Helm Hammerhand the fortress was named after. It is also an excellent watchtower overlooking the top of the valley."

"Yes," she said.

"Go there. It is up that way." He pointed to the left. "Take the third left, then the second right. That hall will lead to the tower. Watch for any approaching warriors, whether they be friend or foe."

"Shall I shoot at the orcs from above?" she asked. "I think I could lay a few to rest."

To her surprise, Rúmil shook his head. "No. I want you to lay low. Don't let the orcs know you're there."

"Alright," Tauriel said. She touched his arm lightly. "Stay strong, Rúmil."

"Stay strong," he whispered, closing his eyes. She wasn't sure if he was wishing her luck in return or repeating it to convince himself that he could.

Tauriel left, following Rúmil's instructions. She found the horn, and peeked over the wall surrounding it. It was still dark and raining, though the downpour had let up into a drizzle. Dawn was still several hours away.

The battle had died down and turned into a siege. Orcs pounded methodically on the door to the keep, but Tauriel had seen the Rohirrim barricading it and knew it would not break anytime soon.

The battlefield was desolate. Rain and mud covered the corpses of the elves, men, and orcs littered across the ground. It was a depressing sight. Orcs still milled around on the ground, but the majority of Saruman's forces focused their efforts on claiming the keep.

Tauriel covered her head with navy blue Galadhrim cloak and hunkered down in the scant shelter the horn provided. She would check periodically for approachers, but she needed to rest. She would not sleep, but she could rest her body for a while.

There was a long wait until dawn.

The sky slowly turned from black to grey with the coming of the sun. No friend or foe had approached from the valley. Several times during the night, the orcs had almost broken through into the halls of the keep, but each time, the king had sent some of his men out to beat them back temporarily.

Tauriel watched this all, unable to help. The battle fervor had left her, and she was now simply exhausted. She knew grief and emotion would overcome her late, but for now, it took all of her energy and focus just to stay awake.

Behind her, she heard thumping footsteps. Worried that somehow an orc had broken in, Tauriel nocked an arrow to her bow and aimed for the entrance to the tower.

But when the owner of the footsteps appeared, she relaxed. It was Gimli. She put her bow away and greeted him.

"Gimli!" she called out.

To her surprise, he was grinning. He raced up to her with a new light in his eyes.

"Tauriel, lass!" he shouted.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Do Legolas or Rúmil want me back in the keep?"

"No," he said. "They're riding out with the dawn—Legolas, the new elf captain, Aragorn, Théoden and some of his men. I'm no good on a horse, so they sent me to blow the horn. One final stand, one last ride for the Rohirrim!"

Tauriel smiled. One last ride. If they were to surrender the keep, it would not be willingly. "Go," she said. "Blow the horn."

Gimli laughed heartily, quickly embracing her before rushing toward the horn. Tauriel, shocked, stood and watched him blow the horn. She was very strongly reminded of his father. He was Glóin's son, through and through.

The sound of the horn rang through the valley, filling Tauriel with new vigor. She raced to the tower wall, looking to the valley's rim with a wild hope.

She thought it was a trick of the light a first, but a second look confirmed the reality of her vision. On the valley rise were horses beyond counting, each with a rider full of energy. Fresh warriors! She could barely believe it!

At their head was Mithrandir! Tauriel cheered in her joy as they spilled down into the valley, destroying all orcs in their path. From the keep rushed the remaining defenders, crushing the orcs between them.

Gimli blew the horn again, then rushed up to join her in celebration. Tauriel drew her bow and emptied her quiver of its remaining arrows, shooting down into the mass of panicked orcs.

Tauriel and Gimli left the tower soon after to aid in the victory of the Rohirrim. In only an hour, all the orcs had either fled or been slaughtered. Helm's Deep had been saved.

Tauriel grinned in the morning sunlight, cleaning her blades of orcish blood. Somehow they had been victorious, though it had been a long night and she was utterly exhausted. She had fulfilled her promise to Haldir, and though he had not survived the battle, she had. She would live on to fight another day—and that day would be soon in coming. The free peoples of Middle-earth would not have a long respite. Sauron and Saruman still conspired against all lands, including the Greenwood. It was finally time for Tauriel to go home.