Chapter Sixteen

Later that same day, two men rode out ahead of the people to scout out the area. Even the humans could hear the screams of a man as he died. Ilmare saw Legolas jump from his perch to go aide the remaining man. Seconds later, they could all clearly hear the final screams of an orc. "A scout!" he yelled.

Aragorn ran back to the rest of the company. Almost before the King could ask, he yelled, "Wargs! We're under attack!"

Immediately, the women and children began to scream and panic. The men grabbed their weapons and rode to the head of the column. Ilmare, seeing this, took a finely crafted bow and quiver from her saddlebag and rode after them. The bow and quiver belonged to Legolas, though he wouldn't be needing them with his bow from the Galadrim.

As some of the men were rather slow in readying themselves, Ilmare rode out ahead of the column, very quickly joining Legolas on the peak of the bluff just in time to see the swarm of wargs ride over the neighbouring bluff.

The two began to shoot at the incoming wargs. Every arrow the two shot found its mark in either a warg or its rider. Less than half a minute later, they heard the rest approaching. Only then did Ilmare urge her horse Lossen to a gallop. As she, and the rest, approached the wargs, Ilmare drew her sword and slashed into the first orc to come her way.

After that, blood spilled from orcs, wargs, men, and horses. Blades flashed in the sunlight. Yells and screams abounded. Lifeless forms fell dead to the grass, never to rise again. Amidst this, Ilmare kept fighting. When it was all over, there wasn't a scratch on her skin.

It was then that she heard a shout. "Aragorn!"

She heard Gimli shout, "Aragorn?"

Ilmare looked over to the elf and the dwarf. Aragorn was nowhere in sight. Quickly, she rode to them, dismounted, and asked, "Where is he?"

Both of them looked at her. It was clear that they both feared the worst.

Just then, they heard an orc wheezing and laughing near them.

Sure enough, a dying orc was propped up against the corpse of a warg. He was laughing.

Gimli walked over to stand over him menacingly and said, "Tell me what happened, and I will ease your passing."

"He's-" He coughed. "Dead. Took a little tumble off the cliff."

Legolas looked over the cliff in alarm before grabbing the orc and saying threateningly, "You lie!"

The orc attempted to keep laughing, but he died before he could do so.

Ilmare looked down at the corpse's clenched fist. She easily pried the fingers away to reveal Aragorn's Evenstar pendant.

Seeing that, Legolas ran to the cliff and looked down. It was clear that Aragorn should not have survived the drop.

"How far down is it?" Ilmare asked emotionlessly.

"Thirty feet," he answered sadly.

"He is not dead," she said before turning and striding away to her horse, following the Rohirrim.

She looked up only when Theoden instructed, "Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."

She looked to her two companions for their reactions. Legolas was clearly perplexed, and Gimli was doing quite well to hide his emotions.

Theoden placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder and said, "Come."

Theoden left for his horse, but Legolas and Gimli remained, staring down at the river.

She rode back to them and said, "There is nothing you can do for him now. He is not dead, but his horse went over with him. If it survived, it will bring him back. You may be sure of that."

After a few seconds, they began to move, albeit reluctantly, toward their horse.

oooooooooooooooooo

The Rohirrim arrived at Helm's Deep not too long after the women and children. One in the keep was particularly anxious for their return: Eowyn. She hurried out to meet them as soon as she heard the shouts heralding their return.

However, she stopped as soon as she saw them. "So few. So few of you have returned," she said in horror.

Theoden, who was near her, said, "Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives."

Gimli walked up to her and said sadly, "My lady..."

"Lord Aragorn, where is he?" Eowyn asked.

"He fell..." Gimli said sadly, looking down.

Ilmare pursed her lips and walked over. "He fell off a cliff, not in battle," she said sharply.

"So he is dead?" she asked. It was clear in her eyes that she hoped with all her being for a negative answer.

"I do not believe so. His Evenstar still shines, which it would not unless both he and she were alive," Ilmare said quickly before leading her horse away.

"How can she know?" Eowyn asked Gimli.

Gimli shrugged sadly and said, "She seems to know everything."

And thus was born Eowyn's dislike for Ilmare.