Chapter 14: When Wargs Attack!
Inches away from the ground did Ahsoka's body stop falling. She tried to move, but her entire body was paralyzed save for her head.
"Did you really think it was going to be that easy!?" Maul shouted from above the tower. "I have a much better fate in store for you!"
As if on cue, Ahsoka heard the sounds snarling nearby. She turned her head to see three beasts approaching her, their mouths drooling. Maul was feeding her alive to these creatures! With a snap of the Sith's fingers, the creatures charged at her, ready the feast upon her tortured flesh.
Ahsoka closed her eyes, trying to summon her lightsabers, but she sensed that they were too far away at the moment. The beasts drew closer, increasing her panic. She needed to do something fast, or else they would rip her apart.
Inspiration kicking in, she focused on one of Maul's lightsabers and used the Force to bring it to her. The Zabrak's concentration was thrown off, returning Ahsoka's ability to move. She ignited the lightsaber in midair and guided it to the beast that was the closest to her.
The blade stabbed it in the head, killing it instantly. The two other creatures tripped over its body, stumbling across the ground, but Ahsoka gave them no time to recover. She sliced off the head of another beast and impaled the final creature swiftly.
Enraged at how badly he miscalculated, Darth Maul jumped out of the window and towards the Togruta, murder in his yellow eyes. Ahsoka was the Force to enhance her speed as she ran for her life. When Maul landed, it caused a shockwave that destroyed a good portion of the primitive buildings and killed quite a few Orcs, not that he cared. He charged after Ahsoka like a raging bull, igniting his double-bladed lightsaber.
The Force smiled down upon her, for Ahsoka spotted some Uruk-hai and Orcs putting some gunpowder into a giant ball. Using the heat of the lightsaber, she ignited the powder, and in five seconds, it exploded.
Bits and pieces of Orc and Uruk-hai flesh flew everywhere, some splattering on Darth Maul, who was blasted back by the explosion. Ahsoka used said explosion to propel herself forward towards her salvation: a speeder. After summoning her two lightsabers, she hopped on the machine and sped away from Isengard, leaving a very pissed off Zabrak in her wake.
For two days, the inhabitants of Edoras walked at a leisurely pace towards Helm's Deep. Many of them were carrying the elderly people via wheelchairs or homemade stretchers. If they got exhausted, any other person that wasn't currently carrying their own and another person's load would help. That being said, the Jedi's telekinetic skills were much appreciated.
At first, they were weary of the powers the Jedi possessed, but seeing at how they legitimately cared for them, the fear for them died rather quickly. It also helped that the Fellowship kept the morale up with many stories.
"It's true you don't see many Dwarf women," Gimli pointed out to Éowyn. "And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men."
"It's the beards," Aragorn whispered to a confused Éowyn.
Gimli went on. "This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women and the Dwarfs spring out of holes in the ground!"
Éowyn cracked up at the statement, the first time she had laughed in a long time.
Anakin decided to lighten the mood further by causing Gimli's horse to suddenly sprint forward. Having no control, the Dwarf, within a matter of seconds, crashed to the ground in an unceremonious fashion.
As Éowyn rushed over to him, Gimli made sure not to draw too much attention with, "It's all right. Nobody panic. That was deliberate."
"It certainly was," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin, who had fake innocence on his face.
"Do you truly believe that I would be so conniving as to cause Gimli to suffer such a fate?" he asked, clearly sarcastic.
"Yes!" the entire Fellowship answered.
Anakin rolled his eyes. "Traitors, the lot of you."
"I haven't seen my niece smile in a long time," Théoden observed, talking to Aragorn. "She was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut down by Orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief. Then, she was left alone, to tend to her king in growing fear." His voice became bitter. "Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."
"She loves you," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I saw that when you returned to the right state of mind. I saw true happiness on her face."
Théoden smiled slightly, comforted by those words. "By what I've been told and have been proven, you two are truly wise, despite being warriors."
"He's the wise one," Anakin corrected. "I'm the reckless one."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "Yes, indeed. His Padawan and Captain Rex tend to take after his recklessness, given the time they've spent with him."
When Rex was brought up, the king frowned. "Does your captain have problems with authority? He did not bother to hide his contempt for me."
"No," Anakin answered. "He's been away from commanding officers for too long, and he had one general lead his entire regiment to their deaths on purpose." Seeing the concern growing, Anakin quickly added, "Captain Rex knows how to follow orders. He's been bred for that!"
"Bred for following orders?" the king repeated, confused. "I do not understand."
"He's a clone created for three purposes: to fight, follow orders, and die, sadly!"
"You mean to tell me your government creates soldiers like Saruman creates his army?" he questioned, repulsed at the idea.
"Yes," another voice answered.
They saw Rex walking next to them.
"I am just one clone of millions," the captain stated, "but that doesn't strip us of our free will. We are not mindless savages, brutes, or drones like the Uruks and yet we're viewed as expendables, not as men back home. They throw us at the enemy at times instead of fighting alongside us. I will follow orders, don't get me wrong, but I will always do what's right in the end, even if I have to disobey orders. It's taken me half my life to realize that."
Théoden's view on Rex started to be shown in a positive light. "I understand, Captain."
"I do need to apologize, sir," the captain continued. "I was out of line earlier."
"Your apology is accepted, Captain," the king replied after a pause. "But you will treat me with respect, even I fail to do so."
He nodded. "Yes, sir."
The exodus came to a halt and many hours of walking. The people took the time to build up strength and eat some of the food they brought. Éowyn prepared a stew for the people, but only the Fellowship accepted it. They soon found out why they were the only ones very fast.
"If a man was starving to death on Tatooine," Anakin coughed out of Éowyn's earshot, "he would die before eating this garbage."
Obi-Wan took it graciously, but he was forced to digest a bite since Éowyn wanted to see what he thought.
"It's good," he lied, trying not to throw up.
She grinned happily. "Really?"
As she turned away, he tried to dump the food, but he caught the bowl when she turned back to face him.
"I have been hearing strange stories about you and your companions," she stated, sitting down. "They saw you come from the stars and travel among them, but that cannot be."
"What they say is true," Obi-Wan responded. "The technology where we originate is so vast that it allows us to travel the stars."
"What's it like?" Éowyn asked. "To be among the stars, to travel to other worlds?"
"The beauty of many worlds have amazed me," he admitted. "Many are untouched by civilization, allowing nature to not be interrupted. On others that have been colonized, it can be as simple as yours or as complex as the one I come from. This world is truly beautiful, milady, and free from the many dangers I've seen...and the corruption."
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Surely you have a better life up there than down here constantly having to fear Orcs and the war."
He smiled sadly at her innocence despite the horrors of the war inflicted upon her. "There is a war up there that is consuming many worlds. We save many, but others fall. What is going on up there, I pray you never have to face. I pray that this war will be the worst thing you will have to get through, that you will not lose those close to you."
She gazed in his eyes for a moment. "You've lost someone dear to you, haven't you? No matter the time, the pain still remains."
He looked away for a moment. "Yes, I have."
The chest that carried Satine's ashes was with him. When he returned home, he wanted to return her to her people on Mandalore so she could be properly buried.
"She died in my arms by a monster," Obi-Wan said bitterly. "I should have cared for her more. I should have told her how much I loved her, but I never did because of the oath I swore to uphold."
He started to hold disdain for the Code, forcing him to sacrifice his humanity to be a Jedi. In fact, Obi-Wan was extremely jealous of Anakin's marriage. The Jedi Master had wanted to be with a woman he cared about, like Siri and Satine, but the Code forbade it. Galadriel was right. The Code stripped him and many others of their humanity.
Seeing as how upset he was, Éowyn backed off. "I'm sorry. Please, eat, my lord."
"Call me Obi-Wan, milady," he replied. "I am hardly a lord."
"As you wish...Obi-Wan."
Once the shieldmaiden left, Obi-Wan dumped the food.
"Don't even say it," the Jedi Master warned as he sensed Anakin's approach.
"You like her, don't you?" he asked with an impish. "You can't deny that. I think I hear wedding bells-!"
"Anakin, stop!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, angry. "Just don't!"
With that, he moved to another part of the camp, away from Anakin and Éowyn.
The Jedi cursed himself for being so stupid. Obi-Wan just lost Satine! What was he thinking!?
On the fourth day, the road was more silent that the previous day. When Éowyn noticed that Obi-Wan wasn't nearby, she became worried that she upset him.
Fortunately, Anakin alleviated her fears.
"He has a hard time opening up," he had explained. "The Jedi Order, which we serve, don't express their feelings much, like Obi-Wan. He keeps them inside until he can't."
"I can see the sadness that plagues him," she had said. "It tortures him."
Anakin decided to work the other side. "What do you see when you see him?"
"A good man," Éowyn answered. "A good man who has been hurt many times."
Perceptive woman.
Suddenly, up ahead, a bloodcurdling scream was sounded. Immediately, Legolas, who was scouting from a hilltop, and Anakin, who was closer, ran to whoever was screaming.
The two spotted an ugly, brown beast being rode by an Orc attacking the other Royal Guard. Háma, what was left of him, was lying next to his dead horse. Legolas fired an arrow, killing the beast instantly while Anakin's lightsaber beheaded the Orc.
"A scout!" Legolas shouted to Aragorn.
The Ranger ran back to the group, where Théoden rode up to him.
"What is it?" he asked. "What do you see?"
"Wargs!" Aragorn shouted. "We're under attack!"
The citizens started to panic, running in the opposite direction, while the warriors prepared for battle.
"All riders to the head of the column!" Théoden ordered. When he saw Éowyn preparing for battle, he stopped her. "You must lead the people to Helm's Deep, and make haste."
"I can fight!" she protested.
"NO!" he exclaimed. He softened his tone when he spoke again. "You must do this, for me." He turned to the others. "Follow me!"
The riders followed Théoden, including Aragorn and Gimli, who couldn't get his horse to move forward for a while. With help, he managed to ride towards the battle. Éowyn ushered the people down the hill while she looked at Obi-Wan, hopefully not for the last time.
Legolas fired an arrow, killing a Warg from hundreds of feet. Rex tossed a thermal detonator, killing three Wargs and their riders, but the fifty creatures were still on the move. Legolas jumped onto Gimli's horse gracefully, but Rex ran ahead, firing his twin blasters at the enemies. Obi-Wan was on a horse, lightsaber lit, but Anakin was on the ground, using the Force to run the same speed as the cavalry. He launched several telekinetic pushes at the Wargs, making them trip and fall onto the ground. The Orcs, however, broke the necks when they crashed. While their numbers were decreased, the surviving Orcs were not run.
Then, the forces clashed!
The Wargs easily pounced on the horses, tearing them and the riders to shreds, but well-placed spears managed to kill a few of them. Legolas's arrows and Rex's blaster fire could even the odds, but the brute strength of these beasts proved to be a bigger challenge.
Anakin was moving constantly, not stopping for one moment. He jumped on top of a Warg, kicking the Orc off, and piercing the beast's head with his blade. As it died, he Force-jumped over a Warg that tried to tackle him, causing it to trip over the body, throwing off the rider. With one strike, he sliced another Warg's head off, the body to crushing the fallen Orcs.
Gimli fell off the horse he and Legolas rode, and came face to face with a Warg with no rider. This Warg had just finished killing a Rohirrim and its hungry eyes faced the Dwarf.
"Bring your pretty face to my ax!" he taunted.
The Warg ran towards him, but Legolas's arrow ended its life quick.
"That one counts as mine!" the Dwarf exclaimed, frustrated at the Elf's antics.
Another Warg tackled into him, but his ax killed it. Unfortunately, the body fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
Obi-Wan rode as hard as he could, trying to aid the Rohirrim by killing the Wargs and Orcs that were preying on them. With Force Pushes, he managed to cause the Wargs to crash into the ground or fall off the cliff. He managed to stay on his horse for a while until a Warg got too close. He leaped off the horse and out of the way in time, but the horse wasn't so lucky. Obi-Wan threw his lightsaber, slicing the Orc and the Warg in half before running off the engage more enemies.
The battle looked favorably towards the Rohirrim as the Wargs and Orcs diminished. Rex's blasters proved to be valuable in killing the enemies quick, but occasionally, he would use his sword to sever the heads of any Orcs that got too close. Poor Gimli; not only was a dead Warg lying on him, but an Orc, who's neck he snapped, and another dead Warg that Aragorn killed to save him. Obi-Wan solved the problem by levitating the bodies off of him.
"I do not think you can kill Orcs by taking a nap, Gimli," the Jedi Master joked.
Gimli gave him a mock-glare before charging back into the fray.
Legolas went to fire another arrow, but was horrified to see that he ran out.
Seeing his dilemma, Rex sprinted towards to the Elf, yelling, "Legolas! Catch!"
He tossed one of his blaster pistols to Legolas, who managed to catch it while staying on his horse.
"Don't fire too much at one time," the clone warned. "It will overheat!"
Nodding his thanks, he aimed and fired and an incoming Warg. One shot was all it took for the beast to fall dead. Surprised at how easy it was, he fired at several more Orcs and Wargs, getting the same results. Rex fired his pistol in one hand and used his sword in the other. While not as accurate as Legolas was, he could injure the beast with the laser and end its life with the sword.
Aragorn was eventually tackled off of his horse, but he jumped onto another Warg with an Orc trying to kill him. The Ranger headbutted the Orc, but the creature punched him off the Warg. Unfortunately, Aragorn's arm was caught in the saddle, so he was dragged across the grass. He managed to pull himself up and stabbed the Orc in the neck, throwing him off the Warg. He tried to cut himself free, but the Warg was running towards a cliff, out of control. Aragorn could do nothing as both man and beast fell off the cliff.
When numbers dwindled down, the Wargs and the Orcs retreated from the battlefield in a rush. The injured were silenced by the Rohirrim, who were avenging their fallen comrades. Gimli killed the remaining Warg, ending the bloodshed. At least fifteen Rohirrim and horses were dead, and many more were wounded.
Legolas hopped off the horse handed Rex back his blaster.
"Your weapon proved to be of valuable assistance, Captain Rex," the Elf thanked, retrieving the arrows he fired previously.
The clone smiled. "I was glad to be of assistance, Legolas."
"Aragorn!" Anakin called out, realizing that he was missing.
Gimli aided in looking around for their missing friend. "Aragorn!"
Legolas searched the battlefield, fearing for his friend, before he heard an Orc laughing. It was the Orc that Aragorn attacked earlier. His throat was bleeding, but it still had the strength to talk.
"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," Gimli demanded, pointing his ax at him.
"He's..." the Orc replied, coughing out blood, "...dead!"
Obi-Wan and Rex stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on the wounded Orc who was relishing this moment.
"He took a little tumble off the cliff," it cackled.
Legolas grabbed the creature, furious. "You lie!"
The Orc continued to laugh until Rex fired a blaster shot into its skull, clearly ticked off.
Anakin spotted something shiny in the Orc's hand. He retrieved it, discovering that it was the Evenstar, the pendant Arwen gave Aragorn. He knew Aragorn would never part with it, unless...
"No," the Jedi whispered.
The Fellowship members ran to the cliff, overlooking the edge with Théoden. There was no sign of a body, only the rushing river and rocks that could kill a falling person. Gimli, Rex, Legolas, and Obi-Wan stood in silence, mourning the loss of their comrade. Anakin was trying to keep a lid on his rage, clenching his fists. He felt like going to Isengard and putting Saruman's head on a stake for all the world to see. In fact, he was strongly considering it.
"Get the wounded on horses," Théoden ordered Gamling. "The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."
Legolas and Anakin glared at the king for his apparent insensitivity.
"I am sorry," he said before rejoining the Rohirrim to aide the survivors.
"Come on, Anakin," Obi-Wan stated grimly. "We need to help the wounded."
Without saying a word, the young Jedi shoved the Evenstar into Legolas's hand before leaving. The rest of them soon followed, wishing that the war would end soon before more lives were lost.
The women of Edoras rejoiced when they saw Helm's Deep up ahead. Overjoyed, they ran towards the sitting, saying, "We're safe," over and over. The smiles on the children's faces returned, believing wholeheartedly that they were safe.
When they entered the city, many people from Rohan were piled into the city, all seeking refuge from the Wild Men and Orcs. In fact, there were so many people that some were actually sleeping outside.
Éowyn investigated the short supply of food, asking, "Where's the rest?"
"This is all we could save, milady," an old man answered.
"Take it to the caves," she said, trying not to let her anxiety grow.
"Make way for the king!" a guard shouted.
The warriors of Rohan had returned...in fewer numbers as they rode towards the top of the city. Éowyn met them as the grim riders got off their steeds.
"So few," she observed. "So few of you have returned."
"Our people are safe!" Théoden affirmed while helping the wounded off their horses. "We have paid for it in many lives!"
She spotted Obi-Wan getting off his horse and would've rushed to meet him, but she noticed the saddened look on his face.
"What happened?" she questioned before realizing who was missing. "Where is Lord Aragorn?"
"I'm sorry, milady," he answered, upset. "He...fell."
While Éowyn did not know Aragorn much, she knew him enough to be broken-hearted about his demise. Why must the Valar be so cruel to the Free People?
Obi-Wan, with all of his might, released his emotions into the Force. Right now, the last thing he needed was to become emotionally compromised. Not when the morale of the Rohirrim were at stake. Even still, he could not prevent a single tear to fall from his face.
Meanwhile, Théoden was directing the troops, including Rex. "Draw our forces behind the wall. Bar the gate and set a watch on the surround."
"What of those who cannot fight, my lord?" Gamling questioned. "The women and children?"
"Get them in the caves," he responded. "Saruman's arm will have grown long indeed if he thinks he can reach us here."
Rex knew exactly what the king was doing: keeping the morale of the troops up. False hope is still hope.
Suddenly, he spotted a drain where the river flowed through directly underneath the wall. He knew, from experience, that with a well-placed explosive, the wall would come crashing down. But, the forces of Isengard and Mordor have no explosives, so that wouldn't be a problem...maybe. Rex decided to follow his instincts and inform the Jedi of this.
"Helm's Deep has one weakness," Gríma said. "Its outer wall is solid rock, but for a small culvert at its base, which is little more than a drain."
Saruman started pouring the gunpowder into a bowl, preparing it for his forces. With Maul's help and knowledge of explosives, they were able to create gunpowder, which would throw the world of Men into chaos.
Gríma, however, was skeptical on the matter as he approached the powder with a lit candle in his hand. "How? How can fire undo stone? What kind of device could bring down the wall?"
"Remember that explosion earlier?" Maul questioned, annoyed by the worm. "That will bring these primitives to their knees. Now, come any closer with that candle and your head will be mounted on my wall!"
Terrified, the traitor backed away from the gunpowder.
"If the wall is breached, Helm's Deep will fall," Saruman stated.
"Even if it is breached," Gríma protested again, "It would take a number beyond reckoning, thousands, to storm the keep."
"Tens of thousands," the wizard said confidently.
"But, my lord, there is no such force."
Once they stepped onto the balcony, Gríma was taken aback at how many Uruk-hai awaited them, chanting for blood. Isengard was littered with so many of these creatures, bred for one purpose: to kill.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Maul said, grinning like a feral animal.
Saruman raised his hand, silencing the Uruks. "A new power is rising! Its victory is at hand!"
Excited, the creatures began pounding the spears into the ground.
"This night, the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan! March to Helm's Deep! Leave none alive! To war!"
Saruman's army marched towards their target, ready to shed the blood of Men. Darth Maul joined their forces, a personal vendetta on his mind at the moment. All that mattered right now was killing the Jedi. If they were dead, then victory was assured.
"There will be no dawn for Men," Saruman sneered.
Weak, wounded, and giving exhaustion a new meaning, Aragorn rode as fast as he could on a horse, Brego. This particular horse was from Rohan, but because of being in so many battles, the magnificent creature went wild. Aragorn had calmed him down long enough to release him into the wild. This same horse found Aragorn lying on the shore and managed to get him on his back, so he could get him to safety.
Safety would not be coming anytime soon, for he spotted a vast army of Uruk-hai heading towards Helm's Deep. In all the years he's been on Middle-Earth, Aragorn had never seen a bigger army. Gandalf was right; the Rohirrim were going to get massacred. In the midst of the Uruks, he spotted a cloaked man leading them. He could not see his face, but Aragorn saw his lightsaber, realizing that the Jedi could be meeting their match, possibly, this Darth Maul that plagued them.
As he rode towards Helm's Deep, he spotted a broken machine that collided into a wall. Judging from the technology, he knew that neither side could have made it, whatever it was. He would've moved on, but something else caught his attention. Behind the wreckage, lying motionlessly, was a familiar face.
"Lady Ahsoka!" Aragorn exclaimed, jumping off Brego.
He ran towards her, seeing scars and burns across her body. Blood poured from many of these wounds and one of her arms were broken. Impossibly, she was still alive, thank the Valar.
Carefully, Aragorn carried her to the horse and placed the Togruta in front so he could steady her. With no time to lose, he continued to ride towards Helm's Deep, desperate save her.
I could not help but put that lack of faith line in this chapter.
Yes, Legolas can run out of arrows. That, in my opinion, was something that should have been shown at least once in the movies.
Review, vote, etc.
Next chapter: Ahsoka regains consciousness, Aragorn delivers unsettling news to Théoden, and the king makes a horrible decision.