Chapter 2

The clash between the combined forces of Rohan and Gondor and the forces of Mordor and Isengard began to push the army of orcs back towards the bastion of Helms deep! The pushback on the hindguard forcing the foreguard up against the wall as the guard of Helms deep rained arrows down upon the orcs and the remaining 4 wraiths who shrieked in anger as their robes were riddled with arrows!

At the top of the ridge sat Gandalf the grey astride shadowfax, raising his sword in challenge to the Leader of the Nazgul!

"Have at you, Dwimmerlaik! Foul Lord of Carion!" Lightning struck the Fel beast and it...fell. landing in ruin at the feet of Gandalf's mighty steed.

As the Witch King of Angmar rose from the remains of his steed, Fadron grabbed on to the Couatl that had just finished playing meatgrinder with one of the Nazgul, "take me over that way!" He said indicating Gandalf

The couatl quickly zipped him over towards the fight, but as they sped that way, an arrow clipped the beast, sending Fadron into the fight below!

Fadron stood, faced with a Nazgul, unhorsed, cutting the throat of a soldier of Rohan. It looked up at him as it let the soldier fall, "you..." it hissed, squaring up with Fadron who's eyes were fixed upon the fight going on up the hill!

The ringwraith rushed at Fadron, sword raised, only for the sword to land upon the buisiness end of Fadron's shield!

Fadron pushed the sword away and slammed the Nazgul in the face with his shield before stabbing the creature in its face with his sword! The magic fire set the Wraith's cloak alight and it dropped its sword as it flailed about, giving Fadron the opening he needed to run past it up the hill!

The fight between Dwimmerlaik and Gandalf raged at the peak, both trading blows as well as spells, Gandalf had dismounted and was dueling quite efficiently with the Witch-King, however he was also tiring.

"You are WEAK, old man!" Growls the Lord of Carrion as a wall of force blocks a swing of his mace, Gandalf, panting, smiled, "You sound tired."

Dwimmerlaik raised his mace again only for a massive slab of iron to swat it out of his hand!

The tower shield and the mace fell to the ground as Fadron dove for Dwimmerlaik's feet, his shoulders colliding with the Nazgul's shins, but not causing much motion.

The Lord of Carrion picked Fadron up by the back of his mechanical neck, "What...was your plan?"

Fadron shrugged, "Yeet, yeet, I like feet."

Fadron then grabbed Dwimmerlaik's arm, the cylinders protruding from his arms once again as arcing electricity travelled along the Witch King's armor, causing him to roar in pain before he threw Fadron down the hill, turning to be run through by gandalf! The blade splintering inside his spectral body with a blast of light!

Gandalf reeled back and the Witch King grabbed him, his helm exuding black mist as he swathed Gandalf in it, "As I fall, so shall YOU, Mithrandir!"

The witch king fell to his knees as his body began to disintegrate, falling empty into his own mist as it dissipated, revealing both opponents had fallen.

Fadron scrambled up the hill only to stop and stare in horror, "...no..."

The battle is won in that moment, as the lord of the Nazgul falls, as the other Nazgul are slowly destroyed, the force caught between Helms deep and the forces of both Rohan and Minas Tirith began to disperse, and thus was more easily destroyed.

The celebration of the men was cut short however, as Fadron lifted up the surprisingly frail old man and bore him up to the citadel.

Dark was the mood as Fadron Bulkhead brought Gandalf the Grey into Helms deep and laid him down on the nearest table, "GALLEND!" He shouted, desperation and fear in his voice, "Gallend help..."

He sat down next to the table as Gallend and Peony rushed in followed by the rest of the fellowship, Gallend immediately began to chant, trying to use all manner of healing spells on him, but the body only responded by turning grey and slowly, ever so slowly, beginning to burn away.

"No, NO NO!" Frodo rushed towards Gandalf's body only for Aragorn to stop him.

Peony walked in and her face reflected his, "No...not the old man..."

Gallend's fists pounded the table, he spat curses in Draconic and common and abyssal as he desperately used up all his spells trying to get a result from the slowly vanishing body, but nothing he did made any difference as the body of Gandalf the Grey burned itself to ash.

Finally, Gallend downed the rest of his barrel of cider, falling to his knees in drunken prayer, whispering desparate prayers through tears of anger and sadness.

Peony hugged Fadron's leg and he picked her up, Fadron looked grimly at the rest of the party, which now included Boromir, who looked equally as sad as everyone else.

"The fellowship is finished." Frodo said matter of factly.

Fadron looked down at the hobbit, "The hell it is! Do you think Gandalf would have been here if he wanted us all to turn back when he died!?"

Frodo looked up at Fadron, "we cannot all go to Mordor...I must go alone!"

Aragorn, Sam and Fadron all shout, "NO!"

Frodo angrily pulled the ring from his breast, "Am I not the Ring Bearer?"

Fadron picked him up, throwing him into his pack where Mad-Eye, still in his elfin armor, sat on his head, "I'm done with that, "follow the ring bearer" crap...but I am afraid that he is correct...we can't all go to Mordor."

The fellowship looked at Fadron, confused, and after a tenuous silence, he noticed they were all looking to him for guidance, "Well, we're waiting Laddie." Growled Gimli

Fadron suddenly realized that he was being told to plan out what would happen next, he chuckled as he put on his metaphorical thinking cap.

"Right...so I may not be the best at paying attention, but even I can see there's going to be nothing to come back to if some of us don't stay to organize a defense of these places you guys hold dear, Rohan's not going to be safe any more...whats going to happen is that the people of Rohan will go to Minas Tirith with the two princes over here...they'll be safe there, until the enemy comes for them."

"Where we will be ready." Growls the hearty voice of Theoden king as he steps into the room, "old Denethor is nearly senile, but I will gladly repay the boon he granted us on the field this day."

Fadron nods at Theoden, and Aragorn snaps his fingers in front of Fadron, "What of the Fellowship?"

Peony tugged on his cape, "Babe don't split the party..."

Fadron shook his head, "we will do what must be done...Aragorn, go with Faramir and Boromir to Minas Tirith...Gimli and Legolas...go with them...Merry, Pippin, frodo and sam will come with us to Mordor where we'll finish what Gandalf started."

Aragorn put a hand on Fadron's shoulder, "Gandalf trusted you, so we will trust in you."

He looks at Frodo who is standing now, in the basket, "you are in good hands Frodo, no matter what happens, do not lose hope."

And with that, the fellowship split, but did not disband.

One group heading to defend the last bastion of mankind, the other to seal the doom of the greatest evil since Morgoth himself.

To be continued...