The doors rattled and Elwing pressed her shoulder harder against the planks, the king saying, "what can men do against such reckless hate."
At that Aragorn looked up understanding shining in his eyes as he glanced at Elwing before meeting the king's eyes. "Ride out with me," he said his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, "ride out and meet them."
Thump! The king of Rohan looked out a new fire burning in his eyes, "for death and glory."
"For Rohan," he countered, "for your people." At a nod from the king the men sprinted off returning with the mighty steeds of the Rohirrim.
"May the horn of Helm Hammerhand sound one last time."
Gimli dashed off to a small set of stairs as the men mounted their horses alongside Elwing and Legolas and the king said, "fell deeds awake now for wrath and for ruin and the red dawn." As the doors splintered away and the Uruk-hai poured in.
Every step sang with pain as she raced deeper into the mountain. Her leg throbbed and she could feel the gash tearing open farther, the sword she'd grabbed gripped tightly in her hand as she emerged into an enormous cavern.
Crowds of people huddled in groups all around her as she made her way to the tall golden-haired woman near the back of the cave.
With every group she passed she urged the people to their feet telling them to, "rise, make for the mountain pass take only what you need most and flee."
Thump! The noise reverberated throughout the cavern and fear began to spread. She ducked under a hanging stalactite nearing the woman she sought, the Lady of Rohan Eowyn sister-daughter of the king of whom Aragorn had said had some skill with a blade.
When she reached Eowyn she bowed in the way of her people motioning for the women around her to assist with the children. "Lady Eowyn," she said looking around at the people surrounding them dropping her voice to barely a whisper. "Can you fight?"
Eowyn face turned to one of surprise as Asterin asked again, "can you take up arms against the Uruk-hai." A small nod, "I fear neither death nor pain."
Asterin glanced around unfastening the brooch of her cloak and with a swift sleight of hand, she wrapped the thin cloth around the borrowed sword. Her face carefully blank as she said, "you look, cold Lady, take this lest you need hide, for it will shield you from the chill and unfriendly eyes of your foes."
Eowyn accepted the bundle fastening both cloak and sword over her simple brown dress pulling the ever-changing cloth over the sheathed sword.
"Keep the blade hidden but should the need arise do not hesitate to draw that sword to defend your people." When a fire began to burn in Eowyn's eyes Asterin's face spread into a grim smile turning to face the people of Rohan shouting, "move quickly now the time is short."
Swords whined as they were drawn from their sheaths and the king shouted out, "forth Eorligas!"
Elwing surged forward atop Farsha barely behind the king as they charged forward into the dark forces of Saruman. Her mithril sword sparkled in the first dawn light as she blew the horn of Imladris the clear peal echoing through the valley.
Beside her Aragorn and Legolas shouted their battle cries, the heir of Isildur's brow shining with a pure white flame as they slashed down Uruk-hai like wheat in a field.
Through the keep they rode, swords swinging and soon they were riding down the causeway and into the black horde.
Night dark blood flowed in rivers around her horse's hooves as she swung her sword into the ranks of the Uruk-hai. Elwing's horse Farsha plowed through the enemy crushing orcs under hoof as horse and rider unleashed themselves upon their foes.
At her back, rode Aragorn whose sword carved a bloody swath into the Uruk-hai.
The great bow of Legolas sang as green fletched arrows flew into the dark ranks and the king of Rohan fought with strength unmatched as he charged through the Uruks. The sword of the kings gleaming in his hand, they fought straight through the hordes of Saruman, blades flashing armor sundering beneath sword-blades. The white hand stained black and split as silver steel and mithril arced through the air leaving carnage in its wake.
"They are not moving fast enough," Eowyn walked at her side as they navigated the twisting mountain pass. They followed at the rear of the group Asterin's bow bent back to its fullest, a blue-fletched arrow nocked on the string.
In front of her, the tunnel wound its way back to the Hornburg and back to the battle. She knew that while no others could, she heard the sounds of clashing metal ring faintly and knew that the battle for Helm's Deep had begun once more.
Her grip tightened on both bow and string and glanced back seeing a young girl stumble on an overturned stone. Eowyn caught the little girl and Asterin silently swore never to allow any harm to come to these people, and over her dead body would she allow any of them to take part in the horrors of war.
In the faint dawn light raged a battle unleashed, the horn of Helm's Deep pealing through the valley. Uruk-hai fell all around the small force of men and elves, their onyx blood bathing the grass as blades danced to the song of battle.
Metal clashed and armor sundered but Elwing knew that soon they would be, despite the courage of the men around her, overrun by sheer numbers.
She parried aside a dark blade slicing her sword downwards and scything off an orcs head. Her horse reared slamming its hooves down onto an Uruk's helmeted head crushing it into the ground. A spear swung towards her and she bent over backward in the saddle the shaft of the weapon sailing over her chest.
But for every Uruk she culled ten more took its place, they pressed in ever closer. Her sword spun and glittered the mithril blade carving its deadly path through the Uruk-hai.
All around, the enemy advanced their dark armor glinting dully in the brightening light. Elwing slashed her sword across an Uruk's chest sending it toppling to the ground. Shouting out she brought her sword down once more, "for Imladris" a dark helmeted head fell to the earth with a thunk!
A battle cry answered hers, a deep voice that rang through the valley, "Elendil, Elendil!"
Relief coursed through Elwing; Aragorn was still fighting. She raised her sword high into the air with one hand her horse rearing as she lifted the horn of Imladris to her lips and blew. The clear note pealed, echoed across the mountains, but as she lowered the horn, her sword plummeting downward, her horse whinnied rearing so violently that she very nearly was thrown.
She barely had time to swing her sword before Farsha's front leg buckled the horse falling to its knees and sending her down into the Uruk-hai.
In a gleaming flash of silver and gold she lept from her saddle sword spinning, the blade moving like the wind itself as she cut down Saruman's Uruks like parchment. Her sword like a living thing, an extension of her arm streaking through air and armor alike.
She cried aloud, shifting to Quenya "Aurë entuliva," the battle cry of the undying lands from millennia ago.
As if in answer a brilliant white light flared on the eastern horizon dimming into the shape of a mounted man bearing a glittering sword and a great staff.
Joy flooded her mind, body, and soul as the figure's face was revealed and a cry of pure happiness escaped her lips, "Mithrandir!" Gandalf had arrived at last.
The thud of horse hooves sounded in her ears as a figure in red leather and bronze armor emerged atop a mottled gray horse emerged over the hill.
"Rohirrim!" The man shouted and the realization hit her like a spear to the head. This was Eomer sister-son of Théoden, "to the king!" And as Eomer lowered his sword hundreds of horsemen came charging into the valley alongside Gandalf who raised his staff towards the sky.
The rising sun flaring bright in response, "wielder of the flame of Anor." Elwing smiled as loosed a ferocious battle cry and lept back into battle, and the Rohirrim crashed into the Uruk-hai with the force of a cresting wave.
"Something is coming," the thought seared itself through her mind. Asterin quickly ducked into a side passage whispering to Eowyn, "keep going I will be with you once more in a moment."
Dashing down the rocky hall she emerged into the original corridor shouting in elvish, "declare yourself." Her bowstring strained, the fletching of her shaft tickling her cheek.
For a moment nothing happened then a familiar voice grumbled, "by the stiff necks of elves, haven't I told your lot to speak words we can all understand."
A grin across her face, as she called out in common lowering her bow and returning her arrow to her quiver, "Gimli son of Gloin one would think you would know to declare yourself when approaching an elf ready for war."
A quick burst of laughter sounded, and a short figure emerged around the corner. "I'm assuming we triumphed," the answering smile she received confirmed her suspicions, "shall we tell the people of Rohan the battle is won."
The dwarf sheathed his ax down his back, "let's go, I want to find out if I topped that pointy-eared elvish princeling."