Time for the "Battle at the Barricade"! Will it go according to plan? Read on to find out!
Chapter 96It was another restless night for me, but Elladan's quiet singing outside my tent helped calm me somewhat. He and Elrohir always seemed to know what I needed before I knew it myself, and I appreciate his thoughtfulness. Candaith had pulled me close to him as he slept, and I gave him an amused grin as he unknowingly kept me from rising, since his arm was wrapped firmly around my waist. "Candaith, meleth nin, it is time to wake," I whispered.
"Just five more minutes," he grumbled, tucking his head under my chin and snuggling against my neck. My smile widened, and I ran my fingers through his messy dark hair. He hummed in approval of this, and I noticed his breathing start to even out again in sleep. My smile faded and I began to go over what would happen today.
A fierce battle was set, and I worried we might not all make it out alive. Certainly, the addition of a large number of Dunedain would even the odds, but even the strongest fighter can be killed by one arrow. I felt a wave of unease, but pushed it away as I noticed Candaith stir. His brow was furrowed, and he must have sensed my worries through our bond, even in sleep. I ran my fingertips over his forehead, smoothing the lines out and relaxing his face. I studied his expression, memorizing this peaceful version, which was free of worries or cares. I wished he could be so forever, but I knew it was not to be, until the threat of Mordor was gone forever.
Would it ever be? The memory of the dark whisperings was ever present; Sauron was powerful, even without his Ring. He didn't need it to bring the land under his heel, but the aid of the Ring would make the end swifter. I prayed Frodo still journeyed towards Mordor, and that he was safe. The others would guide him true…except Gandalf. I had learned in Lothlorien that he had fallen in Moria, which was shocking and had filled me with grief. There had been evidence in Moria of a great battle, as the Bridge was broken when I inspected it in the First Hall. I had come across the body of what I now knew to be a Balrog on the icy terrain of Zirakzagil, but did not know Gandalf had been the one to slay it. The creature had seemed much diminished in death, and I hoped Gandalf had found peace in Aman. He would be sorely missed.
However, I needed to focus on the here and now, which unfortunately meant waking Candaith and finishing our final preparations. The sun would not rise for another couple of hours, so we had a little time yet to get into place and make sure Halbarad was on the same page. "Meleth," I murmured, tipping up his chin and kissing him slowly. He responded automatically, and his hands ghosted across my body before settling on my breasts, which he squeezed gently. I gasped and push my chest towards him, and I felt him smile against my lips. The flame of desire blazed in my mind's eye, and it took all of my effort to try and hold back as his hand trailed lower. I felt a familiar, deep ache that only he could alleviate in…certain ways.
But we didn't have time for that.
I clasped his wrist gently, and entwined my fingers in his as I brought his hand to my lips. "I am sorry, meleth nin, but we must awaken and join the others," I whispered apologetically. He pouted, and I laughed a little as I kissed him again. "I promise I will make it up to you."
At this, his eyes locked with mine, and I could see the desire swirling in them. His lips hovered a breath above mine as he said, "I will hold you to it." He kissed me one last time, sucking on my lower lip as he ground his hips into mine, before standing up and moving away from me, winking as he turned towards his pack. I held in a sigh, torn by the desire to continue this pleasurable activity and the sense of duty to the others.
After washing a bit and dressing, I took a swig of my water skin and joined the rest of our 'team', who had gathered near the edge of the precipice. We were still well-hidden behind the rocks, and small campfires dotted the landscape below us as our enemy slept. "Any news from Halbarad?" I asked, addressing Lothrandir.
He shook his head, "Not yet, but I'd expect to hear from him shortly, if his plan from yesterday holds true." He raised his eyes to the mountains across from us. "The sun is just starting its ascent, and I expect we have an hour or so until sunrise."
I nodded in agreement. "Is all prepared?"
"Everyone's quivers are full and bows are strung. We have healing supplies readily accessible, and have set up a temporary aid station, should any be required while we are up here." He motioned across the stone to a well-sheltered tent. "Hopefully we will not need it, but it is always good to be prepared."
"Have we decided on positioning?" I asked. I had some ideas of my own, but anticipated that the twins would have used their input to help. I was no commander, and both of them had run their own regimens and organized many companies in battle, both large and small.
As if my mention of the twins summoned them to my sides, they appeared next to me. "We will be spread evenly among the openings of those rock pillars." Elladan pointed to the ones in front of us, and motioned down to the left, where more were standing. "There are enough openings for each of us to have our own, which would make us less likely to be wounded, as we will be more spread out."
I rapidly counted and noted there were about ten or eleven openings, of various sizes. "Some might be too small to shoot through accurately, or even draw a bow back."
Elrohir smiled and looked a little smug. "Do not worry tithen pen, we checked them all ourselves." I shoved him lightly for the dig at my age, and he laughed musically.
"Then I am certain they will be perfect for our use," Candaith replied, barely suppressing his own amusement. I could feel it through our bond, and narrowed my eyes playfully. He winked, but stood to attention when we heard a faint bird call. He and the other rangers gathered together to discuss, and communicated back to who I could tell was Radanir. I then heard another bird call, different from his, and realized the tone was deeper.
"Candaith, is that Halbarad?"
I felt him 'nod', but he did not reply verbally. I could tell he was concentrating hard on the conversation, and decided not to interrupt him further. After a little while, I was getting fidgety, and Elrohir took my hand to prevent me from biting my nails. He grinned at me, but I could see the sincerity underneath.
It felt like years had passed before Candaith made his way back over. "Halbarad says they are in position behind a convenient set of ruins near the barricade. The plan is as we expected; we will begin the volley of arrows just as the sun begins to rise, and kill as many enemies as we can. Once our arrows are spent, we will head down the mountain. The enemy will try and find us, and as they move away from the barricade, Halbarad and the others will engage after they pass by their hiding place. The creatures will not expect an attack from behind, which will give us another advantage. After we meet the others on the ground, we will again join the fray, using melee weaponry as we push forwards."
"It is likely only some of the enemy will leave the barricade. Will we assault it directly immediately after defeating the mobile fighters, or will we take a break to regroup?" I asked, thinking hard. "We should decide on a location to retreat, should the battle go ill."
"Golodir suggested retreating to where Halbarad stayed the night before. Apparently, it is hidden on the back side of a hill, across the lake we passed on our way here. Do you remember it?" I narrowed my eyes in thought, and recalled the water below us in the ravine, which had been shrouded by the early morning fog. It could work, but I hoped we wouldn't need to retreat in the first place.
"I am pleased at how much you are able to communicate via bird calls and flashes of beryls," I replied with a smile. The members of the Guard in Mirkwood used similar methods; I remembered being woefully confused in those early years, unable to easily tell the difference between my fellows and the birds around us. Paedron, one of the other Guard members and a childhood friend, had laughed at me plenty of times, but after I shoved him out of a tree in frustration, he sobered up and offered to help. The bird calls the Dunedain used were different, likely due to the terrain they were more familiar with in the North.
Candaith looked pleased with my praise, "It takes much practice, and can be very useful in strange situations…like this one." I hummed in agreement; this certainly was not your average battle strategy.
Time seemed to move both at a crawl and at speed, and we all took positions roughly ten minutes before the sun rose. There was one last communication from Halbarad, and I had my bow in my hands, ready for a fight.
Breathe, just breathe I told myself. I couldn't afford to falter now. You have been in plenty of skirmishes before. You can do this. I leaned back slightly and my eyes locked with Candaith's. There was worry there, but also determination. "Le melin," I whispered, and he did the same, before we faced forward and knocked our arrows.
Taking another breath, I waited for Elrohir's signal, with one eye on the mountains framed by the beginning of the sunrise.
"Tangado a chadad!" (prepare to fire!)," Elrohir commanded. His voice was not loud, but it echoed with a commanding power that made me feel drawn to follow him. I had marked my target; a large Uruk-hai was ambling around with a swagger, looking totally at ease. It made my blood boil thinking about what atrocities he must have already performed. It didn't help that he looked almost exactly like how I remembered the one in the Lone Lands appearing. A few heartbeats later, and the final words were spoken, "Hado i philinn!" (release arrows!).
There was a whoosh as all of our arrows flew, and then the shrieks of the injured and dying followed. My arrow had hit its mark perfectly; the Uruk lay still in the dirt, before being trampled by panicking orcs. I decided to try and take out the ones who looked like leaders, as that would make things even more chaotic. I had to duck behind the rock when some enemy returned fire, before shooting another Uruk. I then turned my attention to one of the Olog-hai. He was attempting to organize his troops into some sort of line, but my arrow stopped him in its tracks as it went between his plated shoulder and helmet. He weakly pawed at it, but instead collapsed to the ground, crushing several orcs underneath him. I felt a surge of admiration from Candaith, and allowed myself a smile, which fell as an arrow skimmed against my cheek, barely missing my head. I could feel the blood trickling down my face, and wiped it away distractedly as I continued to shoot.
Slowly but surely, the enemy was thinning, but there were still many alive. Some of the orcs were moving out of range and heading West to look for a way up here, as Halbarad had predicted. I allowed myself a quick glance at my companions, and noted all of them were uninjured as of now, not including myself. Sending a quick prayer of thanks, I continued shooting. My eyes widened as I beheld the small group of Dunlendings I had noticed earlier; they had been herded into another group of them, who were unarmed and looked starved. Could they be prisoners from Tur Morva? Luckily the groups were not fighting each other, but unfortunately were surrounded by orcs and Uruks. It was risky to shoot so close to them, in case of sudden movements, but I hoped we could save them once we were on the ground. Perhaps the groups could work together to find some way of escaping, or fighting back.
My heart squeezed as I saw a Uruk drag a woman screaming from the group, before shoving her to the ground. He was shouting something at her, before spitting on her quivering form as she cried. My eyes hardened; I couldn't allow anything to happen to that woman! I raised my hand to my quiver and felt sheer dread when it came up empty. However, before I could ask anyone for help, an arrow was protruding out of the Uruk's chest, and he collapsed to the ground. I knew it was Candaith's when I felt a flare of protectiveness mixed with fury come from him, before he mentally growled, "I wish I could have done that for you, before you were hurt by that monster."
"You saved me, remember? I would likely not be here without your help," I tried to reassure him. "Let us not dwell on the past now, for we have much to focus on in the present." I sent a wave of love to him, and I felt him send some to me. It was like an embrace, in a way.
Putting my attention back on the woman, I noticed she had been pulled into the group of her fellows, and she was sobbing on the shoulder of a man, who had his arm around her protectively. The orcs around them looked more wary, afraid to approach the group of humans for fear they would also meet their ends with an arrow. Don't worry orcs, you'll get your turn soon enough.
Eventually the rest of us ran out of arrows, and we quickly gathered together before heading down the path. We decided to ride our horses down; if we needed to retreat, it would be better to have a hasty way to do so. I was initially surprised to find we met no enemies along the way, until I realized Corunir and Calenglad had stationed themselves in front of where we were coming from. A growing pile of orc corpses was gathering at their feet, and their faces held the characteristic grim expressions the Dunedain were known for. I looked ahead and saw our large group of Dunedain engaged in battle, but didn't have too much time to observe before I dismounted and joined the fray myself.
Elladan and Elrohir were fighting back-to-back, and trying to stay nearby. I was next to Candaith, my knives whirling around as I moved. It had taken many hundreds of years to master this type of weapon, but I couldn't imagine fighting with anything else. They felt like extensions of my arms, and reminded me of happier times in the Guard, sparring with my friends in the sunlight as it filtered through the trees.
We were steadily advancing, and I was pleased at our progress. The number of orcs was large, but manageable. I was more worried about the stronger foes, who decided not to engage this far away from the barricade and were waiting there. We would need to defeat them in order to dismantle their forces. Noticing Radanir struggling with three orcs attacking him at once, I quickly made my way over and helped dispatch them. He thanked me with a grin, before running forward to join Lothrandir. I finally found Halbarad, further ahead. He was swinging this massive two-handed sword, which I didn't even know he owned, as I had never seen it before. The orcs seemed to almost flee from him, driven off by the great skill he had. Determining I would think on it later, I continued my advance.
Eventually, I came upon another Olog-hai. This one was significantly larger than the others I had seen, both today and in my travels, and I faltered as it locked eyes with me. There was a calculating malice in his gaze, and his intelligence made me pause. This was not an enemy to underestimate.
"So, little she-elf," he growled, his voice grating in my ears. "You think to usurp us?" There were orcs surrounding him, but as they went to attack me, he ordered them to stay still. "This one is mine."
I noticed I was now flanked by the twins and Candaith, who had made their way over after sensing trouble. There was a little lull in the battle in our immediate area, but I didn't want to become too far removed from the others, who were continuing our advance. Steeling myself, I replied steadily, "It is you who are the usurpers here. Why do you stand here, guarding a road to a Dunlending settlement? What are they to you?"
"I don't answer to you, she-elf," the Olog-hai barked. "I take orders from one much greater than you."
I was unsure how to play this. Should I try and make him angry, and therefore cause him to make a mistake when he inevitably attacked? Or should I play for time, giving the twins the opportunity to mentally make a plan between the two of them, as I expected?
I decided time would be the better choice here, "Who is this master of yours? Sauron?"
He made a noise that might be considered a laugh, if it didn't sound so dark. "Sauron? He is not the one with the power in this land, little one. The White Wizard controls Dunland, and will soon overtake all the lands, with Rohan to come next. There will be nowhere safe to run and escape his rule. Not that you will have such a chance, for I will end you today." He sounded so sure of himself, and it made my blood boil.
"Will you now?" I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "What makes you think you can defeat me?"
He laughed again, "I could crush you with one step, she-elf. I could snap your neck like a twig with one hand." He moved a little closer, and I forced myself not to step back. The malice radiating off of this Olog-hai was staggering. Could he be more than just a troll-like monster? He was certainly the largest Olog-hai I had ever seen. "I am Rakothas, and I have never lost a battle, especially not against one as tiny and weak as you."
My palms were sweating, and it made my knives want to slip out of my hands. I gripped them tighter, and noticed the twins draw closer to me. I could almost feel them radiating with their own power, and it made me wonder at how much they had grown during the time we had been on this journey. This seemed to amuse Rakothas. "You expect these weaklings to protect you? Or how about that one, with the cloak?" My eyes found Candaith, who was almost shaking with rage as he stepped in front of me. "He shows weakness with his…devotion to you. Love is useless, little one."
"And what do you know about love?" I yelled. "You are a monster, created by another monster, to do nothing but evil deeds. You cannot understand its power, and never will. It would be foolish to try."
Rakothas appraised me, looking thoughtful as his eyes glittered dangerously. "It will be a pleasure to kill you." He straightened up, and eyed the twins and Candaith. "The others will have to be disposed of first, of course."
At that, the orcs charged. Elladan and Elrohir, as well as Candaith, surrounded me as they fought. The orcs fell quickly to their blades, but there were many, and inevitably my brothers and husband were forced to move away from me as they were pulled in different directions. I did not stand idle, but kept one eye on the Olog-hai as I fought, who was standing still and watching me. What was he waiting for? Candaith and the twins would not go down easily, and were holding their own admirably.
As soon as this thought went through my head, Rakothas abruptly stalked towards me, and I planted my feet and settled into a fighting stance. My fear hovered at the edges, but was overtaken by the anger that this creature would try and kill me, when I had overcome so much. "You would risk your life to kill me? What happens if you fail, or die along with me? Will it have been worth it?" I shouted this over the din of the battle, and was surprised to see him pause in his movements.
Was he reconsidering his decision?
Before Rakothas could reply or do anything, horns sounded to the East, and we all turned to look. A large force of Dunlendings was headed our way, and seemed intent on killing orcs rather than us. Were they the people of Tur Morva, making a stand? Or were they some other tribe, annoyed at the presence of such dark creatures in their lands?
I returned my gaze to Rakothas, and he said, "Perhaps we will have to do battle another time, she-elf. But don't worry, I am sure we will meet again." With these ominous last words, he turned East and I watched in amazement as he climbed up into the mountains and out of sight, abandoning the rest of his forces. The orcs, in what perhaps could be considered his battalion, panicked without their leader present, and we dispatched the rest of them easily. I had to admit I was shaken by this strange encounter, but forced myself to cast it from my mind. There was a battle to win, and I didn't have time to focus on anything else.
It took hours, but finally we reached the barricade. The Dunlendings turned out to be from Tur Morva, and there were more than I had anticipated. Despite their determination, there had been some significant losses. They were starved, and didn't have proper gear or weaponry to fight, which made them easy targets. It hurt to think of the desperation they must have faced to make the decision to join the battle, even with new allies to aid them. The other Dunlendings, who were from the nearby settlement of Tyr Durven, decided to return to their homes and report the valiant deeds of the Falcon Clan against Saruman. It was the hope that the poor treatment by Saruman's creatures would sway their own Brenin to turn away from the wizard and choose the right side. It was a good turn of fortune, despite how it had come to pass.
Now came the next phase of our mission: aiding the Falcon Clan.
Whew, the battle was won, but the work is only just beginning. I hope you liked how I wrote the battle, it's always difficult to write fighting scenes. Had to put in the lines Aragorn uses at Helm's Deep in the movie! Thanks for reading, and leave a review!