Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

XXXIV

The night, as Eadrid thought, proved restless. All thoughts were of Aragorn, of what or who he would encounter in that mountain. She prayed that whatever reasons Elrond had to send him there would help them in the days to come.

As she got up, she heard the soldiers preparing to leave outside her tent. Yawning, Eadrid dressed herself in her armour and sheathed her sword. She stepped out of the tent, and the Eadrid that came out in war was beginning to take over. 

She found Aiyla, who could sense this in Eadrid, and was as restless as she was. Aiyla was tapping her hooves, ready to run as Eadrid mounted her. 

As she trotted next to her father, she turned as she passed a soldier, a large helmet over her head, and a child in front of her. 

They met eyes, and Eadrid knew immediately who it was. She understood Eowyn's silent plea to keep this between them, and Eadrid nodded, then turned back ahead of her.

Theoden began into a trot and Eadrid followed. "Ride! Ride now to Gondor!" He called.

_____

They only stopped briefly, and travelled through most of the night. Eadrid made camp next to Eowyn, not being obvious to others of her identity, and made sure to keep Merry hidden. She also gave Merry a stern talking to, making sure he understood what things he would endure in the morning. Though Eowyn told her not to scare him, Eadrid insisted that he should be scared. 

"Fright keeps you from making foolish mistakes, Merry. But let it overtake you and it turns you blind..." Eadrid said. "Please... be careful."

As the sun broke over the horizon, they had almost made it to Minas Tirith. Before she could see over the hill, she could feel the army. She could feel the stomping feet of thousands and the ringing of drums throughout her limbs. And as they came over the hill, the breath was sucked right out of her lungs. 

The army was the largest she had ever seen, masses of orcs and siege towers pulled by trolls. From Osgiliath to the White Tower they held ground, and only a few in the front lines were taken down by the soldiers of Gondor. 

Without Rohan, Gondor would no longer exist in the morning, nothing more then a pile of white stone and rubble.

Eadrid pulled Aiyla to a stop next to her father. As the rest of the Rohirrim formed ranks behind them, Eadrid's heart slowed. Her hands unclenched from the reigns, and she took a deep breath, letting her exhale all that clouded her mind. 

Theoden turned to Eadrid. "Eadrid, take your Eored down the left flank."

Eadrid nodded. "Flank ready!" She pushed Aiyla to her position on the left side of the army, and as she rode past them, she caught a glimpse of its mass. Thousands and thousands of horses and their riders. As she turned back to the enemy army, a smile pulled at her lips as she saw them desperate to reform rank to face them.

Eadrid turned to her father as he faced his people. "Arise! Arise riders of Theoden" He yelled. "Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, a sword day, a red day ere the sun rises!"

Every soldier held their spears before them, and Eadrid unsheathed her sword.

Her father rode down the front line of soldiers, clashing his sword with each spear. "Ride now, ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! DEATH!"

And so, the army of Rohan chanted after him as he took his place in the front of his men.

"Death!"

"Death!"

"DEATH!"

"Forth Eorlingas!" He called, and the horns sounded, and they approached the enemy.