Halflings

Chapter Thirty Five

~ Chapter Thirty Five: Helm's Deep ~

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The Rohan people walk down a hill and see in front of them Helms Deep.

"At last! Helm's Deep There it is, Helm's Deep. We're safe!"

"We're safe, my lady." A woman says, turning to Éowyn. "Thank you."

The people walk into Helm's Deep. There are many people and soldiers everywhere. Eothain and Freda suddenly see their mother and run to her.

"Mama!"

"Eothain! Freda!" She exclaims, holding her arms out.

"Where is the rest?" Éowyn asks a soldier.

"This is all we could save, my lady."

"Take it to the caves."

"Make way for the king." Gamling says. "Make way for Théoden. Make way for the king."

Théoden, Legolas, Gimli and the other Rohan soldiers ride into Helms Deep. Éowyn runs to them, with her eyes searching.

"So few." She speaks to Théoden, who dismounts his horse. "So few of you have returned."

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives."

"My lady." Gimli greets, sadly.

"Lord Aragorn... where is he?"

"He fell."

Éowyn looks at Gimli with a shocked expression. She turns to Théoden who is walking up the steps, with a tear in her eye. He looks back at her, and walks away. She stands stunned, as Théoden stands with Gamling and his guards, overlooking the Deeping Wall.

"Draw all our forces behind the wall." Théoden says. "Bar the gate. And set a watch on the surround."

"What of those who cannot fight, my lord? The women and children?"

"Get them into the caves." Théoden answers, they walk down some steps to the bottom of the Deeping Wall. "Saruman's arm will have grown long indeed if he thinks he can reach us here."

        In Isengard, Saruman is pouring some dark small stones into a bowl. Grima walks up behind him, holding a candle.

"Helm's Deep has one weakness." Saruman says. "Its outer wall is solid rock, but for a small culvert at its base, which is little more than a drain."

Grima walks closer to see what Saruman is doing.

"How? How can fire undo stone?"

He walks forward, still holding the candle, and peers into the bowl. Saruman grabs his hand and gestures for him to move away.

"What kind of device could bring down the wall?"

Saruman begins to walk out of the room.

"If the wall is breached, Helm's Deep will fall."

"Even if it is breached, it would take a number beyond reckoning... thousands, to storm the Keep."

Grima follows Saruman to the balcony.

"Tens of thousands." Saruman says.

"But, my lord, there is no such force."

Below the balcony, are thousands of Uruk Hai armies waiting for Saruman. A horn is sounded and the armies cheer. Grima is stunned, and he stares in disbelief at what he can see.