''A great host, you say ? ''
''All Isengard has emptied'', Aragorn declared.
After his return, he had hurried up to join the king, in the great hall of the deep. And now, he was telling them what he had seen on his way, and that was absolutely not reassuring. War was upon them.
''How many ? '' asked immediately the king.
''Ten thousand strong, at least. ''
As she heard his answer's, Tauriel eyes became wide opened : they were not as many as their ennemies. The king turned to Aragorn, he was surprised but also destabilized.
''Ten thousand ? ''
''It is an army bread for a single purpose : to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall '', he added.
Theoden looked around him, hesitating. Then, he turned back and walked to the gates with sure steps.
''Let them come ! ''
He got out of the hall, and after a swift shared look, the four others followed him. The king got down the stairs that lead to the central courtyard, and put his hand on the shoulder of one of his adviser men, who was walking to his side. All around them, women, children, and old people were packing their stuff and organizating food stock.
''I want every man and lad to bear arms to be ready by nightfall '', he said.
The soldier walked away, nodding, and took the direction of the caves, where most of the population were already. The king resumed his walk, the two elves, Aragorn and Gimli following him. They reached the great gate, where Theoden showed them the top.
''We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the deeping wall or set foot inside the Hornburg .''
''This is no rabble of mindless orcs, '' spoke Gimli. '' They are uruk-hai : their armour is stick and their shields ...''
''I have fought many wars, master dwarf, I know how to defend my own keep,'' the king answered back.
Then, Theoden left the four companions, and entered the deep. Gimli threw them an outraged look, that they all avoided before following the king. He mumbled alone a second, but he finally joined them, who were listening to the king.
''Within these walls, we will outlast them '', he concluded with pride.
''They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages, they come to destroy its people, down to the last child ! Aragorn said.
The king immediately turned to him, and grabbed his tunic. Or, at least, what was left. Tauriel had already seen that the ranger had an injury at his shoulder. She should heal him later.
''What do you have me do ? '' asked the king, his voice as lightas a whisper, but enough for the red hair's ears. '' Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If it is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance.''
''Send out riders, my lord. You must call for help '', explained the ranger with conviction.
The king, who had walked away, came back to them, a sad smile on his face.
''And who will come ? Elves ? Dwarves ? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead. ''
''Gondor will answer '', answered back Aragorn, certain.
''Gondor ?! Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell ? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us ? Where was Gondor...''
He suddenly stopped, and looked down, shaking his head. Then, he looked up to Gondor's heir, and the last shred of hope had vanished from his eyes.
''Now, my lord Aragorn, we are alone. ''
**********
''Aragorn, you must rest'', Legolas said.
''You're no use to us half alive'', she added.
The two elves were following Aragorn in the crowd of women and children that walked to the caves, trying to make him getting some rest. He was a Dunedain, yes, but he could not resist to tiredness as much as the two elves. Gimli was walking behind them, grumbling as he was jostled in every way by the other men.
''Lord Aragorn ! ''
The shout echoed against the walls, and Tauriel immediately recognized the voice of Eowyn. The young woman, her long blond hair flying in her back, was walking to them, at a brisk pace. She stopped just in front of the ranger, a little bit irritated.
''I am to be set with the women into the caves '', she said quickly.
''That is an honorable charge'', answered Aragorn.
''To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return. What renown is there in that ? ''she asked skeptically.
''My lady, a time may come for valor without renown. Who then will your people look to in the last defense ? ''
''Let me stand at your side'' , she told him.
''It is not in my power to command'', he said, shaking his head.
He began to walked away, but she grabbed his arm.
''You do not command the others to stay ; they fight beside you because they would not be parted from you. Because they love you '', she added.
There was silence between the two. Tauriel, a little bit further, held her breath. Eowyn had dare to say it, finally. Aragorn looked down a second, without a doubt ashamed that he cannot say he was sharing her feelings. Then, he looked up, and faced the gaze full of hope of the young woman. The said, yet shaken, took a few seconds to understand what was happening. At that time, she apologized and left him. She swiftly vanished into the crowd of womand and children that walked to the caves, and passed near the two elves, that stepped aside to avoid her.
**********
After a last inspection of the ramparts to check if everything was allright, they went to the armory of the deep, where all the men that could fight was getting read for the battle. But some of them were so much young that they had trouble to hold their axe, while some had no strength anymore to do it. And no one was a real soldier. They had no experience of fight.
''Farmers, farriers, stabbles boy'', Aragorn said, putting back a rusted sword on a pile of arms.
''These are no soldiers '', she sighed, leaning against the wood table behind her.
''Most have seen too many winter'', added the dwarf.
''Or too few'', Legolas said, ans Tauriel clearly felt his annoyance.
She shared a look with Aragorn, who was waiting, as her, for the developments of the blond elf. Around them, the weapons distribution was going on.
''Look at them. They are frightened. I can see it in their eyes'', he explained, with exasperation.
Suddenly, all around them, every body stopped talking, ant they all turned to him. He made a few steps, while the silence was becoming more and more heavy. Tauriel held her breath when she heard his developments.
''And they should be...three hundred, against ten thousand !''
''They have more hope defending themselves here than Edoras'', answered back the ranger.
''Aragorn, they can not win this fight. They are all going to die ! '' the blond prince exclamed.
''Then I shall die as one of them ! Aragorn yelled back.
They stared at each other, right in the eye, for few seconds, Legolas visibly surprised by his reaction, just before Aragorn decided to left, angry. The elf tried to followed Isildur's heir, but Tauriel caught his arm, preventing him from walking away. It was a gesture she had not allowed allowed herself to do since a long time. He immediately stopped walking.
''Stop, Legolas. Let him alone'', she told him.
''Let him go, lad. Let him be'', added Gimli.
**********
The sky was getting darker and darker above their heads, and the sun was going down.
In a room separately, Tauriel was getting ready for the fight. She took just what she needed, so the weapons she was always wearing. Like a habbit, she put her two long daggers - inheritance of a friend who had died in the Battle of the Five Armies- in the sheath in her back, next her bow and her quivers, full of arrows. She laced up her high boots, and made her hairstyle, with many braids.
In front of her, an old mirror was gaving to her her reflect, that she had not seen for weeks. And in fact, it was almost useless : she was an elf ; her reflect was the same than the one a hundred years sooner, and it will be the same a hundred years later. However, she looked at the mirror, and met her own green gaze. She saw in her eyes all the ordeals she had endured, from her birth to this evening. And from all her heart, she wished this day would not be the last of her life. She breathed deeply one time, before getting out of the room.
She followed her instinct , and kept walking in the principal corridor, where a little little was shining at the end. She heard elvish words, and she walked faster, reassured. A few seconds later, she entered a new room, bigger than the last one, and better lighted. In the middle of the room, Aragorn was standing to Legolas' side, his hand on his shoulder, as the elf was doing too. They had reconciled, without a doubt. When they heard her light steps, they turned their head to her, both smiling. But Legolas' eyes were much more shining. She had just noticed that when Gimli came into the room, wearing a coat of mail, he had pulled up until his chest.
''We had time, I'd get this adjusted'', he said.
Then, he dropped the tip of his coat, and it fell to the ground, far too long for the dwarf. Tauriel raised an eyebrow.
''It's a little tight across the chest'', the dwarf explained.
She was about to tease him when a horn had suddenly been heard in the deep. And she perfectly knew what it was. She smiled.
''That is no orc horn'', she tols her companions.
Legolas met her gaze. He could not believe that neither. He smiled too.
'' No... And this is much better...''
They all quickly took the direction of the exit, and the two elves began to run, Aragorn behind them, Gimli, as always, a little bit further. They reached the top of the stairs that lead to the courtyard, and immediately stopped, surprised, but also relieved. Haldir of Lorien was standing in the middle of the courtyard, in front of the king, with hundreds of elves, armed and ready for war. They had come to help them.
''We have come to honor this allegiance'', Haldir declared, looking at them.
Aragorn has been the first to get down the stairs to meet the blond elf. Tauriel and Legolas followed.
''Welcome, Haldir '', the ranger told him, a hand on his heart.
But he finally hugged the elf with friendship, and the elf gave him his clasp back, a little bit surprised.
''You are more than welcome'', added Aragorn, stepping back.
Then Legolas and Tauriel approached Haldir, put their hand on his shoulder, and nodded their head with respect. The red-hair elf was very relieved to see a well-known face to her side. Especially because he was not alone. At the same moment, all the elves turned their head to Theoden, ready to fight for him.
''We are proud to fight alonside men once more'', Haldir told the king, yet stupefied by this unexpected coming.
Tauriel, very happy at this moment, smiled again. They were not alone anymore ; the elves from Rivendell had come to help them. Together, they would fight the ten thousand orcs who were walkinng to them, with the chin high, and the proud gaze. Together, they would win.
**********
A few moment later, they were all together on the ramparts, ready to defend the deep. Torches had been placed all around them to light the space, and to allow them to see their enemies, that walked to them. Step by step, they were getting closer tho the fort, and also, more numerous. The strength of their steps made the ground shake.
Tauriel was standing on the first ramparts of the deep, with Gimli and Legolas. The dwarf had come to stand between the two elves, without even noticed he could not see above the walls. The top of his head was not higher than the rampart, where the walls barely reached the elves' stomach.
''You could've picked a better spot'', the dwarf said.
The red-hair elf smiled with discretion. At the same time, Aragorn came to join them, and put his hand on the elvish elf's shoulder.
''Well lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it last the night'', Gimli told him.
Suddenly, a great thunderbolt appeared in the dark sky and lighted the vast plain in front of them, on which their enemies were walking. Illuminated, they looked like they were even more numerous. Their spears were dangerously pointing to the skies, their torches creating thousand of little ligh in the dark night. And the worst was not yet there. Tauriel felt the air becoming more humid. It was going to rain, soon, very soon.
''Your friends are with you, Aragorn'', Legolas declared, his blue eyes illuminated at the same moment than the night.
''Let's hope they last the night'', added Gimli.
At the same time, rain began to fall on their heads, strong and penetrating. This would not help the men to have victory. Aragorn walked away after a last gaze full of support, leaving the two elves with the dwarf, who could not see yet his enemies coming. The ranger's advices for the bowmen yet reached their ears.
''Show them no mercy, for you shall not receive none ! ''
The furious orcs kept walking to the deep. Tauriel could now hear their heavy breath. She could recongnize it in every situations.
''What's happening out there ? ''asked the dwarf, jumping to try to see what was going on behind the ramparts.
''Shall I describe it to you ? Or would you like me to find you a box ? '' Legolas said, a mocking smile on his face.
It took a few seconds to the dwarf to understand Legolas' joke, and then, he began to laugh, not very discreetly, as always. Tauriel met Legolas' gaze, and they both laughed too, but far more elegant.
At the bottom of the walls, the orcs were hitting their spears against the ground, screaming. Some of them were hitting their chest with their hands. On the ramparts, men with bow placed an arrow at thier cord, and chose their targets. At Tauriel' side, Gimli was still jumping.
The rain had made slippery the weapons, and some bowmen had troubles to hold their bow. Tauriel was soaked too, but by habit, it did not trouble her. However, a few meters further, an old man let go his arrow, that went on an orc's throat. The beast fell to the ground.
''Hold !'' screamed Aragorn.
But the arrow had yet gone. The orcs became more furious, hitting hardly the ground with their spears. Some screams had been heard, and some men shivered, with reason. The one that seemed to be their leader, standing on a great rock, made a sign to his troups to move on. The orcs ran to the deep, yelling.
The battle was beginning.