"Brace the gate!"
A guard yelled at the few people who were standing in the room.
The gate was looking worse and worse as the Urak-Hai kept smashing it with their weapons.
Holes were being made in it, allowing us to see some of their arms and swords.
I knew better than to try to stop them from entering, so instead, I got my weapons ready.
The gate smashed down with deafening force, causing wood bits to fly everywhere. At the noise, Théoden came running in with more guards by his side.
His swords was drawn and he had armor on as well.
We started to kill all the Urak that we could. I used my bow, shooting everything in sight.
They were getting killed, but at a slower rate than I had hoped.
"We cannot hold them off!" A guard yelled at Théoden. I knew he was right.
At that exact moment, Aragorn ran past me to the king.
"Hold them!" Théoden shouted to Aragorn over the noises of the fighting. "How long do you need?" He questioned back. "As long as you can give me!" Was the answer.
Aragorn nodded as the king went back to fighting off the Urak-Hai. He turned to me and Gimli than motioned for us to follow him.
I pushed my bow behind my back and ran after him, Gimli close behind me.
He led us through a small doorway that was barely tall enough for me to duck through. It opened out on the side of the keep.
We carefully inched our way around the wall until we could see the bridge leading to the huge doors that had been broken down. My back was pressed against the stone wall as hard as I could press it.
I was terrified that I was going to fall or stumble and give our position away. Which would be awful.
Urak-Hai were all over the bridge, trying to fight their way inside if the keep. I frowned at them all. Where we supposed to kill them all?
Gimli grumbled. "Oh come on! We can take them!" That Dwarf.
Aragorn looked at him with a hint of doubt.
"Its a long way to jump."
He was right. I remembered in the Mines how Gimli insisted on jumping and almost fell to his death. I bet he was pretty sure to not make the same mistake again.
Gimli looked embarrassed. "Toss me." he muttered to Aragorn. Aragorn raised his eyebrows. "What?" He asked, unsure if he had heard correctly.
"I won't be able to make the jump, so you will have to toss me!"
I smiled to myself. Hopefully, Aragorn wouldn't laugh out loud and give our spot away. Thankfully, he just nodded at the Dwarf and reached down to pick him up.
Gimli held up a hand. "Uh...don't tell the Elf." He turned and looked at me as he said that. I held up my hands in defense. "I promise!" He turned to Aragorn. "Not a word."
He than picked up Gimli and threw him across the gap to the bridge.
"AAARRRRRGGGG!" Gimli yelled as he landed and started swinging his axe around at every Urak-Hai in reach.
Aragorn turned to me. "Are you going to go or do you need a push as well?" He said jokingly. I smiled sarcastically at him and begin to run as fast as I could towards the huge gap.
Just as I was about to fall into it, I jumped as hard as I could towards the bridge and Gimli.
I landed hard, but instantly regained balance and took out my swords.
Aragorn landed next to me soon, and it was just the three of us, against seventy or so Urak-Hai. But we were doing pretty well.
But than it started getting worse and worse. For the first time in.....forever, actually, I feared for my life. More and more Urak were flooding in all around us, making it almost impossible to move, much less kill others.
I prayed to a higher force that we would make it out of here with our lives. As I kept killing Urak-Hai, I saw them rushing at the keep again.
The men inside were trying their best to seal up the gates again, but there was to many Urak-Hai outside forcing their way in.
Where in Middle-Earth is Legolas?
I thought to myself, having seen no sign of the Elf.
Than I heard someone above me shout my name. "Ryanne!" Oh. There he is.
I looked up and saw Legolas throw a rope over the edge of the top of the keep. I put my swords away and ran quickly towards it. I had to punch a few Urak-Hai and push them off the bridge, as I had put my weapons away.
As I got there, I grabbed it and started scaling the wall. He held the rope, so I wouldn't fall as I climbed. He reached out his hand as I got to the top, and he pulled me over the edge.
He threw the rope back down. "Aragorn!"
The Ranger heard him and he and Gimli ran over to the rope as well. Legolas pulled them up next to me, and we went back inside for Théoden.
~~~<<<~~~>>>~~~<<<~~~>>>~~
"The fortress is taken." Théoden said to us. "It is over." He sounded defeated and upset. I frowned. I hated how he acted so depressed about everything.
I took a step forward to him, but before I could take another one, Legolas grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. "Let Aragorn." He whispered. I nodded, remembering how well Théoden responded to my outburst earlier.
"You said this keep would not fall if your men defended it! Your men are still defending it! Some have died defending it!" Aragorn than responded to the king angrily.
Before a response came, the doors behind us gave a loud crash and shuttered violently. I jumped, startled by the noise. I than realized that Legolas was still gently holding my arm.
But my blood still ran cold as ice. The Urak-Hai were trying to get. If they did, they would find all the women and children in the caves. They would either be taken prisoner or killed on sight.
Aragorn looked just as worried. He turned to Théoden. "Is there no way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" He said, voicing my thoughts. The king stayed silent. "Is there no other way?" Aragorn questioned again, raising his voice.
A guard to his left spoke up. "There is a pass through the mountains. But they won't make it. The Urak-Hai are too many!"
Aragorn looked at the guard seriously.
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass!" He told him. "And barricade the entrance!"
The guard nodded and hurriedly ran off. I looked at Théoden. This time, he seemed almost relieved that Aragorn was giving directions.
"So much death." The king said softly. "What can men do against so much reckless hate?" He was cut short by the doors being slammed into again.
I looked at them. The wood was cracking and splintering. They were going to in again. A few holes had been made in the doors as well.
Drawing an arrow, I aimed it at one of the holes that had a Urak's arm showing through.
As I released it, it drew back with a cry of anguish. Did they think we weren't going to shoot them?
"Ride out with me." Aragorn was saying to Théoden. "Ride out with me and meet them." He continued, talking about the rest of Sarumon's army.
"For death and glory?" The king questioned. Aragorn nodded shortly. "For Rohan. And for your people."
Théoden was going to respond, but I realized somethjng quickly.
"The sun is rising!" I looked up to a big window, the others following suit.
I remembered what Gandalf had told us before he had left.
"Look for my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look towards the East."
Théoden seemed to remember too.
"Yes!" He said. "Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in this keep one last time!"
I smiled and looked up at the horn.
Gimli ran forwards and up the stairs to where it was.
"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake! Now for the wrath, the ruin, and the red dawn!" Théoden shouted.
Than Gimli blew the horn. The sound echoed throughout the keep, and could be heard for probably miles away.
I put two fingers in my mouth and whistled sharply. Seconds later, Rhea came galloping into the room we were in, Arod following close behind.
Grabbing her reins, Legolas and I mounted our horses at the same time and drew our weapons.
Aragorn and Théoden grabbed horses while Gimli was still blowing the horn. I turned to the huge doors. Suddenly, they crashed down with a tremendous noise.
Following the others, I charged at the Urak-Hai, shooting every one I could.
We shot out into the breaking dawn, galloping down the causeway. The Urak-Hai that got in our way were eathier trampled or killed by us. I was thankful that Reah had armor on.
As we rode on and fought, the sun was coming up more and more, making the atmosphere a little happier. Or as happy as a battleground could get.
We neared some hills, but kept ruthlessly slaughtering Urak-Hai. I looked up when I heard a familiar neigh.
Shadowfax reared on his hind legs and I smiled. Gandalf had come to us. Just like had said.
He turned and looked at us, bloodied, bruised, with determined looked on our faces as we gripped our weapons.
"Théoden, King stands alone." Gandalf said, frowning slightly.
Éomer than rode up besides Gandalf. "Not alone!" He said to us. He than drew his sword with a clang. Behind him, I could see his men, the Riders of Rohan.
I heard Théoden next to me. "Éomer!" He muttered.
Éomer pointed his sword forward, at the raging battle still being fought.
"TO THE KING!!" He shouted so loud that the others around us looked up.
I spurred my horse next to him, and we galloped down the hill at ride-or-die speed, the Riders behind us. There were more of them than I had expected and once again, I smiled.
Legolas was next to me, and we drew our bows and shot down the closest Urak-Hai. Rhea kept running and I kept fighting. The Urak seemed scared, but I felt no pity for them.
After a while of fighting, the Urak-Hai seemed to figure out that they were fighting a losing battle. They started to turn away and run towards the Forest that was just barely in sight.
I slowed Rhea to a trot than a walk. I looked at the fleeing Urak-Hai. As they entered the forest, the trees began to move. My eyes went wide with realization.
"The Ents!" I said. We watched as the trees attacked the Urak and killed every last one of them.
Than just like that, it was over.
All over.
~~~<<<~~~>>>~~~<<<~~~>>>~~
I walked on the deserted battlefield, cleaning my swords. Rhea walked close behind me, following me. I talked to her as I cleaned my weapons.
"You did so well out there!" I cooed at her. She snorted in response. "I'm proud of you, sweetie!"
I reached up and scratched her ears.
Walking up to Gimli, who was sitting on a corpse and smoking, I smiled at him. Legolas walked up behind me.
"Final count." He said to the both of us. "Forty two!" Gimli looked up.
"That's not bad for an elvish princeling!" He said. "I myself, am sitting on a pretty forty three!" he took a drag on his pipe.
I smiled broadly and turned to Legolas. He looked livid and drew an arrow quickly. At first, I got scared, not knowing what he was going to do with that. But he shot the Urak-Hai Gimli was sitting on in the neck.
"He was already dead!" Gimli exclaimed. "He was twitching!" Legolas shot back. I laughed loudly. They were too much.
"What was yours?" Legolas asked me. I frowned. "Forty one, but if I shoot both of you, it would turn into forty three!"
They looked at me with blank faces, as if they were daring me to shoot them.
I sighed. "It was a joke."
Legolas nodded. "It wasn't very funny." He said sourly. I laughed again. And he smiled in response.
I moved closer to him, and put my arms around him. He made me feel safe, even though the battle was over. He instantly returned the hug, holding me close.
Gimli awkwardly cleared his throat, and I was aware of Aragorn staring at us with Gandalf a little ways away, but I didn't care.
We loved each other.