Helm's Deep was essentially a conglomeration of stony mountains, below which the realm of Rohan had built the Hornburg, an old-style defensive fortress. What gave the name to the building was a very high tower, on top of which was inserted a series of ancient and powerful trumpets, used as an alarm or to give the signal of the beginning of a battle. Their sound was unmistakable.
Goneril had never seen Gundabad, but she imagined it was similar to that place.
She noticed that there were no visible escape routes ... except, of course, for that underground tunnel. Théoden had had an idea that could be excellent or tragic: if the mighty walls of the fortress had resisted the frontal impact of Saruman's legions, the citizens of the kingdom would have survived.
Once those Uruks had realized the impossibility of penetrating inside, they would have stopped the attack, and they would have waited for the humans of Rohan to come out of their own initiative from the building, perhaps driven by hunger. But it would have taken days, and time could be a precious ally: Gandalf, the Wizard, meanwhile would have been able to find Éomer and his Rohirrim. Not to mention that other kingdoms, such as Gondor or Greenwood, once informed of the trouble Théoden was in, could have sent their soldiers to offer support to the King of Rohan.
Actually, Gondor's help wasn't to be expected, given the nature of its Superintendent, Denethor: he was selfish and morbidly attached to power. Perhaps his two sons, Boromir and Faramir (who were said to be more noble in spirit than their father), would have moved to help the other great reign of humans living in Middle-earth, but the price to pay would have been going against the paternal will. Denethor never took initiatives without a profit and certainly would not have sent his two sons to death.
It was likely that King Thranduil would send an army: knowing that his firstborn was helping Men and was risking his life, he would have intervened. The soldier girl was hoping that, because if the Elvenking had arrived there in person, she could have faced him. You see, Lord Thranduil, it is not that I want to blackmail you, but I need money and you have plenty of it and you also have a half-blood son who, at this very moment, is in Greenwood, hidden in some regal room to study and read and to prepare for his glorious future and, apart from me and you, nobody knows of his existence, so I really think that you will have to open five or six of your chests if you want your son to have...a future.
But in the unfortunate event in which, as the woman feared, Saruman had found a stratagem to break down the walls, Théoden's hopes, and even hers, would be miserably gone. In that mousetrap there would be nothing else to do but pray their gods before giving their souls back to Eru.
However, that was not the problem at the moment. The problem was to get that multitude of people into the fortress, avoiding that the most tumbled down from the stone bridge that led to the entrance. Although at a great distance, Goneril was able to see that the people, obviously terrified, were pushing each other to find refuge as quickly as possible. They were worried that the Wargs would reached them.
She spurred her horse.
"What is Éowyn doing? She should lead them inside." She said to herself, while the cold air made her cheeks purple. "Come on Aldair, before some of those fools fall and die."
The horse galloped to the entrance of the fortress and, once there, Goneril made an effort to maintain self-control. It took all her patience, because if there was one thing in the world that made her blood rise up to her eyes, it was the lack of order and discipline.
In front of her, there was a population that was completely overwhelmed by confusion: men and women shoving each other, someone falling to the ground and struggling to get up, frightened children crying and elderly and injured women were screaming. In all this, Éowyn seemed to have disappeared.
Great Eru, have mercy, thought Goneril, here I'll go crazy.
"Stop!" she tried to scream. "Stop now all of you!"
No one even turned to look at her, so much was the confusion, the shouting, the noise. "All right, my friend. It's your turn." she said then, tugging the bridle twice. Aldair, at that signal, let itself go to a very high neigh that echoed in the air. Everyone finally turned towards her.
"People of Edoras, listen! Listen to me! Nothing is chasing you. All the Wargs have been killed by your King." she shouted, once she got the general attention.
A voice came up from the crowd. "And who assures us?" a boy asked. He had red hair and a blind eye. "Who are you?"
"I am a person who is suggesting you to stay calm. You and all the others. Now you are at Helm's Deep, this fortress has saved your people in the past. You have to enter, silently and disciplined." the girl commanded.
No one moved. Confused and skeptical looks everywhere. Who was that black-haired woman riding a black horse and wearing a black armor? And why was she giving them orders as if she was their queen?
Goneril was not intimidated by that obvious hostility. "I said, move slowly. All women and children first. Then men. And stay ... calm."
That time her tone was more peremptory and so the multitude gave some signs of life. Someone started moving forward. "One step after the other. In row, with order. And stay far from the edge of the bridge." she continued.
She waited until the last man had crossed the great door and then she entered. "Your King and the other soldiers will come soon. They will carry wounded people with them." She told the three soldiers who were guarding the door.
The first thing she thought, as soon as her eyes scanned the inside of the fortress, was that there were no bonfires.
"You!" She called a small group of soldiers. "There are old torches there. Light them and place them in the corners of the walls. Soon it will be evening, we'll need light and heat."
"Can you tell us who the hell are you?! Why do you claim the right to command?" asked a soldier with his face half covered by the helmet. "We do not..."
"Because she can do it." a girl's voice was heard.
Éowyn.
She had reappeared, she carried on her shoulders a big basket full of bread she had managed to take from Edoras's kitchens. "You have to listen to her. This woman is a commander. Use with her the same deference as you would use with Hama or Gamling. Do what I say. This is also the King's will."
The soldiers bowed their heads at the words of the princess.
"Well, thank you very much." Goneril told her. "...where were you five minutes ago? Your people were lost and confused... like a flock of sheep without a shepherd."
"I entered before the others to see the conditions of the fortress and ... unfortunately they are precarious. No one has been here for a long time. We have no shelters for the night, nor water wells to draw on. It is all frozen by time. We won't be able to stay here for long. " she said, her eyes full of fear. "Where's my uncle? And the others?"
Goneril decided not to tell her about Aragorn's disappearance. "The King is alive and most of the soldiers are also there. But...some died. Your uncle and the survivors will be back soon."
Goneril looked around as a soldier led Aldair into the stables with the other horses. "This animal, treat it with respect, understand?" Goneril told him. "I paid two hundred gold coins to buy it, when it was just a foal."
"Certainly you don't lack gold ..." Éowyn commented, arranging the basket with the bread on the ground. Some women immediately gathered around her to ask for some. Goneril observed the composure with which the young blonde princess distributed food, striving to look serene so as not to scare her traumatized subjects even more.
"I used to have plenty of gold, actually. Now ... I'm afraid someone else is enjoying it." she murmured in response, assessing the situation. Women and children could not stay there in the open. And then, they were a hindrance to the soldiers.
"The underground caves, where are they?" she asked Éowyn.
The princess turned as a child pulled her skirt, asking for more bread. "I gave you what I had, be good ..." she said, giving him a caress on his dirty little face. "...what?!" she asked Goneril.
"The caves, I said. Show me." repeated Goneril. "I want to see in what conditions they are."
Éowyn sensed her intentions. "Yes. Follow me."
⚜️⚜️⚜️
"Hm. At least it's a dry environment. No water infiltration. We have to light small bonfires." the soldier woman ordered Éowyn, who immediately gathered old rags found here and there in that dark environment.
"Do you want to bring children here... with women?" she asked Goneril, as they both lighted small bonfires.
"And the wounded as well." explained the warrior. "There must be at least six bonfires. They will warm the caves and scare the Uruks."
Éowyn dropped the large stone she held in her hands. It fell at her feet with a thud.
"Uruk-Hai ?!" she asked. "Do you think those monsters will come in here? But it's not possible!"
Goneril slowly approached her. "Yes, unfortunately I fear that they will break down the wall. Your uncle puts too much hope in this structure. It is true, in the past it saved your people ... but the techniques of war have changed. Your King was an extraordinary leader ... but in other times. Now science has evolved, my dear. Now, fortresses are of little use. " Goneril commented, while lighting up the third bonfire. Immediately the dungeons began to heat up and a bright orange light illuminated everything. Yes, down there it was spacious enough to hide the population.
"What ... what do you mean?" Éowyn continued, frightened.
"I mean that at the head of those black legions there is a Wizard, an old magician of immense power, and a Wizard can find a way to destroy even a massive wall like the one protecting this place." answered Goneril. "And you, you'll have to be ready when, and if, those creatures will come down here. You know how to fight, you said."
"Yes. I'm not afraid of anything. I can swear on this." the girl replied.
"I hope so, because the Uruks are two meters tall beasts. You'll have to pull out all your courage in front of them, if by chance you have to face those creatures." said Goneril. "Anyway, there should also be a tunnel here. Where is it?"
"By this way." Éowyn said, heading for a cave carved into the rock. With a torch, Goneril lit the interior.
"Exactly. Just this." the woman could not see all the way, but that was clearly the famous way through the mountains she had read of. It was indeed a narrow and low passage, and she feared that Aldair would not be able to cross it.
"Are you thinking of leaving?" asked Éowyn. Goneril turned and the torch almost slipped from her hand. Théoden's niece was intelligent, nothing to say about that.
"No. I wanted to see this corridor. In case of attack, your people will have to run through it." she lied. But Éowyn's skeptical look made her realize that she hadn't bought it. Not at all.
"I know you are thinking of leaving us. It is true, we do not have much hope. And ... I know you are angry with your soldiers. Maybe you are planning to escape and join them ... after having plundered some abandoned city." Éowyn continued. That girl had enough brain to really be her cousin.
"You're wrong. I never run away, for your information." she retorted.
"I spoke with Sire Aragorn, on the way to the esplanade where the wolves attacked us. He told me about you, your reputation. He told me that you never made a good deed in your life. That you always acted to earn something. But I believe that no one in the world is really bad or greedy to the bone. No ... human, that is. " Éowyn said, moving closer to her. "I therefore propose an agreement. You came to Edoras for this, didn't you? To make an agreement with my uncle. You will make it instead with me. I promise you that if we win over the armies of Evil, if we survive the attack of those beasts, I will give you a large part of our riches. Whether my uncle agrees or not will be of little importance. I will decide on the matter, I swear. You will not have to steal anything."
"Of course I would have asked you for a fee, it was obvious. It was in the pact with Aragorn." she answered.
"I have not finished. You will have what you desire, gold, gems. After all, if you are really my uncle's daughter, they would also be yours by right. But I ask you to promise me this: if at the end of the next long night we will all still be alive, you will have to make
a good deed. For once in your life, you will have to help someone for free." Éowyn concluded.
Goneril didn't know whether to laugh or tell her to go to hell.
"Did you take me for a damn woodland fairy? You're a bit too old to believe in the tale of good deeds. We all act for goals, be they material or otherwise." the woman retorted.
"If you don't promise this, you won't get anything from Rohan. Also, I will order two soldiers to come down here to watch the tunnel entrance, so you won't be able to escape." the girl answered without hesitation.
Goneril was incredulous. "...what do you want from me, exactly?" she asked.
"I want you to rediscover the best part of you. I know there is some good under that iron armor you built around you. I still don't know if there's a blood bond between you and me, but after you told me about your life, I started to understand you better. And I know it's not your fault. All the ugly things you lived, all you had to face ... it wasn't your fault, you were a victim in this world. " Éowyn said. "And I'm sorry for you."
"You are so wrong." Goneril froze het. Her eyes shone in the light of the bonfires. "Do you think I didn't like taking the lives of others for money? I liked it all the way. You know, maybe I'm bad. If what Théoden claims is true, my mother was a courtesan, one who gave herself to a King and to many other men of this realm, probably. And I did the same, one can say. I sold myself, in my own way, to accumulate riches. It was a choice, my dear. "
Éowyn didn't get upset. "Perhaps it is so. But it is also true that you were about to go to Isengard to face Saruman. And you were doing it alone. Also, you stayed with us so far. I say it was not greed that made you do this. I say you wanted to help my uncle. That means there is still something similar to love in you. "
Goneril sighed. "Think what you want. Lose yourself in your romantic dreams. The fires are lit now, let's go and call your people. Let's bring them down here." and she moved. She had enough of talk. And then, Éowyn was making her feel uncomfortable.
"Wait a moment." the girl stopped her. "We have a pending agreement. Do you accept?"
Goneril stopped.
"Our gold in case of victory ... and a good deed on your part." the young woman repeated.
"All right, Éomund's daughter. If you really want ..." she replied with a grin. "But what you say has no sense, know that."
"Very good. Deal done." retorted Éowyn.
Goneril approached and gave her the hand. The girl looked at her confused.
"You don't know much about agreements, do you? We shake hands, to seal a pact. A sign of good will."
The two shook their hands firmly.
The sound of a horn was heard from the upper floors. "Someone has arrived!" exclaimed Éowyn.
"Yes. Your uncle, with the survivors." commented Goneril. Seeing the girl's eyes shining, she imagined she was thinking of Aragorn. "Go. The King will be happy to see you again." she told her.
After the girl left, Goneril watched the tunnel entrance again.
No agreements, with mercenaries.