Sorry i was gone for so long, school is such a pain, but im here now <3
This chapter is dedicated to Captain_Marvel_06
These two months have been stressful, but reading your comments and knowing that you enjoy my book always brings a smile to my face <3
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Black clouds sprawled across the sky, billowing in from the east, as rows of elves and men stood atop the walls of the Hornburg. The very air we breathed seemed dense and heavy. It was almost suffocating.
Everyone was silent as we stood in wait.
The faint marching of the Uruk Hai army was a steady, ever-approaching beat in the distance. One that we could not run from. We could only listen as the distant screeches and growls drew nearer second by second.
An agonizing sense of dread consumed my mind as I watched the immense army fill the valley like a sea of black.
Beside me, a low growl rumbled from Aldion's throat.
The air shook with a crack of thunder as a jagged bolt of white hot lightning clove the sky in two, illuminating the land with a blinding flash. A steady rain began to fall upon us, pelting against the metal armour of the men, and the cold bite of the water against my skin sent shivers down my spine.
The Uruk army continued to march towards us, the sea of torches, spears and armour advancing closer and closer with every passing second. Their cold, cruel weapons glinted wickedly in the rain.
Beside me, Legolas stood, poised and unmoving, his bow resting in his hand as he scanned the gorge before him. His skin glistened in the rain, and though the lightning flashed against the icy blue of his eyes, he seemed unbothered, unfazed; relaxed, almost. Amidst the fear and tension around us, the elven prince was a calming presence, and I felt the constant worries that plagued my mind ease slightly.
I sighed inwardly.
Perhaps I had been too abrupt before, too harsh when he enquired about my past. But how could one possibly share such a story? How would he ever be able to speak to me again knowing that I was the downfall of an entire race of the Eldar. It was a sensitive topic to say the least, but I began to feel that my coldness towards him was nonetheless unwarranted. I wanted to apologise, but the brink of battle did not seem like the right time to do so.
But there was a biting feeling in the back of my mind: would I even have another chance?
It didn't matter, I told myself. He had no right to poke around my past, and I had no obligation to tell him.
The downpour grew even heavier, pelting upon us mercilessly as we stood in wait. My hair lay flat against my cheeks, cold rain dripping from my eyelashes, leaving icy trails against my skin.
Aragorn's voice rang clear over top of the sounds of the storm.
"A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!"
(Show them no mercy for you shall receive none!)
A guttural roar was emitted from the Uruk army, and they came to a halt before the Deeping Wall.
As Legolas and Gimli bantered, my eyes could not help but search the hordes of Uruks below, looking for one face.
One set of steel grey eyes.
Yet l could not find Maeglor. His absence was unsettling, and I found myself scanning the crowd over and over again.
A guttural roar from one of the berserkers jolted me from my internal dread.
The immense Uruk army raised their spears, bringing it upon the ground in unison repeatedly, beating their chests ferociously, chanting and snarling in their vile tongue. Together, it was like rumbling thunder, amplified tenfold as the sound reverberated off the stone walls of the valley.
The very ground beneath our feet shook.
My grip on the hilt of my sword tightened. The army before us had a thirst for our blood, and I had a harrowing feeling that the wall between us would serve as no barrier between us and their ruthlessness.
The eye's of the men and boys around us were alight with fear as they hastily drew their weapons, hands shaking from the cold and the dread.
In one fluid motion, Aragorn drew his sword with a ring. From across the wall, our eyes met, and he nodded.
We would fight here, or we would perish here.
All of sudden, a glint of light caught my eye. An arrow sliced through the air, the telltale whiz of the shaft reaching my ears. I watched as it embedded into the armour of an Uruk with a thunk.
"Dartho (Hold)!" Aragorn yelled.
The silence that ensued was deafening as the Uruks stopped. There was a groan as the orc collapsed to the ground.
Angered snarls spread amongst the sea of orcs, and a berserker captain raised his scimitar with a loud battle cry. With a newfound rage, the orcs began to charge.
I shut my eyes and exhaled, feeling the cold air leave my lungs in one steady breath.
The battle had begun.
"Tangado a chadad!" Aragorn's voice was loud and commanding as he gave the order.
Prepare to fire.
The sound of five hundred arrows drawn from their quivers rippled across the elven army as they pulled back their bowstrings in unison, awaiting Aragorn's orders. From beside me, Legolas drew his bow, his deft fingers drawing back his bowstring, his steady hand anchored by his face. His expression was one of focus, his eyes fixed on the army below.
"Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc."
(Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm)
I nodded. I had fought Uruks before. But Valar knew what Saruman had hidden in his sleeves. Fear crept up my spine as I watched the Uruk army advance towards the wall.
"Leithio i philinn (Release the arrows)!" Aragorn commanded.
A volley of arrows rained down upon the orcs, many hitting their mark. I watched as rows of Uruks tumbled to the ground, only for many more to pour over the fallen, fueled by hatred and blood-thirst.
"Did they hit anything?" Gimli asked frustratedly, gripping his axe tightly.
I felt useless. All I could do was watch. I hated the feeling. My fingers itched to feel the blade of my sword bite into orc flesh. But I couldn't. All the while, the anticipation within me was escalating, like a surging river building up behind a dam.
From behind the wall, the men began to fire their arrows, and with a cry, Aragorn ordered a full volley of arrows from Haldir's elves.
But to the might of the Uruk army, the onslaught of arrows were no more than a scratch, as they charged closer by the second.
"Send them to me! Come on!" Gimli growled impatiently.
"I don't think that's the idea, my friend." I replied emotionlessly.
Arrows began to launch up from the berserker army, and the cries of those who were shot only served to make me more tense, my knuckles white from the grip around my sword.
Ladders began to rise from amidst the orc army.
"Pendraith!" Aragorn alerted.
I drew my sword, hearing the ring as the golden blade was unsheathed.
"Looks like you might get your wish after all Gimli."
My voice was low, my eyes trained on what lay ahead.
Gimli just grinned.
I drew in a breath, readying myself for what was to come.
The first orc that appeared over the wall was immediately met with the blade of Gimli's axe. I dodged the swing of another Uruk blade, before slashing its neck with my own.
Before I could react, I heard an approaching snarl. I only just managed to step out of the way as a berserker brought his scimitar down on me. It's blade hit the stone wall instead with a deafening clang, before swinging at me again with savage ferocity. Dropping down beneath the blade, I swung my sword. It screeched as my blade bit into it's leg, stumbling back. I swiftly leapt back to my feet before driving my sword forcefully into its chest, feeling the crunch as my blade pierced its body.
The arrangement of men and elves atop the wall had dissipated into chaos as more and more orcs poured over the walls.
The battle had only just begun, and yet the floors were littered with bodies, both men, elves and Uruks, their deep wounds slick with blood. The air was filled with the sound of swords clashing, screams of pain and the inhuman growls of the berserkers. It truly was brutal.
Without warning, I felt a force barrel into my stomach. I flew back, feeling the air rush out of my lungs as my back cracked against the stone wall. I gasped for air, spikes of pain running up my spine as I tried to recover from the spots that danced across my vision.
The Uruk that kicked me charged towards me, its knife raised above its head. Suddenly, before it had the chance to bring down its sword, an axe flew into its chest.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Gimli ran over, yanking his axe from the dead Uruk.
"You alright lassie?"
"I will be," I winced, still trying to regain my breath as I pulled myself back up to my feet.
"That's more like it!" Gimli laughed heartily, swinging his axe in his hand. "Plenty of orc for the both of us."
He glanced up at Legolas, who was firing his arrows one after another at an astounding rate.
"Legolas! I'm on five already!"
"I'm on twenty-four!" the elf prince called back with a grin, a cheeky glint in his eyes.
"What?" Gimli growled, "I'll have no pointy ear outscoring me!"
With that, he ran off, his axe swinging with the fury of a thunderstorm.
At least this competition of theirs was a source of motivation during such tiring battle. I longed to take a moment's rest, but I couldn't. These Uruks never tired, so neither should I.
Aldion was busy with two berserkers; one pinned beneath his razor sharp claws, while he snapped at the other with his powerful jaws. Black orc blood dripped from his large canines as he snarled, and his fur was matted with blood. I could only pray it wasn't his.
Any ladder that we managed to cut down, three more were erected in its place, and over the tops of them swarmed ruthless, ravenous beasts, every swing of their scimitar carrying such an immense power.
As I deflected the blade of a berserker, I felt the vibrations run down my entire arm as my sword shook from the sheer force of its swing. It let out a growl as it pushed against my blade. I grit my teeth as I fought against its brute strength, pushing the scimitar away from my face with all my strength. With a cry, I brought my sword down hard upon the uruk's arm, severing it before wedging my sword into its now unguarded chest.
I sent a fleeting glance over the wall. There was still an entire army yet to come. We had barely scratched the surface. Uruks were approaching the gate to the keep, and despite attempts to shoot them down, most arrows simply bounced off their shields, the white hand of Saruman a constant reminder of the might of our deadly foe.
All of a sudden, I noticed orcs emerging from the small drainage opening, the Deeping Wall's one weakness. Suddenly, a single berserker emerged from the swarm of orcs, a blazing torch in his hand as the rest of the army cleared a path, chanting and cheering.
My mind clicked. I had heard stories of wizards and their fires before. It was said that it could exceed the power of an erupting volcano.
My eyes widened. It was a weapon of mass destruction.
Killing an advancing orc in one slash, I whipped around, spotting the elf prince.
"Legolas!" I yelled, my voice full of urgency, "Togo hon dad, Legolas (Shoot him down Legolas)!"
He instantly understood the gravity of the situation. Immediately, the elf shifted his aim, his brows furrowed in concentration. His arrow pierced the shoulder of the berserker, but to my horror, it kept running.
"Dago hon! Dago hon!" Aragorn urged, our focus fixated solely on the approaching berserker.
I felt my heart pound within my chest as I stood unable to do anything but watch as the Uruk grew closer with every passing second. My knives wouldn't be accurate at this distance, so there was nothing I could do but watch as Legolas fired another arrow in an attempt to stop the berserker.
But to no avail.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I watched as the light of the burning torch disappeared beneath the wall.
For a brief moment, all was silent.
Then all became fire and darkness.