Journey’s End

Chapter 26

Forth Eorlingas

Aragorn and I ran to the gate and found Théoden clutching his shoulder. 

“Hold them!” He commanded the soldiers who were desperately holding the gates shut. Aragorn looked at the door, then back to the king.

“How long to you need?” He asked.

“As long as you can give me.” Théoden replied. Aragorn nodded to me and I followed him as he made his way towards a small door.

“Gimli!” He called to the dwarf, who had followed us. He dashed behind me as we quietly slipped through the door. I found myself standing on a narrow rock-ledge beside Aragorn. 

We edged our way along the wall, until we reached a corner. Peering out, I could see the causeway, and the Uruk-Hai that were trying to break through the door.

“Oh, come on. We can take them!” Muttered Gimli, eagerly waiting to rejoin the battle.

“It’s a long way.” Murmured Aragorn. I stuck my head out to judge the distance; it was just less than two metres wide by my reckoning.

“A really long way…” I whispered.

“Toss me.” Mumbled Gimli.

“What?”

“I cannot jump the distance. You'll have to toss me.” Gimli muttered. I let him edge past me and Aragorn went to lift him. “Ehh.. Don’t tell the elf.” He whispered, embarrassed.

“Not a word.” Aragorn murmured, and then turned to me, “Ready?” I nodded and swallowed the nervous lump in my throat. With a yell, Aragorn picked up Gimli and threw him onto the causeway. I sprinted a few steps along the narrow ledge and hurled myself at the Uruks with a fierce cry. I began to fight off the ones that were trying to enter the keep, and in their confusion, most of the Uruk-Hai fell off the edge of the causeway. Aragorn leapt across the gap and joined Gimli and myself. From the other side of the door, I could hear the men blocking up the holes the Uruks had made in the gate. Where we going to be shut out?

I pushed this thought from my mind as I ducked to avoid a heavy metal blade, then I kicked the Uruk in the chest, sending it reeling backwards over the edge.

“Aragorn! Rana! Gimli!” I turned at the sound of my name and saw Théoden peering through the last gap in the door. “Get out of there!” He commanded.

‘How?’ I thought, before yelling in surprise as I was caught in a headlock from behind. I looked up at the Uruk and noticed that he had Aragorn’s head under his other arm. We simultaneously elbowed the creature in the ribs and as it backed off I turned and punched it in the jaw, just below its helmet.

“Aragorn!”

I looked up to see Legolas throw a rope down to us. Aragorn grabbed Gimli and caught the rope.

“Rana, come on!” He yelled. I cast a glance up at Legolas. He wouldn’t be able to pull all three of us up.

“Go!” I cried to Aragorn, “He can’t pull us all up! Throw it back down when you’re up there!”

The look of horror that spread across his face instantly told me that something was very wrong.

“Rana look out!” He yelled as I felt a heavy object strike the back of my head. I crashed face-first to the ground with an audible groan and lay there, stunned.

‘Get up or you’ll be killed, idiot!’

I listened to my head and rolled over, only to see an Uruk raise it’s sword above it’s head, ready to bring it crashing down on me. With a startled yelp, I rolled away as it landed where I had been less than a second ago. Then I felt the shooting pain in my leg; looking down I realised that the blade had caught my lower leg, and it was already bleeding. A lot.

I grasped my sword and raised myself into a sitting position as I stabbed the Uruk in the stomach. I bit my lip to push back the white-hot pain as I tried to stand. I stumbled and almost fell, when I felt someone catch me under my arms. I struggled, thinking it was an Uruk.

“Rana. It’s just me!” Aragorn cried as he lifted me into his arms and caught the dangling rope. He had come back for me.

“I’m fine, put me down.” I muttered, clinging to his neck in spite of myself.

“Really? Right now?” He asked, and I realised that we had already been pulled off the ground by Legolas. I rolled my eyes, and then winced as my leg knocked against the wall. Aragorn clambered over the top of the wall without letting go of me, as all around I could hear cries of ‘Pull back!’

“Fall back! Fall back! They have broken through. The castle is breached. Retreat! Retreat!” Someone yelled.

“Put me down! I can walk!” I insisted as Aragorn ran with me to the keep.

“Hurry! Inside. Get them inside!” He yelled, ignoring me and ushering the last of the soldiers into the keep. He then turned to dash inside.

“Put me down. Put me down. Put me down.” I continuously insisted as he ran into the hall. Finally, he set me down on a long bench that ran along one wall. He put one hand on my shoulder, before running off to help reinforce the doors.

“The fortress is taken. It is over.” I heard Théoden say as I examined the ugly gash that ran along the length of my lower leg. Luckily, the blade hadn’t cut any muscle, it just wouldn’t stop bleeding. I reached under my chainmail and ripped off the sleeve of my shirt and began to clumsily bind my leg with it, while scowling at the massive slash in my boot.

“You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it!” Aragorn yelled, running back from the door.

“Rana, get up before you are used to barricade the doors.” I looked up to see Legolas standing over me, with a gentle smile on his face. He pulled me to my feet and steadied me as I staggered a little, then tipped over the bench I had been sitting on and dragged it to the doors.

“Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?” Aragorn asked. “Is there no other way?”

“There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many.” Gamling – the guard – informed him.

“Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!” Aragorn commanded, taking control of the situation.

“So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?” Théoden asked, sounding as if he had lost all hope.

For some reason, even though we were trapped, had lost most of the army and were probably going to die the second those doors gave way; I still felt that somehow, there was still hope.

“Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them.” Aragorn murmured.

“For death and glory?”

“For Rohan. For your people.”

Aragorn’s determination raised my sprits a little. If this was to be our end, we should go down in a blaze of glory, not cowering in the shadows.

“The sun is rising.”

I turned to see Gimli gazing out one of the high windows. A golden beam of sunlight filtered through, illuminating the room. I glanced over at Aragorn, who was staring out the window.

“Didn’t I promise that we would see the dawn?” I murmured softly.

“Yes. Yes!” Théoden had made up his mind. “The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep one last time.”

“Yes!” Cried Gimli as he rushed off to blow the horn.

“Let this be the hour when we draw swords together.” Théoden said, turning to Aragorn. I heard a clatter of hooves and realised that the horses were being brought by the few guards that remained.

I spotted Falas and swung myself onto his back.

“Rana!” I turned to see Aragorn astride Brego. He looked at me, and for a moment I thought I saw fear in his eyes. I realised that he was afraid that I would not be able to fight.

“I’m alright.” I insisted. “You can’t leave me behind.”

He nodded and we took our places alongside Théoden on Snowmane.

“Fell deeds awake.” Said the King. “Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn!”

Somewhere in the fortress, I heard a horn blow. The deep, fierce sound seemed to represent our final stand.

“Forth Eorlingas!” Théoden cried, as the doors ahead of us were opened and I drew my sword, before galloping out into the frenzy.

We cleared a path through the Uruks as we rode towards the gates. As we reached the causeway they fell off the sides as they attempted to save themselves from being trampled. I began to hack at the creatures as we pressed onward.

Suddenly, I heard a whinny that sounded far away, yet close at the same time. I turned to see a white horse rearing on top of a high ridge, with a familiar rider on his back, silhouetted by the rising sun.

“Gandalf!” I smiled, seeing another rider appear at his side. Eómer. Suddenly, hundreds, maybe thousands more men appeared on horseback.

“To the king!”

Eómer’s cry rang loudly across the battlefield as the riders galloped down the steep slope with Gandalf at their head. The Uruk-Hai frantically tried to reform into some sort of order as the riders bore down on them.

We began to chase the Uruks away as we slaughtered the lingering few. Their numbers were now matched, and we overpowered them with skill. I looked up and frowned in surprise as I saw a forest that had not been standing in the distance during the night. I was certain of it.

“Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!” Eómer cried as the Rohirrim formed into a line. I rode to Aragorn’s side and watched as the trees groaned and seemed to move as the Uruks passed beneath them. I heard shrieks and realised that the trees were doing something. 

Trees couldn’t kill living creatures… Well, unless they fell on them. I shrugged off this mystery and turned to my friends.

I looked over at Aragorn and smiled. We had won. 

The Rohirrim began to ride back to Helm’s Deep, and I soon found myself within the walls once again.