Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Nine: The End of the Battle and Celebrations

The Uruk-hai were using their ram to batter down the Great Hall doors. Men were running to barricade it from behind


"The fortress is taken. It is over." Theoden groaned.


Aragorn ran back and forth with the men, "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it." He stopped and looked at the hopeless king, "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?"


Theoden looked at the floor and said nothing.


"Is there no other way?"


"There is one passage." Gamling said. "It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many."


The uruk-hai continued to batter the doors


Aragorn put his hand on Gamling's shoulder, "Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!"


"So much death." Theoden said dreamily, "What can Men do against such reckless hate?"


The Uruk-hai rammed the door again. Aragorn paused to think.


"Ride out with me." He decided, and Theoden looked at him, "Ride out and meet them."


"For death and glory."


"For Rohan. For your people."


"The sun is rising." Gimli noted.


"Yes... Yes... The horn of Helm Hammerhand... shall sound in the Deep... one last time."


"Yes!" Gimli cheered.


The door breaks down.


Theoden placed his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. "


Gimli left to blow the horn of the Helm Hammerhand. As it sounded Theoden spoke again, "Fell deeds, awake. Now for wrath... now for ruin and a red dawn!"


We all mounted horses, and drew our weapons, as we let the uruks break the door.


"Forth Eorlingas!"


We galloped through the masses of Uruk-hai through the hall, killing those in our path. Gimli sounded the horn again, as we left Helms Deep and rode onto the causeway where thousands of Uruk-hai still crowded. A white light drew everyone's eye. Vithrendir appeared on top of the hill top next to Helms Deep riding Shadowfax who reared.


"Theoden king stands alone."


Éomer and Cy rode up next to him,


"Not alone." Cy smirked.


Éomer raised his sword, "Rohirrim!"


The Rohirrim rode up behind them, covering the hilltop. The Uruk-hai looked up.


"To the king!"


They rode down the steep hill towards the Uruks who surged forward holding their spears in front of them. As Vithrendir neared the uruks he sent out a bright white light from his staff, blinding the uruk-hai. They rode over the uruk-hai and into their masses, killing and fighting.


We chased the remnant away into the forest, and the trees seemed happy to take care of them.


I was walking along the wall, and saw Haldir and him walk up to Gimli. I ran to join them.


"Final count.....42." He stroked his bow,


"Forty-two? That's not bad for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling. I myself am sitting pretty on 43."


He swiftly drew an arrow and shot it between Gimli's legs at the Uruk-hai he was sitting on.


He smirked, "Forty-three."


"He was already dead."


"He was twitching."


"He was twitching... because he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system!"


Haldir smirked, "Well, it seems I've beaten the both of you at forty-five."


I patted his head mockingly.


"And what did you get, Zia?"


"Seventy-nine."


"Seventy-nine!?!"


"There were ten thousand of them, how did you guys only get forties?"


They muttered something about cheating because I'm a girl.


"I'm not the one who killed two with a shield-sled, or by jumping on them."


***


A few hours later, after some of them rode to Isengard, we rode to Edoras.


Thia kept giving Cy knowing looks, as she rode next to Éomer. Apparently they got to know each other fairly well in the past few days...


***


At Edoras, Éowyn took us girls to her room, and gave us clean clothes to wear(a.k.a. dresses).


I tried to refuse, but, "Zia, it's a celebration. You can't wear nasty clothes and a mask."


"Fine. As long as I can wear a tunic and pants. I don't do dresses."


We started with a remembrance of those who died, Éowyn offered a goblet of wine to Theoden as she knelt in front of him. Theoden offered the goblet in toast to the people of Rohan .


"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country." He held the goblet up, "Hail the victorious dead."


"Hail!"


***


I saw Cy and Wyn with a slightly tipsy Éomer, the elf, and Gimli, surrounded by partially drunk soldiers,


"No pauses, no spills."


"And no regurgitation!"


"So, it's a drinking game?" He asked.


"Aye!" The soldiers laughed.


"Last one standing wins! Heh, heh, heh!" Gimli laughed.


A few drinks later: "Heh, heh, heh, heh... Here, here. Raaar it's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women haha."


"I feel something." He looked at his fingers, totally faking, Mirkwood drink is very alcoholic, and Éomer raised an eyebrow, "A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me."


"Heh, heh, heh, what did I say? He can't hold his liquor."


Gimli's eyes were crossed and he sat quiet for a moment, then keeled over backwards off his stool.


"Game over!"


I laughed, and turned away to hear/watch Merry and Pippin singing.


"Oh you can search far and wide, You can drink the whole town dry,
But you'll never find a beer so brown, But you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown, As the one we drink in our hometown.
You can drink your fancy ales, You can drink them by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true,"


Pippin looked at Vithrendir and hesitated.


"Pippin!"


Pippin turned back to Merry and continued with the song.


"But the only brew for the brave and true,
Comes from the Green Dragon!"


"Thank you! I win!" Merry yelled.