The beauty under water

Toss me

Adaliah followed Aragorn with Gimli behind her. She felt a bit strange holding her sword in her hand, it had been awhile.
Loud screams were in the air as the Orcs and Uruk hais tried to break through the gate.

Aragorn led them through a door and they found themselves on a small stone edge. It was big enough for them to walk on but there was a chance that they could fall if they took a wrong step. Adaliah sneaked after the Dwarf until they were near the gate and bridge.

The noise made by their enemies was loud, there must have been hundreds maybe even thousands of Uruk hais there. Aragorn peaked from their hiding spot and pulled back fast. Gimli was almost jumping next to Adaliah. He said in a low voice,
"Come on. We can take 'em!"
Aragorn looked down at his friend and answered,
"It is a long way."

Gimli looked over Aragorn, Adaliah following his lead. There was a bridge between the bridge and them. The  Dwarf pulled back and muttered,
"Toss me."
Both Adaliah and Aragorn were surprised, a Dwarf had never asked for anyone's help and now one was.
Maybe they heard it wrong, that's why Aragorn asked,
"What?"
"I cannot jump the distance so you have to toss me." Gimli said louder like it was obvious.

The man nodded and grabbed Gimli, ready to toss him in the middle of the Uruk hais. The Dwrf stopped him and mumbled,
"Eh...Do not tell the Elf."
"Not a word."
Adaliah seeing a way of black mail, said,
"We will see."

Aragorn then threw his friend and followed soon. Adaliah sneaked closer, took a deep breath and jumped after them. She landed next to Aragorn and was immediately attacked.
She stopped the badly made sword with hers and as she shoved it aside, she stabbed the Uruk hai in the chest. Adaliah pulled her sword out and moved it across an Orc's stomach, kicking it after it and sending it off the bridge towards the ground. She beheaded another one, sliced the neck of another.

She had killed about ten of them when she started to get tired. Her wrist was getting more and more painful, it was as if they stole the energy from her body. Her head was dizzy but there was no way she could rest, she would have been killed on the spot. Adaliah's sight was a bit blurry and everything she heard was muffled. She heard the King yell on the other side of the gate,
"Shore up the door!"
Adaliah's sword entered another chest when she heard an arrow flying past her. She looked after it and saw an Uruk hai with it in its heart. She then lifted her head and saw the figure of Legolas on the wall with his bow in his hands. She smiled and continued fighting, grateful that the Elf had saved her life.

She had backed towards the gate with Aragorn and Gimli so she heard as the Men of Rohan were trying to barricade it. As she killed a small Uruk hai, Théoden yelled to them,
"Gimli! Aragorn! Adaliah! Get out of there!"
They looked around quickly, searching for a way out.

They then heard Legolas yell up on the wall,
"Aragorn!"
He threw down a rope. Aragorn picked Gimli up and grabbed the rope. Adaliah threw the Orc, that was attacking her, off the bridge and followed Aragorn. She put away her sword and took the rope. She held on as strongly as she could with her right hand but it was difficult holding her own weight with only one arm.

Legolas and some other men were pulling them up and soon Aragorn and Gimli were helped onto the wall by Legolas. Adaliah was losing her strength and almost let go, but luckily she was close to Legolas and he pulled her up. But as soon as her feet touched the rock wall, she passed out from exhaustion and pain. The last thing she heard were the yells of a guard,
"Pull back! Pull back!"

Legolas caught her and started carrying her bridal style towards the shelter. The Elf muttered to himself,
"Hold on. Please hold on."
He dodged an arrow flying towards him and Adaliah. Soon, he reached the King's hall and kicked the door open with his foot. Aragorn, Gimli and Théoden with some guards were already there. He also noticed Valkyrie in the corner so he brought Adaliah there.

He put her gently down and when Valkyrie noticed Adaliah's body she ran towards her.
"She had to get hurt." She  muttered.
"Can you help her?" Legolas asked from Valkyrie.
"Her wrist had been touched by fire. That and the constant fighting has drained her from her strength."  Legolas repeated his question, this time slightly louder,
"Can you do something?"
"Relax Hawkeye, she will be fine. She just needs to rest and I will take care off her wrist."
Valkyrie shooed the Elf away and he stepped a couple of steps away. The girl picked Adaliah's left hand up and covered her wrist with a wet piece of cloth. She then mumbled something that sounded like a pray.

Adaliah's breathing got deeper and steadier and Legolas sighed in relief. He thought 'You are alright.' Valkyrie stood up and returned to her corner, waiting for her friend to wake up. Legolas went to Adaliah and crouched down. He touched her face with the back of his hand.  It felt so fragile that every touch would turn into dust. Her skin was pale and her dark hair was around her face, making her skin even paler. She was perfect in Legolas' eyes and he would do anything to see her eyes sparkle.

And his wish came true. Adaliah opened her eyes but closed them quickly when the bright light hit them. She sat up and fluttered her eyes, trying to get used to the light. Aragorn saw her waking up and rushed towards her. The Elf stepped aside and let his friend worry over Adaliah,
"Are you alright? What did I tell you, you should not have come. You could have died. You..."  Before he could go on with his rant, Adaliah put her right hand over his mouth and said,
"Do not worry, I am fine. For some reason, my wrist does not hurt that much anymore. And I had to come, I would have felt bad if you would have died and I would not have been there to help you."

"You can thank Valkyrie for your wrist." Legolas said. Adaliah turned to Valkyrie and thanked her,
"Thanks, Valkyrie. What did you do to it?"
"Something you idiot father taught me to do."
Then the King spoke,
"The fortress is taken. It is over."
Aragorn stood up and walked towards Théoden. He said with a louder voice than he would normally use  "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it!"
A loud bang was heard on the door. Aragorn asked  "Is there no other way fro the women and children to get out of the caves?"
The King and his men were silent. Adaliah stood up and walked to Aragorn, grabbing his shoulder as a support because she was still weary. She asked again from Théoden in a demanding voice,
"Is there no other way?"
He didn't look at them as he answered,
"There is one passage. It leads to the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk hai are too many."  Aragorn looked at the guard and ordered,
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!" 
Adaliah released Aragorn's shoulder and went over to the column. She leaned on it and looked at the King.
Théoden looked old and sad as he spoke,
"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?"
Aragorn thought for a second and then said,
"Ride out with me."
The King turned towards Aragorn, so did Adaliah. But instead of looking confused, she smiled slightly, she would rather die in battle than be killed as she was hiding. Aragorn continued,
"Ride out and meet them."
Théoden walked towards him,
"For death and glory?"
"For Rohan. For your people."

Adaliah  looked out of the window and thinks out loud,
"The sun is rising."
The men looked up as well and Adaliah remembered something Gandalf had said when he left them,
"Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East."
Adaliah's  smile grew wider, she knew that this would be known as their victory. The King's confidence grew,
"Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm HAMMERHAND shall sound in the deep, one last time."
Gimli cheered,
"Yes!"
The Dwarf ran towards the door that led to the horn and started to climb the stairs. Adaliah went over to Aragorn to say something but was stopped by the King when he turned to both her and Aragorn and said,
"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn!"