The Black Knight

Chapter 20:

           

I stand next to Legolas with Gimli on his other side atop the Deeping Wall, the first line of defense for the Hornburg. Thunder sounds above, a cracking boom that seems to shake the floor beneath me. Rain pours down shortly after. I can hear Aragorn's voice encouraging the Elf archers behind us. Fear fills me as we await the army to come under the night sky. I remember what Aragorn told me long ago, 'Every great soldier is afraid as battle draws near, for that is what makes them the strongest.' I hold my head high, my bow in my left hand. I let my fear fill my veins, remembering back to my training as I let it simmer inside me, kindling me with a fire as I remember my duty to fight and protect. That fire mixes in with hope when a horn sounds in the distance. Footsteps from thousands of Orcs sound as they pound into the earth, torches lighting up their monstrosity. I feel a hand enclose around mine and face my love before turning back to the field. A mass of Orcs come into view with their horns blowing and spears pounding down. Legolas squeezes my hand and I do the same back.

"You could have picked a better spot," Gimli complains as the wall blocks his view and he tries to jump up. "What's happening out there?"

Leave it the Dwarf to cheer us up as the Uruk army is now close.

"Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?" Legolas says.

Gimli bursts out laughing and I find myself doing the same, thankful that I have these two. The people around us must think we are mad.

"Don't forget to keep count boys. I bet on myself beating you two," I say.

The leader of the Uruk-Hai army lets out a roar and the army halts before letting out growls, the sound menacing. Aragorn's voice sounds behind.

"Dartho!" he yells to the Elves.

Legolas and I load arrows and draw back our bows into our stances, not needing to wait for another captain to tell the men to hold in their own native tongue. An old man down the line lets his arrow fly too early and it pierces down into an Uruk-Hai, killing it instantly. Growls and monstrous yells sound louder from this.

"Tangado a chadad!" Aragorn shouts again.

I prepare to fire, setting my mark on a target below as the Uruks cry back.

"Faeg-i-varv din na lanc a nu ranc," Legolas shouts back to the other Elves.

I aim for the weak spot at their neck just beneath the arm like he said.

"Hado I philinn!"

I release my arrow when everyone else does, a volley of them raining down onto the Orcs below, taking out a large number of them. I continue loading arrow after arrow to my brother's commands, wave after wave of them shooting into the sky as all the archers move in sync. The Uruks race forward to run over their kin's corpses before getting themselves shot down, the motion happening again and again. I feel very few arrows left in my quiver.

"Send them to me! Come on!" Gimli shouts with his axe at the ready.

I watch in horror as several Uruks move through the crowd with tall ladders in hand, swinging them up to several different places along the wall. The metal hooks grab onto the brick and they begin climbing up.

"Pendraith!" Aragorn yells for those not right in front to see the ladders.

I however am the first line of defense. I put my bow around me, drawing my sword instead and slash at any Uruk trying to climb over the wall's edge. The Uruks are fast though and begin to make it over the edge completely. The lines of defense back up as the Uruks swarm around us. I rush towards one trying to take out several Elves, stabbing it in the back. The lines break in the chaos and I find myself right in the middle of the action. I spy a familiar sword flashing behind me and find Aragorn near. We both fight back to back, taking out Uruks coming at us from all sides. An Elf gets slaughtered nearby but the Uruk is not victorious as Gimli slides under it, taking it down with his axe.