Rangers of the North (Aragorn)

Chapter Twenty: Into the Caves

They reached Helm's Deep within a few hours. Averael picked up a little boy that had lost his mother. Looking around, she saw a woman frantically searching and walked over to her. She grabbed the little boy out of her arms.

"Oh, thank you." She said, hugging her son tightly and kissing his face. Averael smiled at her, and then quickly got to work sorting barrels of food. She saw Freda and Eothain run towards another woman, hugging her and crying. She guessed it was their mother, feeling relieved. She had been worried that their mother had been killed in the attack. 

"Make way for Theoden! Make way for the king!" Averael spun around as she heard horse hooves hitting stone. She put down the sack she was holding and ran to the entrance with a Eowyn and a few others. Theoden and the other riders came through the entrance, dismounting. They were battle-beaten and injured. Legolas and Gimli walked towards her, solemn looks on their faces. Averael's pulse sped up, searching the crowd of returning soldiers. Eowyn walked forward.

"So few. So few of you have returned." She said, face fallen.

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives." Theoden dismounted. 

"My lady," Gimli said. Averael turned.

"Where is Aragorn?" She asked.

"He fell." Gimli's voice cracked. Averael looked to Legolas, and his sad look to the floor confirmed Gimli's words.

"F-fell?" She asked, a numb feeling suddenly flooding through her. She turned away and found a chair. She sat down quickly, not knowing if she could stand any longer. Aragorn fell? He couldn't have. She couldn't believe it. The noise around her dimmed in her ears, and her surroundings became unnoticed by her. Someone put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at Legolas with teary eyes.

***

The next day, Aragorn rode into Helm's Deep, injured and bloody. There was a gash in his shoulder and he was weak from the fall with the Warg. Dismounting, he patted the horse on the neck.

"Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nin. (Well done, Brego, my friend.)" He turned as he heard Gimli's voice in the crowd. The news must have traveled quickly. He glanced around for the Dwarf.

"Where is he? Where is he? Get out of the way. I'm going to kill him!" Gimli came into view, and a grateful look passed over his face. "You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew!" he said, stepping forward and hugging Aragorn. "Bless you, laddie!" Aragorn smiled, but then his facial expression turned serious. 

"Gimli, where is the king?" he asked. Gimli gestured to the hall. Aragorn ran into Legolas on the way.

"Le ab-dollen. (You're late.)" the Elf paused and looked at Aragorn's wounds. "You look terrible." Aragorn nodded slightly. He looked around, still missing someone. 

"Averael?" he asked. Legolas looked at the entrance to the Keep.

"She went to go fetch some water." He looked back at Aragorn. "She hasn't been the same since we came back without you. Barely said a word or eaten a thing." He trailed off. Aragorn nodded.

"Thank you." he said, and left.

***

Averael walked up to the Keep with a bucket of water. She saw a horse in the entrance and frowned. All of the horses should have been in the stables. She approached the horse and saw that it's brown mane was matted with blood and it looked exhausted. People were not the only refugees of Rohan, she decided, and took the horse's reins, heading for the stables. After finding the horse an empty stall, she turned and poured the bucket of water into the trough. Nothing really seemed to matter, but she took care of things instead of sitting around and sulking. She was on a quest, and even though Aragorn was gone, that didn't mean horses weren't needing to be taken care of, or water fetched, or small children to be kept amused. There was a battle to prepare for. The people needed her. 

The water splashed into the trough, and once it was full, she grabbed a brush and unsaddled the horse. She heard her name behind her. She turned slowly, frowning, saw Aragorn behind her, and dropped the saddle, forgetting the horse.

"Aragorn!" She ran forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He held her for a moment, and she stepped back, blushing at the quick action. Aragorn put one hand around her chin and pulled her in, his lips meeting hers. She kissed him back and he held her close, and she thought she never wanted to leave his arms. The kiss broke and she buried her face in his chest, tears forming. 

"I'm so glad you're alive," she said, hugging him again. She let go, stepping back to look at him. "You're hurt." 

Aragorn nodded, a gentle but urgent look in his eyes. "I need to speak with King Theoden." He said, grabbing her hand. She nodded and led the way, holding his hand tightly the entire distance, never wanting to leave him again for fear of losing him.

***

"A great host you say?" Theoden paced.

"All Isengard is emptied." Aragorn said. 

"How many?" 

"Ten thousand strong at least." 

"Ten thousand?!" Theoden stopped. 

"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall."

"Let them come." Theoden said, striding off to assemble the few men who were able to fight.

***

Theoden stood at the entrance to Helm's Deep. Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and Averael stood around him. Averael made sure she had her sword, and tightened her cloak, stepping closer to Aragorn. 

"We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg." Theoden said. Gimli shifted.

"This is no rabble of mindless orcs. These are Uruk-hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad." He said. Averael looked at Theoden, and the stern look on his face. 

"I have fought many wars, Master Dwarf. I know how to defend my own keep." The king said. "They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn, we've seen it before." Averael thought of Freda and Eothain. "Crops can be resown; homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them." Theoden walked through the Keep. 

"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy it's people. Down to the last child." Aragorn said urgently.

"What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembering." Theoden drew close to Aragorn. 

"Send out riders, my lord. You must call for aid." Aragorn said. Theoden furrowed his eyebrows. 

"And who will come? Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead." Theoden scowled. Averael looked at Theoden in slight disgust. This man needed to come to his senses and think. 

"Gondor will answer." Aragorn told the king.

"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gon... -No, my Lord Aragorn, we are alone." He walked away, calling out orders. 

Night was falling quickly. Soldiers ushered women and children into the caves. Averael saw Eowyn going in, and pulled up her hood as a soldier walked by. Theoden had ordered that the women and children hide, while any man able to fight, ages twelve to eighty, remain ready to fight. Aragorn looked at her, as if asking her if she was sure she wanted to fight. She nodded, answering the silent question. She would not sit back and watch these men die.