𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄̈ || A.

𝟎𝟏𝟖 ⸺ helm's deep

While the people of Rohan are still walking, Gimli rides a horse led by Eowyn.
"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance ... That they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," Gimli proudly tells. Eowyn smiles and looks back at Iladya, riding her horse.
''It is the beards,'' she whispers, gesturing to an imaginary beard on her chin. Eowyn grins and looks back at Gimli.
''This, in turn, has given rise to the belief ... That there are no Dwarf women ... And that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground.'' Eowyn laughs so does Gimli.
''Which is, of course, ridiculous,'' he says, throwing his hands up. The horse suddenly gallops off, throwing Gimli to the ground. Eowyn smiles and then quickly runs to help him.
''It's all alright,'' he says. ''Nobody panic. That was deliberate, it was deliberate.'' Iladya and Théeoden riding side by side grin widely. Eowyn looks back at Iladya, laughing. She laughs back, and her laugh turns into a smile.
''I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time. She was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut done by Orcs. She watched the mother succumb to grief.'' She looks dreamily at her smiling, the wind in her hair. Iladya sends her a kind smile.
''Then she was left alone, to tend her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."

The people of Rohan have stopped for a break. Eowyn walks up to Gimli, Iladya and Aragorn with a cooking pot and bowls in her hand.
''Gimli?'' Eowyn asks.
''No, I couldn't. I really couldn't,'' Gimli quickly denies. He walks past her to Iladya and Aragorn.
''I made some stew,'' she says. ''It isn't much but it's hot.'' She fills two bowls and passes it to Iladya and Aragorn. They accept the bowl with strew and cast a look into the bowl. It seems like a watery substance.
''Thank you,'' they say in unison. They taste it and need a moment to procress what is in their mouths. Iladya and Aragorn hide their disgust while Eowyn looks at them with concern.
''It is good,'' Iladya replies restraining her digust.
''Really?'' she questions with a smile. She turns to walk away and Aragorn pours his stew on the ground. However, Eowyn changes her mind and turns back to Aragorn and Iladya. Aragorn restablishes his bowl and the hot stew pours over his hand. He silently hisses at the pain.
''My uncle told me a strange thing,'' Eowyn says. Aragorn suppresses a look of pain while Eowyn continues.
''He said that you rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather. But he must be mistaken.'' Iladya eyes Aragorn and curiously listens along. She had learned about Kings through the centuries and knew Thengel was Théoden's father.
''King Theoden has a good memory. He was only a small child at the time,'' Aragorn replies, casting a short glance at the Elf next to him who listens attentively.
''Then you must be at least sixty,'' she gasps. ''Seventy? But you cannot be eighty!'' Aragorn looks at the ground as he replies,
''Eighty-seven.''
''You are one of the Dunedain,'' she realises. ''A descendant of Númenor, blessed with long life. It was said that your race had passed into legend.'' Aragorn eyes Iladya from the corners of his eyes, his look telling that someone does know about the Dunedain. Iladya rolls her eyes and scrunched her nose in mocking response.
''There are few of us left. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed long ago,'' he explains.
''I am sorry, please. Eat.'' Aragorn reluctantly continues his meal whilst she watches him. Iladya watches him as well with a suppressed grin on her lips. After moments, Eowyn finally walked away. Iladya finally lets out a sigh of relief.
''I thought she would never leave,'' she sighs and pours the stew on the ground. ''I appreciate her producing some kind of food, however, this can be no good for any of us.'' Aragorn agrees and pours his stew on the ground as well.
''Couldn't agree with you anymore, my lady.''

After a short break, their road to Helm's Deep continues. Legolas stands on top of a hillock, looking out as Hama and Gamling ride past Legolas. He watches the horsemen halt and suspiciously looks arund.
''What is it, Hama?'' Gamling questions, looking at his Captain. His horse neighs and moves restlessly around.
''I am not sure,'' Hama replies. Above their heads, on the cliff, a warg and its rider appear. It softly snarles before running down to attack the two. The warg throws Hama off his horse and bites his head off. The screaming get to the rest of the group.
''Wargs!'' Gamling shouts and fights the warg rider. Legolas runs down and kills the warg with his bow and arrow before killing the rider with his long knife. Iladya rides for Legolas.
''A scout!'' Legolas grunts. Iladya turns Hasufel around and gallops back to the group. Théoden rides up to her.
''What is it? What did you see?'' Théoden urges.
''Wargs! We are under attack!'' Iladya warns and searches for Aragorn amongst them. The people of Rohan start to panic by screaming and wanting to run away.
''Get them out of here!'' Iladya commands as Aragorn runs up to Iladya.
''All riders to the lead of the column!'' Théoden commands while Gimli tries to get on his horse, Arod.
''Come on. Get me up there, I am a rider,'' Gimli grunts. ''Come on!''
''Aragorn!''
Legolas runs to the top of the hill and spots many wargs running in their direction. Théoden commands Eowyn to lead these people to Helm's Deep.
''I can fight!'' Eowyn argues. Her hope slowly sinks deeper and deeper. Especially when Théoden denies it.
''No! You must do this, for me.'' Eowyn glances at her uncle before turning away.
''Follow me!'' Théoden shouts to his horsemen and rides off. Aragorn mounts Hasufel behind Iladya and they follow Théoden. Meanwhile, Gimli sits on Arod and only needs him to move.
''Forward! I mean, charge forward!''
''Make for the lower ground!'' Eowyn demands.
''That's it! Go on!'' Gimli laughs.
''Stay together!'' Eowyn demands before glancing over her shoulder. Iladya looks back at Eowyn and then rides off with the others. As they approach the hill, Legolas fires arrows at the wargs from a long distance.
He notices the horses coming from behind him and reaches for the bridle of Arod. He swiftly and elegantly swings into the saddle. The wargs and riders clash and a battle commences. As Legolas rides through the wargs, firing arrows, Gimli slides from the horse. He picks up his axe and sees a Warg feeding on a dead man.
''Bring your pretty face to my axe,'' he grunts. The warg runs towards Gimli. Just as it pounces Legolas rides up beside it and kills it.
''That one counts as mine!'' he turns to face another warg about to attack him. He swings his axe at it and kills it. It falls ... on top of him.
''Stinking creature,'' he grunts.
     The fighting continues. As Gimli tries to lift the warg off him, an orc appears from behind it. Gimli swiftly breaks his neck and the orc too falls on top of the warg on top of Gimli. He slowly lifts them both, and as he does a warg comes crawling over the top of the heap bearing his teeth. Aragorn, spotting the warg, rides over, grabs a spear and throws it at the warg killing it. This too falls on top of the heap. Gimli groans.
Theoden and Aragorn continue to fight and kill the orcs and the wargs. Iladya had slipped off the horse and started attacking the wargs. Suddenly a warg pounces on Iladya. She dived away, just as an orc, riding a warg raced past. She grabs the saddlery of the warg and pulls herself behind the orc. They fight together as the warg continues to race along. Iladya loses his seating, but holds on to the warg, reaching up and stabbing the orc. The orc falls off the warg, but Iladya finds her hand caught in the warg's strapping. The warg is racing towards a cliff top, and shows no signs of slowing. He falls over the cliff taking Iladya with him.
Iladya feels the adrenaline through her body as she falls. She closes her eyes, waiting for the impact. If it were her last moments, no... She would not die like that but then, everything went black.