Sword and Arrow

Chapter 45

The King and his men had barricaded themselves into the inner Keep of the Hornburg, piling any wood and building material they could find against the door. Every now and then the heavy double doors would shake and rumble as orcs outside battered at them. It was still raining outside, by the thunder audible inside the large stone room, and by Aragorn's approximation it was early in the morning, in the grey hours just before dawn.

Théoden paced back and forth, his soldiers lining the walls along with what few elvish soldiers were left of the army that had marched through the gate not twelve hours ago. "The fortress is taken," he said softly, but his voice echoed throughout the room. "It is over."

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it," Aragorn said, striding forward from where he had been helping to shore up the door. "They still defend it. They have died defending it!" He felt his voice rising, but he did not care. He couldn't let the Uruk-hai break into this fortress. There was too much he held dear in these stone walls: Legolas and Gimli, who had come all this way and fought with him without a single word of complaint. Beruthiel, who was in the caverns against her will. A thought came to him unbidden: Does she worry about me?

She did. Beruthiel worried about him very much. She stood against the wall, hood over her face yet again, having found Captain Déorbrand's company again. She watched Aragorn walk up to Théoden as another loud bang rocked the door. Beruthiel flinched. The wood was already giving way at the edges. How long before the Uruk-hai broke through?

And there was Aragorn, standing in front of the door, covered in blood that she didn't know whether it was his or Uruk-hai. He had always been reckless, but what he had done today - it had scared her. There had never been a moment in her life that had made Beruthiel's heart stop like when she had seen him and Gimli alone on that bridge.

Yes, she worried very much. And Beruthiel worried more about what he would suggest to the king. Would it be a rash idea, a reckless charge into certain death? Or would it be well-thought out, something that had a small chance of success?

Beruthiel. "Is there no other way to get the women and children out of the caves?" Aragorn demanded, turning around and around to look at the whole hall, just to see if there was anyone, anyone who knew. No answer came. "Is there no other way?"

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

Aragorn grabbed him by the shoulder. If there is a way, we will take it. "Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass." Gamling nodded and hurried off toward the back of the hall. "And barricade the entrance!" Aragorn called after him.

Théoden King had been silent thus far. "So much death," he said now quietly. "What can men do against such reckless hate?"

"Ride out with me," Aragorn said, meeting his eyes as more crashing was heard against the door. "Ride out and meet them." It was the only way. They rode out to certain death, but a noble death, a death in battle defending a fortress. It was not a coward's death hiding in his keep.

"For death and glory," Théoden said.

"For Rohan," Aragorn corrected, trying to hold on to those last shreds of hope. Trying to stay positive. If not for himself, then for Beruthiel. Because Valar knew he would do anything for Beruthiel. "For your people," he said, but he thought for her.

"The sun is rising," Gimli said quietly beside them. It was true: white sunlight was filtering through the narrow windows set into the wall, piercingly bright against the dim darkness of the Keep.

Aragorn looked up to the light of the rising sun and words spoken days ago came to his mind. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.