Linger

XII. Breaching of the Deeping Wall

As the charging mass of Uruks grew closer, Aragorn called out the order of Tangado a chadad! She didn't understand Elvish, but knew what he said because of the movie.

Rowan wasn't as graceful or in unity as the elves, but she managed to notch an arrow and aim almost in time with them.

Once in range, Aragorn shouted "Leithio i philinn!", and she released. Hundreds of arrows whistled in the air as the missiles sped toward their targets. Thuds and dying or wounded cries answered the volley, and many black forms dropped. The fallen didn't hinder their comrades—the Uruk-hai just ran or jumped over them.

Éomer's voice rose above the sounds of war, ordering all those mounted atop the walls before the Hornburg to fire. More arrows sang and felled the Enemy running toward the Deeping Wall.

Rowan forced herself to keep the steady pace of the elves as she fired round after round. The repetitive routine of release an arrow, pulling another from the quiver on her back, notching the missile, aiming, drawing back the string, and letting go kept her calm and composed, not panicking as the Uruks kept coming. Allowing the fear of them reaching the Wall and knowing what they would bring to control her would mess up her aim or drop an arrow in clumsiness. She wouldn't let that happen—there were people around her, like Boromir and the elves, who needed her not to freak, or they would die.

Keep calm, she told herself. Keep calm.

The Ranger shouted again, calling back to the elves and members of Éomer's éored to fire. A mass of arrows soared over her head, and golden streaks rained down on the army. Again and again, the Elven volley from behind came, combined with those on top of the Wall and the Rohirrim from further up. Even with their steady fire, though, the enemy before them seemed to have grown rather than diminished.

Individual dark figures reached the Wall first and aimed bolt-action crossbows up at the defenders. Sometimes heard over the thunder, the release of their crossbows was a loud thud and shot the bolts at a faster velocity than the elves' bows. Sharp shrills announced the speeding bolts, and elves were knocked back, dead with shafts sticking out from their face or chest.

Boromir stood on her left, shielding her and the other elves with his shield. She flinched as an elf standing beside her was thrown back from receiving a crossbow bolt to the face.

"Pendraid! Swords!" Aragorn called out as Rowan saw long, straight lines carried by the Uruk-hai. The elves in front of the second line changed their bows out for swords.

"Finally, blade-work!" Boromir said. He pulled back his shield and got ready.

Rowan swapped her short bow for her sword and a knife in her left hand.

All along the Wall, ladders were lifted with dark figures at the top who jumped down as soon as the ladders hit. Tall, muscular, dark-skinned and shirtless, they wildly swung long to cut down large groups in one swipe. Uruk-hai Berserkers.

Boromir bashed the one about to jump before him and Rowan with his shield, throwing it off the ladder. He threw the ladder back down. Rowan ducked under the Berserker's swing to her left and drove her sword into its heart. As she flipped him off the parapet, an elf pushed the ladder down. Further down, elves collapsed under the swings, some practically sliced in half.

The ladders kept coming back with another Berserker riding the top, and grappling hooks were thrown over, seeking anchoring. Some hooked into elves and pulled them over. Uruks and even Dunlendings climbed up the ladders or scaled the walls.

Against the Deeping Wall, the hosts of Isengard roared like a sea. Unlike the tide where it pushed and pulled on the shore, the enemy never withdrew to attack again—they were relentless. The Enemy swarmed about its feet from end to end. Ropes with grappling hooks were hurled over the parapet faster than the elves could cut them or fling them back. Hundreds of long ladders were lifted up. Many were cast down but were soon replaced, and Uruks sprang up them like monkeys. Before the wall's foot, the dead and broken piled like shingles in a storm; ever higher rose the hideous mounds, and still the enemy came on.