Middle Earth's Last Hope

A finger poked Vaeri’s nose. “Wake up, sleepy.” Legolas whispered lightly to Vaeri, she rolled grumbling, pulling the cover over her head.
“Never.” Vaeri grumbled. Legolas laughed pulling away the sheet and Vaeri curled up into a ball as soon as the cool air touched her skin. “Meanie…” Vaeri mumbled, slowly crawling out of bed.
“Come. We are leaving soon for Helms Deep.” Legolas said as he slid on his boots. Vaeri climbed out of bed throwing on the leather harness that covered her chest, leather pants and boots. She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, harnessing it with her brooch. Legolas handed her a pack, “Everything you need should be in there.”
Legolas and Vaeri walked out into the hall and were escorted by some guards to a stable. They were handed reins of two horses. Legolas nodded toward the door of the stable and Vaeri saw Freda standing there looking around. The girls eyes widened, a smile on her face when she spotted Vaeri.
“Vaeri!” Freda exclaimed, rushing towards her. Vaeri handed the rein to her horse to Legolas before running up to meet the girl and scooped the girl into her arms. “I thought you had already left.”
“Why would you think that? I told you we would travel together.” Vaeri said and the girl shrugged her shoulders. “Let us be on our way then. Would you like to ride with me?”
“What of my brother?” Freda asked looking back towards the front of the stables where her brother awkwardly stood.
“He can ride with me.” Legolas said stepping forward handing a set of reins to Vaeri. She lifted Freda onto her horse and mounted behind the child. Legolas did the same with the boy and soon they were riding across the lands of Rohan. Gimli rode his horse in front of Vaeri and Legolas, Éowyn leading the horse by the reins.
“I’ve never seen any dwarf women.” Éowyn said looking up at Gimli for a response.
“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.”
Vaeri listens in of the conversation laughing at Gimli’s remark. She looks ahead and sees Aragorn whisper and gestures to Éowyn, “It’s the beards.” Vaeri hears the light chuckle from Legolas, knowing that he has also heard the conversation.
“And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief there are no dwarf women,” Gimli continues not hearing Aragorn’s remark, “And that dwarves just spring out holes in the ground! Which is of course ridiculous…” Gimli’s horse sprints forwards suddenly, sending Gimli crashing to the ground with a yelp. Vaeri can’t help but laugh and Freda joins in. Éowyn rushes forward helping Gimli up, “It’s alright. It’s alright. It was deliberate.” Gimli huffed as he mounted the horse again.
Vaeri hears something up ahead and Legolas nods to her that he had heard it. He dismounts the horse, handing the reins to Vaeri. “Wargs!” Vaeri hears a man shout and Vaeri shouts to Éowyn, “Take them to safety!” Éowyn rushes forward grabbing the reins of Legolas’s horse. Vaeri grabs Freda lifting her up and setting her next to her brother.
“Let me come with you!” Freda exclaimed.
“You are not ready for battle, little one.” Vaeri said to the child, “I will be back.” Vaeri ushers her horse forward watching the as the women and children yelled in panic running away from the battle.
Vaeri looked up ahead seeing Legolas releasing an arrow, “A scout!’ He shouts as he quickly drew another arrow. Vaeri galloped forward, withdrawing her bow.
“All riders to the head of the column!” the king shouted leading his men. “Lead the people to Helm’s Deep.” He shouted to Éowyn, who ran off yelling for her people to follow. Vaeri watches as Legolas runs toward Gimli’s horse and with a smooth leap, joins Gimli on the horse.
The wargs, charged towards them with vicious teeth that could cut a man’s arm off. She loaded her bow, firing it. It hit one of the warg’s riders sending the two crashing to the ground. Vaeri watches as Gimli falls of the back of Legolas’s horse. With brief distraction a warg hits her horse sending them flying to the ground. Vaeri rolled back onto her feet, grabbing her swords. The warg and rider charged her. She leapt to the side, swinging her sword in the process, cutting the warg’s two legs off. Another was upon her and hit her square in the chest. Sending her tumbling onto the cliff’s edge. She groaned as she stood, the warg came at her again and she leaped to the side. The warg falling off the cliff. The orc on the warg, dove off landing on the cliff next to Vaeri she turned to kill it, but it had grabbed her wrist blocking the blow.
Vaeri stabbed the orc in the side and it fell backwards towards the rushing current below. Its hands stuck on Vaeri’s gauntlet. She tumbled off the cliff along with the orc. “Vaeri!” She heard someone bellow. She quickly grabbed the edge of the cliff, the added weight of the orc not helping her. Vaeri moved her fingers loosening the ties that held the gauntlet to Vaeri’s arm. It slid off easily the orc going with it. She grabbed the cliffs edge with two hands and pulled herself up using her legs to help push.
Quickly getting back on top of solid ground, Vaeri ran back towards the battle. Legolas joining next to her. Legolas killed the wargs with his arrows and Vaeri finished off the orcs with her blades. They battle soon finished, bodies covering the cliffs edge. Vaeri looked around not seeing any sign of Aragorn. “Where is Aragorn?” Vaeri asked Legolas startled.
“Aragorn!” Legolas yelled looking frantically around for his friend.
“Aragorn?” Gimli yelled looking around for a reply. They heard a wheezy laugh. Gimli rushed forward lowering his axe towards the orc, “Tell me what happened and I will ease your pain?”
The orc laughed evilly, “He’s dead. Took a little tumble down the cliff.”
Legolas looked towards the cliff and back towards the orc, “You lie!” He bends over grabbing the orc shaking him; the orc chortles and dies. Legolas runs to the cliff, Vaeri on his heels, where King Théoden stands looking down at the churning water below.
Théoden turns and yells to his men, “Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isenguard will return. Leave the dead.” Legolas turns to look at Théoden, perplexed anger written all over his face, “Come.” Théoden walks away leaving Legolas, Gimli and Vaeri staring at the water below.
Gimli is the first to head back. Vaeri turns towards Legolas pain clear on his face. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “We must go.” Legolas looks down at Vaeri, nodding slightly giving her a small hug in return. The reach the women and children quickly and soon see the great walls of Helm’s Deep. Cries of relief are in the air at the sight.
“Freda?” Vaeri called out looking for her tiny companion.
“Vaeri?” She heard the girl call out and she rushed forward looking for the child. “Oh, your alive! Where is everyone else?” Vaeri frowned at the girls question not wanting to tell her the truth.
“They are just farther behind.” Vaeri replied and the girl smiled not seeing the lie. Vaeri takes the reins from Éowyn. Legolas walked next to Vaeri in complete silence.
“I’m sure he is alive.” Vaeri said trying to give Legolas some hope.
“Don’t give me false hope.” Legolas said harshly and Vaeri turned away ignoring the harsh words.
“What wrong with him?” Freda asked motioning towards Legolas.
“He is just grumpy.” Vaeri said putting on a smile for Freda. They soon found themselves climbing the bridge towards the gate of Helms Deep. The entered the fortress, looking around at all the refugees before them.
“Freda?” She heard a women's voice call out, somewhere in the group of refugees. “FREDA!”
“Mama?” Freda exclaimed, Vaeri helped her and her brother off the horse and they raced off through the crowd. Vaeri following closely behind them. “Mama!” Freda exclaimed running into the arms of another women. Vaeri slowed to stop watching as their mother cried in relief, her children in her arms. Vaeri turned to walk away when she heard the soft voice of Freda.
“Vaeri, where are you going?” She asked walking back up Vaeri, “You haven’t meant my mama yet.” Freda grabbed her hand and pulled her along to her mother. “Mama, this is Vaeri.”
The woman stood up shaking her hand, “Did you take care of my babes?” Vaeri nodded, “Thank you.” The woman said tears, streaming down her cheeks in joy. “What’s this?” The woman asked motioning to Freda’s dagger.
“Vaeri gave it to me and she taught me how to use it so I won’t ever get hurt. Right, Vaeri?” Freda said smiling up to Vaeri.
She nodded in reply and looked towards the mother waiting to see how she would react, their mother smiled up at her, “Thank you.”
Vaeri smiled and turned away, she felt tiny arms wrap around her waist. “Bye, Vaeri.” Freda said before turning back towards her mother.
“Goodbye,” She said back and turned, walking back into the depths of Helms Deep.