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Path of Honor-Part II: Far From Home	By : IdrilsSecret Category: +Third Age > Slash - Male/Male Views: 4869 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters. I make no money in the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Chapter Sixteen

Together we stood on the Deeping Wall, me and my two brothers. Our men were in position along the wall, mine centered here and Orophin’s stationed closer to the gates where, when the time came, his excellent swordsmen would help protect the main doors. The night was as dark as tar. Clouds veiled the moon and the stars. Earlier I had predicted that a storm was coming. It wasn’t raining just yet, but I could smell the moisture in the air, and feel it growing thick in my lungs. We kept our eyes focused on the vast plains spread out before the stronghold. Soon, the land below would become flooded by the army created by Saruman, the wizard gone astray. I often wondered what changed his heart, from being a member of the White Counsel, along with Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond and Mithrandir, to becoming their enemy. They had defeated evil in the past, and Saruman was on their side then. What happened that the wizard’s mind became so corrupt, he would go against the very people that he fought alongside not but half a century or so ago?
“Look there,” Orophin whispered, gazing out across the land.
I narrowed my eyes and focused. I could just make out a wide row of pale flickering lights. A few seconds later, another row appeared behind the first, and then another and another, as though breaking the horizon had ignited their torches. “They’re here,” I whispered in answer. It was still a long way off, but they would be upon the grounds of the valley below within the hour. These were our last moments together before the siege. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of Gandalf or the Rohirrim army.
“It is up to us,” Haldir said, eyes never leaving the distance. “I had hoped there would be reinforcements by now, but it has not happened.”
“We’ll be fine without them,” Orophin said with confidence. That’s just how he was. Nothing was ever impossible. Only doubt could break apart his insistence, and there was no room for doubt in Orophin’s mind, too full of arrogance it was. But he wasn’t so arrogant that he was blinded by it either. It was a delicate balance, something our father had taught us.
“You both know what to do?” Haldir questioned. It was only small talk at this point. He knew we were ready for this, but he was our older brother, and still in charge of us to a degree.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Of course,” said Orophin.
“Good,” Haldir responded. “It is time we took our positions now. Orophin, will you take one last walk past the troops, and make sure their Captains are ready?”
Orophin nodded and bowed, heading in that direction to make his final rounds before joining his regiment. Haldir hadn’t yet released me, and I knew why he sent Orophin away first. I knew what he was going to say.
“Have you given anymore thought to my offer?” he asked.
I had hoped to avoid further discussion about this, but that wasn’t going to happen. I had to tell him, and I needed to do it now. This was not how I wanted it to go, but Haldir was leaving me no other choice. “Brother, I wished to have this discussion before the fireplace at your home, sipping fine wine and reminiscing, but it will have to happen here on the edge of battle.”
“Yes, I had hoped for that too, but that is not how it turned out.”
I saw his brow raise as he waited for me to go on. “What you propose is a great responsibility. I do not know your reason for not wanting to pass this on to Orophin, for I feel he would be the better choice. So, let me start by saying, your worry is unwarranted, for nothing is going to happen to you on this night.” I paused and bumped him with my shoulder, and I saw a brief lift of the corner of his mouth. “I believe you when you say the King’s army will arrive before the end of the war. We just have to keep the enemy at bay long enough until that time, and that, dear brother, I know we have the power to do.” I grabbed his arm roughly. “Just keep your bloody head on your shoulders, you cocksucker.”
I actually heard him gasp at my use of vulgarity, something unusual for me. But it was all I could do, short of knocking him over the head, to make him understand that he was just being paranoid. Then his shoulders bounced jovially as he laughed in silence. “I shall try, if for no other reason than to hear you speak like a ruffian again.”
Somehow I had managed to avoid giving him an answer, but I’d also avoided telling him about me and Legolas wanting to settle in Mirkwood when he finally returned from his mission. As Legolas had said, I would tell him when the moment was right, and just before going to war was not a good time.
Just then, Legolas approached and stood next to me. “Aragorn says his men are all in position and ready. King Théoden is within the hall. He shall stand with the men inside the gate. The women and children are safe in the caves.”
“Good,” Haldir replied. He turned his sight from the horizon to face Legolas, and I thought he was going to say something about my decision to go to Mirkwood, but he didn’t. “And where will you be this night, Prince Legolas?”
“You’ve called for all archers to man the wall, so this is where I will fight,” Legolas answered, surprising me.
“But what about your fellowship? Shouldn’t you be with them?” I asked.
“I suppose I should be, but here I find myself in the company of an army of Lothlórien elves, and in battle, there is no place I would rather be than with my own kind,” he said passionately.
“And we welcome you and your outstanding talents, my Prince,” Haldir added. Then he bowed to Legolas and I. “It is time I took up my station.” With that, he left.
“There is plenty of space along the wall. Feel free to take up a place anywhere you like,” I offered, trying to sound as professional as possible, After all, we weren’t alone.
“I prefer to fight with Lothlórien’s best archery regiment, if that is acceptable to their Captain,” he said, and a wickedness flitted across his blue eyes. I decided to play with him a bit before the seriousness of the night settled in.
“If you choose to be a member of my garrison, then I’ll gladly accept.” I looked him up and down. “You’ve no helmet, soldier, nor any other form of protection.”
He smiled and patted each of his shoulders. “I’ve got these,” he said proudly. He wore thick leather layered shoulder pads, but no other armor. “I promised someone that I would wear some kind of armament. What do you think?”
I shook my head and looked at him with a questioning lift of my brow. “Well, your head, heart, lungs, and stomach are exposed to becoming wounded, but at least your shoulders will be fine.”
He laughed. “Even with the threat of battle, you still manage to find some kind of humor. That is a good character trait to have, something I admire in an elf.”
Suddenly, I felt his hand squeezing my arse. He’d managed to sneak it beneath my cloak without anyone seeing. I jumped, but caught myself before I moved too much to be noticeable. “Why, thank you. I’ll remember that.”
As we finished our banter, one of the Rohirrim lookouts shouted. “The enemy approaches!” With my accurate elf vision, I’d seen them a while ago, but humans could not see as far as the elves, and they were just now coming into view.
“Time to go, Legolas,” Gimli complained, coming out of the crowd of elves on the wall. “I’ve found us a good spot where the wall is broken away a bit. I want to be able to see the red of their eyes. Now hurry before someone else claims it.”
“Good luck, Captain. Stay safe,” Legolas said, and I heard the compassion in his voice.
“You too, Legolas,” I replied, only wishing to have one more moment with him, but there wasn’t any time left.
* * * * *
War. It was a nasty business, and one I had only participated in a few times. Battles were more my thing, protecting the borders of Lothlórien, for example. There was more room for cleverness, especially in a forest. But this was a completely different setting. I didn’t much like being trapped in one place, and that’s exactly what this felt like.
As we opened fire, my archers took out several lines of orcs, but they stretched far beyond that, in a seemingly endless stream. We couldn’t keep them away from the walls, and soon they were crashing against the stone fortress. They began erecting giant ladder that would allow them to reach the top. Some succeeded, but others were destroyed before they could be used. I knew things were going ill when I began to see orcs running along the top of the wall, mixed in with elves and men. Orophin had to split his company up, sending some to defend the wall and some to keep watch at the gates.
As me and my men dealt with the ladders, I noticed a new commotion happening on the causeway. The orcs gathered together with their shields raised over their heads, pushing some strange device. Someone closer to the gate shouted something about a battering ram, and I instantly knew what they were attempting. They were sneaking their equipment up the causeway, and then they’d try to break down the heavy wooden doors. I gathered a group from my regiment, leaving the rest on the Deeping Wall, and we went towards the main gate. I looked down to the causeway below.
“Aim for the ones on the sides,” I commanded. Those orcs’ legs and sides were exposed. My men stopped firing from above and did as I said. Orcs began falling to the wayside, revealing the monstrous weapon. The front of the ram was shaped like a wolf’s head, and even had fire burning in its mouth. “Keep shooting,” I yelled. We had to eliminate as many orcs as we could so that there wouldn’t be enough to work the ram, but there were so many. For every orc that we felled, it seemed two more took their place. It didn’t take them long before they were attacking the main doors.
I looked over to see some boys dropping large rocks down onto the orcs at the doors. My first instinct was to wonder why they weren’t in the caves with the rest of the civilians. They must have snuck out. And then I realized that they just wanted to protect their home as much as their fathers, brothers or uncles who were not here to do the job themselves. “Hurry Gandalf,” I whispered to myself.
I felt my men and I were making progress on the action at the gates when I heard Aragorn calling from somewhere near. He was using elvish, commanding Legolas to fire upon an Uruk hai. I stopped what I was doing to find the Ranger and see where his attention was focused. He was pointing to the field below.
“Take him down, Legolas. Hurry!” Aragorn shouted above the noise of battle.
I searched the chaos, trying to find Legolas, and finally saw his gilded head leaning out over the wall. He was back towards the center of the Deeping Wall, where I’d left the rest of my troops to fight. Legolas, ignoring the ladders and the orcs breaking over the top, jumped up and stood on top of the stone, aiming down into the crowd of orcs below. I cringed at the sight of him carelessly exposed and dangerously close to the edge.
“Kill him!” Aragorn shouted with desperation.
Legolas had his bow aimed and ready, fully concentrating on his target. I followed his line of sight and saw an Uruk hai running with a lit torch in his hand. He was coming straight at the wall. My attention switched to the place he was running towards, and it just so happened to be the most vulnerable place in the entire stronghold. The Deeping Wall was solid stone except for this one place, a small culvert which allowed water from a nearby stream to flow into Helm’s Deep. It was their only source of fresh water, and it was directed to flow inside so that the occupants did not have to risk leaving the stronghold, especially during sieges such as this one. I thought it odd that this beast would charge at the small opening, which was fortified with thick iron bars so that no outsiders could pass through. Even if the enemy was able to cut through the bars, which I thought highly unlikely, the passage was so small that only one orc at a time could squeeze through.
I looked at Legolas just in time to see him firing two arrows at a time, but not aiming them at his intended target. The arrows were bent, just like the ones he used to teach me his trick for using spent arrows. The bent arrows left his hand, flew up, crisscrossed, and came down, one into each shoulder of the Uruk hai. Legolas had taught me this maneuver to show me how to incapacitate an enemy so that he would not have the use of his arms, but could still walk and be transported somewhere else for questioning. But this time, it didn’t work. The arrows made the beast stumble, but he kept running, and he didn’t drop the torch.
But why was Legolas so desperate to stop this Uruk hai? What damage could a torch do to iron or stone? Perhaps the beast would knock himself out as he crashed into the solid rock. Just then, I saw a group of orcs leaving the culvert, running away and telling other orcs to follow. The area around the hole in the wall suddenly opened up. I could just make out the edge of something black and round like a ball sticking out of the culvert. What was it? I wondered.
“Kill him now!” Aragorn kept shouting.
Legolas released three more arrows, each one hitting its target, sinking deep into the Uruk hai’s chest and neck. The last arrow hit him in the heart, but he was almost to the wall. With his last effort, the creature dove head first into the culvert, lighted torch stretched out in front of him. I watched as the flame touched the black ball. Suddenly it started to burn with a white light, sparks flying from an opening on the top. I realized that it wasn’t just a ball, but a container of some sort, and it was filled with some kind of explosive, which was ignited by the torch.
It all happened so fast. I glanced towards the elves and men along the Deeping Wall, directly above the place where the culvert was. Some were my men, some were Orophin’s, some were the old Rohirrim men fighting for the horse lords who hadn’t showed up yet. And then I saw Orophin among them.
“Get away! Move away from there!” I screamed, fighting my way through the crowd. “Orophin!” I shouted repeatedly. He heard me and glanced towards me. I was waving my arms, trying to tell him to run. From my perspective, I couldn’t tell how close to the area of danger he was. I kept losing sight of him as elves and men stepped in my way, still fighting the orcs that had climbed to the top.
All of a sudden, there was a bright flash, an explosion that shook all of Helm’s Deep, and rock and broken stone flying through the air. The center of the Deeping Wall collapsed. All I could do was watch as bodies flew through the air, and people screamed. Dust and debris clouded the area, and I couldn’t see anything anymore. For that one moment in time, everyone stopped fighting to see what had happened. Large chunks of the wall rained down, hitting and killing those who didn’t perish in the blast. All I could think about was Orophin.
I pushed and shoved my way to where I’d last seen him. The air began to clear, and just as I was about to take another step, someone grabbed my arm to stop me. It was a good thing, because my next footfall would have met nothing but air. I was at the edge of the broken wall. The entire center section was gone. Water from the stream poured into the area, flooding the courtyard below. As I looked down, I saw all the bodies, or parts of them, scattered around. That’s when I noticed a set of stairs leading to the ground. I’d forgotten about them. I tried to yank my arm free of my captor, but he wouldn’t let go. I hadn’t even turned to see who had saved me from falling, and did so now. It was Legolas.
“I have to go down there,” I told him. “I have to get to the other side and see if Orophin is alright.”
“You can’t,” he said and turned his eyes to the gaping hole. “Look.”
I looked where he pointed and saw nothing but orcs pouring into the courtyard. “The yard has been breached,” Legolas said from behind me.
“Men! Protect the keep! Protect the King!” Aragorn shouted from somewhere back by the main gates.
“To the courtyard!” I heard Haldir call in elvish, and I saw all the elves rushing to get down from the wall. The stairs that Legolas had stopped me from declining were now filled with people going to meet the onslaught of orcs.
“I’m going,” I said and pulled my arm from Legolas’ grasp.
“Not without me,” he said, and followed.
It was hand to hand combat now, and I abandoned my bow for my sword. Legolas fought beside me, his twin blades flashing as they struck out and slain the enemy. I made my way to a large boulder of broken stone and jumped onto it. From here, I could see the area better. Legolas climbed up beside me, and switched back to his bow, dropping orcs like flies.
“We can’t stay here long,” Legolas said. “Do you see your brother?”
I searched desperately, but I couldn’t tell him apart from any of the other armored elves. “Orophin!” I shouted several times. Suddenly, one of the soldiers stopped and looked up from across the distance.
“Rúmil!” he shouted back.
Oh, thank the Valar, he was not destroyed in that blast. He was on the opposite side of the courtyard. He must have been on the other side of the wall when it exploded. “I see him,” I told Legolas. “He’s alright … for now.” Orophin was with his men, fighting orcs.
Legolas stopped firing long enough to take in the scene around us. “There are too many of them.”
I looked towards the missing section of Deeping Wall. Orcs, Uruk hai and trolls were spilling in, the entire army of them. “We have to fall back,” I said to Legolas. “We have to get inside the keep.”
Legolas looked towards the main hall and saw Aragorn. He called out to him, gaining the man’s attention. Then Aragorn took in the sight of the massive orc army filling the outer area. “Fall back!” he commanded. “Fall back! To the keep!”
Word spread quickly, men and elves calling out to retreat. I waved at Orophin, and passed the command along. He called out to the people around him and everyone began slicing their way back to the main hall. Legolas and I went together, helping anyone who needed it along the way, making sure they knew what was going on. It was complete chaos. And then we heard a familiar voice.
“Come on, you rotted corpses. You’ll not get past me.” It was Gimli, and he was standing in the middle of the water streaming into the courtyard. He was swinging his axe like a madman, maiming and killing orcs as they ran past him, but he was about to get overrun by a new wave of enemies.
“I’ve got to go get him,” Legolas informed.
“I’ll come with you,” I offered.
“No, you get inside. You have your men to rally to. I’ve got Gimli. I’ll meet you within the keep.”
Seeing that there was no argument to be had, I nodded and went on my way while Legolas fought his way to Gimli. I glanced back just before I got to the stairs, and saw that Aragorn had also come to help their friend. They grabbed the Dwarf by his arms and had to drag him away. I discovered a new outlook on Dwarves after that. They were stout and stubborn, but they fought ferociously and without fear. A Dwarf was a good soldier to have on your side in battle.
I reached the stairs, the same ones that I’d seen Legolas standing upon when I first arrived at Helm’s Deep earlier this day. The elves had filled this courtyard then. Now it was all destroyed, flooded by the stream, stained with blood and bodies, littered with debris from the explosion. And still, there was no sign of Gandalf or the Rohirrim army. I wasn’t sure how much longer we could hold out. We had tried to keep them at bay, but with the wall compromised, all we could do now was barricade ourselves within the keep. This was the last thing I wanted to happen. We were all trapped here. We’d lost a lot of men and elves already, yet it seemed that we hardly put a sizable dent in the orc army.
My first plan of action was to start figuring out how many of my regiment was still alive. I had seen them upon the wall when it was destroyed. I knew quite a few had been killed in the explosion. I prayed that the number remained small.
As I was running up the steps, Haldir called out to me. I stopped just a few steps shy of the top and looked back. He was at the bottom of the stairs, worry creasing his brows. “Where’s Orophin? Have you seen our brother?” he asked desperately.
“He’s fine. He wasn’t on the part of the wall that was torn down, but he’s still over on the other side. I told him to gather his men and return to the keep. He should be along any minute.”
“I’m going to go look for him,” he informed me. “Where is Legolas?”
“He and Aragorn went to help Gimli. They are on their way.”
“And your men?” he asked, knowing my regiment had been on the area of the diminished wall.
“I’m going to count heads now.” As I spoke, a rush of orcs came towards the stairs. “Haldir!” I shouted as I raised and pulled on my bow. He spun around, sword in hand, and suddenly we were in combat again. From my position high on the stairs, I could shoot multiple orcs, keeping them at bay as Haldir fought with the ones closest to him. The problem was, my arrows were almost spent. I used the remaining wisely while descending the stairs at the same time. Then I tossed my bow to the side and retrieved my sword. Haldir and I stood back to back, slashing and stabbing, trying to incapacitate as many as we could.
“We need to move before we’re overrun,” he shouted above the noise.
I looked over my shoulder, up the stairs and cringed at what I saw. Orcs were beginning to pour onto the breezeway above, and soon they would cut off our path to the keep. “Haldir, let’s go … now.”
We ran up the stairs, but the orcs in the courtyard followed. Haldir fought them off from behind while I advanced and guided us towards the clearest path on the breezeway, but they were all closing in on us. We were about to be surrounded when suddenly a flash of green caught my eye. Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn were already on the breezeway above, helping us to get inside. From where I was, I could see a door, but it wasn’t close, and there were a lot of orcs in between. Still, five was better than two, and we cut our way through.
Suddenly, Haldir turned to me. “We can’t go without Orophin.”
“He might be inside already. He knows to come and he was making his way back last I saw,” I said.
“Then you go to the keep, and I’ll see if he’s on his way.”
“You can’t. We barely made it this far,” I argued.
“As your commanding officer, I insist that you get to safety. It’s bad enough to have one brother missing. I’ll not chance having–”
“Look!” Legolas called.
Haldir and I stopped arguing and glanced to where he pointed. Thank the Valar, it was Orophin and a band of his men in the courtyard coming towards the stairs. They parted the sea of orcs as they approached, leaving bodies in their wake.
Haldir turned to me with a relieved grin. “He made it.”
“I knew he would,” I agreed, seeing that Orophin was well and that there were more of us to fight.
Someone called for Aragorn, and he waved to Legolas and Gimli to follow. Legolas reached for my arm, touching me gently. “All is well here?”
“Yes. We’ll wait for Orophin and his men, clear the way, and then we’ll be along,” I told him. I could see in his eyes how he wished he could kiss me, but we were forbidden to show our love. “Hurry,” he said instead. I nodded.
The rest of the elves came to the steps, and Haldir ran down to meet them. He told them where to go, and I directed them towards the door after they climbed the stairs. A few straggling orcs came towards us here and there, but we handled it. Orophin was the last to approach, making sure everyone else made it first. He went to Haldir first and hugged him before he spoke. “We diminished their numbers, but more are on their way. There’s no stopping them with that hole in the wall.”
“The only thing to do now is keep them from getting inside. They still haven’t broken through the main gate, but if they do, the main hall will be breached. From there, they will try for the caves. We cannot let that happen,” Haldir informed him.
“What are we waiting for,” Orophin smiled. Then he turned and saw me standing on the stairs. His smile faded.
Ever since discovering my secret and learning that I was in a relationship with Legolas, Orophin had only spoken to me if necessary. Most of the time, he seemed to keep his distance. I didn’t think he’d fully accepted any of it, though we were cordial towards one another. I thought, even now in war, he was still distant. I expected him to nod as he passed me on the stairs, like he usually did at home. I glanced towards Haldir, who was still at the base of the steps. He looked slightly hurt that Orophin still remained cold towards me, but I smiled and shook my head once to let him know I wasn’t disappointed. At least we were all here. My attention turned back to Orophin. He looked tired from fighting. His face and hair were dirty, and his uniform was caked with black blood. Still, he marched up those steps, glad to be alive like the rest of us, and hoping this would be over soon. He started to pass me, but then he stopped by my side, standing on the same step as me. He didn’t say a word, though I felt he wanted to. I thought it best that I spoke first, so that he would know how I felt at least.
“I’m glad you–” I started.
“Thank you,” Orophin interrupted.
“For what?” I wondered.
“For warning me before that explosion. You saved not only me, but a great number of my men as well,” he said.
“There’s no reason to thank me.”
“I’ve been unfair to you as of late,” he explained.
That’s when I turned to face him, and grasped his arm firmly. “You are my brother, Orophin. No matter what happens, I will always want you safe.”
For the first time since our awkwardness began, he looked me in the eyes. Then he took hold of my other arm and pulled me into his chest, hugging me. “I’m sorry, Rú. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, what is this? Come on now. There was no love lost between us. We both just needed time to adjust,” I consoled.
“I just kept thinking that I should have made amends with you before this. If anything were to happen to you–”
“It hasn’t. I’m here, you’re here, Hal’s here.” As we hugged, I looked at Haldir. He was smiling like I’d not seen him do in many years, as he watched Orophin and I reunite. I knew this was important to him. He didn’t like the rift that grew between us any more than I did. I had known that, but I didn’t think it affected him as much as it seemed. To see the smile on his face now made me think that all was right with the world, even in the midst of war. He seemed truly peaceful as—
His smile suddenly turned to shock. His eyes never left mine, but they weren’t seeing me anymore. At first, I couldn’t comprehend why he looked so odd. I thought that he had heard something, as though he was distracted. And then, he slowly fell onto his knees. That’s when I noticed an orc in the distance, standing there, watching.
I pushed Orophin away, forcing him to release me. He seemed confused by my reaction until I called out Haldir’s name. He swung around to see what was happening. Together, we rushed down the steps to our older brother. As we got to him, Haldir fell forward, his hands catching him before he went face first into a step. That’s when we saw it. A hatchet was protruding from his back. It dawned on me that the orc must have thrown it. I looked up to see where the creature was, but he was gone. Instead, there was another wave of orcs and Uruk hai coming into the courtyard. Orophin had warned us that more were coming, and now they were here.
I looked back down at Haldir, and he collapsed onto his side. My ears were ringing from the blood rushing through my body, from the shock of seeing my brother injured like this. Without saying a word, Orophin and I each took an arm and started to lift our brother.
“We have to get him to the healers,” Orophin said.
“He’s not moving,” I said worriedly.
Orophin put his ear to Haldir’s chest. “He’s still breathing. Take his legs. I’ll take his arms. We’ll have to carry him. Hurry.”
I did as he said, and we rushed Haldir up the stairs and towards a door. Orophin pushed the door with his foot, but it didn’t open. It was locked. I started yelling for someone to open it. Orophin kept kicking the door with his heel, and all the while, the orc army was closing in. Suddenly, a black arrow struck the wall next to where I stood. At that exact moment, the door opened, and Orophin pushed desperately, almost knocking an elderly man over.
“He’s injured. Where are the healing rooms?” I demanded.
“You’re looking at it,” the old man said.
I looked around the grand room. It was the main hall. We must have come in through a side door. It was filled with bodies, bloodied and battered, elves and men alike. The air carried a miasma of bile, blood and dirt. The scene before me was horrible. I saw some of my own men here. Some were being tended to for cuts or broken bones; others were in more serious condition. The healers were running around like busy ants. I was shocked to see so few.
“Help us, please!” Orophin called out when no one looked up to notice us.
A young girl saw us and rushed over. She had long red hair and was dressed like a commoner. There was blood smeared on the front of her simple dress, but this didn’t seem to distract her in the least. “What happened to him?” she asked.
“He’s been injured with a hatchet. It is still in his back,” I informed.
The girl looked shocked as she glanced from me to Orophin. She only paused for a split second before she waved us in. “Over here. Put him on this cot … gently. Be very careful. That’s it, lay him on his side,” she instructed as my brother and I eased Haldir onto the waiting cot.
“Are you a healer?” Orophin asked.
The girl shook her head. “I’m only helping to find places for the injured. I don’t know much about medicine, and definitely not about something like this. But I think it was a good thing you didn’t try to remove the weapon.”
“Someone needs to see him this very moment. Please, my lady, will you bring a healer?” I begged. Haldir was looking placid. “This is Haldir, March warden of Lothlórien, and he is our brother.”
“I’ll bring someone right away,” she said as she sprinted off.
“He doesn’t look good, Rú,” Orophin remarked.
“No, he doesn’t,” I agreed, moving his hair from his face.
“What did you see?” Orophin asked.
“One minute he was smiling, and the next his face just went blank. I noticed an orc back by the wall. He was probably the one who threw the hatchet. I hope it wasn’t poisoned.”
“Don’t even say it,” Orophin warned. “Though, if it was, I don’t think he’d still be breathing.”
It felt like forever waiting for the healer to come. Finally, I saw the red headed girl and a man come back into the hall. They came directly to us, and the man examined Haldir’s injury. “When did this happen?” he asked. He was a tall Rohirrim, middle-aged or there about, blond shoulder length hair, clean shaven face, smooth hands that hadn’t seen war. I believed he was their head healer.
“It only happened moments ago, out in the courtyard. We brought him straight here,” I told him.
He looked closely at the point of entry. “There’s not much blood, but as soon as I take this thing out … well, be prepared for anything to happen.”
“This is the leader of the elvish army, and he is their brother,” said the girl pleadingly. “Please, do what you can to save him, Eymund.”
The healer looked at the girl, and then to me and Orophin. Finally, his sight fell upon Haldir. “I’ll do everything I can. That’s all I can promise you right now.”
“That will have to be enough,” I said, stepping back and pulling Orophin with me. “If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.”
“I might have to take you up on that offer,” Eymund said, then turned to the girl. “I need sutures, needles, a stack of clean rags, and bring me that jar of salve.”
“The brown jar?” the girl asked.
“The blue one. It’s on the shelf in my workroom,” he informed, and the girl rushed off again. Then he regarded us. “I’m going to need both of you to keep your brother in this position while I remove the weapon. He may very well wake up once I start, and it’s going to hurt worse than fire.”
Orophin and I nodded, prepared for anything we had to do in order to see that Haldir lived. The girl returned with the jar and the other things Eymund asked for and he prepared to get to work.
“What is in the jar?” Orophin asked.
“It is a cauterizing solution. It will essentially burn the wound and seal the skin to keep him from bleeding. That’s my main worry, that he might lose too much blood once the hatchet is removed. I’ll have to work quickly.”
“We’re ready,” I said.
Eymund stuffed half of the rags along Haldir’s back, to soak up the spilled blood. He had the girl open and hold the blue jar, and a rag to dip it in. Then he looked up at my brother and me. “Here we go.”
The healer started moving the hatchet, and I could see it slowly coming out of the skin. Just as he predicted, the wound started bleeding profusely, dark red blood trickling down Haldir’s back. More pulling and more blood, and Haldir started to wake, moaning. I took hold of his legs and Orophin had his arms. The more the doctor worked, the more Haldir screamed. He tried using his arms, but Orophin wouldn’t let go. “It’s alright, Haldir. It’s me, Orophin. You are with a healer. He’s helping you, but you can’t thrash around or you’ll injure yourself further.”
Haldir didn’t seem to hear, and he kept screaming in pain. I watched as Eymund finally released the weapon, and the wound gushed blood. The doctor took the rag from the girl and dipped it into the blue jar. Then he applied the opaque salve carefully to the edges of the wound. Haldir screamed as I’d never heard him before. I could hardly stand to hear his agony, but I knew it was for his own good. Luckily, he was too much in pain to kick his legs, but I still held onto them tightly.
“Almost there,” Eymund informed.
Suddenly, Haldir started convulsing. His eyes rolled up until only the whites showed, and his body shook violently. “What is wrong with him?” I asked desperately.
“Shit, he’s going into shock,” Eymund said. “Keep him on his side in case he regurgitates. We don’t want it going into his lungs.” At this point, Haldir started gasping for air. “He needs to stay calm.”
I abandoned my position at his legs and went to where Orophin stood holding his arms. The cot was low to the ground, so I got on my knees and put my mouth to Haldir’s ear. “You must hold on, brother. Orophin and I are here. There is a very good healer trying to save you, but you must calm yourself.” It wasn’t working. He was still shaking uncontrollably. I continued. “Do you remember when we were young, and Orophin and I were playing in that old oak tree just outside the gates of Caras Galadhon? We were daring each other to do tricks, but we took it too far, and I fell. Orophin rushed back to get you, and by the time you arrived, I was a sobbing mess. I thought I’d broken my arm. I thought I’d shattered it to the point that I’d never be able to hold a bow again. I was in a complete panic, gasping for air, tears streaking down my face. And you laid down on the ground next to me and whispered in my ear that I must calm myself, to not let the pain control me. You told me to talk to the pain, bully it, tell it who was in charge. I’m asking … no … I’m telling you to do that now. It will be over soon, but you must get in control of the pain. Don’t let it overtake you.” I went on encouraging him, reminding him of the things our father had taught us, and how useful those lessons have been. I must have gotten through to him because his breathing, though still rapid was returning to normal. His muscles, which were tense, were beginning to relax and the shaking was only in short bursts. This was only the beginning of his treatment, though. Right now, Eymund was only trying to stop or slow down the bleeding. He still had to examine the wound, clean it and suture it. I hoped that was all he had to do. We would know more once he saw the wound more closely.
Outside of the main hall, there was all kinds of commotion going on. People were yelling and giving out commands. I could hear wood splitting, and I knew the orcs were still trying to gain entry. I felt torn all of a sudden. I should be at the main gate helping to keep it protected. But I knew I needed to be with Haldir too. He was in a very fragile state. There was still a chance that he might die, and I would never forgive myself if I wasn’t with him. I looked up at Orophin and saw the same conflict on his face.
“Our men, they know what to do. They will have gone to where they were most needed by now,” I told him.
“I know. It’s just … I feel so useless right now,” he admitted.
“We are here for Haldir, and that’s where we’re needed most,” I assured him. He smiled, understanding my meaning.
I had no idea how much time had passed before the healer was finally able to examine the wound, but it felt like hours. Haldir was very uncomfortable, but he stayed calm. Eventually, Eymund had news. “The cut is deep, but I don’t see any air escaping. That means his lungs weren’t harmed. However, a lot of muscle and tissue has been affected. He’s lost a lot of blood too, despite my best efforts. I don’t think he’s going to wake up for quite a while.”
“He will most likely delve into a healing sleep. It is how an elvish body repairs itself, how it protects itself from any further damage,” Orophin informed him.
“That’s probably a good thing then. Because of the depth of the wound, I can’t close it up all the way. I will have to slowly work on it, and try to repair as much of the muscle as possible so that he is not left vulnerable. We are not in the clear yet. There is still a possibility of infection. As of right now, there is a very slim chance of him recovering from this. Should he suffer another attack of shock, it just might be his last. His body can’t handle it.” Eymund was being completely honest and giving Orophin and me a chance to prepare ourselves for losing our brother. “Now,” he continued. “I have secured a private room for him and, Béma willing, if we are not overrun by orcs, I’ll be able to care for him there.”
Between the three of us, we managed to move Haldir, cot and all, to the room Eymund spoke of. It was nothing more than a store room, emptied of its contents, and probably taken to the caves. We found a couple candles and a lantern to light the room. Orophin found a chair, and I took an empty barrel, left abandoned in a neighboring room, to use as a table. The healer left to get more supplies to keep in the room with Haldir. While he was gone, Orophin and I spoke.
“He seems comfortable for now,” he observed.
“He’s entered healing sleep,” I commented.
“I know Eymund is doing all he can, but I think Haldir would be better off in Lothlórien with our own healers. At least there they will know what to do for him.”
“I’m not sure they will be able to do anything different there than what Eymund is doing. Besides, we can’t exactly leave right now, or have you forgotten that there is a war going on outside.”
Orophin huffed, knowing I was right. “What do you think is going on out there?”
“Sounds like the orcs are still trying to get into the keep.” I looked towards the door and back at Orophin. “You know, there is no need for both of us to be here. At least one of us should go and see what we can do. I’ll go. I need to see to my men. It’s been hours since I checked it.”
Orophin nodded. “Alright,” he agreed.
I realized that I no longer had my bow, having left it back at the courtyard. It was no use thinking about it. That area was no doubt overrun by orcs now. I had my sword and a dagger that I kept in my boot. It would have to do. I looked back at Haldir. “If anything happens, anything at all–”
“I’ll send for you. Don’t worry,” Orophin assured me.
I nodded and reached for the door, but just as I did the great bellow of a horn sounded. It was the battle horn of the Hornburg. I threw the door open and was met by a mob of Rohirrim all rushing from the keep and heading for the main gate. I stopped one of them. “What is happening?”
“The sun rises and King Théoden rides out to meet his men,” the man said excitedly.
“His men? You mean his army has arrived?”
“Yes, and they are led by Gandalf. The orcs are said to be retreating.” He didn’t wait for me to ask any more questions, and ran off with the rest of his people.
I turned back to Orophin. “They are here. Gandalf has brought Eomer and his garrison.”
“Thank the Valar,” Orophin said under his breath.
Eymund came to the door, a smile upon his tired face. “Have you heard?”
“Yes, help has finally arrived,” I said.
“Why don’t you both go and see for yourselves. I’ve got work to do here. Time for another round of medicine,” Eymund suggested.
Orophin and I looked at each other. We weren’t sure that both of us should leave, but Eymund insisted that we go. I grasped my brother’s shoulder. “We won’t be far, but we should go so that we can be witnesses, and tell Haldir how the battle ended.” Orophin finally agreed and we both left.
The main gate was broken from its hinges, splintered wood scattered everywhere. The Rohirrim were gone from this area. Those with horses rode out with their King. Those without followed on foot. The main hall was still being used for the injured, only now, our people were there, helping wherever they were needed, weapons and armor laid along the walls. They had stayed and helped to protect the keep, but now that the Rohirrim army had arrived, the elves turned to the injured. This was no longer our war. Saruman set out to destroy Rohan, and it was the Rohirrim who would end the battle.
Orophin and I separated and walked around the room, checking on men from our regiments, speaking with the injured, comforting where we could, saying a silent prayer for those in dire need. I didn’t see Aragorn, Gimli or Legolas anywhere, and I stopped one of my officers to inquire. I was told that the three of them rode out beside King Théoden to meet the enemy. “They said they weren’t going to stop riding until they met Eomer and Gandalf on the field,” he said.
After finding that our people were being cared for, Orophin and I went to the open doorway and stood on the causeway. It was empty except for the great wolf’s head battering ram, abandoned by the enemy as they fled from battle. I took a moment to notice the craftsmanship of the weapon, and wondered how long it would take to disassemble and destroy it.
“Rúmil, come! Look at this!” Orophin called to me. He had gone on ahead and was looking out over the distance. I joined him by his side and watched the chaos transpiring in the valley below.
When this battle started, we were outnumbered. Now, the Rohirrim were the dominant army. There were a few places where small fights were still going on, but most of the orcs were running away from Helm’s Deep heading towards a—
“Is that a … forest?” I asked disbelievingly.
“It appears to be,” Orophin said, sounding just as dumbfounded. “That wasn’t there when we arrived, was it?”
“No. There’s not supposed to be a forest here. But where did–” Words failed me as I watched Théoden’s men round up the remaining orcs, but the creatures ran for the trees. The horsemen stopped and let them go. “What are they doing?” I wondered aloud.
It wasn’t until all the orcs escaped into the trees that I realized what was happening, but I could hardly believe it. The trees came to life, bending and growling. Orc’s screams could be heard as far as where we stood. It was a slaughter.
“Fangorn forest,” I whispered.
“Fangorn?” Orophin said.
“The tree herders, Ents. They’ve come to help. They … they are angry,” I said. I could hear what they were saying, the words that made it to my ears, anyways.
“You understand them,” Orophin said, amazed at my talent, as though he didn’t know.
“They are demanding that the wizard Saruman be turned over to them. He … hurt them … hurt their friends and family … destroyed their home. They want restitution. They want Saruman’s head.” After a while, the screams stopped and the forest calmed. I felt a chill rise up through my spine. “Fangorn should be avoided for a long time. The trees have gone wild. Not even the elves will be safe there now. Those trees have lost all trust.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Orophin said, still gazing out over the distance.
We heard footsteps and turned to find the red headed girl running towards us. My heart immediately dropped. “You must come this instant,” she said urgently.
“What is it?” Orophin asked, but we were already running back to the keep.
“Haldir is having another episode,” she said.
We were there in a flash, charging into the small room to find Eymund desperately trying to keep Haldir from injuring himself. His arms were flailing, eyes rolled up into his head again, drooling and making such horrible gasping noises. Orophin and I ran to him to help hold him so Eymund could do whatever he needed to do.
“He was resting peacefully when all of a sudden his body started convulsing again. His breathing is not right. I fear there’s fluid in his lungs,” Eymund informed.
During the struggle, Haldir had managed to roll onto his back. Orophin and I got him onto his side, and I noticed the blood on the cot. The wound was bleeding again, and he’d already lost so much blood. Suddenly he went stiff, his body contorting at odd angles. It was called a seizure, I knew that by now, and there was nothing to do for him until he came out of it. And then … he went limp. He completely stopped moving.
Orophin was closest to Haldir’s head and bent down to listen, his face going pale. “He’s not breathing. Eymund, he stopped breathing.”
“Put him on his back,” Eymund demanded.
“But the wound–”
“That’s the least of our worries. Do as I say … now!”
Orophin and I turned him, and Eymund began pushing on Haldir’s chest with his hands, in sharp quick pumps. “What are you doing?” I asked. I’d never seen this before.
“It’s something I saw done to a boy once, after he was found floating in a pond. It gets the water out of the lungs.” Eymund stopped pushing and went to Haldir’s head, tilting it back. He pinched the nose and covered my brother’s mouth with his own. I watched as Haldir’s chest rose. Eymund was putting air into my brother, essentially breathing for him. He switched back to the chest, and then to the mouth a few more times, cursing as he did. Suddenly, Haldir started choking. He was alive.
“Quick, turn him onto his side,” Eymund said, and we did so.
Finally, Haldir started coughing up liquid and mucus. He started breathing on his own. The episode brought him around, and he opened his eyes. It was the first I’d seen him conscious since falling in the courtyard.
“Haldir,” I whispered. “Hal, are you with us?”
“I’m … alive?” he asked confused.
“Yes … yes you are,” I said with a smile.
“Good,” he replied. “I had the worst dream.”
“You are safe now, though you need to heal,” Orophin said.
“Do you remember anything?” Eymund asked.
Haldir looked at me, and then to Orophin. “You two were hugging. You’d finally made amends. And then … there was this sharp pain … in my back … and–” He cut his words short.
“You were struck in the back by a hatchet. There is a large gaping wound that will take a long time to heal,” I told him.
“Haldir, I am going to need to give you something to help you sleep. I have to do some extensive repair to the wound, and I don’t think you want to be conscious for it,” Eymund said.
“Do you think that is wise?” Orophin asked. “He’s just come out of a sleep that almost killed him.”
“It is the only way to do this. To work on him without some kind of medication will be too much for him. I don’t want him going into shock,” Eymund said, defending his decision.
“I don’t agree with this,” Orophin argued. “I think he should be transported back to Lothlórien.”
“Eymund has already said it is too far, and his condition is too delicate at this point,” I told my stubborn brother.
While we argued, I heard Haldir mumble something, but I ignored it for the moment. I felt I needed to defend this man for all he’d done to help Haldir so far.
“Lórien is his best chance for healing properly,” Orophin demanded.
“He needs to stay here until he is stable enough to travel,” I argued in return.
“Rúmil is right,” Eymund said defending me. “To move him now–”
“Hey!” Haldir yelled with what little energy he had. During our argument, he had been trying to get our attention, but we disregarded his pleas, finding our disagreement more important. We stopped and all three of us turned to Haldir. “This man … is … correct,” he said, short of breath. “I’ll not … be going … anywhere … yet.” He turned his attention to me, looking me squarely in the eyes. Something was wrong, I could tell.
“What is it, Hal?” I asked, taking his hand.
There was fear and confusion on his countenance. I’d never seen him look this way before, and it scared me. And then a single tear escaped from the corner of his eye. “My … legs … I … I can’t … I can’t feel my legs.” Haldir lost consciousness at that point, and we were all left dumbfounded.
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Path of Honor-Part II: Far From Home