Forty One - The Battle of Helm's Deep

“Seventeen! Eighteen! Nineteen! Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty two! Twenty Three!” Gimli shouted numbers as he killed Uruks trying to get up the wall. 

Cleos and I were close together through the chaos, working through every bit of noise, pain, and never left that zone. 

Just as we found a steady pace and routine with each other, a bomb exploded, demolishing the wall right where Zion and Aragorn were. “We have to get over there,” I said quickly as we fought. 

“We’ll never get out of this,” Cleos shouted as he knocked an Uruk over the wall. I burnt through the rest surrounding us and didn’t even think about waiting for more before I pushed Cleos toward the stairs. 

We ran quickly through the broken walls and went straight for the two on the ground. “Zion!” Cleos said and I turned Aragorn over. “Get up, Elassar!” I shouted and he groaned and opened his eyes. “Zion,” Cleos said, shaking him.

“Zion!” I shouted but he didn’t move. “Come on, Zion!” I shouted and shook him. His face contorted in pain and I sighed in relief. 

“Could you be any louder?” He asked and Cleos sat back. 

“Aragorn!” I turned to the open part of the wall to see Gimli jumping into the pack of Uruks holding spears. “Gimli!” Aragorn and I shouted as we stood. He began to fight the Uruks but after killing a couple, he was drowning in the water.

“Release arrows!” Aragorn commanded and I made Zion get back down as Elves fired arrows at the Uruks approaching. “Charge!” Aragorn shouted and picked my swords back up, running towards the Orcs with their outstretched spears, Zion and Cleos next to me. 

 I knocked a spear away, burning it to ash and slid under to cut them at the legs and while Cleos and Zion stayed up and followed me through. 

Aragorn pulled Gimli up and I stood, fighting with my normal sequence; stab, cut, burn.

~~~

Le pulled out his blades after running out of arrows and I lit mine on fire. 

“To the Keep! Pull back to the Keep!” Aragorn ordered. 

“Ver!” Le said and nodded to the unbothered Dwarf. We grabbed Gimli, dragging him back. “What are you doing? What are you stopping for?” Gimli shouted. “We can not take them all,” I said as we stopped.

“Haldir!” Aragorn shouted. I turned and looked up as Haldir, who had been struck in the back. “Go,” Legolas said and I looked at him. “Go!” He enunciated louder and I nodded, taking off up the stairs. 

Just as the Orcs were about to strike again, I threw fire at him, burning him quickly and reaching Haldir. “Haldir,” I said and pulled him back, his head in my lap. “Ve-Ver,” He stuttered. “Shh, it’s alright,” I said, anxiously. 

He shook his head and gave me a weak smile. “No,” He said. “But it will be,” he whispered. “Live happily, Verena Tempest. You have always been a good friend, and so much more,” With those final words, life left his eyes. 

“Hal-Haldir,” I whispered, trying to hold back tears. 

“Verena,” Aragorn said as he knelt next to me. “He- I couldn’t-” “No one could. But he’s gone, Ver. We have to go,” He said quickly. I nodded and sniffled, closing his eyes with a shaking hand and moving his head and standing.

I hope Saruman understands that if I survive this night, there are going to be consequences worse than anything in hell I’ll give him.

~~~

I ended up near my brothers, whereas Aragorn and Gimli ran off to the Causeway, Legolas was nearby, and the rest of my family were Valar knows where.

“Hadrian!” I shouted, throwing a dagger at another Uruk. “They’re sending up bigger ladders with more Uruks,” Alek said and pointed to the ladders. 

“Remember when you used to take me flying?” I asked Nik. “How does that have anything to do with this moment?” He asked. “I think we should do it again. Reign Fire,” I said and looked at him. 

He looked at me in surprise, hoping to get a straight answer. “You know what I mean,” I said. 

“They’re coming,” Hadrian warned. “Can you two handle them?” Nik asked, looking at our brothers. “Of course,” Alek smirked, turning his sword in his hand. 

“Be ready,” Nik said and I nodded, getting to a high point. He ran off to turn and I let out a deep breath and turned. 

“Verena, what are you doing?!” Le shouted. “Trust me!” I shouted back. 

I put my arms out, closing my eyes as I fell backwards and landed on my brother's back, only he was a giant hawk. I rubbed my hands together, warming them up as the flames began to rise.

I put my hands out, raining fire over the Uruks below. Nik flew around as I scattered the flames below lit up quickly. “Causeway!” I shouted over the noise and he flew over the causeway where Aragorn and Gimli were struggling to get away. 

Without warning, I jumped off his back, landing between the Uruks and Aragorn and Gimli. “Ver!” Aragorn shouted. “Go!” I shouted and ran my arms against each other, striking my forearms to turn to fire.

As Uruks tried to get by, they failed and caught on fire instead. “Verena!” Le shouted as he dropped the rope again. I shot one more line of fire through the Uruks, then ran, jumping over the side and catching the rope. He pulled me up with a few others and I climbed, getting on the wall quicker. 

As soon as he pulled me over the side, he hugged me tightly. “Do not ever do that again,” He said. “I had it under control,” I assured him. 

“Fall back!” A soldier shouted. “Let’s go,” He said and took my hand. “I have to find my family,” I said. “We’ll wait by the doors, but my priority is keeping you safe,” He said. What is that about?

“To the Keep!” Others shouted. As I resorted to burning through the Uruks in the way. Le and I stopped outside of the doors and waited for everyone to get in. I drew my bow, shooting out any Uruks trying to get in. 

“Get inside!” Rumil shouted as he ran through last. We ran through the doors, pulling them tightly shut. 

“What the hell was that, Verena!?” Nikolas shouted. “I was saving my friends,” I answered. “You could have died! Do you know what that means?!” He continued. 

“It meant it was my time, Nikolas! You don’t understand that when I go, it was because I was ready. I will only die in two situations; saving the people who mean something to me or when I’m ready, and that is not tonight,” I snapped. 

“It meant we would’ve lost our sister, Verena! We’ve lost two of us tonight, and-” “two of us’?” I interrupted Hadrian. Two Tempests weren’t here. 

“Where are Vardos and Martarys?” I asked. No one answered and I looked at Cleos, who looked down. “No,” I shook my head in disbelief. “Ver-” “They- They were the best of us! Martarys was a warrior, Vardos can outsmart anyone, they-” I trailed off. “They were fathers to us! They couldn’t have,” I fought back tears. 

“They didn’t,” I continued to shake my head. “Ver,” Le said and put his hand on my shoulder, then pulled away quickly. “You’re burning,” Le said in concern. 

Cleos walked over quickly to hug me. If he wasn’t fireproof, I don’t know what I’d do. “I’m here,” He said and I hugged him. “I miss them too,”