Lona saw Caran and waved, her eyes sad. The people were so unhappy, it seemed there was no laughter amongst their quiet conversations. It hurt Lona to see her fellow people so downcast.

Caran spotted Lona in the crowd. She quickly wiped away her tears and moved over to join her friend. "I shall get our horses and meet you at the gate." She said quietly, wanting to be away from the sorrowful towns people for another moment.

Soon the Rohirrim flooded out of Edoras. Caran patiently waited on her horse with Lona's horse, watching as the crowd swept by her.

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Lona nodded, then mounted her horse when Caran returned. She watched King Theoden over the flood of people, wondering what he possibly could be thinking. Legolas cought her eye, sending her a 'calm down' signal with his hands. He was right. She did need to calm down. She gave a slight nod to him then turned her gaze back to the people, then nudge her horse forward when the mounted guards and people started following.

Caran urged her horse forward. The horse neighed with delight at being active again. Caran snickered slightly, but she was also envious. The horse had nothing to worry about. The horse was free of commitments. Free of war. Caran shook herself, in awe and shame of her thoughts. Caran should be proud of her duties. Her father would have been hurt to hear her thoughts. She locked her thoughts away with her fears and gazed out at the towns people. Worry eminated from them.

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"Caran," Lona turned her head to her companion. "Fear not. This is just another journey." she gave a nod to Caran then turned her head straight again, watching over the people.

"I fear nothing my friend. I only wish the towns people had as much hope as we do," she uttered quietly. Caran moved closer to Lona, her voice low so only she could hear. "There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he is leading us to safety, when the only outcome is going to be a massacre. I only hope the defences hold." She frowned deeply.

Gamling and Hama ride to the front of the group. Caran watched as they passed, listening closely. "What is it Hama?" Gamling asked as their horses became restless. Hama looked around. "I'm not sure..." He frowned, continuing to look around. A warg scout appears on a slope above them and charges, attacking Hama where he stood. Gamling whirled round to the company. "Wargs!!" He yelled. "Scouts from Isenguard. We are under attack!!"

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Lona's face tightened. Warg riders were some of the most viscious warriors from the other side. She drew her sword. "Get the women and children to safety!" she screamed, finding it ironic that she and Caran were also women. Her horse reared, nervous from the smell of the wargs. "Caran, have you fought these before?" she asked above the panicked screams of the people.

Hearing the alarm the villagers began to scream in terror and panic. Caran raised a hand to shush them, but was unsuccessful. She could vaguely hear Theoden ordering the riders to the head of the column. Caran moved with Lona, nodding to her question. "I have," she said grimly.

After a heated argument with Theoden, Eowyn tended to the villagers. "Make for the lower ground! Stick together!" Eowyn called to the villagers, watching as they obeyed her word. Caran watched them off, ensuring they were beyond her sight in the small valleys before charging off into the fray to meet the warg riders. The Rohirrim and warg riders crash head on and the battle begins.

Caran unleashed her fathers sword upon them. She twisted and turned, ensuring she remained out of their grasp each time. Striking them down as best as she could.

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Lona cut down rider after rider, her face grim with the fight. This was not good. She looked up just in time to see Aragorn go over the edge with a Warg. "No!" she screamed, knowing full well there were people who would be crushed should he die. But she was too late. She rode to the edge and looke down at the swirling river. She blinked back tears, then rode again into battle, not sure what to do.

The warg numbers began to grow thin with several of them retreating with fright. Theoden looked out at the grounds before him, his eyes sorrowful at the bodies of his men that lay at his feet. He looked out at those who remained standing and regarded them with pride. Legolas, too, was looking around, almost frantically. His eyes, as much as he tried, would not alight upon Aragorn. An evil snicker drew his attention. An orc lay wounded on the ground, clutching a metal object to his chest.
"Where is he?" Legolas demanded, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him violently. The orc simply laughed in response. Legolas tore the metal object from the orcs hands and recognised it to be a necklace that Arwen, daughter of Elrond, had gifted to Aragorn as a symbol of her love. The orc began to babble as Gimli approached. "Tell me what happened or I shall ease your passing." The orc stared up at the dwarf weighing out his options.
"He took a little tumble of the cliff..." He croaked, raising a hand to show them where. He cackled harshly before falling silent and still.
Legolas walked over to the cliff and stared down at the rushing water that flew past. He could not find his companion. He knew Aragorn was strong and hoped that he would be able to fight the currents of the river. But, hope was all he had. Theoden came to stand by Legolas' side. "Come we must keep going." Legolas stared blankly at him before stiffly returning to his horse and mounting it wordlessly.
Caran watched the exchange warily. She did not know Aragorn well, but knew his loss would be devastating to many. What hope did they have now against Isenguard's army. It was also clear their pass was being watched. They would need to move quickly.

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Lona cringed and turned her eyes away from the scene. Things were not turning out well for them. It had been a long battle, but the wargs and riders had been felled. They continued on, Abd after a while, they saw Helm's deep in the distance. Lona scowled. They were running to the hills when they should have stood and fought! They would have had such a better chance at Edoras.

Theoden and his company breached the threshold of Helm's deep and were faced with cries of welcome. A crowd began to gather around them all. Gamling dropped down from his horse, ushering the people back. "Make way for the King!" He yelled at the top of his voice, leading the way to the inner sanctum. He looked up to see Eowyn dashing down to meet them. Theoden smiled in greeting to her as he dismounted his own horse. Eowyn looked around at the company, as though counting their numbers. "So few of you have returned..." she looked to Theoden, reading his eyes for the answers she feared to hear.
"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives." He said mournefully as Gimli approached Eowyn. Caran watched silently, on their journey she had noted that the dwarf had grew close with Lady Eowyn. She also noticed that Lady Eowyn had liked Aragorn. Caran heaved a sigh, glad she was not the one to be delivering the bad news.
"My lady..." Gimli spoke solemnly.
"Where is Lord Aragorn?" Eowyn asked, knowing the answer already.
Gimli swallowed hard. "He fell..." Was all he could manage to say. Eowyn looked to her King with teary eyes.

Theoden walked away, confirming the news of Aragorn's death. He walked up onto the battlements. Caran chose to follow, not desiring to stay and feel the deep grief that emitted from Lady Eowyn. "Draw all our forces behind the wall. Bar the gate and set watch on the surrounds."

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Lona watched the cobblestones at her feet as she dismounted, not wishing to see the pain on so many faces. Many were lost. Too many. "We need more men..." she said a bit sadly.

"This is all we have Miss. We will have to do what we can in the little time that we have." Theoden stopped and looked out to the field that lay before his stronghold. "Take the women and children to the caves, ensure they are safe and know of the routes out of the mountain. We may not survive, but they should. They should survive to keep the Rohirrim alive." Theoden's voice was grave as he spoke. Little hope rang through the tremours of his voice either.

One of the soldiers moved to usher Lona and Caran down to the caves, when Caran protested. "I have come to fight, not to be stowed away into the caves! Unhand me!" The soldier stepped back, raising his hands in a sign of peace. "Miss, war is scary. It is not a place I would choose to be." He said sadly. "I would choose to be with my wife and child too." Caran rolled her eyes. "I know more of the woes of war than you ever will my lord. I will stay here, above ground and fight to the last man. I may be a woman, but I am not defenceless." She fixed the soldier with a cool stare, before looking to her King for back up.

"Like I said. We need all that we can get. I need you to find every able bodied man and boy. Set them up with armour and weapons. Train them as best you can..." Theoden continued to walk along the wall, his shoulders hunched.

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She was surprised, but raised her voice. "I am second in command of an army of His majesty. We both stay and fight." she eyed the men, as though daring them to disagree. She straightened he back. "Find arms! Supply the ranks with armour and weapons!" she calls out, her voice strong.

Theoden looked round to Lona, with a surprised expression on his face. Never had he come across a woman who could command an army, except from Eowyn, but he could not risk her life. He was responsible for her only. If Lona and Caran chose to fight and lay their lives on the line, it was entirely their choice.

The men scrambled to fulfill the orders they had been given.

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