A terrible roar filled the air as the army of invaders began storming towards the courtyard, screaming their war cries.
”Volleeeyyy!” Burwod bellowed.
Eight bows released their arrows as if one. Hellrien reached for another arrow and was ready to shoot again in four, five seconds. More bows and crossbows released their deadly loads and the twenty enemy soldiers who had reached the courtyard among the first were caught in a crossfire. They toppled on piles over each other, kicking and screaming and falling so that the dust danced in the air.
Burwod slammed his sword into the ground, yelling: ”Onward, men of the Brotherhood!” Raising his sword high into the air he shouted: ”To glory!”
”We fight!” cried Ordmir, clad in Swan Armor. Some of the defenders pulled out their swords to face the intruders, the first wave having reached the fortifications already, while others kept sending volleys of arrows and bolts raining down on those who came behind. Suddenly Hellrien saw a fierce-looking, leather-clad figure with painted face, wielding a lance or a spear. The figure struck down with his spear, the shaft bent and the young man next to Hellrien rose up into the air like on a lever. Arms and legs kept twitching as one of the newest recruits got skewered! Hellrien drew her greatsword and swung it at the enemy, hitting him right below the cheekbone. The lower part of him swung round and toppled to the ground, while the upper half of his head flew upwards, then down, landing on the barricade in front of Hellrien, macabre look of surprise still in it's perpetually staring eyes. Hellrien wiped the ghastly thing down, wincing in disgust.
”Shields!” Burwod bellowed. He had jumped over the barricades and straight into the sea of enemies. Like a hurricane he cleared a path through the forest of enemies, mutilated corpses already forming knee-high piles in all directions around him. Now the enemy archers began releasing their volleys as well, and a rain of arrows fell down upon them. Well-trained fighters of the Brotherhood were already cowering behind the shields, but one of the newest recruits had been too slow and toppled backwards, an arrow through his throat. Hellrien saw how Ordmir knelt down and picked Haschirgael up, carrying her into safety inside the keep.
The fight raged on. Burwod lead the battle, swinging his sword in a way that almost resembled a dance and every single enemy that crossed his path was cut down like hay. Ordmir returned from the keep, his sword cutting down enemies that had broken through the defenses. He pushed forward as he saw the enemy lines breaking, trying to fight his way into the center. Ranesora broke down a line of twenty enemies charging towards the door. Jorgon, standing up in the roof, sent down arrows like a machine, every single one finding it's target. Hellrien could also hear terrifying growls and screams of panic and pain, as Jarlor and Aaverie blazed through the enemy lines in their bear forms.
”Forward!” Ordmir yelled. ”Send them back to the abyss!”
Corpses kept piling up on the courtyard, forming piles that arose chest-high at best, and yet the enemy still kept coming, seemingly endless in numbers. Hellrien kept hacking at them, with no idea about the tactical situation anymore, simply trying to survive for another moment. A dozen or so arrows flew from the back of the enemy lines. They rained down upon Ormir and his squire. The squire was hit multiple times and died instantly, Ordmir staggered back and fell to the ground.
”Ordmir!” Hellrien wiped sweat out of her eyes and knelt down above the old man. ”Where are you hit?”
Ranesora and a giant bear appeared nearby, guarding the old man from the enemies and further volleys.
”I'll... be fine... child... I... my chest... shoulder...”
Hellrien looked and saw the arrows jutting from his chest and shoulder. It wasn't lodged near the heart, but it had probably collapsed a lung.
”Keep... fighting... I will fall back to the... stronghold... Go, child!”
Hellrien turned her head and saw Burwod launching his sword into an enemy and grabbing another's head with such strength it exploded. She stretched up, looking for somebody to launch her greatsword at, when a sudden burst of light appeared over the cavern, a light so blinding the enemy men of the intruding army began shielding their eyes, dropping their weapons and screaming in sudden panic. A rider appeared, followed by maybe four dozen dwarves from the flank of the enemy. The horseman shouted in a thundering voice:
”Away from the free lands, foul darkness!”
The enemy lines scattered and fell back as more panicked fighters dropped their weapons, retreated or ran away. The horseman spurred his steed closer, and Hellrien recognized him as Korgaano, the mysterious and elusive historian of the Order she had only seen a couple of times before.
”Is everyone alright?” he asked. Burwod, once again covered in blood and who knows what else from head to toe so that it was impossible to see if he was wounded himself, suddenly lurched and collapsed.
”Bur!” Hellrien exclaimed. ”Are you all right?”
Korgaano dismounted and said to Hellrien and the closest defenders: ”Take him into the keep. Where is the elf?”
Hellrien grabbed Burwod by under his armpits and started dragging him towards the stronghold. Somebody else grabbed him by the feet.
”She's there”, Hellrien nodded towards the keep. ”Inside.”
Korgaano ran past her and disappeared through the main door. Hellrien and the Brotherhood recruit soon followed. Hellrien figured she would be pardoned for breaking the protocol this time, so she forwent releasing her weapons as they carried Burwod into the Great Hall. Korgaano was hovering over the settee where Haschirgael was lying, flailing his hands in the air and talking in a loud voice:
”Child of Noldo! You still have work to do! Wake up! Wake up and rise!”
Hellrien set Burwod down on the floor next to the fireplace near his mother, thinking it was as good a place as any, as there were no more beds or settees.
”Haschirgael, wife of Dorvairse”, Korgaano said, in a normal tone of voice now. ”Are you well? Can you hear me?”
”Yes”, Haschirgael answered, her voice weak, fragile. ”I'm still feel weak. Where is my son?”
Korgaano stepped aside and Haschirgael saw Burwod lying on the floor. It was impossible to know with a glance if he was alive or not.
”Burwod!” Haschirgael screamed and dropped out of the settee, kneeling before his son and caressing his forehead in desperation. ”No, oh no, no...”
”M-mother...” Burwod mumbled in a faint voice.
”Haschirgael”, said the wizard. ”He lives. Please move aside.”
Korgaano started rubbing his hands together, and a pure white aura was starting to form on his hands.
”Burwod Ordthrain”, the wizard said. ”Blood of Númenor. Blood of your father. Blood of Noldo. You will rise... and be renewed by the strength of the Valar. Given to you by a Maia! Rise!”
”Mom...” Burwod's voice was very weak, barely audible. ”Where are you... I'm scared...”
”I am right here, son! It will be alright.” Haschirgael knelt down next to her son again, taking his hand to her own.
Korgaano stretched up and turned to gaze at Hellrien. ”Hellrien. Did the sorcerer arrive?”
”There was... an evil man. A warlock.”
”I was afraid I would be too late”, Korgaano said, preening his beard. ”Yet when I arrived, he was not there. Am I right to assume Haschirgael had something to do with his departure?”
”Yes”, Hellrien nodded. ”She ran him away, as far as I could tell.”
Haschirgael looked up at Korgaano, pleading desperately: ”Do something, he will not awake!”
Korgaano turned and walked over to Burwod, beginning to chant again. Haschirgael grasped Burwod's helmet with both hands, removing it carefully. His face was sweating profusely. ”Hellrien, could you bring some water?”
Hellrien went to the mess and filled a tankard with water. She returned and passed it over to Haschirgael. Korgaano had knelt down next to Burwod and brought his palm to the side of his neck. A flow of white light was emitting beneath his fingers where he touched Burwod. He kept chanting:
”Burwod... child of Gondor... child of Noldo... hear me... and rise with new strength in your blood.”
Burwod's eyelids vibrated as he slowly opened his eyes. ”Mother...?”
”I am here, son.”
”Are you all right, Bur?” Hellrien asked nervously, feeling almost like an intruder. Korgaano nodded and walked away to another part of the room, where Aaverie and Jarlor were tending Ordmir to the best of their capabilities. Ranesora was wrapping a bandage on Jorgon's shoulder that had taken an arrow too. Haschirgael tried to give Burwod some water to drink. Burwod was wincing in pain.
”My... my hands hurt...” he tried to remove a gauntlet but screamed in pain.
”He wouldn't let go of that burning sword!” Hellrien gushed.
”Korgaano, can you give me a flask of athelas?” Haschirgael asked. The wizard took a small vial from a pouch strapped to his side and handed it over to Hashcirgael.
”Hellrien, will you help my son remove his gauntlets?”
”Y... yes, but... do they come off? I mean...” Hellrien winced and grew pale when a horrifying vision surfaced in her mind. She saw herself pulling off a gauntlet... along with all the burned and charred tissue around Burwod's bones like a glove, leaving Burwod and Haschirgael stare at the skeletal hand ir absolute horror!
”Just do it”, Burwod ordered, and Hellrien obeyed. She winced as Burwod cried out in pain, but the gauntlet came off. The hand was badly burned, but not quite as terribly as Hellrien had imagined. Together with Hashcirgael she removed the other gauntlet too. Ranesora appeared with a cloth and water and passed them over to Haschirgael, smiling faintly.
”Here, take these... you may need them.” Ranesora turned and walked away.
”Did he just...” Burwod stammered.
”Smile? He did”, Korgaano confirmed.
”It must have been the smell of blood”, Hellrien japed and everyone chuckled a little, the atmosphere lightening up just a little bit. Haschirgael washed Burwod's hands and started applying the green paste on them, speaking quiet strange words Hellrien assumed were uttered in elven language.
”Someone is missing”, Korgaano said suddenly. ”The young Rohirrim woman.”
Burwod hung his head down. Hellrien stared into the flames.
”Theawynn... was killed on her way home”, Burwod said heavily.
”When?” Haschirgael huffed.
”Ask... Jarlor, he knows more about the details.”
Haschirgael slumped down, struck by the gravity of the news.
”Where does her body lay?” Korgaano pressed on.
”Jarlor said she's in her home in Bree...”
”Burwod”, Korgaano sighed, ”I will return Theawynn to you. But it will come with a great cost. A Maia can give his life for another.”
”You shouldn't do that”, Burwod protested. ”I've read enought books to know that's a bad idea. What returns might not be Theawynn.”
”It will be”, Korgaano assured. ”The Maiar were gifted by the Valar the sign of the life force. But to use it... will be a trade-off. A life for a life. I can bring her back. There is nothing more I can do anymore. My time on earth has served it's purpose. Theawynn, however, still has a part to play. Do you want her back?”
”We need her... but are you sure you want to do this?”
”I am. I will bring her back to you.” Korgaano turned to leave.
”Wait!” Haschirgael stopped him. ”I have something to say. It's about Dorvairse.”
Korgaano turned back and frowned. ”Dorvairse? What about him?”
”He's in Imadris. I had a vision of him being ambushed by orcs on his way there. I asked my mother for help and together we rescued him. He was wounded very badly. I sent a messenger right away but I guess he never made it here. Dorvairse has been in Imadris ever since. After some days a raven came with a note. There was a warning about the looming danger upon the stronghold. Dorvairse wanted to come himself, but he was not well enough to travel such a long distance yet. Besides, his presence would have brought even greater peril upon the stronghold, so I persuaded him to stay and left Imadris, promising him I would defend our kinsmen. I had my mother to take care of him and traveled here as fast as I could. The rest you know. Now I shall return to him.”
”I'll go with you”, Burwod said.
”No”, Haschirgael said. ”You need rest. Our kinsmen are wounded. You must stay to provide them strength and leadership.”
”Yes, you have all taken a blow to your strength”, Korgaano nodded. ”You must replace what has been lost and mend what has been broken. I will stay here to provide protection until you are healed and Dorvairse and Hashcirgael returned. Then I will return Theawynn to you. The sorcerer will not return as long as I'm here, but, Burwod, mark my words... he will return. And you must be ready for him. He is weakened. You can kill him if you use the word of Hope. I will teach your mother something to defeat him with. A new dawn is rising... all of you need rest. This is my command. Heal and restore the lost. I will now depart for the libraries of Thorin's Hall. Farewell, friends!”
”I will make my exit too”, Haschirgael said, touching his son's bearded cheek. ”Be well, my son. I will be back with your father. Hellrien, come here.”
Haschirgael handed a flask of athelas to Hellrien. ”Make sure to apply it every day.”
Hellrien promised to do so. Then Haschirgael and Korgaano walked out of the door and were gone.
