Eventually the gates were besieged with battering rams. Aragorn and Eomer gathered some men and snuck out a small door on the West side of the Hornburg (the main fortress) and surprised the Orcs. "'Guthwine!' cried Eomer. 'Guthwine for the Mark!' 'Anduril!' cried Aragorn. 'Anduril for the Dúnedain!'" (p. 139, The Two Towers). Raising their swords together they routed the enemy but it was only a temporary stay. The number of Orcs were too great and they quickly retreated inside the keep to reinforce the gates. However, some of the Orcs had feigned death and silently followed them to the hidden door. Two tripped up Eomer before he entered and he looked to be lost until another cry was heard: "'Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu!'" (p. 139, The Two Towers). Gimli beheaded the Orcs saving Eomer’s life.
The sortie made it inside and reinforced the gates; Eomer thanked Gimli whose spirits were high now that he had entered battle. "'Two!' said Gimli, patting his axe. He had returned to his place on the wall. 'Two?' said Legolas. 'I have done better, though now I must grope for spent arrows; all mine are gone. Yet I make my tale twenty at least'" (p. 140, The Two Towers). Still the host of Isengard advanced attacking the gates and sending grappling hooks and ladders upon the wall. Piles of Orc dead raised hideously high but there was no slowing the advance. Three times Aragorn and Eomer had turned away breeches in the wall but the Men of Rohan were tiring.
There was a culvert in the great wall where a stream ran out. Orcs had snuck through it and gathered silently until their numbers were strong and began to attack the Deep from behind. Gimli lead a charge to defend the culvert with some Men of the Westfold. They were turned back and with the cunning of the Dwarf the culvert was blocked up to prevent a further breech. With that work done Gimli sought his friend Legolas once again during a lull in the battle. "'Twenty-one!' said Gimli. 'Good!' said Legolas. 'But my count is two dozen. It has been knife work up here'" (p. 141, The Two Towers). By now Aragorn and Eomer were weary as the night slowly passed. Gamling, a Man of Rohan, assured them dawn was nigh. "'Dawn is ever the hope of men,' said Aragorn" (p. 142, The Two Towers). This reminds of Hurin long ago; I would think Aragorn was familiar with that ancient story.
Suddenly there was a great crash with flame and smoke. The Wall crumbled and Orcs poured into the Deep. Some work of Saruman had breeched the wall and Aragorn quickly ran to stem the tide. Many Rohirrim were driven back toward the caves while others fought their way to the Hornburg. Aragon held the steps to the Hornburg until all that could make it were safe. As Aragorn ran up the steps Legolas spent his last arrow through the throat of an Orc who pursued his friend. Legolas was dismayed to learn Gimli had not made the Hornburg. Aragorn thought he had made the caves. "'That must be my hope,' said Legolas. 'But I wish that he had come this way. I desired to tell Master Gimli that my tale is now thirty-nine'" (p. 143, The Two Towers). Eomer also was cut off and had not come to the Hornburg.
Theoden was in the citadel and learned from Aragorn how the battle went. He figured those in the caves would last longer than those in the Hornburg. Theoden resolved to ride out with dawn into the enemy and Aragorn agreed to aid him. At the very least they would make a death worthy of song. Through the remainder of the night Aragorn and Legolas went along the fortress walls encouraging the defenders. As dawn broke Aragorn stood tall and proud on the wall for the Orcs to see him and he sought to parley. They mocked him while he bid them to leave or face certain death: for none had ever taken the Hornburg. For a moment the enemy was struck with doubt by the majesty of Aragorn but soon they blew up the gate and sought to enter.
Meanwhile dawn broke for Frodo and Sam as well. Their situation was no better. For they saw the wastes of Noman lands, the desolation of Mordor, all about them. The Dead Marshes seemed green and spry compared to these lands. The land was utterly defiled beyond any hope of healing, full of choking reek and foul pits. "'I feel sick,' said Sam. Frodo did not speak" (p. 239, The Two Towers). Exhausted they hid behind a mound but a choking fume rose from it. Gollum moved to a pit with a nasty smelly oily substance at the bottom with Sam and Frodo following. They were parched but only spared drops of water for fear of running out. The day passed slowly as the hobbits took turns on the watch.
As the Uruk-hai prepared to invade the Hornburg the great horn of Helm rang out making them cower. The sound greatly encouraged the Rohirrim. Theoden road forth on his horse leading a charge into the Orc ranks. All fell before them and it seemed as if the hills did not stop sounding return horn calls. Theoden charged to the Dike and found an alarming sight: a great forest where before there had been only open land. Theoden was before the Orcs, the menacing trees behind, to the East a sheer wall that could not be climbed, and to the West came the answering horns. There was Gandalf, clad in white, Erkenbrand, with his red shield, and a thousand Rohirrim. The Men of Dunland fell in fear while the Orcs ran. "Wailing they passed under the waiting shadow of the trees; and from that shadow none ever came again" (p. 147, The Two Towers).
There was a great reunion on the battlefield. Gandalf and Theoden, Eomer and Gimli from the caves with Aragorn and Legolas. "'Forty-two, Master Legolas!' he cried. My axe is notched: the forty second had an iron collar on his neck. How is it with you?' 'You have passed my score by one' answered Legolas' (p. 148, The Two Towers). The Elf was too overjoyed at seeing his friend fairly unscathed (a small cut on his head) to be concerned about losing the contest. I quoted all the excerpts to prove that Peter Jackson wasn’t just adding another over-the-top element to a battle scene; this came straight from Tolkien--well perhaps with a bit of indulgence.
Gandalf informed Theoden he had business in Isengard and welcomed the king to join him. Theoden agreed but first he and his men needed rest. Messengers were sent abroad to inform the Rohirrim of the victory and to summon all fighting men to Edoras. While Theoden and others slept Erkenbrand controlled the field; burying the dead Riders and piling the Orc bodies. With the Dunland prisoners he took their weapons and had them promise to never cross the Isen with arms again and sent them on their way. "The men of Dunland were amazed, for Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan were cruel and burned their captives alive" (p. 150, The Two Towers).
By late afternoon a small group (Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Theoden, Eomer, and twenty others) set out for Isengard with Gandalf. They approached the strange woods and Gandalf entered without a flinch. Gimli, now riding with Legolas, was terribly uncomfortable in the woods while the Elf was captivated. He longed to spend more time amongst Fangorn but Gimli felt that perilous. Gimli spoke of the caves of Helm’s Deep and how he wished to spend more time there. Legolas felt that perilous. Gimli spoke in beautifully descriptive and copious terms of the caves. "'You move me, Gimli' said Legolas. 'I have never heard you speak like this before. Come! Let us make this bargain—if we both return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for a while together. You shall visit Fangorn with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm’s Deep'" (p. 153, The Two Towers). Gimli agreed.
As they left the woods Legolas spotted eyes. As the company turned it seemed as if the trees had arms and called in musical sounds. To their great surprise the calls were answered and several tree-like shapes approached from the North. Theoden asked Gandalf what they saw and the Wizard explained they were Ents. Indeed, Ents were real and not some children’s fairy tale as told in Rohan. "'You have seen Ents, O King, Ents out of Fangorn Forest, which in your tongue you call the Entwood'" (p. 155, The Two Towers). Theoden could hardly believe his eyes or Gandalf’s words.They journeyed on and passed the Fords of Isen where signs of battle remained. Gandalf told how in his journey’s he had met Grimbold, whom he sent to Erkenbrand and Elfhelm, whom he sent to reinforce Edoras. As night fell the company rested.
It was about the time they passed the Fords that Sam awoke. Frodo was asleep but Gollum was not; in fact he seemed to be standing over Frodo and talking to someone. Sam was fascinated as it became apparent Gollum was having a conversation with himself. It seemed Smeagol was having a conversation with Gollum about taking the Precious. Smeagol was reluctant since he liked Frodo (who was a Bagginses Gollum pointed out) and for fear that He (Sauron) would see. "'No sweet one. See, my precious: if we has it, then we can escape, even from Him, eh? Perhaps we grows very strong, stronger than Wraiths. Lord Smeagol? Gollum the Great? The Gollum! Eat fish, every day, three times a day, fresh from the sea. Most Precious Gollum! Must have it. We wants it, we wants it, we wants it!'" (p. 241, The Two Towers). It seemed to Sam that as Gollum spoke his hands reached for Frodo’s neck but they would jerk back when Smeagol spoke. It seemed a very dangerous situation.
Sam felt he shouldn’t let Gollum know what he saw and heard. He stirred slowly and yawned loudly to let Gollum know he was waking up. Gollum announced it was time to go and they had slept too long. Frodo woke up refreshed, having some sort of pleasant vision he couldn’t remember. He instructed Gollum to take them to the Black Gate and then the creature was free to go where he saw fit (in the conversation with himself Gollum wondered why they were heading to Mordor). Gollum agreed. As they moved in the gathering darkness they once again felt fear come over them. A Wraith, far above, had flown over once again.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 4th
Today's reading comes from: The Two Towers, pages 137-147; 239-240; 148-157; 240-242
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 4th
Today's reading comes from: The Two Towers, pages 137-147; 239-240; 148-157; 240-242
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