Siege
Hiccup shuffled anxiously, unable to fall into a restful sleep. Completely lost to his restless thoughts, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Meanwhile, Toothless and Moonbeam slept in peace at his side, purring softly and apparently undisturbed by any bad dreams.
Wagons carrying supplies rolled down the road outside the stable, and soldiers in armor marched in formation closely behind the wagons. The whole city was, even now in the darkest of night, active and on the move.
There was no way of knowing for sure how large the enemy army was going to be. Additional light at daybreak would have helped, but he knew that there would be no clear dawn now.
The darkness even made the Smothering Smokebreaths he read about in the Manual seem like nothing.
He briefly reflected on how Dragon Island had been surrounded in a constant mist and low-level cloudcover. That unnatural mist which persisted even through the day had wrecked countless ships on the rocks and sea-stacks around the island itself. Was the Queen somehow responsible for the mist, or was it a natural occurrence from the volcano on the island? He would probably never know.
"Come on, son. Gotta get you to safety..." someone muttered from outside the stable.
"But da..." the lad's voice trailed off.
Even into the night, parents and soldiers had been shepherding women, children, and the elderly deeper into the city to be further from the walls.
He stared at the ceiling.
Mom... dad... please get here soon. The rest of the pack too. We could use the help and...
He blinked.
Wow, did I just think of Far-Flight as dad and Sky-Dancer as mom?
It was strange that his thoughts naturally went like that now. Or... maybe it wasn't strange at all. Maybe this was just his accepting what truly was now. Being apart from them had helped to reinforce the truth that they were his parents now. True, they had not and did not need to do many things that parents normally needed to do, but they were still encouraging and supportive of him in every way. Parents did not necessarily need to be blood-relations.
He then thought about the island that he would never see again. In a way, Berk was like Minas Tirith. Both were filled with stubborn, defiant people who stood against a menace that had threatened them for many generations.
The dragons were not completely innocent victims either, though their situation was terrible: being trapped between dangerous humans and the Queen. However, they would not be trapped forever.
Toothless had mentioned that the Queen was getting very old, and its strength to control dragons was fading with its age. It would die eventually or it would lose control over the other dragons, and at that point... all the dragons in that nest will be free to... what would they do? They would likely fly back into that hidden world that Far-Flight and several others had mentioned.
The dragons would be hidden from humans, probably never to show themselves again, if that world was as hidden as it seemed. That would lead to peace, more or less, since both sides would not meet again.
Even as he thought that he realized that there was an obvious flaw in it. That flaw was part of his own justification for why the Fury pack had to leave behind its isolation in the Northern Waste. That peace from isolation and segregation wouldn't last forever. The dragons would be found eventually, would have forgotten about humans entirely, and then... it wouldn't be good for anyone. Everything would be right back where they had been when the first Viking met the first dragon.
But there was no reason to dwell on that. That world was not his own anymore. He was only responsible for what he could actually change here in this world.
He pulled the blanket back over himself and settled down to try to get what rest he could. Focusing on nothing but Toothless's and Moonbeam's soft purring was what finally helped him calm, still his restless mind, and fall asleep.
Dawn finally came as a slight brightening of the darkness. It was not much, but there was enough light to let everyone see much of the Pelennor. Hundreds of Gondor soldiers stood on the ramparts of each level and stared out over the plain and fields.
Hiccup and Toothless slipped out of the barn while leaving Moonbeam to sleep a little more. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the edge of the wall and stared out into the distance. Long lines of dots and entire companies of soldiers were already in formation, digging trenches, and lighting fires. The visible stream of soldiers extended all the way out into the far shadows where nothing was visible. It was difficult to hear over the constant noise of the city, but there was a constant murmuring from far away. The occasion drumbeat also was audible.
"Well, that doesn't look good..." Hiccup grumbled.
Toothless growled.
"How many are there?"
"A lot."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Yes, there might be enough that you can hit one with your arrows by chance."
Hiccup punched him in the shoulder.
"I'm not that bad a shot!"
Toothless toothily grinned at him.
"Maybe not, but you live in a Night Fury pack. You must be like us and never miss..."
Hiccup scowled and crossed his arms on his chest.
"I do not miss! Not anymore! I'm a very good shot now, thank you very much!"
Toothless shrugged.
"You still need to prove that to me."
"Fine. How?"
"By shooting something!"
"Something? Sure... I'll shoot down a something and mount that something head on a wall! Care to be more specific?"
Toothless hummed in thought until he smirked.
"How about you shoot down a fellbeast?"
"Yeah, that'd be impressive. Gotta find some fellbeasts first. On second thought... we don't need to go looking for them. They will come to us."
"And we will be ready for them!" Toothless growled.
They watched as the many thousands of shapes out on the Pelennor continued working and gathering, slowly filling the entirety of the plains before the city.
They flew up to the highest level without looking out at the gathering army.
Toothless and Moonbeam touched down, and Hiccup hopped down onto the grass. He was clad in his dark leather armor, complete with his wingsuit, his Lorien cloak, his Dwarven dagger, and his dark helmet. Inferno and his arrows were back at their temporary lodging, but he would be keeping those with him before too long.
Toothless stepped over to him and roughly nudged his shoulder.
"Huh?" Hiccup asked.
"Just admiring how you look like a dangerous fighter now."
"Good! I am one!"
Toothless chuckled.
"But where is your tail?"
"Really... what are they even for? Why would I need one?"
"Balance," Moonbeam answered.
"Faster turns," Toothless added.
"Spins," Moonbeam also added.
"Holding tails..." Toothless chuckled.
The Furies rubbed each other's neck while purring.
Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes.
"You two are hopeless. You coming with or not?"
Then he started for the Citadel with them bounding after him.
"They will let us inside this time?" Toothless asked.
"Yep, animals are allowed inside now," Hiccup grumbled.
They calmly walked up before the massive and majestic Citadel framed on the right by the glimmering Tower of Ecthelion.
Hiccup marveled again at how high it rose up above the tallest level. It was a marvelous feat of engineering and construction.
Who knows what it is for? Probably just to be impressive or see really far away.
The Citadel guards on duty outside the Citadel stood to attention and stepped aside after opening the massive doors.
Hiccup gazed in surprise and awe when he stepped inside and saw the interior. The building was constructed with shining floors, pristine columns of black stone, many massive sculptures of rulers, glass windows, and a large, elevated white throne. A large table stood in the center of the throne room, and Gandalf, Faramir, and Denethor, all deep in council, stood around the table. Pippin stood off to the side, waiting to see to Denethor's requests. Another table had plates of tomatoes, chicken, and vegetables.
The entire inside of the Citadel had a feeling of nobility and grandiosity which Rohan completely lacked. However, the simpler buildings of Edoras felt more... inviting and homely, in his opinion.
Toothless and Moonbeam followed him up to the table and then sat down. Moonbeam looked around at the statues in surprise; it was certainly her first time being inside such a building.
"You wanted to meet us," Hiccup bowed to them.
"Thank you for joining us; we were discussing the coming defense," Faramir greeted them.
Denethor frowned and looked very weary, "Have you not seen the number of foes out on the Pelennor? I know not if we can withstand them. All may be in vain."
Faramir turned to him.
"Father, we can hold. We have all my Rangers, Rohan's army inbound, and more dragons flying to us. We can hold."
Denethor stared across the table at Faramir. The Steward's eyes were narrow and his voice was cold.
"We thought the same about Osgiliath and yet it has fallen... twice now."
Faramir averted his eyes, but Toothless growled softly.
"You did not have us then."
Gandalf nodded.
"Indeed. You and the rest of your kin who are flying to our aid will be most helpful in the coming siege. We wish to discuss tactics with you three."
Hiccup stepped forward and stood at attention with his arms behind his back. He was eager to get to this. Planning and careful attacks are how dragons attack best, after all.
"Good idea. What is the plan?"
Gandalf started pacing, his hands behind his back.
"The army of Mordor is not as advanced as Saruman's was. However, it is much larger. I expect a minimum of a hundred thousand Orcs. They will have siege towers to scale the upper walls and many catapults to rain fire and ruin on the lower levels."
Faramir spoke up.
"My Rangers have spotted men of Rhun and Harad; there are perhaps ten thousand. They even have Mumakil, massive beasts of war for open combat."
"What about the fellbeasts? What will they do?" Toothless growled.
Gandalf frowned and clutched his staff.
"The Nazgul will use them to spread fear through the city. The Nazgul's cries from the shadows above can have a terrible effect on even the stoutest warrior."
"They might try to destroy our catapults or lay waste the lines on the walls," Faramir added.
"How many fellbeasts are there?" Hiccup asked.
Faramir answered.
"We do not know. There are nine Nazgul, each of which will likely have a mount. But even that might not be all of the winged beasts, from what I and my men have seen recently."
Gandalf frowned.
"I can help to hold the Nazgul at bay. I am more... at liberty to show my strength now, if I deem it necessary."
"How many dragons can we expect to fly here?" Denethor asked.
"Eight more, all like me. What do you think the best flight would be for us? How can we help the most?" Toothless asked.
Gandalf, Faramir, and Denethor silently looked between themselves.
"Am I correct that the cries of the Nazgul do not affect you?" Gandalf inquired.
"They make me want to flame them. Does that count?"
Gandalf nodded.
"Yes, it does. I believe the best way you and your kind could aid in the defense is to help keep the Nazgul and the fellbeasts from the walls. Burning down the siege towers would also help. Of course, aiding the Rohirrim in their attack would also be most beneficial."
Moonbeam stepped forward and held herself proudly.
"I can help with flaming enemies beyond the wall. I can hide from all eyes when I am in the sky."
Faramir, Denethor, and Gandalf looked confused, so Hiccup explained.
"She can fly through her own fire and she... vanishes in the sky. The enemy won't even see her until it's too late."
"Fascinating," Faramir breathed in awe.
"Is that so? Concealment is very useful indeed," Gandalf nodded, looking amused.
Denethor braced himself against the table.
"This is all well to speak of, but we are considering only common foes which can be felled by sword, pike, and bow. What of the Sorcerer of Minas Morgul?"
A deathly silence followed the mention of that name. The light filtering in from the windows and glowing from the candles faded slightly.
"We know that he will be leading the assault. What is your plan to bring about his end, Mithrandir?"
Gandalf leaned against his staff, thought for a moment, and then answered.
"I have none."
Denethor nervously laughed.
"So you admit you are outmatched?"
"Perhaps, but I have not tested myself against him."
"But you can challenge him, right? You are the White Wizard, and that has to count for something!" Pippin interjected.
"Yes, Master Peregrin, it appears that I must face him in a test of might. If I do face him, no others may interfere. He wields sorcery and foul magics. Merely standing in the Witch-king's presence will drain strength, any blade that strikes him will be destroyed, and anyone who harms him will be stricken."
"You have my fire!" Toothless growled.
"And mine also!" Moonbeam added.
"That fire will be welcome, and I do hope that it will prove useful. All we must do is survive until Rohan arrives. The enemy's greatest strength will fall on the main gate. We hold that and we can hold as long as we need."
Gandalf walked over to Hiccup and put a hand on his shoulder.
"If you would take my advice, Master Haddock, I would have you stay out of the combat so that Burning-Star and Moonbeam can fly freely without burden."
Hiccup frowned, not liking this proposed plan at all.
"With respect, I will not sit here and do nothing while people I care about are fighting. And I am a good shot with the bow. They might need my help."
Toothless stepped over to him and gently nudged him with a paw.
"I would feel better if you were not in the worst fighting. It would be harder for me to fight the fellbeasts up close with you on me."
"I..."
"Stay with Gandalf, bite from far away with your bow, and stay safe. Please."
"I just want to help..." Hiccup whispered.
"And you will by staying safe. I do not want you to get hurt," Toothless whispered back.
Hiccup glumly nodded.
"Fine... fine..."
He didn't like this at all, but... he could see the sense in what Gandalf and Toothless pointed out. There was a noticeable difference between a Night Fury bearing a saddle and rider, and one without that burden.
Still, he wanted... needed to prove himself! Somehow...
Gandalf resumed pacing.
"Faramir and I will lead the men in the defense and help to sustain their courage. Steward, will you bring your blade also? Your presence would do much to muster the city's strength."
Denethor said nothing for a long time; his gaze was unfocused, and his eyes looked heavy and weary, as if he had not been sleeping well.
Hiccup thought he understood why. Denethor was obviously very worried about the city and not sleeping well because of it.
"Steward?" Gandalf muttered.
"Yes," Denethor blinked, "Yes, I will join the final stand. If we must die, we might as well bring as many of the enemy with us as we can. Will someone... send for my son, that he may battle at my side and die with me?"
"Father, I'm right here..." Faramir stepped over to him.
"B... F...aramir..." Denethor wearily sat down in his chair and held his head in his hands.
"Father, are you well?" Faramir knelt before him.
The Steward's eyes, normally blazing with strength, were very weary when he looked back up. His hands shook and his voice became more frantic as he spoke.
"I... oh my son... my dreams... I see more than any can know. He is so many. So strong. What can the West do against him? Fire and lightning and death and betrayal and the Tree will die... and burn... we shall burn..."
Faramir gently shook his father's shoulder.
"We can stand defiant and not give in to fear! How long has the city stood and the line of Stewards protected the city? You will not fail now."
Denethor exhaled and closed his eyes, holding a palm to his brow.
"Fara...mir, I need... rest now..."
Faramir made a gesture and summoned several attendants over to see to Denethor.
"Father, go rest. We will need you this evening once the siege truly begins."
"Yes... yes. And we can all die then... die and burn with honor..."
The attendants led a stumbling Denethor into the back rooms of the Citadel and left them alone.
Gandalf scowled as soon as they were gone.
"There is foul craft at work here. Denethor was never one to give in to despair as he has now. Has he been taking council from anyone else?"
"Not to my knowledge," Faramir answered.
Gandalf grumbled again.
"I must think on this. Fortunately the men followed you and your brother more than they did your father. Your presence alone will lighten their hearts."
Faramir winced and nodded.
"As much as I wish that I could be there for my father, I understand that the city needs me more."
"Excuse me," Hiccup interrupted, "where do you want me?"
Faramir almost smiled at him.
"My my, aren't you eager. You, Master Haddock, have stubbornness issues, am I right?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"You also have a very fine bow which I assume you know how to use?"
"Also true."
"You might be surprised and pleased to hear that you have a reputation among the men."
"Really?"
"Indeed. After all, you have a fine Elven weapon, mysterious dark armor, and you are kin to friendly dragons. You should join us above the main gate. You could still help out with the defense while also being around Mithrandir."
Hiccup eagerly agreed. While it was not the same as flying with Toothless, this would still be him directly contributing to the defense.
"Alright, I'll do that until the rest of the pack gets here. Then I'll help lead all of them in the defense."
Gandalf spoke up.
"Now that the Steward has returned to his chambers, I can share that Aragorn will also arrive here by another road than with Rohan. He will be bringing a company of his kin and the knights of Dol Amroth by the river. I expect they will arrive roughly at the same time as Rohan, if neither are much delayed."
Faramir nodded.
"I understand. My father is not well, and the pressure of... transition may be much for him. So... Rohan and other dragons will arrive from the north, and more reinforcements will arrive from the west and the south. We must only endure."
An attendant entered the Citadel, gave Faramir a report, and then was dismissed.
"How long do we have until it starts?" Hiccup asked.
"They will have some catapults ready perhaps by day's end, but the siege does not truly start until the towers reach us. I hope that you, Burning-Star and Moonbeam, might help us greatly with destroying those," Faramir said.
"What about me? What can I do?" Pippin piped up.
Faramir crossed his arms while smiling at the Hobbit.
"You, Master Halfling, I would have tend to my father. Open combat is no place for a Hobbit. You can also give assistance to the healers who tend the wounded."
"I understand, Captain. I can do all that," Pippin answered.
"Go now and summon Beregond and all the other Citadel guards. I would have all the Citadel guards who can be spared join in the defense of the walls."
Pippin ran off to obey his orders. Faramir then turned to Toothless and Moonbeam.
"And I trust that you will both act without direction. It is not my place to give you orders."
Toothless purred and bowed to him.
"We know what to do. What are the best targets for us?"
"If you are able, the catapults and siege towers should be your primary targets."
Hiccup nodded.
"I'll tell you both what to look for."
Hiccup stood between Toothless and Moonbeam; he had a hand on both of their necks. The three of them stood together far out on the spur on the highest level of the city.
The eastern wind whipped around them while the dark clouds swirled high above. Even from so far away and high up, the wind occasionally carried a shrill cry or howl, a beat of a drum, or some other sound from out on the plain.
They silently gazed out toward the Pelennor. None of them said anything about how large the force was, for they could not find words for it. There were countless Orcs and even a number of large creatures, probably trolls, making formations.
Lines hundreds deep filled the entire fields and plains before the city but just outside the range of any archers. The defending catapults were silent, saving their shots for important targets such as towers and siege engines.
"I have never seen so many things," Moonbeam grumbled.
"Me neither," Toothless sighed.
"And we have to wait here until the attack starts," Hiccup frowned.
Toothless bumped his shoulder.
"We will be fine! We will stay high and fast, and you will stay with Gandalf. I want you to get your first kills with your bow."
"Yes," Moonbeam purred, "you can be a hunter also."
"Alright, I should get ready. Everything fine with the tailfin?" Hiccup asked.
Toothless chuckled.
"Yes, it is. You should put on your hide and wings."
"Will do! Could be helpful."
"I will fly you down there, but first... there is something Moonbeam and I should do."
Hiccup raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really? What is that?"
"We should let everyone know that we are here."
Toothless and Moonbeam stepped up to the edge of the spur, took deep breaths, and roared in defiance. Their united roars echoed off the stones, and Hiccup felt his own breath shiver with the force of their cries which he could not tell apart. He had to cover his ears, so loud were their roars.
Then they went silent as they caught their breath.
"Well, if anyone didn't know you two are here... they do now!"
"Let them know! They will fear the fury of both night and light!" Toothless snarled.
"And about that, you ready for this?" Hiccup stepped over to him and offered him the pendant.
"Yes, I want it for this fight!"
Hiccup looped the pendant over Toothless's head and tied off the pendant so that it had no room to swing on his neck.
Toothless instantly felt warmer with his precious and warming starlight with him, though that light was hidden now.
Hiccup started chuckling at something.
"What is twisting your tail?" Moonbeam asked.
"Oh, nothing. It's just... a dragon flying into battle, bearing the light of a star feels so... right."
The light began to fade as evening approached. There was no visible setting sun.
Toothless kneaded at the stone underpaw as he watched the tower-dens approach beyond the wall. He and Moonbeam were perched on a tower on the first city-nest level. They were waiting for the fight to begin.
The roar of a horn would announce the start of the attack.
The rhythmic booming of large drums beyond was growing louder. His soul-fire burned hotter as he breathed heavily, gathering strength.
This nervous energy and building snarl inside was a very familiar one which he had felt many times before.
'The dragons circled above the human-nest while searching for the prey to take. All was peaceful now but would not be in only wingbeats. It was his job to hit the things that threw rocks and would ground his fellow dragons.'
He blinked and remembered where he was.
"How are you, my dear mate?" he softly asked her.
"I have never... been in a fight like this. This is even bigger than the one before."
"Yes, but you can hide from eyes. You will be safe."
"And what about you?" she nuzzled his neck.
"I will be fast! Remember to flame the rock-throwing things and the moving tower-dens."
"I can do that," she whispered.
Her ears fell as she stared into the beyond. Something was chilling her soul-fire.
"What is it?"
"I hope they are not here," she barely whispered.
"The twisted-into-wrong dragons? Let them come here. We flamed them before," he snorted.
"Yes... them. If the rest of the pack gets here first..."
He grumbled at that. It was a fair concern of hers since there were nine of the Nazgul, probably each of them with a fellbeast of their own. She had never fought against a Nazgul, as far as he knew.
"Gandalf will help hold the fellbeasts away."
He glanced over to the main gate where Gandalf, Faramir, and Hiccup were sure to be. That was the most important place along the wall.
Today Hiccup will get his first kills. That will spark his soul-fire!
"Eyes on the prey, watch the skies for wings, and stay above the biting-arrows," he growled.
"I can flame while hidden in the sky. I will stay safe, and so must you!" she growled back.
Then he held her tail and let them sway as one.
"Contest to kill the most tower-dens!" he challenged her.
"I will win!"
"You will try..."
They waited together, glaring in silence as the moment built and as the cries and cheers from beyond grew louder.
A familiar voice echoed out from the rocks. It was a voice that he had heard twice now: once by a road in the Shire and once at the Council in Rivendell.
What is the Wizard doing?
Then there was a flash of light from near the front gate. The light flowed out in a wave above the city, as though the clouds had parted to reveal sunlight. The entire city was covered in the light.
He gave a grunt of approval. This light was warming in the same way that his pendant was.
The light was answered by a cheer from the defenders and the roars of horns throughout the city. The arms of the many rock-throwing towers moved and hurled rocks through the sky.
He watched the large rocks fly high and then fall beyond the walls. A couple of the tower-dens were hit and collapsed; the Orcs inside were crushed or fell to their deaths.
But there were many more tower-dens still approaching.
Time to fly!
He roared aloud and jumped into the sky with Moonbeam at his side. She shot a flash of her fire before herself, spun into it, and vanished except for a shimmering. He could still hear her flight next to him, and her purple eyes were still visible when she looked at him.
Seeing nothing but her eyes was very strange. Then they were gone.
Eyes on the prey...
He glared at the nearest tower-den and flew high above it. There were very big and fat troll-things pushing it toward the wall. There were many Orcs with bows standing around the tower-den. None of those were his target.
He tucked his wings into a dive and readied his fire as the wind screamed in pain. He loosed his shot and pulled out of his dive before any arrows could be loosed at him.
The rear base of the tower-den exploded as his shot tore inside and set it aflame. The tower-den began leaning backwards as it collapsed. Several Orcs, themselves on fire, jumped from the destroyed and burning tower-den and fell to the ground.
One for me!
He glanced around and saw another tower-den burst into flame further down the wall. There was nothing visible in the sky around it.
One for her...
The entire city was still brighter with the hovering light that had definitely come from Gandalf somehow. While the city was brighter, as if under a midday sun, the darkness beyond grew darker by contrast.
The drums boomed out in the shadows as many pawsful of fires suddenly blazed in the Mordor army. Catapults hurled burning rocks high through the sky.
He watched, helpless, as many burning rocks fell down inside the walls and erupted. Columns of flame poured into the sky from the first two city-levels. Few actual fires started because most of the buildings were made of stone instead of wood. But there were some fires that started burning throughout the struck levels.
Okay, new targets to flame...
He flew back out over the walls and positioned himself for another dive above a group of the catapults. Orcs were working to load another burning rock to be thrown.
He dove and readied another shot. Again, he pulled out of the dive before any arrows could bite at him. The catapult was torn apart and set on fire, exactly as he knew would happen. Then he turned back for the walls.
A wary glance went to the skies above; there was no sign of other wings.
Where are they? The Nazgul will want to fly against us. As long as they are not here...
He looked around for the next target to flame. There was another tower-den now on fire near the first one she had struck. Then he realized something terrible.
I did not say that catapults count also! She has two to my one now! Grr!
Another rain of rocks came flying from the city, and he easily dodged all the falling rocks, several of which struck the catapults. More of the Mordor catapults threw their own rocks.
The countless horde of Orcs raced for the gate, though there was no way they could possibly break it. Then he turned for the nearest tower-den. It would need to die for him to catch up to her kill count.
So it would burn.
"To your posts! To the wall! Defend the wall!" Gandalf cried.
"With me, Men of Gondor!" Faramir shouted from astride his horse.
Hiccup ran along with the company of soldiers following after Gandalf and Faramir. While the men had been afraid before, now they summoned their courage, help their pikes and shields high, and ran in formation.
But they did occasionally glance at him.
He was fully clad in his dark armor; his bow slung over his back, his dagger in its sheath, and his Elven arrows in his quiver.
While the other soldiers were larger and definitely stronger than him, they looked at him in awe.
I have a reputation after all...
Many lengths of paved, cobbled streets passed underfoot as the soldiers filtered down toward the main gates.
Faramir arrived there first and dismounted to greet his dozens of Ithilien Rangers and the other soldiers. They all stood to attention at his arrival.
"To the walls! Watch for the catapults, keep your shields ready, and do not fear the dark wings!"
"My Captain!" they cried in unison.
The Rangers departed at his command, bows already in hand as they ran up onto the outer walls. Their green and brown cloaks swayed as they ran. The rest of the soldiers clad in armor followed Faramir's orders and ran up to the wall and the causeway over the main gate.
Faramir then approached him and Gandalf.
"Mithrandir, you know what will happen if the Nazgul show themselves."
Gandalf clasped Faramir's shoulder.
"Yes, I said that I can hold them at bay for a time, and I shall as long as I can. You are above their strength, and you can inspire your men to master their fear, for they love you."
Faramir then drew his bow and ran off to join his men on the wall. Gandalf then gestured Hiccup to follow him up the stairs to the top of the wall.
They both stopped on the rampart above the main gate. Men carried barrels of arrows out of the supply wagons and placed the barrels along the wall. Commanders shouted orders which were immediately followed.
There was a nervous energy in the air despite the darkness above and beyond.
Hiccup breathed deeply as he looked around at all the soldiers and archers preparing for battle. Everything around him reminded him of those nights Berk stayed awake because there was going to be a raid. It was sure to happen, but no one knew when it would start.
He glanced back over the houses and saw the two Furies perched together, waiting for battle to commence. A part of him still wanted to be aloft for this battle, but he also understood the need to not burden Toothless or make it difficult for him to fight.
The dark clouds swirling high above and the wind which carried the howls, grunts, and cries from beyond cast a pall over the defenders. And that was not even including the countless number of opponents beyond the wall.
A nameless, creeping fear began to grow on him as he beheld how hopeless this battle was. A handful of nearby soldiers agreed as they turned to the Wizard.
"Mithrandir! It is so dark!" "The Shadow!" "The dark wings will come for us!" "Wraiths on wings!"
Gandalf stared out into the horde of Orcs. Then he turned around and gazed at the city.
"Yes, the Enemy sends this foul cloud to smother your courage and darken your hearts! What we need is more light!"
Hiccup entirely agreed that would help. The large torches Berk used had been invaluable during the raids.
Gandalf raised his staff high and closed his eyes. His white robes swayed in the faint wind. Then he raised his voice with power and clarity that shuddered the stones.
"Galad tirith a-leithian ost od goe!"
He slammed his staff down onto the rock wall.
There was a flash of white light.
And it was as if day had emerged above the city in spite of the dark clouds above. Everything was brighter: the rock and stone of the city almost glowed white, the soldiers' polished armor gleamed, and Gandalf's staff shed light as if he or it were a star. The light hovered above the city, forming a barrier between the ground and the clouds and darkness beyond.
Oh my gods...
The moment passed, and Gandalf appeared again as only an old man as he leaned on his staff. But the light that filled the air above the city and brightened it did not fade.
All the soldiers gave a defiant roar and blew their horns in unison. The catapults answered. Then Toothless and Moonbeam answered and took to the sky. He raised a fist at their passing.
Go get em!
He could do nothing for the moment except watch their flights, which then became only Toothless's flight after Moonbeam vanished. Then even Toothless became hard to see in the darkness beyond.
Alright, you've got time for a couple of the siege towers before the volley...
Sure enough, a pair of the towers being pushed by trolls burst apart into flame and collapsed in a pair of explosions. The men on the walls pointed out at the fires.
Nice shots! Hard to miss those towers though...
Dozens of fires flared to life out in the darkness. Those could only be one thing.
Great, counterattack...
Then the sky was filled with flaming balls that flew over their heads. The shots struck empty homes, shops, barracks, and other structures. Many of the shots broke apart and spilled flaming liquid on the ground where they shattered. Some of the shots were more solid and designed to collapse their targets.
Several fires were set in the first level of the city, and a handful of buildings collapsed.
Could have been worse. Is that all they've got?
Gondor's catapults began launching dozens of boulders, several of which he watched in flight. Their accuracy was very impressive.
A wild and foul cheering began echoing from beyond the wall as the army approached. He vaguely noticed another flash out in the darkness, probably Toothless striking something, because the horde of Orcs had his attention as they rushed toward the gate. They waved their pikes, swords, or bows as they ran. A company of the Orcs carried a battering-ram. These were the first true Orcs he had seen, and they looked just as hideous as Uruks.
Really, no shields? Terrible strategy.
The Gondor archers, which were all the men on the wall for now, nocked their bows and aimed down into the horde approaching the main gate.
He drew a deep breath to steady himself as the shouting, roaring horde neared the gate. Then he fitted an Elven arrow to his bow. His plan was to save the Elven arrows since there were thousands of Gondor arrows available, but he wanted to be sure that his first shot was a kill.
Proving his worth to himself felt important.
"Fire at will!" Faramir roared in a voice that carried over the din.
Hundreds of shots rained down on the horde of Orcs, felling dozens of them as squealing and roaring of pain filled the air.
Okay, plenty of targets to shoot at. Which one?
He settled on the armored Orcs that were carrying the battering ram. Those ones appeared to have thicker armor. Everything else, the din and chaos around him, fell away as he focused on the one in front, a large and in his opinion very ugly Orc. But of course they were all ugly, so that was nothing special.
He paused, frozen as he tracked his target. What if he... missed?
His soul-fire answered him in the silence.
He was part of a family of Night Furies.
That meant he did not miss.
The Orc stumbled as his arrow pierced through its chest. The fallen Orc tripped up the others running behind it, and the battering ram fell to the ground. The Orcs went to pick up the battering ram, but he didn't care.
Yes, I hit it! Did anyone else see that? Oh whatever... there's plenty more where that came from!
The battle became more worrying when Orc arrows flew overhead from the archers down below. But he wasn't too concerned since he only needed to show himself for a few seconds to take a shot. Most of the Orc arrows flew overhead and fell among the armored, shield-bearing soldiers within the wall.
There were so many Orcs down below outside the gate that he almost didn't even need to carefully aim.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"So?" Gandalf asked.
"One!" he grinned.
Gandalf nodded back to him and then spun away to resume shouting commands and encouragement.
Hiccup stepped over to the nearest barrel of arrows, grabbed a handful, and filled his quiver. Then he wove back between the archers, nocked another arrow, and found a target down below.
This will be a long night.
He loosed the arrow and closely followed its flight.
"Two..." he smirked.