In Gondor

8. The Attack Continues

Night had fallen. Minas Tirith’s lower levels were in flames now; the orcs had replaced the rock projectiles being flung into the city by their trebuchets with great projectiles of flame.

Despite the best efforts of the archers above the Gate, Grond, the orcs' great wolf-shaped battering ram, had been pushed into position by the trolls and orcs. The Countess was on the wall with the archers, firing arrows down at the orcs unlucky enough to be within range.

Gandalf rode down to the Gate, bringing more soldiers with him. As the wolf's head was splintering and then breaking through the upper part of the door, Gandalf shouted "You are soldiers of Gondor; no matter what comes through that Gate, you will stand your ground!" After firing a last arrow into mass of orcs crowded outside the Gate, the Countess dropped the bow she had been using and jumped down to the ground level, drawing her sword to fight what would be coming through the Gate.

A final smash by the orcs’ great battering ram and the Gate of Minas Tirith had been broken through. The first attack of great trolls came through the Gate and at Gandalf's command, a volley of arrows was shot at them; the archers then drew back behind the men carrying pikes and spears who would meet the orcs. She backed away as a troll came at her but Gandalf on Shadowfax came between them and he brought it down; only a small victory though, as behind the trolls more of the enemy, some of them mounted on wargs, were coming through the Gate.

Pippin was running down the street, trying to make his way through the soldiers who were wounded and had been sent up to the higher levels for patching up and a bit of rest before they were returned to the fight. Or the fight would come to them. But he was so small and the City and these men were so large; he was being too slow, making no headway. He shouted for Gandalf and called to everyone he passed "Where's Gandalf?" He got no answer from the soldiers who were being pushed back up the levels, fighting all the way.

Gandalf had sent the Countess to gather the people together, sending them up to the higher levels of the City. She took a moment to climb up the Wall to see what she could; looking over the City, she was not encouraged. And then she looked up and frowned; through all the noise, she could hear Pippin shouting for Gandalf from somewhere on one of the upper levels. She jumped down to the street and, finding what holds she could, started climbing the walls to find Pippin.

Pippin saw the Countess come over the Wall from the next level down and nearly cried in his relief. He ran to her. "I have to find Gandalf!"

She frowned at him. "He's down on the second level.” She didn't want to see him in the midst of that fight. “Pippin, there are too many orcs down there; do as Gandalf says and go back up to the Citadel."

"Please! I have to find him!"

She stared at him for a moment but, in the end, couldn’t refuse the plea in his eyes and reached down to him, picked him up, swung him onto her back and jumped up onto the wall. "Hang on to me tight, Pippin. I'm going to need my hands."

She stopped for a moment, studying how to get down the levels to Gandalf.

Pippin said "You're not going to..." but then she jumped.

He shut his eyes tight, tightened his grip around her, buried his face in her neck and thought 'At least she smells better than the Uruk Hai...'

"The City is breached. Fall back!" Gandalf was shouting now, still on Shadowfax. The soldiers were gathering up the people who thought they could hide from the great assault in their houses and sending them up to the higher levels while at the rear, others fought the orcs. The Gate to the second level would be shut as soon as all who could get there made it through.

It was getting brighter and would be daylight soon. The Countess finally found Gandalf on the second level. She dropped Pippin to the ground and they ran up to him. Pippin shouted “Gandalf!” and the Wizard turned and saw them.

"Denethor has lost his mind!" Pippin shouted and looked up to Gandalf, knowing he'd be able to do something. "He's burning Faramir alive!"

“Come! Quickly!” Gandalf reached down and pulled Pippin up onto Shadowfax and they began the gallop up the City streets.

The Countess followed them but did not take the streets - faster to go up the walls on her own.

She came up over a wall and was stopped by the sight of Gandalf and Pippin, on Shadowfax; before them towered a great dragon, carrying one of the Nazgul.

"Go back to the Abyss!" shouted Gandalf. He was not speaking with the same authority he'd had before; she was afraid it was not her imagination. The Nazgul certainly did not seem impressed with the Wizard. Gandalf continued "Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master!"

"Do you not know death when you see it, Old Man?" asked the figure in black on the back of the dragon.

Poor Pippin cried out in fear as the great dragon advanced on them.

"This is my hour," said the Nazgul, drawing and raising his sword; it became a blade of fire.

The Nazgul shrieked and weakened with horror at that sound, the Countess fell to her knees and covered her ears; Gandalf's staff broke and she screamed “No!” At Orthanc, she'd seen Saruman's staff broken by Gandalf, punishment for his transgressions; she knew this Nazgul’s ability to break Gandalf’s staff had to be Gandalf’s punishment. Actions he’d taken because of her. Determined to help the Wizard, she stood up and moved forward, drawing Galadriel's sword.

Pippin and Gandalf had been thrown to the ground as Shadowfax had reared up when the staff was broken by the Nazgul. Pippin backed up against the wall and shouted "Gandalf!" drawing his own sword. The dragon roared at the hobbit and Pippin quailed in the face of it.

"You have failed; the world of men will fall," said the Nazgul, and raised his sword

Gandalf lay still on the ground. Shadowfax was rearing up at the great dragon and Pippin and the Countess, their swords drawn, also moved toward the Nazgul on his dragon.

Suddenly, a horn sounded and the Nazgul paused. He looked at the downed and defeated wizard. As he had been promised, he had succeeded in breaking the Wizard; let the orcs deal with these creatures now. He pulled on the reins of his beast and left to fight the new enemy, congratulating himself on his wisdom.

Rohan had arrived.

"Faramir!" Pippin shouted, turning their attention back to their immediate problem. Gandalf was on his feet in an instant and the Countess put Pippin on Shadowfax and then Gandalf was up on the horse behind him and they were off to the uppermost level. The Countess watched them ride up the level, sighed and then began her climb up the walls to the upper level.