linaewen | B2MeM -- March 4

I shall probably be offline today, my dears -- but before I turn off the computer, I wanted to post something I read recently as part of my journey back to Middle-earth. This is a very well-written and detailed synopsis of what took place on March 4, from The Shire-Reckoning, an excellent calendar site based on Tolkien's Tale of Years. I thought the entry for today was particularly fascinating.

March 4.
Hours before dawn, the Ents complete the dams they have been building, and send the Isen pouring into the Ring of Isengard to drown its pits and fires. Merry and Pippin watch the flood from atop the walls, and sleep there while the waters recede.

By dawn the forces of King Théoden have fought and died through many grueling hours to defend Helm's Deep from the army of Orcs that Saruman has deployed against them. Despite their valor, despite the leadership of Aragorn, and, yes, despite even the forty-one Orcs killed by Legolas and the forty-two by Gimli, all but the last defenses have been lost. The Dike fell very quickly; the Deeping Wall repelled an initial assault with ladders, but then was breached with explosives; and after standing for several hours against repeated explosions, the outer wall of the Hornburg is breached just before dawn, leaving the inner citadel as the last defense. Éomer, Gimli, and many other defenders who are not able to reach the Hornburg retreat to caves further up the Deep.

The battle dismays King Théoden. Had he lead his éored into action on the fields, his men could have enjoyed the strength and mobility of their horses, instead of fighting dismounted as common foot soldiers; and the King's own horsemanship would have allowed him a role in the contest. After the Deeping Wall is breached, the King resolves to make the horses of his guard ready for a final charge out of the citadel should the wall of the Hornburg also succumb. Aragorn agrees to join him.

And so the foremost Orc-companies, who at the moment of dawn stand atop the causeway peering through the dust and rubble that a moment before had been the gates of the Hornburg, see not a citadel closed and barred and awaiting their assault, but hear the bright Horn of Helm ringing from the tower as through open doors the King himself leads the charge against them. Fighting from horseback, the King and his guard not only clear the causeway but drive as far as the Dike, where they see that a forest of trees — the force of Huorn that Gandalf requested from Treebeard last night — now stands across the mouth of the Deep behind the Orc-army, where before swept only the grasses of the Westfold. With their horns blowing in echo to the Horn of Helm, Erkenbrand and a thousand foot soldiers follow Gandalf over the western ridge of the Coomb and attack the flank of the enemy. And, summoned by further blasts upon the Horn of Helm, the defenders in the citadel and in the caves pour forth to join in the assult. Assaulted from two sides, and particularly terrified at the charge of the Wizard, most of the Orcs attempt a retreat through the forest of Huorn; none emerge from the wood's far side.

After resting through the day, the King and his guard ride with Gandalf for Isengard, accompanied by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Four hours after sunset, they reach the Fords of Isen. It was there, nine days ago, that Théoden's son fell in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen, and there Erkenbrand was defeated in the Second Battle the day before yesterday. They find the Isen no longer flowing, its riverbed bare and silent. They find a burial mound already built, under which the Riders fallen in the battle lie safe from scavengers — another labor to which Gandalf assigned some men during his rides last night.

They continue riding, and by midnight are five leagues past the Fords. There they stop to rest for the remainder of the night.
By dawn and the end of their weary nighttime march, Gollum has lead Frodo and Sam to the reeking desolation lying north of Mordor. They sleep through the day in an oily pit. In the afternoon, Sam awakes and overhears Gollum debating about whether to seize the Ring — and hears, but does not understand, Gollum's decision to lure the Hobbits into the lair of Shelob. Frodo wakes, refreshed, from a pleasant but forgotten dream, and the three set out again at dusk. Late in the evening, another Ringwraith passes overhead on his winged steed.

Hope you all have a pleasant March 4, unplagued by desperate battles, Orcs or Ringwraiths!