The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Movie Script
1
All Middle Earth knows
the tale of the War of the Ring.
But there are older tales.
Tales told around the
warm fires on cold winter nights.
Tales passed down
from the old to the young.
Tales that light a path through the dark.
Almost 200 years before the
Ring ever came to Bilbo Baggins,
there lived a girl.
Her name was Hera, only
daughter of Helm, King of Roha.
Born under a harvest moon, her mother
did not live to see the dawn.
Raised alongside two
brothers by a warrior king,
the girl could ride a
horse before she could walk.
Wild, some called her.
Headstrong railed
her father, though in truth,
he was so proud of his tearaway child.
Whoa.
Whoa.
By her hand, many great deeds were done.
But do not look for
tales of her in the old songs.
There are none.
Maloney.
Where is the horse?
Where is the rider?
Lost into shadow where I cannot find her.
Long is the road and far from her home.
But fear not my sister, your mere idol.
From mountain top
high, cross river bed low,
to wild whispered
places she's longing to go.
Feel as she rides into the unknown.
Hera.
You should have seen it, Hummer.
The fledgling took the lure.
Harleth said it wouldn't work.
He said it will tear you limb from limb.
Wait, Hera.
Did you know that the
great eagles speak a language
all of their own, but only to wizards?
Will you listen to me?
Wait, whose horses are those?
That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Messengers arrived from the West March.
From Lord Frecker?
Why?
He has called for a witten.
I thought only the king
could summon the lords to council.
That is the custom, not the law.
Ollie-win, it's also
the custom to tell your ladies
made if you're going to run
off and make a snack of yourself
for some great flying beast.
Come on, you need to change.
What's wrong with what I'm wearing?
Hopeless.
Lord Frecker
hasn't been to court in years.
Why would he show up now?
You don't think him, he's
thinking? I'd like to see him try.
Haleth.
Brother.
I doubt Frecker even
remembers how to swing a sword.
He sat idle in the West March too long,
stuffing his face and his pocket.
Fattened, prosperous are
when men are at the most dangerous,
Lord Haleth.
It fills them with false courage, and
false courage. It fills them with false courage,
and false courage breeds discontent.
Which means what?
It means Lord Frecker has
had a long time to think about
all the things he doesn't have.
Frecker has only
what we allow, nothing more.
Leaf, you're calling the banners tonight.
My Lord Freilath.
Yes, I am.
It's my first counsel.
I thought I'd learn all the sigils.
But I, um...
I don't recognise that one.
My Lady Hera.
Cousin?
Look at you.
No mud, no twigs in your hair.
One could almost
mistake you for a princess of Rohan.
The shield maidens
were women of the borderlands.
When all the men were slain,
they took up arms and fought.
They defended
Rohan when no-one else could.
Those were darker days.
I've long fought it
time to retire that banner.
I doubt there are any of them left.
They're all gone.
Not all of them.
Helm, son of Graham,
Lord of the Erlingas,
Knight! Yes, yes.
They know their king when they see him.
You all look like you're at a funeral.
Fear not, faint hearts.
We'll be done with
this business soon enough.
I see you have started without me.
Freca, Lord of the Westmarch,
Lord Wulf, son of Freca,
General Tug of Dunland.
Lord Freca, it has been a while.
You've missed many a council,
though it seems very few meals.
Your mother, Freca, the King Jest.
I see age has not
improved your manners, my liege.
Am I not welcome in this great hall?
All loyal men are welcome here.
Ah, but loyal to whom?
Hmm?
To Rohan!
Or to Gondor?
A rumor has reached my ears
that a Gondorian princeling
has made an offer
for your daughter's hand.
Do you deny it?
It's none of your
business whom my daughter marries.
I say it is.
I say it is all of our business.
I come before this
council with an offer to strengthen,
not weaken Rohan.
For too long our houses have squabbled
while Gondor usurps our greatness.
They would respect us, they fear us,
were we truly united.
It is past time for Rohan
to stop being Gondor's lapdog.
Consider instead a son of the Westmarch.
I, Wolf, son of Freca,
come before you, Hara, daughter of home.
Wolf, don't.
To seek your hand in marriage.
Well, girl, what do you say?
Hmm?
Enough!
You speak of uniting our people
when it is I who has
faced down death, famine, war,
to hold these lands together.
I know why you have come.
Freca, son of Dunland,
you do not seek an alliance.
You seek a throne.
Old kings that refuse a prophet's staff
may fall on their knees.
You do not command the loyalty.
You think you do.
Sire, this is not the place.
My nephew speaks true.
A king does not brawl in his own house.
But men are freer outside.
Wouldn't you agree?
Is this wise uncle?
I know Freca.
He hasn't a noble bone in his body.
Mark my word.
He would not be
satisfied with marriage to Hara.
He would see
his son on my throne
and my boys in a grave.
Time to remind him of his place.
The line of Helm is not so easily broken.
Come away, child.
Leave them be. I'm
sorry. I'm sorry. Come away, child.
Leave them be.
You did not give an answer.
We should go.
Would it be so bad?
We were inseparable once.
We were children.
She with him.
Oh, hi.
I did not think so much had changed.
Wolf, please.
I care about you.
Lord,
you'd rather marry
a stranger from Gondor.
I have no thoughts of marriage at all.
Our fathers speak as if
I were not even in the room.
This should be my decision to make.
It should be yours too.
What if I told you this is what I want?
What I've always wanted.
I love you.
No.
I do not want to marry you.
I do not want to marry any man.
You asked for my answer.
You have it.
Here I am.
Come, sister.
I will miss all the fun.
I will miss you. They call her
right at home in the rough country.
But no, she's too good for my son.
Your daughter will
come crawling on her knees,
begging my son to
marry her before the end.
Father!
Get up, Frecka!
Get up and fight!
Father?
He's dead?
No.
Impossible!
I only struck him the once.
You saw him. You owe saw him.
You killed him.
Put the sword down, lad.
No!
You dare draw your sword
against the king, Dunlanding.
Father, no!
You're killing him!
Enough blood has been spilled.
There will be no more.
You will pay for this with your life.
I swear it.
Save your breath, boy.
Blessed it be your last.
Wolf, son of Frecka, you are banished.
If you set foot on these lands again,
it will be your head.
Oh, Wolf.
Leave him.
Seasons passed.
The death of Frecka
was talked of for a long time.
Some whispered it was an ill
omen for a king to kill one of his own.
Wolf's fate weighed heavy on Hera's mind,
banished and reviled.
Yet he was still the
boy she once called friend.
Come on, Wolf.
Got you.
Wait.
I got you. I'm sorry.
I did not mean to hurt you.
Leave me. You're bleeding.
Go. Before me father finds you here.
I said go.
Hera tried to find word of Wolf.
No sign of him could ever be found.
It was as if he had
vanished, passing like a shadow into night.
Get off!
A new threat arose
on Rohan's eastern border.
Strange sounds were heard in the night.
The broken bodies of wild
horses were found dead on the morn.
No longer would the king allow
his wayward daughter to ride out alone.
Rhebine from Dunland.
It's a south run. The
armor marks him as a mercenary.
See where those tracks lead.
Ooh, it's quite big, isn't it?
It's...
Can't be far.
What is a south run doing this far north?
He's been here a few days.
The birds have picked the body clean.
Spear and horn.
I think he was some kind of beast master.
Ah, but master of what?
What was that old poem you
used to recite to me as a child?
Something about making the earth shake.
Run!
Run!
Run! Run!
The beast is rampant!
Ella, get out of here!
Go!
Freya!
Ella, no!
Faster, Ashley! Faster!
Ella!
Does she know what
creature lives in those woods?
Of course she does.
Whoa, Ashley, they're wrong.
Yeah, go, go.
Beware dark waters that hide old secrets.
How dare you!
Get your hands off me!
Let me down!
She's trying to move me.
Why not kill her now?
Let me down!
No, we take her to the High Lord.
No!
I said let me go!
I found her.
They're holding her
in one of the guard towers.
Ashida.
How can you eat at a time like this?
There must be another way out of here.
Who would dare occupy Isengard?
Someone bold enough
to kidnap a king's daughter.
I'm going after her.
Stay hidden.
Keep the horses at the ready
if I do not return by the hour.
Wait.
I have a plan.
Always too curious for your own good.
Wolf.
You're alive.
You are the High Lord.
Did you think I
would slink away like a cur
and lick my wounds?
No, I have been busy.
All my life I was
scorned for my dumb ending blood.
But look who answered when I needed them.
The Hill Tribes has sworn an oath to me.
Every last one.
You cannot hope to
stand against Rohan and Gondor.
Your father will
never ask for help from Gondor.
His pride will not allow it.
No.
Gondor is not coming.
First I will kill your brothers.
Then I will kill your father.
And then I will take the throne.
And be king of what?
A land in ruins
and its people torn apart.
You had your chance to unite, Rohan.
And you refused.
Did I disgust you so much?
Was I so easily forgotten?
I never forgot you.
I tried to find you.
The boy I knew would never wish for war.
Don't do this, Wolf.
Innocent people will die.
What if there was a
way you could still save them?
A way you could still save your people?
If I agree to this,
if I agree to be your bride,
you swear there will be no war.
If you agree, is there no
end to the arrogance of your house?
Even now you can
barely stop the thought, can you?
The boy you knew is gone, Herr.
I am the man your father made me.
Always, don't just sit there.
No!
You think you're
still a shield-mated old woman?
You're fighting days are over.
Go!
Come on, greedy.
We're leaving.
Seize them!
Right!
Summon the guard!
Stipe her!
No!
Cut them off!
Wait for the gates!
Move!
We'll never make it past the archers.
Trust me, I have a plan.
This is your plan?
I didn't say it was a good one.
My lord!
I'm fine.
Let's get out of here.
I'll dispatch our fastest horsemen.
Don't bother.
She will out-ride them.
Call the men to arms.
Please listen to me.
We do not know the
full strength of Wolf's army.
Do not underestimate him, Father.
There is more to Wolf's plan.
I know it.
The Moomak, the Southron
we saw, that is no coincidence.
The beast was diseased.
You said so yourself.
We had reports of a column of
Moomakill moving west near our southern border.
One of them must have broken
its chains and crossed into our lands.
It's got nothing to
do with the Dunlending Boy.
The wisest move is to
fall back to our strongholds.
Light the beacons.
Call for aid from Gondor.
The wisest move?
You would have me abandon Edoras.
Until we are at full strength.
Yes, this is no rabble of wild men.
These men are
well-trained and well-armed.
My liege, if I
may, Lord Freilath is young.
He has not fought
beside you in battle, as I have.
I pledge 300 riders
to protect the eastern flank.
The men of the
world stand ready to fight.
I accept your pledge.
Lord Thorne shall
have command of the east.
I will lead the vanguard
north and meet Wolf on the plains.
Let every man willing step forth.
The Fennmark is with you.
We fight for Roan!
Please, uncle, trust me.
Trust you?
I trusted you to protect
my daughter, to keep her safe.
And look what happened,
kidnapped by a filthy upstart.
It was not his fault.
Freilath saved me.
She could have died! Go back
to Don Harrow, Freilath Hildesen.
Dig some trenches and crawl into them.
When the songs of this day are sung,
when the names of its heroes are read,
yours will not be amongst them.
He's our kid.
He is no killer of mine!
Nor do I need a sword
offered by such a faithless hand.
My lord.
Freilath, wait!
The king has spoken.
You will always have my sword, uncle,
whether you value it or not.
They know the attack is coming.
From here we have a clear path to Edoras.
Helm will expect us to
make camp on the northern plains.
Good.
War is upon us.
What do you say, old friend?
Will you carry me once more?
What are you doing?
I pledge to fight for my king.
Don't be a fool, child.
If you will not listen to
me, then at least let me fight.
You know nothing of war.
I'm the fastest rider you have.
I can carry
messages between the commanders.
I said no.
The line of Helm
does not rest on you, Hera.
It resides in Halath, in Hammer.
My brothers can defend
their home, but yet I cannot.
One day you will marry.
You will live in Gondor and have children
who know nothing of our ways.
To see me gone?
Is that what would please you?
Yes, it will please me.
I will rejoice.
You will be alive,
because I will have protected you.
Wolf's army is 20 leagues from Edoras.
They're not setting up camp.
They're not resting.
What?
They're continuing to advance.
The Hill tribes are used
to attacking under cover of dark.
He means to strike tonight.
Master the Rahiram!
Wait!
They're not so grim, little sister.
Hell, my mind has never lost a battle.
Hera, you need a faster horse.
Take Ashadeh.
Ashadeh will have no one but you.
Besides, I trust the old girl.
Keep this safe for me.
Always.
Always.
Maybe, one day,
someone will sing ballads of me.
On the morrow, little sister.
Ride strong, brothers.
Where is Storn?
He's late.
His men should be
covering the eastern flank.
I fought beside your father once.
He saved my entire village
from a pack of done-lending raiders.
I broke my shield in that battle.
Afterwards, I wanted a new one.
But no, he told me.
It's not broken.
It's just broken in.
There's so many of them.
Your father is no ordinary man.
It'll take more than an army
of done-lending to bring him low.
The blood of the
ancients flows in his veins.
The same blood that flows in yours.
Oh, the pledges.
Oh, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
The king left these
in my charge for safekeeping.
It's all right.
Don't fret, lad.
The king's got other things on his mind.
Whose mark is this?
Oh.
That's the seal of Lord Thorn.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I've seen this before.
Lord Thorn is in league with Wolf.
He means to betray my father.
We have to get our people out.
Sound the alarm.
Now!
Go!
Evacuate the city!
Riders of the Mark,
brothers of Rohan, arise!
Arise now!
We will paint the dawn
red with the blood of our foes!
Draw your weapon!
Wolf!
Arlingo!
Or Rohan!
Or Rohan!
Arlingo!
Yes!
Arlingo!
Watch!
Watch us, Rane!
Hey!
Watch us, Arbex!
Arlingo!
Charge!
Charge!
Argh!
Arlingo!
Argh!
Argh! Argh!
Wolf!
Where is he?
Where is their high command?
Find him!
Keep moving!
We've a long way to hang of you.
Carry only what you need!
Stay together!
Keep the children to the middle!
Go!
Come on, Ashiree.
Time to leave.
I fear it is too late for that.
My lady.
Traitor!
My father will see you hang for this.
You will never know.
Will you?
What?
Hold the line!
Wolf's nowhere to be seen.
Something's not right.
Uma Kaar!
He's using Varyak masteries.
Edoras is completely exposed.
Royal Guard!
Chippee!
Come on!
The nation of your
valor yet, little brother.
Are you sure about this, Lydia?
Do it.
Take the city!
Hallo!
Hallo!
Call the retreat.
Yeah.
No.
Listen to me, Hallo.
You must reach the
city before we'll find Hera.
Go!
Go!
Break it down!
Move!
No!
It's afraid of the fire!
Look out!
Where is everyone?
The city's deserted.
Find Hera.
Hera!
Hera!
Lord Thorne has betrayed us.
We know.
You've already got the evacuation.
Yes, sir.
Good.
Get everyone to Dunharrow.
The road to Dunharrow
is crawling with wild men.
The Hornberg is our only chance.
Olwen is leading the retreat.
Rainers!
All back!
Come on, the retreat!
Retreat!
It's heading for the Great Hole.
We're rowhand.
We're our people.
Alan!
No!
Alan!
Our turn!
Ready!
My honor!
No!
Father!
Hold on.
Get it out of here!
Run down.
Get off them!
No!
Move it!
Final goal!
Protect the King!
To the King!
To the King!
Father!
Go, Herr.
I'll catch you.
Come on, Uncle.
Come on!
Move.
Songs of valor all go.
This is it.
Come on with the last of you.
You're nearly there.
Hurry now.
Inside the King.
Come on.
Last as you can.
A healer.
The King needs a healer.
Say it.
Hama.
Where is he?
Where's Hama?
This way.
Leave me.
This way.
Hama!
He was right behind us.
Enough!
You have won, Wolf.
I surrender.
Let this end.
Now!
My life for my sons.
No!
Kill me!
Take the crown.
Leave my people in peace.
Let my boy live.
No, Father, don't!
Peace!
There will be no
peace for you, Helm Hanahan.
No, Wolf!
Please, I beg you!
End this now.
Make the exchange.
Once they withdraw behind those walls,
you will never get them out.
Let them.
What have you done?
You will suffer as I have suffered.
You will know what it
means to be alone as I was.
Then, and only then, will I let you die.
Murderer!
No! No! No!
Sire! No!
No! I don't know!
Get the king! I don't know! Get the king!
Get it inside!
Hurry!
All right!
Come on!
Come on!
I've got you!
Come on!
Close the gate!
Close the gate!
Come on!
Prepare the men for a siege.
Sire, winter is coming on.
A siege will cost both sides.
I don't care what it costs.
Surround the keep.
If anyone tries to
escape, even a rat, kill it.
One of the boy's body.
Let it rot.
My lady.
You're needed, my lady.
Any word? I'm sorry, my lord.
High in the stronghold
of Dunharrow, Freilath waited.
Yet the fate of his kin remained unknown.
Had they survived?
Or were they buried now
amongst the ashes of Edoras?
Someone the lords of Rohan to Edoras.
It's time they swear their loyalty to me.
The king who last
ward their crown still lives.
El Mahamahand is but a
shadow of what he once was.
He will perish soon enough.
Fear not, Targ.
Shadows cannot hurt you.
Return to the Hornbeck.
She thinks she's safe behind those walls.
She will learn soon enough.
She's mistaken.
We have a chance, if we
can just outlast Wulf's army.
This is all of it.
It's not enough.
Search all the
rooms. Take stock of everything.
What's that?]
I've been keeper of
these halls for 40 years.
I never thought I'd see such times.
Supplies are running terribly low.
It's going to be a long
winter. I can feel it in my bones.
Don't touch that, m'lady!
That gown was made for a bride
that was pledged to the captain of the keep.
But she never got to wear it.
A strange fever took her
the night before her wedding.
Some say many a lost
soul wanders these halls...
...and worse.
Who says it?
I do.
Nonsense.
Here, give me that.
I've tried to send for help.
All our messenger birds are shut down.
None can get past their arches.
What are the choices there but to submit?
Don't be a fool.
There will be no surrender.
Only slaughter!
We've barely any food or fuel.
The other lords of Rohan
have retreated to their strongholds.
We are cut off!
How are we to survive?
We find a way.
We cannot fight amongst ourselves.
That is exactly what he wants us to do.
Despair is Wolf's
greatest weapon against us.
We cannot succumb.
We find a way to
survive, and we do it together.
Pretty words.
Pretty words will not save us.
Thanks! Thanks!
Here, take a look at this.
What are they doing down there?
What are they doing?
He's building a siege
tower. He means to breach the walls.
It is not easy to hold on
to hope when an ill wind blows.
Winter bit hard that year.
None was spared the endless cold.
Yet still the siege held fast.
The Rohirrim could do nothing but
watch and wait, as their doom drew ever near.
Any change?
It makes no sense. His body
is mending, and yet he does not wake.
I fear it is his mind that is broken.
What are you doing? That's for the king.
What about that?
What? No, not that.
Take it?
But my lady, that was Master Harmor's.
And what use is it without him?
I know this sickness is
not born of any mortal wound.
It is grief that pulls you under.
Grief that you will
never again see your sons.
You think all is lost.
But I am here, Father.
I am still here.
Please don't give up.
Who's out there? Show yourself!
What happened here?
Speak.
He killed them all.
I saw it showed
them apart with his parents.
Who did?
Helm Hammerhand is no living man.
It's not natural the
thing I saw. He's coming for us all.
Save us.
Father?
Father!
Night after night, a
ghostly horn echoed in the deep.
A harbinger of death.
Fear took hold of Wulf's men.
Whisper spread that Helm
Hammerhand was human no more.
He bore no weapon,
and no weapon could smite him.
A terror born of madness and grief.
A wraith.
Wulf returned to a camp stalked by death.
His carefully laid plans in disarray.
He was king of nothing.
But Wulf, son of Frega, would be
damned before he was defeated by a ghost.
Is it true what they say?
What?
Has the king become a monster?
A terrible unholy sight.
Eyes that burn like
poles as he feasts on the flesh.
Helm Hammerhand is no wraith.
Then how did he disappear from a
locked and guarded room and submaze that?
I don't know, but I do
know he can't walk through walls.
Perhaps he can. Perhaps
he can do many unnatural things.
Oh, I. Such as what?
First comes the sound
of the horn. Three blasts.
Then he appears fierce
and good. Stalking is prey.
The only ghoul
haunting these halls is you.
Hera?
Hera?
Olin, can you hear me?
Hera? Where's she gone?
Olin!
Jeff, &
Ad Danielle]
Father?
Wait!
Father!
Wait!
Nasty.
Why, though not have chin to ones,
nothing worse than a
bit of king nastaking, you see?
Oh, my God!
Take him before you eat him.
That slug!
I told you before, order's from on high.
What does your maw,
though, want with rings, anyway?
Hey, the less I know, the better.
Smell that.
They can smell you from Mount Doom.
No. No.
I smell fresh meat.
Here, shake.
No! No!
Gosh, who's a live one?
Not much meat on her.
May as well feed her to the beast.
What is that infernal noise?
It's the wraith.
The wraith of El Maman.
Get me, General Tark.
Huh?
No!
Hannah.
I'm sorry, child. I'm so sorry.
I thought I'd lost you.
I was trying to protect you.
You can't tear Wolf's
army apart one man at a time.
I can try.
I should have listened to you.
You're brave and
clever and stronger than I knew.
And I was blind and not to see it.
I failed you.
All of you.
No.
Everything you've
ever done was for Rohan.
For those you love.
When I was little, you told me
you only fail when you stop trying.
You never gave up.
Never.
You're freezing.
Come. We have to
make a break for the gates.
It's the only way back in.
Don't let go!
Help!
What is that?
Open the gates!
Open the gates!
It's the king!
Open the gates!
Open them!
Stop them!
The gates are stuck!
Go! Go!
They're coming.
Hurry!
Hurry!
Come.
What are you doing?
No. No. Please.
I need you.
Rohan still needs you.
No, Hera. They need you.
You must lead them now.
I can't.
You can.
You are a daughter of kings.
The day you were
born, I was brought to my knees.
My pride.
My joy.
You could rule the world.
No.
No.
Father!
Come away, child.
Father! Come away
before you freeze to death.
Is there no one left?
Is there no one left to face me?
Fall back!
Hera, come away! You die out here!
Not while I live!
Do you hear me?
All my life, Rohan, still stands!
Helm, have a hand! Still stands!
That is how they found him.
Frozen in place, still standing
guard before the gates of the Hornburg.
His will unbroken, his knees unbent.
Dead.
I'll give the
order to call off the siege.
We can decamp and be
out of here within the week.
We are not going anywhere.
You have won.
There is nothing left to
conquer but a group of starving refugees.
Sire, you need to
look to your own people.
They are suffering.
This long winter has taken its toll.
Your stores of gold are all but gone.
I implore you.
Abandon this place.
Do you think I want to be here?
Stuck in this filthy, forsaken valley.
I cannot leave.
Don't you understand?
This is all I have.
Without vengeance,
this will have been for nothing.
No.
We cannot show weakness.
Not to her.
This keep will be her dream.
How long do you think we have?
A few days before he breaches the walls.
We cannot fight him.
We cannot call for aid.
Even if we could, who would answer now?
I'm afraid, Ollie-wen.
I cannot save them.
Perhaps not.
But there is something you can do.
You can choose.
You ask who would
come if you called for aid.
Rohan would answer.
People need hope, Hera.
Something to believe in.
No matter how out of reach it may be.
So you can wait and
worry, or you can choose.
You can choose how this ends.
This is your plan.
I never said it was a good one.
Not that I mind carrying this
up eight after the 98 steps, my lady.
But why do you need your father's armor?
My father's helmet and
horn are known throughout the land.
Why do I need the king's armor, Lee?
For hope.
Hope?
Don't ask.
If I don't come
back, will you look after?
Enough of that talk. You're coming back.
I have read that the great eagles
can understand the common tongue of men.
Please, I beg of you.
I need your help.
My people need your help.
ries We've had enough.
Where's the money we were promised?
This isn't about
money. Your mission is to
take that fortress
so we can end this damn war!
We care not for your stone towers!
You should.
That fortress is full
of such riches. Room upon room.
Those miserable rebels
inside that keep cannot use it.
They cannot burn it. They cannot eat it.
It's yours. All of
it. Yours for the taking.
What are you doing? The
Hornberg has never been used to store gold.
But they don't know that, do they?
We can wait no longer. Gives the order.
Right, Yula. You
heard Lord Freilark. Time to
abandon Tohn Harrow. We
beg for Gondor at first light.
Lead Northern line! Kill them all!
He's moving the
siege tower. We're out of time.
Then all is lost.
On the contrary. An attack gives
us a chance. One small chance to escape.
Wolf will throw everything at
us, which means his camp will be empty.
If we can clear the secret tunnel,
our people can reach the mountain pass.
From there, they can make for D'Anharo.
It's too risky. Wolf will see us.
No, he won't.
Because his eye will be fixed on me.
Are you ready? Yes. Good.
Where are we going? Somewhere safe.
Are your soldiers ready?
Aye. They are.
We'll get them to D'Anharo.
Aye, trying.
Leaf?
No. No, this is all wrong.
I'm your guard, miss. I want
to fight by your side till the end.
I need you to
protect what is most important.
I need you to protect our people.
Go on, my dear then.
A straight line, mind you.
Don't be leading them in circles.
He wanted a bride,
and so a bride he shall have.
It's time.
I swore to your father,
from your very first breath,
that I would always be by your side.
I swear it's still to my very last...
What's so funny? Why are you laughing?
Because I get to choose,
and I choose not to be afraid.
Right, strong child.
Let's go.
I got there. Don't look at us.
No, they won't.
Someone stayed behind
to make sure they wouldn't.
To protect us.
Who did?
Have you ever
heard of the Shield Maidens?
No.
They were women of the borderlands.
When all the soldiers
had died, they took up arms.
They defended
Rohan when no one else could.
Some believe they're all gone now.
Are they?
Not all of them.
Advance!
What is this?
You come before me as a bride.
You think after
everything I would marry you?
I am bride to no man.
Tell me then, to whom are you pledged?
Death.
Let us end this wolf
as it began with you and I.
If I best you in
combat, you let my people go.
Why would I agree to such terms?
You have nothing to offer me.
You may wear a crown upon your
head, but that does not make you a king.
I am the last of
the true bloodline of Rohan.
I offer you a chance to
prove yourself worthy of that throne.
You were too much of
a coward to face my father.
So face me now.
The girl is
clever. She is up to something.
Do not take the bait.
I accept your challenge.
You think I am afraid of you.
You should be.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Hold positions!
Hurry! Hurry!
This way.
Keep moving! Keep moving!
Call off your men.
You gave me your word.
I did.
Launch the attack.
No.
The girl was right.
You're a coward.
A coward with no honor.
With or without
honor, men bleed just the same.
Attack! Attack!
Please the girl to me!
Hold your positions!
They're closing in. Move
the last group now. Go! Hurry!
You take care of this.
Our people still have
some or two left in them yet.
Hannah!
Fire!
Fire!
Fire!
You have lost, Hera.
Hera!
The Hornberg will fall.
Just like your brothers.
Just like the great Helm Hammerhand.
Helm Hammerhand.
The Rays! The Rays!
Helm Hammerhand has come!
You've been danderable now!
Strike me!
For Rowan!
For Ellingars!
Charge!
Our people do not call
this keep for Hornberg anymore.
They have named it for its true king.
Helm's deep.
They have Bye claw to
mark the ray of fallen enemies!
Come back!
I knew it.
From the moment I first met
you, I knew you would be my doom.
Hedda.
Hedda!
After them!
Cut off the retreat!
Cut off the retreat!
Cut off the retreat!
Hedda, you're hurt.
Let them go.
Let them return to
their homes, their loved ones.
Rohan has seen enough war.
Show mercy, cousin.
Then let mercy rule this day.
Come on, now.
Don't push, Randy.
The long winter had ended.
The green promise of spring had come.
So began the second line of kings,
and the hope for a more peaceful age.
Freilath Hildeson,
10th King of Rohan,
First Lord of the Second Line.
I present to you
the new Master of Isengard.
Saruman the White.
If he should ever be in
need of assistance, my lord.
It should have been you, Hedda.
I never wanted a crown.
It was always meant for others.
Even so.
You would have worn it well.
I hear you received a message.
Yes, an unexpected invitation.
Of course.
Adventure beckons.
Go well, cousin.
But should your king ever need you?
The king will always have my sword,
my loyalty, and my love.
What are you doing here?
What does it look like?
You're no longer bound to my service.
I know.
So, where are we going?
We ride for the fords
of Iseng to meet a wizard.
He has questions
about the orcs I encountered
and the rings they were stealing.
Oh, I? And does this wizard have a name?
He has many.
But in the common
tongue, he's simply known as Gandalf.
Her name was Hera,
the only daughter of Helm.
Wild, some called
her, head strong and free.
And so she
remained to the end of her days.
You ask who I'm certain need.
Who will come when
the last line is broken,
when the day is over done?
Who will say when?
Who will say when?
You are the wind
that will carry them home.
How?
When the fire burns low, turns into smoke
And all the songs are sung
Run over those and all
the road to battles lost and won
I know a few have
inside, let hope and all the doubt
With dark thin eyes, be the
light when all the light is gone
You ask who I'm certain need.
Who will come when the last line
is broken, when the day is over done?
It's you, your name, they're calling
On the deep, they will rise
Go forth and they will follow
Time to fight, it's time to rise
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
You are the wind
that will carry them home
He's no rider, but I stay with the dove
You don't know what fate
awaits, but no, you're not alive
Hail, Hail, Hail,
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
Take up your shield
maiden, and ride to the world's end
All Middle Earth knows
the tale of the War of the Ring.
But there are older tales.
Tales told around the
warm fires on cold winter nights.
Tales passed down
from the old to the young.
Tales that light a path through the dark.
Almost 200 years before the
Ring ever came to Bilbo Baggins,
there lived a girl.
Her name was Hera, only
daughter of Helm, King of Roha.
Born under a harvest moon, her mother
did not live to see the dawn.
Raised alongside two
brothers by a warrior king,
the girl could ride a
horse before she could walk.
Wild, some called her.
Headstrong railed
her father, though in truth,
he was so proud of his tearaway child.
Whoa.
Whoa.
By her hand, many great deeds were done.
But do not look for
tales of her in the old songs.
There are none.
Maloney.
Where is the horse?
Where is the rider?
Lost into shadow where I cannot find her.
Long is the road and far from her home.
But fear not my sister, your mere idol.
From mountain top
high, cross river bed low,
to wild whispered
places she's longing to go.
Feel as she rides into the unknown.
Hera.
You should have seen it, Hummer.
The fledgling took the lure.
Harleth said it wouldn't work.
He said it will tear you limb from limb.
Wait, Hera.
Did you know that the
great eagles speak a language
all of their own, but only to wizards?
Will you listen to me?
Wait, whose horses are those?
That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Messengers arrived from the West March.
From Lord Frecker?
Why?
He has called for a witten.
I thought only the king
could summon the lords to council.
That is the custom, not the law.
Ollie-win, it's also
the custom to tell your ladies
made if you're going to run
off and make a snack of yourself
for some great flying beast.
Come on, you need to change.
What's wrong with what I'm wearing?
Hopeless.
Lord Frecker
hasn't been to court in years.
Why would he show up now?
You don't think him, he's
thinking? I'd like to see him try.
Haleth.
Brother.
I doubt Frecker even
remembers how to swing a sword.
He sat idle in the West March too long,
stuffing his face and his pocket.
Fattened, prosperous are
when men are at the most dangerous,
Lord Haleth.
It fills them with false courage, and
false courage. It fills them with false courage,
and false courage breeds discontent.
Which means what?
It means Lord Frecker has
had a long time to think about
all the things he doesn't have.
Frecker has only
what we allow, nothing more.
Leaf, you're calling the banners tonight.
My Lord Freilath.
Yes, I am.
It's my first counsel.
I thought I'd learn all the sigils.
But I, um...
I don't recognise that one.
My Lady Hera.
Cousin?
Look at you.
No mud, no twigs in your hair.
One could almost
mistake you for a princess of Rohan.
The shield maidens
were women of the borderlands.
When all the men were slain,
they took up arms and fought.
They defended
Rohan when no-one else could.
Those were darker days.
I've long fought it
time to retire that banner.
I doubt there are any of them left.
They're all gone.
Not all of them.
Helm, son of Graham,
Lord of the Erlingas,
Knight! Yes, yes.
They know their king when they see him.
You all look like you're at a funeral.
Fear not, faint hearts.
We'll be done with
this business soon enough.
I see you have started without me.
Freca, Lord of the Westmarch,
Lord Wulf, son of Freca,
General Tug of Dunland.
Lord Freca, it has been a while.
You've missed many a council,
though it seems very few meals.
Your mother, Freca, the King Jest.
I see age has not
improved your manners, my liege.
Am I not welcome in this great hall?
All loyal men are welcome here.
Ah, but loyal to whom?
Hmm?
To Rohan!
Or to Gondor?
A rumor has reached my ears
that a Gondorian princeling
has made an offer
for your daughter's hand.
Do you deny it?
It's none of your
business whom my daughter marries.
I say it is.
I say it is all of our business.
I come before this
council with an offer to strengthen,
not weaken Rohan.
For too long our houses have squabbled
while Gondor usurps our greatness.
They would respect us, they fear us,
were we truly united.
It is past time for Rohan
to stop being Gondor's lapdog.
Consider instead a son of the Westmarch.
I, Wolf, son of Freca,
come before you, Hara, daughter of home.
Wolf, don't.
To seek your hand in marriage.
Well, girl, what do you say?
Hmm?
Enough!
You speak of uniting our people
when it is I who has
faced down death, famine, war,
to hold these lands together.
I know why you have come.
Freca, son of Dunland,
you do not seek an alliance.
You seek a throne.
Old kings that refuse a prophet's staff
may fall on their knees.
You do not command the loyalty.
You think you do.
Sire, this is not the place.
My nephew speaks true.
A king does not brawl in his own house.
But men are freer outside.
Wouldn't you agree?
Is this wise uncle?
I know Freca.
He hasn't a noble bone in his body.
Mark my word.
He would not be
satisfied with marriage to Hara.
He would see
his son on my throne
and my boys in a grave.
Time to remind him of his place.
The line of Helm is not so easily broken.
Come away, child.
Leave them be. I'm
sorry. I'm sorry. Come away, child.
Leave them be.
You did not give an answer.
We should go.
Would it be so bad?
We were inseparable once.
We were children.
She with him.
Oh, hi.
I did not think so much had changed.
Wolf, please.
I care about you.
Lord,
you'd rather marry
a stranger from Gondor.
I have no thoughts of marriage at all.
Our fathers speak as if
I were not even in the room.
This should be my decision to make.
It should be yours too.
What if I told you this is what I want?
What I've always wanted.
I love you.
No.
I do not want to marry you.
I do not want to marry any man.
You asked for my answer.
You have it.
Here I am.
Come, sister.
I will miss all the fun.
I will miss you. They call her
right at home in the rough country.
But no, she's too good for my son.
Your daughter will
come crawling on her knees,
begging my son to
marry her before the end.
Father!
Get up, Frecka!
Get up and fight!
Father?
He's dead?
No.
Impossible!
I only struck him the once.
You saw him. You owe saw him.
You killed him.
Put the sword down, lad.
No!
You dare draw your sword
against the king, Dunlanding.
Father, no!
You're killing him!
Enough blood has been spilled.
There will be no more.
You will pay for this with your life.
I swear it.
Save your breath, boy.
Blessed it be your last.
Wolf, son of Frecka, you are banished.
If you set foot on these lands again,
it will be your head.
Oh, Wolf.
Leave him.
Seasons passed.
The death of Frecka
was talked of for a long time.
Some whispered it was an ill
omen for a king to kill one of his own.
Wolf's fate weighed heavy on Hera's mind,
banished and reviled.
Yet he was still the
boy she once called friend.
Come on, Wolf.
Got you.
Wait.
I got you. I'm sorry.
I did not mean to hurt you.
Leave me. You're bleeding.
Go. Before me father finds you here.
I said go.
Hera tried to find word of Wolf.
No sign of him could ever be found.
It was as if he had
vanished, passing like a shadow into night.
Get off!
A new threat arose
on Rohan's eastern border.
Strange sounds were heard in the night.
The broken bodies of wild
horses were found dead on the morn.
No longer would the king allow
his wayward daughter to ride out alone.
Rhebine from Dunland.
It's a south run. The
armor marks him as a mercenary.
See where those tracks lead.
Ooh, it's quite big, isn't it?
It's...
Can't be far.
What is a south run doing this far north?
He's been here a few days.
The birds have picked the body clean.
Spear and horn.
I think he was some kind of beast master.
Ah, but master of what?
What was that old poem you
used to recite to me as a child?
Something about making the earth shake.
Run!
Run!
Run! Run!
The beast is rampant!
Ella, get out of here!
Go!
Freya!
Ella, no!
Faster, Ashley! Faster!
Ella!
Does she know what
creature lives in those woods?
Of course she does.
Whoa, Ashley, they're wrong.
Yeah, go, go.
Beware dark waters that hide old secrets.
How dare you!
Get your hands off me!
Let me down!
She's trying to move me.
Why not kill her now?
Let me down!
No, we take her to the High Lord.
No!
I said let me go!
I found her.
They're holding her
in one of the guard towers.
Ashida.
How can you eat at a time like this?
There must be another way out of here.
Who would dare occupy Isengard?
Someone bold enough
to kidnap a king's daughter.
I'm going after her.
Stay hidden.
Keep the horses at the ready
if I do not return by the hour.
Wait.
I have a plan.
Always too curious for your own good.
Wolf.
You're alive.
You are the High Lord.
Did you think I
would slink away like a cur
and lick my wounds?
No, I have been busy.
All my life I was
scorned for my dumb ending blood.
But look who answered when I needed them.
The Hill Tribes has sworn an oath to me.
Every last one.
You cannot hope to
stand against Rohan and Gondor.
Your father will
never ask for help from Gondor.
His pride will not allow it.
No.
Gondor is not coming.
First I will kill your brothers.
Then I will kill your father.
And then I will take the throne.
And be king of what?
A land in ruins
and its people torn apart.
You had your chance to unite, Rohan.
And you refused.
Did I disgust you so much?
Was I so easily forgotten?
I never forgot you.
I tried to find you.
The boy I knew would never wish for war.
Don't do this, Wolf.
Innocent people will die.
What if there was a
way you could still save them?
A way you could still save your people?
If I agree to this,
if I agree to be your bride,
you swear there will be no war.
If you agree, is there no
end to the arrogance of your house?
Even now you can
barely stop the thought, can you?
The boy you knew is gone, Herr.
I am the man your father made me.
Always, don't just sit there.
No!
You think you're
still a shield-mated old woman?
You're fighting days are over.
Go!
Come on, greedy.
We're leaving.
Seize them!
Right!
Summon the guard!
Stipe her!
No!
Cut them off!
Wait for the gates!
Move!
We'll never make it past the archers.
Trust me, I have a plan.
This is your plan?
I didn't say it was a good one.
My lord!
I'm fine.
Let's get out of here.
I'll dispatch our fastest horsemen.
Don't bother.
She will out-ride them.
Call the men to arms.
Please listen to me.
We do not know the
full strength of Wolf's army.
Do not underestimate him, Father.
There is more to Wolf's plan.
I know it.
The Moomak, the Southron
we saw, that is no coincidence.
The beast was diseased.
You said so yourself.
We had reports of a column of
Moomakill moving west near our southern border.
One of them must have broken
its chains and crossed into our lands.
It's got nothing to
do with the Dunlending Boy.
The wisest move is to
fall back to our strongholds.
Light the beacons.
Call for aid from Gondor.
The wisest move?
You would have me abandon Edoras.
Until we are at full strength.
Yes, this is no rabble of wild men.
These men are
well-trained and well-armed.
My liege, if I
may, Lord Freilath is young.
He has not fought
beside you in battle, as I have.
I pledge 300 riders
to protect the eastern flank.
The men of the
world stand ready to fight.
I accept your pledge.
Lord Thorne shall
have command of the east.
I will lead the vanguard
north and meet Wolf on the plains.
Let every man willing step forth.
The Fennmark is with you.
We fight for Roan!
Please, uncle, trust me.
Trust you?
I trusted you to protect
my daughter, to keep her safe.
And look what happened,
kidnapped by a filthy upstart.
It was not his fault.
Freilath saved me.
She could have died! Go back
to Don Harrow, Freilath Hildesen.
Dig some trenches and crawl into them.
When the songs of this day are sung,
when the names of its heroes are read,
yours will not be amongst them.
He's our kid.
He is no killer of mine!
Nor do I need a sword
offered by such a faithless hand.
My lord.
Freilath, wait!
The king has spoken.
You will always have my sword, uncle,
whether you value it or not.
They know the attack is coming.
From here we have a clear path to Edoras.
Helm will expect us to
make camp on the northern plains.
Good.
War is upon us.
What do you say, old friend?
Will you carry me once more?
What are you doing?
I pledge to fight for my king.
Don't be a fool, child.
If you will not listen to
me, then at least let me fight.
You know nothing of war.
I'm the fastest rider you have.
I can carry
messages between the commanders.
I said no.
The line of Helm
does not rest on you, Hera.
It resides in Halath, in Hammer.
My brothers can defend
their home, but yet I cannot.
One day you will marry.
You will live in Gondor and have children
who know nothing of our ways.
To see me gone?
Is that what would please you?
Yes, it will please me.
I will rejoice.
You will be alive,
because I will have protected you.
Wolf's army is 20 leagues from Edoras.
They're not setting up camp.
They're not resting.
What?
They're continuing to advance.
The Hill tribes are used
to attacking under cover of dark.
He means to strike tonight.
Master the Rahiram!
Wait!
They're not so grim, little sister.
Hell, my mind has never lost a battle.
Hera, you need a faster horse.
Take Ashadeh.
Ashadeh will have no one but you.
Besides, I trust the old girl.
Keep this safe for me.
Always.
Always.
Maybe, one day,
someone will sing ballads of me.
On the morrow, little sister.
Ride strong, brothers.
Where is Storn?
He's late.
His men should be
covering the eastern flank.
I fought beside your father once.
He saved my entire village
from a pack of done-lending raiders.
I broke my shield in that battle.
Afterwards, I wanted a new one.
But no, he told me.
It's not broken.
It's just broken in.
There's so many of them.
Your father is no ordinary man.
It'll take more than an army
of done-lending to bring him low.
The blood of the
ancients flows in his veins.
The same blood that flows in yours.
Oh, the pledges.
Oh, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
The king left these
in my charge for safekeeping.
It's all right.
Don't fret, lad.
The king's got other things on his mind.
Whose mark is this?
Oh.
That's the seal of Lord Thorn.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I've seen this before.
Lord Thorn is in league with Wolf.
He means to betray my father.
We have to get our people out.
Sound the alarm.
Now!
Go!
Evacuate the city!
Riders of the Mark,
brothers of Rohan, arise!
Arise now!
We will paint the dawn
red with the blood of our foes!
Draw your weapon!
Wolf!
Arlingo!
Or Rohan!
Or Rohan!
Arlingo!
Yes!
Arlingo!
Watch!
Watch us, Rane!
Hey!
Watch us, Arbex!
Arlingo!
Charge!
Charge!
Argh!
Arlingo!
Argh!
Argh! Argh!
Wolf!
Where is he?
Where is their high command?
Find him!
Keep moving!
We've a long way to hang of you.
Carry only what you need!
Stay together!
Keep the children to the middle!
Go!
Come on, Ashiree.
Time to leave.
I fear it is too late for that.
My lady.
Traitor!
My father will see you hang for this.
You will never know.
Will you?
What?
Hold the line!
Wolf's nowhere to be seen.
Something's not right.
Uma Kaar!
He's using Varyak masteries.
Edoras is completely exposed.
Royal Guard!
Chippee!
Come on!
The nation of your
valor yet, little brother.
Are you sure about this, Lydia?
Do it.
Take the city!
Hallo!
Hallo!
Call the retreat.
Yeah.
No.
Listen to me, Hallo.
You must reach the
city before we'll find Hera.
Go!
Go!
Break it down!
Move!
No!
It's afraid of the fire!
Look out!
Where is everyone?
The city's deserted.
Find Hera.
Hera!
Hera!
Lord Thorne has betrayed us.
We know.
You've already got the evacuation.
Yes, sir.
Good.
Get everyone to Dunharrow.
The road to Dunharrow
is crawling with wild men.
The Hornberg is our only chance.
Olwen is leading the retreat.
Rainers!
All back!
Come on, the retreat!
Retreat!
It's heading for the Great Hole.
We're rowhand.
We're our people.
Alan!
No!
Alan!
Our turn!
Ready!
My honor!
No!
Father!
Hold on.
Get it out of here!
Run down.
Get off them!
No!
Move it!
Final goal!
Protect the King!
To the King!
To the King!
Father!
Go, Herr.
I'll catch you.
Come on, Uncle.
Come on!
Move.
Songs of valor all go.
This is it.
Come on with the last of you.
You're nearly there.
Hurry now.
Inside the King.
Come on.
Last as you can.
A healer.
The King needs a healer.
Say it.
Hama.
Where is he?
Where's Hama?
This way.
Leave me.
This way.
Hama!
He was right behind us.
Enough!
You have won, Wolf.
I surrender.
Let this end.
Now!
My life for my sons.
No!
Kill me!
Take the crown.
Leave my people in peace.
Let my boy live.
No, Father, don't!
Peace!
There will be no
peace for you, Helm Hanahan.
No, Wolf!
Please, I beg you!
End this now.
Make the exchange.
Once they withdraw behind those walls,
you will never get them out.
Let them.
What have you done?
You will suffer as I have suffered.
You will know what it
means to be alone as I was.
Then, and only then, will I let you die.
Murderer!
No! No! No!
Sire! No!
No! I don't know!
Get the king! I don't know! Get the king!
Get it inside!
Hurry!
All right!
Come on!
Come on!
I've got you!
Come on!
Close the gate!
Close the gate!
Come on!
Prepare the men for a siege.
Sire, winter is coming on.
A siege will cost both sides.
I don't care what it costs.
Surround the keep.
If anyone tries to
escape, even a rat, kill it.
One of the boy's body.
Let it rot.
My lady.
You're needed, my lady.
Any word? I'm sorry, my lord.
High in the stronghold
of Dunharrow, Freilath waited.
Yet the fate of his kin remained unknown.
Had they survived?
Or were they buried now
amongst the ashes of Edoras?
Someone the lords of Rohan to Edoras.
It's time they swear their loyalty to me.
The king who last
ward their crown still lives.
El Mahamahand is but a
shadow of what he once was.
He will perish soon enough.
Fear not, Targ.
Shadows cannot hurt you.
Return to the Hornbeck.
She thinks she's safe behind those walls.
She will learn soon enough.
She's mistaken.
We have a chance, if we
can just outlast Wulf's army.
This is all of it.
It's not enough.
Search all the
rooms. Take stock of everything.
What's that?]
I've been keeper of
these halls for 40 years.
I never thought I'd see such times.
Supplies are running terribly low.
It's going to be a long
winter. I can feel it in my bones.
Don't touch that, m'lady!
That gown was made for a bride
that was pledged to the captain of the keep.
But she never got to wear it.
A strange fever took her
the night before her wedding.
Some say many a lost
soul wanders these halls...
...and worse.
Who says it?
I do.
Nonsense.
Here, give me that.
I've tried to send for help.
All our messenger birds are shut down.
None can get past their arches.
What are the choices there but to submit?
Don't be a fool.
There will be no surrender.
Only slaughter!
We've barely any food or fuel.
The other lords of Rohan
have retreated to their strongholds.
We are cut off!
How are we to survive?
We find a way.
We cannot fight amongst ourselves.
That is exactly what he wants us to do.
Despair is Wolf's
greatest weapon against us.
We cannot succumb.
We find a way to
survive, and we do it together.
Pretty words.
Pretty words will not save us.
Thanks! Thanks!
Here, take a look at this.
What are they doing down there?
What are they doing?
He's building a siege
tower. He means to breach the walls.
It is not easy to hold on
to hope when an ill wind blows.
Winter bit hard that year.
None was spared the endless cold.
Yet still the siege held fast.
The Rohirrim could do nothing but
watch and wait, as their doom drew ever near.
Any change?
It makes no sense. His body
is mending, and yet he does not wake.
I fear it is his mind that is broken.
What are you doing? That's for the king.
What about that?
What? No, not that.
Take it?
But my lady, that was Master Harmor's.
And what use is it without him?
I know this sickness is
not born of any mortal wound.
It is grief that pulls you under.
Grief that you will
never again see your sons.
You think all is lost.
But I am here, Father.
I am still here.
Please don't give up.
Who's out there? Show yourself!
What happened here?
Speak.
He killed them all.
I saw it showed
them apart with his parents.
Who did?
Helm Hammerhand is no living man.
It's not natural the
thing I saw. He's coming for us all.
Save us.
Father?
Father!
Night after night, a
ghostly horn echoed in the deep.
A harbinger of death.
Fear took hold of Wulf's men.
Whisper spread that Helm
Hammerhand was human no more.
He bore no weapon,
and no weapon could smite him.
A terror born of madness and grief.
A wraith.
Wulf returned to a camp stalked by death.
His carefully laid plans in disarray.
He was king of nothing.
But Wulf, son of Frega, would be
damned before he was defeated by a ghost.
Is it true what they say?
What?
Has the king become a monster?
A terrible unholy sight.
Eyes that burn like
poles as he feasts on the flesh.
Helm Hammerhand is no wraith.
Then how did he disappear from a
locked and guarded room and submaze that?
I don't know, but I do
know he can't walk through walls.
Perhaps he can. Perhaps
he can do many unnatural things.
Oh, I. Such as what?
First comes the sound
of the horn. Three blasts.
Then he appears fierce
and good. Stalking is prey.
The only ghoul
haunting these halls is you.
Hera?
Hera?
Olin, can you hear me?
Hera? Where's she gone?
Olin!
Jeff, &
Ad Danielle]
Father?
Wait!
Father!
Wait!
Nasty.
Why, though not have chin to ones,
nothing worse than a
bit of king nastaking, you see?
Oh, my God!
Take him before you eat him.
That slug!
I told you before, order's from on high.
What does your maw,
though, want with rings, anyway?
Hey, the less I know, the better.
Smell that.
They can smell you from Mount Doom.
No. No.
I smell fresh meat.
Here, shake.
No! No!
Gosh, who's a live one?
Not much meat on her.
May as well feed her to the beast.
What is that infernal noise?
It's the wraith.
The wraith of El Maman.
Get me, General Tark.
Huh?
No!
Hannah.
I'm sorry, child. I'm so sorry.
I thought I'd lost you.
I was trying to protect you.
You can't tear Wolf's
army apart one man at a time.
I can try.
I should have listened to you.
You're brave and
clever and stronger than I knew.
And I was blind and not to see it.
I failed you.
All of you.
No.
Everything you've
ever done was for Rohan.
For those you love.
When I was little, you told me
you only fail when you stop trying.
You never gave up.
Never.
You're freezing.
Come. We have to
make a break for the gates.
It's the only way back in.
Don't let go!
Help!
What is that?
Open the gates!
Open the gates!
It's the king!
Open the gates!
Open them!
Stop them!
The gates are stuck!
Go! Go!
They're coming.
Hurry!
Hurry!
Come.
What are you doing?
No. No. Please.
I need you.
Rohan still needs you.
No, Hera. They need you.
You must lead them now.
I can't.
You can.
You are a daughter of kings.
The day you were
born, I was brought to my knees.
My pride.
My joy.
You could rule the world.
No.
No.
Father!
Come away, child.
Father! Come away
before you freeze to death.
Is there no one left?
Is there no one left to face me?
Fall back!
Hera, come away! You die out here!
Not while I live!
Do you hear me?
All my life, Rohan, still stands!
Helm, have a hand! Still stands!
That is how they found him.
Frozen in place, still standing
guard before the gates of the Hornburg.
His will unbroken, his knees unbent.
Dead.
I'll give the
order to call off the siege.
We can decamp and be
out of here within the week.
We are not going anywhere.
You have won.
There is nothing left to
conquer but a group of starving refugees.
Sire, you need to
look to your own people.
They are suffering.
This long winter has taken its toll.
Your stores of gold are all but gone.
I implore you.
Abandon this place.
Do you think I want to be here?
Stuck in this filthy, forsaken valley.
I cannot leave.
Don't you understand?
This is all I have.
Without vengeance,
this will have been for nothing.
No.
We cannot show weakness.
Not to her.
This keep will be her dream.
How long do you think we have?
A few days before he breaches the walls.
We cannot fight him.
We cannot call for aid.
Even if we could, who would answer now?
I'm afraid, Ollie-wen.
I cannot save them.
Perhaps not.
But there is something you can do.
You can choose.
You ask who would
come if you called for aid.
Rohan would answer.
People need hope, Hera.
Something to believe in.
No matter how out of reach it may be.
So you can wait and
worry, or you can choose.
You can choose how this ends.
This is your plan.
I never said it was a good one.
Not that I mind carrying this
up eight after the 98 steps, my lady.
But why do you need your father's armor?
My father's helmet and
horn are known throughout the land.
Why do I need the king's armor, Lee?
For hope.
Hope?
Don't ask.
If I don't come
back, will you look after?
Enough of that talk. You're coming back.
I have read that the great eagles
can understand the common tongue of men.
Please, I beg of you.
I need your help.
My people need your help.
ries We've had enough.
Where's the money we were promised?
This isn't about
money. Your mission is to
take that fortress
so we can end this damn war!
We care not for your stone towers!
You should.
That fortress is full
of such riches. Room upon room.
Those miserable rebels
inside that keep cannot use it.
They cannot burn it. They cannot eat it.
It's yours. All of
it. Yours for the taking.
What are you doing? The
Hornberg has never been used to store gold.
But they don't know that, do they?
We can wait no longer. Gives the order.
Right, Yula. You
heard Lord Freilark. Time to
abandon Tohn Harrow. We
beg for Gondor at first light.
Lead Northern line! Kill them all!
He's moving the
siege tower. We're out of time.
Then all is lost.
On the contrary. An attack gives
us a chance. One small chance to escape.
Wolf will throw everything at
us, which means his camp will be empty.
If we can clear the secret tunnel,
our people can reach the mountain pass.
From there, they can make for D'Anharo.
It's too risky. Wolf will see us.
No, he won't.
Because his eye will be fixed on me.
Are you ready? Yes. Good.
Where are we going? Somewhere safe.
Are your soldiers ready?
Aye. They are.
We'll get them to D'Anharo.
Aye, trying.
Leaf?
No. No, this is all wrong.
I'm your guard, miss. I want
to fight by your side till the end.
I need you to
protect what is most important.
I need you to protect our people.
Go on, my dear then.
A straight line, mind you.
Don't be leading them in circles.
He wanted a bride,
and so a bride he shall have.
It's time.
I swore to your father,
from your very first breath,
that I would always be by your side.
I swear it's still to my very last...
What's so funny? Why are you laughing?
Because I get to choose,
and I choose not to be afraid.
Right, strong child.
Let's go.
I got there. Don't look at us.
No, they won't.
Someone stayed behind
to make sure they wouldn't.
To protect us.
Who did?
Have you ever
heard of the Shield Maidens?
No.
They were women of the borderlands.
When all the soldiers
had died, they took up arms.
They defended
Rohan when no one else could.
Some believe they're all gone now.
Are they?
Not all of them.
Advance!
What is this?
You come before me as a bride.
You think after
everything I would marry you?
I am bride to no man.
Tell me then, to whom are you pledged?
Death.
Let us end this wolf
as it began with you and I.
If I best you in
combat, you let my people go.
Why would I agree to such terms?
You have nothing to offer me.
You may wear a crown upon your
head, but that does not make you a king.
I am the last of
the true bloodline of Rohan.
I offer you a chance to
prove yourself worthy of that throne.
You were too much of
a coward to face my father.
So face me now.
The girl is
clever. She is up to something.
Do not take the bait.
I accept your challenge.
You think I am afraid of you.
You should be.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Hold positions!
Hurry! Hurry!
This way.
Keep moving! Keep moving!
Call off your men.
You gave me your word.
I did.
Launch the attack.
No.
The girl was right.
You're a coward.
A coward with no honor.
With or without
honor, men bleed just the same.
Attack! Attack!
Please the girl to me!
Hold your positions!
They're closing in. Move
the last group now. Go! Hurry!
You take care of this.
Our people still have
some or two left in them yet.
Hannah!
Fire!
Fire!
Fire!
You have lost, Hera.
Hera!
The Hornberg will fall.
Just like your brothers.
Just like the great Helm Hammerhand.
Helm Hammerhand.
The Rays! The Rays!
Helm Hammerhand has come!
You've been danderable now!
Strike me!
For Rowan!
For Ellingars!
Charge!
Our people do not call
this keep for Hornberg anymore.
They have named it for its true king.
Helm's deep.
They have Bye claw to
mark the ray of fallen enemies!
Come back!
I knew it.
From the moment I first met
you, I knew you would be my doom.
Hedda.
Hedda!
After them!
Cut off the retreat!
Cut off the retreat!
Cut off the retreat!
Hedda, you're hurt.
Let them go.
Let them return to
their homes, their loved ones.
Rohan has seen enough war.
Show mercy, cousin.
Then let mercy rule this day.
Come on, now.
Don't push, Randy.
The long winter had ended.
The green promise of spring had come.
So began the second line of kings,
and the hope for a more peaceful age.
Freilath Hildeson,
10th King of Rohan,
First Lord of the Second Line.
I present to you
the new Master of Isengard.
Saruman the White.
If he should ever be in
need of assistance, my lord.
It should have been you, Hedda.
I never wanted a crown.
It was always meant for others.
Even so.
You would have worn it well.
I hear you received a message.
Yes, an unexpected invitation.
Of course.
Adventure beckons.
Go well, cousin.
But should your king ever need you?
The king will always have my sword,
my loyalty, and my love.
What are you doing here?
What does it look like?
You're no longer bound to my service.
I know.
So, where are we going?
We ride for the fords
of Iseng to meet a wizard.
He has questions
about the orcs I encountered
and the rings they were stealing.
Oh, I? And does this wizard have a name?
He has many.
But in the common
tongue, he's simply known as Gandalf.
Her name was Hera,
the only daughter of Helm.
Wild, some called
her, head strong and free.
And so she
remained to the end of her days.
You ask who I'm certain need.
Who will come when
the last line is broken,
when the day is over done?
Who will say when?
Who will say when?
You are the wind
that will carry them home.
How?
When the fire burns low, turns into smoke
And all the songs are sung
Run over those and all
the road to battles lost and won
I know a few have
inside, let hope and all the doubt
With dark thin eyes, be the
light when all the light is gone
You ask who I'm certain need.
Who will come when the last line
is broken, when the day is over done?
It's you, your name, they're calling
On the deep, they will rise
Go forth and they will follow
Time to fight, it's time to rise
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
You are the wind
that will carry them home
He's no rider, but I stay with the dove
You don't know what fate
awaits, but no, you're not alive
Hail, Hail, Hail,
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail
Take up your shield
maiden, and ride to the world's end