When Saruman's forces had gained possession of the eastern bank, there arrived a company of men or orc-men (Uruk-hai? ), ferocious, mailclad and armed with axes. They hastened to the eyot and assailed it from both sides. At the same time, Grimbold on the west bank was attacked by forces coming down the western side of Isen.

Seeing the axe-men driving Théodred's men towards the low knoll in the centre of the eyot, Grimbold, taking a few men that stood near him, ran to the aid of Théodred. So fierce was his onset into the rear of the axe-men, that he clove through and reached Théodred together with two others. But too late. Just as he came to his side Théodred fell, hewn down by a great orc-man. Grimbold slew the orc-man and stood over the body of Théodred, thinking him dead.

Elfhelm came then to the rescue, having lead four companies all the way from Edoras. Alarmed by the presence of wolfriders, Elfhelm pressed on towards the Fords instead of stopping at Helm's Deep as was his original intention. By a few fugitives that he met just before the last bend in the road, he was told of the disaster.

Even though both his men and his horses were weary, he pressed on as fast as he could, and when he was in sight of the east bank, he ordered his companies to charge.

Now it was the Isengarders that were taken by surprise, and few stood their ground. Elfhelm dismounted with his own company, and rushed to the eyot, catching the axe-men between himself and the surviving defenders, and with both banks still held by the Rohirrim. The axe-men were all slain, the last two of them fighting Grimbold over the possession of Théodred's body.

Elfhelm and Grimbold found that Théodred still breathed, but he only lived long enough to speak his last words:

A harsh horn sounded, and then it was silent. The attack on the west bank ceased, and the enemy faded away into the dark.

As it later turned out, Saruman's chief objective at the time, was to achieve the slaying of Théodred, the son of King Théoden, at all costs.

Reconditioning and reorganization

When news of the fall of Théodred reached him in the Hornburg on the next day, Erkenbrand of Westfold assumed command of the Westmark. He sent message to Edoras to bear to Théoden his son's last words and praying that Éomer should be sent with all the help that could be spared. Thanks to the cunning of Gríma, his request for help was not answered

Erkenbrand gave command in the field to Grimbold, while he was himself occupied with the manning of the Hornburg and gathering such men of Westfold as he could.

Elfhelm and his Riders belonged to the Muster of Edoras, and Erkenbrand could not give Grimbold any command over Elfhelm. There was however no dissention between Elfhelm and Grimbold, but their ordering of forces was a compromise between their differing opinions:

Elfhelm withdrew his Riders and took up his position where he had wished the main defence to stand; his purpose was to descry any attack coming down on the east of the river, and to disperse it before it could reach the Fords.

The eyot was left bare.

The Second Battle

The second battle took place on March 2nd.

As it turned out, any variations in the tactics of the Rohirrim would have made little difference, as Saruman's strength was too great.

The attack began by day, and before noon a strong force of Saruman's best fighters attacked the forts on the west of the Fords. In fact, this force was only a small part of what Saruman had in hand, but still enough to greatly outnumber the defenders. The garrison of the Fords resisted stubbornly but at length, a troop of Uruks forced the passage between them while the forts were heavily engaged.

Elfhelm had been unable to take part in this action. When dusk came, he withdrew his companies and retired towards Grimbold's camp, setting his men in groups at some distance from it to act as a screen against attacks from north and east.

It wasn't even midnight when the vanguard of the whole remaining forces of Saruman came from the north, armed for the conquest of Westfold. They came at great speed, and gathering into their stream the forces already manning the west bank they swept over the Fords like a river of fire with a great clamour of hate. A great company of bowmen might have made some difference, but Grimbold only had a handful of archers.

In vain Grimbold looked for help from Elfhelm, but none came. Knowing that although his men would fight until all were slain if he ordered so, this would not help Erkenbrand. But any man that could break out and escape southwards would be useful. He therefore mounted those riders that could be mounted on the remaining horses, not many more than half an éored, and placed them under the command of Dúnhere. The shieldwall was opened on the east side, and the Riders attacked, driving back their assailants, diving and wheeling round they then charged the enemy to the north and south. The surprise of the sudden attack combined with a rearguard on foot commanded by Grimbold, gave the remainder enough time to retreat with what speed they could. Saruman's commander soon understood that the shieldwall was broken and that the defenders were fleeing, but the moon was overtaken by clouds, he was in haste, and he had captured the Fords. Therefore he did not allow his troops to press on after the fugitives. Instead, he gathered his force as best as he could, and made for the road southwards. So it was that the greater part of Grimbold's men survived, scattered but making their way away from the road. They were relieved but amazed to counter no enemies, not knowing that a large army had already passed southward and that Isengard was now guarded by little but its own strength of wall and gate.

What followed is less clear, since only Gandalf had full knowledge of it. What is clear, is that Gandalf received news of the disaster in the late afternoon of March the 3rd. He then rode with the greatest speed that Shadowfax could command, and reached Isengard in the early darkness, leaving again in no more than twenty minutes. He must have met Grimbold and Elfhelm, probably both on his outward journey, and his return. Grimbold's men he sent southward to join Erkenbrand...

Comments

The story as written in Unfinished Tales, ends here.