Back in Gondor, the Rohirrim had stopped by a lake on their way to Minas Tirith. They were making good time, but not good enough. Eomer had galloped up to Théoden.

"The Scouts report Minas Tirith is surrounded. The lower levels in flames." Eomer reported. "Everywhere, legions of the enemy advance." 

Théoden knew that time was up to stop and rest. They had to get to Minas Tirith with double the speed. "Time is against us." He said to himself. "Make ready!" He ordered his soldiers. 

Jon sighed. He and the Rohirrim were riding hard. They had to if they wanted to save the city. And Arya and Pippin too. And he was by Eowyn and Merry. He looked at his longsword, Longclaw. And the Direwolf hilt on it. 

"Take heart, Merry. It will soon be over." Eowyn assured Merry as Merry was eating. And Eowyn was also trying to reassure herself. 

"My lady. You are fair and brave and have much to live for." Merry said. "And many who love you." 

Eowyn turned her head to Merry. "I know there is not much point now in hoping. If I were a knight of Rohan capable of great deeds, but I'm not. I'm a Hobbit. And I know I can't save Middle Earth." Merry continued. "I just want to help my friends; Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Sansa, Arya. More than anything I wish I could see them again." 

"We'll see Arya, Pippin, and Sansa again." Jon assured. "Arya and Pippin are at Minas Tirith, and Sansa is getting us more reinforcements." 

"I suppose that's true." Merry admitted.

"And you don't have to a knight to be capable of Great Deeds. Father once said that even the lowest of any peasant if he has the will can turn the tide of any battle. A lot of the soldiers in the Northern Army started off as peasants before they came into the service of our House." Jon added. "And... didn't you and Arya and Pippin destroy Isengard?" He asked.

"Technically, the Ents did that." Merry corrected.

"And who persuaded the Ents to go to war in the first place?" Jon asked. "You guys did. Sansa also told me that you led her and Frodo to Bucklebury Ferry to get away from the Nazgul and led you to Bree. You may not be a Knight of Rohan. But what you do have is simple courage." He explained. 

Eowyn looked at Jon taking Jon's words to heart. "And if everyone in the world had the same amount of Simple courage that you did, Merry... well, we'd have already won this war." 

Merry nodded. 

And the rest of the Rohirrim were all saddling up back on their horses. 

"Prepare to move out!" Eomer ordered.

"Make haste. We ride through the night!" Théoden ordered as a soldier blew a horn. 

"Come on. We've got work to do." Jon got back up on his horse. And Merry and Eowyn exchanged looks. It was time to mobilize.

"Riding with Eowyn?" Jon asked.

"Yes I am." Merry answered as he put on his helmet. Eowyn put on her own helmet. 

"To battle." Eowyn declared.

"To battle." Merry repeated. 

"To battle." Jon also repeated and with all the motivation in the world to get to Minas Tirith.

Back at Minas Tirith. The Orcs continued to besiege the burning cities even into the night. Now they were lighting up fire balls on their Catapults, and launched them over the walls raining fire down on the city which was burning from the inside out and scattering the Gondorians. 

Siege Towers still moved on top of the walls, each containing a horde of Orcs that were fighting the Gondorians. While upon the main gate, The Orcs gave up trying to breach the gate with a simple battering ram. And decided to unleash their bigger, stronger, battering ram: Grond. Grond was pulled on thick chains by Trolls, while to each of the side, contained Orc Archers to lay cover fire against the Gondorian Archers on the walls. 

Orcs were now lining up outside the main gates, ready to storm through when Grond breached the gates. The Trolls all pulled on Grond as Orcs chanted out: "Grond! Grond!" 

Grond was swung. Crashing hard against the gates which shuddered on impact. 

"Back to the gate! Hurry!" Gandalf commanded to the Gondorians who were now rushing to defend the gates. The Archers knocking to their arrows, and Soldiers forming up ranks with their swords, shields and spears.

Grond swung again. And the Gates shuddered. 

The city was completely in flames, fighting was happening on the walls. And Pippin was watching all the destruction from above on the top level. Arya in the meantime, walked back in frantic tones.

"This is ridiculous!" Arya finally yelled as Summer was standing by the White Tree with the other four guards. "Pippin! We can't sit up here and do nothing! I'm going back down there and helping stop the Orcs!" She declared.

"Arya! No! Gandalf told us to stay here!" Pippin reminded.

"Well I can't stay here! I have to fight, to defend this city and its people! If I just sat here, Father would never forgive me." Arya said. She looked back down on the city. "I'm not going to stand here doing nothing! That's what everyone in this stupid city has done! Nothing!" She turned to the four guards by the tree. "No offense to you guys." 

"None taken." One replied.

The door to one of the towers had opened and out came Denethor who was leading a procession and holding a flaming brand.

"Oh! Speaking of doing nothing and stupid." Arya huffed. But that was when she noticed Faramir being borne on a stretcher. "Oh no..." She had a bad feeling about this.

"I am steward of the House of Anarion. Thus have I walked, and thus now I will sleep." Denethor said as if he was a zombie. 

Pippin ran up next to Arya. He watched the procession pass him. Something told him that nobody got Faramir any medicine at all.

"Seven Hells." Arya grunted as she saw the Procession continuing forward. 

"Gondor is lost. There is no hope for men." Denethor said as he passed by the White Tree which contained a single white bloom on it. Indicating that not all hope was lost. Everyone was just too blind to see it. 

"Hey! Dickhead!" Arya tried to yell. "That is your city burning down there! You going to do something?!" 

But Denethor and the procession walked past. "Where's he going now?!" Arya started to wonder. "Come on, Pip." 

Pippin and Arya followed Denethor. Then walked down a quiet street and over to the Tombs of the Kings. Even from that distance, everyone could still hear the sounds of burning and battle. Swords clashing and screaming everywhere. 

Denethor turned back at the city. "Why do the fools fly? Better to die sooner than late. For die, we must." And he turned back moving towards the tombs over a single bridge. He then opened the doors to the Tomb of the Stewards, his procession following him. "No tomb for Denethor and Faramir. No long slow sleep of death embalmed. We shall burn, like the Heathen Kings of Old." 

"What?" Arya asked as she looked at Pippin in shock. Pippin also looked in shock. 

"Bring Wood and Oil." Denethor ordered his followers. 

"He's going to burn Faramir alive." Pippin realized in horror.

There was then a loud banging that echoed from the city. Like a gate was breaking down. "He's not the only one." Arya said in a nervous tone.

Back at the main gate. Grond swung again. The Gates shuddering again. The Orcs still chanting Ground. And Gondorians soldiers backing away in a nervous tone as if anything could've been out there. The Gates of Hell ready to break loose.

"Steady! Steady!" Gandalf commanded acting as the authority figure.

The Trolls outside swung Grond again. Orcs still remained ready to charge in there. Just as soon as the Trolls made the first move and as Archers continued on the barrage of cover fire.

Grond swung again. And with a mighty crash, the head of the flamming wolf broke through the center of the gates. The Gondorians all stood back a little more nervously as it was as if a gigantic monster out of hell was coming out of the walls. One more swing. And the Gates were open.

"You are soldiers of Gondor." Gandalf told the Men as Grond swung for the final push. "No matter what comes through that gate, you will stand your ground." 

Grond swung through the gates again. It burst open. And a mass of Trolls in thick armor and huge maces brandished through. And all roaring. It did cause Gandalf to look in alarm as he and the Fellowship barely survived one back in Moria.

"Run!" The Trolls all smashed through the Gondorian lines, smashing through the soldiers like they were nothing. 

"Volley!" Gandalf commanded. "Fire!" 

The Archers all fired their arrows into the Trolls. Hitting the Trolls in the chest, but when it seemed like the Trolls were about to be overwhelmed, the Orcs march through. The Gondorian Infantry all lowered their spears at the oncoming Orc that all charged and jumped at the Gondorians and engaging in a fierce melee. Swords, axes, and pikes swinging and Spears thrusting. And the Trolls all swinging down smashing and swinging aside the Gondorians like they were ragdolls. And some Trolls who had arrows sticking through them were recovering from their stunned attack and going after the Archers. 

Gandalf himself even fought in melee as he fought along Shadowfax and swung at a Trolls legs, forcing the Troll down. But the Orcs all kept swarming through, as well as their Wargs who charged on the Gondorians sweeping away all opposition. The only other thought that Gondor had at that moment other than trying to stay alive was where in the world was Rohan?