A loud horn sounded, startling Dysis from his nap. He glanced around the old building, sharp eyes taking in a wobbly oak table, his brown pack, a small dirty rug, and a gleaming silver and red dragon. The little creature was standing on it's hind legs staring intently at him. As he looked into the dragons eyes, he felt a little tendril of... something, brush his conscious. Dysis jumped at the odd feeling, looked down at his dragon and spoke, "Was that you?"

The beast cocked his head to the side, and let out a shrill squeak. The tendril of thought brushed harder, then the feeling seemed to disappear. Dysis too turned his head on it's side, pondering the weird feeling. He asked nobody in particular, "Could you stop doing that please? It's a little odd."

"No." Dysis jumped straight up in the air, his breathing suddenly laboured.

"Who was that? Show yourself!" He called frightened. If someone had seen the dragon, things would become complicated.

"No." It was the same voice, and this time he recognized the feminine tone to it. The speaker was definitely female, which was unusual, women in Rohan were not prone to making jokes on unsuspecting men.

"This is not amusing hidden Lady. Show yourself." Dysis was more gentle, perhaps since whoever was speaking was female a more gentle approach would be needed.

"No." At this Dysis was beginning to become angry.

"Is 'no' all you can say?!" He exclaimed dramatically waving an arm about.

"Yes." The small voice almost sounded as if it were smiling. Dysis glared down at his little dragon in his confusion and anger, only to see it grinning, and doing what looked like dragon hiccups. It bounced up and down making a weird growl with the occasional puff of smoke. Realization hit Dysis as if a warg had been dropped on him.

"It's you isn't it?!" He felt incredibly relieved and shocked at the same time.

"Yes."

"Your vocabulary is somewhat limited don't you think." Dysis was grinning now, anger and shock forgotten at the novelty of talking to his dragon. His mind never processed that he wasn't hearing the words out loud, the dragon was only speaking them in his mind.

"No, Dysis." Dysis grinned again, it knew his name. He paused, then corrected himself, she knew his name.

"Your a female dragon right?"

"Yes."

"You need a name. I don't really know any good dragon names." The dragon snorted. "Well, I could tell you some names, and if you like one, you can tell me so."

The dragon nodded slightly and sat down on her haunches. She curled her tail around her front feet and she almost looked like a cat, except for the shining silver scales and large thin wings.

"Let's see, there's Andra? It means strong." The dragon shook her head. "How about Saima? It means fast." Again she shook her head. "Thina? It means wise." Another shake. "Ok, how about the name of one of the past dragons, Glaurung? No, he was a male dragon. Smaug? No another male, so was Scatha and then there was Ancalagon." As he said the last name, the dragon cocked her head to the side again, and made a slight keeling noise.

"You want that name? It wouldn't make sense, you are a girl."

"Was great dragon, want great name." Dysis was a little surprised by the sudden use of sentences, albeit mangled sentences.

"Ancalagon was a terrible dragon, he destroyed much of this earth."

"Was first fire breather to fly."

"Well yes that's true, and he was very mighty, but still, he was a black dragon."

"Silver dragons related to black dragons."

"Oh fine, your name can be Ancalagon."Dysis gave in. The hunk of scales could be stubborn.

The dragon was silent a moment, then suddenly gave a loud keeling noise, bouncing her head and wings up and down. It seemed they had found a name she was fond of. Dysis laughed at his dragon, then picked her up, dragging himself up after her and set her in his pack.

"Your going to have to stay in here, and keep quiet. I'm going to be leaving you with a friend of mines wife in the back caves. I have to be with my people during this battle."

"I can fight." Dysis smiled at his small beast, who looked brittle enough to be an orc's breakfast.

"Not this time, little one. This will be a long cold rainy night, and you are not yet big enough to fly." Ancalagon grumbled, but seemed to accept the statement as truth. She tucked her head down under a wing, and huffed a little. Dysis hoisted his pack, setting off to find Gleorin's wife.

OoOoOoO

"Idis! Lady, wait, please!" Dysis rushed after the long haired woman. She had a babe swung into a rough basket, and two children at her feet, a boy at the age of 9, and a girl at the age of 10. Dysis thanked all he had these small beings would not be in the battle tonight.

Panting he caught up to her, greeting her two children first, then the babe, then their mother.

"Gleomar, Idwyn, and tiny Gleam too, it brings me joy to see you and your mother safe." He then turned to the older woman, "Idis, I have a favour to ask of you."

"What is it Dysis? Surely Gleomar is not yet old enough to fight, do not ask me for his sword arm!" The woman was clearly mad with fright from the sudden war upon her.

"No! No. Gleomar's day will come, but not this day. He could not wield helm, nor shield, nor sword. I merely wish you take my pack with you, and keep it safe. It carries all I hold dear in this world." Dysis spoke quickly, knowing the elves' horn had rang at dusk, the orc's horn would blow soon after dark, and night was closing in fast.

"Is that all you ask of me? Yes, we shall keep it safe within the Hornburg. Idwyn, please take Dysis' pack dear."

"Yes mother." The small voice was music to Dysis, he had always loved his friend's children. Someday he hoped to find a wife to bear children of his own. He carefully handed the pack over, speaking quietly to Idwyn.

"Take good care of this pack Idwyn, it is very important to me. If it is in good shape when I return I shall give you a gold coin."

The little girl gasped, eyes growing wide as she hugged the pack gently to her chest. She nodded once then trotted off after her departing mother. He watched her speak quickly into Gleomar's ear, and saw his tiny gasp. The boy walked in front of the pack, as if to guard it with his life. Dysis smiled, then turned, he had to prepare for the approaching battle.

OoOoOoO

The armour felt suffocating, standing above the keep's gate. Dysis was decked in lots of chain mail and leather, preferring movement to defense, like the silver boxed knights of Gondor. When on a horse, skill and speed outweigh a need for heavy armour, which only slowed you and your steed down. He glanced to either side, Rohirric men wielding mainly bows were upon these walls, they all carried swords of corse, but their main weapons were bows and rocks and hot oil. Dysis had been assigned to the King's guard, which meant he would be doing very little fighting, but he could see Gleorin, wearing the leather vest that Idis had dyed yellow-green for him, standing along the deeping wall. Gleorin knew he was a target of course, so he had muddied the vest as best he could, but still he wore it, out of love for his wife.

Suddenly the air rippled as the sounds of armour and muddy feet, clawing to find balance, reached them. The uruk-hai were assembling themselves, Dysis could see it upon the horizon. Soon the young boys standing a couple tiers down from him would be forced to notch arrows, and make their first kills. The very thought left him sickened, the war was coming too far. He slid his own bow from his back, keeping an arrow notched, ready to be pulled taunt. The wind lulled, letting the drizzling rain fall straight. The fear among the men was tangible, but Dysis did not fear for himself. He feared only for his little hatchling, and the children who guarded her.

Then, before they scarce had time to think, the uruks were upon them. A volley of arrows from the elves of Lorien were released, and shortly after, a volley from Rohan. Dysis waited though, taking careful aim at an uruk standing further away upon a rock. It was obvious this uruk was in charge of the front legions. The slimy creature threw back his head to shout for the ladders Dysis' sharp eyes caught site of further back, and it was in the slug's scaled throat the arrow embedded itself. He fell, crashing upon another uruk.

It was then that the uruk-hai hesitated, allowing three more allied volleys catch their ranks. However, while the arrows were launched, several orcs baring large metal balls slipped past towards the drain in the deeping wall. The next thing Dysis knew, the unbreachable fortress, was breached. Urku-hai swarmed the lower yards, and Theoden ordered all the men and elves back to the keep.

Dysis stood atop the keep's battlements, out of reach of arrows coming up, yet raining arrows back upon his enemies. Notch, aim, release became his mantra, felling many uruks, but never seeming to make a dent in the swarm flowing through the wall. He singling out an orc aiming at an elf from behind, and downed him with a well placed arrow. Then he heard the call the slugs had broken the main gate, and drew his sword, grabbing the two youngsters from below who had taken his lead in picking off uruks.

After nearly being caught on their way into the caves, Dysis and the two boys collapsed in the short safety of the dank cave. They watched anxiously as men worked to barricade the caves, and the King with his generals and the strangers who came with Gandalf, talked. It was like this the rest of the night passed.

As dawn approached, Dysis left the two sleeping boys, wandering closer to overhear the words being spoken by the King and company.

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them." Aragorn spoke with thundering courage and conviction.

Theoden looked worn, his face showing signs of age and use. "For death and glory."

"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn seemed desperate now, watching Theoden consider.

Gimli spoke quietly, "The sun is rising."

As he stated it, the room warmed, and Theoden's face because the mask of confidence. "Yes." He paused, "Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep one last time."

"Yes!" Gimli shouted, rushing to go blow the famous horn.

Theoden, Legolas, Aragon, Gamling, Hama, and several other knights found horses and mounted. As if knowing he was needed, Carhalm stood ready, in saddle and armour. Dysis mounted, drawing sword behind his King. Theoden spoke to the assembled knights, "Let this be the hour when we draw sword together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn!"

The horn of Helm Hammerhand sounded, it's bellow mixing with the crashing of the doors. Theoden spurred Snowmane forward, Carhalm, Brego and the horse bearing the dwarf and elf sprang after him, catching the uruk-hair by surprise. Dysis slashed left and right, bounding this way and that clearing a path towards the fortress entrance, where they broke free, and had scant second to rest, as the sun broke over the eastern ridge. Upon it stood Gandalf, and as the uruks looked up in confusion, the rohirrim of the Third Marshall cleared the cliff, charging downward. Slaughtering and defeating the uruk-hai.

The battle of Helm's Deep was over.

OoOoOoO

"Gandalf Stormcrow?" Dysis asked nervously. Gandalf had been the wizard present at the death of Smaug, so he was worried telling him about his dragon may be unwise.

"Yes, Sir Rider?" Gandalf seemed intrigued by the sudden stranger coming to speak to him.

"I... well, there's something I need to show you." Dysis uttered meekly.

"Very well, lead on." Gandalf smiled, happy for the distraction from the wounded and dead around him.

So Dysis led him to his temporary room that he had found in a back corner of the keep, and had been keeping Ancalagon in since he had retrieved her from Idis and her family. True to his word he had given the children a gold coin. Now, Ancalagon spent most of her time on the bed napping. In the three days that had passed from the battle of Helm's Deep, she had grown again. She was now the size of a hunting hound, and able to hover for short amounts of time, her wings gaining strength daily. She was practising her hovering when Gandalf and Dysis walked in.

"Oh my! A dragon!" Gandalf was shocked, his staff coming up before him, Dysis rushed forward, ready to draw his sword and kill the wizard if he tried to harm his little hatchling. Ancalagon merely puffed at him, sitting on the table.

"Easy wizard. She is a good dragon, most likely the last of her kind."

"She? A female? A female has not existed in centuries. Wait, she hatched for you?"

"Yes, and gave me this mark." Dysis took off the glove he had been using to cover the silver mark on his palm where he had touched Ancalagon when she had just hatched.

"The mark of a rider! This changes things considerably. Very well, no need to keep her hidden any longer, it is time to present this to King Theoden. A rider has far greater power than a King after all." Gandalf rushed this out, pacing his staff clanking along the floor. He stopped, turned and spoke again, "Bring her now, she can wrapped in your cloak and hidden till we reach the King."

Dysis wrapped Ancalagon up gently, and picked her up, racing after Gandalf as he marched towards the throne hall. The wizard barked back to him, "What is her name?"

"Ancalagon." Dysis huffed.

"She chose that name! Dragon doesn't know what kind of reputation will proceed her."

"She seemed very aware of it when she chose it."

They reached the throne room, Gandalf shoving open the doors, and announcing to Theoden King, "Theoden, I bring you Dysis, Son of Dysomer, Dragon Rider of Middle Earth!"

A/N---Whoo ending it there! Aren't I nice? None of you get to see what Theoden says till next chapter. Review if you want, flamers ignored. Thanks!