36. The Siege of Gondor
[As the orc army nears Minas Tirith, a horse drags a wounded Faramir to its gates.]
Soldier: "Open the gates! Quick!"
[The horse walks through the open gates. Faramir's foot is caught in the stirrup. Arrows protrude from his armor.]
[Gothmog rides a snarling warg though the orc army.]
[Faramir is taken, on a litter, to the citadel's courtyard.]
Irolas: "Quick! Hurry!"
[Gothmog dismounts and stumbles, but shoves off help from another orc.]
[Denethor runs out to Faramir. The soldiers set down the litter near the white tree.]
Denethor: "Faramir? Say not that he has fallen."
Irolas: "They were outnumbered. None survived."
[Orcs approach the city. Gothmog sniffs contemptuously.]
Gothmog: "Fear. The city is rank with it."
Gothmog: "Let us ease their pain. Release the prisoners!"
[An orc lieutenant with a skull impaled on top of his helmet relays the order.]
Skully: "Catapults! Ha!"
[The orc catapults throw debris over the walls.]
Soldier: "Shields up!"
[soldiers duck behind their shields as the heads of their fellow soldiers fall.]
Denethor: "My sons are spent."
[Denethor steps away from Faramir. Pippin approaches.]
Denethor: "My line has ended."
Pippin (looking at Faramir): "He's alive!"
Denethor: "The house of Stewards has failed."
Pippin: "He needs medicine my lord!"
Denethor: "My line has ended!"
[Denethor wanders to the edge of the courtyard. He looks down to see the orc army.]
Pippin: "My lord!"
Denethor: "Rohan has deserted us."
[Orc catapults fling boulders at the city. People cry and run.]
Denethor: "Théoden has betrayed me."
[More boulders fall.]
Denethor: "Abandon your posts! Flee! Flee for you lives!"
[Gandalf smacks Denethor with his staff, knocking him out.]
Gandalf: "Prepare for battle."
[Gandalf rides down to rally the soldiers.]
Gandalf: "Pull them in! To the wall! Defend the wall! Return to your posts!"
[The soldiers return to their posts. Gandalf looks out at the opposing army.]
Gandalf: "Send these foul beasts into the abyss!"
[Soldiers use trebuchets to launch large rocks at the orc army. The masonry squashes some of the orcs. The orcs around Gothmog shift fearfully.]
Gothmog (to the Orcs): "Stay where you are."
[The catapults and trebuchets fire at each other.]
Soldier #1: "Watch out!"
Soldier #2: "Down to the lower level. Quick!"
[Pippin runs down into the city with his fellow guardsmen.]
[A large rock arcs out from the city towards Gothmog. Nearby orcs scramble out of the way. Gothmog sidesteps the boulder as it falls.
[A troll looks on with a confused stare.]
[Gothmog spits on the boulder.]
[The Nazgûl shriek and fly in over the city.]
[The Nazgûl begin to tear down the trebuchets.]
Gandalf: "Hold them back. Do not give in to fear! Stay at your posts!"
[Trolls push the siege towers to the walls of Minas Tirith. Pipplin loses his helmet.]
Gandalf: "Don't aim for the towers. Aim for the trolls. Kill the trolls! Fight them back!"
[Battering rams assault the main gates.]
[Pippin arrives at the walls, looking dazed. Gandalf sees him.]
Gandalf: "Peregrin Took! Go back to the citadel! Now!"
Pippin (subdued): "They called us out to fight."
[Orcs pour out of one of the siege towers. Gandalf fights them off.]
Gandalf: "This is no place for a hobbit!"
[An orc moves to strike Gandalf. Pippin stabs the orc, killing it.]
[Pippin stares at his bloodstained sword.]
Gandalf: "Guard of the Citadel indeed! Now back up the hill! Quick! Quick!"
[Orcs make several failed attempts to batter down the city gates. Gondorians rain arrows down on them.]
Gothmog: "What are you doing, you useless scum?"
Orc Captain: "The door won't give. It's too strong."
Gothmog: "Get back there and smash it down."
Orc Captain: "But nothing can breach it."
[More Orcs fall at the gate.]
Gothmog: "Grond will breach it."
Gothmog: "Bring up the wolf's head."
[Orcs chant as a great battering ram is pulled and pushed towards the city gates.]
Orcs: "Grond! Grond! Grond! Grond! Grond! Grond!"
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