The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Helm killed Freca during a fistfight outside his hall when Freca attempted to force his son Wulf's marriage to Héra. In a moment of fury and upon being provoked by Freca's disrespect and demands, Helm struck the fatal blow, earning him the notorious nickname 'Hammerhand'. The act was not premeditated but resulted from escalating tensions over Freca's political maneuvering.

Wulf attacked Rohan primarily to seek revenge for his father's death at Helm's hands, but also because he saw an opportunity to seize power. After Freca's death, Wulf disappeared and rose to become High Lord of the Dunlendings, gathering a rebellious faction from the hill tribes. When Héra was rescued after being kidnapped, Wulf used this as a pretext to launch his full-scale attack on Rohan.

Héra was kidnapped by General Targg, one of Wulf's generals, and taken to Wulf's stronghold at Isengard. There she discovered that Wulf had become the High Lord of the Dunlendings and was rallying forces for his invasion. She attempted to negotiate peace by offering to marry Wulf in exchange for halting his attack, but before the marriage could occur, she was rescued, triggering Wulf's siege of Rohan.

Helm's sons Hama and Haleth were killed during the siege of the Hornburg when Wulf's forces overwhelmed the defenses. Their deaths occurred as part of the prolonged winter siege, where Wulf's army systematically attacked the fortress, eventually leading to Helm's desperate nighttime raids and ultimate demise.

Helm died during a desperate nighttime mission outside the Hornburg gates. Wounded and grief-stricken over the death of his sons, Helm began raiding Wulf's forces at night to maintain his honor. During one of these raids, he was killed, and his body was found frozen upright in the ground outside the gates, symbolizing his unwavering guardianship of Rohan even in death.

Héra defeated Wulf by disguising herself as a bride and riding onto his siege tower bridge to challenge him to a duel. This bold move distracted Wulf and his warriors, allowing the Rohirrim to escape through a secret passage. During the duel, Héra reminded Wulf that he had given his word to surrender, then choked him to death with a shield, ending the war.

Héra's plan mirrored her father's own nighttime raids against Wulf's forces.

Fréaláf arrived with Helm's armor and horn as a psychological tactic to frighten the Dunlendings. By dressing in Helm's legendary armor and sounding his horn, the Rohirrim created the illusion that Helm had returned from the dead to avenge his own death. This caused the Dunlending forces to flee in terror, turning the tide of battle.

Helm's Deep got its name from King Helm Hammerhand, who became its namesake after his death during the siege. The valley and fortress where he made his final stand was named in his honor, immortalizing his sacrifice and the battle that took place there. The stronghold simply became known as the Hornburg, with the surrounding valley taking the name Helm's Deep.

Héra chose to leave Rohan seeking adventure rather than remaining to rule, as she was uninterested in the responsibilities of queenship. Her journey led her to encounter Gandalf, who sought to learn about the orcs she had witnessed searching for rings among the dead, linking her story to the larger events of Middle-earth.

During the siege, Héra encountered two orcs from Mordor scavenging rings from dead bodies on the battlefield. These orcs were following their master's orders, revealing the sinister involvement of Mordor in the affairs of Middle-earth even 183 years before the War of the Ring. This encounter foreshadows the larger evil that would later emerge.

Héra offered to marry Wulf in a desperate attempt to prevent the bloodshed she knew would result from his planned invasion of Rohan. Hoping to save her people, she attempted diplomacy by proposing to become his wife in exchange for peace. However, her rescue before the marriage occurred gave Wulf the justification he needed to launch his attack anyway.

The secret passage was a hidden route out of the Hornburg that Helm had used during his own nighttime raids against Wulf's forces. When Héra challenged Wulf to a duel on the siege tower, this allowed the Rohirrim to escape while the Dunlendings were distracted, enabling the eventual counterattack led by Fréaláf.