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The sun is their enemy now, and it's coming. The sky is still dark, no light creeping around the edges of the horizon, but Viggo can feel it, getting closer. Rising. He hacks with strong, precise strokes, fighting for a life that isn't his, waiting for "Cut" to ring out, a word that's somehow inappropriate in a field of carnage, whether it's fake or not. He feels the sunlight approaching under dirt-crusted fingernails, in the corners of blurry eyes, in cramping arm muscles, and he keeps fighting. No room for mistakes or miscalculations, because they can't afford to lose time for retakes. Every day at Helm's Deep is a battle against time as much as it is a battle of two opposing fictional forces. The actors and crew fight against fatigue, weather, each other, and the approaching dawn that cuts short each day's work. Before the stars go out and light edges the sky, they fight a losing battle. And waiting for the sun is the worst kind of torture and anticipation. Now they get in costume just after the sun has dipped below the horizon, they get on set when the stars flick on, one by one, and they work until they dread dawn, yearning for it at the same time. Viggo misses the feeling of sunlight on his face for hours, squinting into the sun while it warms his flesh through armor and leather, sweat gathering at his lower back. These nights-- mornings, dark-times--leave a cold sweat on his temples, leave him exhausted and longing for light. But he keeps fighting. When the sky starts fading from black to a lighter charcoal, like a washed-out t-shirt, they'll surrender to the day. The sun won't be up yet, but it will be stirring. Heading back to get out of costume, Viggo will feel vampiric, scurrying to hide from a rising sun. A curse and a blessing. If the sun would delay, prolonging the dark-times, Helm's Deep would be over faster, take fewer weeks of shooting. But if it delayed, caught between night and morning, each moment that dragged on would be more exhausting, keeping him away longer. So this time of the dark, Viggo manages to keep going because he knows that when he leaves, he'll return to a bed with bright yellow sheets and a supple, sleep-warm body. He'll have to shower first, but then he'll slide into bed with Sean, waking him in time for a kiss before Sean has to leave and face the sun. END
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