𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖆

Chapter Thirty-Four: Helm's Deep

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Something hard was prodding into the back of my head. Something cool running over my body. I was floating. In mid-air, nothing to suspend me. No. My eyes fluttered open, and I was looking up at the pale grey sky. The sound of coursing water reached my ears. And feeling was restored to my body. First I felt the cool water in which I was floating. A small rock against my head as I was pushed into it by the lapping waves. Then, the pain.

The entire side of my body was on fire. I remembered falling over the cliffside. My body must have been burning from the impact of the fall. The slices in my skin where the Warg had clawed me still seethed, but not quite so much as the side of my body that had experienced the fall. The rune on my face was almost unnoticeable.

I subconsciously felt for a bulge in my pocket, to indicate my necklace. I couldn't have lost it. I released a breath of relief when my fingers felt the hard surface of the pendant beneath the fabric of my pants.

I lifted my other hand to my face, but found that something weighed it down. I inspected my hand, my vision still blurry, everything around me appearing a thousand times brighter than it should have. There was a length of leather rope tied around my hand. Attached to it, was Aragorn, motionless in the water beside me. I sat up, ignoring the pain that shot through my body as I scuffled onto the shore on which Aragorn and I had washed up.

I heaved Aragorn further up shore with me, placing his head in my lap. He did not seem to be breathing. Panic slowly enveloped me as I placed my hands on his chest, pushing down on his rib cage in attempts to resuscitate him. I tilted his chin upwards and continued pressing down on his chest, hoping he might cough up whatever water might've entered into his lungs.

"Aragorn, please," I whispered under my breath, my chest tightening up and my breathing short, "Please, please..."

With a splutter, water began to trickle from the corners of his mouth. He coughed, sucking in quick inhales as he came to. My entire body relaxed as I released a relieved sigh.

"Aragorn," I smiled gratefully at him, whose eyes had only just met mine.

He took my hand, which was still placed upon his chest, open-palmed.

"Saving my life, Elena, is a much appreciated show of your gratitude," he joked, letting his head fall back as his eyes closed.

He still did not release my hand.

"Now is no time to be resting, Aragorn, we must travel to Helm's Deep," I said, pushing myself to my feet.

"Must we?" he smiled, pulling me back down on top of him with the leather reins that still connected us, "Even after a spill over a cliff you refuse to allow yourself rest?"

He smiled up at me, and I fought off the smile stealing across my own face.

"Yes," I said, sliding the rope off my hand, "We must. You may think of how you might return my show of gratitude on the way."

I smiled at him now, pushing myself up once again, before extending my hand to help him do the same. He took it, pulling himself up with a painful wince.

"I think I've already thought of a way that I might repay you," he smiled, lowering his head and kissing me softly.

His lips, still wet from being submerged underwater, were cold against mine, but his breath was warm. I could still detect the faint hint of Southlinch on his breath. I pulled away, my eyes widened.

"Aragorn... We can't-"

"And why not?" he asked, "I've already told you that Arwen is to leave Middle Earth."