How did it come to this?
Loyal to her family, her lands and her people, Théadain, the illegitimate daughter of Théoden, King of Rohan, has little concern for the world that lies beyond her familiar grasslands. When all that she loves is threatened...
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Chapter 19
"Aragorn!"
The cry of alarm was torn from her lips as she was yanked backwards into the black lake, her mouth flooding with the cold, dark water as she was pulled under the surface. She thrashed wildly in her panic, kicking out frantically to free herself from the creature's grip. Her free foot met the rocky lakebed and she kicked up, breaking the surface and managing to drag in a breath of air before she was jerked back down.
Armed with a lungful of air, she was able to gather her senses long enough to realise she still gripped her sword. As her body was whipped from side to side under the surface, she stabbed blindly in the direction of her gripped ankle, hoping to hit something.
Her senses were overwhelmed by the motion, all she could hear was the rushing of water. Just as Théadain's strength began to fail, she felt her sword meet something solid, the grip on her ankle was suddenly released in response. Kicking desperately for the surface, her head burst into the world above with a starving gasp. She could barely see, water and her own soaked hair obscured her vision, but all around her she could hear yells and the roar of what she presumed was the creature. She could barely breathe, her clothes were too heavy, her fur-lined cloak was saturated and dragged her back as she tried to find her footing.
"Into the Mines!" Gandalf's command reached her as she struggled to drag her body out of the water in the direction of the sound, terrified she would be left behind.
"Théa!"
Strong arms lifted her free of the water as she coughed and spluttered, her free hand finding a sodden shoulder and holding on for dear life as her weary legs tried to keep up. As she stumbled, her saviour scooped her off her feet with ease, running into the darkness of the mine as behind them the doorway was torn down by the creature in its desperate attempt to reach them, ancient stone crashing down to block their escape.
All was silent for a moment, save for the frantic panting of the Fellowship in the darkness, and the harsh sound of Théadain coughing up a mouthful of black water. Able to breathe, she slumped into the arms that circled her, dragging in desperate lungfuls of stale air.
"Can you stand?"
She felt her cheeks flush at the concerned rumble of Aragorn's voice in her ear, and she looked up, able to make out his anxious grey gaze in the dim light cast by Gandalf's staff.
"I'm alright." She breathed, suddenly embarrassed that he had been the one to save her. He gently set her to her feet, steadying her with a hand on her waist as she sheathed her sword carefully and pushed her dripping hair back from her face. She looked quickly to check that Frodo had also made it free of the creature's grasp, a small sigh of relief leaving her body as she saw him safe with Boromir.
"We now have but one choice." Gandalf murmured, "We must face the long dark of Moria."
One by one, the members of the Fellowship moved to follow the wizard as they picked their way carefully over the dusty bones of fallen dwarves, but Théadain hesitated, gently catching Aragorn's wet hand in her own.
