Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, nor any of the affiliated characters. I only own Cerin (my OC). Any references to the books or movies are acknowledged. Any infringement on my part is purely accidental and unintended.

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Chapter 13:

Find Your Way

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Legolas and Gimli eventually moved from the cliff's edge. The wounded were being helped onto every available horse. With solemn faces, the pair mounted their horse, with Gimli again behind Legolas. Legolas watched as Greatheart refused any other rider apart from his mistress. He pranced about and even reared when a soldier tried to help a wounded man into the saddle. The elf was forced to tie Greatheart's lead to his saddle horn and have him follow along behind him.

The wounded party made slow progress across the land. Conversation was at a minimum among the men. Many were in too much pain to care for speaking. Others, like Legolas and Gimli, were distracted by grief over fallen friends. For half a day's journey they endured this tense atmosphere. A sort of numbness had filled Legolas' heart in that time. He could not bring himself to experience the same relief felt by those traveling with him as they finally crested the large hill and spotted Helms Deep in the distance.

It was a spectacular sight to be sure. Flat plains ran into a steep ravine with sharp, jagged rocks lining the almost vertical walls. The ravine was shaped like a mouth of a river, and at the furthest point from the entrance was nestled the looming fortress of Helms Deep. A large keep was protected by an outer stone wall of immense thickness. A sloping causeway ran from the ravine floor up to the top of the outer wall and met the wall of the keep. Great wooden doors barred entrance to any who were not welcome.

As they plodded up the causeway, Legolas took in the weathered look of the stones. This place had seen battle. It said something for its strength for it to still be standing. But, for every victory this fortress had seen it had also seen death and sadness, just as they did on this day. This victory was tainted for Gimli and Legolas.

They watched as the large wooden doors at the keep's entrance swung open. Cries went up that the King had returned and to make way for Theoden. People who had been filling the walkway moved to line the walls and made way for the returning fighters. Upon entrance to the circular keep, the path turned left into a stairway that curved around and upwards to the next level. They went single file and climbed to the main level of the keep. People cleared a large circle and the men halted when they reached it. Legolas dismounted and assisted Gimli from his perch. In observing the mess of people and supplies all around them, the elf spied a head of blond hair rushing through the crowd in their direction. Lady Eowyn broke from the crowd and moved to the King.

"So few have returned," she gasped and took in their weary forms with wide eyes.

"We won this day, but we paid for it with many lives," Theoden answered and turned to move into the inner keep while giving orders to move all the forces inside the walls. Someone distantly asked if he wanted to post a watch on the perimeter. His answer was lost as he moved further away.

Eowyn turned and spied the last two of the fellowship. She approached and looked around them questioningly, "Where are Lord Aragorn and Lady Cerin?"

Legolas could not bring himself to answer her and turned his face away. Gimli, the noble dwarf, stepped forward and clutched his axe to his chest. Eowyn looked to him at his approach. Her face fell as she took in his expression and Legolas' avoidance.

"My Lady, they fell," he said quietly. His whole body slumped in defeat at his own words.

Eowyn gasped and stared disbelievingly at the dwarf before her. Legolas turned and led the two horses away with his head bowed in grief.

"It cannot be," she whispered in sadness.

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Cerin vaguely registered the feeling of floating. It felt close to what she pictured a cloud would feel like. Light flashed across her eyelids making her world orange. She gave a passing thought to the pleasantness of the warmth on her face. She relished these light sensations as she slipped again from consciousness.

Her next awakening was not so pleasant. As she came to her senses, she noticed the pain first. Her whole body sported a bone-deep ache and weariness so great it went unmatched in her life's experience. She could not find the strength to even open her eyes. Her body felt as though a boulder had landed on her, or maybe stomped on by a stampede of horses. She shivered as a breeze passed by. It was then that she realized that her clothes were damp and that her feet felt like they were still in the water. Cold and aching, she let loose a low groan as she tried again to open her heavy eyelids. With a great effort, she peeled her eyes open and was immediately blinded by sunlight. Cerin winced at the light, but even wincing hurt. Slowly, she blinked several times to get used to the brightness.

Tolerant of the light now, Cerin opened her eyes fully and looked straight up into a horse's mouth. She stared blankly at the horse standing over her and simply watched as it snorted, the warm air fanning over her face. Its head lowered further and lightly nudged her face before it stood fully and moved to her left. Cerin turned her face to follow its movement and caught sight of a rumpled and lifeless male form many feet from her. Recognition was slow in coming, but eventually it registered in her fatigued mind that the man was Aragorn. A sense of urgency filled her then and she knew she needed to move to him. Steeling herself as best she could against the pain, she forced her body to roll from its supine position onto her side and then her stomach. The air rushed from her lungs with each movement. Painfully, she pulled her arms up under her body and tried to lift herself. It took several attempts before she was able to begin crawling over the rocky riverbank, and even then she was moving at a snail's pace.

After what seemed like an eternity to Cerin, she was within a few feet of Aragorn. Her worry lessened only somewhat once she saw his chest rise and fall with each breath. She gathered the rest of her energy and forced her body to move those last few feet. Once she was right beside him, she collapsed, her body spent. She looked him over as she laid there. He was laying on his right side and facing her. He had a good gash on his upper left arm and various scrapes. Those seemed to be his only injuries, thankfully. She barely lifted from the ground on her left arm and shoved him onto his back with her right, but mid-motion her planted arm gave way, causing her to fall with him. She landed sprawled across his chest with no energy to move away. Aragorn merely groaned at the movement and the added weight atop his chest. Cerin watched his face for signs of awakening as she slowly stretched a tired arm upwards and lightly patted his cheek. He showed no outward change, so she patted his cheek again with a bit more force and tiredly called his name. He gave no response to this either, so Cerin resorted to practically slapping him. The motion was more of her lifting her arm and letting it fall with her hand landing on his face than a true slap. Her effort was not in vain this time for he groaned loudly and his face scrunched up in a wince. He awoke nearly as slowly as Cerin did, but after a small while he blinked his eyes open. His face held a look of pain as he first looked up at the cloudless sky and then down at his body, or rather what was on it. Surprise briefly replaced pain in his eyes as he took in Cerin laid out on his chest. She could only look slightly sheepish at the unseemliness of her position.

"Hello," Aragorn said lowly, trying to draw breath.

"I believe we are in a spot of trouble," Cerin said quietly.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in concern.

Cerin shook her head, saying, "No more than you, I think," and then looked up in surprise as the horse that had stood grazing up until that point had moved next to them. They both watched as he turned and carefully knelt down beside their prone forms so as to present his back for them to climb on.

"You are a noble horse to have found us, Brego," Aragorn said to the animal as Cerin grasped his mane and tiredly pulled herself atop his back.

Once seated, she turned and offered a hand to Aragorn who had rolled onto his side and was trying to lift himself. After a time, Aragorn managed to perch himself behind Cerin and Brego made to stand. It was a jerky motion that forced Aragorn to wrap his arms around Cerin's waist to keep from falling. Now ready to make way, Cerin realized she did not know exactly which direction to head.

"Which way do we go, Aragorn? We have no way of knowing how far we drifted downstream," she asked over her shoulder.

"The river Snowbourn runs from the northwest and connects with the main river. If we follow it upstream and then travel alongside the mountains, we will reach Helms Deep," he said quietly, trying not to lean too heavily against Cerin's back.

Cerin nodded at his words and nudged Brego with her heels into a slow run along the river. Both shivered as the wind whipped at their wet forms. It would take a good while before they both dried out completely. They traveled upstream until early afternoon before they spotted the river's source at the base of a mountain. Cerin took in the sight of the mountain standing tall before her in the far distance and pulled Brego to the north. She kept the pace at a fast walk, fearing a fall at high speed was a good possibility with the level of fatigue she and Aragorn both felt. She had felt him nodding off and slumping against her back several times. She could not say that she did not wish to do the same. Her eyes had closed many times in refusal to remain open and her body begged for rest, but they could not stop traveling.

It was only a few hours after turning from the river that they came upon something startling. They had just rounded a large rock formation when Cerin sharply pulled Brego to a halt. The movement jerked Aragorn awake from against her back.

"What is the matter?" he asked, voice rough from sleep and tiredness.

"Look," she whispered in a disturbed voice and pointed out in the distance.

Aragorn straightened and peered over her shoulder to where she pointed. There in the distance was a sea of black, covering the ground far and wide. Gone was the green of the Rohan plains. It was an army of orcs and uruk hai at least ten thousand strong marching through Rohan.

"They come from Isengard," Cerin muttered.

"And make for Helms Deep. We must make haste," Aragorn said urgently. He took the reins from Cerin's hands and pushed Brego into a gallop.

Aragorn guided the horse back along the way they had come and around, making a semicircle to avoid the Enemy's forces. Cerin had fought to stay awake for as long as she could, but now that Aragorn was in control, she could not keep her eyes from closing. Eventually, she gave up the fight and fell into dreams with the wind whipping at her face.

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Aragorn was still tired beyond comprehension, but they greatly needed to arrive at Helms Deep as soon as possible to give warning of the coming foe. He steeled himself for the long ride ahead of them and guided Brego over the rolling hills of Rohan. After some time, he was broken from his wandering thoughts and worries by Cerin slumping against his chest. Her head fell back onto his shoulder with her face nestled in the crook of his neck. He felt a warm puff of air on his neck with every breath she expelled. Knowing that she had fallen asleep, he kept one arm on the reins and raised the other just below her bosom and tightened his grip around her to keep her from falling. Aragorn was quietly impressed and glad that she had lasted as long as she had, otherwise they may not have covered so much distance. And so they traveled, with Aragorn fighting to remain awake at the reins and Cerin asleep in his arms.

After crossing a good distance, Aragorn realized that they were almost upon the ravine that held their goal. This was a good sign for the sun was beginning to near the horizon. He had feared not reaching their destination before dusk. But, as it was, they were making good time.

Aragorn came out of the daze he had been in and became more alert as they grew closer to where he knew Helms Deep to be. He directed Brego across the last of the open plain and to the bottom of a steep hill. Aragorn kept his tight hold on Cerin and on the reins as Brego climbed. As they crested the hill, Aragorn was met with the glorious sight of Helms Deep. He halted the horse and gently shook Cerin. She let out a low groan and buried her head deeper into Aragorn's neck. He loathed to wake her from her much-needed rest, but he had the need to.

"You must wake, Cerin. We have arrived," he spoke quietly and lightly shook her again.

He heard her groan again and felt the light tickling of her eyelashes against his skin as she opened her eyes. She was slow to wake and take in the outside world. He watched as she became alert and sat up from her slumped position. She looked at him questioningly, to which he pointed into the distance before them.

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Cerin was reluctantly pulled from her dreams. Thoughts were again slow to come to her as she lifted from the deepness of sleep. She was warm and was resting against something soft, she realized. She blinked her eyes open and saw skin. Sitting up, she realized she had been asleep against Aragorn, who was now looking down at her expectantly. Confused, she merely looked at him. He responded by pointing in front of her. She turned and spotted the stone fortress in the distance. It appeared they had finally arrived.

"You have done well, Brego, my friend," Cerin praised and leaned forward to pat his neck lovingly.

Aragorn spurred Brego into motion after her words. They descended the hill and galloped across the remaining distance to the Deep. She spied guards moving along the armaments and watching their approach. Brego's hooves clapped against the stone as they climbed the causeway to the large wooden doors of the entrance, which opened as they neared. They rode into the fort and encountered people scattered all around, staring and gasping in awe. Shouts announcing their return filled the fort. The people parted like a grassy plain faced with a strong wind. Aragorn turned Brego onto the stairway to their left and climbed to the next level. A circle was made around the horse as they halted and a soldier approached to take hold of Brego's lead. Aragorn slid from atop Brego and turned to Cerin. He lifted his arms and assisted her down. Both could see the fatigue and weariness in the other's face and stance. They turned from each other as loud grumbling met their ears. Soon enough, Gimli emerged from the crowd gathered around them.

"Where are they? Where are they? I'm gonna kill 'em!" he shouted. Upon spotting them, his voice returned to a normal level.

"You are the luckiest, canniest, most reckless pair I've ever known," he scolded them before throwing his arms around both of their waists, "Bless you! Bless you!"

Cerin patted his back with affection and offered a small smile. Gimli finally released his embrace and stepped back, looking into their now somber faces.

"Gimli, where is the King?" Aragorn asked seriously.

Gimli took in his expression and simply nodded towards the inner keep. She and Aragorn both turned to head in that direction, with Cerin offering a last pat on the dwarf's shoulder as she left. They climbed the stairs and entered the large doors to the inner keep. Inside, Cerin saw supplies littering the room and people moving about with purpose. They had not walked far before they were halted by a voice calling to them.

"You're late," Legolas called from the side of the room. Both Aragorn and she turned to take in the speaker, who was now approaching them. Cerin smiled at the elf as he stopped just before them and looked over Aragorn.

"You look horrible," he said plainly and the Ranger rolled his eyes at his friend's words. Then Legolas turned to Cerin and gave her the same searching glance.

"And you need a bath." Cerin's smile dropped and she gave him a dark look. At last, Legolas smiled at them both and they realized the joke.

"We need to see the King, Legolas," Cerin spoke up.

She watched as his smile fell and his brows creased at their now serious looks. Legolas nodded and led them to the throne room. Aragorn pushed open the heavy doors and let Cerin enter first before he followed her. There at the end of the hall stood Theoden, who was speaking to one of his soldiers. Cerin took in his surprised expression at seeing them alive.

"You are alive! This is great news," he said happily as they neared him.

"I am afraid that that is the only good news, my Lord," Cerin said. Theoden looked at her questioningly, but Aragorn answered.

"There is a great host approaching, my Lord. It is a threat unlike any other," he said seriously.

"A great host, you say?"

"Aye, all of Isengard has emptied. Its forces are ten thousand strong, at least, and they will be here by nightfall," Aragorn spoke lowly, his face grim.

Theoden turned in shock, "Ten thousand?"

"It is an army bred to destroy the world of Man," Cerin said softly.

Theoden stared at them for a long while before he swiftly pivoted and left the hall.

"Let them come!" he shouted over his shoulder as he exited, the doors slamming shut behind him. The sound echoed throughout the room ominously.

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TBC