Aragorn screamed, drawing the attention of the Titan away from the three forms lying far too close to it for Aragorn's comfort. He raised his blade and shouted as the rain fell in huge, cold droplets around him. Large waves smashed against the side of the ship, nearly knocking him off his feet.
Legolas and Gimli heard their friend's frantic call and raced around the nearly crumbled upper deck, weapons at the ready.
The titan disappeared into the water and the three men stood motionless as the rain pelted them from all side.
Aragorn launched himself toward the three motionless figures lying sprawled atop the deck and just as he reached them, the two elves shrugged off the debris and pulled Arwen up between them.
Aragorn reached Arwen just as the loud creaking of the snapping hull tossed a few screaming men over the rail. His clothes were soaked and blood still trailed a thin line down the side of his head. Arwen's eyes were wide with fear as her husband encircled his arms protectively around her. As she returned his embrace, the elves could hear him hiss in pain between clenched teeth.
"You're injured!" Arwen reached up to brush the blood away from his mouth and head.
Before Aragorn could answer, Cirdan called, "The ship is breaking! We must jump or risk going down with it!"
"That creature!" Arwen asked, eyes wide. "Will it not see us?"
The ship lurched sharply, throwing the men and their Queen into the wall. Aragorn wrapped his arms around his wife before they struck the wood, Aragorn taking the brunt of the impact so as to protect his Queen.
The creature emerged from another side of the ship, taking a few soldiers by surprise. They screamed as one by one they were either knocked overboard into the raging water or crushed between the titan's iron grip.
"It is a chance we will have to take," Celeborn watched as the creature killed every man it found, some in the most painful ways. "We must remain under water for as long as possible. With luck, we'll find pieces of the ship that will support our weight."
"Go!" Aragorn raised Anduril, an angry gleam in his eye. He pushed Arwen into the arms of her grandfather amidst her cries of protest. "Take her off the other side while I distract the Titan. The Sea is scattered with many a small island, make for one of them!"
"No!" Arwen launched herself into her husband's arms. "My place is with you. I will not leave-"
Aragorn's gaze turned hard. "You will go! There is no need for the both of us to die today!"
The ship arched sharply, throwing Arwen into his arms and she clung to him as if he were a lifeline. He bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "You must live." His voice lowered, softened. "For the re-united kingdom," he flattened his hand across her stomach, "and for our baby." He kissed her deeply once more and rushed toward where he knew Legolas and Gimli were waiting.
"No!" Arwen launched herself after her husband but was held back by two very determined elves.
"Go!" Cirdan pushed Celeborn and Arwen toward the other end of the ship, grasping tight to the lifelines they had procured before reaching the upper deck.
Tears streamed down Arwen's cheeks, lost amidst the cold rain pelting their faces, as she was wrapped securely in her grandfather's arms and lifted over the side of the ship. Cirdan watched as the two hit the water far enough away from the breaking ship to be caught in its pull. Cirdan leapt overboard, flanked by two well-armed elves, determined to protect the royal family.
Far above their heads, the Titan continued to flail its large scaly arms at whatever moved. Aragorn held Anduril tightly, its blade glimmering as it sunk into the hardened scales time and time again. With each strike, Aragorn could feel himself weakening. His broken ribs dug deeper and deeper into sensitive organs stealing his breath.
Legolas was running out of arrows as he shot volley after volley with deadly precision at the flailing beast.
Gondorian guards and Rohan horseman were tossed overboard with practiced ease as those on the companion ship watched in horror as the Titan wrecked the elven High Ship plank by plank.
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The storm sent rain pelting down on the archers and the undulating seas made for unsteady footing as they took aim across the bow. At Imrahil's urging, he issued the orders to fire, then at will, as he noticed with utter horror, that they were doing no damage to the Titan.
"We must reach them!" Imrahil called over the howling wind.
"The Sea carries us further and further away, my Lord!" The Captain of Rohan's guard answered.
"Then find a way! Our King is on that ship!"
The waves doubled the distance between the two ships and there were no signs that the storm was going to let up any time soon. It was too great a distance to shoot accurately, and those on the safe ship could only watch in horror as the other was rended to pieces.
Imrahil gripped the ship's rail tightly, praying to every goddess he knew to keep his friends safe. He hadn't traveled so far to see the High King of the West die right before his very eyes.
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"Aragorn, duck!" Legolas pulled his friend out of the way of a large arm and the King gave an appreciative nod toward the elf.
Aragorn, along with several Gondorian soldiers, rushed to the other side of the titan, while Legolas stepped back into the shadows. As they began to hack away against the scaly skin, Legolas raised his bow and took aim.
The waves crashed into the ship, and as the creature continued to destroy everything in its path, every wave pushed them farther below the water level. The ship was sinking and they needed to get off it or risk being pulled in wake.
Aragorn sunk Anduril deep into the belly of the beast and as it tossed its head back and howled in pain, Legolas loosed his arrow. As the elven lance struck its mark deep within the brain of the beast, its arms began to flail. Aragorn wrenched Anduril out from between the water-hardened scales and glanced around to be sure there were no others in the path of the flailing arms.
"Aragorn!"
The King whirled in the direction of the familiar voice and when he spotted his friend, the elf's eyes were wide with fear.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it coming. As if in slow motion, Aragorn turned in an attempt to avoid the inevitable impact.
Gimli howled in rage and Legolas cried out in shock as the large scaly arm struck Aragorn in the side and tossed him over the edge of the broken rail and into the thrashing sea.