Thanks IwishChan for reminding me about this. Okaaaayyy, I'm sorry, I'm so bad at giving background, but okay, here we go:
When Elix and Shay arrived at Middle-earth, Shay was pretty estatic, while Elix was not. Elix prefered to stay deep in the woods and play around with sword or daydream or such, or even go to Rivendell after he got to knew Gandalf. But he refused to go anywhere else. I guess, deep down he just didn't like Middle-earth all that much. He didn't complain about Valinor because time didn't feel long there, in fact it didn't feel like time existed. (Shay started counting her age again when she reached ME, therefore when she said six hundred, she meant from the first year she set foot on Middle-earth)Shay on the other hand, after she got over a few problems was perfectly content to roam around. She couldn't bear to be tied down. So whenever Gandalf go on one of his journies Shay would go with him, and thus to Rohan, Rivendell, Lothlorien, etc. The only places she did not went was to Gondor and Mirkwood and any other dwarf countries. Which was why she didn't know Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli (So see, she didn't know everyone). Maybe it was because everytime they were going to Gondor, they would pass Rohan, and Shay loved that country, it was a country of horse, and therefore freedom. So in the end she would always end up staying in Rohan when Gandalf moved on to Gondor. Another point; why the Rohirrims respect Shay so much. When Shay and Elix arrived, evil has already begun in ME. Shay was young, and her will to protect what she love was strong. When Rohan was attacked from west and east and overrun in 2758 the people of Rohan took refuge in Helm's Deep. Shay loved the land and could not bear to see it destroyed, she heard Helm (King from 2691-2759) and his sons were killed and with strong determination she set out to Dunharrow and led Frealaf, son of Hild, Helm's sister, out of Dunharrow and surprised the enemy and slew them. After Shay helped them reestablished Rohan she left again, to roam. She returned intermittedly, during the years of Folcwine, and later Theoden whence she stayed for years and befriend Eomer and Eowyn who had came to live with Theoden after Theoden died. Shay left again, and the shadow begin to fall on the Golden Hall. So, in conclusion, the people of Rohan sort of see Shay almost as Angel in our time. I mean what else can you see her as? She never grew old, or change...And the legend of her workin 2758passed down from generation to generation.
It is easy to say whenever she's not in Rohan she's on the road or in Lothlorien. She rarely visited Rivendell because her bother's there, and didn't got along with her brother. Mirkwood she has never seen...because...well she has arachnophobia...(Thanks to Elix, who putted a spider in Shay's bed when she's ten). Lothlorien she also loved, but with different reasons than Rohan. Lothlorien was a place to rest for weary travelers. It's silvery night and golden woods calmed her much and Galadriel was ever wise in giving her young mind a chance to grow. Besides, the library of Lothlorien was grand...and she loves to read. She became acquainted with Haldir when she first set foot in Lothlorien, she got in quite an argument with the Marchwarden (Gandalf wasn't with her, she had decided to go to Lothlorien alone when Gandalf told her about some particularly large spiders in Mirkwood) when he wouldn't let her into the forest. That is until Galadriel sent word to let Shay in.
They moved out the next day.
By noon the whole city was empty.
Shay had been trying to avoid Legolas ever since her talk with Elix. She knew sorrow was on her face and Legolas could see right through her. She can't let him worry, not when there's work to do.
But as said before, Legolas is an elf, he sensed that Shay's avoiding him, but there's nothing he could do right now, Shay had disappeared into the crowd, Elix's riding alone, because that morning apparently she had said she wished to ride with her brother, but of course never showed up. So, Legolas end up ridingoked to the horizon.
Shay knew something was wrong when she heard the scream, and when Aragorn came back with news of Warg riders, she immediately ran to Elix's horse and got up behind him.
"Come on, Legolas went ahead." Shay said worriedly.
Elix nodded and they broke from the procession galloping toward the hills.King Theoden didn't fall far behind them, he had gathered all the riders and sent Eowyn with the women and children off to Helm's Deep.
The Wargs came in flood and even though Shay saw Legolas, she could never really get close enough to him. Wargs are new to Shay, well not that new, but new enough, after all it's not likeonesees Wargs everyday.
They are like rabid dogs, biting and growling all the time, of course it didn't help that the Warg Riders also carry swords and other ugly things.
Things were going well, that is to say, they weren't loosing that much when Shay saw Aragorn got unseated from his horse out of the corner of her eyes. Without another word she jumped off from Elix's horse and ran toward Aragorn.
At first she thought Aragorn was holding on to the Warg to chop the Rider into pieces, than after the Rider was thrown off she suddenly realize Aragorn wasn't holding on, the fur had tangled with something on his hand. And she watched in horror as the Warg got closer and closer to the cliff...
And they fell...
Than without thinking for the first time in her life she sheathed her sword andtook off her cloak and holding it on the four corners like a parachute she jumped off after Aragorn.
The cloak slowed down her falling and by chance or luck she managed to avoid some overly sharp rocks, but when she landed in the strong current water she was still pretty banged up.
She didn't see Aragorn, she doved under the water again and found the Warg, Aragorn's hand was still stuck fast to it; he's not moving. The impact of landing must have knocked him out.Shay immediately took out her dagger and cut the patch of fur that held Aragorn's hand. Dragging him to the surface Shay sought to get to shore...unfortunately her luck didn't hold, there was no shore to speak of, surrounding them were sheer cliffs.
"Damn." Shay groaned, than she looked back on Aragorn, with one hand holding his head, she managed to pump his lungs to get him spill some water, but he still seemed to be daze.
Okeeee, I guess this is it. Shay thought as she allowed the current to take them, there was no possible way she could swim against the current with Aragorn unconscious.
The aftermath was horrible. Even before the war begin Rohan already lost many of their men. And through out the bloody field Legolas looked around for Shay and Aragorn.
He didn't found them but he found Elix sitting by the cliff.
"They're not here, no use yelling for them." Elix said tiredly.
"Where are they?" Legolas asked, a sense of foreboding came up his chest.
Before Elix could answer one of the orcs lying on the ground laughed, spewing out blood, "He took a little tumble off the cliff, another foolish boy jump in willingly after him."
Legolas turned pale, he lost his normal composure and with one hand he lifted the dying orc, "You lie," he growled.
The orc laughed than twitched and died.
Elix sighed, "Shay's alive, but I don't know about Aragorn, I found this here." Elix said as he held up the Evenstar.
"Aragorn would never leave this." Legolas half whispered.
Gimli had came over also and he now hung his head in sadness.
"What do you mean, Shay's alive." Legolas asked again.
Elix laughed dryly, "I'm her brother, I think I would knew when she's dead."
Just than Theoden came over and said, "Gather the wounded, leave the dead, we must move."
Legolas looked at him in shock, how can he leave all his fallen comrades behind?
"I'm sorry about your losses. They were great warriors." Theoden said bowing his head in respect.
Elix stood up and he placed his hand over Legolas's shoulder, "Don't worry, have faith, Aragorn would never leave Evenstar behind."
Legolas nodded, suddenly Gimli cut in, "You don't see overly worry about the young lass."
Elix tilted his head, suddenly looking extremely alike to Shay, "I trust her, and she would not leave us in the midst of battle
"Damn it! Why are you so heavy!" Shay grunt in exasperation as she dragged Aragorn up the bank. The river had finally grew gentler and had washed them near shore.
Good news, they are on land.
Bad news, Aragorn's out, and she's lost without a horse.
Elves are quite natural at healing...Gandalf's voice suddenly echoed in her head.
You do know Elrond's daughter, Arwen is in love with Aragorn... Elix's voice echoed also.
"Arwen...oh Valar, Arwen, if you can hear me, help me, damn it! Wake this prat up!" Shay said as she looked up into the sky.
No answer.
"Damn it!" Shay cried.
Clop, clop, clop...
Shay whirled around with her sword out, only to find herself facing a bareback horse.
"Praise the Valar." she breathed as she slowly inched toward the horse.
Come here, she said in elvish, Shh, I won't hurt you. The horse seemed to understand her, but it turned toward Aragorn and walked towards it.
Shay held her breath as she watch the horse nudge Aragorn, slowly, almost miraculously, Aragorn opened his eyes, "Brego?"
"Brego? Theodred's horse?" Shay questioned as she went forward.
"Shay! What are you doing here?" Aragorn asked weakly.
"Saved your arse from drowning, and is currently still saving your arse." Shay said as she helped Aragorn on to the horse. The horse somehow knew Aragorn wasn't strong enough to mount it on his own, and so it knelt down and Shay slowly helped Aragorn up. Than she led the horse to stand up and leaped in front of Aragorn. Than she ripped a strip of her tunic and binded Aragorn's hand in front of her around her waist to hold him on the horse.
She turned around a bit to look at Aragorn, "Are you alright?"
Aragorn nodded limply, "Shit! You're bleeding!" Shay exclaimed when she saw his shoulder.
"Go, we need to get to Helm's Deep. I will be well." Aragorn said tiredly.
Shay nodded, and with a nudge she started the horse on a gallop, although shewasn't surewhere she's going, the horse seems to know, it race out of the river bank and back on to the Rohan plain.
They rode day and night, than on the second day while riding on top of a plateau they look down just in time to see a thousand host of what they now call Uruk-hai, the new breed of orc soldiers, heading toward Helm's Deep.
Shay gasped, and Aragorn who had turned his head toward what she's looking at, stiffened with alarm.
We must warn them! Shay thought and she urged the horse around again, and raced to Helm's Deep, this time faster and more urgent.
Finally, they saw the stone fortress, and by now, even Shay was weary.
When the guards saw them, they shouted and the huge wooden door creaked open to let them pass. Shay unbind Aragorn's hand and he jumped off the horse while Shay slid of slowly, and together they walked to see Theoden, to warn him about Rohan's future.
They arrived at the great door to Theoden's throne room, and Shay sighed, "I'm afraid I'm too weak to do this, you can be the gentleman and open the door for me."
Aragorn managed a tired smile and he threw open the door, everyone gasped, they did not expect to see them.
You're late. Legolas said as he came up to Aragorn handing him the necklace he treasure so much. Aragorn smiled, Thank you. and he moved away to reveal Shay.
Legolas' eyes lit up and to everyone's surprise he scoop Shay up and hugged her tightly as if he was afraid to let go again.
Legolas, can't breath. Shay gasped. Legolas pulled back and looked at her lovingly, he moved a wisp of hair out of her eyes, Don't ever do that again. I can't bear to loose you.
Shay did not reply, she just burrowed her head deeper into his chest, by Valar, she was so tired, she just want to sleep.
"Uh hm." Shay heard someone cough behind her, and she crane her head around Legolas' arms to see Elix standing there, he looked pale, and when the light flashed for a second, Shay could see through his face to the walls beyond, her mouth opened than closed, making no sounds.
"What, no hello to your favorite brother?" Elix smirked, but even the smirk seemed tired to Shay.
Shay managed a weak smile, "Hello, and by the way, you're my only brother."
"Same difference." Elix shrugged.
"Oh." Shay said, she was still in Legolas' arms being half-carried like a baby.
"I don't know if you heard, but ten thousand orcs are heading this way." Shay suddenly said.
"Yes, Aragorn just told us. The elf probably heard it from here with his elf ears." Gimli said gruffly.
"What says King Theoden?" Shay asked.
"What can he say? We're sitting ducks here." Elix replied.
Shay leaned back for a second before she said, "Put me down, Legolas. I need to get ready for war. The Uruk-hai are coming whether we like it or not."
Legolas seemed to tighten his hold on her for a second, before letting go, "Shouldn't you rest first?"
"No, I have miles to go before I sleep..." Shay quoted from her favorite poem and she looked up into Legolas' toubled eyes, "Don't worry Legolas, I'll be fine, well for now. Come Elix, we're dressing for war."
Elix nodded and they exit the room, for a second, Legolas thought he could see through both of them, but when he blinked, the two seemed solid again.
Gimli spoke up, "Aye, you've noticed? Sometimes, especially the lad, he doesn't seemed to be here, as if you could see through him. Must be the light and the war playing tricks on me eyes."
Legolas said nothing.
"Come elf, we still need to hold our wager, I still say I will hew more orcs than you."
Legolas smiled and looked haughtily at Gimli, "I say nay, dwarf."
Gimli growled, "We'll see."