The waters were ice cold and they stole her breath away, as the raging current pulled her under time and time again as she fought to the surface desperate to survive. Water invaded her whole being, filling her ears and nose, stinging her eyes and cloughing her throat as she tried to breath. The current pulled her under again and continued to bounce her off or rocks and other solid objects in the water. She fought her way to the surface again and the water smashed her head against a rock and everything went black.
Aragorn woke from his dream with an aching head and body, the last thing he remembered before he hit the water was a stupid wrag blind siding his sister and knocking her over the edge. He feared the worst but hoped for the best. A soft nuzzling on his face made him open his eyes as he heard the crunching of hooves on gravel. A horse's nose greeted him, it was the head of Brego, the horse he had freed before they evacuated Edoras. The horse huffed then began to kneel down beside him, knowing he could not just lie there Aragorn slowly began to raise himself up onto the horses back. His head pounded and his body ached every time he moved but slowly he was perched on the horses back, he nearly fell off again when the animal lurched to it's feet. Still fuzzy he directed the horse to begin walking up river in the direction he knew Helm's Deep lay.
It was nearly half a day when he spotted his worst fear lying on the riverbank. A mound of unmoving black fur was half in and half out of the water, he guided Brego over to it and saw that it was indeed Vega. The rocks around her had small pools of blood staining them, and saw to his shock and relief she was still breathing, clumsily he dismounted. He noticed that they both looked about then same injuries wise, he touched her and she twitched.
"Tavega, come on girl come back to us. Wake up." He spoke in elvish and she moved a bit more slowly one craggy eye opened to meet him then she vomited up bucket full of water then collapsed breathing heavy and wheezing.
"I think we had the Valors luck this time Aragorn." He smiled at her and she looked him up and down. "You look about as bad as I feel. What do you think?"
" Where both pretty worse for wear, I'm just glad we are both alive. Now lets get you up on Brego and get to Helms Deep."
"Brego?" She looked at the horse who stared at her calmly like she couldn't eat him for breakfast. "Huh, you sure that's the same horse, the Brego I remember was half crazed." Aragorn smiled and made a jester and said something in elvish and the horse kneeled. Vega couldn't tell what he said very well because her ears were still ringing from all the water her throat was beyond parched. Weakly they both managed to maneuver her weary body over the horses back, she as beginning to get used to being carried like a hunted animal. She had to resist the impulse to sink her claws into the horses skin when he lurched upward and she nearly toppled off. They set off for helms deep and she dozed for part of the way the horse's gentle movement lolling her to sleep.
Vega woke when that movement stopped and she could hear the sounds of rhythmic stomping and the clink of armor, of a lot of footsteps and armor. She looked up and around Aragon and her body ran cold, the she hoped off the horse.
"We must hurry and warn the Théoden." She said and Aragorn nodded glancing once more to the thousands upon thousands of solders. He turned Brego and they ran off at a gallop to Helms Deep Vega close beside him. They made good timing as someone yelled to open the gates and they thundered in Vega was panting hard and Brego huffed. Aragorn handed off the horse and told someone to care for him well as the two of them swiftly made there way to the throne hall. Vegas stopped when she heard familiar angered footsteps coming near.
"Were are they? Were are they? Get out of the way. I'm going to kill them." Gimily shouted shoving people out of his path he took in there injured and bedraggled appearance and said, "You're the luckiest, the canniest, most reckless men I've ever known…er lass." He corrected at the end the pulled them both into a hug which they retuned. "Bless you ladies."
Aragorn was the first to pull away. "Gimily were is the King?" the dwarf motioned toward the main keep and the two set off again only to be stopped this time by Legolas who looked at them calmly.
"Your late." He spoke quietly then looked them over both apparently and spoke with all seriousness. "You both look terrible." Vega snorted and rolled her eyes as Aragorn broke into a shallow laugh and placed a hand on the elves shoulder as Legolas pulled something from a pocket and dumped it in Aragorn's hand. It was the evening star that Arwen had given him.
"Thank you." Aragon said then made his way swiftly to the big double doors and watched impressed as Aragorn shoved them open by himself.
"Aragorn, Tavega, your alive." The king exclaimed not expecting to see there faces ever again.
"A great mass of Orc are marching here as we speak."
"How many."
"Ten thousand strong at least."
"Ten thousand?"
"It is an army bread for a single purpose. To destroy the race of man. They will be here by nightfall."
"Let them come." The king said determinedly and strode out the hall. "I want every strong lad and old man able to bare arms readied by nightfall. We'll cover the cause way and the door from above. No army has ever set foot in these halls before."
"These are not mindless orc these are Uruk-hia, there armor is think and there shield broad." Gimily said.
"I have fought many wars master Dwarf do not tell me how to defend my own keep."
"That may be but there have never been these creatures before, as Aragorn said they were bread for one purpose and that is to destroy us all." Vega said and her announcement was met with silence.
"It matters not." The king finally said. "They will break upon these walls like water upon rock."
"Or they will crumble beneath there weight." She had to point out.
"Samoans hordes will pillage and burn, we have seen it before. Crops will be re sown homes rebuilt, within these walls we will outlast them."
"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops of villages, they come to destroy it people down to the last child." Aragorn argued this time.
"What would you have me do? Look at my men there courage hangs by a thread. It this is there end then I would have them make and end that is worthy of remembrance."
"If this is their end then who would remember it?" Vega pointed out.
"Send out riders my lord, you must call for aid." Argon pleaded.
"And who will come? Elves, dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are broken."
"Gondor will answer."
"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold burned? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was- No Aragorn we are alone."
"So you will let you people die because of you stubborn pride." The King glared at her and she glared back. "You refuse to send one man to ride for aid that could save hundreds of lives, I thought you cared for your people." She snarled and lashed her tail.
"Get the woman and children into the caves." He said.
"We are still laying provisions." A guard argued.
"There is no time, war is upon us." He snapped back then met her gaze which she did not let up on. Before turning around and walking back to the Keep.
"Why that stubborn, witless fool!" Vega raged at her friends "His foolish pride will be the death of them all." Her friends took a step back and let her fume not wanting her anger turned on them, even though they all agreed with her. She let out a sigh and her shoulders slumped in weariness. "Aragorn I can not wait to see you take the throne, then there will be finally one fool that uses there brains." Aragorn laid his hand on her head in a silent understanding of what was left unsaid… if they survived this.
Vega then turned to look at Legolas, "You both look terrible. Really is that all you could think to say to us when we got back. I'm not sure how many woman you've had before this but I assure you if that is something you say to them often I am not surprised you are still single. It is not what a girl wants to hear from someone she likes." She scolded and Aragorn laughed, Gimily looked confused for a second then comprehension dawned on him.
"It's about bloody time you two got together, I was about ready to bash your heads together so then maybe one of you would realize you're like each other." He said in his gruffly voice, both elevens stared at him. "What it was plain to anyone who watched you two for more them ten minuets." Vega was very glad a feline could not blush other wise she would b as red as Gimily's hair.