Battle of Hornburg, Re-envisioned.

THE GRACE OF VALAR

GRACE OF VALAR

Elsewhere in the Westfold, Aragorn was floating atop of the streaming water of the river, unconscious. The ranger had somehow managed to detach himself from Sharku's Warg's saddle during the fall off the cliff, but was knocked out by the impact to the water surface after the long fall.

The river carried Aragorn some miles away, until his body was drifted to the bank of rocks, where his unconscious body remained to rest.

In his unconscious state, Aragorn sees the vision, where he is still resting unconscious at the river, until the manifestation of Arwen Undómiel, the Elven main/princess of Rivendell, daughter of Elrond Half-elven and his one true love, appeared to him. Arwen leans down in above of Aragorn and kisses him gently.

Feeling, or at least envisioning the feeling of his love's lips placed against his, Aragorn slowly opens his eyes and looks up at his love's beautiful, flawless and smooth Elven faces and her bright eyes, which were grey as a cloudless night.

"Arwen." Aragorn mumbles weakly, yet founding comfort with the supposed presence of his love.

"May the grace of the Valar protect you." Arwen whispered, with her words echoing in Aragorn's head.

Arwen then pulled back and faded away, leaving Aragorn with himself. The ranger takes a deep breath and closes his eyes again.

Some time later, Aragorn is still lying unconscious on his right side on the riverbank.

Suddenly, Aragorn is approached by the large dark-shaded bay horse with the black mane, white markings on his hind legs and the white star-shaped spot in his forehead. The horse stopped next to Aragorn's head.

The horse grunted, before he lowered his head down and started to gently nudge Aragorn's body and head with his muzzle over and over again to wake him up.

Eventually, Aragorn stirred awake.

And when he did, the first sight he saw before him was the muzzle of the horse as he kept nudging his head affectionally.

Aragorn saw something familiar in this horse, until he recognized him always immediately.

"Brego...?" Aragorn mumbled.

Indeed, the horse was Brego, the former steed of King Théoden's late son, Théodred, who was mortally wounded in battle with Orcs at the Fords of Isen. Brego, however, had survived from the massacre and was found wandering aimlessly around while grieving the fallen prince by Théodred's cousin Éomer and his company when they had arrived to the Fords in the aftermath of the battle.

Along with Théodred, Brego was brought back to Edoras, but the horse had became angry and wild from grief and had refused to accept any new rider. However, during of the evacuation of Edoras, he was approached by Aragorn in the stables of Edoras, where the ranger had managed to calm him down by speaking to him in Sindarin. Brego and Aragorn had subsequently formed a strong bond with each other, but Aragorn had decided to turn him free, believing that he had "seen enough of war". By his request, the stable hands had then released Brego to gallop the Plains of Rohan free and wild.

However, from some strange coincidence or maybe fate, their paths have led these two back to each other.

Realizing that Aragorn was awake, Brego, as an intelligent horse she was, dropped to his knees beside of the downed ranger, allowing Aragorn to take a hold of his mane.

Though incredibly weakened and his head still dizzy, Aragorn summoned all his remaining strength to slowly and laboriously pull himself on Brego's back, with the noble horse waiting patiently until his friend was properly on his unsaddled back, while giving an encouraging nudges to Aragorn's back with his muzzle.

Once Aragorn was safely aboard, Brego stood and carried him away from the river.

Partially sitting and resting on Brego's back, Aragorn whispered weakly his destination into Brego's ear.

"Helm's Deep, Brego. Go."

Brego neighed in agreemend and then began to carry Aragorn across the Plains of Rohan to the south, towards Helm's Deep.

TO BE CONTINUED...