𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑨 ¹ ↳ 𝒍. 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏

lxx. the awakening

The majority of the Merfolk — at least, those who have survived — have been sent back shortly after the battle, led by Corin's and Neptune's most trusted general to successfully guide them to the unfamiliar lands of Middle Earth and back to their welcoming home underwater. However, a large amount of their army had chosen to stay back and help the people of Rohan after seeing the destruction take place in their pity, along with the sympathy and worry they have over their Queen. Therefore, Corin and Neptune chose to remain within the walls of Helm's Deep to report the recovery of their Queen and help with whatever the country needed as they themselves held higher provisions and gold than the land of Man, which can help them in their journey back home. Like Thèoden, Corin and Neptune would be satisfied with the way their kin interacted with the other races. 

They were sure that Vera would feel the same way. 

Speaking of, the duo are currently inside the Main Hall, overlooking the provisions and the journey back home on the map as several other guards and important members reside in the room as well. Thèoden is standing beside Aragorn and his nephew, Èomer as they discuss the best routes for their next voyage across the plains and back to the home of Edoras. Corin and Neptune are only there by association and by their alliance, a representation of their unconscious Queen. Grimmund, Thèoden's general, is supposed to be in the room but as Corin's exhausted eyes inspect the room around him in search of the grieving man, he doesn't find him there. In fact, he hasn't seen Grimmund nor Edgar since the battle...and he certainly has never seen them in the Healing Halls to visit Vera. Edgar, he could understand for the man is deeply grieved by the death of his father but Grimmund is needed and doesn't have a possible excuse for his disappearance. 

Corin makes a mental note to find the man and knock some sense into him, knowing that some others have tried before him but were not successful. Nevertheless, he saw Thèoden wearing down and knew that he needed Grimmund. 

Their family is somewhat on the line. 

Perhaps he chose to embark on the task because he needed something to distract him from the echoes in his mind from the night before, briefly remembering the report returning to him from the Healing Halls about his Queen and his friend. He is starting to grow more worried and more anxious over her recovery, wondering if she will even be returning. He daren't voice his doubts out loud...Neptune had punched an innocent man after whispering a rumor about Vera and by the way, they sent him to the Healing Halls, he knew that he wouldn't want to endure that type of pain.

Corin's eyes flickered to the other people in the room, taking in their appearance, and reluctantly judging how they portray themselves. He cannot help it...it is his coping mechanism, no matter how rude it is of him. Thèoden, despite his golden armor and loaded appearance, is more or less exhausted — in fact, everyone else looked tired, himself included. His hair is slightly damp with the sweltering heat outside of the Hall, along with the sweat of having to overwork in aiding his people at assembling the walls of Helm's Deep once more. His eyes are sunken in, paired with deep eyebags as his stern expression observes the map in front of him curiously. Aragorn looks better than most of the people in the room, apart from Èomer, who looks as if he can do anything without any trouble as the only torment in his mind is the view of his people and his home ruined. The Ranger seems to be holding himself together better than those closer to Vera as he often visits her room when he has time but is too busy throwing himself into his work. 

Corin could occasionally hear him sending prayers to the Valar for Vera's recovery. 

Despite his confident façade, though, Aragorn is just as grieved by his surroundings, encountering a dead body every once in a while after being carried from the lower grounds. The bloodshed, the lingering stench of death, the mangled corpses of previous lights in the stronghold...it is all too haunting for the man and he couldn't help but blame himself in some way. Along with that, his close friend is stuck in the Healing Hall after taking the hit of a brutal Uruk during the battle. However, Corin could confidently say that Aragorn put himself better than himself and Neptune.