Paths That Lead Home (LotR F.F.)

Chapter 26: Promises and Loopholes

Cathy's POV:

"Aragorn?" I gasped at the body before me. I pressed two fingers against his throat to find a pulse. After a few frantic seconds I felt a small beat.

"Thank, God," I cried. "What happened to you?" I murmured. There was a big gash in his shoulder and the blood soaked his clothes. His face was pale and there was a red blotch on his jaw that may turn into a nasty bruise later. Could he have fought that creature I saw earlier? Possibly, but he needs to get up now so I can figure out what happened.

I nudged him.

Nothing.

I shook his shoulder.

Nothing.

I poked his cheek.

Nothing.

"C'mon, Aragorn," I grumbled. I grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him hard.

He didn't wake up, but he let out a sigh. "Catherine."

"Yes!" I cupped his face. "Aragorn, wake up! C'mon, you need to wake up." I patted his face encouragingly, hoping that it would help wake him.

He heaved another sigh, and his eyes fluttered open. His grey eyes stared up at the sky, dazed, but then they focused on me. He blinked a few times.

"Catherine?"

I grinned. "Yeah, it's me."

"What-" He blinked a few more times. "Am I-"

I shook my head. "No, you're not dead." His eyebrows scrunched together. He went to sit up, groaning and wincing as he did. "Don't move," I told him. "You look like crap. What happened?"

"You're alive?" He gasped, staring up and down at me. "How?"

"I'll tell you later. But you need to stay down." I leaned forward and expected his shoulder. The gash had a lot of blood around it, but after taking a closer look, it was still bleeding. That could explain how pale he was. I could easily mend the wound. I mean, I kind of brought Abby back from the brink of death when we were in Moria.

I rested a hand on his wound.

"What are you doing?" Aragorn breathed.

"Shh. Give me a minute." I gripped my staff and pointed the tip of the stone to the gash. I closed my eyes and focused on the wound closing itself up. My hand grew warm and I heard Aragorn gasp.

It took seconds, but when I opened my eyes, the crystal on my staff had a purple glow and the gash was gone. The glow diminished a second later. I looked back up at Aragorn and saw some color had returned to his face.

"There, you look better already," I smiled.

"You shouldn't have done that." He shook his head.

"It was nothing." I reached into my bag and pulled out an apple. "Here, eat this. I'm going to get more water." I stood and for a second the world teetered, but the dizziness dissipated as fast as it came.

I filled the water sack and then handed it to Aragorn. He sat up, he only groaned this time, and took the water.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "We thought you were dead."

I twiddled my staff. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Where have you been?"

I bit my lip. "I-uh- was at Isengard."

His eyes bugged out of his head. "What?"

"But I escaped!" I quickly added. "Thanks to a huge eagle."