Immediately after the meeting, I rushed back to my room. I changed out of the gown and threw it on the floor. Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely dress but gowns weren't for me.
I liked pants.
I opened up the wardrobe and found all my tunics and breeches were back in their original place and I changed.
Sighing blissfully, I sank back down onto my bed after I pulled on pants. My sword and other weapons rested on a nearby table. But, I felt safe here in Rivendell, so I didn't need weapons. Except for the dagger hidden in my boot, I never went anywhere without it. I rolled over into the center of my bed and found it quite odd that my eyes grew drowsy.
Letting them slide closed, I basked in the peacefulness of being able to take naps like I did as a child.
When I awoke, there was a cold nip in the air. The day had grown dark and the moon was suspended high in the air by an invisible string. I approached the wardrobe once more and found a leather jerkin in a drawer. I slid it over my head and tightened it around my waist so it would hold in some heat.
I had a blue and silver tunic on underneath and dark grey breeches. I still had on my trust leather boots with the dagger inside.
Venturing out into the night air was a brilliant idea. I had slept so long that day that I probably wouldn't sleep at all at night. I closed the door quietly behind me and decided to roam the gardens and surroundings buildings. For being here for an entire week, I didn't really know my way around.
Which was another clue as to why I was slipping as a ranger.
A ranger at my rank would have scouted the perimeter the first moment that they stepped foot into a place like this. We would memorize every nook and cranny until nothing was left unheard of.
I walked down a particularly long hallway. Keeping to the shadows, I didn't try to conceal my footsteps at all, deciding that I wasn't in anyone's way. So why hide?
There was a gazebo type structure that opened up ahead of me. Walking into the large room, there was a large mural, displaying how Isildur had cut the ring from Sauron's hand. I suddenly felt a presence behind me and I turned to find Aragorn reading a book in a padded chair.
"We aren't causing trouble now, are we?" He said but his eyes never left the book.
"I am saddened that you think that way about me, Aragorn. But I am just out for a bit of fresh air. The confines of my room proved to be too much for me. One doesn't grow very accustomed to being kept inside when you've lived your whole life in the Wild…" I said as I approached him.
I took a seat in the chair next to him and he finally looked up at me. "You changed out of your gown…" He said quietly, looking me up and down. I crossed my legs and I found the small position to be extremely comfortable. I couldn't believe how much I had missed the simplicity of it.
"I felt uncomfortable!" I offered but he rolled his eyes and looked back to his book. "You are a lady and you should be able to tolerate a dress!" He jested and I rolled my eyes. We grew silent and I decided to keep our conversation flowing.
"If you are heir to the throne of Gondor, why don't you except your position?" I asked. He was quiet for a moment but then turned back to look at me. "I'm not sure that I'm fit to be king. Especially during these trying times…" He sighed.
"I think you would make a fine king…" I said quietly. I looked up and his blue eyes met my hazel irises with a strange intensity. He placed his hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway and my gaze drifted to the person walking up behind me. The man from Gondor entered the room and examined the same mural that I had been looking at moments before. He walked up to the large statue in the middle of the room. The shards of Narsil lay strewn across a piece of cloth in the statue's hands. He picked up the hilt of the legendary sword.
"The shards of Narsil… The blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand…" He gripped the hilt tightly and looked off into the night sky like he was imagining being there. He pricked his finger on the blade and pulled his hand back. "Still sharp…" He grumbled out. Slowly he turned our way and saw us sitting together, watching him, our hands enclosing each other.
We rangers were always hard to detect, even when we weren't trying.
"It is still just a broken heirloom…" He placed the sword back on the platform but it fell and clattered to the floor. He walked away quickly and Aragorn got up and picked up the broken sword. He placed it back on the mantle and bowed slightly before the statue. He stepped back and almost shied away from it.
"Why do you fear so to be king?" I asked, rising from my chair. I walked around the stone pillar that separated us. "I share the same blood as Isildur… We share the same weakness…" He whispered and looked at me, his eyes watering slightly.
"Everyone has weaknesses. But to try and overcome those weaknesses, you must first accept them because they are just a part of who you are. And no one can change that…" I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder. He sighed deeply and turned back to me. His bright blue eyes were full of knowing and he took my hand in his.
"You are very wise and I envy you, my lady. You seem to know all the secrets in life and you have all the answers…" He lightly teased and I smirked. "I'm afraid I don't contain all the answers. Like, I don't even know that man's name!" I pointed in the direction in which the man stalked off.
"That is Boromir, son of Denethor the Steward of Gondor." He explained and I nodded in understanding.
"I could tell he was off high nobility by just the way he walks. He carries this air of arrogance about him. It infuriates me. Shouldn't a Steward Prince be humble so that his citizens adore him?" Aragorn just chucked and I growled quietly.
"It appears things have changed over the years. He was rather rude to you in the Council meeting." He added.
"I deserved it. I was out of place to say such things…" He interrupted me.
"But still, it was not right that he treat you that way. You are a woman and deserve to be treated highly, like a queen if you may…" He smiled and suddenly knelt down on one knee. He bowed before me, mockingly and I smiled. He took my hand in his and gently kissed my knuckles.
"Aragorn, I am no queen! Besides, if I were to be queen, then I would have to have a king rule at my side…" I smiled down at him and he slowly rose from the ground.
"I am just a lowly ranger destined to live in the Wilds until the ends of my days alone anyways. I am perfectly content with my life. And when the Ring is destroyed, I can go back to that old life and live in peace!" I pulled my hand out of his grasp and walked down the corridor. His footsteps echoed quietly behind me. He finally caught up to me when I reached my chamber doorway.
"The Fellowship leaves tomorrow, am I correct?" I turned to him. The hallway was dark and I could barely make out his features. "Yes we leave at midday. It may be best to pack tonight then to wake up early in the morning. Good night, my lady…" He bowed politely and began to walk away.
"Good night, Aragorn…" I called after him down the hallway. He kept walking and didn't stop.
Turning back to my room, I began packing so I wouldn't have to get up to early. I had a feeling that this would be the last night that I would acquire a restful sleep for a very long time.
