Aragorn rode Brego forward a few paces.
"And who is this?" the messenger scoffed. "Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade." And then that broken Elvish blade cut off the messenger's head.
"I guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli said.
"I do not believe it," Aragorn said. "I will not."
The Gates swung open. A huge army came marching out. Another came from behind. They were surrounded.
"Pull back," Aragorn ordered. "Pull back!
"Hold your ground," he said to his men. "Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of Men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" They drew their swords.
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf," Gimli said.
"What about side by side with a fr
Mornie opened her eyes with a gasp as the first tendril of poison smote her lungs. She looked up, and could easily discern Legolas. He had made a large amount of distance for so short a period of time. She saw the strength he had gained for the love of a friend. She thought of how the love of her mother had made her strong enough to escape and give up her only daughter. She thought of how she herself had found strength in love to send away Legolas, to face death alone.
True strength comes from love, she realized.
The necklace of Kamiliel slipped out from beneath her tunic and coat of mail and covered her heart. It began to glow purple, forming a ring of protection around her heart that the poison could not penetrate. However, it could not last forever. The purple began to fade to a blue, and that blue faded down to almost white. Then, at last, the Eye of Sauron exploded! And out of that explosion came a tremor. It ripped down the towers, the Gate, and even the ground. When it came to Mornie, it pushed the poison back out of the wound. She was safe.
They waited anxiously for Gandalf to give news concerning Sam and Frodo. They had been rescued in the nick of time, if not already too late. At last, Gandalf informed them that they would be all right. The Fellowship breathed a collective sigh of relief. Legolas took her hand again. He whispered to her silly stories that he had learned as a child. They made her laugh quietly. At that sound, her father looked up and saw them together.
"Have I been so preoccupied as to have missed this?" he said, smiling. "May it be blessed." Mornie told him of her gratitude by a smile. Suddenly laughter issued from the room where Frodo lay. Merry and Pippin got there first. Gimli came just after them, and Mornie and Legolas followed him. Aragorn and Sam came in behind them. The Fellowship was reunited after exactly 28 days.
She stood on the steps leading into the Hall, a few steps below and to the right of where her father knelt. Nearly all the people of Minas Tirith and many of the nobles of Gondor stood behind, filling the courtyard to the pinnacle. For that day, for her father, she had left her usual tunic and braid, and in stead wore a dress of blue and white, her hair hanging down, encircled by silver with a blue stone. Gandalf stood at the top of the steps, holding the crown. He lifted it up for all to see, and then placed it on Aragorn's head.
"Now come the days of the king," he said. "May they be blessed."
Aragorn stood, climbing to the top of the stairs, and faced his people. They cheered for him, glad to have a king again.
"This day does not belong to one man, but to all," King Elessar said. "Let us together rebuild this world, that we may share in the days of peace.
Et Earello
Endorenna utulien
Sinome maruvan
Ar Hildinyar
Tenn' Ambar-metta
Out of the Great Sea
To Middle-Earth I am come.
In this place, I will abide,
And my Heirs,
Unto the ending of the World."
He sang the song of Elendil as the petals of the White Tree swirled around them. Then he descended the steps, coming to her first. He embraced her, kissing her forehead.
"You will be a good king," she whispered, falling in at his side as he greeted his steward, Eomer, and then the Elves, led by Legolas. He gestured behind him, smiling. Aragorn followed the gesture, and the Elves parted. There, behind the banner, stood Arwen. She bowed her head, but Aragorn lifted it back up, and they kissed. Legolas slipped his hand around Mornie's waist. She closed her eyes, trying to press everything into her memory. She wanted to remember it all: the sight, the sound, the smell, the feel. Because that day was a near-perfect day.
The knock on Mornie's door came early the next morning, but she was ready. She had been hoping that Legolas would not have forgotten their deal.
"Gimli should be joining us part of the way," he said after their good mornings as they walked to get permission from her father. "My plan was to follow the River, crossing in the South Undeep, then making our way across the Brown Lands and skirting the edge of the forest until we get to Erebor; then straight north. I doubt that we will need to go much farther than the Ered Mithren."
"How long will the journey take?" Mornie asked, unsure of the geography.
"Some days more than a fortnight, if we move at a good pace," he said. They rounded the corner into the Hall. Aragorn was going over his accounts with Faramir while Gandalf stood nearby, but he stopped upon seeing them, glad of the short break. He accepted their wish and purpose to journey north.
"Of course you have my permission and my blessing," he said. "I do need you back by Mid-year's Day, for that is the date of the wedding."
*"Will you be crossing the Brown Lands?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes," Legolas answered for them.
"I believe I will join you, then," he said. "I have someone I want you to meet."
They departed a few days later, riding to minimize the time for the journey. The horses, however, would be left in Mirkwood with Legolas' people. Mornie was impatient to get started. Gandalf had sparked her curiosity about this someone in the Brown Lands. The journey, however, was nearly as enjoyable as the destinations promised to be. There was much singing among that group. They were nearly to the edge of Mirkwood around mid-day when they saw it. There among the first outlying trees was a cottage, smoking rising from the chimney. A vegetable garden freshly resown surrounded it. As they watched, a Dwarf woman came out of the cottage. She was dressed practically and plainly, her red hair tied back. She appeared to be nearing one hundred winters, but as they drew closer, they could see that she was weighed down by grief beyond her years. She stood tall and proud, however, regarding them, even Gimli, with a sense of foreboding. Why had Gandalf brought them to her?
*From this point onward, this storyline may or may not be included after December, depending on events that shall be made known in our world in that month, but are expected, sadly, to transpire. Keep reading. You'll see.
Everything belongs to its proper owner.