Chapter 14
Decisions
Nessa was sitting in the window and looking north. It was night already and it was quite cold. "These elven lands cannot be that far away." She thought. "They are only on the other side of the mountains. And there I will probably run into someone who knows something about Boromir. " Lothiriel came to wish her good night.
"What is on your mind?" She asked her.
"Oh, nothing." She closed the window. "Have you ever seen the Elves?" "No, never. Although I would wish to see them one day." "Me too. Do you really believe those stories that one of our ancestors was an Elf?" "No. Elves are so different from us. I don't believe those stories." "Neither do I. Everything would be different if I were an elf." "What do you mean?" Lothirel didn't understand. "I would have had enough time for everything. There are so many things I have to do and so little time." Nessa said.
"Oh, Nessa, you were always a dreamer. I have to go now. Good night!" Lothiriel smiled.
"Good night, Lothiriel." Nessa smiled back at her. "And I hope I will see you again soon." She said when Lothiriel couldn't hear her anymore.
In the morning, everyone at Imrahil's house was in panic. Nessa was missing. She took some belongings with her, and a horse, so they knew she wasn't abducted. She left a note in which she warned everyone not to follow her because this mission is only hers.
"Father, you have to do something!" Lothiriel was desperate.
"No, didn't you read what she said. She doesn't want us to follow her." "She doesn't know what she's doing." "Don't worry. When she sees that everything isn't as she planned it to be, she'll come back to us." Imrahil concluded.
And in the meantime, Nessa was riding through Gondor. She was going north, hoping that once she passes the mountains, it will be easier.
"I wish Turin was with me now." She thought. She took out the map. "Behind the mountains is a country named Rohan. Yes, I have heard of Rohan before. The horse people live here. They are our allies. I hope. Passing Rohan will be easy then." She thought.
The only though that gave her strength to carry on was the thought of her brother Boromir. She had to be careful because she could stumble on her father's men anytime. At one point she even thought she sees them in the distance so she has slowed down. It was pretty cold up in the mountains, snow started falling and she wasn't used to those conditions. At one point she thought of turning around and going back to her uncle. But then she remembered her brother again and how she has to find him. She never thought this journey would become this hard and that the way was this long. She realized that she led a protected life this far and that real dangers are ahead of her.
She was hungry, running out all of the supplies she brought with her. She was cold during the night and her horse was getting weaker. She stopped in a small village up in the mountains in which she rested for a while. She had to sell the jewelry she had with her so she could buy some food. The villagers were suspicious about her, so she had leave. They heard of a princess who is missing for a while and now this girl with fine ornaments has showed up. She even gave her clothes away and wore simpler clothing. The materials were rough and she complained about it first but then she realized what she has to do in order to survive. She bought some more food for her and her horse on what she got for her clothes. And she went further.
"Even if I run into some soldiers, they wouldn't recognize me anymore. I look like a peasant woman." She thought.
Soon, the mountains have turned into plains and she came to Rohan after more than three weeks of travel. "I think I have turned too much to North West." She thought but she went on, followed the road. "I will probably come to a village or something so I will ask for direction then." But she was wrong. The first people she saw were people on horses. They were in the distance. She got scared and she wanted to hide from them.
"But where could I hide, this is a plain." She thought.
Those people noticed her soon, and started riding in her direction. She wanted to run away from them, but her horse was too weak to run.
She found herself surrounded by dozen of warriors in armor. One of them spoke to her.
"Tell us your name and the place you come from, stranger." They didn't notice she was a woman because she had a hood over her head.
"What are you, def? Or don't you have a tongue?" He asked again.
"I can hear and I can speak." She said.
They were surprised when they heard her voice.
"Take the hood off and tell us your name." The leader spoke this time.
She took off the hood. "Nessa, princess of Gondor." They all laughed at that.
"A princess? You?" "Don't be silly, wench." "I think she's crazy." They said, laughing.
Nessa felt really offended by that, but then she remembered that maybe it is good they don't believe her. Maybe they have heard about her escape from Minas Tirith. Maybe her father was looking for her here too. But they knew nothing about it.
They were still making fun of her when their leader stopped them.
"Wait!" He said. "She might have right. Under all these layers of dirt, she has a pretty face. I believe her." "I don't care whether you believe me or not. I know what I am." She said.
"Definitely a princess." He smiled. "Judging by that attitude. I am Theodred by the way, and these are my men. I apologize in their behalf. What brings you to these parts, my lady?" "I'm looking for my brother. His name is Boromir. Have you heard of him?" "I know that there is Boromir of Gondor. But I thought he was in Gondor. We didn't hear any news of him, I'm sorry." "That is all right. I have to go now, I'm in a hurry." She said and tried to go.
"I'm sorry, but we cannot let you go." Theodred said.
"Why?" She got upset.
"In case you didn't know, these times are dangerous. Strange people wander around here. We have to bring everyone to Edoras." "But you said you believed me." "I do believe you, but these are the orders I got from the king." "I don't know how it works in Gondor, but here in Rohan we listen to our king." One of Theodred's men said.
"We don't have a king in Gondor." She said looking to the ground, remembering her father. "Anyway, can't you make an exception? I'm in a hurry." She begged them to let her go, but in the end she had to follow them to Edoras.
Decisions
Nessa was sitting in the window and looking north. It was night already and it was quite cold. "These elven lands cannot be that far away." She thought. "They are only on the other side of the mountains. And there I will probably run into someone who knows something about Boromir. " Lothiriel came to wish her good night.
"What is on your mind?" She asked her.
"Oh, nothing." She closed the window. "Have you ever seen the Elves?" "No, never. Although I would wish to see them one day." "Me too. Do you really believe those stories that one of our ancestors was an Elf?" "No. Elves are so different from us. I don't believe those stories." "Neither do I. Everything would be different if I were an elf." "What do you mean?" Lothirel didn't understand. "I would have had enough time for everything. There are so many things I have to do and so little time." Nessa said.
"Oh, Nessa, you were always a dreamer. I have to go now. Good night!" Lothiriel smiled.
"Good night, Lothiriel." Nessa smiled back at her. "And I hope I will see you again soon." She said when Lothiriel couldn't hear her anymore.
In the morning, everyone at Imrahil's house was in panic. Nessa was missing. She took some belongings with her, and a horse, so they knew she wasn't abducted. She left a note in which she warned everyone not to follow her because this mission is only hers.
"Father, you have to do something!" Lothiriel was desperate.
"No, didn't you read what she said. She doesn't want us to follow her." "She doesn't know what she's doing." "Don't worry. When she sees that everything isn't as she planned it to be, she'll come back to us." Imrahil concluded.
And in the meantime, Nessa was riding through Gondor. She was going north, hoping that once she passes the mountains, it will be easier.
"I wish Turin was with me now." She thought. She took out the map. "Behind the mountains is a country named Rohan. Yes, I have heard of Rohan before. The horse people live here. They are our allies. I hope. Passing Rohan will be easy then." She thought.
The only though that gave her strength to carry on was the thought of her brother Boromir. She had to be careful because she could stumble on her father's men anytime. At one point she even thought she sees them in the distance so she has slowed down. It was pretty cold up in the mountains, snow started falling and she wasn't used to those conditions. At one point she thought of turning around and going back to her uncle. But then she remembered her brother again and how she has to find him. She never thought this journey would become this hard and that the way was this long. She realized that she led a protected life this far and that real dangers are ahead of her.
She was hungry, running out all of the supplies she brought with her. She was cold during the night and her horse was getting weaker. She stopped in a small village up in the mountains in which she rested for a while. She had to sell the jewelry she had with her so she could buy some food. The villagers were suspicious about her, so she had leave. They heard of a princess who is missing for a while and now this girl with fine ornaments has showed up. She even gave her clothes away and wore simpler clothing. The materials were rough and she complained about it first but then she realized what she has to do in order to survive. She bought some more food for her and her horse on what she got for her clothes. And she went further.
"Even if I run into some soldiers, they wouldn't recognize me anymore. I look like a peasant woman." She thought.
Soon, the mountains have turned into plains and she came to Rohan after more than three weeks of travel. "I think I have turned too much to North West." She thought but she went on, followed the road. "I will probably come to a village or something so I will ask for direction then." But she was wrong. The first people she saw were people on horses. They were in the distance. She got scared and she wanted to hide from them.
"But where could I hide, this is a plain." She thought.
Those people noticed her soon, and started riding in her direction. She wanted to run away from them, but her horse was too weak to run.
She found herself surrounded by dozen of warriors in armor. One of them spoke to her.
"Tell us your name and the place you come from, stranger." They didn't notice she was a woman because she had a hood over her head.
"What are you, def? Or don't you have a tongue?" He asked again.
"I can hear and I can speak." She said.
They were surprised when they heard her voice.
"Take the hood off and tell us your name." The leader spoke this time.
She took off the hood. "Nessa, princess of Gondor." They all laughed at that.
"A princess? You?" "Don't be silly, wench." "I think she's crazy." They said, laughing.
Nessa felt really offended by that, but then she remembered that maybe it is good they don't believe her. Maybe they have heard about her escape from Minas Tirith. Maybe her father was looking for her here too. But they knew nothing about it.
They were still making fun of her when their leader stopped them.
"Wait!" He said. "She might have right. Under all these layers of dirt, she has a pretty face. I believe her." "I don't care whether you believe me or not. I know what I am." She said.
"Definitely a princess." He smiled. "Judging by that attitude. I am Theodred by the way, and these are my men. I apologize in their behalf. What brings you to these parts, my lady?" "I'm looking for my brother. His name is Boromir. Have you heard of him?" "I know that there is Boromir of Gondor. But I thought he was in Gondor. We didn't hear any news of him, I'm sorry." "That is all right. I have to go now, I'm in a hurry." She said and tried to go.
"I'm sorry, but we cannot let you go." Theodred said.
"Why?" She got upset.
"In case you didn't know, these times are dangerous. Strange people wander around here. We have to bring everyone to Edoras." "But you said you believed me." "I do believe you, but these are the orders I got from the king." "I don't know how it works in Gondor, but here in Rohan we listen to our king." One of Theodred's men said.
"We don't have a king in Gondor." She said looking to the ground, remembering her father. "Anyway, can't you make an exception? I'm in a hurry." She begged them to let her go, but in the end she had to follow them to Edoras.