Chapter 20

Bee's angry footsteps echoed through the near empty hall. She thundered into the sleeping room, seizing her things and gathering them together. Aragorn came in behind her, watching her for a moment before speaking.

"What are you doing Bee?" his voice was gentle, urging her to stop, to think.

"What does it look like I'm doing?! If he thinks he can just take her away, he's got another thing coming! I don't care if he is a bloody wizard; if she's going I'm going with her!"

"Gandalf will not allow you to accompany him"

"Who is Gandalf if he thinks he can order me to do anything?! I have my own horse; I can do what I like!"

Aragorn's face was mournful. He could see the hurt swelling in her, seething just underneath the fury.

"Why can't you let her go?"

Bee looked as if she'd been slapped, staring up at him as if frozen.

"What?" her voice was thin and strained, fragile and close to breaking.

"I know you love Celandine dearly. I know you two are close friends. But you are not her mother, Bee. She must learn to make her own way"

Bee looked seconds away from crumbling, clenching her eyes shut and sucking in her bottom lip. Her face contorted for a moment, the anger and sadness mingling to the point of explosion.

"So you just want to throw her in the deep end? She'll get killed!" she screamed, loosing control in that oh so familiar way. But Aragorn did not re-act as all other victims of her fury had. He did not blanch in terror and step back. He did not spew out anger of his own or burst into tears. In fact his face hardly changed at all, except for the flicker of something indefinable in his eyes. He stepped forward and took hold of her shoulders, calmly meeting her gaze.

"She is ready, Bee. She has the bravery and the skill. All she needs is to know for herself she has it. The only way that will happen is if she learns to survive without you. If you don't let her go, she will never become who she has the potential to be."

Bee looked at him for one long still, silent moment. Finally, she unclenched her fists and allowed the clothes within her grasp to fall to the floor.

"Okay." It was only word but it was all Aragorn needed to hear. He smiled at her but she did not smile back.

"I think you may have to go and see her off. Without hearing you're okay with her going, she'll never consent to leave"

"She'll think I'm abandoning her"

Aragorn became serious "Maybe. But you have to stand by your decision. For both of your sakes"

She nodded to herself, stopping for a moment to pysch herself up. With a forced deep breath, she set off for the stables. Aragorn went after her, calling for Legolas to follow him. He knew Bee was going to need the support.

The hobbits looked up as Gandalf came out of the hall. He motioned briskly for them to follow him and they hurried after him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. Celandine lagged behind a little, stumbling and staggering, cursing as she did. Gandalf seemed to be doing the same only he was getting progressively louder. Soon it reached an audible climax.

"Of all the inquisitive hobbits, Peregrin Took, you are the worst!" He shot a look back at them, frustrated by the hold up. "Hurry! Hurry!" he demanded, pressing on.

"Where are we going?" Pippin called to Merry

Merry didn't answer but shot back a question of his own "Why did you look? Why do you always have to look!"

Pippin blinked in surprise at his anger "I don't know. I can't help it!"

"You never can."

"I'm sorry, all right! I won't do it again."

Merry stopped and strode over to him, his face grave "Don't you understand? The enemy thinks you have the Ring! He's going to be looking for you, Pip."

"Whert dis aboot a ring den?"

Merry's face seemed to close and Pippin became pinched.

"They have to get you out of here." Merry said, bringing them back to the problem at hand.

"And y-you're coming with me?" Pippin's voice trembled a little.

Merry squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, breathed deeply before setting his face and striding forward.

"Merry?"

"Come on!" Merry yelled harshly, refusing to look back.

"Whart 'is priblem?" Celandine asked, screwing up her face.

Pippin did not reply, walking forward in silence. Celandine shook her head and hurried after him as best she could.

Gandalf was waiting for them at the stables; Shadowfax already saddled and ready to leave. Gandalf lifted Pippin onto Shadowfax, adjusting a few things around him.

"How far is Minas Tirith?" he asked

"Three day's ride, as the Nazgûl flies." Gandalf said blithely before realizing what he'd said. He looked Pippin dead in the eye so he could see his seriousness "And we better hope we don't have one of those on our tail"

Merry took something from inside his jacket, a leather pouch, and handed it up to Pippin.

"Here, something for the road"

Pippin looked it over, awestruck and disbelieving "the last of the Long-bottom leaf?"

"I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pip" Merry said with affection.

"But we'll see 'im soon, won't we?" Celandine asked, as if only just realizing what Pippin's departure meant.

"You will." Gandalf said "You are coming with us" he tried to take hold of her and help her up but she wrenched free giving him a deadly glare.

"I ain't going nowhere, wit' out Bee!" she declared through clenched teeth.

"It's alright, tithen pen."

Celandine whirled around to see Bee standing in the doorway, an oddly sober look on her face.

"Bee!" Celandine hurried to her side and glared back at Gandalf "tell 'im. Tell 'im 'oow he cint take me. I hiv ta stay wit yoo dunt I Bee?" She stood confidently, waiting for Bee to confirm her words.

"No, tithen pen. It's alright. You can go"

Celandine whirled around, stricken "But… Bee! I don' want ta go! I wint ta stey wit yoo!"

"You cannot always be with me, tithen pen. You should go. Gandalf will look after you. You can help the soldiers of Gondor" Bee fought to keep her voice steady.

Celandine stepped back, looking up at Bee as if she'd turned into a monster. "Bee…. Do yoo nit want me?"

"No, tithen pen! That's not true!" Bee started forward. Gandalf moved forward and took hold of Celandine. Just as he did, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas came into the stable. Aragorn saw Bee's resolve was near breaking point. He came up beside her.

"Remember what we talked about. You can't keep protecting her"

Bee clenched her fists and eyes tights, turning away from Celandine who had begun to howl bitterly, thrashing in Gandalf's grip. Somehow he managed to get her into the saddle behind Pippin, who was still talking with Merry. He mounted swiftly up behind her. Merry drew back, scrubbing tears away.

"Merry" Pippin called

"Bee" Celandine wailed.

"Run Shadowfax. Show us the meaning of haste" Gandalf commanded his steed. Shadowfax lurched forward, carrying his three riders away with breathtaking speed. The horse's pace was not enough to drown out the two hobbit's grief. Celandine's screaming sob could still be heard clear as the morning air and it cut Bee to the heart. She felt as if she'd been skewered with a spear. She stood there simply for a moment, staring at the empty space in front of her, through the open doors and into the vacant fields. Merry took off after the horse and Aragorn followed after him. They both rushed past Bee, knocking her and brushing her aside. But she did not even notice them, continuing to stare numbly ahead. Legolas drew up beside her, standing with her a moment. After a short hesitation he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"So…" Bee said after an age of dead air "She's gone. Really… gone"

"Yes Bee. She's gone" Legolas said simply. "Really gone"