At all possible costs I avoided Aragorn and the others. I did not wish to speak with them. I avoided the elves as much as I could but those insufferable twins would not leave me alone until they cornered me.
"Rana, you've been avoiding us." Elladan said softly to her.
"Well noticed." I growled back at them.
"I only wanted to say thank you, for rescuing me. If you ever do need help, shelter or a family, we'll be waiting. When you're ready to accept us, we'll be ready to accept you." Elrohir told her then picked up the large clawed hand. He dropped an item into its dark calloused depths and Rana frowned before lifting it closer.
It was a large opal shaped into an oval, gleaming with all its colours dancing brightly. It was set into fashioned silver, the silver wires weaving around the stone as the patterns carved into the smoother surfaces on its back. It was a beautiful item, the most beautiful thing Rana had ever seen.
"I cannot keep this." She shook her head and held out her hand. "It is too precious."
"It is yours, our gift to you, cousin." Elladan pushed her hand away back towards her. "You cannot return it."
"But…why?"
"Why? Perhaps because we do not see you the way others do. As elves, we can look deeper into any soul. You are not a monster and you are our kin. Whether you want it or not. Blood always runs thicker than water." Elrohir said then looked to his brother. "We must leave, the others are waiting."
"Until next time, cousin." They both touched their brows and bowed slightly before leaving, leaving me alone and speechless. Eventually I shook myself awake then put the broach somewhere safe. In the lining of my cloak.
Theoden's people were preparing to leave so I helped them lift heavy objects into wagons whenever they let me near them. They made it clear they didn't want me around any longer than was necessary so I took to looking after the horses. Talking with them. Some were injured from battle, so I healed their wounds and offered soft words of comfort wherever I could since most of the stable hands didn't come back from battle.
Two days later, we were ready to leave. "Rana, don't do this. Do not block us out." Aragorn said early that morning, striding towards me. I elected to ignore him. "What happened in the battle…I did not realise who you were. I couldn't see and I thought you were an Uruk-Hai." Aragorn tried to explain. "I was only protecting myself."
"But of course, I forget! I look exactly like one of them. I am Katala, the spawn of a monster." Aragorn gripped her arm tightly.
"That is not who you are."
"No, but it is how everyone sees me." I answered coldly then tore my arm free easily, going over to Ironwind who pawed the ground. When Aragorn made to follow Ironwind stepped forwards, blocking his way. Aragorn sighed and tried to step around but Ironwind followed him, snorted and stamping.
Leave my rider alone you scruffy looking human.
"Calm down Ironwind." Rana soothed then mounted up, careful not to dig her claws into the soft flesh of her horse. "Just leave me alone, Aragorn." She said as she looked down at him. "It is better off if I simply stay alone."
"No, you can't mean that." Aragorn shook his head. "We're your friends, your brothers, we refuse to let you go on living the way you used to." Rana ignored him and asked Ironwind to go forwards. Her stallion leaped from the stables, powering down the path until she was well away. Rana wanted to visit the forest, to see if there were any ents still there.
She could find none but the trees brought her solace and comfort. Rana, why are you so angry with him?
Because I was finally beginning to think that I was different from one of them, that I was not…not an orc. When he stabbed me, it shattered everything! He didn't recognise my voice, all he could see was this face! Rana growled then slashed her claws over her face, tearing long gashes open with her four clawed fingers.
No! Ironwind jumped forwards but the damage was done. Blood seeped from her face, the gashes came one after the other, one passing over the lid of her eye and over her disfigured nose, another slashed her lip wide open so that it hung loosely from its place, revealing even more yellow teeth.
"They want a monster? I'll give them a monster!" Rana raked her claws over her arms, wriggling them up and down until they were jagged strips of thick skin.
Stop it! Rana stop this now! Ironwind shouted then when Rana went to her throat, the horse slammed into her. Enough! His voice was fear stricken as he pawed the ground. Please…enough. Rana looked up at him and she began to feel tears well up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as he leaned down and nuzzled her hair, tugging on it gently. She heard someone riding a horse come trotting closer.
"Rana? What have you done?" Gandalf looked down at her face with slightly wide eyes.
"Nothing." She muttered, getting up and going over to Ironwind.
"Come to me, let me look."
"No." Rana snapped and Gandalf blinked in surprise before frowning.
"I can help you heal them." He told her sternly and guided Shadowfax over to her. She snarled sharply, her eyes narrowing to slits.
"I don't need anyone's help! Leave me ALONE!" She roared and Shadowfax started. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.
You must calm down, Vanmoriel, you need to let Mithrandir see to your wounds before you hurt yourself even more.
No, I am leaving. She informed him and pushed Ironwind forwards gently.
"Do not disobey me now, what happened? You were doing so well, Rana, you were happy." Gandalf called after her, Shadowfax following his son.
"I've never needed anyone, you all manipulated me! You turned me into some sort of soft pet to parade around and let people scream and stare at. I'm done with the lot of you!" Rana shouted then called out in elvish to Ironwind.
He pounced forwards, cantering out of the trees before galloping as hard as he liked for freedom. "Rana!" Legolas shouted after her.
"Rana come back!" Aragorn began to push Brego forwards but Gimli's words stopped him.
"Let her go. You hurt her real bad, lad. She needs time to heal again." Legolas turned sharp eyes to Aragorn.
"What did you do?"
"After the blast, Rana came to help me. I couldn't see very well, all I saw were yellow eyes and fangs. I thought she was an Uruk-Hai and so I stabbed her out of pure reflex reaction." Aragorn whispered, ashamed of himself.
"You shattered everything!" Legolas growled at him.
"Enough!" Gandalf growled as he came back to them.
"Gandalf…will she come back?" Gandalf looked to Legolas then to Rana's figure already far away in the distance. "No. She will not be coming back."
88
Ironwind picked and chose his paces, either walking, trotting or cantering until he began to slow down into a halt. "Hmm?"
You should rest, Rana. We are safe here in Fangorn. Ironwind informed her. I nodded then found a comfortable mossy root bed to lay down upon. Ironwind grazed for a while before settling down too.
I stayed awake for a while, looking down the sharp blade of Boromir's sword. He had named it Defender, I remembered him telling Pippin once. Defender…of what? His people? His city? The weak? Defender of what?
"Or perhaps, you defend the soul." I whispered to it. "You were the only thing Boromir truly understood, how to wield you. You defended what he believed in, you smote his enemies and spilled their blood. You defended his honour and sang his courage. You helped to protect the weak and innocent." My finger ran over the cool blade's point. "Now you are mine…can you show me the way?" The sword remained silent.
With a soft sigh I sheathed it then settled down. The ents watching over me, singing their long songs in a labyrinth of beautiful melodies.