The Lord of the Rings Lovers
Chapter 6: Left Behind
"Elenya!"
Elenya was now kneeling on the grass crying into her hands.
"How is she going to get across?" Said Pippin, voicing the concern of everyone.
"Hang on," said Legolas, "I have an idea. Sam? Do you have any rope?" Sam took off his backpack and rummaged around in it. At length he pulled out a long piece of grey elven rope he'd packed all those weeks ago back in the Shire. He handed it to Legolas who reached behind his shoulder and produced a slim elven arrow with smooth green feathers. He tied one end of the rope to the arrow with a secure knot.
"Make sure you keep hold of the rope," he told Sam, retrieving his bow from the ground and fitting the arrow. Elenya had stopped crying and was now watching Legolas curiously, She had dry tear stains down her cheeks. Legolas called over to her,
"Stand clear!" He loosed the arrow. It was a green and grey blur as it shot clear over the river and sunk deep into the earth near Elenya. Legolas gave the rope an experimental tug. It didn't budge.
"Climb across!"
Elenya looked taken aback, "Over- over there?!" She exclaimed, pointing to the swift swirling foam topping the raging water of Anduin.
"It's the only way! Just grab onto the rope and edge across."
"Easy for you to say," mumbled Elenya as she positioned her self to climb across. She got hold of the rope with her hands and brought her feet up around it so she was hanging over the river, rather like a koala would hang off a branch. Elenya nervously started to pull her self along the rope.
"Don't look down!" Shouted Pippin. Subconsciously Elenya looked down. Her face froze and she tightened her grip on the rope fearing she might fall and succumb to the same disastrous end Merry had done just moments before.
"Now look what you've done," Muttered Frodo in Pippin's ear.
"Me? All I said was-"
"Exactly!"
"Elenya! Keep looking this way, there's not that far to go!" Called Legolas. Elenya gulped and looked up along the seemingly endless rope. She decided to close her eyes and continued along the rope. Before she knew it her toes found the grass of the riverbank and she opened her eyes. Sam finally relaxed his grip on the rope as Elenya climbed to safety.
"Now pull the rope back," Legolas told Sam.
"But it's tied to the arrow. I'll never be able to get it back." But Sam found, as he pulled the rope once more, that it came free and the arrow with it. Once it was across he handed the arrow back to Legolas and packed the rope in his backpack once again. They set about preparing to leave, but Elenya stopped.
"We can't just go," she said, tears welling up in her eyes again, "what about Merry?"
"He's beyond our aid now," said Legolas, solemnly looking at the ground, "we have to leave him and hope that wherever he is headed, he gets there safely."
As they set off, all were solemn. What if Merry didn't make it? They all thought. Worse still, what if he was dead? The thought passed through their minds over and over as they walked in silence over great grassy land. They could see the forest of Fangorn and the Misty Mountains in the distance to the right of them, but nothing more, save a handful of trees, could be seen for miles around. They kept walking, still too sorrowful to talk. After several more miles the sky was beginning to darken, but they did not stop and through the night the hobbits struggled to keep pace with Legolas and LasGalen and they were beginning to tire. At long last they reached a shallow stream, The Entwash. They decided to stop there for the night and cross the stream in the morning. Morning came three hours later, but nevertheless they were glad of the rest. The stream was shallow enough to paddle across so they were able to cross it in no time. In the distance they could make out the snowy peaks of the White Mountains and before them lay Edoras, their next destination, for they would not make it to Gondor without some proper rest and a stock up of provisions first.
Many more miles of walking and, in Pippin's case, complaining about food, brought them at last to Edoras. They stopped and gazed at the spectacle in front of them. There was a large hill of grassy earth set before the snow-covered peaks of the White Mountains. Upon the hill were many stone buildings, magnificent in size and a set of huge stone steps led the way down to where they were standing. The hobbits clambered up the mighty steps with difficulty, whilst the elves sprang lightly from step to step and reached the top long before the hobbits did. When at last they were all gathered at the top, they made for the largest building on the western side of the hill. Great flags flew high either side of the entrance to the building each bearing the white horse of Rohan. The building itself resembled a great hall. Pillars of stone framed the doorway, which must have been at least twenty-five feet high and could easily have fitted fifteen full-grown men abreast. There were also steps leading down from the doorway to the flat of the hill. These, to the hobbits' relief, were not so mighty as the ones before, nor were there so many of them to climb.
At the top, several guards greeted them. The chief guard stepped forward.
"Welcome," he said with a slight bow of his head, "the Lord and Lady saw you coming and asked us to greet you here."
The hobbits and elves bowed their heads in turn and introduced them selves.
"I am Halbarad," said the guard, "Son of Hirluin the Fair and servant to the Lord and Lady. But let us not stand about here for an age, come inside, they are waiting."
They followed Halbarad inside the great hall with its high walls. The other guards remained outside and guarded the entrance. Halbarad led them along to a pair of Oak doors, which he proceeded to pull open. The doors revealed a smaller hall, yet more magnificent to look at. In the middle was a long table set out with the most delicious foods the hobbits had ever seen. And sat at the head of the table were the Lord Faramir and the Lady Éowyn. They greeted they guests and gestured for them to be seated. The hobbits eagerly seated them selves on either side of the table, staring wide-eyed at the food set out before them. Legolas and LasGalen joined them and sat beside the hobbits.
"So," said Faramir, "what brings you so far to Edoras?"
They all hesitated. They couldn't very well tell the truth, nobody would believe them. At length LasGalen spoke.
"We are on our way to visit the King Elassar and cannot make it all the way to Gondor without a rest and restock of our provisions," she said. This, of course, was true enough and seemed to satisfy Faramir.
"Very well," he said, smiling, "you shall stay here as long as you wish. Do help yourself to the food," he added, seeing the hobbits' eager faces. They tucked in immediately, their hunger overcoming basic manners.
Later on, when their hunger was satisfied, they were shown to their beds. They fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows.
They did not stay long in Edoras, for hey urgently needed to find Aragorn and Amber, and so they prepared to leave the very next day.
"I would have hoped you'd stay longer," said Faramir, as they refilled their provisions and got ready to leave, "but you obviously have urgent business with the king, so we will not keep you."
"Maybe we shall visit again," said rose, "when things are not so urgent."
"Perhaps."
"Farewell!" Called Éowyn, waving to them as they walked (and stumbled) down the great steps that led to flat land below the hill. From there they headed West keeping to the North side of the White Mountains, and made for the gap of Rohan.
For tee days they travelled without much rest or food and on the fourth day they could hardly keep on their feet and were about to give up hope when up ahead of them, rising up from the landscape as they approached, was the great city of Belfalas. They struggled on until they reached the city gates. There were no guards here and the gates were open, so they proceeded through into the city. If they thought they would find rest immediately they were mistaken. They walked for at least another half mile before the palace of Belfalas came into view. It was a giant of a building and almost twice the size of the house in Edoras. A flag, bearing the emblem of Gondor, was flying high and seemed to glow in the sunlight. They approached the gate, but as the guard caught sight of them he unlocked it immediately and let them straight through without question.
"That was strange," muttered Rose, "Why didn't he ask who we were?"
"Maybe he recognised us?" Said Sam.
"Hmm…"
They were now walking through a large stone corridor that echoed with every step they took. Further ahead, they heard distant voices, getting louder and louder until two figures appeared round the corner and stopped when they saw the visitors.
"Sam stepped forward, "Is that you… Viggo?" He said. Aragorn seemed to study Sam for a moment, then a grin appeared on his face and he laughed.
"I thought I'd never find you all!" He said, looking relieved.
Rose looked up at the tall elf maiden stood beside Aragorn.
"Amber?" She said, a look of amazement on her face.
The elf smiled, "that's me!" She said.
"You're- you're Arwen!" Arwen smiled even more.
"Come and have some food. We were just on our way to have dinner," said Aragorn. They followed him to the dining hall and seated them selves around a large table laid with huge plates of food and bottles of wine. Legolas and LasGalen started on the wine, while the hobbits tucked into the food hungrily, their first full meal in four days. When the plates were cleared and the bottles empty they started to tell Aragorn and Arwen of their journey so far; of their escape from the pixies, and of losing Merry over the Anduin. Just as they were finishing their tale there was a knocking at the door.
"Enter," called Aragorn. The door opened and a tall guard stepped inside.
"A visitor to see you," he said, gesturing through the door. A small figure entered and they recognised him immediately.
"Merry!" Elenya leapt out of her chair and ran to him. The others followed and almost crushed poor Merry in a hug.
"How did you get here?" They asked, finally releasing him and allowing him to breath.
"It's a long story," said Merry, "you'd better all sit down."
Once again they seated them selves around the table and waited. And so with everyone waiting and listening Merry began his tale.