Disclaimer: Tolkien owns all of these wonderful characters except Aralyn.
This is a revision of my earlier story. I think the romance plays out much
better in this version then the other version. Tell me what you think
please!
"How's the watching going, Aralyn?" Lady Eowyn asked me.
"Nothing's happening." I sighed, and stared gloomily at the afternoon sky. It was the next day, and the weather contradicted my mood. I hadn't seen Legolas all day, and that made me feel gloomy and irritable. Then the fact that I was gloomy and irritable because I hadn't seen Legolas made me more gloomy and irritable. The sky was clear and bright. I glared at the sky for annoying me today.
"Legolas told me to tell you that he was out all day with Gimli gathering firewood." She sighed and plopped down next to me. "By the sight of all their firewood, we are going to be here a long time."
I felt a little better after Eowyn telling me that.
"He thinks you are special." She started to say. "He tried to explain it to me, but he said a word in elvish could explain it perfectly, but there isn't a word in our language that translates."
"I had a vision last night." I interrupted her, just remembering. "I had a vision of the battle that will be fought here. Soon."
"What was it like?" She asked, her voice small.
"Bloody. So many orcs. Our people were fighting bravely but kept getting pushed back to the Keep." I shook my head. "It didn't look too good for our side."
"Should I tell King Theoden?" She asked fearfully.
"Do you think you should? Would he listen?" I was frustrated.
"He has to hear it. I'm telling him." She got up and left before I could change her mind.
I sighed and looked back out on the horizon. When I glanced to the East I saw a gallant white horse with a white rider on top of it. The horse was bucking up proudly in the rays of sunlight. I then realized who the rider was.
"Gandalf?" I asked aloud, smile spreading over my face as I leaned over the stone wall. His voice seemed so amplified that I could hear him speak.
"King Theoden stands alone." He said. Then to my great surprise, Eomer on his horse rode up behind Gandalf and stopped his horse.
"Not alone." I heard him say. Then he made a motion to the riders behind him as he yelled, "Riders of Rohan!" And they all charged forward towards the orcs that had suddenly filled the valley before Helm's Deep. At the last second when the riders clashed weapons with the orcs, a bright flash of light inhibited my vision and then the valley in front of Helm's Deep was empty again.
Another vision. But this one had more hope. I was about to go report to milady when movement out in the valley caught my attention. It was a horse, with an injured rider on it.
Hope made my heart leap. Orcs do not ride horses, so this rider must be a messenger of some kind. Hopefully he would bring good news.
"Open the gate!" I yelled to the gatekeeper, who nodded and slowly but surely the gate opened.
My eyes flew back to the rider and I realized who was on the horse. It was Lord Aragorn! I shouted for joy and flew down the steps, ready to meet him. On the way down Gimli saw how excited I was and tried to catch up to me. I could hear him yelling what the matter was, and all I could respond to him was, "He's alive!"
Gimli stopped dead in his tracks, then realized what I meant and continued running, wanting to greet him too.
I reached the gate and eagerly ran out to meet Aragorn.
"My Lord!" I exclaimed as he rode up on his horse. "How good it is to see you alive!" I noticed his shoulder was injured, but I didn't want to point out the obvious.
"Good to see you, Aralyn." He smiled, a little dazed, but still happy to be back. "I have pressing news, where is Lord Theoden?"
But before I could answer, a throng of people engulfed us, inspecting to see what caused such a ruckus.
I could hear Gimli's rough voice yelling at the people. "Let me through!" He cried, and the people formed a path for him, afraid of his ax. "I'm going to kill him!" He yelled, when he saw Lord Aragorn on top of his horse. I laughed at Gimli's reaction.
Aragorn got off his horse and Hama took it to be watered and feed as Gimli reached Aragorn. He seemed lost for words as he wagged his finger at the man. Which was pretty humorous, because it looked like a dwarf was lecturing a man twice his side.
"You are the luckiest man." Was all Gimli could say before he hugged Aragorn. He grinned down at the dwarf hugging him.
"Where is King Theoden?" Aragorn asked again, and Gimli pointed to the Keep. Gimli and I followed him happily as he made his way up the stairs to the Keep to King Theoden. On his way there, I spotted Lady Eowyn talking with a woman. Eowyn turned around and saw Aragorn, and a huge smile spread over her face. She started making her way over to him, but then stopped with a reserved expression on her face. I looked to see what stopped her.
Legolas was standing there, greeting Lord Aragorn. He said something in Elvish and Aragorn smiled.
"You look terrible." Legolas told him, and his response made Gimli and me laugh. He said what we both were thinking. Legolas glanced over Aragorn's shoulder and spotted me. He grinned and I gave him a small smile. Gimli glanced up at me and seemed to shake his head. I just glared at him and he looked back down at his boots.
Then Legolas pulled the jeweled necklace out of his jerkin and gave it back to Aragorn. A confused look crossed Eowyn's face as she backed away, not wanting to get in the way of a sentimental moment. Aragorn didn't even notice she was there.
"Thank you, my friend." Aragorn said, taking the jewel and putting it around his neck.
He then opened the doors to the keep and I saw the surprise on King Theoden's face.
"Aragorn!" He cried, standing up and greeting him. "Aralyn!" He yelled, when he saw that Aragorn was injured. "Get some water and rags to clean Aragorn's wound."
"Yes, my Lord." I said, bowing my head and doing my bidding.
I was on my way back carrying rags and water when Eowyn stopped me.
"He's back." She said, with tears in her eyes.
"Yes, he is." I said softly, knowing how much it hurt her that he didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"I didn't expect him to come back." She said, as if thinking quickly through something. I started to walk away, and she caught my arm. "You won't tell him, will you?" she asked urgently.
"No, milady." I said, shaking my head.
"Thank you, Aralyn." She said, and disappeared into the throngs of people again.
As I returned to the Keep to clean Aragorn's wounds, I wondered to myself if love was really as wonderful as people say it is.
In my experience love only hinders and upsets people.
But also love is the source of hope that keeps us going.
I contemplated this paradox as I entered the Keep, offering the healers the fresh water and rags. When I entered Aragorn was finishing his sentence.
"with an army at least 10,000 orcs." Aragorn finished his sentence.
10,000? We'd need a miracle to survive. The look on King Theoden's face told me he was thinking the exact same thing.
"Get an army together, recruit all you can. And get the women and children into the mountains." The King ordered.
I silently cursed in my head. Now we were retreating even more, when we should fight. One thing I knew, King Theoden was not going to stop me from fighting. Nor was anyone else.
"How's the watching going, Aralyn?" Lady Eowyn asked me.
"Nothing's happening." I sighed, and stared gloomily at the afternoon sky. It was the next day, and the weather contradicted my mood. I hadn't seen Legolas all day, and that made me feel gloomy and irritable. Then the fact that I was gloomy and irritable because I hadn't seen Legolas made me more gloomy and irritable. The sky was clear and bright. I glared at the sky for annoying me today.
"Legolas told me to tell you that he was out all day with Gimli gathering firewood." She sighed and plopped down next to me. "By the sight of all their firewood, we are going to be here a long time."
I felt a little better after Eowyn telling me that.
"He thinks you are special." She started to say. "He tried to explain it to me, but he said a word in elvish could explain it perfectly, but there isn't a word in our language that translates."
"I had a vision last night." I interrupted her, just remembering. "I had a vision of the battle that will be fought here. Soon."
"What was it like?" She asked, her voice small.
"Bloody. So many orcs. Our people were fighting bravely but kept getting pushed back to the Keep." I shook my head. "It didn't look too good for our side."
"Should I tell King Theoden?" She asked fearfully.
"Do you think you should? Would he listen?" I was frustrated.
"He has to hear it. I'm telling him." She got up and left before I could change her mind.
I sighed and looked back out on the horizon. When I glanced to the East I saw a gallant white horse with a white rider on top of it. The horse was bucking up proudly in the rays of sunlight. I then realized who the rider was.
"Gandalf?" I asked aloud, smile spreading over my face as I leaned over the stone wall. His voice seemed so amplified that I could hear him speak.
"King Theoden stands alone." He said. Then to my great surprise, Eomer on his horse rode up behind Gandalf and stopped his horse.
"Not alone." I heard him say. Then he made a motion to the riders behind him as he yelled, "Riders of Rohan!" And they all charged forward towards the orcs that had suddenly filled the valley before Helm's Deep. At the last second when the riders clashed weapons with the orcs, a bright flash of light inhibited my vision and then the valley in front of Helm's Deep was empty again.
Another vision. But this one had more hope. I was about to go report to milady when movement out in the valley caught my attention. It was a horse, with an injured rider on it.
Hope made my heart leap. Orcs do not ride horses, so this rider must be a messenger of some kind. Hopefully he would bring good news.
"Open the gate!" I yelled to the gatekeeper, who nodded and slowly but surely the gate opened.
My eyes flew back to the rider and I realized who was on the horse. It was Lord Aragorn! I shouted for joy and flew down the steps, ready to meet him. On the way down Gimli saw how excited I was and tried to catch up to me. I could hear him yelling what the matter was, and all I could respond to him was, "He's alive!"
Gimli stopped dead in his tracks, then realized what I meant and continued running, wanting to greet him too.
I reached the gate and eagerly ran out to meet Aragorn.
"My Lord!" I exclaimed as he rode up on his horse. "How good it is to see you alive!" I noticed his shoulder was injured, but I didn't want to point out the obvious.
"Good to see you, Aralyn." He smiled, a little dazed, but still happy to be back. "I have pressing news, where is Lord Theoden?"
But before I could answer, a throng of people engulfed us, inspecting to see what caused such a ruckus.
I could hear Gimli's rough voice yelling at the people. "Let me through!" He cried, and the people formed a path for him, afraid of his ax. "I'm going to kill him!" He yelled, when he saw Lord Aragorn on top of his horse. I laughed at Gimli's reaction.
Aragorn got off his horse and Hama took it to be watered and feed as Gimli reached Aragorn. He seemed lost for words as he wagged his finger at the man. Which was pretty humorous, because it looked like a dwarf was lecturing a man twice his side.
"You are the luckiest man." Was all Gimli could say before he hugged Aragorn. He grinned down at the dwarf hugging him.
"Where is King Theoden?" Aragorn asked again, and Gimli pointed to the Keep. Gimli and I followed him happily as he made his way up the stairs to the Keep to King Theoden. On his way there, I spotted Lady Eowyn talking with a woman. Eowyn turned around and saw Aragorn, and a huge smile spread over her face. She started making her way over to him, but then stopped with a reserved expression on her face. I looked to see what stopped her.
Legolas was standing there, greeting Lord Aragorn. He said something in Elvish and Aragorn smiled.
"You look terrible." Legolas told him, and his response made Gimli and me laugh. He said what we both were thinking. Legolas glanced over Aragorn's shoulder and spotted me. He grinned and I gave him a small smile. Gimli glanced up at me and seemed to shake his head. I just glared at him and he looked back down at his boots.
Then Legolas pulled the jeweled necklace out of his jerkin and gave it back to Aragorn. A confused look crossed Eowyn's face as she backed away, not wanting to get in the way of a sentimental moment. Aragorn didn't even notice she was there.
"Thank you, my friend." Aragorn said, taking the jewel and putting it around his neck.
He then opened the doors to the keep and I saw the surprise on King Theoden's face.
"Aragorn!" He cried, standing up and greeting him. "Aralyn!" He yelled, when he saw that Aragorn was injured. "Get some water and rags to clean Aragorn's wound."
"Yes, my Lord." I said, bowing my head and doing my bidding.
I was on my way back carrying rags and water when Eowyn stopped me.
"He's back." She said, with tears in her eyes.
"Yes, he is." I said softly, knowing how much it hurt her that he didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"I didn't expect him to come back." She said, as if thinking quickly through something. I started to walk away, and she caught my arm. "You won't tell him, will you?" she asked urgently.
"No, milady." I said, shaking my head.
"Thank you, Aralyn." She said, and disappeared into the throngs of people again.
As I returned to the Keep to clean Aragorn's wounds, I wondered to myself if love was really as wonderful as people say it is.
In my experience love only hinders and upsets people.
But also love is the source of hope that keeps us going.
I contemplated this paradox as I entered the Keep, offering the healers the fresh water and rags. When I entered Aragorn was finishing his sentence.
"with an army at least 10,000 orcs." Aragorn finished his sentence.
10,000? We'd need a miracle to survive. The look on King Theoden's face told me he was thinking the exact same thing.
"Get an army together, recruit all you can. And get the women and children into the mountains." The King ordered.
I silently cursed in my head. Now we were retreating even more, when we should fight. One thing I knew, King Theoden was not going to stop me from fighting. Nor was anyone else.