The weeks passed slowly for Lorna, and Winter came suddenly and violently.
She was glad that Boromir had given her his cloak. The long trips to the
stream in the freshly fallen snow to fetch drinking water almost froze her
to her bones, but the cloak kept her warm, and also kept her memory of
Boromir alive. Loo had spoken with her a few times about marriage, and had
listed some slightly prominent men in the city whom she could marry right
away. Lorna was petrified at the thought of marrying so young (16), and
longed to be a free spirit for a while longer. Besides, her heart belonged
with Boromir, although they had spent so little time together so far. That
would soon change. She would surely see him at the city meeting today.
The Steward had called a meeting for the entire city, and Lorna made a note to visit once her chores were done. She could see the people already making their way to the city central, near the gates of the Steward's hall. Running, she set the bucket of ice-cold water inside the doorway and rushed out with the rest of the crowd, eagerly anticipating the Steward's news. There was already a large crowd, but Lorna managed to push through many people. She had seen Boromir walk home in the direction of the Steward's hall, so she figured he would be there already, in the front of the crowd. She got near the steps of the great porch of the hall where the Steward was already clearing his throat before he spoke. Still, a few people were in front of her, but she stayed there, with her face upwards, listening to the Steward's speech.
Boromir got ready as quick as he could that morning. It had been two months since he had spoken to Lorna last, and he was sure he would see her again today. His father was set to deliver a speech on the state of affairs in the city, and to notify the men to prepare for possible onslaughts concerning orcs of the nearby lands. Gripping the red silk in his large hand (like he had for some time now) he exited the great hall and made his way onto the large porch of the Steward's home. Already many people had gathered.
The pillars that supported the terrace above were large, and Boromir stood behind one and watched as people of Minas Tirith gathered in the central area of their city. He leaned against a pillar for a few minutes until he saw Lorna. When she first appeared among the women and children approaching from the market area, Boromir jumped up and bounded down the steps and tried to reach her. The crowd was too strong, however, and a guard of the hall nearly dragged him back up the steps, and there he stood again by the pillar, out of sight.
When his father began to talk, he saw that Lorna was now standing near the front steps. But at that moment he heard his father call his warriors to the porch, so they could receive applause for their defense of the city.. . Boromir knew his father would soon call him, his son, next to him. Denethor had earlier that week permitted Boromir to join a troop of soldiers in their training, and defend the city when need be.
"Thank you all, citizens of Minas Tirith, for joining me on this day. I have something to announce to all gathered here." Denethor motioned for Boromir to join him, "my eldest son, Boromir, has become one of the great soldiers who defend our great city." the audience applauded, but Boromir didn't notice. His gaze was upon the third row, where Lorna stood wearing a shocked _expression. When Denethor called his son, Boromir, out onto the veranda next to him, Lorna was only half listening. She was at the moment scanning the crowd for the man who joined his father in front of the crowd. When she looked up, utter shock filled her, and she almost fainted. Turning to the man who stood next to her, she asked:
"Why business is that man Boromir's with the Steward?"
"He is the Steward's son, and now a soldier!" the man exclaimed and shouted "Hooray for Gondor! Hail the Steward and his kin!"
Lorna felt despair fill her heart; how could a future steward take her company? 'It was probably a joke,' she thought, 'to see what a poor peasant girl was like. He probably bet money on it, to see how long he could play me.' She threw the cloak off her shoulders, letting it fall to the dirt, and pushed through the crowd behind her. All she wanted was to exit his sight.
Boromir saw the sudden departure of Lorna, and wondered what had scared her. Boromir bounded down the steps after her, making his way through the crowd. When he came upon his cloak he picked it up, brushed the dirt off, and ran as fast as he could towards the Hasunder's hut. When he got inside he only saw Loo.
"Hello, Boromir! I'm afraid Lorna isn't here, she went to hear the Steward's speech!" Loo said happily. She had a pile of cloth in her hands and was stitching up a small hole.
"Thank you, Loo!" Boromir panted and raced out the door. He stood on the doorstep for a few seconds, pondering over where to go. It took a few seconds for him to remember Lorna's words from months before:
"This is my favorite place to sit and think." So Boromir ran through the knee-deep snow towards the river on the far side of town. He barely saw the soft footprints in the powder, but saw Lorna's pink dress some way off. She was cloak-less and shivering on the bank. Her red hair stuck to the sides of her face, and her cheeks and nose were red with the cold, and she was crying. When she heard him approach she stood up suddenly and tried to rush past him. He grabbed her upper arms and held her in place. She stared violently and with hatred into his eyes and tears running down her cheeks.
"You lied to me!" she shrieked and wrestled in his arms. He only pulled her tighter.
"Lie? I would never do such a thing!"
"Why didn't you say you were the Steward's son then?" Lorna demanded.
"You never asked!" Boromir insisted, and he wrapped the cloak about her shoulders. Her shivering ceased a little.
"Do you really care about me then? I'm not just some joke you had with your friends?" Lorna pouted.
"If there's anything I've cared for more it's my kin, and maybe them a little less." Boromir replied, and he brushed locks of damp hair out of her face. He let her arms loose and she wiped her cheeks with the sleeves of her dress. "Now we'd better get you home before you freeze." and he picked her up in his strong arms and carried her through the snow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face close to his neck to block out the cold wind.
"Will you stay with me a while?" she asked.
The Steward had called a meeting for the entire city, and Lorna made a note to visit once her chores were done. She could see the people already making their way to the city central, near the gates of the Steward's hall. Running, she set the bucket of ice-cold water inside the doorway and rushed out with the rest of the crowd, eagerly anticipating the Steward's news. There was already a large crowd, but Lorna managed to push through many people. She had seen Boromir walk home in the direction of the Steward's hall, so she figured he would be there already, in the front of the crowd. She got near the steps of the great porch of the hall where the Steward was already clearing his throat before he spoke. Still, a few people were in front of her, but she stayed there, with her face upwards, listening to the Steward's speech.
Boromir got ready as quick as he could that morning. It had been two months since he had spoken to Lorna last, and he was sure he would see her again today. His father was set to deliver a speech on the state of affairs in the city, and to notify the men to prepare for possible onslaughts concerning orcs of the nearby lands. Gripping the red silk in his large hand (like he had for some time now) he exited the great hall and made his way onto the large porch of the Steward's home. Already many people had gathered.
The pillars that supported the terrace above were large, and Boromir stood behind one and watched as people of Minas Tirith gathered in the central area of their city. He leaned against a pillar for a few minutes until he saw Lorna. When she first appeared among the women and children approaching from the market area, Boromir jumped up and bounded down the steps and tried to reach her. The crowd was too strong, however, and a guard of the hall nearly dragged him back up the steps, and there he stood again by the pillar, out of sight.
When his father began to talk, he saw that Lorna was now standing near the front steps. But at that moment he heard his father call his warriors to the porch, so they could receive applause for their defense of the city.. . Boromir knew his father would soon call him, his son, next to him. Denethor had earlier that week permitted Boromir to join a troop of soldiers in their training, and defend the city when need be.
"Thank you all, citizens of Minas Tirith, for joining me on this day. I have something to announce to all gathered here." Denethor motioned for Boromir to join him, "my eldest son, Boromir, has become one of the great soldiers who defend our great city." the audience applauded, but Boromir didn't notice. His gaze was upon the third row, where Lorna stood wearing a shocked _expression. When Denethor called his son, Boromir, out onto the veranda next to him, Lorna was only half listening. She was at the moment scanning the crowd for the man who joined his father in front of the crowd. When she looked up, utter shock filled her, and she almost fainted. Turning to the man who stood next to her, she asked:
"Why business is that man Boromir's with the Steward?"
"He is the Steward's son, and now a soldier!" the man exclaimed and shouted "Hooray for Gondor! Hail the Steward and his kin!"
Lorna felt despair fill her heart; how could a future steward take her company? 'It was probably a joke,' she thought, 'to see what a poor peasant girl was like. He probably bet money on it, to see how long he could play me.' She threw the cloak off her shoulders, letting it fall to the dirt, and pushed through the crowd behind her. All she wanted was to exit his sight.
Boromir saw the sudden departure of Lorna, and wondered what had scared her. Boromir bounded down the steps after her, making his way through the crowd. When he came upon his cloak he picked it up, brushed the dirt off, and ran as fast as he could towards the Hasunder's hut. When he got inside he only saw Loo.
"Hello, Boromir! I'm afraid Lorna isn't here, she went to hear the Steward's speech!" Loo said happily. She had a pile of cloth in her hands and was stitching up a small hole.
"Thank you, Loo!" Boromir panted and raced out the door. He stood on the doorstep for a few seconds, pondering over where to go. It took a few seconds for him to remember Lorna's words from months before:
"This is my favorite place to sit and think." So Boromir ran through the knee-deep snow towards the river on the far side of town. He barely saw the soft footprints in the powder, but saw Lorna's pink dress some way off. She was cloak-less and shivering on the bank. Her red hair stuck to the sides of her face, and her cheeks and nose were red with the cold, and she was crying. When she heard him approach she stood up suddenly and tried to rush past him. He grabbed her upper arms and held her in place. She stared violently and with hatred into his eyes and tears running down her cheeks.
"You lied to me!" she shrieked and wrestled in his arms. He only pulled her tighter.
"Lie? I would never do such a thing!"
"Why didn't you say you were the Steward's son then?" Lorna demanded.
"You never asked!" Boromir insisted, and he wrapped the cloak about her shoulders. Her shivering ceased a little.
"Do you really care about me then? I'm not just some joke you had with your friends?" Lorna pouted.
"If there's anything I've cared for more it's my kin, and maybe them a little less." Boromir replied, and he brushed locks of damp hair out of her face. He let her arms loose and she wiped her cheeks with the sleeves of her dress. "Now we'd better get you home before you freeze." and he picked her up in his strong arms and carried her through the snow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face close to his neck to block out the cold wind.
"Will you stay with me a while?" she asked.
