Poppy was a little surprised at her friend's question, but she tried
not to show it. She had heard nothing of Aragorn's plans to leave
Rivendell, so she had no idea why Laurelen was asking this question. "Well,
I don't know," she answered honestly. "I suppose I could. I guess it would
depend on how long you were gone. I enjoy it here, and if Arwen didn't
leave, then I suppose I wouldn't get too lonely." Poppy turned to her
friend, suddenly suspicious. "Why do you ask?"
Laurelen turned away before Poppy could see her face. "Do not worry about it. Go to sleep." She sat down on a chair, head bowed.
Poppy lay back in bed, trying to sleep. But sleep did not come easily this night as it usually did. Finally she sat back up and turned to her friend. "Do you ever sleep, Lauri?"
Laurelen smiled at the abbreviation of her name. "Sometimes." Her face was shadowed, so Poppy could not see the bleak look that came into her eyes. "When I cannot face the world any longer, then I sleep. But you need to sleep. Would it help if we sang?"
Poppy nodded. "Yes, please! Sing with me!"
Laurelen smiled softly, and began to sing one of the lays they had learned during their stay in Rivendell. Poppy listened for a moment, then joined in singing the melody. The elf picked up the harmony, and their soft voices interwove and floated on the cool night air. After a while, Poppy's eyelids started to droop, and her voice grew softer. The song ended, and Laurelen began another one, singing the melody this time. Poppy fell asleep to her friend's voice, and her dreams were quiet and peaceful.
As soon as Poppy's even breathing announced her sleep, Laurelen ended her song and stood softly. She pulled on some dark grey breeches that she had begged off of Arwen. Arwen had laughed at the girl's reluctance to wear dresses and skirts, but she gave in and had a few pairs of breeches made especially for Laurelen. Now the girl was grateful for them, because traveling in a skirt would be very awkward. She also put on a warm grey shirt and a pair of soft but tough leather moccasins. She crept silently out of the room and found the corner where she had hidden a bag of dried meat and a water skin, taken discreetly from the kitchen when no one was looking.
Now came the hardest part. It was just after sunset, and Aragorn would be leaving at any moment. But Laurelen had to find a way to get past all the other elves who habitually stayed out all night under the stars. She stayed in the darkest shadows, and somehow managed to get by the keen sight of the others. But as she looked back, she saw Aragorn coming. He was on his way out of the valley.
Laurelen cursed silently to herself. She would have to beat him out, because if she crossed the river after him, then he would be sure to hear her and send her back. Making sure no one was watching, she broke into a soundless sprint that carried her swiftly out of the valley.
Finally she reached the river, and crossed hastily. She was just climbing out on the bank when she happened to turn and see Aragorn approaching. Luckily for her, there were many boulders and trees on this side of the river, so he could not see her. She slipped silently behind one of the trees and watched as he began to cross the river. He reached the other side, and broke into a nearly soundless, ground-covering lope.
As soon as he was a safe distance away, the elf girl followed him, flitting quietly between and behind trees and into shadows. The night wore on, and finally Aragorn stopped to rest as dawn approached. Laurelen found another hiding spot, and allowed herself some rest. But soon Aragorn was ready to go on, and Laurelen moved tirelessly behind, always following and hiding.
Aragorn did not find her until the fourth day. Laurelen had run out of food, so she was trying to catch fish in a stream they passed. Unfortunately, she was so intent on the fish that she did not notice that Aragorn had also stopped to get a drink farther upstream. Laurelen almost had a fish in her hands, but missed at the last minute, and dove for it as it slipped away.
Aragorn heard the slight splash. Thinking it was an animal, he got out his bow and put an arrow on the string. He was running low on food, too. He crept toward the sound, and Laurelen was too busy trying to keep the fish she had caught from getting away to hear his approach.
She nearly wound up with an arrow in her. But Aragorn stopped himself just in time, carefully letting the tension out of the bowstring when he saw that it was a person and not an animal. However, when he found out who it was, he felt like shooting her anyway. Laurelen still had not seen him, so he set his bow carefully on the bank and jumped out of the trees and into the water.
He hauled her out of the stream by the scruff of her neck so quickly that she had no time to protest or fight back. In the process, she also dropped her fish on the bank, where it flopped about before finally sliding back into the water. It swam away gratefully, which was what Laurelen was wishing she could do at the moment.
Aragorn hadn't said anything yet. He just looked at her with his stormy grey eyes, somehow making her feel very small, though she stood almost at eye level with him. He glared down at her as she rubbed her neck where he had choked her by pulling her out of the water. But his looks were bad enough without him speaking. It is not easy to meet the eyes of an angry Ranger, even for an elf, as Laurelen found that day.
Finally, Aragorn said, "I suppose if I tell you to go back, you would just follow me anyway." It was a statement, not a question. Laurelen nodded, looking at the ground. "If you have something to say, then look at me when you say it."
Laurelen looked up obediently, and was barely able to answer "yes" before she had to look back down again.
Aragorn turned and bent walked back to where he had left his pack. Without a backward glance, he started walking down the path he was following. Laurelen stood there watching, unsure what to do. Aragorn turned around. "Are you coming?"
Laurelen nodded happily and scrambled after him, really smiling for the first time in years.
It was then that Laurelen became Aragorn's traveling companion. She followed faithfully, watching and learning the ways of the Rangers. Always she remained near him, and earned the nickname "Shadow" from others who met them. She met the other Rangers, and they taught her to fight with sword, bow, and knife. Aragorn taught her to hunt and how to track and survive in the wilds. But most of all, he taught her to be confident in herself and in her decisions.
Laurelen turned away before Poppy could see her face. "Do not worry about it. Go to sleep." She sat down on a chair, head bowed.
Poppy lay back in bed, trying to sleep. But sleep did not come easily this night as it usually did. Finally she sat back up and turned to her friend. "Do you ever sleep, Lauri?"
Laurelen smiled at the abbreviation of her name. "Sometimes." Her face was shadowed, so Poppy could not see the bleak look that came into her eyes. "When I cannot face the world any longer, then I sleep. But you need to sleep. Would it help if we sang?"
Poppy nodded. "Yes, please! Sing with me!"
Laurelen smiled softly, and began to sing one of the lays they had learned during their stay in Rivendell. Poppy listened for a moment, then joined in singing the melody. The elf picked up the harmony, and their soft voices interwove and floated on the cool night air. After a while, Poppy's eyelids started to droop, and her voice grew softer. The song ended, and Laurelen began another one, singing the melody this time. Poppy fell asleep to her friend's voice, and her dreams were quiet and peaceful.
As soon as Poppy's even breathing announced her sleep, Laurelen ended her song and stood softly. She pulled on some dark grey breeches that she had begged off of Arwen. Arwen had laughed at the girl's reluctance to wear dresses and skirts, but she gave in and had a few pairs of breeches made especially for Laurelen. Now the girl was grateful for them, because traveling in a skirt would be very awkward. She also put on a warm grey shirt and a pair of soft but tough leather moccasins. She crept silently out of the room and found the corner where she had hidden a bag of dried meat and a water skin, taken discreetly from the kitchen when no one was looking.
Now came the hardest part. It was just after sunset, and Aragorn would be leaving at any moment. But Laurelen had to find a way to get past all the other elves who habitually stayed out all night under the stars. She stayed in the darkest shadows, and somehow managed to get by the keen sight of the others. But as she looked back, she saw Aragorn coming. He was on his way out of the valley.
Laurelen cursed silently to herself. She would have to beat him out, because if she crossed the river after him, then he would be sure to hear her and send her back. Making sure no one was watching, she broke into a soundless sprint that carried her swiftly out of the valley.
Finally she reached the river, and crossed hastily. She was just climbing out on the bank when she happened to turn and see Aragorn approaching. Luckily for her, there were many boulders and trees on this side of the river, so he could not see her. She slipped silently behind one of the trees and watched as he began to cross the river. He reached the other side, and broke into a nearly soundless, ground-covering lope.
As soon as he was a safe distance away, the elf girl followed him, flitting quietly between and behind trees and into shadows. The night wore on, and finally Aragorn stopped to rest as dawn approached. Laurelen found another hiding spot, and allowed herself some rest. But soon Aragorn was ready to go on, and Laurelen moved tirelessly behind, always following and hiding.
Aragorn did not find her until the fourth day. Laurelen had run out of food, so she was trying to catch fish in a stream they passed. Unfortunately, she was so intent on the fish that she did not notice that Aragorn had also stopped to get a drink farther upstream. Laurelen almost had a fish in her hands, but missed at the last minute, and dove for it as it slipped away.
Aragorn heard the slight splash. Thinking it was an animal, he got out his bow and put an arrow on the string. He was running low on food, too. He crept toward the sound, and Laurelen was too busy trying to keep the fish she had caught from getting away to hear his approach.
She nearly wound up with an arrow in her. But Aragorn stopped himself just in time, carefully letting the tension out of the bowstring when he saw that it was a person and not an animal. However, when he found out who it was, he felt like shooting her anyway. Laurelen still had not seen him, so he set his bow carefully on the bank and jumped out of the trees and into the water.
He hauled her out of the stream by the scruff of her neck so quickly that she had no time to protest or fight back. In the process, she also dropped her fish on the bank, where it flopped about before finally sliding back into the water. It swam away gratefully, which was what Laurelen was wishing she could do at the moment.
Aragorn hadn't said anything yet. He just looked at her with his stormy grey eyes, somehow making her feel very small, though she stood almost at eye level with him. He glared down at her as she rubbed her neck where he had choked her by pulling her out of the water. But his looks were bad enough without him speaking. It is not easy to meet the eyes of an angry Ranger, even for an elf, as Laurelen found that day.
Finally, Aragorn said, "I suppose if I tell you to go back, you would just follow me anyway." It was a statement, not a question. Laurelen nodded, looking at the ground. "If you have something to say, then look at me when you say it."
Laurelen looked up obediently, and was barely able to answer "yes" before she had to look back down again.
Aragorn turned and bent walked back to where he had left his pack. Without a backward glance, he started walking down the path he was following. Laurelen stood there watching, unsure what to do. Aragorn turned around. "Are you coming?"
Laurelen nodded happily and scrambled after him, really smiling for the first time in years.
It was then that Laurelen became Aragorn's traveling companion. She followed faithfully, watching and learning the ways of the Rangers. Always she remained near him, and earned the nickname "Shadow" from others who met them. She met the other Rangers, and they taught her to fight with sword, bow, and knife. Aragorn taught her to hunt and how to track and survive in the wilds. But most of all, he taught her to be confident in herself and in her decisions.