Chapter 2
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of them members from The Lord of the Rings, nor do I own the song in ch. 1 or this chapter. They are owned by Sarah McLachlan.
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Keira rode as fast as she could, urging Neircolen to almost fly. The days blurred into weeks and as Keira entered the seventh week upon her mare she saw Minas Tirith, The White City of Gondor.
"A bit faster my friend," Keira whispered leaning further into the saddle, "then you may rest."
The black horse surged forward and just as the sun reached the highest point in the sky they came to the gates of the White City.
"Open the Gates!!" Keira demanded as she dismounted.
"Who goes there?!?!" the guard called down.
"A Ranger of the North!!" she returned. "Now open these damn Gates!!"
The wooden gates swung open and Keira walked into the city. She saw a stable boy come to her and handed him the reins to Neircolen.
"Careful with her," she told him. "She's had quite a run."
The boy nodded and Keira smiled at him. She then turned her attention to getting to the White Tower as quickly as possible. She shook her head as she began to walk, then turning back she looked to the boy.
"I think I might need her more than I thought," she said and the boy handed her the reins again.
Keira mounted Neircolen and dung her heels into the animal's flanks. "Fly my friend," she whispered the mare galloped toward their last destination.
They made it to the Hall just as Neircolen was slowing down. Handing the reins to a guard, Keira walked to the Hall.
"You can't go in there with your weapons miss," a guard said. He was shorter than the rest of them; in fact he was shorter than even a dwarf.
"Take care of them, will you kind sir?" Keira said as she handed her bow, arrows, and sword to the man.
"O' course miss," he said and then allowed her to enter the Hall.
"Aragorn, you must finish rebuilding the city before you can go gallivanting off again," Keira saw a man telling another man who sat upon the throne. The man of the throne was rugged looking with longish black hair and a short black beard. Beside him sat a beautiful woman with dark hair.
"Milord," the woman said. Aragorn turned his attention to her. "There is a young woman to see you."
Aragorn turned his head toward the door and his dark eyes fell on Keira.
"Who are you, lady?" he asked.
"Do you not remember me, milord Aragorn," she said as she walked toward the throne. "Or does the name Strider refresh your memory?"
"Keira Nightingale?" he said as he stood. "Little Keira?"
"Not so little any more," she said as he embraced her.
"Keira I'd like you to meet my wife, Arwen," Aragorn said and Arwen came forward to meet the girl. "Arwen this is Keira, the daughter of my dear friend Dermot."
"Welcome to our city, Keira," Arwen said. "Did you come from the North alone?"
"I fear I did," Keira said frowning.
"Keira, it's too dangerous for a young girl to ride alone through the lands," Aragorn said scolding.
"Strider, I am no more a young girl than you are. My twentieth year approaches fast," Keira said drawing herself up to her full height. Her long brown braid hung down her back as her violet eyes flashed angrily.
"You are correct as always, young one," Aragorn said, sighing defeatedly.
"I came here for a reason you know," Keira said as she looked back toward Arwen.
"And that would be?" Aragorn asked.
"Your child," Keira said simply.
"Child? I have no child," Aragorn said.
"Not yet, but your lady carries one," Keira said.
"I do?" Arwen asked. "How can you know, if I do not?"
"Because I have dreamed it, milady," Keira said smiling. "Your son will be great."
"You have come to see his birth then?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes, among other things," the Ranger said smiling to her old friend. "But the proper question is: where am I to sleep?"
"Of course," Arwen said smiling and clapping her hands. A savant approached. "I'll have the room in the east wing prepared for you," she finished and the servant left.
"Thank you milady," Keira said bowing.
"Please, any friend of Aragorn's is a friend s friend of mine," Arwen replied, "so please, call my Arwen."
"Of course," Keira said smiling.
"Come, follow me," Arwen said and the queen led the Ranger to her room.
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion I am making," Keira said as they walked.
"No, of course not," Arwen said gently. "It has been a long time since I have had another woman to talk to and now I have one that stands against my husband."
"Oh dear, I hope I didn't upset him," Keira whispered.
"No you didn't," Arwen said. "If anything you amused him."
"I'm always doing that," Keira said sighing. "Arguing with people when they call me a child," she clarified at Arwen's look of confusion. "I've been raised as the son my father never got. At the age of two my mother died and at three my father put me on a horse. When I turned ten, my birthday present was a handcrafted bow and a quiver of arrows. At thirteen I was given my first sword and I could use as well as my teacher by the time I was fourteen."
"A true Ranger you are then," Arwen said.
"Yes, I was taught well indeed," Keira said as they approached the room.
"Tonight we will feast in honor of the North," Arwen said and she left.
"Wow," Keira breathed as she stepped into her room.
The walls were painted to resemble a forest and the ceiling looked like the night sky. The floor was pale white marble with silver carpet through out it. The window frame was crafted to resemble vines and Keira smiled as she looked around the room.
"Well, I guess I'll get settled in," Keira whispered. She removed the pack she'd brought with her and started to unpack it. As she did this she started to sing softly to herself, not noticing that the window was open and some people could hear her. Then again they weren't really people.
"I knew you wanted to tell me
In your voice there was something wrong
But if you would turn your face away from me
You cannot tell me you're so strong...
Just let me ask of you one small thing
as we have shared so many tears
With ferver our dreams we planned a whole life long
Now are scattered on the wind...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of the reasons why
Through the years I've grown to love you
Though your commitment to most would offend
But I stuck by you holding on with my foolish pride
Waiting for you to give in...
You never really tried, or so it seems
I've had more than myself to blame
I've had enough of trying everything
And this time it is the end...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of the reasons why
There's no more coming back this way
The path is overgrown and strewn with thorns
They've torn the life blood from your naked eyes
Cast aside to be forlorn...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of all the reasons why
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of all the reasons why
Funny, how it seems that all I've tried to do
Seemed to make no difference to you at all..."
As Keira finished unpacking and singing a knock sounded at her door. She closed the drawer she was putting her last article of clothing in and walked to the door.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of them members from The Lord of the Rings, nor do I own the song in ch. 1 or this chapter. They are owned by Sarah McLachlan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------
Keira rode as fast as she could, urging Neircolen to almost fly. The days blurred into weeks and as Keira entered the seventh week upon her mare she saw Minas Tirith, The White City of Gondor.
"A bit faster my friend," Keira whispered leaning further into the saddle, "then you may rest."
The black horse surged forward and just as the sun reached the highest point in the sky they came to the gates of the White City.
"Open the Gates!!" Keira demanded as she dismounted.
"Who goes there?!?!" the guard called down.
"A Ranger of the North!!" she returned. "Now open these damn Gates!!"
The wooden gates swung open and Keira walked into the city. She saw a stable boy come to her and handed him the reins to Neircolen.
"Careful with her," she told him. "She's had quite a run."
The boy nodded and Keira smiled at him. She then turned her attention to getting to the White Tower as quickly as possible. She shook her head as she began to walk, then turning back she looked to the boy.
"I think I might need her more than I thought," she said and the boy handed her the reins again.
Keira mounted Neircolen and dung her heels into the animal's flanks. "Fly my friend," she whispered the mare galloped toward their last destination.
They made it to the Hall just as Neircolen was slowing down. Handing the reins to a guard, Keira walked to the Hall.
"You can't go in there with your weapons miss," a guard said. He was shorter than the rest of them; in fact he was shorter than even a dwarf.
"Take care of them, will you kind sir?" Keira said as she handed her bow, arrows, and sword to the man.
"O' course miss," he said and then allowed her to enter the Hall.
"Aragorn, you must finish rebuilding the city before you can go gallivanting off again," Keira saw a man telling another man who sat upon the throne. The man of the throne was rugged looking with longish black hair and a short black beard. Beside him sat a beautiful woman with dark hair.
"Milord," the woman said. Aragorn turned his attention to her. "There is a young woman to see you."
Aragorn turned his head toward the door and his dark eyes fell on Keira.
"Who are you, lady?" he asked.
"Do you not remember me, milord Aragorn," she said as she walked toward the throne. "Or does the name Strider refresh your memory?"
"Keira Nightingale?" he said as he stood. "Little Keira?"
"Not so little any more," she said as he embraced her.
"Keira I'd like you to meet my wife, Arwen," Aragorn said and Arwen came forward to meet the girl. "Arwen this is Keira, the daughter of my dear friend Dermot."
"Welcome to our city, Keira," Arwen said. "Did you come from the North alone?"
"I fear I did," Keira said frowning.
"Keira, it's too dangerous for a young girl to ride alone through the lands," Aragorn said scolding.
"Strider, I am no more a young girl than you are. My twentieth year approaches fast," Keira said drawing herself up to her full height. Her long brown braid hung down her back as her violet eyes flashed angrily.
"You are correct as always, young one," Aragorn said, sighing defeatedly.
"I came here for a reason you know," Keira said as she looked back toward Arwen.
"And that would be?" Aragorn asked.
"Your child," Keira said simply.
"Child? I have no child," Aragorn said.
"Not yet, but your lady carries one," Keira said.
"I do?" Arwen asked. "How can you know, if I do not?"
"Because I have dreamed it, milady," Keira said smiling. "Your son will be great."
"You have come to see his birth then?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes, among other things," the Ranger said smiling to her old friend. "But the proper question is: where am I to sleep?"
"Of course," Arwen said smiling and clapping her hands. A savant approached. "I'll have the room in the east wing prepared for you," she finished and the servant left.
"Thank you milady," Keira said bowing.
"Please, any friend of Aragorn's is a friend s friend of mine," Arwen replied, "so please, call my Arwen."
"Of course," Keira said smiling.
"Come, follow me," Arwen said and the queen led the Ranger to her room.
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion I am making," Keira said as they walked.
"No, of course not," Arwen said gently. "It has been a long time since I have had another woman to talk to and now I have one that stands against my husband."
"Oh dear, I hope I didn't upset him," Keira whispered.
"No you didn't," Arwen said. "If anything you amused him."
"I'm always doing that," Keira said sighing. "Arguing with people when they call me a child," she clarified at Arwen's look of confusion. "I've been raised as the son my father never got. At the age of two my mother died and at three my father put me on a horse. When I turned ten, my birthday present was a handcrafted bow and a quiver of arrows. At thirteen I was given my first sword and I could use as well as my teacher by the time I was fourteen."
"A true Ranger you are then," Arwen said.
"Yes, I was taught well indeed," Keira said as they approached the room.
"Tonight we will feast in honor of the North," Arwen said and she left.
"Wow," Keira breathed as she stepped into her room.
The walls were painted to resemble a forest and the ceiling looked like the night sky. The floor was pale white marble with silver carpet through out it. The window frame was crafted to resemble vines and Keira smiled as she looked around the room.
"Well, I guess I'll get settled in," Keira whispered. She removed the pack she'd brought with her and started to unpack it. As she did this she started to sing softly to herself, not noticing that the window was open and some people could hear her. Then again they weren't really people.
"I knew you wanted to tell me
In your voice there was something wrong
But if you would turn your face away from me
You cannot tell me you're so strong...
Just let me ask of you one small thing
as we have shared so many tears
With ferver our dreams we planned a whole life long
Now are scattered on the wind...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of the reasons why
Through the years I've grown to love you
Though your commitment to most would offend
But I stuck by you holding on with my foolish pride
Waiting for you to give in...
You never really tried, or so it seems
I've had more than myself to blame
I've had enough of trying everything
And this time it is the end...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of the reasons why
There's no more coming back this way
The path is overgrown and strewn with thorns
They've torn the life blood from your naked eyes
Cast aside to be forlorn...
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of all the reasons why
In the terms of endearment
In the terms of the life that you love
In the terms of the years that pass you by
In the terms of all the reasons why
Funny, how it seems that all I've tried to do
Seemed to make no difference to you at all..."
As Keira finished unpacking and singing a knock sounded at her door. She closed the drawer she was putting her last article of clothing in and walked to the door.