Chapter Twenty-One
Every day I thought of my friends, and every day I prayed to God to give them strength and hope.
Faramir was getting better, and every so often, I would see him wander the gardens alone. I never spoke to him, though, because he didn't know me, and I couldn't think of anything we could talk about.
Merry and I spent most of our time together; talking mostly, but a few times we taught each other games, or songs. Merry took a liking to I Spy, charades, twenty questions, Bohemian Rhapsody, and the coconut song.
He showed me how to play a game similar to tag, only it wasn't as active, and was called Tig. He also taught me how to sing a few songs, and that is how we whiled away the days.
Two weeks since the company left, Eowyn woke from her sleep, and joined us occasionally. Mostly, she went on walks with Faramir that lasted nearly all day.
One day, after their walk, and Eowyn had went to her room, Faramir came over to us where we sat on Merry's bed. I was trying to show him how to play "Down by the Banks of the Hanky-Panky," but he was having trouble remembering the chant.
We stopped when Faramir joined us, and he pulled a chair over.
"Know either of you Lady Eowyn well?" he asked. We nodded, and Faramir drew in a breath, "Please, tell me about her, for she still perplexes me."
The next hour was spent talking about Eowyn. I got rather bored, but patiently answered Faramir's persistent questions.
.
As the fourth week since the battle was nearing, I was relieved of my crutches. My leg had healed faster than I had thought possible, but, after all, this WAS Middle Earth. I was given a simple grey wool dress to wear around the establishment, because Ioreth insisted it was scandalous to only wear a nightgown when I would wander around. She removed my bandage, and I was able to walk with only a slight limp. I exercised as much as possible, trying to un-stiffen my leg.
I knew I had to go to Osgiliath, and I wanted to do so quickly. In the afternoon, I set out to find the warden. I didn't search long before I found him speaking with Eowyn.
The latter was gesturing angrily to her arm that was in a sling. The warden shook his head, and Eowyn stormed off.
The warden turned to me, smiling calmly, "Ah, Lady Quame, is there something you desire?"
"Well, I can walk now, and I was wondering if I had leave to go to the city." I replied. The warden thought for a moment, then he answered, "I suppose you could go to the city, but you must return in the evenings. You are not yet ready, I think, to leave the house fully."
"It's been nearly four weeks!" I exclaimed, "I can walk fine."
The warden sighed, "Have it your way, then. Tell Ioreth I bid your leave."
"Thank you." I mumbled, and went down to my bed. I began packing all of my things when I felt a gaze on my back. I turned around, and smiled at Merry.
He looked jealously at my bag, "Are you leaving?"
I nodded. He heaved a sigh, and looked out the window, "I wish I was. I'm tired of being trapped in these walls."
"Ask the warden if you can leave." I suggested. Merry barked a laugh, "Ah yes, he'll probably say I'm not well enough go on my own."
"You could threaten him." I laughed. Merry chuckled, "Yes, and have the guards on me faster than you can say Brandywine."
Smiling sadly, I slung my bag on my back, "I'll come to see you, but there's something I must do."
"What?"
"It's..."I hesitated, "complicated. I promise, though, I'll come back and tell you as soon as I can."
Merry nodded understandingly. Again, I resisted the urge to hug him; he might be insulted, and that's the last thing I want him when I leave. Instead, I adopted one of Aragorn's tactics for a good, sincere adieu.
I knelt down, so I was level with Merry, and gave a small grin. His eyes met mine, and a smile grew on his face. I said nothing, straightened up, and left.
It was great to be on my own again. I tilted my head up and grinned at the sky. I felt safer now that I was under its blue envelopment.
Continuing through the city, I watched the means of resoration it was undergoing. As I passed a group of women, the pointed at me, and whispered among themselves. I began to feel uncomfortable, and stopped, staring at the clique.
The women instantly stopped their mutterings, and looked back at me. I tried to think of something clever to say to them, but settled with, "What makes me worthy of your gossip?"
Most of them murmured something, and shuffled away, leaving one young woman alone, wearing a look of abandon.
"You are Orthalion, the maiden soldier from the Battle ofthe Pelennor Fields?"
It sounded impressive. I stopped myself from grinning, and nodded. The woman smiled, "You and the Lady Eowyn have given hope to us."
I gave into the inevitable grin, but didn't know how to respond. Had Eowyn and myself started a revolution? It'd be cool if we had; something to tell the grandkids.
Finally, I bid the woman a good day, and continued on my way.
.
It took me a little more than an hour to reach the outermost gate. I stood for a moment, looking up at the ruined doors in sorrow. They had been such beautiful doors...
It looked as if they were trying to be repaired. The gaping holes had been covered with wooden slats, but there was still a long way to go before they would resemble what they had once been.
Sighing, I adjusted my bag, and looked around. There was one man nearby; he was taking a nap. I didn't want to wake him, but I didn't know how else to get out.
I seized the side of one of the doors, and heaved. The door didn't budge. I tugged a few more times, but nothing happened. Giving up, I went to the sleeping man, and prodded him awake.
"What?" he muttered, then shook himself awake. He nodded his head once, and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"I wish to leave."
He looked hard at me for a moment, "Wait here." he went disappeared through a door. It was silent for awhile, and I began to wonder if he forgot me, and then I heard a loud clang, and one of the doors slowly opened. I called up a 'thank you,' and slipped out of the city...
...and looked out at the field in horror.
All of the men of the Rohirrim, and of Gondor, had taken the bodies of their men, but the orcs had left their kin to rot in the sun.
Flies swarmed everywhere, and the carcasses of orcs, Mumakil, men of the Haradrim, and other foul beasts lay decomposing. It smelled disgusting despite the faint wind blowing from the west.
I was tempted to go back to the city, but hard resolve stopped me. I held my sleeve up to my nose and mouth, and began the long walk to Osgiliath. By twilight, I still had not reached the dead city, and the stench was becoming unbearable. Annoyance settled in as I realized I wouldn't make it to Osgiliath until morning. But I wanted to spend a night on the fields of the Pelennor as much as I wanted both legs amputated and my fingernails removed with flaming hot pincers.
Thus, I decided to continue in the dark. As the moon was acsending in the sky, I finally stopped. I was right outside the city, and the nearest corpse was a little less than a hundred feet away.
Dead-tired, I curled up against a fallen pillar, and went to sleep.
.
~*~*~*~*
.
chibi-mairi: Yey. Wouldn't it be boring if someone acted the same towards everyone? Food for thought...yum.
Lauren: Thanks, but I don't quite understand what you meant, because of the sentance fragment. Ah well.
AAAclub: Lol, you're welcome. You've probably seen the marathon by now, was it awesome? Did they show the theatrical versions or the extended editions of the FotR and the TT? Lengthy chapters? I'll see what I can do...
Empress Guinevere Sparrow: What a nifty name. Don't worry about the whole palantir being in Barad Dur conflict. I've got it figured all out.
Laureline: Hmm. I still like 'licky.' It makes me chuckle.
Every day I thought of my friends, and every day I prayed to God to give them strength and hope.
Faramir was getting better, and every so often, I would see him wander the gardens alone. I never spoke to him, though, because he didn't know me, and I couldn't think of anything we could talk about.
Merry and I spent most of our time together; talking mostly, but a few times we taught each other games, or songs. Merry took a liking to I Spy, charades, twenty questions, Bohemian Rhapsody, and the coconut song.
He showed me how to play a game similar to tag, only it wasn't as active, and was called Tig. He also taught me how to sing a few songs, and that is how we whiled away the days.
Two weeks since the company left, Eowyn woke from her sleep, and joined us occasionally. Mostly, she went on walks with Faramir that lasted nearly all day.
One day, after their walk, and Eowyn had went to her room, Faramir came over to us where we sat on Merry's bed. I was trying to show him how to play "Down by the Banks of the Hanky-Panky," but he was having trouble remembering the chant.
We stopped when Faramir joined us, and he pulled a chair over.
"Know either of you Lady Eowyn well?" he asked. We nodded, and Faramir drew in a breath, "Please, tell me about her, for she still perplexes me."
The next hour was spent talking about Eowyn. I got rather bored, but patiently answered Faramir's persistent questions.
.
As the fourth week since the battle was nearing, I was relieved of my crutches. My leg had healed faster than I had thought possible, but, after all, this WAS Middle Earth. I was given a simple grey wool dress to wear around the establishment, because Ioreth insisted it was scandalous to only wear a nightgown when I would wander around. She removed my bandage, and I was able to walk with only a slight limp. I exercised as much as possible, trying to un-stiffen my leg.
I knew I had to go to Osgiliath, and I wanted to do so quickly. In the afternoon, I set out to find the warden. I didn't search long before I found him speaking with Eowyn.
The latter was gesturing angrily to her arm that was in a sling. The warden shook his head, and Eowyn stormed off.
The warden turned to me, smiling calmly, "Ah, Lady Quame, is there something you desire?"
"Well, I can walk now, and I was wondering if I had leave to go to the city." I replied. The warden thought for a moment, then he answered, "I suppose you could go to the city, but you must return in the evenings. You are not yet ready, I think, to leave the house fully."
"It's been nearly four weeks!" I exclaimed, "I can walk fine."
The warden sighed, "Have it your way, then. Tell Ioreth I bid your leave."
"Thank you." I mumbled, and went down to my bed. I began packing all of my things when I felt a gaze on my back. I turned around, and smiled at Merry.
He looked jealously at my bag, "Are you leaving?"
I nodded. He heaved a sigh, and looked out the window, "I wish I was. I'm tired of being trapped in these walls."
"Ask the warden if you can leave." I suggested. Merry barked a laugh, "Ah yes, he'll probably say I'm not well enough go on my own."
"You could threaten him." I laughed. Merry chuckled, "Yes, and have the guards on me faster than you can say Brandywine."
Smiling sadly, I slung my bag on my back, "I'll come to see you, but there's something I must do."
"What?"
"It's..."I hesitated, "complicated. I promise, though, I'll come back and tell you as soon as I can."
Merry nodded understandingly. Again, I resisted the urge to hug him; he might be insulted, and that's the last thing I want him when I leave. Instead, I adopted one of Aragorn's tactics for a good, sincere adieu.
I knelt down, so I was level with Merry, and gave a small grin. His eyes met mine, and a smile grew on his face. I said nothing, straightened up, and left.
It was great to be on my own again. I tilted my head up and grinned at the sky. I felt safer now that I was under its blue envelopment.
Continuing through the city, I watched the means of resoration it was undergoing. As I passed a group of women, the pointed at me, and whispered among themselves. I began to feel uncomfortable, and stopped, staring at the clique.
The women instantly stopped their mutterings, and looked back at me. I tried to think of something clever to say to them, but settled with, "What makes me worthy of your gossip?"
Most of them murmured something, and shuffled away, leaving one young woman alone, wearing a look of abandon.
"You are Orthalion, the maiden soldier from the Battle ofthe Pelennor Fields?"
It sounded impressive. I stopped myself from grinning, and nodded. The woman smiled, "You and the Lady Eowyn have given hope to us."
I gave into the inevitable grin, but didn't know how to respond. Had Eowyn and myself started a revolution? It'd be cool if we had; something to tell the grandkids.
Finally, I bid the woman a good day, and continued on my way.
.
It took me a little more than an hour to reach the outermost gate. I stood for a moment, looking up at the ruined doors in sorrow. They had been such beautiful doors...
It looked as if they were trying to be repaired. The gaping holes had been covered with wooden slats, but there was still a long way to go before they would resemble what they had once been.
Sighing, I adjusted my bag, and looked around. There was one man nearby; he was taking a nap. I didn't want to wake him, but I didn't know how else to get out.
I seized the side of one of the doors, and heaved. The door didn't budge. I tugged a few more times, but nothing happened. Giving up, I went to the sleeping man, and prodded him awake.
"What?" he muttered, then shook himself awake. He nodded his head once, and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"I wish to leave."
He looked hard at me for a moment, "Wait here." he went disappeared through a door. It was silent for awhile, and I began to wonder if he forgot me, and then I heard a loud clang, and one of the doors slowly opened. I called up a 'thank you,' and slipped out of the city...
...and looked out at the field in horror.
All of the men of the Rohirrim, and of Gondor, had taken the bodies of their men, but the orcs had left their kin to rot in the sun.
Flies swarmed everywhere, and the carcasses of orcs, Mumakil, men of the Haradrim, and other foul beasts lay decomposing. It smelled disgusting despite the faint wind blowing from the west.
I was tempted to go back to the city, but hard resolve stopped me. I held my sleeve up to my nose and mouth, and began the long walk to Osgiliath. By twilight, I still had not reached the dead city, and the stench was becoming unbearable. Annoyance settled in as I realized I wouldn't make it to Osgiliath until morning. But I wanted to spend a night on the fields of the Pelennor as much as I wanted both legs amputated and my fingernails removed with flaming hot pincers.
Thus, I decided to continue in the dark. As the moon was acsending in the sky, I finally stopped. I was right outside the city, and the nearest corpse was a little less than a hundred feet away.
Dead-tired, I curled up against a fallen pillar, and went to sleep.
.
~*~*~*~*
.
chibi-mairi: Yey. Wouldn't it be boring if someone acted the same towards everyone? Food for thought...yum.
Lauren: Thanks, but I don't quite understand what you meant, because of the sentance fragment. Ah well.
AAAclub: Lol, you're welcome. You've probably seen the marathon by now, was it awesome? Did they show the theatrical versions or the extended editions of the FotR and the TT? Lengthy chapters? I'll see what I can do...
Empress Guinevere Sparrow: What a nifty name. Don't worry about the whole palantir being in Barad Dur conflict. I've got it figured all out.
Laureline: Hmm. I still like 'licky.' It makes me chuckle.