**Relentless Journey**
Miranda gazed out at the silent specters that surrounded the camp and wondered if it might have been them that surrounded her with flowers in the night. She gathered up her blanket and went to tend to her horse Tempest. She saw the Dunandan Captain, Halbarad cinching her saddle for her as she approached.
"Thank you, sir," she said quietly as she tied her travel bag to the back of her saddle.
"Halbarad, lady," he said. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes, and Aragorn wished to see you. He's there, by the stone."
Miranda nodded, and went to see what Aragorn wanted. She found him speaking to Elladan, and he turned and smiled as she approached.
"They follow me, yet they honor you," Aragorn said as he nodded toward the crowds of ghosts that covered the fields around their camp.
Miranda blushed and stared at the ground shyly. "The flowers surprised me too. I don't know why they would do that…" she said.
Aragorn stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "That's not why I wanted to speak to you," he said. "We will be riding hard over rough terrain, with little rest. Are you going to be alright?"
"Don't worry about me," Miranda said firmly. "I can handle it. I promise I won't slow you down."
Aragorn frowned briefly, and sighed. "Miranda, look at me," he said.
Miranda looked at Aragorn's serious expression, and suddenly felt worried. She thought he might be trying to leave her behind again.
"My men are worried about you," he said. "They think I have spared no thought for your safety or comfort, and I realized that they are right."
Miranda was touched by his concern, but very annoyed. She glanced at the Rangers who were already mounting up and getting into their formation to leave. She noticed several of them watching their conversation with interest. Halbarad stood by with her horse, waiting for some sort of sign, and Miranda sighed.
"I have traveled far, and over rough terrain before without complaint. Who spoke to you about this?" she asked quietly. "If it was Haldir…"
"No," Aragorn said, glancing down the hill to where Haldir and the brothers were mounting up with Legolas and Gimli. "They know better than to speak for you, but my men have seen how tired you are…" Aragorn started to say.
"I am not their concern," Miranda said quickly with a fire of irritation in her eyes. "They do not know me, but you do. My journey is not to be dictated by you or anyone else. It just so happens that my path follows yours for now." She looked at the rough looking men that waited, and frowned.
"Listen to me, all of you. I have no family, no country, and no King. No one orders me to stay or go. I follow Aragorn out of choice, and no one needs to speak for me," Miranda said loud enough for all of them to hear. "When I am tired, I will tell him myself!" Then she added quietly to Aragorn, "Next time, just tell them to talk to me."
She turned her back on Aragorn and walked calmly over to Halbarad and took Tempest's reigns. She sprung up into the saddle as though she had ridden for years and casually looked back at Aragorn with a smug expression. She'd had the last word, and probably insulted him, but it had to be said. She refused to be the cause of tension among his men. She would last as long as any of them, and not one of them would hear her complain, even if it killed her.
Aragorn frowned as he mounted up. He had meant well when he spoke to her about his concern, but Miranda was stubborn. Her strength of will was strong, and she would not be swayed. Even Halbarad wouldn't have spoken to him like that in front of the men. But Aragorn realized it wasn't for his benefit that she had been so harsh, but for the ones who had spoken on her behalf. She would ride to the end, no matter where the path led, and he knew he would not hear her say a word about being tired. She was too proud to show weakness.
Halbarad took his place beside Aragorn at the head of the riders, with Elladan and Elrohir on the other side of the king. Miranda and Haldir fell into line behind the Rangers with Legolas and Gimli.
Gimli looked over at Miranda who sat tall in the saddle with her head held high. "You hurt his feelings, lass," Gimli said. "He cares for you, and was worried."
"He never worried before," Miranda said. "But someone told him that I will slow them down."
Haldir held his tongue, despite the urge to tell her she was being obstinate. He had no idea why she was going to war. It was not a woman's place to fight.
"You're wrong, Miranda," Legolas said. "Aragorn was worried about you before we ever left Rivendell. It was Lord Elrond and Gandalf that assured him you had to go with us."
Miranda looked at Legolas in surprise, but had no time to comment, because Elrohir sounded the horn, and Aragorn gave the order to ride hard. As the company galloped across the fields she had a lot of time to think. She owed Aragorn an apology. It was not her place to speak so rudely to him or his men. Her dreams were making her irritable, and she needed to get over it. Her friends deserved more respect, no matter what her frame of mind.
*****
The day's ride had been long and hard, through a mountain's pass called Tarlang's Neck, and then across more plains to the Ciril River which they crossed under the starry sky. It was past midnight when they made camp at a place called Calembel nestled between the River and the foothills of another mountain. Miranda was bone weary and sleep deprived, but knew she had to talk to Aragorn before she went to bed.
She saw him sitting by the fire lost in thought, and she quietly walked over to him. Everyone else was busy, so he was alone. She was thankful for the privacy. Apologies were hard enough without an audience.
"Aragorn," Miranda said softly, breaking into his thoughts.
He looked up at her remorseful expression and smiled. "I'm not angry with you," Aragorn said.
"You should be," Miranda said. "I was horribly rude this morning, and I'm sorry for what I said. The Rangers must think I'm awful to talk to you like that."
"I don't think so," Aragorn said. "I understood what you meant, but something you said bothered me."
Miranda sat down and waited for him to continue. She watched him stare thoughtfully into the fire, and then finally he spoke.
"You said you had no family, country or King," he said. "I need to know, Miranda. Who are you?"
"Galadriel said my father's name was Israfel, a very old seer, but I never knew him. Galadriel said he had been killed by Sauron before I was born. Gandalf found my mother being attacked by a Nazgul, and saved her, though she died giving birth to me," Miranda explained. "He decided to hide me away somewhere I wouldn't be found by Sauron, so I grew up in another world."
"You had no family there?" he asked.
"I lived with a family for a while, but they weren't very nice people. Then I lived alone at a school for girls, and they weren't very nice either," she said. Her voice was even, and she spoke without a hint of emotion, but Aragorn could see the emptiness in her eyes as she stared at the fire.
"But you are from here, so you must belong somewhere," Aragorn offered.
"No, Gandalf never found out who my mother was, and Israfel was a wandering seer with no ties to any place," Miranda said quietly. "I am an orphan in two worlds."
Aragorn watched her, and could see the sadness she normally covered so well. She was very lonely, and the joy she always showed suddenly seemed lost. He studied her a moment longer and came to a decision.
"Legolas told me that you thought of the Fellowship as your family," Aragorn began. "I was delighted to know you felt that way about us, for we all feel the same about you."
Miranda blushed slightly and just looked at the fire.
Aragorn smiled at her shy response. "You are now officially our sister, and that takes care of the matter of family."
Miranda looked up at him questioningly, but he just continued as though the matter was settled.
"Now, will you let Gondor be your country?" he asked seriously as he looked at her. "I would be honored if you would let me be your King."
Miranda was surprised. Aragorn was being completely sincere, and serious. She didn't know what to say. She felt her eyes tearing up, and her face suddenly lit up with a big smile. She pulled her sword from its sheath, and knelt before him, placing the sword in his lap.
"The honor is mine," she said in a voice shaky with emotion, "please accept my humble service, your majesty."
"Gladly," Aragorn said with a smile, and handed her sword back to her. "And now I give you your first order. Go eat and get some rest."
Miranda smiled; thankful he hadn't tried to make her stay behind. She sheathed her sword, and went in search of Gimli and the Elves.
Halbarad, who had overheard the conversation, came over to sit with Aragorn. "I think I understand the lady now," he said. "Hers is a sad story."
Aragorn nodded. "Gandalf told me her life was hard, but I did not know until tonight how true that was. She does not usually talk about herself, but her guilt over her harsh words made her more open today."
"So, you are still going to let her come with us?" Halbarad asked with a smirk.
Aragorn regarded his friend's humorous expression and just laughed. "The lady will do as she pleases. King or not, I can't change her mind about it."
Halbarad laughed at Aragorn, and then added, "So now you have an adopted sister to watch over."
Aragorn's expression grew serious, "I think it is she that watches over me," he said. "She will not speak of it, but I believe it is the reason she stays with us."
Halbarad looked across the camp to where Miranda sat eating with the Elves and Gimli. She was smiling and laughing as though she had no cares in the world, though now he knew she did, and he felt sorry for her. He glanced back at Aragorn, the bravest and strongest of the Rangers. He didn't need a guardian, and Halbarad wondered how a tiny woman could watch over a king.
*****
After eating, everyone settled down to sleep, and Haldir walked Miranda to where she had left her blanket.
"So you made peace with Aragorn?" he asked.
"Yes," Miranda said. "He wasn't angry with me, but just I had to apologize. It's not like me to be so…"
"Assertive?" Haldir offered with a smile.
Miranda laughed as she corrected him, "Rude."
Haldir laughed with her, and when they reached her blanket, he stared down at her longingly. He noted how far from everyone she made her bed, and he confronted her about it.
"You don't need this much distance to have privacy," he said. "It's safer for you to stay closer."
"I don't want to wake anyone when I have dreams," she said. She looked out at the quiet ghosts that surrounded them and nodded toward them. "They watch over me."
Haldir reached out and brushed a wayward lock of hair from her face and said, "Let me watch over you."
Miranda looked up at him, and he thought he would lose himself in her wide innocent eyes. Even in the moonlight, they mesmerized him. Haldir bent down and kissed her on the forehead, and he felt her body shudder as she leaned closer to him. He pulled her into a hug.
"I love you," he said softly. "Please stop pushing me away."
Miranda's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, too," she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around him.
Haldir couldn't believe his ears. He was so happy he thought his heart would burst. He hugged her a little tighter, and then released her. He grabbed her blanket in one hand, wrapped his other around her shoulder and led her closer to the camp. He laid out her blanket near his, leaving a modest distance to preserve her virtue while still allowing him to keep her safe.
"Get some rest," he said with a smile.
Miranda blushed deeply and gave him a shy smile as she lay down. "Goodnight, Haldir," she said.
Haldir was already on his own blanket, staring blissfully at the stars when he said, "Goodnight, iirima russë melda," he said in elvish, which means beautiful flame-haired beloved, for that is how he saw her.
He closed his eyes and pictured her the way he saw her that first day in Lorien. Her cheek was smudged with the dust of the road, and her grief over the fall of Gandalf was heavy on her face. But her eyes were green like the leaves of spring and full of innocence. His responsibilities as Captain had him preoccupied that day, but her lovely face had lingered in his memory.
The next morning when Lady Galadriel brought her to him to learn to use a sword, he was intrigued by her. She learned quickly as though driven by some desperation to gain the skill of years in a few short days. The day she rode out of Lorien she had smiled at him, a warm friendly smile that pierced his heart. Haldir sighed and looked over at her, already sleeping a few feet away. He'd finally had the courage to tell her he loved her, and she rewarded him by returning his feelings. He was the happiest Elf in Middle Earth.