Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings, all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of J.R.R. Tolkien's estate.
Return to Winter
"It is but a shadow and a thought you love," he quietly says, his voice and face lacking emotion. "I cannot give you what you seek."
I cannot speak, cannot argue, cannot plead, cannot reason. I slowly back away, wanting to escape, but I cannot. Against my will tears stream down my face, revealing better than words what effect his words have on me.
And he sees them, for his face softens a little, and he comes to me. I try to hide my growing terror as his fingers brush against my cheek, jaw, lips. I have already cracked, and whatever he does next will either shatter me or miraculously mend me.
"I have wished you joy since I first saw you," he whispers, his eyes alight with pity. Then he turns from me and walks away without a single backwards glance.
I let him go, powerless to stop him, his words echoing in my mind.
"No." The word passes almost silently from my mouth. "If you have wished me joy, why do you force me to return to my bitter, solitary, freezing winter? A winter you originally rescued me from?"
"You saw me: stern, pale, and cold, my heart frozen. You reached down and pulled me up from the pit of despair I had been trapped in for so long. You showed me there was hope. In your presence my coldness slipped away. The ice around my heart melted away. A smile broke upon my face when you were near. How could I not love you for showing me hope and moments of happiness in this dark world? I know you saw my feelings, and I thought they were not unrequited. There was a certain tenderness, a concerned light in your eyes when our gazes met. Your touch was gentle. Your words were kind and comforting. At times I imagined I saw the fire in your eyes that matched my own.
"But I was mistaken. All this time you were pretending. For just now I saw the coolness in your eyes and how detached you were in your words. Without concern you ripped my heart into a thousand pieces before my eyes and left me alone and rejected. You make me return to winter, my cage and coldness. You have not wished me joy, Aragorn. You cannot."
Slowly I kneel on the ground, hug myself, and weep many bitter tears. My summer has ended.
THE END
