A Place Of Her Own
Chapter 16: The window was open…
A/N: I am so sorry, it has been so long! Wah... enjoy! May be awhile before next update, but please be patient! I love this story; I'm not going to give up on it! It will be finished! Don't be afraid to nag, please! It'll be the only way I get around to this.
Title: A Place Of Her Own
Chapter: The Window was open…
Rating: PG-13
Summary (for the chapter this time): Loose ends need to be tied up somehow… and then a new beginning.
The window was open and the cold air was billowing in, the curtains flicked and wrapped around the bedposts of the nearby bed as two figures entered the room, one supporting the other. Nat readjusted her grip on her father, heaving him over to the bed, and lay him down onto the icy cold sheets. She pulled them over him roughly but in a well-practiced manner, tucking the sides in so he wouldn't roll out too easily. She grabbed an extra pillow that had fallen to the floor and propped his head up.
He felt her pause after she had placed the pillow beneath his head. He could feel her breath settling across his cheek as she watched him so closely. Never had he felt so close to this girl. Natalie… this was his daughter. And the laughter he could hear emanating from the courtyard was his son's. Daughter… son… never had he felt so alive. So content. He felt her pull away.
"Natalie…"
She turned and looked at him with a cold intensity, but his eyes weren't open and the impact was lost. She froze as she saw how hopeless he was, lying tight within the contrasting wrap of pure white sheets, the stubble of his cheeks grazing the blanket. He had some sort of lopsided smile on his face, one she had never seen before.
"Thank you."
He sensed that she was about to leave, but she instead went to the windows, and he felt her pause there, looking out onto the garden. He heard a sigh. A sigh so sad he wanted to call her to him and hold her tight – like a father should. Where had he been? What had he done? The window closed and the laughter was muted. He had lost her. Lost her from the moment he had touched the bottle after her mother had died. Why had he done it? How could she ever turn to him? He heard the doors to his room close softly. A tear fell and stained the pillow he lay upon, within moments it was joined by another. And another. And another. Until exhaustion overwhelmed him and the laughter below the window faded into a haunted dream.
Nat breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the doors behind her before a heavy yawn escaped her and she glanced up at the moon. It was late, and she had an early start tomorrow. She took a step towards her room but stopped. In her path lay the garden… Boromir was there. Did she really want to see him again? She turned to another corridor but looked back. No. Tomorrow was the day she would run away. Not today.
She turned once more and walked determinably to the shadow under the tree. Walking softly, she approached Boromir from behind warily, watching for any sign of anger at how she had previously treated him.
A sigh escaped his lips and his shoulders heaved as he raised a hand to his eyes. He hadn't noticed her presence, surprisingly. She smiled menacingly and stalked closer. She could not miss this opportunity. It was far too good to miss.
Boromir smiled behind his hand, trying hard not to laugh at the girl creeping up behind him. She seemed to think he had not noticed her there yet. He could hear her dress trail along the ground behind her, growing dirtier with each step over the wet, muddy grass. He could feel the wind carry her forwards, towards him, he tasted the sweet perfume in the air and could not help but breathe in heavily. He saw her shadow on the grass beside him, her arms raised high as she prepared to strike and whipped around before she had the chance.
Natalie squealed as he attacked her, hugging her tightly before she could even attempt to surprise him.
"You knew! You knew I was here," she gasped. But gradually let her arms settle around him as well as he continued to hold her tight.
"I'm sorry, Boromir," she said softly before pulling away quickly, "I didn't meant to… well, you know."
He smiled at her softly as the moonlight struck her hazel eyes, the echoes captured in his mind's eye. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead in blessing.
"Good night, dear Natalie, and good travelling. I will see you off in the morn."
Nat grinned uncertainly and rubbed at her forehead.
"You should try to shave one day."
"One day, Natalie."
She grinned again.
"Good night."
"Good night."
There was an awkward pause before Natalie moved past him towards her room. Boromir let his eyes close as she passed, inhaling her scent, and taking that last image to hold deep in his heart. Her eyes bright, her smile ready for him, her cheeks full, her hair wild, her clothes muddied and that ever present shadow of her past echoing her features. He turned his head upwards, glancing at the moon as he murmured a short prayer to the heavens for her safe return.
Natalie Parker had no sooner tumbled into bed than she was being shaken awake by a dark monster hanging over her bed.
"Up," it growled at her before she even had a chance to scream.
She stumbled out of bed, grabbing a robe and wrapping it tightly.
"Picked this up this morning, wish they'd finished it earlier…" the man chucked some clothes onto the bed, "Boots, leggings, cloak – that's expensive, mind you don't lose it! Blankets…" he looked at her expectantly, "Hurry up!"
They stood there for a moment, neither moving. She raised a single eyebrow and tapped a foot a bare three times before he had growled and shot out the door, slamming it behind him.
Natalie quickly pulled the leggings on and tugged on the boots. They were slightly a bit too big but it would do, she thought to herself as she wedged her foot down the narrow opening. Once dressed, she pulled her hair back above her head and put it into a small bun, pulling it tight so it would not fall loose over her eyes. A snort alerted her to Alexander's presence outside the door and she hurried to let him in.
"I got your saddlebags packed already but we need to pick up some food for today from the kitchens. I'll grab your other supplies while you do that and meet you by the stables in five minutes. Don't be late or I'll leave without you." He turned abruptly and rushed down the stairs, muttering something about it being "late enough as it is without dragging a lass along".
Natalie graciously gave him a parting sneer as she rushed towards the kitchen. Rounding the corner, she ran headfirst into Aragorn, he held her steady as she nearly lost her balance.
"Careful there, Nat. He won't be leaving without you, have no worry." She smiled at him thankfully but moved on quickly before he had a chance to say anything further.
Another corridor and she passed Boromir's room. She glanced in as she passed but the room was empty, the bed still made from the day before.
She dismissed it and hurried on down the stairs, passing the early morning tricksters devising yet another way to separate Sam from his pots. She tripped into the kitchen, missing the step and hurling out a hand to stop herself, it was caught by the old man.
"Good travelling to you, child," Gandalf said indulgently as he handed the day's food to her with the other hand.
"Th- Thank you, sir," stuttered Natalie.
"Better hurry or he'll definitely leave without you," the old man smiled and nudged her back out the door.
She scurried back out, across the courtyard to where Alex was waiting for her. He was holding the reins of her horse in one hand and beckoning at her angrily with the other. She quickly took the reins from him as he scowled and handed over the food. He looked at her in surprise.
"What do you expect me to do with it?"
She sighed and turned to her saddlebags and put as much as she could away before turning to him once more.
"I can't fit anymore on, could you put in your saddlebags?" she asked him. He turned her so suddenly she stepped back a bit.
"Let me see that…" he took the food from her and disappeared on the other side of her horse. She heard him rummage through the bags, taking some things out and then replacing them, "There. All fits in your saddlebags. Shall we move on?"
Natalie just looked at him in puzzlement before shrugging and clambering onto her horse. Alex watched on, clicking his tongue in disgust.
"There are people watching you. How can you mount a horse so ungracefully?" He turned away from her, "Watch."
With one hand upon the saddle, he executed a short a leap from the ground and bounded straight into the saddle, winning a surprised whinny from the horse below him.
Natalie could only roll her eyes at this purported Ranger.
Alexander kicked the horse to a start and cantered down towards the gate. Nat made to follow him when she heard her name called out from a window. She looked up and saw her brother leaning over the ledge, waving, with her father holding onto him from behind. She smiled wildly and waved back. Maybe one day she could return and be a part of that happy scene… but for now, she had to content herself with just moving on to something else.
She looked away from the balcony and saw Boromir standing in a doorway alone. Darkness framed around him from behind, as if it was pulling him back into the building, away from her and the sunrise emerged from between the trees. The sun's light did not reach him however, and his face remained half in the shadow of the doorway. A glint revealed an uncertain smile and a lone hand was raised in farewell.
She waved uncertainly back, unsure of why he was not coming out to meet her. Moments later, he had disappeared, leaving the doorway empty and the courtyard bereft of life.
Natalie sighed for a moment before quickly spurring her horse onwards after Alex's rapidly retreating back. Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas waved from the practice fields as she passed. She hurried her horse on and caught up with Alex at the gate where he had stopped. Elrond stood there next to Illuvion and farewelled them formally.
It all seemed so quick, leaving Rivendell behind but as Natalie moved on into the jungle, she felt worries and uneasiness drop from her shoulders. She relaxed further when they exited the woods from the north and continued towards distant mountains.
"I wouldn't get too settled out here, just yet," the Ranger threw over his shoulder, "There are orcs about and plenty of danger to keep you on your toes." He chuckled to himself.
"Don't think I've forgotten," Nat retorted, feeling the daggers by her hips with one hand for reassurance. She was nowhere near as good as the twins but at least she had something out in this wilderness.
"Ah well, I wouldn't put it past you. These lands can be deceiving."
Natalie looked over the plain before her. The trees had grown sparse and few between, and the flat meadows before her promised many days of horse-back boredom and she had no little Thom to keep her company. She sighed heavily and nudged her horse behind Alex and let him lead the way north.
Right, thank you for baring with me! Please R&R, I feel like there might be some plotholes or something – please crit so I can fix anything up! Thank you!