Chapter Fourteen: Making Up and Old Friends
All the weapons had been handed out and all the fighters had been outfitted. Kendra had stayed in her spot, sitting against the wall. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and she had stayed there. In her mind, she was imagining that she was sitting in her bedroom, waiting for her brother to come home. Everything was quiet and peaceful, nothing to disturb her. There were no thoughts of the mage wars or war in general. Children were playing in the streets outside her window and they were laughing. There were no screams of pain or anguish, no death. There was only peace.
A sound alerted Kendra to someone else in the room. She looked up, surprised to see Aragorn standing there. He had a pile of clothing sitting next to him on the table. Kendra stood up and watched as he pulled a chain mail shirt over his head before shrugging into a leather vest. He was so preoccupied with getting his garments on that he never noticed someone else enter the room. But Kendra did.
Soon, Aragorn was finished getting dressed and he reached down for his sword only to find it missing. Kendra smiled as he turned to find Legolas offering it to him, with a look of sorrow on his face. Kendra knew what was coming next. And it proved true when Legolas said that he would continue to follow Aragorn. She walked out of her hiding spot to surprise both man and elf.
"You have proven yourself to be a true leader, Aragorn," she said. "I will gladly die beside you if it comes to that."
"Thank you, Kendra. Let us hope it doesn't come to that."
Another sound came from the doorway and all three turned to watch Gimli as he struggled to get a chain mail shirt on.
"It's a little tight across the chest," he said once it hit the floor.
The look that was shared between the three was one of amusement. A little tight across the chest was an understatement. Suddenly, the blast of a horn broke the stillness. Legolas looked up and a look of surprise crossed his features.
"That is no orc horn," he said before taking off.
Aragorn and Kendra followed him, leaving Gimli to take care of himself. They ran up the stairs and came out of the doorway just as Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lothlorien finished greeting the King of Rohan.
"We have come to honor that allegiance," he said, looking right up at the three.
"Haldir," Aragorn said, quickly moving down the stairs.
Aragorn hesitated but a second before he engulfed the surprised elf in a hug. Kendra smiled as she noticed Haldir's look of amusement. Aragorn pulled back before saying something to the elf. Then, Haldir turned to Legolas, who he greeted in the traditional way. Just as they parted, and Kendra came down, the elves who had traveled with Haldir turned their heads before their bodies followed suit. It sounded like a clap of thunder.
"We are proud to fight beside men once again," Haldir said.