Author's note: Back in Gondor with this one! This chapter features several characters I haven't used for ages, including Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. I wrote this one after a pause of several months, so it's not very good, not really in-style with the previous chapters. And there's an insane amount of dialogue! But you can't get to 1457 without stopping by 1456, so here it is… )
Disclaimer: See previous chapters…
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"No matter how much time we spend together I never seem to be able to get used to all that creating of smoke you waste your time on" Legolas said and frowned at the Hobbits, man and Dwarf who were all smoking their pipes.
The only response came from Gimli who sent a smoke ring Legolas' way, making the Elf cough. The Hobbits couldn't help but laugh.
The five of them were stretched out on the grass by the White Tree, relaxing in the warm April sun. They had finished a large lunch just a while ago and even Pippin and Merry had to admit they weren't thinking of food at the moment.
They had been in Gondor almost half a year and things were starting to feel back to normal. Pippin was happy again, and for the first time since Faramir's birth he visited Gondor without feeling like he was missing out on something in the Shire. Faramir was grown now. The years when great changes happened over short amount of time were over.
Right now life felt like it could not get any better. There was nothing that needed to be done, the five friends had all the time in the world to just lie around and exist in each other's company. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful city.
"I am so happy I could sing" Pippin said with a content sigh and watched the clouds sail by. "Together with my brothers again…"
"These times are good, little brother" Legolas said and gave him a smile. "We are blessed to have them."
"For how long is this blessing to last?" Gimli asked. "When will you two young rascals be returning to your so called important offices back in Hobbit Land?"
"We prefer it if you call it the Shire" Pippin said. "And we don't have any plans for when we return yet. We might stay until Strider kicks us out."
Aragorn laughed.
"Stay that long and there will be two very angry female Hobbits pounding on my door, demanding their husbands return."
"Nah not Dimesy" Pippin said. "She'd threaten to send Faramir to Long Cleeve if I didn't return sooner than now, and that would do the trick."
"I don't see what you have against him being in Long Cleeve" Merry said. "His mother is from there. You've had some good times there."
"Yes but they might lure him to stay and who will then look after my fields?"
"What if all problems in your life had been as easy as that?"
"Does this mean you will be staying for the big hunt in the fall?" Gimli asked. "I've always wanted to ride with you on that hunt!"
"The truest proof of friendship" Legolas said. "Gimli wanting to ride with you."
"Not on the same horse with one of them!" Gimli said. "But in their company."
"Will the Lady be coming for the hunt?" Merry asked and lifted himself up on his elbows.
"Women do not participate" Aragorn said. "Not even the Shieldmaiden. She's never been very partial to hunting."
"Ride with king Éomer" Legolas suggested to Merry. "He would be pleased."
"I'll have to think about it" Merry said. "I think I'll pass. I love riding with Éomer but to ride in a hunt I would have to share a horse with Éowyn. I know Éomer would only find me to be in his way during a hunt."
"Ride with me then" Aragorn suggested.
"Then who does that leave me?" Pippin complained.
"Lord Faramir" Merry said.
"I don't want to ride with him" Pippin said. "I only ride with my fellowship members. They are the only ones I trust to catch me should I start to fall off."
Aragorn and Gimli couldn't help but laugh even though Pippin didn't quite get what was so funny. He sat up and stuffed his pipe with more pipe weed and with a grin offered the pipe to Legolas who wrinkled his nose and declined.
"For someone who has lived a few thousand years you're awfully scared of a little smoke" Pippin remarked.
"Perhaps it is the habit of not smoking that has kept me alive for so long" Legolas replied.
"No in your case I think it's just dumb luck."
"I'm glad to here someone besides me thinks that!" Gimli exclaimed.
He took his pipe from his mouth and shared a look and a smile with the Elf. They both knew that Gimli's comments were jestful and that he wouldn't let anyone else give similar comments save from the members of their fellowship.
"Pip?" Merry mumbled through his pipe.
"What is it?"
"Do you think we ought to retire to our chambers and finish our letters home before the postman leaves tomorrow?"
"Utter another syllable and you won't live to see the hunt" Pippin said. "I'm not going anywhere, those letters can wait. I came here to be with my old friends not write long letters home."
Legolas smirked.
"Yet you practically dive on the postman when he arrives with letters from your loved ones" he remarked.
"Yes but I can read my letters out here with you" Pippin said.
"Well…" Merry said and laid back down. "Whatever you say, we ought to finish them after supper tonight. It would be wise to let our wives at least know that we are still alive! I know Estella tends to wonder whether or not my friends will have me killed somehow. She doesn't believe we devote our time to safe activities."
"What?" Gimli asked with a raised eyebrow. "Name one activity we've devoted our time to which hasn't been completely safe!"
"Orc killing contests, battles against evil and warg hunting in early December?" Pippin suggested.
"We only went warg hunting once!" Gimli said defensively. "And neither of you were married at the time!"
"You're right, what was I thinking?" Pippin said and jokingly made a face at the Dwarf who smirked back at him.
"Those were some good times" Aragorn said. "Although I could have lived without some of the things during the battle against evil part."
"Oh sure, you complain, you weren't forced to drink disgusting orc brews and be dragged across the plains!" Merry said.
"Well at least you got a piggyback ride most of the distance" Gimli replied. "Some of us had to run!"
"For a while there I never thought I would see your faces again" Legolas said. "Now I cherish every moment spent with you. Even when you battle the Dwarf for who can be the most unfriendly."
"No fair!" complained Merry. "I have hardly said an unfriendly word!"
"During the past six minutes at least" Aragorn added.
Merry gave him a smack on the arm in mock anger and Aragorn laughed. It was indeed great to have the Hobbits in Minas Tirith. Now all the members of the Fellowship who were still in Middle-Earth were gathered, save for Sam.
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An hour passed by. None of the five spoke much, they didn't feel the need to. The warm spring sun in the sky, the smell of the grass and their full stomachs soon lulled Gimli and the Hobbits to sleep. Aragorn kept awake only because the king could not be found sleeping by the White Tree. Whether or not Legolas was sleeping was anyone's guess.
Both Aragorn and Legolas sat up when they heard footsteps approaching. Arwen stopped a meter away from them and smiled.
"Your duties await you, Elessar King" she gently reminded him.
"And I have not forgotten" Aragorn said. "Although I admit guilt to procrastinating."
He got up on his feet and a moan came from Merry who opened his eyes.
"Strider you're blocking my sun!" he complained.
"Merry I have a suggestion for you, now that you're awake" Aragorn said. "If you can find it in your heart to forgive me for blocking your sun, perhaps you would be interested in a trip to Ithilien? The five of us could ride there by the end of the week."
Merry's eyes lit up.
"Ithilien! Aragorn I love that idea!" He nudged his cousin awake. "Did you hear that, you lazy Took? We're going to Ithilien!"
"We are?" Pippin said, suddenly wide awake. "When?" He flung to his feet and grabbed Aragorn by the arm. "Can we go now?"
Aragorn laughed.
"Oh so you don't enjoy staying at my humble home? Hold your horses Pippin, we will leave by the end of the week."
"Oh joy, I must go write Diamond and Faramir and tell them about this!"
There came an annoyed grunt from Gimli on the ground.
"Pippin you're blocking my sun!"
Merry, Aragorn and Legolas had to laugh, while Pippin looked from one to the other once again unable to understand what could possibly be so funny. He shared a glance with Gimli, then jumped up to run and write to his wife and son. What news to tell them, he could barely wait to see Ithilien again.
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"Is everything still packed or has something gone missing in the past three minutes?" Aragorn asked Pippin who searched through his backpack for the fifth time.
"I'm just restless Strider, that's all" Pippin said. "When can we get going? I am more than ready!"
"And more than eager!" Aragorn noted.
They were in the stables, packing the last things on their horses. Four out of five Fellowship members were present, they were still waiting for Merry.
"I wonder what could possibly be keeping him so long" Pippin said. "You don't suppose his back is hurting and he just doesn't want to let us know?"
"I don't think so" Aragorn said. "I spoke to him just a half an hour ago and everything was fine. He just went to get the last of his things."
"Perhaps he ran into the postman" Legolas said.
"The postman comes today?" Pippin said with eyebrows that touched the ceiling. "Why did I not know that?"
"So there wouldn't be a delay" Legolas told him.
"Well he can read letters on his own time, where is he?" Pippin complained.
"Give him a few more minutes" Aragorn said. "We still haven't packed everything quite yet. He has a few minutes."
"But once he gets here his things will need to be packed too!"
"They are, he just went for his backpack."
"Calm yourself, Perian" Legolas said gently. "You will get to Ithilien."
"I've seen him on a horse when he is eager to reach some place" Gimli said. "Pippin, you do know that you won't get there sooner by trying to walk for the horse?"
Aragorn and Legolas laughed. They were both aware of how Pippin would move his legs back and forth as if walking when he was riding and wanted to get there fast.
"I'm sorry" Pippin said and felt slightly ashamed. "It's just that I've waited for so many years to see Ithilien again. I didn't get to come when Lord Elboron was marrying."
"And thank your lucky star for that" Gimli said. "It was not a pleasant event, what happened. It sucked the energy right out of poor Merry."
"Still, that makes me wish I could have been there even more. I could have helped. Or at least not left Merry to handle it alone."
"He was never alone" Legolas said. "He had Éowyn. And I looked in on him every once in a while."
"I don't know what I'm going to say to them when I see them" Pippin said, suddenly stopping to think about that. "What do you say to someone who lost his fiancée so close to the wedding? And what to say to my lord Faramir, and lady Éowyn?"
"Don't you worry about that" Aragorn said. "Time has started to heal those wounds, Elboron is doing much better now."
"Yet seeing Pip again might make him react on what happened again" Gimli said. "The lad is very fond of you. You have a special bond with him, he might need to go through some of those things with you as well."
"I hope not" Pippin said. "I just want to be happy and be with my friends and tell stories of old times."
"Maybe you'll get your wish" Legolas said.
Pippin hoped so. He didn't want to think about death or sorrow, he wanted to make the most out of seeing dear old friends again. After all, what was better that? No matter what the distance was between he and his friends they would always laugh when they were together, at least Pippin hoped so.
But right now it seemed the distance between himself and his friends would never shorten. Where was Merry? Pippin was growing more impatient by the second. He wished his lazy cousin would hurry up so that they could leave already.
He cast a glance out the stable doors and saw the people who were gathered there to see them all off. He could see young prince Eldarion who would take on the throne in his father's absence for the first time. It was strange, he had seen more of Eldarion and he was in many ways closer to Pippin that Elboron. Eldarion was his nephew of sorts, Strider's son. Yet Pippin felt more affectionately about Elboron, perhaps because he was Faramir's son. Pippin knew in his heart that he loved Aragorn more than he loved Faramir, yet Faramir was special in some way. He had a special place in Pippin's heart and he felt protective of the noblest man he had ever known. He had never felt protective of Strider, he had never had reason to.
"Everything is ready now" Legolas announced. "We're just waiting for Meriadoc."
"He had better have a good excuse for why he is so late!" Pippin said. "What could possibly be keeping him all this time? Perhaps we should send someone to see that he is alright? He might have fallen and with his back been unable to get up again!"
"He'll be here" Aragorn said.
"Come, let's take the horses outside" Legolas said. "Then we're really ready when Merry gets here."
"Lazy Brandybuck" Pippin complained.
Legolas smiled and placed a hand on Pippin's shoulder. Aragorn grabbed the reins to his horse and was just about to lead the beast outside when Merry showed up.
"Well it's about time!" Pippin said and placed his hands on his hips. "Like Uncle Saradoc would have said, if you can't be on time don't come at all!"
"He said that to you" Merry pointed out. "I was always on time."
"You look preoccupied" Aragorn said. "Is there something wrong?"
"You didn't get bad news in the mail did you?" Pippin asked.
"I got a letter from my Éowyn. Aestas, her pony, died. She's inconsolable."
"What for?" Gimli said. "Hobbits. One horse is no different from the other."
"To her it is a great difference" Merry said. "She and Aestas have been through a lot together… Apparently the beast got sick and died just a few weeks ago."
"I'm sorry Merry" Pippin said. "I know how she cares for her pony."
Merry nodded but didn't seem like he wanted to say anything else. He absent-mindedly handed his backpack to Gimli and walked out on the yard. The others followed with the horses. Legolas and Gimli got up on their horse and that drew Merry's attention to something he hadn't thought about before.
"There are three horses here" he said. "Pip and I can't ride horses!"
"Merry haven't you been paying attention?" Pippin asked, slightly annoyed. "Queen Arwen is coming with us!"
"But…" Merry said and looked from one animal to the other with confusion. "We still need a pony to ride on!"
"Pippin will be riding with me" Aragorn said. "You are going to be riding with Arwen. She will take good care of you, I promise."
"It's a great honour, but…"
"Come on Merry, the pony thing hasn't gotten to you that much has it?" Gimli said. "I know she's your daughter and she's upset but she'll be fine!"
"It's an honour my queen" Merry said and bowed to Arwen. "But I can only ride with the lady Éowyn. It would be wrong for me to ride with another woman."
"Fine, then you ride with me and Pippin ride with Arwen" Aragorn said.
"I only ride with fellowship members" Pippin said and looked scared.
"Don't look at me" Gimli said after a short silence. "I only ride with Legolas and you all know it!"
"Perhaps I should just stay here" Merry said.
"What? No" Aragorn said.
"I should be writing to my daughter anyway and I've got a lot of my mind… And the whole arrangement just got very complicated. It's easier if I just stay."
"This whole trip to Ithilien is for you and Pippin" Gimli said. "I'll stay, you can ride with Legolas."
"No Gimli, you should go" Merry said.
"Everybody goes" Aragorn said and turned to a stable boy. "Saddle up one of the Periannath's ponies, be quick."
"I'm sorry Strider" Merry said. "I didn't mean to make such a fuss…"
"Forget about saddling the pony" Pippin said. "I will ride with Queen Arwen. That is, if she will still accept me."
Arwen smiled and reached out her hand to a blushing Pippin and helped him get up in the saddle. She mounted and sat down behind him. Pippin smiled nervously at Aragorn, making sure not to look down. It suddenly seemed like such a long way down.
"I'm glad you decided to ride with her" Aragorn said. "Although there isn't a person among us who isn't amazed at how two Periannath have declined riding with the queen."
"Don't look so miserable Merry" Legolas said and smiled. "Éowyn is going to be fine. There's not much you can do when you're so far away so don't trouble your mind with it."
"I know…" Merry said and smiled slightly. "It's just that it's hard for me when my daughter is sad and I can't be there for her. I know she's an adult now and everything, but to me she will always be my little girl."
"Merry, Éowyn is now the same age I was when we left the Shire" Pippin pointed out. "Your little girl or not, she is an adult. And she has everyone in Brandy Hall to be there for her. Don't you worry about her."
"You're right" Merry said. "I'm sorry. Now, I have delayed our party long enough. Let's get going."
Aragorn smiled and helped Merry up in the saddle. Before long the party of six had begun their journey to Ithilien. Merry couldn't help casting glances at his cousin, who looked both uncomfortable and concerned riding with the queen. It was clear that he would much rather have ridden with Aragorn. Merry thanked him in silence for offering to ride with Arwen and solving the situation.
It was funny, what Aragorn had said. That nobody could understand how the two Hobbits could decline riding with Queen Arwen. They didn't seem to understand. Neither Merry nor Pippin had ever felt close to Arwen. There was something very elflike and queenlike about her which made them keep their distance. They felt far too humble to be comfortable in the presence of someone like her. It was different with the others. Legolas was their friend, and had never acted like an Elf prince with them. He had made them feel like brothers, not servants, and even though they respected his much higher ranking they weren't intimidated by it. And Aragorn would always be Strider to them, no matter how great of a king he was. They were comfortable with them, but not with the queen whom they knew only as Elessar's wife, queen Arwen.
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"So you have come at last" Éowyn said with a smile on her face, walking through the garden at Ithilien. "I was beginning to wonder if the Perian lords would pass us by."
"Milady" Merry said and kneeled together with Pippin. A second later he was up on his feet again running into her open arms. "Pass you by? Not for all the mushrooms in Middle-Earth!"
"Well…" Pippin said. "If all the mushrooms in Middle-Earth were at stake we'd negotiate at least. Tell me, where is lord Faramir? And lord Elboron?"
"The lords have gone out riding" Éowyn said and rose from her hug with Merry. "I expect them to be back in time for supper."
"It will be good to see them" Aragorn said. "As it is good to see you. Hello Éowyn."
"My king…" Éowyn said and curtsied. "My queen… Lords Legolas and Gimli."
"Why does she always say your name before mine?" Gimli gruffed to Legolas.
"How is lord Elboron's heart?" Arwen asked and began walking up to the main doors side by side with Éowyn.
"Lighter" Éowyn said. "He is beginning to recover. And with the arrival of his favourite Halflings he shall probably heal much faster."
"I hope I'm not just a reminder to him of what he lost" Merry said with a worried frown on his face.
"Nonsense" Éowyn said. "All he remembers of you from that time is what you did to help. But let's not talk of such tragic things. The tower guards saw you approaching and gave word to me. I took the liberty to arrange for you all to sit down and eat, knowing that if not else the Halflings will appreciate it."
"Blessed Éowyn!" Merry cried. "I'm starving!"
Éowyn laughed.
"Something told me you would be."
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After the meal Pippin and Merry crawled up in a sofa in Éowyn's private sitting room and fell asleep. The others sat down to talk in low voices while they waited for Faramir and Elboron to return from their ride.
"How long will you be staying?" Éowyn asked.
"As long as we trust Eldarion to keep things under control" Aragorn joked.
"I shall be riding home within a week" Arwen said.
"Then I suppose we're leaving in a week too" Gimli said. "The Halflings need someone to ride with."
"If Peregrin will ride with me again" Arwen said with a little smile. "He seemed quite frightened the entire way."
"Oh what a shame you'll have to return so soon" Éowyn said and cast a glance at the sleeping Merry. "My brother would much like to see his favourite esquire."
"A trip to Rohan" Aragorn said. "It's been a long time since last I was there. Tell me, how is your brother?"
"He's fine" Éowyn said. "Breeding new horses at the moment. Times are good when you can take time for things like that."
"Horses are for food" Gimli decided. "Don't see any point in breeding them for any other purpose."
"Do not offend the horse lords" Aragorn said.
"The ill liking of horses in master Gimli is well known" Éowyn said. "I am not offended. All that much."
"Milady, why don't you ride with us to Rohan?" Aragorn suggested. "Merry can ride with you then. Your brother would be pleased to see you."
"I would love to" Éowyn said. "But I don't know if I can find the time. There is much business about here in Ithilien right now."
"Good. No more riding then" Gimli concluded.
"On the other hand…" Éowyn said with a smile on her face "I wouldn't want to upset our master Dwarf, knowing how much he would love to see the horses of Rohan. I will see if I can rearrange my schedule."
"Good. It's settled then" Aragorn said. "We'll ride to Rohan in a week. The Hobbits will be happy to hear so when they wake up."
"It's been many long years since Pippin visited Rohan" Éowyn said. "He's never really gotten to know the land, most of his visits have been brief and hurried. Merry will probably be happy to show him the wonders of our lands."
"Pippin has mostly known Rohan from a stinking Uruk-Hai's back" Gimli said. "If I were him I wouldn't be so thrilled about it either."
"Perhaps you would like to run to Edoras" Legolas suggested. "That is an alternative method of transportation that you are already familiar with."
"Riding is fine" Gimli said with a glare at his friend.
"Legolas my friend…" Aragorn said. "You are the only one who is still as young as he was then. The years have caught up with the rest of us. I am over 120 years old, Master Dwarf here is closer to 160. Even our young Hobbits have grown old, Pippin is 66 this year and Merry 74. The lady's age should not be mentioned."
"Ah, the Hobbits are still young" Gimli said, shrugging it off with a wave by his hand. "Those two rascals will never grow old."
"Merry didn't have grey straws in his hair when last I saw him" Aragorn said. "Think of Sam back in the Shire, he is a grandfather now. We all age, except for Master Elf."
"It is not a blessing to be the only one who doesn't age" Legolas said. "I shall have to watch you all age, wither away and die while I linger in the world."
"Death no longer worries me" Gimli said. "Once we're all dead we will be reunited again somewhere, I know that somehow. Boromir is waiting for us somewhere and we'll all be together again one day, young and healthy as we were during the War."
"Not all of us Gimli" Legolas said. "I won't be there. I will travel to the Undying Lands and I will live there until the end of time."
"What?" Gimli roared.
"Hush!" Aragorn said. "You'll wake the Hobbits."
"I think this conversation is between you and not for my ears" Éowyn said and rose from her chair. "I will come back for you when my husband and son have returned."
Aragorn and Legolas rose and bowed as she left together with Arwen, but Gimli didn't even seem to notice. He was having one of his outbursts of anger, for the first time in a long while.
"What do you mean 'until the end of time'?" he growled.
"That is what Elves do" Aragorn said. "It is their destiny. To go to the West and live there until the end of time. When we die we will go someplace else but Legolas will continue to live. That's the way of the Elves."
"But Legolas is no ordinary Elf!" Gimli protested and grabbed his friend's arm. "He is a Dwarf friend! He is part of our Fellowship! He's not like the other pointy-eared prancers!"
"What did you just call the Elves?" Aragorn asked.
"He should be with us!" Gimli said. "He belongs with us!"
"I'm afraid that won't be" Legolas said. "Just like Arwen and lord Elrond will be parted until the end of time."
"It is not the same with Arwen!" Gimli protested. "She was half human to begin with! You're not!"
"What are you going on about?" Pippin asked with an annoyed tone and opened one of his eyes. "We're trying to sleep here!"
"This discussion is over" Aragorn said. "I think I hear Faramir and Elboron being announced. On your feet Pippin, your lords are coming to greet you."
Pippin moaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes and nudging Merry.
"Alright, alright, I am up…" Merry yawned and rose as well. "Where did the ladies go?"
"They probably scared them away with their loud talking" Pippin said with an angry glare at his friends.
"Up on your feet" Aragorn said and more or less lifted Pippin to his feet. "Straighten out your clothes and your cape. Look presentable."
"What's gotten into you?" Pippin asked. "I know to look presentable."
The door opened and Éowyn entered with Faramir and Elboron in tow. The Hobbits quickly fell down in a bow. Faramir and Elboron smiled and nodded at them to rise to their feet.
Pippin looked up at Elboron and sadly noted that the look in his eyes was not the same as it had once been. Elboron had changed, he was no longer the carefree child Pippin had always known. And the only thought that came into Pippin's head was that he was glad it wasn't his Faramir.
"Master Peregrin" Elboron said and gave Pippin a hug. "It is a pleasure seeing you again. It's been far too long."
"It has" Pippin said. "I wish I could have made it last time. I will have to make up for that this time around."
Elboron nodded slowly. Pippin had a feeling this time around would be more pleasant than things had been when Merry last had been here, yet it would not be as nice as it had been in the years before. Why did everything have to change so much?
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"Are we there yet?" Pippin complained to Aragorn.
"Edoras is yet an hour or so ahead" Aragorn told him. "Are you tired?"
"Pardon me Strider, but it's bumpy to ride with you. My stomach is getting upset" Pippin whined.
"Cheer up Pippin" Aragorn said. "You'll have your hairy feet on solid ground in no time. I promise."
He gave the Hobbit a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Pippin had seemed out of sorts ever since they arrived in Ithilien and saw Faramir and Elboron. He seemed to have taken it hard to see young Elboron the way he was now, all of his childlike manners had vanished when his fiancée had died. Pippin hardly recognised him anymore. Aragorn was glad that they had left a few days early, Pippin seemed to need to get away.
Next to them rode Legolas and Gimli, both of them in silence. Gimli was grumpy too, he hadn't quite made his peace with the news that Legolas wouldn't spend eternity with the rest of them. Legolas hadn't said much about it, he had accepted it long ago and knew that in his Elven memory he could spend as much time as he wanted to with his friends. The two weren't speaking much to each other at the moment.
The only one who seemed really upbeat was Merry. He had chattered with Éowyn almost the entire time, eager to see Edoras and Éomer again. Éowyn was in an equally good mood, she hadn't seen her brother in a while and she was happy to be out riding again. In Ithilien she didn't get to ride as much as she did in Rohan.
"I say we gallop the rest of the way" Merry said and turned to look at Aragorn and Legolas. "What do you say?"
"You gallop, I don't want to be any more nauseous than I already am" Pippin complained.
"You're not nauseous, you're obnoxious" Merry said. "Come on, we'll arrive sooner that way! And the plains of Rohan are made to gallop across! I bet we'll reach the city long before Legolas and Gimli do!"
"Oh you think so?" Gimli angrily said.
"I take that as a challenge" Éowyn said with a laugh. "And we are not going to lose it! Come on, Merry!"
With a war cry she drove her horse to a gallop. Legolas was just half a second behind her. Aragorn smiled as the two rode off.
"Are we really going to let them beat us to Edoras?" he asked Pippin.
"I guess not…" Pippin sighed. "Okay, let's show them how a race is won!"
"That's the spirit!" Aragorn said and a moment later they were chasing after the others across the plains.
By the time they caught up with the others Legolas and Gimli had passed Éowyn and Merry. Gimli and Merry were yelling playfully at each other and Pippin couldn't help but join in the shouting. They got up alongside Éowyn's horse and Pippin waved at Merry with a grin. Éowyn made a face like she was offended by being caught up with, and drove her horse to run faster. With a laugh they rode up the last hill to Edoras half a pace behind Legolas and Gimli and a few paces before Aragorn and Pippin.
"We won!" Gimli proudly declared to the Hobbits as they slowed down and trotted through the gates.
"Only because we let you" Merry claimed.
"What are you talking about?" Pippin said. "If Strider and I hadn't given you all a head start neither of you would have won."
"Oh please, we let you catch up with us" Gimli said.
"That was fun" Éowyn said through her laughter and let her beast halt. "I haven't ridden like that in a long while."
"Seems it was just what everyone needed" Legolas noted and dismounted his horse.
Éowyn nodded and looked at the company. The Hobbits and the Dwarf were all in excellent moods, in jest bickering with each other over who really won and why. Aragorn was chuckling to himself and even Legolas seemed to be about to laugh. The previously grumpy mood was nowhere to be found.
"Master Gimli can say whatever he likes" Éowyn said and patted her horse. "Horses always have a way of making you feel better."
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A few days later Legolas found Gimli sitting out on a rock, sharpening his axe. The Dwarf still seemed preoccupied with what they had talked about in Ithilien and had kept to himself a lot during the past days. Legolas walked up to him and said his friend's name to announce his approach. Gimli looked up.
"May I join you?" Legolas asked.
"You do as you wish" Gimli said. "You always have."
"You're bothered by what we talked about before" Legolas stated. "About me not being with the rest of you after you die. Surely you must have known this, I'm an Elf, I don't die like you mortal beings do."
"It's not easy to talk about this you know…" Gimli said. "I'm a Dwarf! Dwarves don't talk about how they feel!"
"But you are no ordinary Dwarf" Legolas said. "You are an Elf-friend."
Gimli nodded, put aside his axe and took a minute to try and figure out what he wanted to say to Legolas. In the end he could not figure out a single thing to say except for what the root of the problem was.
"I will miss you" he said. "Forever is a very long time."
Legolas sat down next to him.
"You'll have your memories" he said.
"I am not like the Elves" Gimli pointed out. "Memories for me are painful, they are only reminders of better times which will never come again. It's not right that you shall be somewhere else than the rest of us."
"It's the way of the world my friend" Legolas said. "I don't know what little time I have with you all, that's why I want to spend it with joy, not with sadness over things that are to come. Don not be sad now for time we will spend apart in the future. Be happy when we still have each other near."
"It's not fair" Gimli said gently. "I thought the bonds that held us all together were stronger than death. I thought that when we all were dead we'd walk together through the lands, the Fellowship as it was when we first set out together. I knew you would be the last to arrive but I was always sure you would be there someday."
"If you all remember me I will be there."
"We all remember Boromir but it's not the same as if he were here with us."
"Gimli I cannot change what will happen in the future" Legolas said. "For me the years of the Fellowship will be as a week in your lifetime. Short, very short, so it should be cherished while it's still going on. Don't miss me before I'm gone."
They both looked up as they heard Merry's voice behind them. The Hobbit had just exited the Golden Hall, clad in his Rohirric clothes, and was handing out orders to people around him. Then he walked down the stairs and met up with Pippin. Together the two of them walked off towards the stables, talking to each other as they went. Gimli and Legolas looked at each other and then back at the Hobbits.
"Look at the Hobbits" Legolas said. "They aren't troubled over things that haven't happened yet."
"They don't have the smarts to be" Gimli sulked.
"They wasted several years being upset with each other. To them a few years is not as much as it should be. They will never have those years back. Every minute you spend being upset with me is a minute you cannot have back. You can be upset with me after you're dead but I'm asking you not to be now."
"You're probably right, as usual" Gimli muttered. "And don't tell anyone I said that!"
"Your secret is safe with me."
"Our young Hobbits have found their way back to each other…" Gimli said, changing the subject to something less close to his heart now that he had an opportunity. "I'm glad. It wasn't right for them to be cross with each other."
"Our young Hobbits aren't so young anymore" Legolas said. "They age so quickly, in only thirty years their strength has subsided remarkably."
"They're still young" Gimli insisted. "They'll never grow old in my eyes. They will always be our young rascals, one of them always up to some mischief and the other always trying to cover his tracks."
"They have responsibilities now" Legolas said. "And their generation is beginning to make way to the next. They are in life where their fathers were when we first met them."
"No more out of you now" Gimli said. "I don't want to hear about it. Merry and Pippin are not old. They may not be as young as they once were, but none of us are! They were the youngest then and they'll outlive us all, still alive and breathing when you head West!"
Legolas rose and placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder.
"I hope you're right" he said.
Gimli watched as the Elf walked off. Gimli hated aging, it was the scariest thing he knew of. Dying in battle was not something that scared him, it was a decent way to die. It was a way to die that Gimli understood. But growing old and weak, that was foreign to him. To have your own body turn against you and begin to age was more than Gimli could understand. And seeing his friends aging was the most difficult thing of all, because to Gimli they were all still as young and fresh as they had been during the War. But with aging came the revelation of old injuries. Merry's back and arm, Pippin's scrapes that he got from the orcs, Aragorn's war injuries, all were starting to come back to haunt them.
Gimli shuddered and returned to his axe. As long as he could he would pretend that they were all still young and virile. Things were simply easier that way.
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A guard helped Pippin open the heavy doors to the Golden Hall. He stepped inside and let his eyes get used to the much darker inside. When he could see clearly again he slowly walked towards the other end of the hall where Éomer King sat on his throne with his queen on the throne next to him. Éomer was leaned forward, his chin resting in his right palm, engaged in conversation with someone. The person talking to the king was hard to spot in the dark hall as his cape was dark brown and made him blend in, but Pippin could spot his cousin almost anywhere. He stopped a few yards from the throne and waited for the king and esquire to finish their conversation.
"You are right my lord" Pippin could hear Merry's voice say.
"Well then" Éomer said. "We seem to have company, this matter can wait for the time being. You know what to do, just don't forget to tell the stableman that I need those horses ready by the end of the day."
"My lord" Merry said and bowed.
Pippin watched in amazement as his cousin approached Éomer and his wife and gently placed a kiss on each of their left hand, then stepped into the shadows to talk to someone Pippin couldn't see. It had been so long since Pippin last saw Merry actively in service of Éomer that he had forgotten how seriously Merry took his job.
"Master Peregrin" Éomer said. "What can I do for you?"
"I…" Pippin began and then lowered his head in shame. "I must admit to you, king, that I have been forgetful. I've been spending my time tending to matters of free will and doing whatever comes to mind, just having fun, and I completely lost track of the days. I wrote some letters to send home to my wife and son and found today that they should have been sent with the messenger yesterday. I must implore you, Éomer King, is there any way to solve this forgetful Halfling's mailing problem?"
"I take it as a positive thing that you are so pleased with visiting my land that you forget to send your family letters" Éomer said and took the letters Pippin held up. "Worry not, your letters will arrive with those of your kinsman. Lord Holdwine!"
At the calling of his name Merry stepped back into the light and bowed slightly. Pippin blushed and averted his eyes. He was embarrassed to have forgotten to send his letters, it was something Merry would never have forgotten.
"A few letters were left behind when the mail went out yesterday" Éomer said to Merry. "Find my sister. Have her ride one of the mearas and catch up with the messenger. Keep these in your personal guard."
Merry accepted the letters handed to him and bowed again.
"My lord" he said and then turned and left.
"My lord" Pippin hurriedly said and bowed as well. He turned and went after Merry, then realised he had forgotten his manners and went back to bow to Éomer once more. "My sincerest gratitude to you, Éomer king" he said, then he turned and hurried after Merry.
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It was a thrill to be riding one of the mearas again. Merry was enjoying every moment and almost regretted the horse's speed which brought the ride to a much nearer end. He had attended to his previous orders as fast as he had been able to and then ridden out with Éowyn to catch up with the messenger. Pippin had been very embarrassed about the whole thing, and apologised a hundred times for having increased Merry's workload and forced him to haste through his tasks but Merry hadn't cared about all that. Being out riding on a mearas horse, as black as night itself, was worth the stressful work.
It had taken them a few hours to catch up with the messenger, who had a day's head start on them, and after sending Pippin's letters off with him they had stopped for a quick bite to eat. Now they were on their way back, though taking the time to enjoy the ride. Éowyn let the horse run at the speed of a normal horse and gently steered the beast home.
They crossed a hilltop and in front of them laid a seemingly endless field of green grass. Merry had crossed it numerous times before, it was his favourite part of the road to Edoras. Éowyn seemed to like it too, she sighed in content and then took a deep breath to breathe in the scents of the plain.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" Merry commented. "It's moments like these when you realise that freedom is a gift which never ceases to be precious, no matter how old we get. Moments when nobody can see or hear you and you can let go of all thoughts of manner and protocol. Times when you're just free, and you almost feel like you're thirty-seven years old again, out travelling with your friends, heading for adventure…"
Éowyn nodded to herself even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see her. It was lovely to have that sense of freedom. Suddenly her heart filled up with a sense of youth she hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Here" she said to Merry. "Take the reins."
Merry raised his eyebrows in surprise at her comment but took the reins she offered him. She placed her hands on his hips for support as she closed her eyes and took yet another deep breath. Merry could hear her exhale in a content sigh which made him wish he could fill his lungs with the air of these plains forever.
Slowly the horse quickened the pace. Just as slowly Merry could feel Éowyn's hands leave his waist and for a split second he worried she would fall off. Then he remembered who he was riding with and stopped worrying.
Éowyn reached her hands up towards the sky and bent her head backwards, keeping her eyes closed. Her arms were opened as if embracing the air, the plains, or perhaps the youth she had once been so full of.
As the horse galloped on across the plains Éowyn of Ithilien became Éowyn of Rohan once again, she became the girl she had been before war and sorrow had reached her home, and every fibre in her body was filled with joy of being alive.
Merry drove the horse on, keeping the pace as fast as he could until they drew near Edoras. Then he reached his hand back and gently tapped Éowyn on the leg to tell her that they were drawing near to home. Her arms lowered back down and her now opened eyes once again looked straight ahead. Her hands were back to resting at his waist, she let him slow the horse down and bring them into Edoras.
They passed through the gates and rode up to the stables where a stable hand lifted Merry down to the ground and then offered Éowyn a helping hand which she ignored. With a gentle tousle through the Hobbit's curls she composed herself and made sure she looked decent and ladylike, then she hurried inside the Golden Hall.
In the darkness of the hall she found herself some water to drink. Her heart was still pounding, she could hear the blood rushing through her veins, the sound drowned out the approaching steps of her brother. When he placed his hand on her shoulder she gasped and turned around, then sighed in relief to find it was only her brother.
"You scared me" she admitted.
"Did everything go well?"
"The letters were delivered" she said and began to walk to her quarters. Her brother's voice stopped her.
"You let the Halfling take the reins and ride the horse" he said.
"Yes" she admitted.
"And the horse let him. The mearas only obey the royal family of Rohan."
"Holdwine is family" Éowyn said. "Somehow I just knew the horse would know it too."
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"Now don't you dare being away for so long again!" Gimli told the Hobbits and waved his finger at them.
"My dear Gimli, how is it that you never have the way past the Shire to see us?" Pippin asked in return.
"Don't talk up to those who are older than you" the Dwarf roared in lack of a better reply. Pippin just grinned.
"Where is the king?" Merry asked and looked around. "We're leaving in a few minutes, I haven't had the chance to say goodbye yet."
"He will be here" Éowyn said.
They were all out on the courtyard, saddled up and ready to leave. Aragorn and Legolas would be riding back to Gondor together with the Hobbits, who would get their own ponies in Minas Tirith and head back home to the Shire. Pippin was already flung up on the back of Aragorn's horse, but Merry waited to see if Éomer would be there before he got up on Legolas' horse for the ride back to Gondor. Beside him stood Gimli, gruffing and grumbling over the fact that his friends were leaving so soon.
"Why can't he just get here, say goodbye and be done with it?" Gimli gruffed. "I hate goodbyes."
"I'm not in a hurry to leave Rohan, but I must agree with you Gimli" Merry said and looked out over the fields before them. "We have a long journey home. The sooner we are on our way the better."
"There he is now" Legolas said.
Éomer approached them with the reins of a grey little pony in his hands. He bowed his head to the company and grinned at Merry.
"You didn't think I would have you leave without bidding you farewell, Master Holdwine?" he asked.
"My lord…" Merry said and bowed.
"I have a gift for you, a parting gift" Éomer said. "I know how upset your daughter has been at the loss of her pony. As one of the horse lords, I can fully understand her feelings. What better way to cheer her up than to bring her a new beast?"
"My lord…" Merry said again, at a loss for words.
"Blizzard here is still young" Éomer continued. "I would have sent her a pony trained by our horse masters, but I have the feeling that breaking in a new beast will be good for her. Hopefully she will be as attached to this animal as she was to Aestas."
"Lord Éomer, there are no words…" Merry said and bowed again. "How can I thank you for such a gift? I don't even know that I can accept such a gift!"
"Accept it" Éomer said. "And your service while you are here is thanks enough."
He handed the reins of the pony to Merry, who impulsively gave him a hug. Blizzard, the pony, would indeed be just what his Éowyn needed.
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"Well old friend…" Pippin said when he and Merry rode across the plains of Rohan on their way back to the Shire. "I wonder how much longer it will be before we return to these lands. One of these times it will be our last. We're starting to get old."
"Speak for yourself" Merry sniffed. "I for one feel I have at least forty good years ahead of me. Nearly one third of my life."
"Boy, aren't we optimistic?" Pippin said with a raised eyebrow. "I'd give you… twenty-five perhaps."
"Twenty-five?" Merry exclaimed. "I'll have you know that I am in very good shape, form and health and shall surely live a lot longer than that! Twenty-five… I won't even be eleventy-one by then!"
"Fine, maybe you'll live to be eleventy-one… and a day…" Pippin teased. "Then you'll drop stone dead like a fly! But jokes aside cousin, we don't now how many more times we'll be able to visit Gondor and Rohan. Say that we both live until we're past 120, what's to say we'll be strong enough to make the journey? Think, Merry, one of the next times we visit it might be our last and we won't even know it."
"I have a feeling when it is our last time, we will know it" Merry said.
Suddenly a bird flew up right in front of Pippin's pony, and he had to hold it back so it wouldn't bolt. Surprised, he laughed.
"Perhaps one day we'll be riding home to the Shire again, old and grey but on young, frisky ponies. And if they try to run off with us we won't be able to hold them back. We'll bolt all the way home!"
"Now wouldn't that be fun?" Merry grinned sarcastically.
"What do you think of the new pony?" Pippin asked, glancing back at Blizzard who followed nicely behind Merry.
"He's lovely, what else is there to think?" Merry answered. "He's a mearas… I always believed Stybba was a mearas pony but I've been told I was wrong about that. I guess to me he was the finest pony I'd ever seen, so I thought he was one of the special race… There was some mearas in him but not much."
"He was a fine pony" Pippin agreed.
"Not like Blizzard though! Let's just hope he's got a nice mind, I know some of these horses can be very proud and very stubborn."
"I don't think Éowyn minds a stubborn pony" Pippin said. "I remember what you were like with that Snowy… Perhaps a stubborn beast will occupy her enough to keep her mind of the pony she lost."
"I think this pony will be enough to take her mind of Aestas no matter what he's like to break in and care for" Merry said. "I've never seen a lovelier pony in all my life."
Blizzard whinnied as if to acknowledge the compliment. He was indeed a lovely beast, grey but with small white spots that looked like falling snow. His mane and tail were also white, and the Hobbits had never seen a white mane and tail on a horse which had a different colour coating before. He definitely stood out from the other ponies they had come across in their day. And Blizzard was a very fitting name for a pony of his looks.
"He follows us nicely without being tied up" Pippin commented. "Aren't you scared he will take off, though? What if the next bird flies up in front of him?"
"Oh it will take more than a bird to frighten Blizzard" Merry said. "And I'd hate to have to tie a mearas up… But perhaps you're right, it might be safer to have him tied to us."
Whistling to himself he reached to his belt and unfastened a rope which was tied to it. Then he called to the pony who obediently came closer. Merry reached over and tied the rope to Blizzard's halter, a gesture obviously not appreciated by the pony who put his ears back. Taking no notice of the silent protest Merry tied the rope to his own pony.
"You can negotiate with my daughter about the tied-up thing when we get home" Merry told him. "I'm not going to lose you before I even get the chance to hand you over to your new owner. And you be nice to her, for otherwise you will have to answer to me."
"He's probably trembling with fear inside" Pippin teased with a laugh.
"Oh you shush" Merry said with a good-natured grin.
"So what do you say we camp out by the woods tonight?" Pippin asked, changing the subject. "I would hate to borrow some firewood from Fangorn but I think we must."
"You know it's okay if it's only for firewood" Merry said. "And it sounds like a good idea. If we could find a stream we could fill up our water canteens."
"Then it's settled" Pippin said. "We're right by the edge of the forest, we could have a campsite set up in less than half an hour! And then… supper!"
"Yes a bite to eat would not be that bad right about now" Merry agreed.
They rode a bit further, then stopped to set up camp for the night. While Pippin found some water for the animals Merry searched through their packing, trying to decide what was for dinner this evening. It was still early on their journey, they had lots of different goodies which they had packed in Minas Tirith. Further down the road they would finish all their special treats and be left with dried meat and a few fruits and vegetables, possibly even forced to hunt a little. But for now they could still have a smaller feast each time they stopped to eat and Merry took his time deciding what he felt like this particular evening.
"Merry" Pippin said when he returned with the ponies. "While we're on the subject of our friends…"
"We were on that subject?" Merry asked and looked up. "Do you feel like mushroom stew or perhaps a little rabbit pie?"
"Both?" Pippin suggested.
"And eggplant stew it is" Merry decided.
"Anyways, as I was saying, about these trips we take… We always go to visit our old friends, that's why we come to Gondor at all, am I right?"
"For once" Merry agreed.
"It occurred to me that there's one friend we haven't visited in a long time."
Merry looked up at him and saw the grin on Pippin's face. He began stuffing all the food back into his pack and grinned as well. Together they packed up their things and led the nervous ponies into Fangorn Forest.
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Please review! The next chapter will be a bit more about the children, time to add some drama to that element of the story! See you next time!