YESSSSS! I am done with 3rd quarter finals! (does little dance around room!) This means no more French! Though for an essay portion I didn't finish my second paper. Thankfully, the teacher was nice and he let me have another 10 minutes, but I just scribbled some crap down. Probably not the best idea, but at the time I couldn't have care less about a military conflict of China and Russia. Well, let's begin while I'm still in a good mood.
Disclaimer: If I can understand quadratic formulas, you should be able to understand that I DON'T OWN LORD OF THE RINGS!
Chapter 41 Recap:
"To Isengard," she said, not questioning at all.
She could feel Gandalf nodding.
"I'll be up shortly," her voice still practically monotone.
Gandalf sighed and left, realizing this would indeed be a very troubling period.
She merely observed the hills for the moment longer. If you looked straight ahead, the path was still clean. It had avoided the tarnish of the battle.
Abigail had gained a 'brother', reunited with some friends, and lost a father. Some would call that exciting, she just found it painfully annoying.
Chapter 42:
Though the battle had just finished, the next move already needed to be decided. They were back in the King's hall or throne room of sorts so they could have some privacy.
'They' consisted of Théoden, Éomer, Hama, Gamling, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf and Aragorn.
Abigail had not been seen for about 2 hours, and to the dismay of the Fellowship members they knew why.
"Where is Lady Abigail? I assume she should be allowed to this meeting," Théoden said, finally noticing the missing presence.
The King looked to Aragorn for an explanation, but the man was discreetly avoiding everyone's gaze.
Legolas jumped in. "I regretfully must inform you that Abigail's guardian was killed during the battle. I, um, believe she might be preoccupied at the moment," he said.
Théoden felt sympathy for the girl, but it didn't look like he completely understood.
"Guardian? But who would her-"
"The march warden from Lorien, Captain Haldir," Aragorn's voice spoke up, but wavered a little.
"An elf?" Théoden asked, tilting his head in surprise. "It seems you left out much of the story when you told me of your little companion back in Edoras," he continued, a bit tartly.
The four members of the Fellowship turned their attention to the floor.
"Would someone be so kind as to enlighten me to who this lady Abigail is?" Éomer said sounding very puzzled.
Gimli snorted. "Looks like the lass still had some adjustments to make."
"My story is a confusing and tiresome one, Lord Éomer," a steely feminine voice cut it. "I doubt I could ever explain it fully."
'If only they knew the real truth behind those words,' Abby thought to herself. She closed the door and entered the room, but stayed in the far back still.
"Lady Abigail, I am very sorry to," Théoden began, but Abigail shook her head to interrupt him.
"Please, my liege, let us just decide what needs to be done."
The pleading in Abigail's voice made herself sick, but she was in no mood for confrontation on what had happened or where she'd been for the past hours. Her mind and spirit were exhausted from sadness, and the numbness had started to leave her body so wounds were hurting again.
Still, appearances had to be made and she was still part of the Fellowship. She got a say in the next path.
The room was silent for a moment, mostly with people wondering if they should express their sympathy.
"Very well," Théoden started again. "To start out with, the citizens cannot stay here any longer for we have poor provisions and shelter. It is in their best interests in they all return to Edoras for the time being. The thought of rebuilding can and will be dealt with later."
People nodded thoughtfully.
"They followed the Lady Éowyn to this refuge, and I believe they will follow her out of it. If you have other business, my liege, she could lead them back safely," Gamling suggested.
"We also still have soldiers and weapons who can protect them, if necessary, on the journey," Hama agreed.
"I have the utmost faith that my niece could guide them safely, but what is my bidding if I am not with her?" Théoden mused, mainly looking at Gandalf for a suggestion.
"It is my will that we to the heart of this current evil," the white wizard said. "Now would be the best time to pay Isengard a little visit."
"I agree," Abigail said quickly. "Saruman is more vulnerable after such a surprising defeat. Meeting him right now, during the short time of our strength, could be used to our advantage."
No protests were made, but Aragorn was particularly curious as to why she sounded so anxious to see Saruman.
'Perhaps she is simply looking for an excuse to leave Helm's Deep,' he thought.
"So, Éowyn will lead the people back to Edoras, while a modest group of us shall travel to Isengard. Are we agreed?" Théoden asked.
Murmurs of 'yes' came from the small crowd.
"When should we leave?" the king questioned.
"The sooner the better," Gimli suggested loudly.
"If I may, uncle, there is a trustworthy soldier under my command, Sir Giedd. I can give him proper instructions and he can work with and help Éowyn. The people won't be ready to leave until tomorrow at best, but Giedd will keep a good management," offered Éomer.
Théoden rubbed his short beard. "Yes, I remember Giedd. Well, if you have that much faith in him, nephew, we should leave two hours hence. That way we should make a fair distance before nightfall."
With their journey decided, the nine people went their separated ways to prepare as needed.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Abigail, oddly enough, went back to the tower where the horn of Hammerhand was. She still craved solitude, and no one else would have a need to go up there.
It was so strange to think, that they had only won the battle at dawn. The morning had hardly begun, but the hours were years for her.
She was not nearly done mourning. Haldir was dead, as in never coming back. Before she had tried imagining herself going back to Lorien when the war was over. She would continue to live a simple life with her father in their 'tree house'. She would help Rodwen raise her son and ride the plains with Authion. She couldn't join the guard, but she was old enough to start her own business or even look for a husband.
Now she would only return to an empty house. Her best friend would be a grieving wife. And the one love she truly wanted she wasn't allowed to have.
'Well, who's really stopping me in that department?' she thought. 'Oh yeah, a story line, a movie plot and one of the most beautiful elf maidens in all of Middle Earth.'
As peered over the wall again, she noticed holes being dug to the western side of the keep. People were digging graves for the dead. Abigail took a little comfort, knowing Haldir would get something better than rotting under a battlefield.
"No," she scolded herself. "They all deserve something better. They all deserved to live in the first place."
But that's the hard truth of war, right? People die. People you thought were invincible are killed in a second by a moronic orc.
"Perhaps this is why women don't fight," she mused. "We're too emotional. We feel the need to cry and care for every living thing. But at the same time, we have to pretend we're strong, that we're all right. Maybe I would be better of sewing a dress while looking out a window, waiting for this all to be over."
She laughed bitterly.
'God listen to me. I sound like a self-pitying know it all. I don't know everything, I just know a bit more than most. I can't save everyone but…I should have done more to save him," she thought, feeling just, if not more, as guilty as she had with Boromir.
She held her hand to her face, and watched the crystal water inside her bracelet sparkle in the morning sun. The bracelet had tried to warn her…
'The longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell them.'
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Are you positive she was right here?" Gandalf asked again, not taking his eyes off the scene of the bodies.
"Yes, Gandalf," Aragorn nodded. "Abigail was in the middle of the orcs and nobody else was fighting them until Legolas and I came in."
Gandalf prodded the demented corpses with his staff, his forehead wrinkled in concentration and his big grey eyes filled with worry.
Flashback
Before he walked away, Aragorn took a closer look at the bodies, and it made him gasp. Many of their limbs had been broken in odd directions; even one neck was completely snapped to the side. Then there few with black blood seeping from their mouths and noses, like internal damage had been done, but he couldn't see any visible cuts or wound.
End Flashback
"Do you really think she was capable of this, Gandalf?" it was Aragorn's turn to ask.
The old man sighed. "I do not want to believe she is, Aragorn, but is she truly was alone…then again, people can find extraordinary strength when they are frightened."
"But the way she looked at me," the thought made even Aragorn shutter. "There was more than fear in her eyes, Gandalf."
"Yes, yes" he agreed absentmindedly. "Well, to be brief, the damage done to these bodies, even if they are orcs, is unnatural. No regular mortal or elf could do this. Something else has happened here that neither of us is able to understand. If we really want to know, we will have to ask Abigail herself," Gandalf finished.
"I do not believe that will happen anytime soon," Aragorn mumbled as the pair started to walk away.
"Hmm, I did think I sensed something wrong between you two."
"You mean the fact that she hates me because not only did I yell at her like a child but she also found out, rather harshly from me, that I was right there when her father died!" the ranger shouted.
"I doubt she hates you, my lord Aragorn," and to his surprise the wizard started to chuckle. "In fact, I think she's feeling quite the opposite."
Aragorn slowed his stride. "Wait…the opposite of hate…would that be," he whispered to himself. "Gandalf, what are you saying? What do you know?" he asked, speaking up.
Gandalf continued to show a small half-smile. "When you die, are shown the universe, and then reborn, you just learn some things. But never mind what I said," he told Aragorn and hummed away.
Aragorn just gave a defeated sigh. Why didn't this 'new' Gandalf make more sense than the 'old' one?
Still, he had felt a little hopeful about the prospect of Abigail not hating him.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Abigail eventually climbed down out of the tower. Her two hours we almost up. She bandaged her arm again and cleaned up her hair and face a little. She also took off her elvish-style warrior clothes and changes into (of course) a brown skirt, green blouse and grey cloak.
Authion had given his set of daggers to her upon seeing she had lost her own.
'You'll get better use out of them. I don't know how much more fighting I can stand to do,' he had told her.
Now, with the right provisions and clothes, all she needed to get was her horse.
She wandered the crumbling streets, finding her way to the back of the refuge where the stables were.
Half the stalls were empty already, but towards the end of the line a familiar black head poked out.
"Hey Veryohtar," whispered Abby, rubbing his velvety muzzle. "Sorry you missed out on the action."
He shook his head in slight annoyance, but still nudged her shoulder playfully.
"Sagitta would be so pissed at me right now," she managed to laugh lightly. Seeing her faithful companion helped her lighten the mood.
"Well, I don't think I want to ride bareback to Isengard, not with these bruises," she wondered. On the wall next to her she saw a light, leather saddle.
"I know it's not really what your kind does, but will you wear it just for me?" she pleaded, taking the saddle of the hook.
Abigail went into the stall and placed it lightly on his back. Veryo titled his head a little, observing the new outfit, but made to protest. He even put a bridle on without complaining.
"I hope you had enough to drink, because I do not want you drinking entwash when we go through Fangorn today. The last thing I need is a horse that's 30 hands tall," she murmured.
(A/N-'hands' is a measurement term for horses. If I remember correctly, it's literally the length of your hands until you reach the top of the horse's back.)
She led Veryohtar out of the stall, only to see Aragorn with Brego around the corner. He obviously noticed the movement and looked up at her.
"Oh, h-hello," she said startled, half hiding behind Veryo's neck.
"Good mor-well, just morning I suppose. I don't know how good it is," he replied, equally nervous.
But it was the sadness that was also in his voice that broke Abigail's heart.
'I can't imagine what he's thinking,' she thought regretfully.
As if sensing her change of heart, Veryohtar backed up and pushed her forward so she had to fully force Aragorn.
'Thanks a lot,' she glared at her horse. Veryo simply looked bored, and started to eat some stray hay.
"Aragorn I-"
"Abigail I-"
They started to speak at the same time, but both stopped quickly.
"Abigail I'm sorry," Aragorn said hastily.
Abby smirked just a little. 'Has he always been this cute?' she mentally shook her head.
"No Aragorn. It's now easy to understand why you weren't in the best of moods. And…and nothing that happened to Haldir could be you're fault," she said bluntly, staring at the dirt.
"And you cannot take the blame either," he said without missing a beat. "I can see now that you take the guilt, but-"
"That's where you're wrong Aragorn. I can take as much guilt as I want," she cut it.
"You weren't even there, Abigail, you couldn't save him," he protested.
"Why not?" she shouted. "He saved me…why couldn't I save him?"
She cursed herself as she felt tears welling up again.
"Carrying the guilt from the dead is not burden someone like you should bear," he told her calmly. To his own surprise, he couldn't stop his hand from wiping a tear that was on her cheek. And it was to her surprise that his hand rested there on her face.
'It's so warm…his touch,' she thought. Her eyes closed and she could feel herself leaning…but then she remembered...
"Don't test me," she accidentally whispered out loud.
"What?" Aragorn dropped his hand at the shocking grievance in her voice.
She took a step back and wiped her face with her sleeve, wanting to get rid of the evidence that she had allowed herself to let that happen.
"The other day, you told me that you could never hate me. Well I can say the same. I could never hate you Aragorn," and she sounded honest.
She grabbed Veryohtar's reigns and started to leave, but she stopped suddenly besides Aragorn. Her eyes still cast down but he continued to face her.
"You don't understand…I want…no, I can't…but," she fumbled with her words. "I am sorry, Aragorn."
She quickly pulled Veryohtar out of the stable and disappeared into the crowd.
Aragorn couldn't decide if things had just gotten better or worse.
"Probably worse," he muttered, as he attached a pack to Brego's saddle.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
The brigade going to Isengard finally met up, on the very hill that the Rohirrim had arrived on early that day.
Behind them was the soon to be legendary battle of Helm's Deep. In front of them lay many more trials and challenges that would come out of the towers of Isengard and Mordor.
Gandalf, towards the front of the group, gave a sideways glance to the travelers and spoke.
"The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle Earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little hobbits somewhere in the wilderness."
The wizard looked like he was contemplating his own words, but soon gave Shadowfax a swift kick and the horse galloped forward. The rest of the riders followed, but Abigail paused for a mere moment.
"Even the smallest creature can change the course of the future," she quoted. "But if I already know the course can I still change it?"
Plans and ideas had truly been put into motion for Abigail, but she wondered is she would be able to keep up.
Across the lands, she could see a red explosion come from the chasm of Mt. Doom.
"Something has to be done," she whispered determinedly.
She squeezed Veryo's side and galloped to catch up with the others.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
This chapter was a bit of a filler, but if I plan this out right next chapter Saruman will make his main appearance and that should be fun.
Thanks to Reviewers (I'm over 200! WaHooo!):
KeeperMusicNight: Wow, that's kind of cool if I made you cry. That's means my chapter did something right. Still, I'm also sorry. Killing Finwé will sort of make a point late one. But yeah, still sad. The relationship with Abigail and Aragorn will take an…interesting turn (bwahaha). Anyway, thanks!
writin4fun15: I doubt Webster calls muchly a word, but I don't care! Screw him! Lol, I'm glad you like it, thanks!
ArwenEvenstar83: Yeah, for the moment, the best friend seemed liked a good shoulder to cry on. Plus we won't see Authion for a while, so he needed to get a camio. Thank you!
LadyEruaphadriel-orderofthe...: If family is dying, it really is hard to avoid it being moody and angsty, but I'm glad people are approving. Thanks for reviewing!
Jupuffskin: I agree, it's sadder when Haldir dies compared to Boromir's death. I still hate killing Boromir, even now. He's a great character. I think I'll have to write a story with him living. Anyway, thanks very much!
Narnian Sprite: Ha, nice Gollum impression. Well, an author never reveals her secrets, but I will tell you that the next few chapters will be some of the best (for me anyway. I can't wait to write them). Thank you!
White Blossom of Gondor: Yah, current drama with Authion is over, but he'll be back. They always come back…jk, thanks for reviewing!
GDI: Welcome new reviewer! I'm sorry (and happy) my story kept you up until 4 in the morning. I knew some people would find to songs kind of annoying, but sometimes it's much easier to express a chapter through lyrics. I'll try not to go overboard. I'm still working on bringing Arwen in more, but she is a difficult character, especially when I am making her so different. And no worries, a Gandalf and Abigail chat is around the corner. Thank you!
While I did say school should be a bit better, I think I'm still going to post once a week. I suppose it depends, but trying to go back to twice a week is still a bit much.
Also, as KeeperMusicNight said in a review, this story is probably about two-thirds done. I hope to finish it within 20 chapters, and then (for those who are interested), I will start writing "He's Calling For You", with maybe a little "Heiress" on the side.
Until next time!
-MysticNight9