Halbaron
Halbaron walked across the bridge into the arms of his friends. Arathorn pulled a dagger from his belt and cut the leather cord that bound his wrists. The others surrounded him, putting their arms over his shoulders and clapping him on the back. It seemed like everyone was talking at once.
"They returned your sword belt and weapons," Arathorn said. "Didn't you say this sword was your father's, and his father's before him? And wasn't this dagger a gift from your wife on your wedding day? You must be glad to have them back."
Halbaron shrugged, and looked at the ground.
They hiked up the side of the ravine. When they reached the place where the horses were tethered, Dírhaborn wrapped his injured hand in strips of linen and fashioned a sling.
"Can you ride a horse?" Dírhaborn asked.
"Not just yet," Halbaron said. He let Dírhaborn help him into the cart.
They made their way to the village where their families were staying. People working in the fields dropped their farming tools, shouting in welcome. More people came out of their houses or around from the vegetable plots and animal pens in back, calling "What news, what news?"
Evonyn dropped an armload of clean linen in the dust and ran to him, laughing and sobbing all at once. Halbaron wrapped his good arm around her and pressed his mouth against hers, then fell to one knee and embraced his small son as if he were clinging to life itself.
"I knew you would be all right," said Halbarad.[1] Halbaron laughed and hugged him again.
That night, the Rangers sat around the fire, drinking and telling stories about everything that had happened during the last three days. They told Halbaron how they captured the faceless creature, a supernatural being that carried an air of dread about it, how Arathorn discovered it was invisible under its robes and made it visible by dumping a bucket of varnish over its head.
Halbaron talked and laughed with the others. But after a while, he fell silent. He stared into his leather tankard. He was drinking far more than usual. He felt so alone, even though he was surrounded by other people.
"Well, I think we've told you every single thing that happened while you were gone. So what happened to you, after they led you away?" asked Arathorn.
"I don't want to talk about it," said Halbaron.
[1] Halbarad grew up to be standard bearer to Aragorn son of Arathorn , and fell in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. From the fan film, Born of Hope.