Lily woke the next morning with sunlight dappling her face through the trees. Before she could even finish wondering while she was outside memories from last night bombarded her minds eye. She sat up quickly and glanced around, uncertain whether to be worried or relieved that she was alone. Before she could decide, Strider emerged from between the trees.
"My Lady," he said, sounding surprised, "I did not expect you to awaken for another few hours yet. How are you feeling?"
"Umm…alright," I answered. He smiled.
"May I check on your wounds?" I nodded and he stepped towards me, "I apologise for leaving you alone. I went to get something a little better than lembas, though it would not do to let an elf hear you say that!" He handed me an apple and moved to crouch behind me, inspecting the gash on the back of my head. "I have been thinking about your situation," he began and I felt a lurch if dread. No good could possibly come of those words. "I think you should accompany me back to Rivendell and speak with my father. He is very wise and could perhaps find the answer to what has occurred."
Go with him? Go with the potential kidnapper willingly? He seemed genuine but I just didn't trust easily. Still, I didn't seem to have much choice.
"You're absolutely sure we're not in Scotland?" One more check couldn't hurt. Going by his confused and slightly apologetic expression last night hadn't been one big, twisted joke. I sighed, "Never mind. Thank you. It's very kind of you to take me with you." He smiled slightly, then shifted a little, looking faintly guilty,
"I'm afraid we cannot go directly there, my Lady. I am on a mission for a friend of mine. I have been charged with meeting a pair of hobbits in the village of Bree and guiding them to Rivendell, also. My friend fears he will not make it in time to meet them." I shrugged.
"Ok, so we go get them first. What's a hobbit?" I asked. He looked faintly relieved I had agreed, as though he was worried I might throw a tantrum. Then again with the way he tiptoes around me perhaps the "Ladies" here do throw tantrums.
"A hobbit has a child like appearance, about half the height of a man. They have curly hair and thick soled, hairy feet which allow them to go without shoes." I pulled a face at this. Hairy feet sounded worse than a hairy back. He moved back around in front of me and seemed to be trying figure out the best way to phrase something. I sighed softly, figuring it out and shrugged his shirt over my head. Managing to look apologetic, awkward and thankful all at the same time he moved towards me and started to unwrap the bandage. After deeming my injuries acceptable he re-wrapped the bandage then stood up and offered me his hand. I took it and allowed him to pull me, wincing, to my feet.
We silently ate the apples he had found before I excused myself to a more private patch of bushes, as far away as I dared. As I came back onto the clearing he was packing the last of his things into a saddle bag.
"If we leave now, we should reach the village of Bree by nightfall," Strider said. I nodded, not entirely sure how to respond. He secured the saddle bag and led the horse closer to me then waited with an expectant look on his face. I stared blankly. "My lady, I will assist you to mount first before doing so myself." My blank stare shifted to somewhere between amusement and terror. He wanted me to get on that thing. It was huge! "You can ride, can you not?" I shook my head mutely.
Apart from the obligatory pony rides when I was four, this was the closest I had ever been to a horse.
"Alright," he said, "Come closer." I stepped forward and he crouched, interlinking his fingers, while I wondered what the hell he was doing! "Now, put you left foot in my hands and swing your right leg over Annael. The horse." he explained hastily. I did as he asked and somehow with him raising my left foot at the right time and then catching my waist to steady me (Which made me flinch and not just because of the bruised ribs. Apparently last nights events aren't going to go away if I ignore them) I somehow ended up in the saddle. He looked at me with some amusement and I blushed. He chuckled slightly then swung himself into the saddle in front of me, putting us in close contact. I immediately stiffened, trying to put as much distance between us as possible, as I was assaulted by memories of the last time I had been pressed against someone, or rather, something.
He twisted in the saddle, looking immediately contrite. "My Lady, forgive me, I had not even considered how you would feel about….I can lead Annael from the ground" He made to get off the horse but I stopped him.
"No! No…it's fine. You just…surprised me is all." I couldn't very well let him walk while I rode his horse now could I? I could suck it up and sit behind him. He looked doubtful. I felt doubtful.
"Are you sure, my Lady? I will gladly dismount if it makes you more comfortable."
"I'm sure," I said decisively and forced myself to smile at him. He nodded hesitantly.
"Alright. Tell me immediately if you should change your mind. You will have to hold on." I took a couple of deep breaths then slid my arms around his waist, holding onto my right wrist with my left hand. "Are you ready?" I nodded. He gave me one last assessing glance before turning back to the front and nudging to horse into a light trot.
After what I guessed was about two hours of riding I couldn't bear the silence any longer.
"So what do you do?" I blurted out. He started slightly and glanced round at me briefly before facing forward again.
"Do, my Lady?" he enquired.
"Well," I reasoned, "presumably you don't just spend all your time sitting in the forest waiting for some random girl to call for help so you can go save her? That would be kind of strange if you did. You must have a job or something?" He chuckled.
"No, I can assure that last night was something of an exception. There are rarely maidens wandering alone in the forest that need to be rescued. I am a Ranger of the North."
"A what?" I queried, puzzled. I somehow didn't think he was one of those park rangers that flipped if someone left litter lying around.
"A great many years ago there was a mighty kingdom in Middle Earth, known as Arnor. That kingdom was destroyed in a terrible war, taken over by evil and most of its people died or fled. All that remained were the hobbits of the Shire, a few villages of men, of which Bree is one and us. Rangers are the descendants of the original people of that kingdom, though very few of us remain." he explained.
"Wait, so you're saying that you're not actually a man?" I said somewhat alarmed. He laughed.
"We are men, though we are blessed with lives many times longer than the average man." I narrowed my eyes.
"So how old are you then?" He looked mid twenties to thirty at the most. He paused before answering and I wondered if I'd just broken some kind of taboo.
"I am 87 years, my Lady." I gaped. No way could he be that old! He should be shuffling around with a walking stick and playing cards, not running about the forest saving people.
"Seriously?" I squeaked.
"Yes," he replied, sounding a little puzzled. I realised that it was probably a strange question to him and I should maybe try and avoid expressions like that, which didn't seem to be common here. "And may I enquire as to your age, my Lady?"
"Um, I'm seventeen," I said, feeling my answer was a little pathetic. We were silent for a while. "So anyway, what does a Ranger actually do?"
"We fight the evil that continues to plague what was once our lands," he declared solemnly.
"Yeah, that's all well and good but how do you actually, y'know, make money to live off and stuff?" I asked, still not grasping how his noble lifestyle actually allowed him to survive.
"Well," he answered carefully, "Most of the time I can live off the land, so to speak. If I were to need coin I can offer my healing skills in villages, though I would not refuse to heal those who could not pay. It is also possible to hunt and exchange what I have caught for that which I need. My father also provides much when I return home." I nodded as I listened, even though he couldn't see me. All of this made him sound very noble and trustworthy, but surely no one could be this…good?
"So, where did the elvish bread come from?" I asked.
"I have been to many far flung places these last few months, scouting the growing dangers of this land." I shuddered at his solemn tone. "I stopped at the realm of Mirkwood upon my return journey. The elves there supplied me with it. 'Tis always a useful thing to carry."
"Oh. What dangers were you scouting?" I asked with some trepidation.
"There is much I cannot tell you for it is a well kept secret of this land, known to only a few as much of it has been buried and forgotten and must stay that way to prevent panic and chaos spreading throughout the land. And besides I do not wish to alarm you. Perhaps later, I will tell you."
His unspoken, "When I've figured out if you can be trusted," hung in the air but I didn't blame him. I still wasn't feeling to trusting myself. I decided a change of subject was for the best. But before I could speak the horse stumbled, probably because of the slight incline we were on. The small gap between us, which I had managed to put there with a lot of backward wriggling, was abruptly closed as I slid forward. I tried to muffle the frightened yelp but it was no good, he must have heard it. He stopped the horse and turned quickly to face me.
"My Lady, what's wrong?" he asked urgently.
"Nothing, I'm sorry, it's fine," I babbled as tears welled in my eyes. I tried to protest as he swung himself down from the horse but all that came out a soft sob. I stared at my hands and willed the tears not to fall.
"My Lady," came his soft voice. I flicked my eyes in his direction and saw he was staring at me with some concern, "Why don't you dismount and we will rest a while?"
"I don't want to hold you up," I muttered to my hands.
"We have made good time this morning. There is more than enough time to stop for lunch." I nodded and squared my shoulders then realised I didn't know how to get down. I looked at him a bit helplessly. He smiled, "Rest you hands in front of you and then swing your far leg over the back of the horse. I will support your waist, if that is alright?" I nodded and took a deep breath before doing as he said. My heart lurched when his large hands caught me waist to ease my descent to the ground. He quickly released me and busied himself getting water from the saddle bags. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked. I shook my head and took a deep breath,
"I'm sorry," I rushed out, "It's just that when I bumped into you I couldn't help but remember-"
"You do not need to apologise, my Lady," he said, holding up his hand, "It is a perfectly natural reaction." he handed me the water and I took a drink and handed it back before turning away slightly and trying to discretely wipe my eyes.
"Thanks," I muttered, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
"My Lady," he started haltingly, sounding strangely nervous, "I know you probably have little reason to trust me, but I wish you to know that I, nor any other man of honour, would never treat you as you were treated last night. I was raised to respect women and treat them as ladies, as friends, to be cherished not as….as objects of lust. Orc's are foul creatures but I would not have hesitated to stop a man from doing what was about to be done to you last night." He ended his speech, looking anywhere but at me. I stared in surprise.
"Oh, Strider I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to believe I thought so little of you! I may not trust you yet but I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and I can tell your not….like that. You've been nothing but kind to me and I know I'm probably not coming across as very grateful but I am, I just…" I trailed off, not knowing how to convey how I felt. Strider however looked relieved.
"You cannot begin to imagine how it pleases me to hear that, my Lady," he said with a smile. We both sat down against a tree, facing each other.
"You really don't have to call me 'My Lady' all the time you know," I said. He frowned.
"It is the proper way to address you," he replied.
"Not where I come from. No one gets called 'My Lady' there. Lily really would do fine," I said hopefully.
"Lily," he tried doubtfully. "If you're sure it's what you would prefer…" I nodded enthusiastically. "Alright then, at least until we are in the company of others, where it would appear disrespectful," he agreed. I shrugged and accepted the deal with a smile. We sat in comfortable silence for a short while before he declared that we should set off again. He helped me back onto to Annael then took the reins and started to head forward.
"Hey!" I protested, "You can't walk the whole way while I sit up here."
"I think it is for the best. I do not wish make this difficult for you."
"No, no, no I'll be fine," I insisted, feeling a little more sure about it this time, "Please, I can't take your horse from you and besides I'm sure I'll fall off if I don't have something to hang on to!" I reasoned. He smiled.
"If you're sure…" I nodded firmly.
"I'm sure," I said. With that he swung himself into the saddle and we were off towards Bree.