We rode for what seemed like hours and with every passing minute I felt more comfortable around Strider. I was convinced now that he wasn't a kidnapper! No one could fake being this genuinely nice. As the day wore on he seemed to get more comfortable around me, or at least loosened up enough to make conversation willingly, instead of just responding when I spoke. I couldn't decide if his hesitance was because of some weird custom about men and women here or whether he just didn't know what to say to a potentially vulnerable girl (I had just been attacked!) from a strange place.
Whatever it was he seemed to have got passed it and had thoroughly opened up, telling me all about this "Middle Earth" place and asking about my home in return. I had learnt that there were elves and dwarves here as well as humans and he told me a little about them and there homes.
The elvish places sounded lovely and Strider got a sort of longing far away tone when he spoke of them, particularly Rivendell. I learned that he had grown up there, raised by Lord Elrond, his father. I got the impression he didn't want to talk about that, so I left well enough alone.
The dwarvish places however didn't sound so appealing. There was something about being underground that just wasn't inviting, though Strider assured me that you could barely tell. All the mining they did paid off and they could afford to make glorious halls.
Part of me wondered how he had seen, or least knew so much of so many places but when I asked he laughed it off,
"As I mentioned before my L- Lily, I am well travelled."
In return he asked me about my home and it's fair to say, much of it left him a bit incredulous! I had figured out this place wasn't nearly as advanced as home. The whole concept of electric lights seemed to amaze him and photographs caused extreme wonder. At least I think they did, he was pretty good at staying impassive but for the odd slip. I was just trying to explain about cars as the sun got low in the sky and we reached the edge of the woods.
"I don't really know exactly how they work but they're much quicker than horses!" I concluded. Strider chuckled.
"Perhaps, but I feel a living beast is a much safer ride than metal and flammable liquid." Well when he put it like that I couldn't really argue. "We have arrived at Bree." He seemed to hesitate, "I should warn you that our travelling arrangement is most unusual and will most likely be frowned upon. I cannot promise you will not be judged harshly but I will do my utmost to ensure they are corrected. And please, do try and ignore those who may wish to…hire you. I will…deal with them."
Hire me? What did he mean hir- Oh. So everyone was going to think I was Strider's whore and would try and get him to pimp me out. How nice. Well at least he wasn't going to be having any of that nonsense from the sounds of it. Though having grown up in one of the rougher areas I was pretty sure I had probably already heard worse at school than I was likely to get here!
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," I assured him. He nodded silently and nudged the horse forward toward the large open gate. Just after we passed through it swung shut with an almighty thud. Must be some kind of safety thing at night I guess.
Strider guided us along what I guessed was the main street. We didn't see many people, but those that were out glanced at him then kept their heads bowed, as if they were scared of him. We turned off the main road next to an inn called "Great Oak" and approached a small outhouse that I presumed was stables. Strider swung himself down from he saddle then turned to help me down, once again steadying my wobbly descent. I was incredibly stiff and sore after sitting on a horse all day. A boy I took to be a few years younger than me approached.
"Will ye be wantin' tae stable yer horse, milord?" he queried cautiously. Strider nodded with a slight smile and flipped the boy a coin, which caused his face to brighten immensely. "At once, milord, why don't ye go inside, I'll take real good care o' yer horse!" Strider chuckled and gestured for me to follow him to the Inn. As we walked in there was a drop in volume and everyone turned to stare at us. It seemed like a typical old man pub, where the locals didn't like anyone new coming in. Strider ignored this and went straight to the bar.
"Two rooms please," He said politely but firmly. The man behind the bar glared at each of us in turn.
"Who's this?" He spat. What wonderful customer service…
"This is Lady Lily. I am escorting her on her journey," Strider replied mildly, "Two rooms please."
"Aye, and where might she be goin'?" the barman scoffed.
"That is none of your business. Now two rooms, or shall we take our business elsewhere?" Strider said, a threatening edge creeping into his voice. The man grumbled to himself.
"Aye, well yer damn right it'll be two rooms, and ye can each stay in yer own. There'll be none o' that in MY Inn. This here place is a respectable establishment!" I barely contained snort of disbelief, causing Strider to glance sharply at me, clearly telling me to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn't help goggling at the man. He genuinely seemed to believe that I was Strider's mistress or something. Back home we'd probably have got a wink, not a telling off. And I would hardly call a place like this respectable. It was dark and dingy and the few customers that weren't glaring at us were leering at us. Definitely none of that then.
The charming innkeeper slammed two sets of keys down and told to go upstairs down the corridor and turn right. Apparently we were the only guests. Shocker… And despite insisting that his inn was respectable he gave rooms as far from his quarters as possible and next door to each other. Strider asked him to bring up food and water for a bath to which he huffily agreed. I had a feeling we wouldn't have got a room at all if it wasn't for the fact the despite all his bravado the man was obviously wary of Strider. Then again everyone seemed to feel that way. I wondered why, trying to figure out if I had made the wrong decision and would have been better on my own in the woods.
We made our way upstairs, where Strider handed me a key, gave me a faint smile and promptly vanished into his room. I blinked rather stupidly at where he had been standing before going into my own room. To my surprise and delight the room was rather cosy, nothing like the bar downstairs. I sat on the bed and found it to be very soft and inviting. I was seriously considering a nap when there was a knock at the door. I crossed the room and opened the door cautiously. A young girl about my age stood there smiling at me, with two older women behind her who were sneering.
"We have your bath water, miss!" the girl in front chirped.
"Oh right, sorry, come in!" I said wondering how I had failed to notice the huge pails of steaming water they carried. They emptied the water into the tin tub in one corner and the two older women left immediately but the younger girl lingered.
"Will you be wanting anything laundered, miss?" she queried, glancing around, trying to find my belongings. I sighed wistfully. Clean clothes would be brilliant but I didn't have anything except what Strider had lent me.
"No," I said, "I don't have any other clothes with me." The girl gasped, as if this offended her.
"Well that won't do at all. I have plenty of spare things you can have!"
"Oh, no you don't have to do that!" I tried to protest but she was already ushering me out of my clothes and towards the tub of steaming water. Apparently modesty between the same sex didn't exist here, but was extreme between men and women. I heard her soft gasp as I unwrapped the bandage and she took in the bruise but, thankfully, she said nothing. She didn't seem like someone who would easily lose an argument though and I soon found myself naked and in the bath, while she scooped up my clothes to have them cleaned by tomorrow and promised to return soon with some clothes for me. A bit bemused I settled back into the water which I had to admit felt lovely. I rinsed my hair and scrubbed with the soap they had left. I was just starting to doze when she slipped back into the room.
"I found these things for you, miss," she said softly, "I'll just leave them here by your towel."
"Thank you," I replied, genuinely as she made to leave, "Wait, what's your name?" I asked.
"Eleanor, miss," she replied.
"I'm Lily," I told her, "It's nice to meet you." She smiled, then an uncertain look crept into her eye. "Go on," I sighed, "You can ask." I presumed she wanted to know how I got the massive bruise on my side.
"It's just…well I know it's not really my place to say but if that man you arrived with did this to you and he's taken you from your home, we could help you. I know my father's not always the most welcoming but he is a good man and-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I cut off her ramble with a laugh. How ironic. She thought I had been kidnapped by the guy I almost called a kidnapper. "Strider didn't do this," I said, gesturing to my ribs. She looked doubtful. "Really," I insisted, "Look, keep this to yourself, but I was attacked by an Orc the day before yesterday and Strider saved me. That's where I got the injuries." Her eyes widened
"I'd heard the Orcs were spreading but I barely believed it," she murmured softly then flushed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." I shook my head.
"It's fine. It was nice of you to care."
"I should go back down and help father. Please let me know if I can be of any help." she said. I smiled,
"Thank you. And thank you for the clothes." She nodded and left quietly while I pondered how the grumpy old man downstairs had produced such a sweet girl.
Once the water started to get cold and my fingers and toes were wrinkled I reluctantly climbed out of the bath and wrapped myself in the soft towel Eleanor had left and ran the brush through my hair. I and picked up the clothes, which I discovered was a plain but pretty burgundy dress. I liked dressing up as much as the next girl but I rarely did it. And trousers were much more comfortable but I supposed that wearing a dress would help me fit in here. All the women I had seen wore dresses.. There was a knock at the door. Assuming it was Eleanor, I absently called out,
"Come in." The door opened to reveal not Eleanor but Strider. I squeaked.
"I just came to-" he started before cutting himself off with a choking noise when he spotted me wearing only a towel. He went rather red and slammed the door. I closed my eyes in humiliation before quickly putting the undergarments on and shrugging into the dress before hurrying to the door, where I practically ran into him hovering out there.
"Sorry, sorry," I gasped, "I assumed you were Eleanor!"
"No, no, I should be the one to apologize, I-"
"Forget it," I said quickly. He smiled awkwardly and we stood for a moment before he remembered the purpose of the visit.
"I just came to check on your injuries."
"Oh. Okay. Come in." We walked into the room and he softly told me to sit on the bed before sitting beside me and gesturing for me to turn my head away. Gentle fingers parted my wet hair and prodded and the cut, I winced. It was still a bit tender. He murmured an apology before removing his hands.
"It will be fine," he said. The cut on my neck was practically healed and I sighed at his pointed look before, wriggling out of the sleeves and pulling the top half of my dress down. I winced as his hand came into contact with it and had to bite my lip to stop myself complaining. "I'm sorry," he said. He sure does apologize a lot. Maybe it's just because he still doesn't know how I'm going to react. "I should have applied this salve earlier, but I forgot I had it with me. It will ease the pain and speed up the healing process."
"Oh. Alright then," I nodded. He carefully opened the tub in his hand and applied some of the cream to my bruise. I had to admit it felt nice, soothing on my ribs. Once he was done he re-wrapped me firmly in a fresh bandage.
"Thanks," I muttered, looking at my hands, neither of us quite over the awkwardness. He nodded slightly then stood up.
"Dinner will be in the dining room at the end of the hall, probably in about fifteen minutes." I nodded and he left quickly.
But I did notice that it was only embarrassing when he checked me over. It wasn't really scary anymore. Apparently a good cry was exactly what I needed to start getting passed what happened with the orc. I was going to be fine. I had decided. I was lucky to have found someone willing to help me. I was going to be just fine.
When I judged it to be fifteen minutes later I left my room and walked the short distance to the end of the hall and found Strider already in the dining room. I smiled and went to the table where he pulled out my chair for me.
"Thank you," I said surprised. Apparently chivalry really isn't dead. At least here. I was all for equality but there was no reason for the two to be mutually exclusive!
Just as we sat down, the door open and one of the women who had brought the water came in with two plates, slammed them onto the table and marched out again.
"Wow. Real friendly here, huh?" I commented. Strider chuckled.
"I did warn you they would be hostile."
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would be so open!" We started on the meal and were silent for a while, consumed by the food. Thankfully the hostility didn't seem to extend to the food. Unless they had spat in it I suppose…Once we had eaten Strider struck up conversation.
"Tell me more about your home." Now there was a leading gambit.
"What do you want to know?" I asked.
"What is a woman's role? You do not act like the woman of Middle Earth. You are more confident, do not fear to speak your mind, even when it would be better to remain silent!" He chuckled , his eyes twinkling. I assumed he was remembering having to shut me up in the bar earlier. "It intrigues me."
"Well, woman aren't so different from men in my world. We do all the same jobs and can be totally independent of men. Here, it seems like women stay at home and look after the children and are generally protected and sheltered. At home that's considered really old fashioned. And guys like you are really, REALLY rare. No one does the whole chair thing you did earlier and no one is that polite all the time. Most men are generally a lot more….crude."
He looked a bit shocked. I guess his customs are different from mine.
"So men and woman are equals?"
"Pretty much," I shrugged, "You still get a lot of egotistical, sexist males though! Why?" I wondered if he was going to say how awful that was and if he did, whether I was up for an argument on feminism. I wasn't against it, of course, I just wasn't a hardcore feminist. Equality is great but being treated with respect, like a lady is too. Like the way Strider acts.
"It is just curious. You are right in your assumptions about the women of Middle Earth. I wonder sometimes if we ought not to give them more of a voice. Some of the smartest people I know are women and I fear we miss a lot of knowledge by excluding them. Of course some are also painfully dull and only interested in embroidery!" He flushed a little as he said this. It was probably not a common opinion. I grinned,
"That's very modern of you. Can I ask you something?"
"You just did," he stated with a grin. I rolled my eyes. I was beginning to think I might have preferred when he was overly formal. "But ask away!"
"Is your name really Strider?" I asked. He laughed.
"No it is not. That is a name I was given long ago."
" 'Cause you walk so fast?" I asked smartly. Even though we hadn't walked that much I could tell he was fast. Though his height gave him an unfair advantage. I was only five foot two and he towered over me by about a foot and a half.
"Yes, because I could travel long distances quickly," he chuckled. I waited for him to elaborate.
"So?" I said exasperated. He raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. "What's your real name?" He hesitated,
"If I tell you, you must not reveal it to anyone," he said.
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"There are those who would seek me out for the wrong reasons," he stated carefully.
"Alright," I agreed, "I won't say a word," I promised.
"My true name is Aragorn. Although," he mused, "My father, that is my foster father, Lord Elrond called me Estel. It is elvish for Hope."
"How many names does one person need?" I queried. He laughed. "So Lord Elrond isn't your actual father then?"
"No. My father died when I was two and my mother took me to Rivendell for protection. She died soon after. Lord Elrond raised me as his own son."
"I'm sorry," I said softly, knowing how much being an orphan could hurt. I almost asked what he needed protection from but decided against it. He looked as though he had already revealed more than he wanted so I allowed him to deflect the attention to me.
"What about your family. Surely they will be worried about you by now?" I snorted. How unladylike of me.
"Both my parents are dead and my step dad doesn't really give a damn. I doubt he's noticed I'm gone yet. My boss might start to wonder when I don't turn up for work tomorrow though…" I trailed off.
"It appears we are more alike than it at first seemed. Though you appear to have gotten a poor deal. My foster father definitely…ah…'gives a damn'." I had to laugh at the modern phrase coming from his mouth.
"Ah well," I said, "Let's talk about something more cheerful! What fairytales do you have here?" He grinned and briefly recounted a tale about an elf and a man who fell in love. Once upon a time an happily ever after, not so different. In return I told him about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which made him laugh.
"I'm afraid dwarves are rarely so good natured. 'Grumpy' is probably the most accurate representation!" he said. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. The hobbits are heading for the Prancing Pony across the road and I must go and look out for them, though I do not expect they will arrive until at least tomorrow."
"Wait, why are we staying here if they're across the road?" I asked.
"Because, if it should be discovered who they are, the hobbits will need somewhere to hide." I wondered who they could need to hide from.
"Can I come with you?"
"No. Stay here and rest." I frowned and went to argue but he cut me off. "Please. You must recover fully and a proper nights rest is the best way. You can come tomorrow night." I considered this. That bed did seem awfully inviting.
"Promise?" I requested. He smiled.
"I promise. Goodnight, Lily."
"Night, Stri- Aragorn," I replied as he slipped silently out the door.