CHAPTER 4
MINAS TIRITH
Samantha's POV
We rode well into the night. The air was chilly and Hasufel and Mikayla were beginning to have trouble keeping up with a seemingly tireless Shadowfax. Pippin was asleep, Gandalf's arm wrapped protectively around him. Boromir was drowsy and I could barely keep my eyes open. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't, not on the back of a horse.
"Gandalf," I yawned, "Can we please settle down for the night?"
"No," he replied, "We mustn't linger, there are important things that need to be done."
I groaned, the second day was coming to an end and we had not had any rest. I needed sleep…and when I don't get sleep, I become very easily annoyed. Eventually, it got to the point where I could no longer keep my eyes open. I slowly nodded off and went to sleep. When I awoke the next morning, I was surprised to find myself still on Hasufel's back.
"We've just passed into the Realm of Gondor." Gandalf reported.
"Good." I said. We rode on until just passed midday when a beautiful white city grew closer ahead of us.
"Minas Tirith, my home, the City of Kings." Boromir said, looking at me with a smile. I smiled back.
"It's beautiful." I said.
He chuckled, "You've not even seen anything yet." We headed through the streets; surprising people and making them jump aside as our horse went through.
"Boromir." Came murmurs form the crowd, "It's Boromir, he has returned!"
Soon, we arrived in what appeared to be a courtyard of some sort, dismounted, leaving the guards to tend to the horses. A white tree stood alone in the courtyard.
"The White Tree," Pippin exclaimed, "Gandalf, Gandalf!"
"Yes, the white tree of Gondor; the tree of the king." Gandalf replied. We began to walk toward the entrance of a hall. "Lord Denethor, however, is not the King. He is a steward only. A caretaker of the throne." He then turned back to Pippin and I and said softly, "Be careful what you say…..hold your tongue….and do not mention Frodo . . . Or the Ring . . . And say nothing of Aragorn either. Finally, don't say anything that might offend him….in fact it might just be better if you say nothing at all." We nodded and headed inside- Gandalf, Pippin, me, and then Boromir. Before us was a long solemn hall with rows of black pillars made of marble, between them, were great kings carved in stone. At the very end, on top of a series of large steps stood an empty throne, below it, in a stone chair, sat and old man gazing at something in his lap. I squinted and recognized it, Boromir's war horn. He did not look up as we approached.
"Hail, Denethor, Son of Ecthelion, lord and steward of Gondor….I come with tidings in this dark hour-and with council." Gandalf said.
Denethor slowly drew up his head, revealing cold grey eyes, so much like Boromir's, but full of nothing but cold darkness. Boromir's eyes were bright, but his were dull.
"Perhaps you've come to explain this," Denethor held up Boromir's broken horn. "perhaps you've come to tell me why my son is dead?"
I looked at Boromir, he said nothing nor did he move. "Boromir." I whispered. He was staring out into space. I nudged him, "Boromir!" I said. He looked at me.
"What? Oh…" He stepped forward. "Father, it's me, it's Boromir, your son." Denethor looked at him intently, and gave him a look-over. "I am seeing things," he said, "You are dead, what I see before me is just a figment of my imagination, a hallucination, nothing." Boromir looked at him, hurt in his eyes. How could a father say such a thing!
"It's not you…because I specifically told you not to come back until you were in possession of that Ring. I do not want you here. Go. Leave now. I do not want to deal with this illusion anymore." My mouth gaped open and a narrowed my eyes. I stormed forward.
"Sam!" Gandalf whispered, bidding me to stay back. I ignored him; I was too fuming now to even care. Denethor pissed me off! I crossed my arms and glared at him, "With all due respect, steward Boromir is not an illusion, he is real, and standing here, right next to me. Look," I slugged Boromir hard in his arm.
"Ow." He said quietly, clutching it.
"If he were a figment, like you say, he would not have been able to feel that, heck, I would not have been able to do that unless I actually see him. He is alive and it is wrong of you to say those kind of things," my voice had risen and was getting louder, "I was there. I saved him. I fought and army of orcs by myself so he wouldn't have to die! I almost died myself! But who cares about me, look at him!" I indicated Boromir, by now, screaming, "And Faramir…..all they try to do is be the best men they can be and you turn around, and treat them like this! And for you to say ""It's not you…because I specifically told you not to come back until you were in possession of that Ring. I do not want you here. Go. Leave now." I mimicked, "Is horribly wrong and terrible! If my mom ever said such a thing to me….I would run away and never come back! No wonder why they left, no wonder why….." I trailed off, I was too red-hot and fuming to say anything more, "GOD DANG IT!" I screamed. I stomped my foot hard onto the floor and it echoed throughout the hall, "GOD DANG IT!"
"SAMANTHA!" Gandalf exclaimed. I froze and fell silent, realizing all that I had just said. I looked at Gandalf and Boromir, who stood in awe and shock, and to Pippin, who was hiding, trembling, behind the shelter of Gandalf's robes. I backed up, still fuming, but biting my tongue. There was a long uncomfortable silence. I just screamed at the Steward of Gondor, Boromir and Faramir's father, what have I done! I was in trouble now.
Denethor did not yell, instead, he kept his voice low and menacing. "Leave. Now. Do not return until she apologizes for the way she treated me." Gandalf nodded and dipped his head, "Very well. I take my leave." He turned and headed out of the hall followed by the three of us. We were escorted by the guards to our room. At once, I ran in through the door and face-planted onto the bed and began to bawl. That's really saying something, because I never cry in front of anyone. Millie had seen me cry once, but that was in eighth grade. The others followed.
"What did you think you were…"Gandalf started to yell but he trailed off when he heard me crying. I cried for a full two minutes, but when I had myself somewhat pulled together, I sniffed, sat up on the bed and looked at them with puffy red eyes. I made eye contact with Boromir first, "I'm sorry," I said, "I shouldn't have done that…I just got so mad I…." I began to cry again.
"It's OK," he said calmly, and then chuckled, "I really don't care; he needs someone to set him straight." I managed a small smile and turned to Gandalf.
"I embarrassed you Gandalf, you brought me here to help you, not make things worse….you didn't even get to finish speaking…..I'm really sorry."
"You should be." He replied briskly. I looked at him and cocked my head and raised an eyebrow, not expecting that reaction. Then he smiled and began to laugh, a sound that was music to my ears…he hadn't laughed in such a long time. He was really laughing, like rolling on the floor laughing. "I'm sorry," laugh, laugh, laugh, "You're so small and I didn't expect…." Laugh, laugh, laugh, "Such a loud and boisterous reaction, it's quite alright." I grinned and then looked at Pippin, "I'm really, really sorry Pip, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's alright." He replied. I shot him a reassuring smile and he managed a small one back. I walked over and gave him a hug, really trying to make the apology sincere.
"So...you're not mad?" I asked them.
They shook their heads, "No," Gandalf answered, "But you do know you're going to have to apologize to Lord Denethor."
"Yes, I know." I answered.
"And you will go alone."
I looked up at him with surprise. "Yes." He said. I sighed.
"Well OK." I replied.
It was the middle of the night. I lay under the bedcovers with my hands clasped behind my head, looking up at the blank ceiling with wide-open eyes and unable to sleep. My companions were all asleep. Boromir was asleep on the floor next to the bed on one side, and Gandalf and Pippin on the other side. I tossed and turned until I finally got up and went to the balcony. I folded my arms on top of the railing and looked out across the land. Pellanor Fields below us. I thought I could see, far out in the distance, Edoras and then, directly in front of me, far, far out, stood the towering summit of Mount Doom and Mordor. That's where Millie's going. I thought sadly. I she's OK. I hope nothing bad has happened. I shuddered and pushed that thought I away. She was OK, I knew, because I could feel it in my heart. She had to be OK. "I miss you Mill." I whispered, "And you too Lizzie."
I sighed and began to hum…and then to sing.
I'm staring out into the night, trying to hide the pain
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.
Well, I'm going home, back to the place where I belong
And where your love has always been enough for me
I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home, well I'm going home.
The miles are getting longer, it seems, the closer I get to you
I've not always been the best girl or friend for you
But your love it makes true and I don't know why
You always seem to give me another try
So I'm going home, back to the place where I belong
And where your love has always been enough for me
I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it all
You just might get it all and then some you don't want
Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it all
You just might get it all, yeah
Oh, well I'm going home, back to the place where I belong
And where your love has always been enough for me
I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
I said these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home, I'm going home
I sighed deeply and left the balcony. I suddenly felt very tired, so I departed to our room and settled down. Tomorrow was the first day without Lizzie, the day in which I would have to apologize to the Lord Denethor, the first day in Minas Tirith. I closed my eyes and remembered no more of the day, plunging into a deep sleep.