Chapter Six: I Will Never Forget

Elrohir and Glorfindel stepped away, turning their backs on the sobbing lady. "Let her be, for a moment," said the elf-lord. "She must release some tears now, if she is to go through with the tasks ahead."

"She is not too loud, barely those terrible sobs," whispered Elrohir. "But we must be close by, forbearing a turn for the worse."

"In truth, there is no time now for further mourning," said Glorfindel. He signaled to Elladan to come. "My lady," he turned again to her, "you must take your son now, and help him make his proper farewell to his sire."

"How so?" she asked, tears on her fair face. "Must he see? What will happen to him, to his little heart?" she sobbed anew, distraught.

"How can we know?" wondered Elrohir. "In all his life this child has never received a blow struck to the heart. He has never known sadness…but now it falls to his lot."

"Would you have him calling on the Lord Arathorn day and night until his heart were worn down by a father's denial?" Glorfindel spoke straight into the midst of her grief. "It is far worse, I believe, to be haunted by an emptiness than by an early encounter with loss brought about by calamity."

"I understand, Master," said Gilraen brokenly. "He must say goodbye. And so must I, is it not so?"

"Stand firm, my lady," said Elrohir. "We are here with you."

Elladan came forward with the boy in his arms, now fully awake. "Put him down, my friend," said Gilraen with a faint show of strength. She held her arms out to the boy. "Come to me, my son. Come, Aragorn," she said.

The boy slipped into her embrace, though alert to the strange feelings about him. He understood few of the words spoken, and he had never seen his mother's sweet face so ravaged. And there was something more, large, fearsome… Gilraen looked into his eyes and said softly, "My son, your father is here."

"Dada?" said the boy, brightening. "Where is Dada?"

"He is here, but he is hurt. Hurt very, very hurt. He is still, and speaks not," her voice cracked a bit, but she went on. "You may see him, and touch him and call to him, but he will not answer." The boy looked at her strangely. "Will you see him?" she asked finally. The child nodded. "Come, then. Give me your hand."

She rose and turned, and suddenly before Aragorn's eyes was his father outstretched on a risen platform. "Dada!" he said, reaching forward. Gilraen restrained him only barely, and let him approach the body. "Dada, wake up!" he shook his father, then turned to his mother. "Dada is sleeping," he said, lowering his voice.

"Your father will sleep here for many, many days. He will not awaken." Her face crumpled, and new tears streamed from her eyes.

"Why?" whispered the little boy.

"He is very, very hurt, my son," she said with great effort.

"Hurt where?" asked the boy, searching the hands, the neck, the face. "Here?" he asked suddenly, pulling at the scarf.

Elladan jumped forward and stopped the child's hand. "Yes, Aragorn. Your father is hurt there. But do not move the scarf," he knelt and turned the child to face him, still holding the little hand. "You must not look at the hurt. It is very bad and you will be sick. And all of us, as well."

"Momo?" he turned to Gilraen. "You are so sad. Are you sick?"

"I am sad, my love. And I am sick." Her legs seemed to give way beneath her, and she sat on the cave floor next to the mound. She leaned her cheek against her dead husband's thigh. "I would stay here, truly…"

"I will wait, too," said Aragorn, sitting down next to her. "We will wait for Dada to wake up." She turned to him, sudden guilt in her mien.

"Get up, Gilraen," said Glorfindel abruptly. "This must go another way. There is no time for hovering between two minds. More is at stake here than you can dream of."

She rose, holding the little boy's hand, and nodded. "Command me, Master. I do not know what to do, so I will be ruled by you…" she trailed off, miserably.

"We must go, my dear," said the elf-lord. "Make your farewell." He moved away, a gesture of his hand to call the twins to follow. They spoke in low tones by the mouth of the cave.

Gilraen stood before Arathorn's body. "I will firstly bless you, my lord, for your fine life, as a husband to me, as a father to Aragorn, as a chieftain to our people; as a son to your dear father, so lately lost, himself; as a brother and companion to all who ever shared your path. I know you are here now, my lord, though in a divided fashion: the strong body I so adored, in which you walked and spoke and loved and gave battle, is made still and will return soon to the matter of which Arda is made. I only can stand it because I know that soon enough, I, too, will cross into this state and my bones will go to the earth as yours are to go, now. Within this cranium, violated by an enemy's blow, there have been great thoughts and visions which are now stilled… Within this wide breast there has beaten a brave heart, and quickened a passionate lover, and counseled the ruler of a sad and lonely people, and now no more… From these gonads has sprung this bright child, and the tiny promise of a girl that seems to die with you, and many more would have sprouted like shoots in the springtime… and we would have had our large table full of laughter, sons and daughters, in this favored time… So is the course of your flesh cut short, my lord, and with it the workings of your greatness: you are now in the realm of memory. But I know, too, that there is more to you than this great strong frame, my love, and that this spirit body cannot be seen by my eye nor heard by my ear… barely can I feel it in my heart, and weakly… I do know that you know me still, and that your love is with me always; that you suffer not, and would spare us the tears and pain. You now understand the mystery, and you rest at ease knowing that we all will arrive in our time. I must live with this faith for the time given to me, and trust in the Gift of Iluvatar to his Second-born. Yes, Arathorn, I will bring your son to manhood, and then pray for passage to your side. I will go, now, and never see your face and hands again, and in all my grief I cannot refrain from raising my voice to give thanks for each of the days and minutes, perhaps very few, that we walked hand-in-hand in this life. Goodbye, my love. Rest you in peace."

She bent low and kissed her husband one long, last time, then turned to go. She met with a level gaze from little Aragorn. "My son, kiss your father with a big, big kiss, and say goodbye. We must go, and he will stay here. We must." She nearly flinched from the hard look in his gray eyes, heretofore sparkling and merry.

The boy turned again towards the body. "Dada," he said, placing a small hand on the large one. "Cold," he said, "hands cold." He looked to his mother in question, then back to his unmoving father. "Dada is not sleeping. Dada is not here. What is this, Momo?" he looked coldly at her again.

"This is death, my son. You had never seen it." Gilraen looked as though her heart were totally wrung through at last.

"Aragorn!" called Elladan. "Come, little cousin. You must see to Rogarin."

The boy turned to them, and said in a strange little voice, "Rogarin?"

"Yes, indeed. You must take care of him, now. He will be your horse, and then he will not miss his master and be sad." The elf held out his hand to the child. "Will you be the friend and rider of your father's horse?"

"I will," said Aragorn, and went outside with Elladan. Glorfindel and the other twin flanked Gilraen as she stepped out into the morning light, streaming at last down through the thick boughs of pine. She turned back for a final look, but the interior of the cave was hidden from view. Several men were standing by, near a large pile of rocks they had brought to block up the entrance to the tomb. As she moved away, they began placing the stones.

Three men, two rangers and an elf, called to Glorfindel from the side of the clearing. He left Gilraen with a word, and hurried to them. They were holding an object in a cloth, at the sight of which Glorfindel stiffened and turned his face for a moment. "This arrow must be destroyed in fire, but not here," he said. "Wrap it and we will carry it from this clearing, to be burned far away. Nothing must reveal the place where he sleeps. Many years will pass before any may come here again."

"After the entrance is solidly blocked, we will cause a landspill from above," said one of the rangers. "Earth will cover the rocks, and soon green growth will sprout to guard our chieftain's rest forever. He will never be molested, my lord Glorfindel" he said, as they returned to the company around Gilraen. He bowed his knee to her. "My lady."

"My thanks to you, dear Haldabar, for this and for all the services ever you rendered to my lord," she said, taking his hand and raising him. "I must go now, but I will see you again, soon…" Gilraen looked to Glorfindel in question.

"Yes, my dear," he said, "part of the company will remain to finish this work, and the rest will ride with us to Rivendell at once." He led her to the shadowy woods where the horses were tethered, and they saw that Aragorn was already there, speaking seriously and quietly to Rogarin. The great horse carried his head low, and seemed to be listening attentively to the boy.

"Momo," he turned to her, "we will ride on Rogarin, you and I."

Glorfindel started to speak, but the twins signaled him nay. "If it is not with the boy, the beast will not leave this place," Elladan whispered. "Already he has agreed to be handled by those small hands, and only now has he found some peace."

"Are you strong enough, my lady?" asked Glorfindel seriously. "We must ride hard, so if you feel faint it would be best you ride with me, or with one of the twins."

"And who would ride Rogarin with Aragorn?" she asked. "No, Master, I believe this is the best mount I could have. Arathorn was one with him, and he will carry me safely. Both of us," she amended.

"Then drink of this, my lady," said Elrohir, holding out a leather pouch. "It will warm and sustain you for the ride." She took the pouch and sipped carefully, then lifted it to swallow more. "That is enough, I believe," the elf said hastily as she gulped twice more. "Too much will make your blood run hot, and we can't have that…" he trailed off, a bit embarrassed, and took back the pouch.

"Thank you, cousin," she said gravely, though with a shadow of a smile. "Of a sudden I was so hungry and thirsty, but now I feel quite strong already." She turned to the great horse, and put her face against his neck. "Rogarin," she whispered, "it is you and I and the boy now. We must leave our lord here in the mountain, and you must carry us forth." The animal nickered low and shuddered, but turned to nuzzle her hand. She stroked him again, then turned to the stirrup. With a swift movement, she was up before any could assist her. "Come, Aragorn," she said, bending down and holding out her arms. "Up with me." Elrohir jumped forward and lifted the child to the horse's back. He was settled before his mother in a moment, and the elf checked all straps and buckles, the bit and bridle. He whispered a word in the animal's ear.

"If you feel him begin to slump, we will stop and you may bind him to you," he said to Gilraen. "But I believe he is well enough now, for a while." He patted the boy's leg. "Are you not, little cousin?"

"I am," said Aragorn simply. It was hard to know how much he understood of all that was happening, but he sat steadily and tugged reassuringly at Rogarin's mane.

All were mounted quickly, and the company moved out with barely a sound. The hooves were muffled by the carpet of pine needles on the forest floor, and an owl hooted in the branches above. "Goodbye," breathed Gilraen in a thought. "I will never forget, never…"