Chapter 16
Word came to Aragorn as he broke his fast the next morning that the two Halflings were awake. "Are they well enough to partake of the celebration we have prepared for them?" Aragorn asked.
"Indeed, my lord," the messenger replied. "They seem to be fully recovered and in good health."
Aragorn nodded, then gave word for the preparations to begin.
~o~o~
Sometime later Aragorn looked around, pleased with how everything had turned out.
Three seats had been built of long grasses and reeds cut from the banks of the nearby Anduin, placed so that their backs were toward Cair Andros. The flags of Rohan and Dol Amroth had been planted behind two of the seats, but behind the centre seat stood the banner of the Kings of Gondor.
A sudden cheer and rattling of weapons filled the air, and Aragorn took that to be his cue. As he sat down with Andúril across his knees the soldiers and others who were with him gathered around. But just as soon as they had gathered they parted, forming an aisle between them. And at the farther end of that aisle Aragorn saw Frodo and Sam.
Their faces were red with embarrassment, but their embarrassment turned to surprise when they saw him. The Hobbits were even more surprised when Aragorn sat them on either side of him and a minstrel came forth to sing in their honour.