Never Gonna Give You Up Chapter 10
Hina joined in with Boromir as they cut down the stragglers, but the Orcs had all runaway towards the forest. Hina jumped down next to Legolas. She halted as Éomer ran ahead of them and stopped them from going forward. The men pulled their horses back as Éomer gave them a stern shake of the head.
"Don't go into the forest!" Éomer warned.
Hina didn't understand why they were letting the Uruk-hai retreat when suddenly the trees began groaning and the screams of Orc deaths rang through the air. Hina felt Legolas put a finger under her chin to close her mouth, because it was definitely hanging at the sight in front of her. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen.
"Did… did the um—trees just kill the Uruk-hai?" Hina asked nervously.
"Yes, they did," Legolas replied.
"Remind me to never travel through the forests here," Hina mumbled, not just mildly terrified.
Legolas laughed as he put an arm around her shoulder shaking her against him. This was probably the happiest she'd seen the Elf and it made her laugh too.
"So Legolas-san, how much did you say you were on?" Hina hummed with a glint in her eye.
"Forty-two," he replied with a raised brow.
"Oh, you know not to boast," Hina began as she cleaned her nails idly, "but I'm at four-hundred and five, not counting everyone I blew up with my tags."
He huffed the hair out of his face at that, looking mildly miffed, but Hina just chuckled at his defeat, doing a little victory dance.
"Let's go get Gimli's score," she said excitedly.
"I have no doubt beat him," Legolas replied haughtily.
"We'll see!"
They eventually did find the Dwarf. He was sitting on a dead Orc, smoking his pipe. Hina really wanted to try it now. Everyone around here was on that thing. She smirked as Legolas wiped his arrow, trying to look all cool.
"Final count; Forty-two," Legolas says proudly.
"Forty-two?" Gimli gasps in sarcastic impressment, "That's not bad for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling."
Legolas looks up from his bow with a frown and a raised brow and Hina 'oohs' in interest. Gimli runs his fingers down the length of his spear with a teasing grin on his face.
"I myself am on forty-three," he says haughtily.
Legolas draws out his bow and shoots the Orc from in-between Gimli's legs. The pipe smoking Dwarf looks up in disbelief.
"Forty-three," Legolas says smugly.
"He was already dead!"
"He was twitching," Legolas disagreed.
"He was twitching, because he has my axe embedded in his nervous system!" Gimli shouted back in irritation as he jerked the axe and made the Orc twitch further.
"Although Gimli-san does have a point, let's not forget that I'm on four-hundred and five," Hina added in.
"Ay lass, but you used magic!" Gimli said with a huff. "That's not fair, is it?"
"Life's not fair," Hina retorted. "Now if you excuse me, I need to sniff out a boy."
"Ohh, got yourself a little love?" Gimli asked.
"W-What no! Just a friend!" Hina stuttered out flustered.
"Give him a big smooch for me!" Gimli shouted at her retreating form.
"He's just a friend!" she insisted, throwing her hands in the air as she ran away from the two laughing men.
Despite them joking around, Hina was still worried. She had left Haleth to take care of himself when she went to save Aragorn. She couldn't be by the boy's side the entire time. She was too powerful to stay back and protect just one person when her skills could save countless more. So it was with a great deal of trepidation that she ventured out among the bodies and used her heightened sense of smell to track him down. Eventually she came by the northern gate where she saw him kneeling limp on a body. Hina's heart dropped.
"Haleth-kun!" she shouted.
She grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him up only to realise in complete relief that he was in fact fine. But his hair was a mess and tears stained his eyes. Hina looked down at the body he was crying on, and she understood why. She pulled the crying boy into a hug as he buried his face into her neck with a wail. Hama lay dead in front of her, a large gash running down his chest where the blade had struck him. Hina just let the boy cry for his dead father for a few minutes until his tears died into hiccups.
"I'm so sorry," she apologised.
"It's not your fault," he mumbled as he rubbed the tears from his eyes. "Sorry for crying on you… you must think I'm pathetic."
"I'd think you're pathetic if you didn't cry for a loved one's death," Hina replied back sternly. "Don't ever apologise for grieving."
He nodded but the devastation was still written on his face. She helped pull him to his feet. She clearly remembered the pain of losing her own parents, although that had been a very different experience altogether. They had died by her hands after all. But she knew how much pain she was in, and how much she'd wished for a distraction after that act. Instead she'd been thrown to the police for questioning for three days, and those three days had been a kind of prolonged torture in itself. She would not let Haleth go through that. He deserved closure.
"Come Haleth-kun, we will assist in clearing the dead. They deserve it."
Hina led him to the bodies and began helping the group of men who'd begun to clear the dead from the field. She supposed she had enough energy for one last jutsu for the day and so she helped cart off the dead Uruk-hai to a corner where they had begun dumping the Orc bodies. Haleth could deal with the humans with the other men, but Hina's skills could be used elsewhere. So she left when she saw Gamling piling up the corpses.
"What will we do with the bodies?" Hina asked Gamling.
"We normally burn them," the man replied, as he pulled up his belt and sighed. "You should go and rest my lady. I saw the intensity in which you fought at the bridge. You have done your part."
"Nah I assumed burning Orc flesh isn't good for the ozone layer," Hina joked.
"Ozone layer?" Gamling asked.
"Well… how about I save your men the trouble of dealing with the smell? Just pile them a little closer and let me work my magic," Hina said as she stretched her arms.
Gamling nodded, knowing not to question this oddly terrifying teenager. She had killed so many Uruk-hai she probably had the highest kill count between all the men, and that wasn't counting the devastating bombs she had created with paper. So he ordered the men to pile the bodies closer and then she told them to stand back.
Hina placed a seal on the ground and then another on each side and then took a moment to rip an orc arm off before using the blood from the appendage to draw a circle around the papers. The men watched mildly horrified as she knelt down by the blood circle and activated the seal. The earth seemed to crumble under the mass pile of dead Uruk-hai and before long they were swallowed by the ground. Hina dusted off her hands. It was a pretty useful seal when she was taking down forts and defences, but not really good for the middle of a battle when she didn't have the time to make the circle.
"Incredible," Gamling whispered.
"I know I am," she responded a little haughtily.
"You have my life in your hands," Haleth said.
Hina raised a brow at the boy but decided to ignore the fact that he had just pledged his life to her. She supposed the people of this land would consider her almost godly in skill. It boosted her already terrible ego though. Before she could finally take some rest, she felt Gandalf behind her. She turned and grinned before taking the man in a quick hug.
"Wizard—oh how I love WIZARDS! I can't even express words on how amazing Wizards are," Hina said happily. "It was so last minute, but you came through like a force of your own!"
"Ah yes, I would have had liked to come earlier, but it was not yet my time and it seems we had a Wizard of our own here," he said, smiling down on her.
"Shinobi," Hina corrected with a lopsided grin as she rubbed her nose. "I'm going to assume you didn't come to me for no reason?"
"No, we were planning to go out to Isengard," Gandalf said. "Although it looks like it'd be best to let you rest."
"For Merry and Pippin! No, don't leave me here," Hina begged. "It's been so long since I've seen those adorable little men!"
"Don't fret. Come then."
"Bye Haleth-kun, keep safe, and tonight we will fulfill that promise," Hina said, clasping his hands. His tired grief stricken face loosened a little, the briefest of smiles taking his lips as he nodded. Hina gave him a tired smile of her own before she walked to Gandalf's side.
Gandalf levelled her a smile of his own and Hina flushed as she pushed him lightly with a huff and shook her head. No, she didn't like Haleth that way, she groused. Thankfully, Gandalf wasn't the teasing type, and she was once again back in the company of the Fellowship. She hugged the men with a smile on their face as they shared a moment of victory. She was so caught up in the moment that she nearly hugged King Théoden too. To her shock Théoden gave her a respectful pat on her shoulder and a smile. She supposed she'd proven herself to him now.
"Come now Hina," Strider said as he held out a hand her way.
Hina got on his horse with him before they made their way towards Isengard. She froze uncomfortably when they reached the forest border.
"Wait a second, we're not travelling through the forest, are we?" Hina asked worriedly.
"We are," Théoden replied, raising a brow in question.
Hina gulped and hugged Aragorn more tightly than she normally would. "If I die now, it's on you Aragorn," she grumbled.
Hina absolutely hated this creaking groaning forest, and both her and Aragorn were attacked by a few wayward branches just itching to whack them (mostly her) in the face. The rest of the party went through the forest without even a leaf touching them. She mused that secretly Aragorn was regretting asking her on his horse. She, however, was more than happy to use him as a meat shield.
"I see the forest still doesn't like you," Legolas noted, an amused smile on his face.
"Well I don't like it," Hina snapped at the vine coming at her face.
"We'll be out soon enough," Gandalf said in his most placating voice.
Eventually they reached the land past the forest. Hina breathed a sigh of relief as they entered a grassy alcove before making their way to the wall where she smelt Merry and Pippin down the bend.
"Merry and Pippin are ahead!" she shouted excitedly, catching the attention of the men around her.
They picked up pace and soon they came upon the two Hobbits. Hina laughed almost instantly at the sight of the two—because of course these two troublemakers who were captured by Orcs were now lounging around smoking and eating like kings without any trouble in the world. Gimli, however, didn't seem so amused.
"Welcome my lords," Pippin greeted as he stood up, "to Isengard!"
"You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting and smoking!" Gimli shouted in anger.
"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good," Pippin said, a little too casually.
Gimli licked his lips and Hina cackled at how easily his mood turned at the mention of meat. "Salted pork?"
Gandalf shook his head and muttered a very annoyed, "Hobbits!" under his breath. Hina just jumped down and took the two Hobbits into a bear hug before she took some salted pork for herself.
"Oh this is good," she agreed.
"We missed you Hina!" Merry said, hugging her back.
"Not as much as I missed good food though," she replied in jest, although she was more than happy to give all the hugs in the world today, especially for the adorable Hobbit men.
"We didn't come here for food, we came here for Saruman," Gandalf sighed as he gestured with his staff to Isengard. He looked wholly unimpressed by the segway in conversation towards food. Hina grabbed more than a handful before sheepishly making her way back onto Aragorn's horse, letting Boromir deal with the Hobbits. Boromir actually enjoyed their company, she reasoned. He seemed to treat anyone shorter than him as a younger sibling though.
"We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken management of Isengard," Merry relayed as he took another bite out of his meat.
Hina gaped at his late mention of said 'Treebeard' because she looked up to see a giant walking and talking tree. She nearly fainted. Legolas gave her a pointed look and she glared back at him. The tree's voice made her breath leave her for a while.
"Huraroom... Young Master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come."
The Ent turned to Hina and his face twisted in disgust. "What manner of creature have you bought with you?"
"Creature," Hina huffed in indignation.
"This one, I assure will do you no harm," Gandalf interjected.
The Ent didn't look convinced, but he turned back to look at the Wizard's tower. "The creature will have to wait then. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to be managed here locked in his tower," the Ent groaned out slowly.
"Be careful, even in defeat Saruman is dangerous," Gandalf warned.
"Then let's just have his head and be done with it," Gimli said.
"My thoughts exactly. I'll scale up the wall, and off goes his head," Hina agreed.
"No! We need him alive," Gandalf disagreed. "We need him to talk."
Hina grinned and was received with a glare from Gandalf. "What? I have several ways to make a man talk. Let me at him."
"Hina—"
Before Gandalf could berate the child for always being a little too eager for violence, Saruman made his appearance at the height of his tower. When he spoke, despite not screaming, his voice carried down with power.
"You have fought many wars and slayed many men, Théoden King," Saruman greeted, "and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did my old friend? Can we not have peace?"
Hina couldn't help the scoff and roll of her eye, but even as much as she really didn't like King Théoden, even he was enraged by the word 'peace' uttered from Saruman's mouth. She'd never seen the man so furious.
"We shall have peace… we shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold, and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace, when the bodies of the soldiers, who were hewn when they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet, for the sport of your own crows! We shall have peace."
Hina was impressed by the King for the first time since meeting him. She could only agree with his demands. She'd like to see Saruman hanging from this 'gibbet' of theirs, and she'd love to watch him paraded before the men and women who he'd ruined the lives of, for Haleth to gaze upon the man who carried about the death of his father—and to know justice has been served.
"Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want, Gandalf Grahame? Let me guess, the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dor itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!" Saruman demanded.
Gandalf could see the darkness in his old friend's eyes and felt the loss too deeply. Once Saruman had been a good soul, one who was intent on making the world a better place, one who had fought the forces of Morgoth and led armies of Men and Elves to victory. Once he had been a better man, but now he was too entrenched in darkness, only seeing greed in other men where there was none but his own. He was lost to the darkness… yet Gandalf hoped his old friend was still there.
"Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel," Gandalf reasoned.
"So you have come here for information. I have some for you," Saruman replied as he held up the palantir and looked into its fiery depths. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon!"
Hina hissed behind Aragorn, but the man grabbed her thighs and stopped her from jumping up there and just beating the information from his lips.
"You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned King."
She's heard this many times before from the lips of a lot of master manipulators. It would be folly to let him continue speaking, because even if they knew his words weren't true, he would sow seeds of doubt, and left unchecked those festered beyond control. Even now Hina noticed the subtle tilt of Aragorn's head towards Gandalf, but the small seed of doubt now planted in his thoughts.
"Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him, those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death!" Saruman continued.
"That's it! Shut your crusty old mouth or I'll come up there and do it for you!" Hina shouted in anger as she stood up on the horse without even a tilt in her balance.
"Pah! The words of an unnatural twisted creature! You would listen to those over my own council?!"
"I've heard enough! Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" Gimli shouted.
"Gimli's right, shoot him," Hina growled.
Hina was grateful for Legolas because someone finally listened to her for once. He eagerly notched his arrow, pointing it directly at Saruman. Her smile dropped when Gandalf rode in front of the archer and shook his head.
"No! Come down Saruman and your life will be spared!" Gandalf pleaded again.
"Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it!"
Hina knew she should have just jumped up there and taken him down because he shot a ball of fire at Gandalf, and Hina knew she didn't have the energy to move fast enough to get to him in time. It's only the dissipating of the fire, and Gandalf's untouched appearance that calms her nerves.
"Saruman" Gandalf called out the other Istari's name with such power Hina was left shaken. "Your staff is broken!"
As if the world itself was bending to Gandalf's command, the staff in Saruman's hands blasted out of his hands and cracked down the middle. Hina was once again reminded of the sheer incredulity of the powers in this world, and just how much stronger it was than chakra when called for. She didn't dwell on it long because Grima Wormtongue made his presence known from behind his master.
"Grima! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down," Théoden urged.
And Hina thought she was a sentimental person… if someone had made her form weak and caused the death of her own son, even indirectly, she'd be stringing them up and skinning them alive, not bartering for their life.
"A man of Rohan?" Saruman scoffed. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helms Deep does not belong to you Théoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"
To his credit Théoden didn't even flinch at Saruman's wordplay and ignored him entirely in favour of the pasty, slimy man. "Grima. Come down! Be free of him!"
"Free? He will never be free!"
"No!" Grima shouted, the shout of a man utterly done with being ordered around.
"Get down cur!" Saruman growls as he backhands the man to the ground.
Hina wondered just how lame of a display Saruman can continue to show, because all he'd been doing so far was making a fool out of himself.
"Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!" Gandalf urged.
Hina didn't make to stop Grima from stabbing the Wizard in the back or stop Legolas from shooting the man. Saruman wouldn't have given Gandalf the information he wanted, and it was beginning to annoy her that enemies were being left alive left and right just for the sake of mercy. Blood was spilt sure, but more would continue if everyone just let terrible murderers and warmongers run back out in the name of mercy.
But the White Wizard got what he deserved as if the world itself had willed it. Saruman fell from the tower and was impaled on the water wheel below. The sound was rather brutal and so was the sight. The Hobbits winced at the violence, but Hina simply chuckled. Sometimes divine justice just had a way of righting wrongs on its own, and it was always satisfying to watch. Gandalf however, sighed at the wasted opportunity, but he knew they needed to continue.
"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."
Hina watched as the water wheel turned and Saruman disappeared head-first beneath its depths. Then she remembered that there was a giant tree next to them and winced when it began talking again. Trees just shouldn't talk in any world ever.
"The filth of Saruman is washing away. Trees will come back to live here."
Hina noticed Pippin jump off the horse and looked on questioningly although the Ent continued its speech. The young Hobbit leant down into the water to grab something and pulled out the Palantir Saruman was holding. The black orb seemed to have a pull of its own, ever subtle as it is in comparison to the oppressive whispers of the ring. Hina knew for sure with this one, that she didn't want to even touch it unlike the tempting pull of the one ring itself. This one felt dangerous.
"Bless my bark!" Treebeard roared at the sight.
"Peregrin Took. I'll take that my lad! Quickly now!" Gandalf said hastily, as Pippin handed the Palantir to him.
The Wizard wrapped it up as he looked the Hobbit down with a concerned look. Pippin shook his head sheepishly as Boromir let him back on.
"Don't go jumping off so suddenly like that," Boromir chided.
"Sorry," Pippin muttered.
"We shall ride to Edoras," the King ordered.
The journey back had taken the better half of the day and they'd reached Rohan by nightfall. Hina was beyond tired. She'd hardly slept in 5 days and used most of her chakra up in a war, and during that time she'd had about 3 meals. She was grimy, covered in Orc guts, and was ravenous. She almost kissed the ground when they reached the city, because her thighs were killing, and as fun as it was to trot around on horses for a few hours, sitting on running ones for the whole day was not fun.
"I want a bath," she whined.
"That will be arranged," Théoden replied in amusement.
Hina realised in her half dazed, hunger starved state she had complained out loud in front of the King and she flushed in embarrassment. Thankfully, it didn't look like he cared much for her voicing her desires, and it looked like he only agreed all too well. And Hina watched him do something that made her take back wanting to have him assassinated.
"Come here lass," he gestured to a passing servant, "set these men and lady with their rooms, a bath and food and drink to serve."
"The guest house, m'lord?" the woman, who looked to be in her early twenties asked.
"Yes, the one towards the eastern side. Hurry, they are weary from travel and war."
"Yes, my lord," the girl said bowing.
Hina leant down on Gimli and sighed happily. "He's definitely the best King I've ever met."
"It doesn't take much to impress you, does it? Not a day ago it was all talk of assassination" the Dwarf said dryly.
"What? Sue me if I value some good hospitality," Hina grouched.
She didn't grouch for much longer though because she was taken up to the castle where she witnessed, with a raised brow, as Éowyn jumped up and hugged Aragorn with a relieved smile. Was she sensing chemistry? Was this a love triangle? Hina was suddenly very interested.
"Ladies man," she whistled, getting an amused shake of the head from Boromir, who grabbed her by her arm and pulled her away from looking too long.
"Come on let them be," Boromir said.
"Aww but it was just getting juicy!"
"Weren't you complaining about a bath not a moment ago?"
"Fair point."
And so Hina was shown to her guest room, which she was more than not happy about because it looked like all the men were bunking together in the opposite room whereas she was given one big room to herself. Still the lady was bringing her the water for a bath and who was Hina to complain? She didn't waste much time stripping before jumping into the bath with a happy squeal.
"My lady, the water is going everywhere!"
"Sorry," Hina apologised in a not so apologetic tone.
"Do you require me to wash your hair my lady?"
Hina's head almost snapped up at the offer and she looked at the lady wide eyed. She shook her head and frowned. Suddenly she was in ROOT, naked and shivering with heavy fabric on her face, and water suffocating her with every drop. A shiver wracked through her body, but she blinked away the familiar terror of memories coming back to life. She wasn't there anymore, she told herself. She was in another world entirely, so she wasn't allowed to be afraid, not of water, and nothing so banal as a bath.
"My lady?"
"I… yes," she said, mustering up whatever courage she had.
Hina lay back and looked at the wooden ceiling with a deliberate in and out breathing technique. The woman went to grab a ladle to pour the water down her hair when Hina grabbed her hand in such speed it startled the woman.
"Please just… slowly and don't get any water on my face," Hina said softly as she eased the grip on the woman's arms.
"Of course my Lady."
Then she closed her eyes and thought of happy things, like miso-soup—she missed miso-soup, and oh god… she couldn't believe she was saying this, but she missed dango. Anko would be proud of her. Well she also did miss Anko… she always did.
Keeping the thoughts at bay helped her ignore the fear that shivered through her spine when the water hit her scalp, or when gentle fingers carded through the knots there. She caught glimpses of ROOT agents, and Orochimaru in her periphery, holding her down, torturing her—promising a pain she couldn't breathe through.
"Your natural hair is a beauty my lady. I've never seen such a vibrant green."
Hina opened her eyes and was extremely grateful for the woman speaking. She hadn't realised she was gripping the sides of the bath until it bent. When she looked up, she saw the woman was looking pointedly away from her hands in… fear? She eased up.
"Thanks… you should see my little brother's hair. It's even brighter and longer," she said with a smile.
"Longer than yours my lady?" the woman asked in disbelief.
"His hair is the prettiest in our family. Of course mine comes a close second," Hina said with a smile as she realised the fingers massaging through her scalp actually felt… nice.
"Then it must be a blessing from the Valar itself, for it reminds me of spring grass."
Hina blushed. She didn't know what to say to that kind of compliment, so she sank down a little lower shyly. Now that she looked at the lady she was rather pretty and Hina was naked in front of her. She supposed her heart should be beating a mile an hour or her thoughts should be carnal in some way, but she felt none of that. Instead she felt almost indifferent to any sexual thoughts, as if it didn't come to her like it did normally in her previous life. She filed that worrisome thought away for some other time.
"Sorry for… scaring you earlier."
"You looked on edge my lady. It's no fault of yours. Something scared you, didn't it?"
"Yes," Hina admitted reluctantly. "It brings back bad memories—people touching my head that is…"
"Then why did you agree, my lady?" the woman asked, pausing, and pulling away.
"I thought it was time I conquered that fear."
"You just came from a war. Relax and don't stress yourself further. I think I will take my leave. Feel free to stay there as long as you wish."
Hina nodded in relief as the woman left. She supposed she was stressed from the ministrations on her scalp, even if they did feel good… she could do it herself anyway. With that thought she dunked herself in until she managed to scrub all the grime from her body. Then she moved to the mirror and began plucking her brows. Just because men wouldn't maintain their beauty didn't mean she had to be lazy about it too.
It's not that Hina couldn't sleep alone, or that she was afraid of the dark, or that the room was too big for little old her. She'd slept in all sorts of conditions, from her own bed she dearly missed, to a tree, to a rocky shore, and even clumped up against shivering naked ROOT agents. She'd been comfortable and in pain, alone and with others, and she'd experienced it all… but there was just something irritating about being left out of a sleepover. She'd hardly had many of those… unless you counted camping out in the wild with a bunch of men and women for missions. No, this was a real sleepover. In a castle, with friends nearby, and food and no enemies in sight. If that wasn't a sleepover, she didn't know what was, and so she snuck her way into the room next-door where the Fellowship were going to sleep.
"Hey guys!"
"By the Valar!" Gimli shouted as he pulled a towel over his half naked form. "You shouldn't be sneaking into a room full of men in who knows what!"
Hina rolled her eyes. He was wearing his underwear. What was he so flustered about anyways?
"Just put some pants on then… plus I bring gifts!" Hina said with a grin as she pulled out her share of the food and drink.
"Ok… Ok we'll accept you for now," Gimli reluctantly agreed although he was already putting on some pants.
Boromir came out shirtless next and with a towel on his head, but he didn't look all that flustered. In fact he gave Hina a smile as he came by alongside the Hobbits who were eager to grab some of the food she brought along.
"What are you doing here Hina?" Boromir asked.
"Oh I was bored! They gave me a whole room to myself the size of this one, but you were having a sleep-over and I was lonely."
"Sleep-over?" Merry asked curiously.
"You know… where you sleep-over," she said pointing to the room.
"What do you do in a sleep-over?" Pippin asked.
Hina grinned excitedly. "Well normally the brave of heart, and stout of body would not in fact sleep but rather play games well into the night, but after that war… yeah I need to sleep."
"You don't look too happy with that," Legolas pointed out,
"Of course not! First sleep-over in years and no games through the night—the horror," she grumbled dramatically.
Aragorn walked into the room next, noticed Hina and sighed as if he'd expected this. "What are you doing here?"
"We're having a 'sleep-over' Pippin said conspiratorially.
"That's not something… inappropriate is it?" Aragorn asked with a frown.
"No!" Hina protested. "It's just where you sleep-over and play games all night."
"You should rest Hina… also Boromir please put a shirt on. A lady is in the room," Aragorn chided.
Hina huffed and crossed her arms to defend Boromir. "If Boromir-san wants to sleep shirtless and feel the wind against his free skin at night, then we should let him!"
"I have the lady's blessings," he said sarcastically, but with amusement as he got into his bed and pulled the sheets onto himself.
"Well… there aren't any beds left," Aragorn pointed out.
"That's ok! I'll sleep with Pippin-kun!" Hina said, grabbing the Hobbit's arm.
"What?!" Pippin asked.
"Well it's either Pippin or I sleep next to a shirtless Boromir," she chimed in innocently.
She heard Boromir snort as if to hold back a laugh from the other side of the room, but Aragorn didn't look amused at all. Eventually he inclined his head in silent agreement and that was enough to convince Hina to jump in bed with Pippin.
"Ahhh… now this is a sleepover," she said with a smile. "Food, a comfortable bed, and a friend. Tell me a story."
"Oh I do like telling a good story."
Hina fell asleep the moment he spoke the first sentence. To her credit Pippin hadn't even realised until he was nearly done. Merry had let him continue, because well, he liked a good story too. Unfortunately for the Hobbits, the Dwarf had already finished Hina's offerings of food, and they reluctantly went to sleep without any extra servings.
She'd slept well into the later hours of the day. She had been beyond exhausted after the war. She'd used up too much chakra over a much longer period than she was used to. At most a Shinobi battle would last an hour, and that was stretching it. This battle had been the longest she'd ever been in, and it lasted a whole night. She was grateful no one had woken her up though because what she needed was a long night's rest after food to finally get her chakra stores back to their half-way point. She got out of bed and made her way out of the empty men's room and towards her own where she saw a forest green dress laid out for her on the bed. She palmed the material and wondered if she should wear it.
"My lady, you finally came back I see."
Hina turned around to catch the servant girl and smiled. "It's just Hina, and I didn't catch your name."
"Hanne, my lady."
Hina smiled at the woman. She reminded her of Aredhal the Elven woman who had taken care of her dress back in Rivendell. She supposed without the aid of these servants she would have never put on anything other than her kimono, but she knew it was in bad form in these parts. Apparently showing your thighs was scandalous. For once however, Hina decided she'd agree without protest to wear the dress. She could always arm herself discreetly to keep her sanity during large events, but she also knew that there wouldn't be a surprise attack or anything. This wasn't the Elemental Nations where anything could happen anytime, she reminded herself.
"Well Hanne-san, I admit, I'd need help changing into one of these," Hina says sheepishly as she looks at the corset like lace up at the back.
"What's a hand-maid for then?" Hanne replied with a smile of her own,
Apparently, it wasn't scandalous for a handmaid to see you mostly naked. Hina always had her chest bindings on as well as some skin-tight shorts like underwear on under her kimono, mostly because while she did enjoy the beauty of traditional female underwear, she had long learnt to appreciate practicality over aesthetics during missions, and chafing was a bitch when she wore her kimono skirt.
"There, the dress is done. Do you wish for me to do your hair, Lady Hina?"
Hina admired the dress with a smile. It was more her style than the one in Rivendell which had such a wide neckline and a lot more embroidery. This one was simpler in its design but a lot more form fitting, and Hina appreciated that the dress didn't drag on the floor but rather ended at her ankles. Someone must have put some thought into her as a person before altering it, she mused.
"Sure go ham," Hina smiles.
"Go ham?" Hanne mused unsurely before she decided to ask, "Lady Hina, would you wish for it to remain undone or braided?"
"Legolas rocks both, so I want to try that as well," Hina mused.
Hina had no idea when Legolas had the time to sit down and braid his hair, but she didn't question it. At least one man in their horribly messy looking crew has the moment to fix up his appearance. She's more than a little jealous that he never plucked his brows though… how did he manage to keep it looking so neat? Hina's thoughts took her everywhere as she actively tried to ignore the hands pulling at her hair.
"Done my Lady. Do you wish to see the back?"
Hanne gave Hina a smaller mirror and the girl turned to look at it uncertainly. The sides of her head were taken into a braid that pulled towards the middle back, where the braid was twisted around a bun. She mused that Hanne had put in some flower clips, because it looks exactly like a spring field up the back. Hina supposed it could be considered pretty to others, but she just found it kind of hilarious. If Kurenai saw this, she'd be laughing about vege-senpai turning into garden-senpai—or something equally more teasing.
"It's good," she settled on saying.
"My pleasure, Lady Hina. Come then, I'm sure you would like to meet your friends."
Hina nodded eagerly as she was taken to the stables much to her confusion. She saw Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn talking to Boromir who was on a horse. Hina rushed up to the group in confusion.
"And where are you going?" Hina asked.
He looked grim for a second. "Word has arrived that Osgiliath grows ever closer to defeat. I must return to my people… to my brother."
Hina felt almost panicked at the idea of Boromir leaving on his own. She had come to see him almost like an older brother on their travels. It was hard not to when Boromir was so easy to get along with. Knowing he would have died in the Orc raid before had made her wary of his future. She didn't want to see him dead.
"Take me with you!" Hina urged.
"I cannot Hina," he said, shaking his head. "There is no time to waste, and while I know your strength in battle, that is not what Minas Tirith needs right now. I will go to give council to my father. In my heart I know your presence belongs here."
"Oh come on! I can't just let you travel a what—three days journey by yourself! You could get hurt," Hina said desperately. "Take me with you!"
"I travelled a hundred-day journey to Rivendell on my own Hina," he said with a reassuring smile. "You best know I can make it three days safely. I thank you for your concern—but it is not necessary."
Hina clenched her fists angrily, and was not happy that Legolas, nor Gimli had helped convince Boromir he needed a travel companion too. Did they not care that he was going out on his own? Hina hated that Boromir dismissed her and turned to Aragorn with an almost reverent look on his face.
"The day will soon come when Gondor will have a King. I will see to it my lord," Boromir said with conviction as he kicked his horses' side and made away.
Hina scowled as she crossed her arms. Why… she should go change right now and catch up to him. Her plans were cut short by Aragorn who held her shoulder and shook his head pointedly her way.
"No Hina. We have yet to know where Sauron intends to strike. Boromir is right, you must stay, or you will be somewhere we cannot help you."
Hina nodded reluctantly, but the frown didn't leave her face… well that was until Gimli put an arm around her shoulder and brought her in with a grin.
"What say you lass, for a hot meal and a cold drink?! Take your mind off things, eh?"
"Ok…" she mumbled reluctantly.
Hina had made herself busy in the kitchens with food prep. She enjoyed cooking sometimes, when her mind would wander, and when she had the time. She didn't think she could ever beat the Hobbits with their natural sense for cooking and flavour, but she did spend most of her early Genin years cooking for the camps. Apparently, her food didn't taste like cardboard, and so people always ended up putting her on kitchen duty. She liked it. Much better than watch duty at least. All you did was stand around and hope not to be assassinated on that job.
She'd been met with some reluctance when she offered her aid, but as she began peeling and cutting, the women there realised she had some skill and soon she was tasked with more things. Everyone was busy preparing for the feast tonight.
After more than a few hours of cooking, she was told to go to the Dining hall and that she'd done more than enough, and she didn't have to serve either. Everyone knew who she was, her distinctive features and green hair making her one of the known contributors to the war. She was met with too much awe and reverence for her liking.
"Lady Hina!"
Hina turned around to see Haleth waving at her. She smiled as she waved back and walked up to him. He was surrounded by some other boys around his age who were giggling at his flushed face. Hina was reminded of Guy, and although she did feel the ache of his absence, it still made her chuckle too. She didn't, however, expect Haleth to pull out a rose for her. She blinked in shock and looked around to make sure Gimli and Legolas weren't around… or she'd never hear the end of this from them.
"I um… I thought I'd make well on our promise," Haleth stuttered out in embarrassment as Hina accepted the flower.
"I'm glad," Hina said honestly because it would have been too depressing if he couldn't.
The boy next to Haleth hit him sharply with his elbow as if to urge him to do something more. Haleth looked entirely out of his depth as he held out a hand. Hina raised a brow in question. She knew he was trying to probably do this culture's equivalent of asking her out, but she had no idea what this gesture meant.
"Would you like to have my company this night, Lady Hina?" he asked.
"Sure thing, Haleth-kun," she smiled as she took his hand.
Hina didn't expect him to hook his arm around one of hers and take her away. She pretended to not see the boys behind her clapping and giving Haleth a 'discreet' thumbs up as he turned to look at them in alarm. She thought it was all rather cute, and she knew this would be a good memory for him, even though it wouldn't last. And he certainly needed the distraction after what happened to his father.
He pulled out a seat for her and she sat down, getting a few chuckles from the older ladies around her. Now that was embarrassing. Really adults knew too well how to embarrass children. Hina would never get used to being called cute by an adult. It remained equally as embarrassing now as it did when she was a baby. Eventually the chatter dropped when Éowyn walked in with a goblet and the King took his seat at the head chair. Éowyn dropped onto her knee and the King took his goblet.
"Today we remember the men who gave their lives to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" Théoden exclaimed as he held up his goblet.
"Hail!" the people shouted in return.
Hina watched and repeated as they did, lagging a little in her confusion before they all drank. She drank what was in her cup too but was mildly disappointed when she realised it was just grape juice.
"Now let the celebrations begin!"
Then almost as quickly, talks of chatter and noise erupted into excited cheers as everyone raised their pints and the celebration began. Hina turned to Haleth who looked uncertainly her way, as if not sure what to talk about.
"You look beautiful in that dress, Lady Hina," he said after building up a great deal of courage.
Hina blinked in a daze, unsure of how to take this awkward setting. She had forgotten how embarrassing and unsure teenage courtship was until now, and she almost regretted agreeing to this little non-consequential date.
"U-um thank you," she managed to stutter out, trying to make sure her face wasn't as red as the rose in her hand was. "So what do you do in parties like this anyway?"
"Um… usually the adults tend to drink themselves into unconsciousness," Haleth said with a smile on his face, "but us children—we prefer games and the sort… though usually not with a partner."
"Then what do you do with a uhm… partner?" Hina asked, clearing her throat.
"Probably something like small talk and then…" he trailed off before his eyes went wide and he turned beat red.
Hina guessed he was about to say something like kissing. Kami knew teenage boys had the most raging hormones around. Hina wasn't so sure she wanted to kiss Haleth. She'd told herself she wouldn't do anything like that until she was an adult, because even though she had reincarnated as a child, she did still have memories of an adult life in the past. It felt wrong to do anything until everyone in the party was at least twenty years old.
To his credit once they did start talking, Haleth was really good at keeping the conversation going, and soon they were laughing and chatting like age old friends. Hina supposed past the awkwardness, Haleth really was the laid-back sort. Then they heard the music and he got up excitedly.
"Come on then Lady Hina, dance with me!"
"I… dancing?" Hina asked unsurely.
Dancing… she had last danced when she was with Anko, and that had opened up a whole can of worms that she was still dealing with today. Before she could protest though, Haleth grabbed her by her hands and took her to the dance floor. She didn't know how people in this land danced either way, but from the looks of it, it was partner dancing, but thankfully not the boring slow kind, instead more energetic with claps and twirls and jigs.
"So you throw your hands out, hook it together and these are the leg movements," Haleth showed her. "Want to try it?"
Hina hesitantly nodded. She felt lively… no Akatsuki, no war, just a party and a date. She supposed this was the most normal her life had been in years, and she would be lying if she said she didn't miss dancing. Cat had danced with her late into the night in her previous life, when she had two left feet and no coordination. Those had been the brightest years of her life. She'd managed to get a glimpse of that contented joy when she'd danced with Anko.
Soon she was dancing with Haleth and some of the other children had joined too, a few of them she'd noted had been the friends who'd urged him along. They had begun laughing and clapping and twirling when she'd heard her name called.
"Hina!" Legolas shouted as he held up a pint.
"Are you drunk?!" Hina asked in shock.
She turned to see more than a dozen pints empty by the Elf and Gimli passed out on the floor and so she stopped her dancing to laugh. Even Haleth joined in by her side… that was until Legolas egged her on.
"Play your flute bard of ours!" Legolas challenged.
"I'm a novice!" she said flustered as the men and women around her turned to cheer in agreement with the Elf.
"Slay that flute like you slay your enemies!" Legolas laughed evilly.
Now Hina was sure the Elf was drunk, even if mildly, because he'd never looked so playful before. She decided the peer pressure was too much because she took out her scroll and unsealed her flute. The men and women around her awed with mouths open in amazement at the casual display of magic before them, but they were too drunk to stay focused on that when she brought the flute to her lips. Hina played an easy upbeat song Rui had taught her, and everyone was clapping along as Merry and Pippin joined into dance to the generic tune as they started singing and gathering attention atop a table.
"Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry, but you'll never find a beer so brown, but you'll never find a beer so brown, as the one we drink in our hometown, As the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ales; you can drink them by the flagon but the only brew for the brave and true—"
Hina was thrown off tune by Pippin who had suddenly stopped singing. She noticed him pausing to look at Gandalf as if something was wrong, but she was cut back into focus by Merry.
"Pippin!
Pippin turned back to Merry and continued with the song.
"Comes from the Green Dragon!"
Hina finished off the flute hastily and was met with a laugh as they patted her on her back and everyone cheered despite how terribly she'd ended the song.
"That was terrible flute music! But greatly enjoyable!" Éomer laughed.
"Gee thanks," Hina said, rolling her eyes before Legolas came up to her like the betrayer he was.
"You shouldn't keep your partner waiting," he laughed.
She punched the Elf a little too hard on his shoulder, getting a laugh from Aragorn to the side as she fled from the centre of attention back to Haleth's side. She held her cheeks in embarrassment and groaned.
"Oh that was terrible," she lamented.
"No, no! It was the… most beautiful music I'd ever heard," Haleth disagreed although he was clearly lying. "We should go play card games with the others! I'm sure they'd like to meet you."
"Nice recovery," Hina laughed as he changed the topic too obviously.
Haleth laughed nervously before taking her to where all the children were playing their card games intently. She noted that they had gambled in a few hair clips and shoes.
"How's the date going?" one of the boys asked, only to be hit from one of the others by his elbow and given a dirty look.
"Haleth's a lot of fun," Hina said, chuckling. "How about I put in a shuriken for this round and you lads teach me how to play."
The boys eagerly accept as they eye the metal throwing star with hungry looks. Hina supposed it was a grand price compared to whatever else is on the table. Then she spent the rest of the night making merry and losing terribly at gambling. It had been a long time since she'd laughed so much and so genuinely.
Eventually the boys admitted that they'd managed to steal some real drinks. Hina didn't know how the woman had given them a barrel of wine instead of grape juice, but she didn't tattle. Instead she ended up in a drinking contest with the boys who she obviously won against. She was naturally a light weight, but her modified body of hers had poison resistance and so she'd won easily. Haleth laughed as the boys chased both her and him out drunkenly as Hina tripped them all. Once they were out in the cold night air, Hina chuckled as she lent over the balcony.
"Oh you should have seen their faces," she laughed before Hina gasped.
She had not expected Haleth to have lent in for a kiss. She stood still in shock for a moment, but that's all he really did before he pulled away. Hina looked down shocked as she touched her lips and blushed in embarrassment. She didn't think he would do it, or that she'd ever let him… but she'd let herself get distracted and mildly drunk, and the horror in her eyes must have shown to him because his smile turned into a frown.
"I-I'm sorry," he apologised in confusion.
"Ah, no it's ok!" Hina blurted out before her lips pressed into a frown she couldn't help. "It's just that… you know this is only for tonight Haleth. I'm not going to stay in Rohan forever, and when Sauron attacks, I will be going off to that war and when that is done… I doubt even Aragorn will see me again."
Haleth looked stricken but Hina knew it was only temporary. Teenagers would find love and lose it just as quickly. Soon Haleth would find someone else, someone more permanent than her, and he'd forget whatever temporary feelings he'd had for Hina. Thankfully, he seemed to understand too, although the frown he wore was genuine.
"I know… but I had hoped for some reason that you would stay. Out there in the war I had been… so scared until you came by my side. With you there I felt safe. And then my f-father… I didn't know what to do. I still don't… but you took my mind off it" he said in a whisper as he held my hands. "So even if it's just for this one day, I was glad I could spend it with you."
Hina flushed at the praise and looked at the rose still hooked by her skirt. Haleth had genuinely meant what he'd said. She realised now it wasn't some childish infatuation. He was grateful. She didn't know how to laugh off genuine feelings like that. She didn't have a joke to play it off and continue coolly like she wished she could. She could only respond to Haleth's earnestness with her own.
"This was the best night I'd had in years too," Hina admitted.
"Then can I be blessed to end it with one last kiss?"
Hina had to admit that Haleth was ballsy, but she wasn't in the business of kissing children and so she nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheeks much to his apparent disappointment. She patted his shoulders in a friendly way after that, trying to ignore how she was blushing like a shy teenager. Somehow this body of hers was making it hard for her to think straight after the most chaste kiss she'd ever given anyone. She realised she wasn't used to such displays of affection… well it was either that or her teenage hormones. At most she hugged or playfully punched someone. Never did she actively kiss anyone other than Tsukiya when he was a baby.
"It's been a fun night Haleth-kun, but all good things come to an end," she said, hoping the bitterness didn't show in her voice.
"Who says it has to end now? See you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Hina liked his attitude and she smiled and nodded.
"Tomorrow," she agreed.
She left to her quarters that night with memories of dancing and laughter. Hina clutched the rose Haleth had given her and wondered if there could be a day she could enjoy this same peace with her family. A taste had been enough, and Hina wondered if she'd ever forget how sweet it was.
A/N
This chapter was just pure fluff. Lots and lots of fluff to prep for future angst XD Enjoy it while you can Hina hehehehehhe. I'm an evil author so I'm very sorry for any mental or emotional pain I will cause in the next few chapters.