A Burden

The remaining Rohirrim rode to Helm’s Deep quickly, wanting to get away from the battle scene and the dead. Besides that, there were many wounded with them that needed care.

Raina rode back on Hamson, who apparently didn’t need any training. He followed the horses, bounding in leaps thrice the size of the horse’s steps, sending Raina in a slow back and forth, back and forth motion. She tried to focus on learning to ride the Wolf instead of the tears that were trailing down her face. Thankfully, her hair was down, and if she was not looking straight up at the sky, she could hide her face easily. Besides, everyone was lost in their own thoughts, and wouldn’t have noticed her tears anyways.

As they neared the great hold, Raina could hear the guards calling ton one another.

“They have returned!”

“Open the doors!”

“Make way for the King!”

“There’s so few!”

They have no idea, Raina thought bitterly and she dared take a sniffle. She hoped Legolas was too busy with his own thoughts to hear her.

She slowed Hamson down but pulling on his thick hair, seeing as she didn’t have a saddle or reins. She decided that she would keep it that way, because she figured that Hamson wouldn’t want anything restricting him anymore. He would be free, if he wanted to be.

The Riders filed into the Hold a couple at a time, until Raina rode in on her Wolf. At first a few people screamed, but seeing the tired, crying, bloodied girl stroking its head, they figured it was safe enough. Loved ones were reunited, and Raina decided that she needed to get out of there before people started asking questions about Aragorn. She couldn’t face his death yet.

She jumped off Hamson with ease and landed without a sound. She kept her head low as she guided him to the stables. She figured that she would have to take down the wood between two stalls for him to be able to fit. To fit comfortably, she would have to take down two. Surely she would be able to do that since she had the honor of being part of the small clan that saved Rohan’s king, right?

“So few have returned,” Èowyn said, probably to Raina. Keep thinking. Do not look up at her. She will ask questions. Keep thinking.

It didn’t matter if they wouldn’t let her. She was going to do it either way. She had lost a dear friend, she deserved a bit of peace from these people that she had fought for. But would they consider Aragorn a dear friend to her? She had known him for only a few months, but he had saved her life and her brother’s life on many occasions. And on a few occasions they had had each others back’s while fighting.

With this, Raina had to let go on Hamson’s fur to cover her face with her hands.

Èowyn had moved on to another who had returned. Maybe one who would give her answers.

“Lord Aragorn,” she said softly. By now there will be streaks all down my face, Raina thought bitterly. I must look like a wreck. They will say that I’m not fit for battle any longer. “Where is he?”

I wonder if she’s figured it out yet.

No, don’t look! You can’t! No one can see you!

“He fell.” It was Gimli who finally spoke. The first time someone had spoken the news aloud. Raina bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but refused to succumb to the pain. She couldn’t look weak.

Just then, she felt Èowyn’s eyes on her. Don’t look…

But Raina didn’t listen to her conscious, and dared to turn hr head to look at Èowyn.

Her eyes were wide with disbelief, but as soon as they locked with Raina’s pink and puffy eyes, her face fell. Raina looked down, not having the heart to keep eye contact, and kept moving in the crowd of silent returned soldiers.