A Burden

Days passed. Raina eventually left her lonely accommodations for Legolas’, where she could find a bit of comfort in his arms. Her eyes had run dry, but her heart longed for the ability to cry to lift the pressure from her hurting soul.

The night of the third day, Raina had another vision.

After closing her eyes, feeling slightly safer with Legolas’ arms wrapped around her as he, too, tried to sleep, she could finally get some rest. Or so she thought.

As soon as she drifted to sleep, she could feel her mind traveling many miles away, to Gondor. She was jerked to a stop, and looking down, a dream of her body was with her as well.

She was in a cave, behind a waterfall, most likely. There was a bit of candle-light, and Raina could make out two figures bent over.

She knew before seeing them that one would be Faramir. Why wouldn’t it be? Every one of her visions before had followed his tale in this war.

They were discussing plans on the defense of Gondor, and Raina didn’t pay attention. Gondor, at the moment, was no concern of hers. Finally, the older of the two Men left, leaving her with Faramir… in a way.

But he, too, was soon packing up and getting ready to leave the room. Rolling maps back up into their slots in a leather bag, he seemed anxious to get somewhere.

Raina leaned on the table where he was working, her elbows propped up and her hands holding her head as she watched him.

“What are you doing, Faramir?” she asked softly. He flinched, his eyes moving from side to side quickly before setting back to rolling up the maps.

“So you can hear me,” she whispered, a glimmer of a smile on her face.

He grunted in response, throwing the maps down on the table in frustration. “Call a servant,” he ordered someone outside the door, and a few moments later a young boy came in to clear the rest up as Faramir hurried down the hall. Raina had to run to catch up with him, only stopping once they had reached their destination.

Raina stopped dead once she saw the two sleeping figures in the room. Frodo and Sam slept side by side, their arms outstretched because they were bound.

She didn’t say anything for a while in shock, and Faramir seemed to appear to think that his ghost had left him.

She growled, turning to face him.

“If you can hear me,” she hissed, “Why did you take them?”

Faramir didn’t look up from the two figures when he spoke.

“What have I done,” he asked. “To deserve a demon- or witch, or something- haunting me?”

Raina laughed, but didn’t answer... mostly because she didn’t exactly know why she was there either. Or speaking to him. So she asked him again.

“Why are you doing this, Faramir?”

“Who are you?” he demanded in an accusing way. “Gollum? You speak like he does.”

Raina growled. “I’m a woman, you daft mortal! How deaf are you?”

Faramir nodded, and Raina instantly regretted what she had said. He now knew that she was not Man or Dwarf, but probably an Elf. Stupid, stupid me!

“I took them because… well, I felt drawn to them,” he answered out of the blue.

Raina snorted. “Who would have guessed.”

She moved over to Frodo, who was fast asleep. She knew that Faramir could not see her, but she still felt the need to move slowly as she pressed down the fabric of Frodo’s shirt. Sure enough, the Ring hanging by the chain was still there. And still corrupting his heart.

She sighed, stroking his hair. A few locks moved with her fingers, but not many. But Faramir noticed.

“Why do you care for them?” Faramir suddenly asked.

“Why does it concern you?” Raina shot back. Faramir looked taken aback, and Raina apologized.

“I am sorry. But he is my brother,” she spoke softly, trying to rub away some of the dried mud on his cheek to little avail.

Faramir nodded, looking down. With the shock of realization, Raina cursed herself for bringing up that subject. But on the bright side, he probably thought that she was a Hobbit instead of an Elf.

“I am sorry,” she whispered, moving back over to sit next to him. “For bringing that up.”

His head shot up. “You know?” he accused, searching the air around him to try and find her. Raina drew back, even though Faramir couldn’t see her. Anyways, she was offended.

“Yes,” she spoke softly, bringing up horrible memories. “I was there.”

But by now, Raina could feel her grasp on the vision slipping, but she held onto it this time, refusing to let it go. She had to speak to him about this.

“Really?” he gasped finally. “What- what happened?”

“He was killed, defending these two.” So it wasn’t the perfect truth, but in a way, he was. Merry and Pippin had been protecting Frodo and Sam, and Boromir died protecting them. “Uruk-Hai. There were at least ten of them for each of us.”

Faramir nodded, looking over at the two Hobbits, who were still sound asleep.

“His last words?”

Raina’s mind went back to that horrid day in a flash. She felt like she was actually there again, looking down at Boromir’s dying body once more.

“They took the little ones… Frodo! Where is Frodo?… Tell him… tell him that I am sorry. Tell him that I hope he can forgive me… I would have followed you my Brother… my Captain… my King!

Tell him… tell him that I am sorry. Tell him that I hope he can forgive me…”

Raina choked with this one. She had completely forgotten. But by now, she was using all her energy and will power to keep hold of the vision.

She grabbed Faramir’s collar in desperation, but it didn’t take the effect it usually would have. But Faramir noticed, and looked straight into her eyes for the first time. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering if he could see her, but she decided it was just because she was so close. She was only a few inches from his face.

“I’m fading,” she said desperately. “But he wanted… he wanted…” she could feel herself being pulled back, and she started loosing consciousness, before Faramir reached his arms out blindly, eventually resting around Raina’s body. She was jerked back into the vision with this sudden physical touch.

“He wanted what?” He asked quickly.

“To tell Frodo… to tell him that he is sorry. And ask for forgiveness. He asked me to do it, but… but…” Raina choked. “I might not ever see him again…”

And with that, Raina was yanked from Faramir’s desperate grip and back to Helm’s Deep, where Legolas hadn’t moved since she departed. Only having enough energy to keep her yes open for a moment, she passed out from utter exhaustion.

The next day Raina felt like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but she was too deep in thought and tired to do anything that day but lie in bed and catch up on rest.