‹ Prequel: A Mistake
Sequel: An Acceptance ›
A Burden
Tensions Running High
Legolas and Raina walked into the armory last, not to get weapons, but the survey the army. They soon found Aragorn and Gimli murmuring together in the midst of things.
They came up to the two others silently, listening to their conversation. Raina leaned on the nearby post as the Man and Dwarf continued.
“Farmers, ferriers, stable boys,” Aragorn was saying quietly. “These are no soldiers.”
“Most have seen too many winters!” Gimli agreed.
“Or too few,” Legolas said quietly. Raina blushed, and couldn’t help but think that he was including her in that mix.
He seemed to read her mind. “You shouldn’t be fighting, Raina. You’re-”
Raina straightened up. “I’m what? Too young? A girl? Oh, heaven forbid this delicate little thing ever see blood and gore!” she snorted and sat back triumphantly.
Gimli and Aragorn nodded in agreement. “She’s proven herself brave enough and useful to have. If she wants to, she should fight.”
Legolas sat back against a column in defeat, although he had known that that’s what they were going to say anyways.
“Look at them,” he said bitterly, pursing his lips in frustration. “They’re frightened. I can see it in their eyes.”
“And I can hear it. Their heartbeats… will soon drive me crazy,” Raina whispered. And it was true: in the enclosed area, the boys and men were freaking out, freaking Raina out. She had to remind herself to not succumb to the panic on several occasions.
Suddenly, the room turned silent. They must have hear them talking, so Legolas tactfully switched to Elvish.
"Boe a hyn neled herain… dan caer menig!" he said, losing the small hope that he had had earlier. (And they should be. Three hundred… against ten thousand!”)
Aragorn grimaced, but gave the best answer he could. “Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras.”
“Aragorn, men i ndagor. Hýn ú ortheri,” Legolas said slowly. By now the villagers were glancing back at forth at them, confused. (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight.)
Raina reached out to touch Legolas’s arm softly. “Legolas, hebo estel,” she whispered quietly, but Legolas jerked his arm from her touch, not looking down at her hurt expression. (Legolas, have hope)
“Natha daged aen!” (They’re going to die!)
“Then I shall die as one of them!” Aragorn yelled back stubbornly. Raina looked around at the terrified villagers with wide eyes.
“Oh, you’ve done it now,” she growled bitterly before turned to leave.
“Let them go, lad. Let them be,” Gimli was saying as Raina left behind Aragorn, but took a different path from him as they exited.
They came up to the two others silently, listening to their conversation. Raina leaned on the nearby post as the Man and Dwarf continued.
“Farmers, ferriers, stable boys,” Aragorn was saying quietly. “These are no soldiers.”
“Most have seen too many winters!” Gimli agreed.
“Or too few,” Legolas said quietly. Raina blushed, and couldn’t help but think that he was including her in that mix.
He seemed to read her mind. “You shouldn’t be fighting, Raina. You’re-”
Raina straightened up. “I’m what? Too young? A girl? Oh, heaven forbid this delicate little thing ever see blood and gore!” she snorted and sat back triumphantly.
Gimli and Aragorn nodded in agreement. “She’s proven herself brave enough and useful to have. If she wants to, she should fight.”
Legolas sat back against a column in defeat, although he had known that that’s what they were going to say anyways.
“Look at them,” he said bitterly, pursing his lips in frustration. “They’re frightened. I can see it in their eyes.”
“And I can hear it. Their heartbeats… will soon drive me crazy,” Raina whispered. And it was true: in the enclosed area, the boys and men were freaking out, freaking Raina out. She had to remind herself to not succumb to the panic on several occasions.
Suddenly, the room turned silent. They must have hear them talking, so Legolas tactfully switched to Elvish.
"Boe a hyn neled herain… dan caer menig!" he said, losing the small hope that he had had earlier. (And they should be. Three hundred… against ten thousand!”)
Aragorn grimaced, but gave the best answer he could. “Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras.”
“Aragorn, men i ndagor. Hýn ú ortheri,” Legolas said slowly. By now the villagers were glancing back at forth at them, confused. (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight.)
Raina reached out to touch Legolas’s arm softly. “Legolas, hebo estel,” she whispered quietly, but Legolas jerked his arm from her touch, not looking down at her hurt expression. (Legolas, have hope)
“Natha daged aen!” (They’re going to die!)
“Then I shall die as one of them!” Aragorn yelled back stubbornly. Raina looked around at the terrified villagers with wide eyes.
“Oh, you’ve done it now,” she growled bitterly before turned to leave.
“Let them go, lad. Let them be,” Gimli was saying as Raina left behind Aragorn, but took a different path from him as they exited.