‹ Prequel: A Mistake
Sequel: An Acceptance ›
A Burden
Breathless
She stayed on top of the walls, while most went down to the hole in the wall, where Uruks by the thousands were crowding into.
“Brace the gates!” Théoden commanded from the Keep, and most soldiers ran to the gates.
Raina stayed on the wall, killing the last of the Uruks there before reluctantly looking down into the fights going on below. She knew she was needed there, but she was reluctant…
Another lost soul caught her eye and her head jerked up. A few feet away, a boy was watching her as she watched the crowd. He was about her height, and had chest-length curly blonde hair, that was by now very matted and dirty. Raina was sure that she didn’t look any better, and subconsciously wiped the sweat off her face with the back of her hand.
They stared at each other for a few moments before he spoke.
“You are plenty brave, My Lady, for just fighting. Even when you didn’t have to,” he said softly. Had she not had her Elvish hearing, she would not have heard him at all.
She smiled at the shy boy. “Thank you,” she said kindly with a nod before walking over to him. “What is it they call you?”
The boy looked up from his feet at her. “Háleth, son of Háma, My Lady.”
She peered closely at his face for a moment before responding.
“So how old are you, Háleth, son of Háma?”
By now the boy was looking at his feet once more. “Fourteen, My Lady.”
Raina swore, whipping her head around to glare at the oncoming army with her lip curled. She took a moment to cool down before she turned back to face Háleth with a fed-up-looking expression.
“How has is come to this?” she asked him, leaning back to look around. “How could it come down to this? When Shire-folk and children would have to bear arms and die together?”
Just then an Uruk crept up on the Háleth’s back, ready to strike.
Raina picked up her bow in an instant, and had an arrow notched a ready to fly in the next. Before its strike fell, the Uruk had been shot in the heart.
Háleth was breathless when he turned back to face Raina. She remembered when that had been her at one time, not too long ago -- losing her breath every time she almost faced death.
“Thank you,” he gasped.
Raina nodded curtly. “Watch you back,” she said before she could hear Théoden calling for everyone to retreat to the Keep.
“Am Marad!” Aragorn echoed, and Háleth’s head perked up.
“What are we supposed to be doing?” he asked. Raina looked at him for a moment before remembering that it was gibberish to him.
She took his armors sleeve and pushed him ahead of her. “To the Keep!” she yelled after him before throwing herself into the middle of the mess down below.
“Brace the gates!” Théoden commanded from the Keep, and most soldiers ran to the gates.
Raina stayed on the wall, killing the last of the Uruks there before reluctantly looking down into the fights going on below. She knew she was needed there, but she was reluctant…
Another lost soul caught her eye and her head jerked up. A few feet away, a boy was watching her as she watched the crowd. He was about her height, and had chest-length curly blonde hair, that was by now very matted and dirty. Raina was sure that she didn’t look any better, and subconsciously wiped the sweat off her face with the back of her hand.
They stared at each other for a few moments before he spoke.
“You are plenty brave, My Lady, for just fighting. Even when you didn’t have to,” he said softly. Had she not had her Elvish hearing, she would not have heard him at all.
She smiled at the shy boy. “Thank you,” she said kindly with a nod before walking over to him. “What is it they call you?”
The boy looked up from his feet at her. “Háleth, son of Háma, My Lady.”
She peered closely at his face for a moment before responding.
“So how old are you, Háleth, son of Háma?”
By now the boy was looking at his feet once more. “Fourteen, My Lady.”
Raina swore, whipping her head around to glare at the oncoming army with her lip curled. She took a moment to cool down before she turned back to face Háleth with a fed-up-looking expression.
“How has is come to this?” she asked him, leaning back to look around. “How could it come down to this? When Shire-folk and children would have to bear arms and die together?”
Just then an Uruk crept up on the Háleth’s back, ready to strike.
Raina picked up her bow in an instant, and had an arrow notched a ready to fly in the next. Before its strike fell, the Uruk had been shot in the heart.
Háleth was breathless when he turned back to face Raina. She remembered when that had been her at one time, not too long ago -- losing her breath every time she almost faced death.
“Thank you,” he gasped.
Raina nodded curtly. “Watch you back,” she said before she could hear Théoden calling for everyone to retreat to the Keep.
“Am Marad!” Aragorn echoed, and Háleth’s head perked up.
“What are we supposed to be doing?” he asked. Raina looked at him for a moment before remembering that it was gibberish to him.
She took his armors sleeve and pushed him ahead of her. “To the Keep!” she yelled after him before throwing herself into the middle of the mess down below.