‹ Prequel: A Mistake
Sequel: An Acceptance ›
A Burden
Look to the East
It took forever to make sure all the Men to hear the message, but after a while, Raina found herself running as fast as her legs could carry her towards one last loved one who needed the message. Throwing herself farther with each increasingly longer stride, she curved through the empty streets of Helm’s Deep with one destination: the stables.
She threw herself in, and ran straight back to Hamson’s stall. He was unnerved, but not breaking down like the horses were. She unlocked his stall, and he bolted out and stood by her side, shaking and whining.
She took a precious moment to stroke his fur and speak calming words to him in Elvish, which he seemed to understand.
Raina was about to pull herself on top of the Wolf’s back and ride out, before she took notice to the desperate horses in their own stalls. Théoden had refused to take them down to the caves because he didn’t want his men to think that he thought that they would not survive where they were. So they would wait here, until the crazed Uruks slaughtered them as well.
Without too much hesitation, Raina threw herself at the nearest stall, unlatching the hook in an instant. The horse opened the door by himself, but again, waited for her command outside the stables.
She opened more and more stalls, and the horses, calmed by her words, serenely waited outside the stables until Raina rode out on Hamson.
She stared at the mass of at least fifty horses, all waiting for her command. She hesitated, before riding out a few paces ahead of them, turned back to give them a single order.
“Tolo hi!” (Come now!)
And with that, she rode off to the caves, praying someone would open the doors for her entrance.
***
She was greeted by the anxious face of Legolas, about to close the door as he peered out into the Keep. Right behind her, the Uruks had started making their way into the castle, but the Elf had hear her coming and refused to close the doors until absolutely necessary.
A grin spread on his face as she rode in as fast as she could, clearing the mass of people by the door easily.
Hamson skidded to a stop, swinging around to face Legolas as he did. Raina jumped down with a word of thanks to the Wolf before throwing herself into Legolas’s open arms. It was not the time to weep for the dead, but it sure felt like it. Would she ever have time to again? Was this her finale?
Legolas bent down and kissed the top of her head with enough desperate love to make Raina’s stomach flip. But before she could do anything, her sight became blurred for a moment, sending her into a dizzy spell. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the caves, no longer surrounded by Legolas. Instead she saw a flicker of Faramir’s face up close. He was staring at someone with regret before saying something that Raina could not hear. Instead she heard the mournful cries of the Ents, many miles away.
She blinked, trying to figure out what was happening, but when she opened her eyes this time she was back in the caves, hearing and seeing fine. But Legolas was holding her up, watching her with alarm.
She got her footing and stepped away from him.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled before moving back over to Hamson. He was distressed about being underground, and had found his place near the only window in the caves, staring out longingly.
She stood next to him, staring out the window as well. From this view, you could not see the Uruks, and you could pretend that it was an ordinary sun rise.
Wait… sun rise! It was the… fifth day!
Raina swung around and strode over to where Aragorn and Théoden were arguing.
But she faltered halfway there. She could see fine, but she could not hear what those around her were saying. Instead, she heard Sam’s voice, obviously talking to Faramir.
‘You wanna know what happened to Boromir?’ he cried, and Raina started feeling a little lightheaded again. Flickers of Faramir’s sorrowful face flashed behind her eye lids, and she felt herself staggering.
When her eyes opened, she was on the floor, several people around her staring. She blinked a few times, praying the visions didn’t come back until the end of the battle, and pushed her way to Aragorn and Théoden.
“So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?” Théoden was saying quietly as if in a trance.
Aragorn turned to face him.
“Ride out with me.”
Théoden looked at Aragorn as if he were crazy. And if he didn’t know what Raina knew, he would be right to think that.
“For death a glory?” he asked defensively.
“Do it,” Raina said quietly. “Aid is on its way. Ride out with us.”
“Yes…” Théoden was saying quietly, his eyes on the rays of sun that were on beaming in through the window now. “Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep, one last time."
Raina grinned at the others, and ran to jump on Hamson’s back.
She threw herself in, and ran straight back to Hamson’s stall. He was unnerved, but not breaking down like the horses were. She unlocked his stall, and he bolted out and stood by her side, shaking and whining.
She took a precious moment to stroke his fur and speak calming words to him in Elvish, which he seemed to understand.
Raina was about to pull herself on top of the Wolf’s back and ride out, before she took notice to the desperate horses in their own stalls. Théoden had refused to take them down to the caves because he didn’t want his men to think that he thought that they would not survive where they were. So they would wait here, until the crazed Uruks slaughtered them as well.
Without too much hesitation, Raina threw herself at the nearest stall, unlatching the hook in an instant. The horse opened the door by himself, but again, waited for her command outside the stables.
She opened more and more stalls, and the horses, calmed by her words, serenely waited outside the stables until Raina rode out on Hamson.
She stared at the mass of at least fifty horses, all waiting for her command. She hesitated, before riding out a few paces ahead of them, turned back to give them a single order.
“Tolo hi!” (Come now!)
And with that, she rode off to the caves, praying someone would open the doors for her entrance.
***
She was greeted by the anxious face of Legolas, about to close the door as he peered out into the Keep. Right behind her, the Uruks had started making their way into the castle, but the Elf had hear her coming and refused to close the doors until absolutely necessary.
A grin spread on his face as she rode in as fast as she could, clearing the mass of people by the door easily.
Hamson skidded to a stop, swinging around to face Legolas as he did. Raina jumped down with a word of thanks to the Wolf before throwing herself into Legolas’s open arms. It was not the time to weep for the dead, but it sure felt like it. Would she ever have time to again? Was this her finale?
Legolas bent down and kissed the top of her head with enough desperate love to make Raina’s stomach flip. But before she could do anything, her sight became blurred for a moment, sending her into a dizzy spell. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the caves, no longer surrounded by Legolas. Instead she saw a flicker of Faramir’s face up close. He was staring at someone with regret before saying something that Raina could not hear. Instead she heard the mournful cries of the Ents, many miles away.
She blinked, trying to figure out what was happening, but when she opened her eyes this time she was back in the caves, hearing and seeing fine. But Legolas was holding her up, watching her with alarm.
She got her footing and stepped away from him.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled before moving back over to Hamson. He was distressed about being underground, and had found his place near the only window in the caves, staring out longingly.
She stood next to him, staring out the window as well. From this view, you could not see the Uruks, and you could pretend that it was an ordinary sun rise.
Wait… sun rise! It was the… fifth day!
Raina swung around and strode over to where Aragorn and Théoden were arguing.
But she faltered halfway there. She could see fine, but she could not hear what those around her were saying. Instead, she heard Sam’s voice, obviously talking to Faramir.
‘You wanna know what happened to Boromir?’ he cried, and Raina started feeling a little lightheaded again. Flickers of Faramir’s sorrowful face flashed behind her eye lids, and she felt herself staggering.
When her eyes opened, she was on the floor, several people around her staring. She blinked a few times, praying the visions didn’t come back until the end of the battle, and pushed her way to Aragorn and Théoden.
“So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?” Théoden was saying quietly as if in a trance.
Aragorn turned to face him.
“Ride out with me.”
Théoden looked at Aragorn as if he were crazy. And if he didn’t know what Raina knew, he would be right to think that.
“For death a glory?” he asked defensively.
“Do it,” Raina said quietly. “Aid is on its way. Ride out with us.”
“Yes…” Théoden was saying quietly, his eyes on the rays of sun that were on beaming in through the window now. “Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep, one last time."
Raina grinned at the others, and ran to jump on Hamson’s back.