A Burden

On the noon of the second day traveling, the five finally rode to the outskirts of Edoras. Raina crinkled her brow. It looked like little more than a large village, she thought as she helped Legolas steer the horse towards the gates. Earlier he had told her that he would teach her how to really ride a horse. Apparently, Shire-folk don’t do it right.

The three horses paused as Gandalf spoke. "Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong."

Raina pursed her lips. Inside the Hall she could hear a woman weeping and a snake hissing poison.

“I would not expect much welcome here,” she whispered, and Legolas nodded in agreement solemnly.

We rode through the gates and everywhere we went all we got was glares.

“Are you sure it’s only the king’s mind Saruman has poisoned?” she whispered to the wind, knowing that it would be carried back to Elf riding behind her. He chuckled, but it held no humor.

“You’ll find more cheer in a graveyard,” Gimli commented from Aragorn’s horse behind them and everyone laughed dryly.

At the front of the hall, two stable boys ran forward to take the three horses to the stables. It was odd for Raina because they must have been her age but they were so subservient to the five. Raina couldn’t help but notice that they were checking her out, and she remembered with a flush that she had taken her leggings off while running. While she was with the others she didn’t mind how she looked because they were like her brothers, and nothing more. But with these boys…

She turned away, her hair whipping around her face as she tried to cool her blush down. She didn’t notice when Legolas tensed beside her and shot a glare at the two stable boys.

She climbed the steps first, but before she could even get under the shade to wait for the others, several guards stopped her.

She straightened up and backed away from them, almost offended. Behind her Legolas wrapped his arm around her protectively and turned his glare to the guards.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden king so armed, Gandalf Grayhame. By order of… Gríma Wormtongue,” the guard paused and frowned at the man’s name, which made Raina feel better. So maybe some were on their side.

Behind them, Gandalf rose from the steps, closely followed by Aragorn and Gimli. With a nod from the Wizard, the five began unloading their weapons.

A young man stood in front of Raina, staring off into the distance as if he didn’t think he had to do anything.

Raina took off her bow and unstrapped the cylinder of arrows and held them out. When she noticed the boy was not paying attention, she cleared her throat.

“Do you need these? Or shall I keep them?” she asked with a smirk. The man jumped as if surprised, and with a furrowed brow took the weapons from her.

Raina then reached behind her and pulled out twin blades that were strapped to her back, and unsheathed the sword from her belt. The guard looked awed, and was about to turn around, but Legolas grabbed his arm.

“She’s not done yet, lad,” Gimli said with a chuckle. By now the others who had had competent guards to take their things were done unloading, and everyone was watching them.

Raina laughed and bent down to take the dagger out of her boot, and then opened up her leather cloak to reveal even more arrows and daggers.

She was about to dismiss the boy before she remembered a few more. With wide, remembering eyes, she reached back and pulled one more sword from her shirt’s back.

The other guards were staring openly at Raina in shock, and she and Legolas looked at each other. After a moment, they couldn’t contain their laughter. After the guard was piled with these things, he turned around promptly to carry them in with the others, his face hot with embarrassment.

Raina reached out to grab his should again, because she still had several of the gifted daggers hidden under her skirt. But before she could say anything, Legolas grabbed her hand and covered her mouth with his other. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

“You tried,” he whispered, too low for anyone else to hear, and smiled. “It’s their own fault now.”

Raina looked up at the Hall, and saw a flash of something in one of the windows far above them. In the staircase, a woman had stood watching, and was now descending into the Hall itself.

Where the other guards were walking, she heard one of the older ones speaking to the boy.

“Wouldn’t want to meet that lass in battle,” he grumbled before the doors slammed shut.

Raina grinned and strode in with the others.