An Acceptance

Not too far from the Gates of Isengard, there was an ominous wood, filled with the angry spirits of the trees. Damp soil covered the ground, infertile to anything except the Ent and their kin. Between the soulful trees, lofty white mist floated, hiding from the suns rays under the dense limbs. Every so often, a groan could be heard to those who listened, and those who understood could interpret it as a welcome or warning among the tree-folk.

It was here that a small group of mixed races could be found. Three Men, two Elves, one Dwarf, and one Wizard were all riding quietly through the forest.

The blonde Elf looked over at his Dwarf friend and they shared a nervous glance. The forest put them off ease, as well as most of the company.

The other Elf, or rather, part-Elf, or Perian, looked perfectly at home as she sat in front of her friend. Looking up at the sky as if she didn’t have a care in the world (which, in fact, was quite the opposite), and she listened to the trees. For once in the past months, she was almost worry-free. For once, she could almost forget the real world.

Soon enough, though, the small company reached the end of their travels in the wood, and sunlight reached their eyes once more.

Not fifty feet away, two Hobbits sat on the wall, smoking Longbottom Leaf. Raina’s head returned to facing forward just as Merry Brandybuck stood regally on the broken wall of Isengard.

“Welcome, My Lords… and Lady,” he said, an air of alcohol on his breath. “To Isengard!”

Raina jumped down from her horse and ran as fast as she could for the two, who in turn lifted her onto the wall.

Tackling each of them in turn and kissing their cheeks (Pippin turned bright red), she looked at them for the first time in months. On the outside they had not seemed to change at all, but looking in their eyes, she saw the maturity and weight of the world that she herself was feeling.

“I can’t believe it!” she shrieked with a smile. “This whole time… we went to battle on the way to finding you! For you! And you’re here smoking the finest weed in the country, eating the best food Saruman could get!”

Merry and Pippin laughed. “We did too! We took this place down single handedly!” Merry cried indignantly.

“Of course you did,” Raina replied warmly, wrapping her arms and pulling them close once more.

“Now are either of you going to offer me some of that?”

They laughed, and Merry took the long pipe out of his mouth and handed it to the Elf girl. She took a puff and with a smile, handed it back to him.

“It’s great to have ya’ll back!”