‹ Prequel: A Burden
An Acceptance
Her Faramir
Panting slightly, Raina had finally reached the top of the cliff. She hoisted herself onto the stone pavilion where the wood was, and out of sight of the guards on the other side.
She looked down at her raw hands and cursed herself for not thinking of leather gloves. Ah, well. Not the time to think about that, now is it?
She peeked over the top of the wood to see the guards. They were both eating lunch, and facing away from Raina.
She grinned to herself. Oh, if only Gandalf would let her fight them. They never would have known what hit them.
But his instructions had been very clear. Do not be seen, and light the beacon.
She sighed, and reached up for the oil, but she was a bit too short. Throwing herself at the canister, it tipped over, pouring enough of the clear liquid to light well. But it made an awfully loud sound, reverberating in Raina’s ears. She glanced up quickly, and seeing that neither of the Men had heard, she reached up for the lantern. Grasping it in her red hands, and backed away from the wood as far as she could before tossing the flame at the wood.
It caught immediately, and Raina threw herself off the edge of the pavilion. By the time she heard the Men’s cry of surprise, she was almost halfway back down. She grinned and shook her head.
Silly mortals, she thought to herself wryly before she got back to the streets, and mixed in with the people. Not a soul noticed her. Rather they all turned to look up at the lit beacon in surprise.
At least, not a first. Raina noticed she had a bit of soot on her, and she tried to brush it off quickly without drawing attention to herself. It wouldn’t come off, and she glanced around wearily to make sure no one had seen. A small gasp escaped her lips as she made eye contact with a hooded figure, and she ducked into the nearest alley way.
She glanced around before brushing the soot off as fast as she could, but not before she heard footsteps coming her way.
The hooded man stood in front of her now, cornering her in the alley. She pulled on her innocent little-lost-girl face as she looked up at the man with big, round, adorable eyes.
“Can I help you?” she asked tentatively.
The Man narrowed his shielded eyes at her.
“No need to play innocent with me. I know you were the one who lit the beacon,” he said, and bit of accusation in his otherwise dry voice.
She stared up at him. “The… the beacon, sir?”
The Man gave an impatient snort and lowered his hood. When Raina saw his familiar face, she gave an audible gasp and stared up at him with really surprised eyes now. Before her stood the only living son of the Steward. Faramir.
“So you know who I am,” he said dryly, although Raina did not see the point of pointing that out.
She nodded, nonetheless.
“Anyway, I don’t need you to confess. Just know that I will be keeping an eye on you and yours.”
Raina stood there, speechless for a moment. She had thought that when she finally did meet this Man that it would be under better circumstances.
“I- I’m just a servant girl. Just a servant girl from Edoras… I got lost, I didn’t-”
Faramir cut her off, leaning in close to her to peer at her face. Raina’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart started racing.
“They say the King is returning. And with him travel three others: the Woodland Realm Princeling, a Dwarf of royal descent, and a girl. A girl, who has fought too many battles for her few years, who is said to be descended from two races.”
He moved even closer, and the Elf’s heart fluttered. He moved a lock of hair from her face, and placed it behind her ear, a flicker of disgust moving across his face when he saw her ears.
“A girl who just so happens to have deformed ears.”
With this, Raina choked. She growled at him, tears threatening to spill over as she pushed her way past him and into the crowd. She ran through the people despite hearing his yelled apologies and pleas to stop.
She pushed her way though the people before she was able to find her unforgiving home and sank on her makeshift bed, her face in her hands. She had never expected Faramir, her Faramir to be so unkind and ridiculing. She sank into the hay mattress in despair.
She looked down at her raw hands and cursed herself for not thinking of leather gloves. Ah, well. Not the time to think about that, now is it?
She peeked over the top of the wood to see the guards. They were both eating lunch, and facing away from Raina.
She grinned to herself. Oh, if only Gandalf would let her fight them. They never would have known what hit them.
But his instructions had been very clear. Do not be seen, and light the beacon.
She sighed, and reached up for the oil, but she was a bit too short. Throwing herself at the canister, it tipped over, pouring enough of the clear liquid to light well. But it made an awfully loud sound, reverberating in Raina’s ears. She glanced up quickly, and seeing that neither of the Men had heard, she reached up for the lantern. Grasping it in her red hands, and backed away from the wood as far as she could before tossing the flame at the wood.
It caught immediately, and Raina threw herself off the edge of the pavilion. By the time she heard the Men’s cry of surprise, she was almost halfway back down. She grinned and shook her head.
Silly mortals, she thought to herself wryly before she got back to the streets, and mixed in with the people. Not a soul noticed her. Rather they all turned to look up at the lit beacon in surprise.
At least, not a first. Raina noticed she had a bit of soot on her, and she tried to brush it off quickly without drawing attention to herself. It wouldn’t come off, and she glanced around wearily to make sure no one had seen. A small gasp escaped her lips as she made eye contact with a hooded figure, and she ducked into the nearest alley way.
She glanced around before brushing the soot off as fast as she could, but not before she heard footsteps coming her way.
The hooded man stood in front of her now, cornering her in the alley. She pulled on her innocent little-lost-girl face as she looked up at the man with big, round, adorable eyes.
“Can I help you?” she asked tentatively.
The Man narrowed his shielded eyes at her.
“No need to play innocent with me. I know you were the one who lit the beacon,” he said, and bit of accusation in his otherwise dry voice.
She stared up at him. “The… the beacon, sir?”
The Man gave an impatient snort and lowered his hood. When Raina saw his familiar face, she gave an audible gasp and stared up at him with really surprised eyes now. Before her stood the only living son of the Steward. Faramir.
“So you know who I am,” he said dryly, although Raina did not see the point of pointing that out.
She nodded, nonetheless.
“Anyway, I don’t need you to confess. Just know that I will be keeping an eye on you and yours.”
Raina stood there, speechless for a moment. She had thought that when she finally did meet this Man that it would be under better circumstances.
“I- I’m just a servant girl. Just a servant girl from Edoras… I got lost, I didn’t-”
Faramir cut her off, leaning in close to her to peer at her face. Raina’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart started racing.
“They say the King is returning. And with him travel three others: the Woodland Realm Princeling, a Dwarf of royal descent, and a girl. A girl, who has fought too many battles for her few years, who is said to be descended from two races.”
He moved even closer, and the Elf’s heart fluttered. He moved a lock of hair from her face, and placed it behind her ear, a flicker of disgust moving across his face when he saw her ears.
“A girl who just so happens to have deformed ears.”
With this, Raina choked. She growled at him, tears threatening to spill over as she pushed her way past him and into the crowd. She ran through the people despite hearing his yelled apologies and pleas to stop.
She pushed her way though the people before she was able to find her unforgiving home and sank on her makeshift bed, her face in her hands. She had never expected Faramir, her Faramir to be so unkind and ridiculing. She sank into the hay mattress in despair.