An Acceptance

Raina passed the stables, where Hamson waited excitedly. She passed his stall, shaking her head sadly.

“Not this time, boy,” she whispered, patting his head. “It’s been a great time being with you. Probably the best time of my life, being with the Fellowship. Seems appropriate that I should…” she cut off before she could say ‘die with them.’ She didn’t want to say it yet, to make it all the more real.

“I’ve told the stable boys to let you go, should I not come back.” Hamson whined quietly, finally realizing what his friend was saying. “It’s for the best,” she whispered, patting his head one last time before collecting Legolas’s horse from the stable nearby and guiding it with her Elvish words.

**

Raina rode with Legolas to their last battle again, just like they had used to. She rested her head on his chest as she thought.

“It’s just like it used to be,” she whispered to him, as she glanced around at Aragorn and Gimli on the horse beside them. “Like when we were riding to Edoras. And Rohan.”

Legolas nodded, a small smile on his face. “You were so different back then. We all were. There was more laughter…”

Raina smiled grimly and nodded. “But you and Gimli hated each other.”

“Huh?” Gimli had heard his name and looked up at them.

“We were remembering last year. Before Helm’s Deep. How everything has changed. And how you and Legolas still used to hate each other,” Raina replied cheerfully.

“Oh. Yes. Well, never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an Elf.”

Legolas grinned at him. “What about side by side with a friend?”

Gimli looked up at the Elf and smiled. “Aye. I could do that.”

Raina laughed. “Finally!”

Aragorn laughed with her. “And remember back then? You still used to call me Strider.”

Raina huffed with a grin. “Yes, well as long as I’ve known you, you’ve changed your name three times! It gets a bit confusing.”

Aragorn’s eyebrows shot up curiously. “Oh?”

Raina nodded enthusiastically. “First Strider, then Aragorn, and now King Elessar,” she announced dramatically. Aragorn laughed with her.

“Yes, I can see how a little Elvish girl could get confused with that,” he chuckled.

Raina laughed, her expression changing to mock anger. “Really? Little Elvish girl? I thought you knew me better, Aragorn!”

The rest of her friends laughed along with her, and from behind, Merry and Pippin rode up on a shared pony.

“And remember the first time we all met? So awkward. Us Hobbitses knew no one!”

Everyone laughed again, nodding in agreement.

“And look where we are now,” Raina sighed happily. “These have honestly been the best times of my life. But also the saddest, of course.”

Everyone’s moods sobered as the army approached the Black Gates, and Aragorn motioned for the army to stop before reaching them. He rode forward, his friends and men in tow, before they all stopped outside.

“Where are they?” Pippin asked Merry and Raina, who shrugged as an answer.

They stayed like that for a while before Aragorn called out.

“Let the Lord of the Black Lands come forth!” he thundered. “Let justice be done upon him!”

The Gates creaked open, and the blood in Raina’s veins began to rush faster as adrenaline entered her system.

Instead of a great army as Raina had been suspecting, a single creature came forth. Raina, as well as everyone else cringed and stared at it disgustedly. It rode a black horse, and was completely covered in armor except for its grotesque mouth, which was filled with yellow to black teeth, each two inches long. Its entire mouth was big enough to bite Raina’s head clean off. She decided it must be the Mouth of Sauron.

“My master, Sauron the Great, bids you welcome. Is there any in this rout with the authority to treat with me?”

Its voice sent chills up Raina’s spine, and no doubt, others as well.

Gandalf, at least, remained calm and seemed to not be affected. “We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this: The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return.”

The Mouth seemed to grin. But, then again, it seemed to be grinning all the time.

“Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee.”

The Mouth held up Frodo’s shirt, the one made of Mithril, and Raina let out an audible gasp, as well as some of those around her.

“Frodo,” Pippin breathed, his eyes wide with despair and fear.

“Silence,” Gandalf commanded.

“No!” Merry keened.

“Silence!”

The Mouth’s grin spread. “The Halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would’ve thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did, Gandalf. He did.”

A growl erupted from Raina’s throat, and she reached back for her bow. From behind, Legolas rested his hand on hers, calming her to put her weapon away.

But the Mouth of Sauron did not notice. He seemed to keep watching Gandalf’s reaction. Aragorn rode calmly to the Mouth’s side, which eventually turned to him.

“And who is this? Isildur’s heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade.”

With a quick slice from Aragorn’s blade, he cut the Mouth of Sauron’s head clean off.

“I guess that concludes negotiations,” Gimli commented calmly, and everyone laughed dryly.

“I do not believe it. I will not,” Aragorn said as he rode back to the group.

“Of course it’s not true,” Raina said soothingly, after pulling herself back together again. “They are not dead. I can feel it in my heart.”

Just then, the Eye turned to the small group, its fiery gaze piercing all of their minds, and the Gates opened to reveal a massive army.