An Acceptance

Pippin and Gandalf had ridden out awhile ago, and now everyone was gathering their own things to set out. Raina watched her friends speak together about where they were going to be going, while she packed her own bags for Minas Tirith. What if this was goodbye forever? What if one of them didn’t make it?

The four of them were inseparable for the remaining hours they were together. None of them wanted to say why they were so closely knit that day, because saying it would make it all the more real.

But right before she rode out, Raina broke away from the group to the stalls, a small pack under her cloak from Lothlorien.

A stable boy a couple years younger than herself was the only person in the stables when Raina got there. She carried her own sack of things, for she would not be going back into the Hall again. Merry, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were going to meet her in there in a few moments, but she had darted ahead of them at the last moment.

She approached the stable boy, who had been watching her, and Raina didn’t even want to know where he had been looking or what he had been thinking.

“Excuse me, but which of these would be Lady Èowyn’s?” she asked. The young man blinked, but pointed to a grey horse only a few stalls down from Hamson. She nodded thanks, and moved over to the horse.

It ignored her as she slipped in and lifted the already packed bags from the saddle. Underneath was already a cheaply smithed sword, and it was very blunt. Raina took out the pack of knives and her extra sword and strapped it on top of the blunt sword, before slipping out of the stall just in time for Aragorn to come in.

She gave him a sad smile as she threw her own sack on the hay and wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “Be safe.”

“You too. Watch out for the others,” she breathed back. He nodded into her now-silky hair before pulling back, resting his hands on her shoulders.

“You’ve grown so much since the Prancing Pony,” he said with a grin. Raina knew he didn’t mean physically -- although she had changed physically as well. But he meant inside, where it mattered. She had changed from a naïve little Shire girl into a warrior who had seen battle and felt death’s sting. That night had felt like a million years ago, but it must have only been half a year. So much had happened since then.

Legolas ran in next, a grin on his face. Raina flew into his open arms and drew him close. Although it had been so long since he had been home, Raina could smell the faint scent of leaves and dirt on him.

“Be safe,” she whispered, willing herself not to cry. “If you get yourself killed, I swear, Legolas, I will never forgive you for leaving me alone with these crazies.” Gimli had walked in at that point and grunted at the playful insult.

Legolas just laughed, bending down to kiss her cheek. He lingered in her hair, taking one last breath, hoping to remember what she smelled like if he were to not see her again.

“I won’t, I promise,” he said, despite his thoughts. “Good luck, little one. Don’t let the Gondorians get you down, little sister.”

Raina smiled as Aragorn let out a snort of indignation.

“Goodbye, brother.”

She bent down and hugged Gimli, seemingly to his surprise. “Take care of the Elf,” she whispered before Merry ran in.

She laughed and caught him in her arms. “Goodbye once again, Merry.”

He grinned at her. “Goodbye, Raina. See that Pippin doesn’t do anything stupid, will you? Usually I’m there to set him straight, but…”

Raina burst out laughing. “From what I remember you’re the one who got Pippin started on that mischief, starting with stealing Farmer Maggot’s mushrooms with Frodo!”

The thought of Frodo made her heart ache, but she ignored it. She would have three days to be by herself and think, but now is not the time.

“I must be going now,” she said softly, standing up again. Legolas handed her the sack as she went over to Hamson’s stall, and she strung it Hamson’s collar. On their arrival, blacksmiths had created him a saddle and reins, but the Wolf had hated them. They said that Raina just needed to break him, but she didn’t want to. This way, he would be able to live in the wild if Middle Earth were to fall. So she climbed onto him bareback, figuring that after three days of riding she would finally get used to it.

“Calo anor na ven,” she whispered to the Man as Aragorn opened the stall door for her with a smile. Hamson obediently walked out, but he shivered in excitement at the thought of being able to run once more. (May your path be brighter than mine)

Once she was out of the stables, Raina turned back around to blow kisses to everyone, tears in her eyes. They had followed her out and were all waving, sad smiles on their faces. “So our paths split here,” she whispered, the wind carrying her words to them. She leaned down to Hamson’s ear and whispered to him softly.

“Bado na Minas Tirith.” (To Minas Tirith)

She didn’t need to spur the Wolf to get him running. So she was off on her own adventure now. She twisted to look back on more time, seeing her family waving goodbye and good luck to her as she was hurtled to battle.