Hope ↠ LOTR

V. Regret

Athena was mounted on Hasufel, behind Aragorn once more as they left Edoras and headed towards the refuge of Helm's Deep, a refuge that was not as safe as Théoden believed.

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"It's true you don't see many Dwarf women and in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," Gimli explained to Éowyn from atop his horse that she was leading.

Éowyn looked at Aragorn that was riding behind them. "It's the beards," he told her, chuckling when he received a jab to his side from Athena while Éowyn laughed at his words and also Athena's reaction.

"This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women, and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground which is, of course, ridiculous!" He continued, causing Éowyn to laugh much louder than earlier.

It was true that there were not nearly as many Dwarf women as there were Dwarf men, but they did exist and she knew because she had seen them before. The most notable one that she had met was Dís, who treated her the same way that she treated her sons and had welcomed her as an addition to their family, but she also scolded her the same way that she scolded her sons when the three of them were caught up in mischief. She had not seen her since leaving to reclaim Erebor.

Gimli's horse decided that was the moment it would speed away, galloping forwards and causing Gimli to lose his place on the saddle and go tumbling to the ground. Athena laughed loudly at the sight, as did Aragorn while Éowyn moved to help the Dwarf from the ground. After the laughing died down a smile stayed on Aragorn's face, he had not heard his sister laugh so joyfully in a long time and it warmed his heart to hear it.

"I have not seen my niece smile in a long time," Théoden said as he rode up beside the two of them, catching the siblings attention, "she was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut down by Orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief, then she was left alone to tend her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."

"There is still time to change that," Athena spoke up, looking empathetically at the King of Rohan, "you have a second chance to right those wrongs, to love her the way that you should have. She knows that it was not your fault and it's never too late to make amends."

Théoden sent her a ghost of a smile before returning his attention to the front of him. She understood his regrets too well, she had done the same thing with Aragorn and although she could never regret meeting the people that she did she would always regret the time that she left her brother behind when she should have been there to help guide him and love him. But he had welcomed her with open arms and they had rebuilt their relationship throughout the years, becoming as inseparable as they were when he was only a child.

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They decided to take a rest after travelling for quite some time, everyone needing to recuperate and fill their stomachs. Most of the people travelling with them were simple folk who weren't used to travelling far distances in short time spans and they required rest a lot more than those who were accustomed to it did. Athena sat down beside Aragorn, other people milling around them and sorting out their supplies while eating provisions and resting to gather their strength back for the long journey ahead.

"She reminds me of you," Aragorn spoke up, glancing at Athena while he cleaned his sword.

"You'll have to be more specific than that," she responded. There were many women and many reasons why someone could remind him of her.

"Éowyn. You are both stubborn, you are both capable fighters, you are both daughters of kings, and you have not smiled for a long time either," he explained to her before resting his sword on his knee and freeing a hand to rest upon her shoulder, "you have seemed happier of late, and it has been a welcome sight. I hope that it continues."