Hope ↠ LOTR

IX. Sing

Athena found herself sitting at the Court of the Fountain, placed on one of the walls that encased it with her back pressed up against a jutting piece of stone, overlooking the lands of Gondor and the Pelennor Fields below. The world was dark but streaks of moonlight lit up the land where the battle was only days previously, and she found herself wondering if Frodo and Sam were looking at the moon as well.

She was fully aware that this night may be the last night of peace that she will ever have, and perhaps the last night she will ever have entirely. Their chances of survival were beyond slim but for some reason she found herself feeling completely content with whatever fate lay in store for her.

"Um, Athena?" Pippin called out quietly from beside her.

Her head turned to the side so that she could see him and she smiled down at him. "Hello, Pip."

He smiled back at her and climbed onto the wall, sitting in front of her legs that were hugged to her chest, his own legs swinging down with his back to the landscape of Gondor. "I noticed that your hair hadn't been tied up for a while so I thought you might find this useful for tomorrow," he told her and opened up his clenched hand to reveal a hair tie lying in it before extending it to her.

"Thank you, this will be extremely useful," she responded and took it gratefully, holding it in her hands until she was able to use it for tomorrow.

Pippin was a little hesitant in asking his next question, but he did so anyway. "Do you remember that song you helped me write?"

Of course she remembered it. They had made it when Merry was still healing and she had helped him with the lyrics every now and then, as did Merry. She never sang them, only spoke them or pointed out where the tune could slightly change. But she remembered it.

"I'd like to sing it again, if this is to be my last night here but I don't remember how it starts," he continued and his face fell when her head silently turned to the side to look out at the starry sky so instead he prepared himself to sing it without her.

"Many places I have been."

His head shot up to look at her when the voice he heard was not his own and instead was feminine and gentle. The moon cast shadows on her face but he could see the soft smile on her lips clear as day, and his heart swelled with joy at finally being able to hear her sing.

"Many sorrows I have seen
But I don't regret
Nor will I forget
All who took the road with me."

She turned back to look at him and saw that he was smiling at her with unshed tears lingering in his eyes. He had tried in the past to get her to sing but everytime he did she would deny it, and he found himself warmed at her finally feeling that she was able to do so and that she trusted him enough to do it in front of him. Due to what Bilbo said he had believed that she would not truly be happy unless she was able to sing, and knowing that she now was made him feel a happiness that he couldn't describe even if he wanted to. And so he decided to sing the next verse so not to ruin the moment.

"Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling
And I must away
Over hill and under tree
Through lands where light has never shone
By silver streams that run down to the sea."

He felt her finger gently reach out and wipe away a stray tear from his cheek, the fond smile never leaving her features. And then they sang the final verse together.

"To these memories I will hold
With your blessing I will go
To turn at last to paths that lead home
And though where the road then takes me
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell."