The Great Sacrifice

A Secret Discovered

The moon shone bright over Minas Tirith as Ari made her way quietly out of the lowest circle of the city. She was on her way home. Finally. She took a deep breath and looked up to the stars, before she exhaled the cold air. Spring was just at the doorstep. A few more weeks and the city and its surroundings would be turned into a sea of blossoming flowers in countless mesmerizing colors. Ari loved this sight. Every year she looked forward for spring to establish its presence once again. She had done so the past seven years.

Seven years, Ari thought. It had not taken long for someone to notice. Danrim had mentioned it earlier today. She had found work by his side when she had arrived in Gondor, all those years back. He had always been kind to her. Danrim was a carpenter and Ari a woodcarver. His business had blossomed after Ari's arrival. She was highly skilled, able to carve beautifully intricate patterns on timber. She cherished the craft, and so did Danrim and his customers.

*****

"Your work befits the halls of a king," Danrim had said earlier that day.

Ari had smiled at him. "My homeland has inspired me."

"The south must be beautiful indeed," commented Danrim with a joyous smile.

She looked up and nodded. "Yes, indeed. It's beautiful, but not all of it. My homeland was one of a kind."

*****

Ari shook her head at the memory and got lost in thought. Long had it been since she had last seen it. The breathtaking valleys among the proud mountains, with rivers and small creeks flowing through them. The hilly slopes bearing countless flowers of a unique beauty. She carried them with her, the seeds of those flowers, always waiting for the day when she could plant them.

A special day which Ari assumed that would never come.

*****

"You look pale for a southerner," Danrim had said, eyeing her rather thoughtfully.

Ari's heart had missed a beat. Had the time come so soon? Her heart had clenched uncomfortably in her chest, before its beat quickened.

Danrim went on. "And you still look young. You have not changed much over the past seven years," he added, his expression still thoughtful.

*****

Yes, the time was at hand. Ari had not looked up, but concentrated on her work. He had discovered something what she had kept a secret for many years. She continued carving on a desk Danrim had contructed for the king's study. She was almost done. And then she had to leave - once again.

Ari walked slowly under the starlight. The crisp air turned her breath into small smoky clouds. She watched them as they floated idly in the air and sighed before she fastened her pace. She had to reach her home soon. Having closed and locked the door, Ari walked over to her armchair and sat down with a deep sigh. Danrim had gifted it to her in her second year of their working together. It was pretty, fitting Ari's style.

She would miss him. Him and his family. Ari had broken her usual routine when she became acquainted with them. She had never done that before. But Danrim had been too kind. His family was like real family to her. That's how they had treated her, and that's how it had all happened naturally. Ari had soon become attached to them. Groaning at this thought, she stood up to make her way to the small table where she prepared her meals. She ate the leftovers of her breakfast and reached for a ripe apple on a shelf that she had collected the past autumn. She moved towards her small garden munching the fruit in her hand and she gave a deep sigh as her feet touched the still frozen ground. She was leaving. But this time it would hurt her. She had made friends. Tomorrow she would head for the market early, looking for someone traveling north. North, because she had never been to the north before.

Morning came sooner than she had expected. After packing up small wood toys she had carved in her spare time, she walked back to the city. The market was busy and filled with countless people who were selling or buying goods. Ari reluctantly made her way over to Hunwig's market stall. Placing the toys on the table, she smiled at him briefly and headed towards the market supervisor. He would know if there were travelers or merchants in the market selling their goods who were heading north.

He referred her to a man called Marten, who would soon travel northwards. Ari soon found Marten and spoke to him. When he agreed to allow her to accompany them, her heart grew heavy as they were to leave in the morrow. Now she was on her way to Danrim's house. To inform him and his family about her immediate departure.

"But why are you leaving now?" Fendril asked obviously surprised by Ari's sudden and unexpected decision. "This is your home."

Her husband laid his arm firmly around his wife's shoulders and smiled at Ari. "I understand your desire to head for Dale. Many do so nowadays. The city prospers since the lonely mountain has a king again, and your skills will surely be needed and appreciated there. I wish you all good luck and hope that if you ever travel southwards again, you will stop by and grace us with your presence."

They sat together that night and spoke about the south and the north. Danrim did not actually know much about the north, though he had heard a lot. Many travelers passed through Gondor since peace reigned the lands. He suspected that their small conversation earlier that day had resulted in Ari's sudden desire to leave Minas Tirith, but he said nothing. She was different than others. He had noticed that a long time ago, but had not mentioned it before. In fact, he had known it the moment he first laid eyes on her. Wherever she came from, and whatever her story was, Danrim hoped that her future would be bright.