The Dame of Dúnedain

We Were Lucky

They walked in the middle of the long line of Rohan people. Legolas and Alaina walked on foot next to Aragorn and Théoden. Ahead of them sat Gimli on his horse, the reigns held by Éowyn as she walked next to him.

"It's true you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, haha that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," Gimli went on.

Éowyn turned back towards Aragorn who gestured to an invisible beard and mouthed, "It's the beards."

Éowyn stopped herself from laughing as Gimli went on, "And 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!"

This caused everyone who was listening in to laugh, even Aragorn. Alaina looked up at her brother and smiled happily, having not seen him smile in a long time. "Hehehe! Which is of course ridiculous..." Gimli said before his horse ran off causing him to fall off the back of his horse onto the ground.

"Oh!" Éowyn gasped along with everyone else before going to help Gimli who went on about how it was deliberate.

Alaina, Legolas and Aragorn burst out laughing at their friend. But their laughter stopped as Théoden spoke, "I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time." he paused waiting for all of their attention to be brought to him, "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."

Aragorn and Alaina listened closely and then watched as the king rode ahead of them. Alaina spoke sadly, "We were lucky, you know."

Aragorn looks down at her as Legolas goes up ahead to help get Gimli up. "What do you mean?"

Alaina took a deep breath, "We have it much better than most of the people in this world.. I am grateful for that."

Aragorn nodded, looking off at the distance, "I am too."

They all stopped to rest soon, Legolas and Alaina sat with a few of the guards. Alaina smoked a pipe as looked around, noticing that most of the women were helping the men, passing out food or blankets. She sighed, turning back around to talk to the guards.

"You're awfully quiet," one of the guards says to Legolas causing Legolas to stop looking at Alaina and look at the man in armor.

"Well—" He began, getting cut off by Alaina.

"Well that's because nobody actually like him, we just use him for his special Elven eyesight and hearing," Alaina joked causing some of the guards and herself to laugh.

"That's it, come here!" Legolas said laughing before he stood up. She bolted away from him and he chased her down a small hill but eventually he caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, swinging her around. Alaina couldn't say anything, only laugh, and her laugh was contagious. It caused Legolas to laugh.

Aragorn watched them from the top of the hill, sharpening his sword as he saw his best friend and his sister laughing together.

Alaina lost her smile as she saw him and once Legolas put her down she slapped him on the arm, "That was unfair, elves are naturally faster."

Legolas only laughed as Alaina walked off towards her brother, "Whatever you say!"

Alaina just waved him off as she walked to the top of the hill and sat down next to Aragorn. Alaina was about to speak when Éowyn walked up, "I made some stew, it isn't much, but it's hot." 

Alaina passed shook her head when the bowl was put out towards her, "No thank you, I just ate."

Aragorn took it happily, "Thank you."

And then he ate a bite of it, having trouble swallowing it. Alaina had to stop herself from laughing as Aragorn lied, "It's good."

Éowyn smiled, "Really?" and then she walked off, down the hill.

Alaina was about to speak again but Éowyn came back, "My uncle told me a strange thing." She paused and looked at Alaina and Aragorn, "He said that you both rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather." She paused one more, shaking her head, "But he must be mistaken."

Alaina smiled slightly, remembering the war, "King Théoden had a good memory. He was only a small child at the time."

Éowyn chuckled slightly, "Then you must be at least sixty!" 

Alaina and Aragorn both pressed their lips together and shook their heads. Éowyn's eyebrows furrowed in, "Seventy?" Nothing was said. "But you cannot be eighty!"

Aragorn and Alaina both laughed, they loved seeing the reaction, "She's eighty-six, I myself am eighty-seven," Aragorn answered.

Éowyn stood straighter, a look of realization on her face, "You guys are one of the Dúnedain!  Descendants of Nûmenor, blessed with long lives," her mouth parted, "It was said that your race had passed into legend."

Alaina looked off in the distance, the conversation just turned awfully sad. Aragorn answered for her, "There are few of us left. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed long ago."

Éowyn then realized what she had been sorry, "I'm sorry. Please, eat." And then she left down the hill, leaving Alaina and Aragorn to talk once more.

Aragorn spoke quietly, and awkwardly, "Is something going on between you and Legolas?"

Alaina furrowed her eyebrows in and chuckled slightly, looking down at her feet, "No, what makes you say that?"

Aragorn shook his head, "It is nothing. My words were wrong."

Alaina was confused by nodded nonetheless. That night she noticed Aragorn didn't sleep, he just sat against a rock and smoked his pipe. The next morning Alaina caught up with Aragorn, walking their horses in the line of townspeople. The necklace that Arwen had given him was out in the open, shining bright now. Éowyn walked next to them but they spoke in Elvish.

"You miss her?" Alaina asked her brother, referring to Arwen.

Aragorn only nodded and it went silent. He looked to the ground, "Lord Elrond told me something before we left Rivendell. He doesn't want Arwen to stay when they sail West, he won't leave his daughter here."

Alaina smiled slightly, "It does not matter what Elrond wants, nor you. If Arwen wants to stay here, then she can, she is not one to let any man, not even her father, decide her fate."