Hope in the Darkness

Hope in the darkness Part 11

"Edoras, do not look for welcome here," Gandalf warns as they approach the city the following afternoon. Meduineth had been silent since her break down in the forest yesterday and Aragorn was worried, he had felt her lose hope and it scared him more than anything else to think of leaving her behind to suffer like that if he did not survive the next battle, or indeed the war.

He didn't say anything though, sensing that she needed to work things out in her own way and he could tell too, by her behaviour, that she was ashamed of the way she had acted and it made his heart ache. Still he took some heart in the way she had crawled beside him the previous night and fallen asleep with her head buried firmly against his neck, it had become somewhat of a habit and he worried briefly what they would do now they were approaching Edoras. She would not be allowed to share quarters with them and he tensed a little as he thought of leaving her in a room on her own, unprotected.

"What is it?" a tiny voice says from behind him and he shifts in his seat slightly to see her face, smiling as she gazes up with concern in her beautiful green eyes.

"It is nothing títhen-pen just... promise me that you will stay close by while we are here," he finishes and he feels her hands tighten around his waist slightly.

"Do not worry Aragorn, I would not leave your side, this place scares me," she whispers back and he quirks an eyebrow at her, "I have not been around so many men since you rescued me," she clarifies and then seeing the frown of concern descend upon his features she tries to cheer him up by adding, "of course the whole evil wizard controlling the place does not help either," her attempt at sarcastic wit works and she is rewarded by a chuckle which makes her giggle too.

"How I have missed your laugh Medui," he sighs after a moment and she buries her face against his shoulder as she feels herself flush.

"I am sorry to have been so... sullen," she mutters after a moment and his hand quickly finds hers where they are gripping the front of his tunic and squeezes them tightly.

"You have nothing to apologise for Medui, it is I that should be sorry," he replies and her head darts up in astonishment. Vaguely she is aware of them passing through the city limits and heading quickly for the stairs leading to the castle that overlooked the lands of Rohan but she is so caught up in what he has said that she doesn't really take it in.

"What could you possibly have to apologise for?" she asks in utter confusion and he sighs heavily at her question.

"I promised Lord Elrond and your brothers and sisters that I would protect you," he says after a long pause, leaving out the part he really wanted to say which was that the thought of her being hurt or killed and leaving him ripped him apart, and she tenses immediately. So he didn't love her then? He was just doing his duty and nothing more, keeping his promise. "What is wrong Medui?" he asks having felt her tense and her heart breaks a little at the concern in his voice. She needed to let him go, who was she kidding thinking that he would ever love someone like her? For a long moment she doesn't respond, she wants to shout and scream and cry and be angry at him but she can't. It's not his fault after all and whatever her feelings he had always been there for her and protected her and cared for her and if she was destined to only be his friend than that would have to do.

"Nothing... I am just tired," she murmurs after a while and he relaxes himself a little at hearing her words.

"Just a little longer and then we shall all be able to rest," he says looking at her with a smile and she forces a bright one of her own across her face.

It is only moments later when they are stopped at the great doors and told that they could not go before the king with their weapons. Meduineth does not like the idea of being without her weapons, she had been vulnerable far too often recently and it did not sit well with her but Aragorn is there as always, like a beacon of light through the darkness and no matter how much she wanted to hate him, forget him, move on and just be friends she found that she loved him too much. She grumbles to herself as she eventually hands over her bow and quiver and her long sword and it is only half about the situation they were in now. How could she be in this much emotional turmoil over a man that she had only just recently realised she was in love with. Everything had been so easy when they were friends, when she was certain that nothing would ever separate them, when she was a child she realises with a sigh.