Middle Earth Prompts.

Aragorn Prompt - War.

Prompt - You are in Helms Deep with the people of Rohan, preparing for the battle and helping with the arrangements for getting the women and children to safety. You witness Aragorn storming out of the halls after a confrontation with Legolas, and you see him outside and decide to approach. What would the conversation be?

Aragorn flung open the ornate doors to the upper armoury, hissing out a curse under his breath as he slung himself down onto the stone steps with a dejected sigh and held his weary head in between the palms of his hands. Anxiety was rippling its way up the rigid clusters in his back, the thought of the oncoming attack wrapping a tightened grip around his heart as he devastatingly watched the men around him get equipped for imminent failure. The sky had already begun to produce fresh droplets of light rain, which dribbled down to the ends of Aragorn's tousled hair and landed in insignificant damp patches around his shoulders.

"Hundreds facing thousands..." He murmured, groaning disappointedly into the refreshing flurry of the evening air. "Perhaps Legolas is right."

As the ranger brooded, from the shadows of the citadel behind him shuffled a shrouded figure. It bundled forward from an alcove with woven baskets full of potions and healing ingredients dripping from her spindly arms. The old lady hobbled forward at a relaxed pace, her grey hair billowing around as she made to pass the troubled warrior while looking over the wall towards the faint glow of enemy torches in the distance.

"There looks to be many heading our way." Hilah croaked calmly, clearing her throat as she stopped in front of him. "One could lose hope at a sight like that."

Aragorn took in her appearance and smiled politely. "If you don't mind me saying, ma'am, you should be in the caves by now."

"Oh, nonsense!" The elder cackled, squinting as she looked to take in the foreign figures of marching orcs. "It's my job to be on hand to help the wounded. What good would a healer be trapped in a cave?"

"To help the survivors, if there is to be any." The ranger now rose to his feet and glided over to her side. "Or to help the others in there. Come, let me take you up there and get you protected."

"Young man, I may be old but I am not senile! I know where the caves are!-" Hilah lightly tapped him on the forearm, causing Aragorn to grin at her natural determination. "-I do not wish to be in there with screaming babies and crying women. I want to be in the middle of the action." She turned to wink at him with a mischievous smirk.

Aragorn found himself standing in a solemn silence, attempting to drink in the old woman's confidence and gain some for himself. He suspected that she knew this to be the case, as she stayed quite still beside him with a glare of determination in the sparkling of her strained eyes. The ranger looked at her face for a brief moment, registering the deep wrinkles around her features and the slenderness of her withered frame as she slouched onto the brick wall to rest. "Do you predict a victory?" Aragorn asked of her after a while, as she still looked upon the glow of the fire on the horizon. 

"Victory? Tonight? Oh yes. I am a firm believer in the genuine heart of our fighters. I think that is the most important weapon in a war like this. Our soldiers battle for good." Hilah smiled lightly. "Do you foresee victory?"

"I wasn't quite sure for a moment." Aragorn pondered, raising a hand to the rough stubble on his chin. "The numbers are far greater than I had imagined. Half of our force are young boys who have never swung a sword in all their days-"

"-But they fight with their heart." The healer hushed soothingly, patting him on the back. "And that is all you can ask for, whatever age a life chooses to defend his lands."

"Of course." The ranger grinned. "You are right."

"Oh, I always am!"

Aragorn abruptly heard that he was being called away by a frantic soldier, who was asking about weapon choices for a teenage boy who was sat in tears as a chain mail vest was draped over his slight frame. The ranger politely asked for one more moment with Hilah before assisting them.

"Thank you for talking with me." He smiled as he made to move away. "You have been most helpful."

"The elf does not doubt the heart of the men either. He panicked, that's all." One of her withered hands reached into a basket, pulling out a beautiful sprig of vivid heather. Hilah admired it for a brief minute before holding his palm open and pressing it into the rough skin. "Here, remember what to fight for. Freedom."

Aragorn grinned and placed it in the breast pocket of his tunic before bowing out his departure and got himself back into the preparations.

***

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