The Outside Reality

Chapter 40: The Aftermath of War

"Crap." I spit, trying to up. 

"Hailey," Legolas's gentle hands grip my shoulders, preventing me from getting up, "Stay here. We can look for him." He smiles at me, "You need to rest."

"My arm." I say, getting up anyway, "My legs are fine. I don't walk on my hands, incase you were unaware of that." He sighs, and Aragorn laughs.

Clapping the elf on the shoulder, Aragorn somehow remains cheerful, "Let her go, Legolas. You can't stop her, you know that." He looks up at me, smiling, "You go with Merry  to search for him. Legolas, Gimli and I will search elsewhere." 

My response is leaving the hall with Merry, entering the freshness of the outdoors. There is a slight breeze that brushes past my face. I smile at it's freshness. I'm not sure how long I was in there, but it was too long. 

"So, Merry." I ask, putting my hands on my hips, scanning what was left of the battlefield, "Where did you last see Pippin?" I

"That's the thing, Hailey." He mumbles, "I haven't seen him. At all." I look down at the little hobbit, "Gandalf told me that he was with Faramir, but he probably would have joined the fight." There are tears in his eyes.

I put a hand on his small shoulder. "We'll find him, I promise you that." Looking out into the sea of.. well, corpeses, I feel my hope start to diminish. "Do you think that a Took, Peregrin Took no less, would die so easily?"

"That'd be a shocker if they did, I suppose." Merry looks at me smiling, "I'm a Brandybuck, and I survived." I wasn't sure what that meant, but it made Merry happy so I didn't ask. 

We walk through the field, looking for a small hobbit in a green, elvish cloak. I look under the corpses of wargs and horses alike, deprate to find Pippin. Together, Merry and I look around multiple of the Mûmakil, knowing that wasn't a point of trying to lift them up. 

It's around nightfall when I'm about to give up the search. "Merry," I call, "There's no way that he's alive. I'm so sorry." And I was. I too wanted to find Pippin, but I knew that there was no way. He would have revealed himself, or we would have found him. 

"Okay.." Merry's voice cracks with sorrow, "I just... thought he wouldn't have-" He stops, and I can tell he's on the verge of tears. 

We walk back towards the rubble of Minas Tirith in silence. I hear Merry's footsteps stop by one of the Mûmakil, and him small voice, "Pip?" He whispers. "PIPPIN!!"

I run over to him, hope flooding through me. Please, please!! Pippin! Sure enough, when I stop next to Merry, covered by an orc, I see Pippin's small frame. He was face down, but the cloak and mop of curly hair was evidence enough; this was our hobbit. 

I pick him up, and he moans. "Hey, Pippin." I smile, ignoring the pain lacing up my arm, as he slowly opens his eyes, "Don't worry you lived." 

He moans in response, and Merry laughs with relief, "Fool of a Took!" He cries, "That's what Gandalf would say." 

Pippin nods his head solemnly, "Aye, he would." He mumbles, "But, I save Faramir, Boromir's little brother." He smiles at my surprise, "Yeah, I thought the same thing as you." 

Thats when Eomer's scream echoes throughout the field. I see him run over, picking up the body of.. Eowyn? My eyes widen with horror as I see Eomer cradle his sister's body, screaming no over and over. The sound of his dispair sends shivers down my spine. 

Unable to take anymore of it, I briskly walk towards Minas Tirith, trying to escape the sounds of sadness. Merry struggles to keep my pace, almost running in order to do so. 

It seems the minute after we walk into the stone city, Legolas is yelling my name. "You found him!" he cries, running over to where Merry and I stood. He puts his hands on my shoulders, beaming. "Well done, Hailey."

"Actually," I smile down at Merry, "This young gentleman standing beside me found him, not I."

Merry blushes. "It wasn't that great." 

"Hey!" Pippin pips up  weakly from my arms, "You found me and that, my friend, is a fabulous deed." 

Legolas and I laugh, while Merry starts to argue with Pippin. "Hey." I say in the middle of it all, "If you have the energy to talk that much, Pippin, then you are strong enough to walk." I put the hobbit down, and he moans loudly. 

I smile at the two hobbits, and walk back towards the house of healing. "Hailey." Legolas follows me, catching my good arm, "Are you okay?" He looks down at my arm, then back at me, concerned.

I laugh, "I'm alright, it doesn't hurt that much, I promise." 

"But it does hurt." He states. He seems a little annoyed, or concerned or some mix of the two. When I nod my head, he sighs. "I hate when you try to cover up stuff like this, Hailey." He says calmly.

"I'm not covering up any-" He cuts me off, pressing his lips against mine. It catches me off guard, and my eyes widen.

He smiles, gently placing his forehead against mine. "You can tell me." He whispers, "Saying your hurt isn't a sign of weakness Hailey. In my mind, it's a sign of strength. It means you aren't afraid to admit your pain." 

I sigh, wrapping my arms around him. "I know..." I say quietly, looking at my feet, "I just feel like it isn't your, or anybody elses, job to worry about my injuries." 

He laughs, taking a step away from me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Look at me," He commands. "It is my job to worry about you. You know why." I look at those dark brown eyes that have always brought me such relief and kindness. 

"But.." I whisper. "What if, when the ring is destroyed, and I go back? And leave Middle Earth? Or what if I die?" 

"All I want to know is that if you were given a choice, would you stay, or go?" He looks away, his voice quiet with nervousness.

"I would stay, but-"

"That's all I wanted to know Hailey." He meets my eyes, smiling. "I love you, Hailey. And that, even if you do go, will never change." he kisses my forehead, and takes my hand. "What about you?" 

"Legolas," I laugh, "All I'll say is that I think that I've been wrong to push you away for so long, when all you've been to me is kind." He is silent for a moment, before wrapping me into a tight hug.

He laughs, "Thank you, Hailey." He whispers, kissing the top of my head. Legolas takes my hand again, and together we walk to the House of Healing. I'd hate to admit it, but it felt nice holding his hand. 

 I feel a bit nervous, walking in to the building like we did, but when Aragorn sees us, he smiles. "Did you find him?" He asks, his eyebrows raising up at us.

"Merry did." I say, fighting off a blush. Legolas lets go of my hand as I continue, "They were behind us, in the middle of a very heated argument." I smile, shrugging, "What about, I'm not sure." 

"You never can be," Aragorn chuckles, "With those two."

Legolas nods his head, smiling. "What will we do know?" He asks, concerned. "Just wait around for Mount Doom to erupt, and for Mordor to cumble? Sit here and listen for Sauron's scream as the ring melts?"

Aragorn laughs at this, shaking his head. "We are not done fighting yet, mellonamin." He looks at me, then back to Legolas, "With what troops we have left, we shall ride out to the Black Gate. Keep the eye transfixed on us, not Frodo or Sam. Hopefully, we can be enough of a distraction that they safely make it into the firey pits of Mount Doom." 

I nod, despair flowing through me. My end was near. If I die here, then my life ends all together. If I don't, then my life in Middle Earth was in jeopardy. Part of me still hoped that nothing will happen, that I'll live, and stay here with Legolas and all the others that I've met. 

But, that feeling, that sliver of hope, was quickly getting pushed out with doubt.

O.M.G. I am almost done with The Outside Reality!! I hope that you all like my story, and will stay with me till the end (that is coming wayy to fast for me). But! There will be a sequel, so don't panic! The tales of Hailey will continue on! Huzzah! ~triforce11