Lapsus Memoriae [Rávamë's Bane: Book 1]

Part III : Chapter 17 ~ Eight Consequences & One Truth

The silence came so fast and so suddenly once Frodo voice's rang through the clearing, it was like someone had hit mute on the entire forest. 

I hadn't realised how surprised he'd been to see me standing there until I'd heard it in his voice as he said my name. Eight pairs of eyes instantly fixed on me, entirely different expressions on every face; shock, surprise, worry, unease, reprimand, and confusion, but the one thing every face had in common was an unmistakable look of relief.

I just stood there vacantly, shifting from foot to foot, without the faintest idea what to do or say.

"Um... morning?"

The next thing I knew, two curly-haired cannon balls had shot across the clearing and ploughed straight into me, small but strong arms latching around my middle. I had to brace a hand against a tree to keep from being knocked over.

"Merry! Pip! Ow!" I managed to wheeze out, trying to angle myself so their waist height hugs didn't tear my stitches. They instantly let go, flinching back away from me as if my dress had caught fire.

"Sorry!" they both spluttered in unison, clearly terrified that they might have injured me more. They then started frantically talking over one another at me in increasingly louder voices.

"—didn't think—!"

"—forgot you're hurt—!"

"—shouldn't have kept quiet—!"

"—gave us a right scare—!"

I was saved from the two hobbits disorienting jabber by Boromir. He gently nudged the two frantic hobbits aside and pulled me sideways into an unexpectedly informal one-armed hug, being carful to avoid my wounded side. I'd been expecting that even less than I had Merry and Pippin's spirited reactions, but I returned the hug a little awkwardly anyway, my face going red.

"It's good to see you back on your feet again, Miss Eleanor," Frodo sounded genuinely relieved as he came up to greet me kindly while Boromir let me go with a warm smile. 

"Aye, lass. Looks like you're not quite so dainty after all," Gimli sounded like he was almost on the verge of laughing which, oddly, was what started settling my nerves a bit. I returned the light laugh somewhat stiffly, feeling quite bowled over by their jovial welcome, and still kind of unsure of what to say. 

Meh. When in doubt, stick with the basics.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, before turning to Merry and Pippin who had only just managed to stop talking, "I don't suppose there's any breakfast left?"

I should have known better than to doubt the hobbits' resourcefulness, especially when it came to food. Of course they had extras to spare for me. I barely had time to notice the looks on Aragorn's and Legolas's faces as I was ushered towards the circle of cushions that had been set up around a tiny cooking fire.

Aragorn was, as per usual, difficult to read. He looked relieved to see me there and all — at least I think he did — but behind the tense smile I could see the disapproval I'd been expecting, along with something else that had given a faintly concerned tinge to his expression. It was a strange look on him, one I'd never seen before.

Legolas, on the other hand, had an even stranger look on his face. Well, stranger than I was used to. He was looking at me as if he wasn't sure if I was really there at all — eyes slightly wider than usual, and his mouth ajar as if he'd just been about to say something. He had stopped in mid-stride, frozen to the spot facing us the second he and I had meet gazes.

Then Merry all but shoved me down onto a cushion near the fire, ordering me to stay put while he and Sam busily went about fixing me a hobbit-style breakfast that was (and I quote): "guaranteed to put anyone half-dead back on their feet." Gimli also gave me a good-natured clap on the shoulder as he passed which very nearly dislocated my arm, but I smiled at him anyway when he slumped down against a tree root again.