Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

XLIII

Rivendell was quiet when they returned. 

As Eadrid stepped through the arched entrance, she caught a glimpse of the woman she had been when she had walked out of the same arch so many months ago.

She was different than she was then in so many ways. Not just in her appearance and health, but the way she held herself, the way she thought and felt was different, now, too. Only could those changes have been done by a long and difficult journey. One that she had thought she might not return from, one she didn't care if she returned from or not. When Eadrid left, she was satisfied at the thought that if this was her last adventure, she would die content. Content in the thought that she might have given meaning to her previously meaningless life. 

No, she thought. Aragorn had shown her the meaning of her life. He had shown her that there was still good in her, that she could still fight for the good in the world, and not be held by the darkness. 

She looked around at her company as they continued through Rivendell. They all looked a little older, aged in their eyes. The hardships they had endured did not leave them without a trace of its darkness.

Aragorn held Eadrid's hand, tracing his thumb across her hand in gentle strokes, as they came to a small pavilion scattered with stone benches. Gandalf was in a healer's room with Frodo, waiting for him to wake.

Sam was sitting on one of the benches when the rest of the company arrived. He looked up from his hands as they approached him.

Eadrid fought back the gasp upon seeing him. His eyes... they looked so tired, so sullen. If this was how Sam was, she couldn't imagine how Frodo was after holding the Ring for so long.

The three hobbits reunited in a quiet merriness. They hugged and smiled, but there was sadness behind it. And the sadness would linger until they received good news from Gandalf about Frodo. If they received good news. 

Frodo was alive, technically, but the life was slim. Elrond said that the life was getting stronger, even if only slightly, but that there was hope yet.

Eadrid sat on one of the benches and the rest of the Fellowship followed suit.

Aragorn sat with her, their legs touching. Eadrid wanted to throw her arms around him, she wanted him to hold her as she wept. She wanted to weep out all the stress she still felt on her shoulders from what they had endured. But she couldn't do that yet, she had to stay composed, she had to hold on to the hope they still held. 

Eadrid fiddled with the ring on her thumb, running her fingers across the crowned silver serpents.

It was silent for a long while, apart from the rustling of the turning leaves in the wind.

But finally, Gandalf came out of the room, and seven pairs of eyes shot to him. 

Gandalf's face was that of relief, a light shone in his eyes. He didn't have to say anything, his expression was enough of a confirmation. But still, he said with a light voice, "Frodo is waking."

Merry and Pippin were the first to their feet.

Gandalf went back into the room to sit at Frodo's side.

The two hobbits looked at Aragorn warily, silently wondering if it was right for them to see him. The rest of the fellowship stood and urged the hobbits forward.

They shook off their worries quickly and ran into the room.

Eadrid stood, smiling already, as the sounds of joyous laughter flowed out of the room.

The rest of them went in one by one. Eadrid followed after Legolas, still holding Aragorn's hand, and entered the room. Eadrid was right, Frodo did look different. So different from the innocent hobbit she had met outside of Bree. His skin was paler yet his eyes darker, and he looked thin, so thin.

But Eadrid laughed with the rest of them as light began to creep back into Frodo's eyes, as he Merry, and Pippin laughed and jumped on the bed. 

Frodo turned to the doorway. "Aragorn! Eadrid!" He smiled widely up at them, and tears welled in her eyes.

Tears from the thought that a Hobbit carried the weight of such evil around his shoulders, tears from the thought that he had defeated it, and tears from knowing that he would never be the same, not after all he had suffered.

But there were tears of joy, too, from watching the Hobbits reunite with one another.

Aragorn wrapped an arm around Eadrid and pulled her to the side as Sam peeked out from the doorway.

He looked wary, nervous maybe, and finally stepped into the room. 

Frodo stopped and looked at him, and a small smile held his face, a different kind of smile that he gave to Merry and Pippin. It was a smile that held so many emotions, so many memories that they held together, their adventures and horrors faced together never to be forgotten.

_____

Once Frodo had regained his strength, the Fellowship said goodbye to Rivendell and made the journey back to the White City.

They took their time, stopping when they wanted, lingering around the fire to talk late into the night and sleeping late into the day. They laughed and played and rested, no fear of a lingering threat in the shadows.

But finally, they arrived in Minas Tirith.

Word had finally been spread to all the peoples of Middle Earth, that the Queen had been found, and that she was arriving at the White City with their King.

As Aragorn and Eadrid rode through the gates of Minas Tirith, they were greeted with great shouts of joy and cheer.

The paths through the city were lined with tear filled people, broad smiles on each of their faces. Eadrid looked upon them with a smile just as wide, waving and laughing with them. This continued for a long while, as Aragorn and Eadrid took their time through the city to greet their people.

As they rounded a corner, Eadrid saw a little girl ahead of them, peeking out from behind her mother. She looked surprised when Eadrid noticed her and met her eyes.

Eadrid pulled Aiyla to a stop next to the girl and leaned towards her.

The rest of the people quieted as they saw her stop in the street, and Aragorn stopped next to her, looking at her with confusion.

"Hello." Eadrid said in a soft voice. "What is your name?"

The girl looked up at her mother and pulled on her dress.

Her mother smiled down at her. "You can do it!" She whispered.

The girl looked up to Eadrid sheepishly. "A-Amelia."

Eadrid's smile grew. "Amelia," She repeated softly. "That is a beautiful name you have."

"I...I made this for you." She said in a small and quiet voice. She pulled her hands from behind her back, and held them out to Eadrid. 

In her hands, was a bouquet of green flowers. Eadrid pursed her lips to stop from tears welling as she saw what flowers made the bouquet.

Eadrid took them and looked down at them with a smile. She looked up to Amelia, tears forming. She willed her voice to stay even, "Green Dahlias are my favorite flower, you chose well Amelia."

Amelia's face brightened, her shy look wiped from her face.

Eadrid gave Amelia one last smile and finally started forward again throughout the city.

Aragorn watched her with Amelia, watched her hold her flowers, and watched how the people of Gondor smiled upon her. He couldn't help but smile at her, too, he couldn't take his eyes off her. 

She was everything to Aragorn. She was everything and more he swore to himself he would stay away from. But they had done it, they had succeeded in their destiny, and now they got to enjoy each other for the rest of their days.

The rest of his days, Aragorn reminded himself.

But he shook away that thought, now was not the time to linger on those worries.

Now, they had a coronation to attend, and a wedding to plan.