The One {A Legolas Love Story}

Cries and Lies

Chapter 9 - Cries and Lies

I was between Legolas and Aragorn, Gimli was on Legolas' left, as we walked behind King Théoden, following six royal guards that were bringing Théodred's dead body to the burial mounds. I had never been to a funeral before, which is why I was a little uncomfortable about it. It made me think of Boromir's death and I wondered if his family now knew that he was no longer with us. Éowyn awaited at his tomb with other women and she started to sing a sad melody with her beautiful voice that tugged at everybody's hearts.

"Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended
Giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende on Meduselde
Thæt he ma no wære, his dryhtne dyrest
And maga deorost Bealo..."

As the song ended I thought of my father, who had also been murdered by orcs. It made me feel even more sad to think that I didn't even remember his funeral. Actually, I didn't remember anything about him. I didn't have an image of him in my head nor could I imagine the sound of his voice. There was nothing in my mind when it came to him. I kept my head down so that no one would see the tears that were starting to form in my eyes.

***

In the evening, I sat beside a little girl and her brother. They had just ridden here because there was an Orc ambush in their town. It hurt me to see them because they would probably never see their mother again, like me if I didn't make it out alive of this quest.

"They had no warning.They were unarmed. Now the wild men are moving through the westfold, burning as they go." Éowyn told us as I was trying to comfort the children.

"Where's mama?" The little girl, Freda, asked me. I smiled at her and wrapped a blanket around her. Her older brother did not say anything as he kept on eating his food like a hungry wolf.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight." Gandalf said and I looked at the young boy beside me. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve before turning around to face me.

"So you're an elf? Where are you from?" He asked me with a lot of enthusiasm that I was not expecting.

"I am from Rivendell." I told him as I smiled.

"And why are you here?" He asked me and I knew he was only asking me out of curiosity.

"For no reason that you should be worrying about." I told him. I wasn't really going to explain to him that I set out of my home with nine companions and that we had passed through the Mines of Moria and that was where Gandalf had died. Then we had passed through Lothlórien, where I had finally heard the truth about my parents. That I had been captured by orcs before finding out that Gandalf had been resurected. All that to destroy the One ring in the fires of Mount Doom. I just didn't think that was a good idea. He nodded and bent down closer to me as if he wanted to tell me a secret.

"Do you think we will be alright, in the end?" He whispered to me and I sighed as I scratched the back of my head.

"There is always hope, Èothain. So yes, I do think that some day, some way, we will be alright." I told him with a warm smile. Actually, I wasn't so convinced about my answer either, but I couldn't tell him what I was actually feeling inside.

"Thank you. I feel better now." He told me as I scratched the back of my head again because it was starting to hurt for some odd reason.

"It was my pleasure." I told him as I put my hand on top of his. I looked up at Aragorn and saw that he seemed to be in an argument with the King.