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𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀 𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻
❝ 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 ❞
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VERA ADELAIDE SLEPT LIKE A BABY after Èowyn left her chambers to leave her alone.
The shieldmaiden of Rohan had willingly followed Gandalf's orders in bringing a dazed and half-asleep Vera to her bed chambers, carefully leading her towards the narrow hallways and the room at the end of the corridor. Her own chamber is just a few doors away, and if something happened from within those walls, Èowyn would be the first to know. After essentially dragging Vera to the room, Èowyn had attempted to plop the mermaid onto the soft sheets of the large bed. She removed her shoes as slowly as she could in order to keep her asleep, and tried removing her robes to slip an underdress on but had been unsuccessful. She thought about her options for a moment, but after seeing the calm and relaxed expression on her visage, the cousin decided not to disturb her any further.
Her chambers were quiescent, her breathing is the only thing being echoed inside. There are candles enlightened on her dresser, emanating some sort of light throughout the dim chambers. The fires of the shadow illuminate onto Vera's sleeping visage, making her appear more innocent. The moon that had previously been shining onto the mermaid and her companion before the incident vanishes behind the grey clouds that start to arrive under the horrid pretenses of the night, and soon after, the stars begin to fade, too. There is not a shred of moonlight luminesce found in her quarters, only making her bedroom warmer. Vera may have been in a blissful state of composure but the somber mood in her room is almost tangible and is heavily weighted.
And the morning arrived all too soon.
Vera awakens menially to the rays of sunlight hitting her concealed eyes, slowly peeling her from her unconscious state and to a more mindful manner. She sluggishly forces her bleary eyes open, her body turned to face the lucid windows in her chambers as the sun rays shot straight at her uncharitably. Half-grumbling and half-smiling, Vera casually starts to regain as much strength as she can before peeling the blankets off her body. She didn't remember being brought back to bed — in fact, Vera barely recalled anything that happened the night before. All she could remember is her time with Legolas, which brought an automatic smile to her face, and the amount of alcohol she drank during the prolonged celebration, which is probably the reason why she couldn't remember anything through her deteriorating headache.
She stands from her bed, reluctantly leaving the solace of the berth as she approaches the window locomotively. Her eyes scoured the plains in front of her indulgently, liking the view before her as it magically eased the ache in her head and the disfigured vision. She could focus on the colors, and the beauty of the sky, and she could even see the faraway hut planted onto the farthest range, reminding her of what had happened long before. She grimaces. The yellows and blues and oranges blending effortlessly in the sky reflected onto Vera's warm, hazel eyes. The mermaid stands in front of the window for a longer time than she intended, noting that the sun seemed to have just risen up; she had awoken early, which is surprising. She had been drunk off her ass.
Her discomfort suddenly rises as she realizes that she is still in her dress from the night before. Rather uncomfortable with the itchy clothing and the tight corset, Vera onerously sashays from the massive windows, and then to her dresser. She leans down to blow the fire from the candles, finding no need for the fire as there is already light enlightening in the room. The woman stares at her reflection for a moment, grimacing heavily at the tangled nest atop her head and the bags underneath her eyes. She looked wrecked. Deciding to clean herself up to save the others from her perilous appearance, she brutally combed her hairbrush through her brunette locks, ignoring the pain erupting from the center of her head at the movement. She surely did hate how she looked after a long night of drinking and celebrating.
Meandering away from her dresser, the woman began to ready the bath inside her chambers, deciding that she wanted to be alone for a while as she got ready. The oils and essentials are gracefully poured in the water, emitting a relaxing odor that calmed her mind and eased the headache. Carefully, she stripped the heinous clothing from her body, and stepped into the large bath, her hair dipping into the water as the soaps and luxurious smells soaked into her skin. She was sure she would smell like a flower after this as her fingers began to prune after her prolonged state inside the bath. Finally, Vera removed herself from the bath, pulling a robe onto her shoulders before dispersing into her chambers to choose her attire for the day. Picking a comfortable robe that would help her aching body, Vera swiftly put it on before she returned to her dresser, making the last touches to her appearance.
With her clothes on and her hair pulled back at the front to remove the hair from her face, she began to make the last preparations. Vera stares at herself in the mirror, letting herself breathe in and out to diminish the headache inside her mind, that doesn't really help her at all as it only intensifies. Oh, she feels like she is being incinerated! How much alcohol did she take? Sighing, she set the hairbrush down once more as she shoulders slouched in response to her despondence. She needed something to cure her headache and she really needed to clear the toxins from her breath; there had been medicine made especially for things like this under the sea that would instantly cure the headache and make you look more presentable. She just didn't know if anyone had brought it but she promised herself she would ask.
Just as she was about to leave her chambers, Vera's eyes suddenly landed on something interestingly peculiar.
Cautiously, Vera begins to approach the long table by her bed, narrowly avoiding being hit by the angular corners of the wooden object as her eyes absorb the objects sprawled on the surface. She lets her hands fall onto the expanse, her fingers consuming the texture of wood underneath, and her eyes indulging in the contents of her purse. She had used the mini bag during her travels and hadn't used it since the Battle of Helm's Deep. She remembered spilling the entirety of her bag in search of her mother's rings before the celebration began and had been too preoccupied to actually return everything back into her bag. She was glad she did, though, as something from its contents brought her attention to it.
The same necklace of white jewels and exquisite gems that she had found in the shipwreck before she even reached the lands of Middle Earth is the first item she sees. She didn't know why she even brought it with her, or why she chose to keep it so close to her heart, but she did nonetheless. Perhaps it was because it's beautiful or perhaps it's because something about it calls out to her but she didn't linger onto it any longer. Her eyes then wander onto the silver ring she had been given a few months ago. A somber smile seeps onto her face as her mind flickers back to Boromir and his warm smile, her heart clenching in pain; she missed her best friend a lot more than she would have expected. He had given her the room before his death as a sign of their friendship, never actually telling her the meaning behind it other than it belonging to his late mother. She had a great affinity for it and slipped it into her right-pointer finger.
Lastly, her eyes settled onto the last object on the surface of the wooden, bedside table. The flask. It had been the same flask that Vera was given back at Lothlòrien by Lady Galadriel. She didn't know what use she could have it for because this flask could literally carry nothing. Not a thing. However, it was rather pleasing to the eye; with an hourglass figure that was carved beautifully, and golden rings circling every portion, and the glass-crystalline material sparkling in the light of the rising sun. There are speckles of other colors on the ivory sectors, but other than that, it was purely clear and see-through. However, something is different about the flask.
There is something inside it.
A tear-shaped form of a wispy, mist-like slither. It is mostly white with a sheen of colorful, iridescent lights covering the surface. It looks like it's moving — as if it's rotating inside the vial. She tilts her head in confusion, picking the flask up and pushing it closer to her eyes to inspect the new arrival of the whispy thing. Her eyes narrowed to get a closer observation. Her mind began to create ideas of what it could be, slowly ranking through every possibility in her head that could be the answer to what is inside the flask. She remembered Lady Galadriel's voice inside her head, 'To you, Queen Vera, I give you the flask of the white jewel.' She hadn't been able to ask more about it because her knowing eyes had stopped her. Flask of the white jewel... what could that be? White jewel...?
Then, her stomach grumbles. She raises an eyebrow at her expectant stomach and laughs softly, but stops as her head began to ache more.
"Okay, this is why you don't drink, Vera."
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Vera's overdemanding stomach is soon gratified once the brunette left her room as silently as she could. She had detected that most of the city would probably be sleeping due to the roaring headaches as a result of their alcohol intake during the celebration. There are only a few people awake so early in the morning, mostly consisting of the numerous servants and soldiers as they prepare to return to their duties. Vera felt bad for the people that had to work today as her headache only seemed to increase after she left the comforts of her quarters. Dismissing the headache in order to feed her hungry stomach, she quickly disperses to the kitchens at the far end of the Golden Hall. As she slinks through the passages leading towards Meduseld's Royal Kitchens, her stomach practically jumps in glee as the smell of food wafts through her nose.
With no hesitation, Vera embarks on the vital task of finding food like a scavenger, finding that ignoring her stomach is no longer negligible. As she passed through the shelves and countertops and tables consisting of an assortment of breakfast foods that Vera has never seen in her life before, she swiftly plucks different foods to please her stomach. Soon, her basket is filled with several fruits and plates of bread and honey, her stomach beginning to crave something sweet. However, when the strict cook discovered the thief inside his kitchens, and how everyone had just allowed her to take from them, he had gone into a hysterical shouting match with the inanimate objects of the kitchens, causing Vera to essentially catapult out of the room while she gobbled whatever foods she could take.
She seemed to be running from the angered cook for a prolonged time as he had the nose of a bloodhound and the temper of a renowned dwarf she knew of — and that was Gimli — but she soon managed to calm down after losing the man. Vera had thought about that for a while now as she walked through the corridors of Meduseld, greeting passersby's as she went. That certainly brought a lot more excitement in the early morning of her life, and definitely didn't help with the ache in her head as it only heightened. However, the watermelon she is currently munching on seems to help her as the flavors exploded in her mouth, distracting her from the pain.
Eventually, Vera encounters one of her friends, or cousin, as she turns the corner and bumps rather harshly into Corin. Thankfully, the contents of her basket have been removed, courtesy of her mouth, and when she toppled off as a result of the clash, the only thing that caused a problem was her. The woman landed right on her bum, her eyebrows sewn together as the pain in her mind erupted volcanically. She shut her eyes and clenched her teeth together, trying desperately to hide the groan of pain from the already worried merman. Corin immediately widens his eyes, rushing to his cousin's side as he helped her up, apologizing profusely to her while setting her down on a nearby bench, her eyes closed all the while.
Vera waves her hand dismissively, ignoring the concerning tone in his voice as she adjusted to the ache and let it surpass. Slowly opening her eyes, Vera shoots a sharp glare towards an awkward Corin before swatting his hands away from her. Her gaze settled on the basket next to her, a pout landing on her face as she sulked about the leftover contents spilling on the floor. Corin followed her gaze and rolled his eyes but stopped as the same pain Vera is experiencing arrives as well. Undoubtedly, Neptune would be feeling the same thing now. But Corin knew that Vera is probably handling it a lot more than the mermen as Vera couldn't — for the life of her — handle her alcohol. "Look what you did!" Vera brings his attention back to her as she whines, "you made me drop my food! My breakfast! How dare you?! Oh, and this headache!"
As the brunette clutches her head in her hands, Corin frowns questioningly. It seems like Vera didn't remember anything from the night before — perhaps she remembered the celebration and the reason behind her headache, but she certainly couldn't recall the confrontation she had with Sauron himself. That worried him a little, and his mind suddenly remembers the reason why he was even out of bed so early in the morning. Gandalf had wanted a meeting to occur as soon as the sun is out with the three hunters, him and Neptune, Hope, the Hobbits, and Thèoden. He didn't see the harm in bringing Vera. "C'mon. We have to go," Corin murmurs to Vera, standing from the bench to help Vera up.
"Go?! Go where? You ruined my breakfast, I have a headache that will blow minds, and I am expected to stand and walk off to wherever you want? After you ruined my breakfast? Corin, you son of a bitch! Corin!" Vera complains, removing her head from her hands to shoot daggers at him before standing up, following after the laughing man unconsciously while whining eloquently with her hands emphasizing her every word. Grumbling, Vera unwillingly flanked the man after realizing what she is doing, crossing her arms and closing her eyes from time-to-time to ease her headache, the basket of foods long forgotten. She glares at the back of his head. "Why am I even following you? You ruined my breakfast."
"Saying it three times is not going to bring your breakfast back, Vera," Coring chides amusedly, barely giving her a glance.
She rolls her eyes. "Yes, but it may remind you of what you owe me...food!"
Corin ignores her statement, continuing his next sentence as if she never said a word, "and, you may be following me because I have something you want..." he pauses for effect, catching Vera's attention, "Coral has the antidote for that headache of yours."
Vera immediately lit up, forgetting her complaints from before as she followed Corin like a lost puppy.
Corin didn't bring his young, complaining, and seemingly hungry Queen to Coral. In fact, he led her farther away from the young mermaid sleeping in his bed, comforted without a headache after taking the antidote. She soon catches on to that realization after noticing that Corin is bringing her towards the Main Hall of the Meduseld, sparking a reaction from her verbally that was paused shortly after the memories inside her mind begin to disfigure themselves in her mind. Flashes of the night before starts to come back to her in bits and pieces as she goes silent immediately after the first vision. Corin had noticed her quiet manner and consequently didn't say a word to speed up the memory process. It would be a lot harder for her to comprehend things at a deeper depth with her post-alcohol brain but she will be able to register the gist of it.
As the thatched roof of the Golden Halls of Meduseld began to appear in the eye's view, Vera is in the middle of deciphering the reason behind Corin's journey to the Main Hall while registering the events that happened last night. Her eyes remain downcast as she thinks deeply about the occurrence, a frown engraved onto her perplexed expression. However, the last tidbits of conversation eliciting from Hope about something that Vera couldn't bother knowing brings Vera back to her aware manner. She brings her head up, her eyes squinting through the headache as she registered the members of the room.
Corin had moved from her side to stand beside a grumbling Neptune, who is standing beside an expressionless Thèoden. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are at one side of the room, facing opposite to Gandalf, who is in the middle of the room and smiling at Vera kindly. Hope is just a few meters away from Neptune and Corin while Merry and Pippin are on the other side of them. Vera raises her eyebrows, stumbling forward as she questioningly raises an eyebrow at the faces staring at her. She didn't miss the worried looks being sent her way — apart from Gandalf — nor did she miss the guilty expression on Pippin's visage. She frowns in worry. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Stop that, it's making me nervous," Vera growls in a mutter, her discomfort shining through as she moves to stand with Neptune after flashing Legolas a small smile.
"Good to know that you're a morning person!" Hope chirped from beside her but stepped back instantly after catching the daggers thrown at her by the mermaid, her eyes flashing black in annoyance. "Woah, okay, shouldn't have done that. Does she always do that?" she whispers to Legolas after meandering around to stand by his side. He gives her a look, making her mumble something that Vera didn't bother hearing.
"Morning," Vera greets a tired Neptune as she rests her body into his.
"Go away," Neptune answers immediately, practically snarling at his sister, but she didn't mind.
"What crawled up your arse?" Vera grumbles back, adjusting herself to cross her arms and stop the dizziness.
"A lying, son of a bitch, who told me that there was an antidote to this god-forsaken headache, but actually brought me here for no reason," snips Neptune.
Vera raises an eyebrow. "Well, I can happily say that I've experienced that just a few moments ago."
Corin scoffs from beside them. "I brought you here for a reason. It's important. Your lives may depend on it."
Vera and Neptune snap their heads to glare at him simultaneously, making him cower away in response as he holds his hands up in surrender. "Say another word and your life may depend on it," Vera threatens.
Corin gulps as Gandalf happily laughs from the center after finishing the short conversation between him and the Fellowship friends. That brought everyone's attention to the wizard as he smiles indulgently at the annoyed pair of siblings. "Ah, merfolk. The most alluring creatures of Middle Earth but the most dangerous when hurt. As much as I would like to ease your pain, Vera and Neptune, there is another reason why you are to be here, and Corin is not lying when he says your life may depend on it," Gandalf explains before dampening the mood of the room as he turns serious quickly.
"Well, that went from zero-to-one-hundred," Vera mutters.
"Alright, would anyone like to explain what happened that makes us endangered, or do we just wait till certain doom takes us?" Neptune asks sarcastically, his temper flaring.
"Jib!" Corin immediately shouts, causing everyone to widen their eyes in alarm and confusion. Vera and Neptune seemed to understand what he meant, though, as the former groaned in frustration. A few decades ago, the trio had been drunk off their arses after a party commenced under the Queen's request. The day after, they were in so much pain that they couldn't move for an entire day, and when someone asked them to do a task, they would call Jib! which basically means that they get a pass from that certain task. It can only be used twice by each person until their headache went away or they took the antidote. Detecting the confused stares, Corin flushes as he blushed in embarrassment. "I mean...jib."
"What?" asks Hope bluntly.
"Nevermind that," Neptune waves a hand, "someone explain!"
And so, as Neptune demanded it roaringly, Gandalf and the other members in the room quickly briefed the siblings on the events that occurred last night. Vera and Neptune have simultaneously straightened up at that point, and as the explanation progressed, the memories began to come back to Vera as her eyes widened. It is safe to say that their headaches aren't their only worries as Neptune comes to his senses and glances at Vera worriedly, who is staring at Pippin with a frown. He had grown a lot paler than when Vera first entered the room, and Vera wonders if he is scared of her. She couldn't exactly bring herself to smile at the Hobbit as she tries to wrap her head around what had happened.
She had just met Sauron. She met Sauron. She met the Dark Lord of Middle Earth and didn't even remember it. Oh, dear Eru!
Gandalf continues his explanation, "there was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the ring." Gimli sighs in relief but it does nothing to Vera's nerves as she begins to gnaw at her lip and clench her fists. "We've been strangely fortunate. Sauron may have seen a glimpse of Queen Vera but he knows nothing...yet. However, we must be cautious and aware. Pippin saw in the Palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the heir of Elendil has come forth, and there is a secret weapon within our ranks. Men are not as weak as he supposed, especially not with the alliance. There is courage, still. Strength enough, perhaps, to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the people of Middle Earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."
Vera barely has time to respond as Thèoden speaks up for the first time since she has arrived, "tell me. Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"
Gandalf frowns at Thèoden as Vera opens her mouth to protest, stopping short as Legolas sends her a warning glance. She closes her mouth, scowling at the elf but obeying him nonetheless.
Aragorn seems scarcely offended by this, and Vera couldn't exactly blame him. "I will go," Aragorn says. Vera didn't expect that.
"No!" Gandalf hisses, barely giving him a glance.
"They must be warned!" Aragorn argues back, his voice rising a little. Gandalf stares at him this time, walking forward assuredly.
"And they will be," he assures, making Vera snicker. He begins to whisper something to the Ranger, making Vera perk her ears up to eavesdrop just a little bit, despite Legolas' knowing glare. "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river. Look to the black ships." The mermaid raises her eyebrows at that, and she has a feeling that she may not be joining them in that journey. Gandalf then turns to everyone else. "Understand this: things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith," Gandalf says, looking directly at Pippin as he finishes his sentence, "and I won't be going alone."
Vera felt the bells in her mind banging against the sides of her head as she stood up straighter in alarm. She knew that look, and she knew that Gandalf had every intention of bringing Pippin to Gondor, even if it meant that he would have to drag the poor Hobbit. Though she didn't show it on the outside, she guesses, judging by the pained look inside Pippin's eyes as he stared helplessly between Gandalf and Vera. Despite how much she wanted to raise alarm at that, Vera couldn't bring herself to speak aloud. She didn't want to be separated from the Hobbit after being away from him for so long; she missed him dearly, and she barely had a moment to actually interact with him since he returned. And now, he is being taken away from her yet again. Although he did something unforgivable, it was a mistake and Pippin meant no harm at all!
The guilt and sadness in her chest begin to eat at her, and Legolas frowns consequently; he could sense her foreign dampened mood.
"Peregrin Took. We leave today," is all Gandalf says with a less than impressed expression directed towards the somber Hobbit before leaving the room briskly, departing the dampened room and the frowning members within it.
Reluctantly, Merry and Pippin sighed — Merry in disappointment and Pippin in guilt — before standing from their positions to leave the Hall, undoubtedly removing themselves to prepare for the journey ahead. Vera couldn't imagine how they're feeling; they have just been reunited with their friends after a long journey of being separated and now, Pippin is being forced to journey across the plains once more, without Merry or Hope, and with the thundering wizard. They are undoubtedly heading for war. Merry is going to be crushed. He's being separated from his cousin after being with him for the large majority of his life, and Vera didn't know how she could help them. However, as they began to leave the room and disappear back to their guest chambers to pack, Vera sprung into action.
She ignored the headache in her mind and she ignored the alarming calls from her friends as she determinedly marched towards Gandalf.
Hope had quickly moved out of her way, not wanting to die so soon in her life as she defensively made a position that caused Neptune to glance at her strangely. "What are you doing?"
"Back off, Prince, I know karate!" Hope warns, retreating from the man threateningly.
Corin and Neptune glanced at one another before looking to an exasperated Legolas. "What the hell is kar-at-tay?"
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"Gandalf! Gandalf!" Vera hollers, trying to maneuver through the crowded city of Edoras as she calls the maia's name out to bring his attention to her. She is slowly growing frustrated with the White Wizard as he purposefully ignores the young Queen's cry. He is walking rather rapidly for a man that is supposedly ancient but she supposes that's what happens when you're a wizard...or an elf but that's partly irrelevant. "Gandalf! Oh, for the love of the Valar! That man can walk faster than Gimli, on occasion!" Vera mutters to herself exasperatedly, earning strange glances from the passing Rohirrim before marching towards the white back of Gandalf. "Gandalf!"
She raises to her toes to try and see better over the tall heads of the people of Edoras, her eyes desperately searching for the maia. Her eyes could see rather clearly now that her headache is gone; she had stopped by Coral's chambers to grab the antidote and down it before commencing her search for Gandalf, and she almost regretted it as she realized that she is rather late. When she ran down the halls and passages of Meduseld, she had just seen the white robes leaving the Main Hall. She dashed away from the Golden Halls, leaving it far behind in her hasty task of trying to convince Gandalf to bring her with them. She had come to the realization that if Merry couldn't watch over Pippin, then she would have to do it. Gandalf is definitely not someone she would willingly hand Pippin over to.
Her eyes manage to land on the trio soon. Determined and equally frustrated, Vera stomps through the crowds to reach them before they left. She ignores any cries from the people she unintentionally — or, intentionally if you are the man who spit in her face — stepped on and merely shouted a half-hearted apology before rushing toward the hurried wizard. "Of all the Hobbits, Peregrin Took, you are the worst! Hurry! Hurry!" Gandalf barks at the Hobbit, urging them to move faster.
Vera rolls her eyes. Please, don't go faster, she pleas in her mind. But they certainly can't read minds.
Pippin is lagging rather understandably, making it easier for Vera to meander through the crowds. She could hear what they were saying as Pippin rushes forth to speak with Merry, Gandalf disappearing into the stables.
"Where are we going?" Pippin whispers to Merry urgently, worry evident in his tone that made Vera's heart clench.
Merry ignores his question, his anger shining through as he glanced at Pippin with daggers. "Why did you look? Why do you always have to look?"
"I don't know. I can't help it," Pippin frowns.
"You never can!" Merry snaps back, making Vera frown at them both as she wrestles against a horse.
"I'm sorry, alright. I won't do it again," Pippin apologizes, glancing briefly as Vera finally reaches their side. She forces an apologetic smile towards them to ease their nerves before charging towards the horse stables to argue with Gandalf.
"Gandalf!" Vera angrily calls, making him swivel around to look at Vera with a knowing expression as she squints her eyes at the wizard. He peers at her questioningly, asking the mermaid what she wanted politely as she breathes heavily. She is tired; she just ran through Edoras after the wizard and the Hobbits with a half-throbbing headache and an ache in her legs. She is not impressed. "Let me come with you," she exasperatedly requested.
"No, Vera—" Gandalf begins to argue, shaking his head as he forcefully meets eyes with Vera.
"Gandalf, you can't just steal my friend away again! He has been through enough already and he certainly doesn't deserve this, it's unfair! He didn't mean for any of this to happen nor did he mean to look into the Palantir — it's Sauron's power, you know this. Sauron thinks he has the ring, you can't bring him closer to Gondor, not with Sam and Frodo there! Besides, I can help you, I can fight—"
"No!" Gandalf raises his voice and glares at Vera, forcing her to back down in response as she stares up at him in confusion. "You must stay here. Sauron knows about you, whether Pippin didn't mean to or not, he knows about you. You are not safe! You must be farther away from Gondor than anyone. He may think Pippin has the ring but he is no threat to Sauron...you are! Vera, you visited the dead, you can talk to them — there is only one other person in Middle Earth who can do that and she nearly died until she sacrificed that ability! You must stay here until the last moment. Your presence will be needed elsewhere — the water calls you. At the last moment, when Aragorn sets out to claim his throne, you must venture to Gondor, that is your right time!" He pulls a letter out of his robes. "Read this when the full moon hits the light of Edoras. You will know what to do then."
Vera glances at the letter confusedly as Gandalf touches her hair gently. She frowns but nods in understanding, sighing and slouching as she glances outside to see Merry and Pippin waiting for them to finish talking. She faces the wizard once more. "Let me talk to him."
Gandalf wanted to argue back; time is slipping, but the glint in Vera's eyes made it hard for him to disagree. So, he nodded. And Vera approached Pippin, telling Merry to go to Gandalf as she bent down to meet his eyes, which is desperately remaining downcast in shame. Vera frowns. Pippin looks up at her as if waiting for her to lash out angrily. But Vera didn't. Instead, she pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear, "be safe, brave Pippin. You've been a true friend to me, Pippin...not just a friend, family. I will miss you, strong Pippin. I know you didn't mean to do this and I forgive you. Don't fret, don't lose hope...I will see you in a few days time, Peregrin Took. My friend, my family. Stay strong."
And with that, Vera planted a kiss on Pippin's cheek before separating from the shocked Hobbit to meander out of the stables, giving them some time among themselves, and to compose herself as the unshed tears in her eyes begin to glisten. She wanders off, her eyes catching the watchtower looming over Vera's figure. Almost dazedly, Vera advances towards it, clambering the stairs, and reaching the top as she watched the blades of grass bristle in the zephyr. She could hear Pippin worriedly calling out to Merry as Shadowfax and Gandalf dragged him away from Edoras, away from his friends, and away from his family. Vera felt a tear shed down her cheeks as she watches them ride off in the distance, the sun glinting off the white sleekness of Shadowfax. She is distinctly aware of Merry and Aragorn climbing up the stairs but her eyes remain on Pippin in worry.
Merry stands beside her, and Aragorn behind him.
"He's followed me everywhere I went since before we were tweens. I would get him into the worst sort of trouble but I was always there to get him out. Now he's gone...just like Frodo and Sam," Merry utters out sadly, making Vera's heart break as she glances down at him.
Aragorn smiles reassuringly. "One thing I've learned about Hobbits: they are a most Hardy folks."
Vera laughs, adding to the conversation, "Foolhardy, maybe."
Merry grins in agreement. "Foolhardy, indeed. He's a Took!"
Vera smiles. "And he will be most alright. As will you."
Merry looks up at her innocently through wide eyes. "Do you promise?"
Vera's breath hitches as she fingers the ring on her finger belonging to Boromir. She remembers Britta in the back of her head, and she remembers the many people who have died in battle. She pushed through her fears. "I promise."
...she just didn't know if she meant that.