How did it come to this?
Loyal to her family, her lands and her people, Théadain, the illegitimate daughter of Théoden, King of Rohan, has little concern for the world that lies beyond her familiar grasslands. When all that she loves is threatened...
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Chapter 12
Gasping in a breath of the night air, Théadain found that she had run all the way to the courtyard where she used to sit with her father. Her legs had carried her as far from Aragorn as she could get. What had she been thinking? She barely knew the man, but felt the right to make statements about his character and lineage? What had come over her?
She scrubbed her hands over her face with a groan, staring up at the sky as she buried her fingers in her hair. Perhaps she had been so frightened by the knowledge that Sauron had risen again, she had clutched at any hope the free world had. The Heir of Elendil coming forth would be no small blow to Sauron, he would not have forgotten how he was cut down at the hands of that line of men.
Yet Aragorn's fear of the power that had led to Isildur's death was not misplaced. The weapon of the enemy, the Ring that Isildur had taken as an heirloom of his house had the power to corrupt weaker men, but surely he would not face that same corruption? The One Ring had been lost with Isildur, never to be heard of again, surely it could not trouble Aragorn now?
She sighed and shook her head, turning to sit on her familiar stone bench, but stopped when she saw she was not alone.
"Excuse me, Miss, I didn't mean to startle you."
The warm smile she received from the short figure sat on the stone surprised her. She quickly took in his fair curly hair, her eyes falling next to his nearly equally hairy, large feet, which dangled a little off the ground where he sat. She had never encountered a Halfling before, in truth, there were some East of the Mountains that didn't believe the race existed at all, reclusive as they were.
"No, forgive me, Master Hobbit." She smiled gently, her troubled features relaxing to greet him, "I did not mean to interrupt your peaceful evening."
"We can share it?" He offered the seat beside him, which she accepted graciously, "Samwise Gamgee, Miss. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Théadain, daughter of Théoden." She replied, shaking the warm hand he held out with a smile, "I have never met one of your race before."
"Well, I'll admit I thought you were an elf at first, Miss Théadain." He chuckled, "I am still getting used to seeing them, I had always wanted to."
"And how does a Hobbit find himself looking for elves in Rivendell?" She mused, charmed by his colloquial accent and cheerful, polite manner.
"We- myself and three others- left the Shire to meet Gandalf the Grey." He explained, "Though, things didn't quite go to plan, we would never have made it here if it weren't for a fellow called Strider." Samwise didn't seem to notice the way Théa tensed at the mention of 'Strider', and continued to speak; "And now, well I reckon it won't be long before we return to the Shire, we've done what we set out to do and now we can go home."
