Tattoo Girl and Middle Earth

9

"Please stop... Mom...Please... Come back to me..."

I jerked awake. I'm lying on rock, things began to come into focus when my eyes adjusted. It was still blurry though.

"Where are my glasses?"

Aragorn hands me them, and I put them on. A little ways away I can see Gandalf trying to decide between the two doors in front of him. Wait a second, when did we get here? What... Oh yeah. I hit my head, I must have passed out.

I feel my forehead for a sign of the cut that was there before. It's scabbed over and a lot larger than I originally thought.

That will make a nice scar.

Legolas has come over to where Aragorn and I are sitting and sits next to me.

"Are you okay?" He seems concerned, well I did pass out I guess.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"I wasn't talking about your head, River."

Oh. I guess I was talking again. Play it stupid, Ruin.

"What were you talking about then?"

"You were talking, it sounded like you were telling someone to stop," he's more worried now, "River, you kept saying 'mom'."

Hmmm, let's think what did happen? Oh, that's right! She was drunk, I don't remember ever seeing her sober after dad died. She'd scream and throw things. She'd tell me she wished I was never born.

Ah, childhood memories. My worst living nightmare.

"Can we not talk about it?"

"I don't know if that's an option, River, you seemed very upset."

She lives for making me 'very upset'.

"Fine. But, don't treat me differently once I tell you."

I hate it when people do that.

"What happened River?"

"When I was 10 my dad died. My mom kind of fell apart after that. I don't remember the last time I've seen her sober when it's just the two of us. Sometimes she'd yell awful things at me or throw things."

Both him and Aragorn are silent.

"You don't have to say anything or treat me differently, just because I told you that it doesn't change things," I say now slightly panicked.

Legolas reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it a little.

"I'm glad you told us, I'm glad you feel you can trust us."

"What about the others will you tell them?" Aragorn questions.

Will I tell them? I feel like Boromir would just think I'm damaged and that's why I"m not a 'proper lady' or something. The hobbits wouldn't try to treat me any differently if I told them not to, but they seem like the type for pitying glances. Gandalf would be fairly cool with how he takes it but, he's going to fall down a chasm soon. And Gimli, well I don't really know what to expect from him.

"I don't know, I think I will, but not yet," I sigh.

Aragorn seems fine with this answer and relaxes a little.

Gandalf stands, seeming to have decided our route.

"He remembers!" Merry exclaims, and goes to follow Gandalf.

I don't get to hear his answer about the air smelling better that way because Aragorn asks if I can walk.

The answer to that question would be, yes, slowly.