Forest Sister

Helm's Deep And A Friend From Rohan

*the picture above is what Vaile (Taurieth's horse) looks like, just in case you were wondering.*

 We arrived at the Helm's Deep soon enough, and I was greeted by a gigantic fortress built by stone, nothing like I've ever seen before. I was riding on Vaile again since I called her back after the fighting.

 Ah, yes, the fighting. It was kinda surprising as I had made out of it alive and unscathed, while so many others perished. That included Aragorn. I had not expected him to... well, to perish.

 "Make way for the king! Make way for Theoden. Make way for the king," a guard, whose name was Hama, I think, yelled as we entered Helm's Deep. Eowyn ran to us as soon as we got off our horses. A guard came to take Vaile, but I told him I'll be taking care of her by myself. How I had no idea, but I just didn't like the idea of a strange mortal handling my best friend.

 "So few. So few of you have returned," said Eowyn. Theoden looked at his niece.

 "Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives." He turned to his horse and Gimli walked towards her. I just watched them silently, stroking Vaile's mane.

 "My lady..." he said as he reached Eowyn.

 "Lord Aragorn, where is he?" She asked.

 "Nice job back there, girl," I whispered to Vaile, not wanting to hear what he was going to say. I heard it nonetheless. Curse these super hearings of the elves.

 "He fell."

 Ignoring the sharp pain tugging the back of my heart, I took Vaile to the stables, after asking a guard. Once I was there, I groomed her mane, thinking about what happened at the battle with the Warg riders.

 One, son of Thranduil saved my life. Something I would have never done. Why? Why did he save me? He said he wouldn't just stand and watch me getting killed. Well, I would. Would I?

 I decided to stop thinking about that.

 Two, Aragorn fell. He fell, he didn't die. He couldn't have died. He just couldn't have died. I just knew it. I don't know how I knew it. Maybe I was just hoping it so much that I started to believe it.

 I decided to stop thinking about that as well.

 "You must be starving. You can have as many apples as you'd like," I said, bringing a basket of apples. Vaile didn't eat any, instead, she just looked at me with those big, brown eyes of hers.

 "Don't worry about me, just eat those red, round, shiny things. It looks good." I smiled. I gave Vaile a final pat and left the stables. I didn't want to face Thranduilion, so I took a long way around, going as slow as I could, thought there was no need for it. When I was back where I started, the elf was nowhere to be seen, along with the dwarf.

 I ended up in some kind of hall. There were lots of tables and chairs, so I thought it would be a dining room, a dining hall. I sat at the empty table, just looking around my surrounding. People were here and there, eating, talking, drinking. Some were with their family.

 Family. I wondered how long it had been since I called someone my family.

 "May I sit?" A voice came beside me. I turned and met with blue eyes of the King's niece.

 "It doesn't look like you're going to go away even if I said no, so, help yourself," I said. She smiled lightly as she sat beside me, a little too close for my liking.

 "Where are you from?" She asked. I looked at her. Long, wavy blond hair, sky-blue eyes, fair skin, she was pretty, but there was more than that. The way she held her head up high, with pride in her eyes- the pride of who she was- and the fierceness, she wasn't just a princess- she was a warrior - a Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

 I could figure out who she was, what kind of person she was, but not why she had asked me that question. Where I was from? What in the name of Illuvatar did she want to know that for?

 "Make a guess," I replied, looking away. I could feel her looking at me, but I didn't turn to face her.

 "You are an elf. But you don't seem to be close with Mister Legolas, so you can't be from the Greenwood. Not Rivendell either. I don't think the folks there travel this far. Perhaps Lothlorien?"

 She knew how to think, I'll give her that.

 "Good guess, but I'm not from Lothlorien," I said.

 "A ranger like Lord Aragorn, then?" She asked. I looked at her curious eyes. What was she trying to do?

 "I live in Fangorn. Is that enough for you?" I said. She looked like a kid who just solved a mystery and got a prize. In other words, a big smile was plastered across her face.

 "Oh, I see. How long have you lived in Fangorn, um," she spoke. So she wanted to know my name now. I looked at her once more, a curious look in my eyes. She was smart, and brave too, I wager. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get to know her just a little bit more. After all, it couldn't kill me, right? Just for a short period of time, while I was still in Helm's Deep. When I leave, she'd forget about me, and so would I.

 Just carry on a casual conversation, Taurieth, I told myself. Just for this once. Give her a chance. She's a nice girl who's trying to be friends with you.

 That hit me like an iron hammer. A friend. She was trying to be friends with me.

 I met her eyes, which calmly looked into mine. There was no false in her, she was sincere to the bottom of her heart. I took a shallow breath.

 "Taurieth. And about 500 years I lived in Fangorn," I said. She looked surprised but smiled. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all.

 "So, Eowyn, do you like to dwell?" At my question, the Shieldmaiden of Rohan smiled, who was now a friend of mine. How that would turn out, I would have to wait and figure out, but for the first time in many years, I felt like maybe she could be a true friend.