Journey’s End

Chapter 31

The Beacons of Minas Tirith

I stood outside the Golden Hall of Meduseld, watching Gandalf drag an unwilling Pippin towards the stables.

“Of all the Hobbits, Peregrin Took, you are the worst! Hurry! Hurry!” Gandalf grumbled. Merry dashed along behind, talking quietly with Pippin. I sighed as they disappeared. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I wheeled round and grabbed the throat of my attacker, before realising it was only Aragorn.

“Aragorn…” I breathed, letting my hand drop.

“Who else did you expect?” He asked. I frowned and defensively wrapped my arms around myself.

“I don’t know… Just don’t sneak up on me like that…” I muttered. I had been feeling edgy ever since my encounter with the Palantir.

“I wasn’t sneaking.”

“I know!” I snapped, sounding harsher than I intended. I saw hurt flicker across Aragorn’s face and I instantly regretted my sharp remark. “I’m sorry.” I murmured, “I’m just… Not feeling myself.”

“It’s alright.” Aragorn comforted me, slipping an arm around my shoulders. I blushed as I found myself leaning against him. Shadowfax galloped out if the stables ahead of us, carrying Gandalf and Pippin, Merry ran along behind. He dashed towards a watchtower as Pippin called after him.

“Merry!” Aragorn cried, leaving my side and running up the steps after the Hobbit. I followed, but remained on the ground.

“He’s always 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.” I heard Merry say fondly. I smiled, realising that it sounded a lot like Aragorn and myself when we were younger. I was always the one who was in trouble. “Now he’s gone. Just like Frodo and Sam.” Merry sighed sadly above me.

“One thing I’ve learnt about Hobbits: They are a most hardy folk.” Aragorn murmured.

“Foolhardy maybe. He’s a Took!” Merry laughed, watching the white horse gallop away into the distance.

With a sigh, I turned away and began walking towards the stables, feeling that I should check on Falas. I let myself into his stable while he was busy eating and began to run my hands over his back and legs. He needed to be fit if we were to ride for Gondor soon. If the beacons were lit, I intended to leave, whether the Rohirrim were going or not. I had a promise to keep. Giving Falas a pat on the flank, I turned to leave, but noticed Brego pawing the ground in his stable. I curiously approached the horse and smiled a little as he looked up to watch me. I realised that this horse was probably the reason that Aragorn had returned, back at Helm’s Deep. I scratched his forehead gently and stroked his muzzle.

“Mae carnen, Brego, hannon le…” (Well done Brego, thank you.) I murmured softly.

***

One afternoon, a few days after Pippin had left; I walked outside, carrying two bowls of soup as I searched for Aragorn. I smiled as I saw him sitting on a flight of steps. He had barely moved from that spot for several days, as it was one of the only places around the hall that gave a good view of the nearest beacon. He smiled as I approached and handed him the bowl.

“No sign?” I murmured, nodding towards the beacon, even though the answer was obvious.

“None.” He sighed as I picked up my spoon and began to eat.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Gandalf will think of something.” I comforted him. “We still have time.”

He nodded and we ate in silence for a while as the people of Edoras got on with their lives around us. I set my bowl down and cast a wistful glance up at the unlit beacon on the mountainside. We still had time, but not much. I stared down at the ground and sighed as I worried about how I would be able to stop Gondor from falling. I was only one person…

‘No! You can’t think like that!’ I told myself, ‘You have to believe that one person can make a difference! If they couldn’t then there would be no point in believing in Frodo, or Gandalf… Or Aragorn…’

As I thought of Aragorn, I found myself being reminded of my dream, in which I wore the Ring of Barahir. I glanced down at Aragorn’s hand and saw the complex design of the ring as it rested upon his finger. For some reason, I couldn’t muster the courage to ask him about it, which was strange, as I hardly ever found something that I couldn’t talk to him about…

The clatter of something hitting the ground caught my attention and I turned to see Aragorn discard his bowl and spring to his feet.

“What is it?” I asked. He turned and sprinted away. “Wait!” I yelled, scrambling to my feet as a flame in the distance caught my eye. The beacons were lit.

Aragorn dashed ahead of me, and burst through the doors of the hall. I forced myself to run faster to catch him.

“The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!” He cried, still running. “Gondor calls for aid.” He gasped breathlessly, coming to a halt before Théoden and several of his guards, along with Eómer. I panted at his side after my sprint. There was a pause as Théoden processed this information.

“And Rohan will answer!” He decided. “Muster the Rohirrim.”

As a guard ran outside and began ringing a bell, I ran to my room, where I had already laid out my weapons and everything else I would need for travelling. I quickly fastened my cloak and belted my sheathed sword to my side, and then walked briskly outside, where people where already in full armour and on horseback. I quickened my pace as I made my way into the stables and went to fetch Falas’s saddle. I bumped into Aragorn and found myself smiling eagerly. Over the past few days, I had been severely bored. It was exciting to be on the move again.

I weaved my way through men and horses, and nodded politely to Eówyn as I saw her tacking up her own horse. I let myself into Falas’s stable and quickly slipped his bridle over his head, and placed his saddle on his back.

“We’re on the move again…” I murmured to him as I attached blankets and other things I would need to his saddle. “Good boy.” I sighed, patting his flank and leading him out of the stable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aragorn speaking with Eówyn beside their horses. He lifted a blanket on her saddle to reveal a sword, and she snatched it back down quickly, before turning and saying something that I didn’t hear, but Aragorn turned away uneasily and lead Brego towards me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked. He only shook his head as we made our way through Edoras under the darkening sky.

“We ride out at dawn.” He murmured as we let the horses graze.

“Then what was the point in getting ready now?” I asked in a frustrated manner. Every second lost meant defeat at Gondor was more likely. Aragorn glanced at me with an amused expression.

“Are you really willing to wake up before dawn to prepare for war?” I scowled and kicked the dirt at my feet, knowing he was right.

“We should probably get some rest then.” I sighed, tying Falas’s reins into a loose knot so he wouldn’t step on them and then patted his flank as he ambled off. Most people seemed to be leaving their horses outside, so I assumed he would be fine. Aragorn did the same for Brego and we walked back to the hall together.