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Disclamer; Nope, I'm not the wonderful Prof. JRR Tolkien (but the wonderful part is right - LOL) so I don't own any of these characters...YET. (Well, except for maybe Aragorn!)
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The Lord of the Rings - A Single NightA satisfied sigh left him as the last strap of the royal horse reign was securely knotted. "There! I believe we are now ready to depart," the King said with relief. He patted the strong side of the mare as he boyishly smiled to his surroundingfriends. They slyly looked to him with mirroring grins before the men turned in unison from the convoy of equipped horses to bid their farewells to their respective other-halves.
"Please take care of yourself, melleth-nin (my Love)," the Queen sorrowfully requested, wrapping her arms around her husband's shoulders, donned with various straps of small worn rucksacks. Aragorn rolled his eyes as he lightly returned the gesture. Living as a ranger in the wildest parts of Middle Earth for the sake of marrying her had given him quite a bit of confidence when it came to a mere camping trip. "Let there be no concern on your behalf. I….we," he corrected, looking to his small companion, "are more than able to survive a single night in the open."
Accepting the answer, Arwen bent down to her son, fixing his hair from his eyes before she covered him with a hug, "If your Ada and the men become at all scared, you make sure you look after them, mybrave boy. I ask that you be good in your absence!" In his release, Eldarion met her concern with a broad smile, "Naneth, I am most practiced in the killing of Orcs and sorts." "Ion-nin (my son), I speak of alive creatures, not models of recreation." "As do I Naneth," he answered in a tone suggesting it obvious.
"Be sure you eat properly," Eowyn said for the um-teenth time as she straightened her husband's rich green coat collar, "and cook the meat near the flames until it is properly done. Watch for the colour to turn a crisp black." Faramir forced an obliging smile, knowing better not to make any comment on his wife's culinary habits nor even answer back, other than his usual "Yes dear."
His brother-in-law was in no better luck as the King of Rohan stood silent listening to his wife's lengthy lecture. "If some one stops you along the roads, do not speak to those you do not know. If they want a ride, do not let them on the horse with you." "Is that not how we met?" Eomer interrupted in hopes of quietening her. "Well, yes…." Lothiriel admitted, "but you didn't have such an unruly bunch in your company!" Her head nodded slightly to her left as she indicated to the short burly man and an equally small female next to them.
"I have packed you some extra underwear. It is the cotton you like, but I wasn't sure of what colours to send so I have packed them all. There are some matching vests with them as well. Oh, you had forgotten the carrot and cabbage mix I had made for you, so I have added it to your bag. I found you had only remembered the beverages, you silly billy! And I've also included a piece of cardboard, 'cause you never know. And should you be needing some blue paint, I've put that in the front pouch. And if you want som….." "Alright, alright!" the dwarf interrupted the limitless listings, "It is a wonder I am leaving for one night of peace! And I would leave for many more if I could! You women drive us to it!" Gladys dismissed his common male rantings as she pointed to her cheek for her goodbye kiss. Gimli fell quiet, barr his grunts of desperation. After taking a sharp glance around him to make sure no one saw his display of affection, he hesitantly granted her a speedy dry peck.
He need not have worried, for his friends were all busy with a similar problem.
"But what if you run out of bows? You will never have enough should you encounter a troll or even a warg!" Legolas' bethroded exclaimed. "Are you sure?" she then asked, unconvinced with his attempt to convince her that he only ever needed the one bow to kill a creature. Placing a soft finger to her mouth, the ever romantic elven prince gave his final assurance, "Melleth-nin (my love), sleep well in my absence knowing I have more with me now than I did during the War of the Ring. It is only for a single night."
"Have you your favourite pillow?" Eowyn asked her son as she severelyrubbed his cheek clean with a moistened tissue, "and enough blankets? Ohhh, you be good to the other boys, my little soldier!" Eodred was deprived of giving an answer as he was smothered in his mother's sudden embrace.
His cousin suffered the same fate as Lothiriel leant her son against her as she brushed the dusty gavel from his trousers. Elfwine did not appear entertained. "I shall only have them marked again, Mama!" he protested. "Well, once you are out of my sight, you may do so, but whilst you are in my company, I will not have a prince run around like a pauper! Stay still!"
Elraen and Sadriel crept from behind the numerous folds of their mother's dress and took their turn in taking time with their father before his departure. Of course, they knew they would see their father quite soon, but Sadriel had more than that worry alone, "Ada, who will instead check under my bed for creatures tonight…" Sadriel quietly expressed her concern, looking below her, "There are none as brave as you in the palace…." An amused smile crept upon Aragorn as he attemped his assurance, "Do not worry my darling, I have appointed at least three of the guards to do so in my stead." To his relief, Sadriel appeared satisfied as she jumped into his arms squeezed around her father's neck as he lifted her high above the stone surface. Elraen was not to be omitted as she tightly gripped her father around his waist, "Please leave Eldarion behind in the forest when you return, Ada. He's been making faces at us all day!" He hunched down to rub her cheek and place the youngest princess back down upon the ground again. "I don't even think the woods could deal with such a malice," the King replied, kissing them both, "but do enjoy your rest from him, as he will be only gone for a single night. We shall be back tomorrowbefore the sun sets, and I expect to get such eager embraces when we meet then."
In his rising, there was just the one lady left for him to say his goodbye to. In the breaking from their last kiss until the next evening, Aragorn slowly left his wife's side to return to Brego. By now, there was no effort in climbing the height to nestle in the familiar seat of his mount. As the King sat atop of the chestnut mare, the men to accompany him soon edged their way to their horses.
After Eldarion too had his goodbye kiss from his mother, and stuck his tounge out at the young princesses, Elladan, brother to Arwen and twin to Elrohir, moved from his silent stand and presented the young prince up high to the strong arms of his father. The elven twins then moved to embrace their sister farewell. "I would you both keep the sharpest watch on those two especially over this night. Return to me safe, dearest brothers," Arwen said, blessing the trip with an elvish wish. They answered her with a trusting wink before they themselves joined the hoard of ready horses lined outside the gates of Minas Tirith.
The King lightly drew his feet against Brego's sides and began the ride of he and those gathered behind him. As the horses all moved gracefully forward, the men bid those to be left behind a final farewell before the neat walk of the animals transformed into a quickened sprint. Dust rose from the trail of agile hooves and the men proudly rode off into the waiting wild.
The ladies moved from the gate and out onto a wider path in order to gain a better view of the men as they gradually faded into the landscape. They remained waving in blooming smiles until it was sure their actions would be impossible to see with the distance. The Queen gave a final look to the specks far off as Eowyn leant to her, "They have no idea, do they?" "Not a single notion," Arwen replied slyly before returning to the city gates. She cast a bright grin to her friends around her before the official announcement, "Let the girls night begin!"