theroadgoes-ever-on-and-on

[theroadgoes-ever-on-and-on]

Peace

(Based on a word prompt from Phoenix Down Resources' 2021 prompts list on Roleplayer.me)

Definitions of Peace

Freedom from disturbance; tranquillity.

A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.

As a Ranger of the North and also their Commander, peace was not a word that Hal used often. It was subjective. Something that looked like it was happening on the surface. When below, there was nothing but worry, fear and terror. Danger was all around them, from mortals to Sauron and also the wild creatures which lived in the air and on the land. The Rangers worked from the shadows, protecting and helping whenever they were needed.

“Mama! Snow!��

For the Bree raised Dúnedan with a reputation of having no emotions, peace meant something else. It meant a small house inside of Edoras in Rohan. It meant the sounds of small running feet and a childish male voice that called her Mama. Peace was subjective, yes. But it meant her son could grow up with people who they both trusted. Even if her duties as a Ranger and Aragorn’s second in command often took her far from home and from Theo, her four year old little surprise.

“Mama!”

She laughed softly at the more insistent call and put her book down, before heading over to the dark haired little boy. Although always on guard, it was here in Edoras that Hal was able to lose some of the tension in her shoulders. Seeing Theo cheerful, happy and content as he played with the other children made her feel like everything she had gone through was worth it. And she trusted Théoden, his family and his guards to keep her son safe. “Are you ready?”

A pair of slate grey eyes stared up at her for a moment, before he eyed himself. Coat, one glove and shoes on the wrong feet. “I’m ready.” The four year old assured his mother.

Hal smiled, warmth in her gaze as she knelt to help put his shoes on the right feet. “And I think your missing… this.” She teased, pulling out his wayward glove from his coat pocket. "Now you’re ready, kiddo.” It took her a moment to pull her own coat on and soon followed him out into the snow, far too used to colder climates to be wearing gloves. Ever since the unexpected arrival of the little boy, her priorities had needed to change in order but that was the only difference.

Only a few people outside of Edoras knew about Theo and her years of being known as closed off helped with that fact. Along with the Rangers being known as a secretive group, something that she was glad about. A soft smile formed as Hal kept an eye out on the playing kids, making sure none of them got hurt in anyway. Despite the peaceful scene, her senses instincts were still on alert so it was easy to recognise the footsteps of the King’s niece. “Éowyn.”

“Hal. My uncle wanted me to ask if you and Theo would join us tonight for the Yule meal.”

It wasn’t unusual for the younger woman to come and search the gender-fluid Ranger out whenever she was in the city. In fact it was well known that if Hal was visiting, then the people got to see all of the King’s family far more often. And this particular visit had been no exception. At the question, she gave Éowyn a faintly amused glance. “Like Theo would allow us to miss one of his favourite meals of the year with some of his favourite people.” She snarked with a grin, shaking her head.

The laughter that came from the White Lady of Rohan attracted the attention of the playing children and then warm grey eyes lit up at seeing her. Hal smiled as her son scrambled to his feet and promptly flung himself at Éowyn, who caught him in a hug easily.

Peace was a word of novelty for the Esteldin Commander but she had found it here in Edoras, in the face of her son’s warmth and laughter. Yet the biggest hurdle was still to come for very few of her kin actually knew about Theo or the events surrounding his birth. That were thoughts for another time through. And now Hal was happy to push it to one side and just focus on being here at Yule-time.

[theroadgoes-ever-on-and-on]

Found and Lost Again | Part 1

Prompt: [ wall ] your muse pinning mine against a wall. Crossover verse: The Sentinel

  A storm had been brewing over the Northern Dúnedain for months now. All of them from Sentinels to Guides and even those without any extra abilities could feel it. No one could settle fully, always on guard and waiting for something to finally break. The least settled of them all was their temporarily in charge Commander. 

  Despite what people thought, Hal didn’t have a bond with her friend and leader. She only tended to give Aragorn slight nudges when he started to fixate on something. It was how they had always worked and that wouldn’t change until the younger man found his Guide. 

  Hal had been deemed BROKEN with too many sharp edges, borderline wild nature and being emotionally distant. She was not a Guide that any Sentinel actually wanted permanently in their mind. Which didn’t bother her in the least, although it irritated her kin. 

“Where’s the Commander?” 

  The mission had been a complete success and they could go home now. But something felt wrong. Really really wrong. “She was going to check something out along with Ryton and Raidon. Something’s not right though.”

  “Exactly. Where’s Hal?!” Saeradan was a Sentinel with 4 senses. He was weaker than their currently missing Chieftain but he also knew the gender-fluid woman far too well as both a Guide and one of his closest friends. For her to suddenly take a detour in their mission didn’t bode well. 

  Neither did the sudden deep snarl that could have only come from one source: A captured Sentinel. It didn’t take long for Saeradan and Dirael to backtrack and follow the path that the three Rangers had taken earlier. The same path that the snarl had come from. Moments later, Raidon and Ryton appeared at the end of the tunnel. But there was no sign of Hal. 

  Raidon heard the familiar footsteps and put a hand up to stop them, not wanting anything else to go wrong. “Good news: we’ve found Strider.” He shared a concerned glance with Ryton, who was keeping a eye on the scenario ahead. 

“And the bad news?” 

  “He only recognises Hal at the moment and doesn’t like us being so close to him. Hence why we’re stood back here.” 

  The younger Dúnedain nodded, knowing what his former teacher was silently saying. It didn’t come as a surprise that Hal was the only one who Aragorn was letting near. But on the other hand, they couldn’t stay here for much longer. “Hal? Place is empty but we don’t know how long for.” 

~~~~ 

  Following her instinct and finding Aragorn had been one thing. Getting his Sentinel to calm enough for the man’s normal levelheadedness to take over, was a completely different challenge in itself. First thing first though: getting him to back off a bit so she could actually move away from the wall. “Understood. Ryton, could you and the others make sure that the way we came in is still clear, please?” 

  There was a definitely lengthy pause at her request. Normally Ryton would follow it without many questions but this was not a normal day. Nor was it a standard situation since their leader wasn’t.. entirely in his right state of mind. So it didn’t surprise her that none of them wanted to leave her alone with Aragorn like this. 

“Commander…” 

  “Please? Raidon will still be here but Strider isn’t calming-,“ The low continuous growl was making THAT rather clear and she rested a light hand on the man’s chest to push him back slightly, “and we need to get out of here soon.” 

  It took another few minutes and some quiet reassurance from Raidon, before they were left alone. The effect was immediate as tension drained from Aragorn’s taller frame. Now, and only now, did he finally heed her silent request to move back a bit so she could move. 

 “Hal…” 

   “Yes, Rai-,” It took longer than Hal would have liked to realise that Raidon hadn’t said anything. Dark orbs automatically refocused on the only person who could have spoken in a such rough sounding voice. “Aragorn..” She studied him for a moment, letting his Sentinel take comfort in the familiar sharpness of her mind. 

  Then she exhaled slowly and straightened. “I hate to push you but we need to go. I can shield you until we reach Rivendell or I can knock you out if you don’t think you’ll manage the journey.” They hadn’t planned to head for Rivendell but that plan had altered the minute Aragorn had been found. 

  Darkened storm blue eyes scanned his friend and second in command silently. For most people, Hal looked fine but the younger man knew differently. It was far too easy to spot the weariness and hidden pain that she was carrying- and he didn’t like it. But there wasn’t anything he could do right then. “Shielding but only if you can.” He chose carefully, giving her a sharp glance. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

  The Dúnedain Chieftain relaxed slightly when he felt the familiar sharp edges of her mind shielding him from a sense overload. But his concern grew as he followed his kin out silently, letting Hal remain in charge. Given how bad he actually felt, Aragorn opted to ride on Star with Hal. It also meant she wouldn’t have to work as hard to shield him. 

  Hal sped on ahead when Aragorn finally lost his fight with consciousness, quickly followed by Raidon as protection. The others stopped in Tornhad, a hidden Ranger community in the wilds near Rivendell and rested there. It was on the third day of waiting when they returned without Aragorn. 

  Saeradan only needed a glance and he was pulling the dark haired woman into his arms, already knowing what was wrong. “Come on, you need sleep and food.” ‘And a distraction.’ But he didn’t say that last part aloud and took her to where they was temporarily staying. 

  Raidon stepped in before anyone could ask questions, especially the Sentinels amongst the group. “Strider will be fine. They currently have Lady Arwen shielding him until he’s able to repair them himself.” He wouldn’t have said anything else, had it not been for Ryton’s stare. “Neither myself nor Lord Elrond think that he’ll react well when he wakes up.” 

“Why?” A simple question with a seemingly simple answer. But it was a answer they all expected yet no one wanted to hear. 

   “Because Hal’s his. Aragorn is like a dark swirling constantly moving tempest and strong as she is, Lady Arwen would have got snuffed out like a light, had she done what Hal did earlier. We’ve been asked to stay put in case our help is necessary.” 

  “But the only one among us strong enough to even attempt helping would be Hal. And Aragorn won’t let her go a second time if that happens. Not if it means losing her altogether.” Ryton realised quickly, noticing the looks of worry. “So we just wait here and hope that he accepts Lady Arwen’s help.” 

“Fuck.” 

  Waiting was not unknown to the Rangers of the North but this was a different sort of waiting. And the result would not be known for another day.

[theroadgoes-ever-on-and-on]

Absence

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The phrase was murmured idly. Seconds later, the Evendim trained ranger ended up moving to avoid the pencil thrown at him.

The thrower was a dark grey eyed gender-fluid woman, who was sitting by him. “Not helpful when I’m out here trying to forget my feelings for a certain man, Can.” She snarked at one of her closest friends, briefly giving him the side eye. Her attention quickly returned to the woodcarving project that she was working on, letting silence fill the air once again.

Candaith didn’t mind the Lone-lands being his permanent position, even though it meant he rarely got to see that many folk. It never bothered him as much like his friend and Commander, he wasn’t a massive fan of being around a lot of people. For that reason alone, it was Saeradan, who much preferred noise to silence and enjoyed being around others.

In fact, it was Saeradan s preference for being around people, which had made their Chieftain place him permanently in the land around the town of Bree. With Hal mainly working from Esteldin in the North Downs, Saeradan in Bree-land and himself set in the Lone-lands, Candaith rarely saw his two closest friends anymore. So the younger ranger’s appearance had been unexpected but very much appreciated.

However the visit also poked his curiosity into full flow, since it wasn’t a normal habit for her. “Why here and not Saeradan?” Even as he asked though, there was a inkling in the back of his mind why she had come to him.

“Strider’s in Bree and I kind of wanted to avoid him for a while. Also I haven’t seen you in a few months and I was told to recover away from Esteldin, so here I am.” Hal gave a faint shrug, focusing on adding intricate details to the carving of a wolf. Given where exactly Candaith hidden his campsite, it meant that no one could walk into them by accident.

“Second in commands aren’t meant to want to avoid their leaders.”

“They’re also not meant to fall in love with said leader either.”

“Hence the reason you’re here and not in Bree, dropping a report about your mission off.” He tilted his head slightly, keeping his voice low as a small smile crossed his lips. But then the smile faded at seeing the familiar uncertainty crossing her features.

Candaith frowned and tugged the other ranger into a one armed hug, ignoring the instinctive flinch. “He’ll worry if you don’t appear. Strider is protective over all of us but more so over you.”

“I know. I just wish I could get rid of these feelings.” She answered softly, still on alert as the Lone-lands were not the safest of places at times. “Sometimes being absent makes it easier to sort feelings out because of the distance.”

“And sometimes it doesn’t. Especially where you and Strider are involved. Because it’s you two.” He nudged her gently, before letting peaceful silence fill the air around them again.

[theroadgoes-ever-on-and-on]

To Be a Ranger | Part 1

Date: 2944 Place: Esteldin, North Downs

“Do you ever regret accepting Lord Arathorn’s offer?”

The question lingers between them, waiting to be answered. But the questioner isn’t expecting a response. Saeradan never expects a answer. Not from Hal. And it isn’t due to a lack of hearing either. It’s just that Hal has grown more and more nonverbal; more introverted as their time at Esteldin lengthens.

“No.”

The singular word makes him smile briefly. Because that’s his friend down to a T. Blunt as hell and with a way of getting directly to the heart of the matter. Unlike the Elves, there’s no flowery words with them. No subtle messages to try and figure out, much to the relief of the Dwarves.

Hal steps out from the shadows, their uniform travel worn and dusty. Expression mostly neutral, except for a rarely seen quirk of their lips. “I never regretted accepting it. My only regret is that I didn’t contact Calenglad and the others when I had the chance to do so.” Their gaze shifts then, away from Saeradan and towards the recruits on guard duty.

“That wasn’t your fault. Thalaron didn’t give you much choice. Not after what happened last time.” Grey eyes slip down towards the hidden scar on the younger Ranger’s left side. A scar that runs from their ribs to their waist, a permanent reminder of the sacrifices that Hal has been making for their kin.

“And? There’s not much more that man can do to me, Saeradan.” Their faint smile twitches upwards slightly then disappears. Leaving behind a worn looking barely 24 year old. Commander of Esteldin in practically all but title at that moment. A tired sigh escapes into the peaceful night sky as they lean against the wall. “Not anymore.”

Truth. That’s very true. But they deserve more than what was happening. More than the ever present pain that the other hid behind blank masks, sharp smiles and sarcastic pointed words. Rarely ever did someone notice what his friend’s freezing cold exterior hid. The rock solid strength that most, if not all, of the North Downs, including those in Esteldin, depended upon to keep them safe. “Hal, you need to get some sle-“

A head tilt. Just enough of a movement to make the slightly older Dúnedan immediately shut up. Words aren’t necessary, not when the long whistle sounds from near the back of the ruins. They all know the signal. Hal better then any of anyone else. It took just a split second for three more short and sharp whistles to follow the first. A moment later, both Rangers are standing near the 18 year old who first sounded the warnings.

“Landir, report.”

“Asikko wants to speak to you, Hal. Something about a worrying discovery one of their scouts found.”

Hal gives the younger man a sharp glance, confusion hidden deep inside. “He should be speaking to Thalaron in that case. I’m not in charge.” It’s hard to find anything good about the old Ranger. Not with the way that they could barely fucking BREATHE half the time now. But it’s just a minor issue. Nothing for anyone to concern themselves with It’s not the first time that someone has wrapped metaphorical chains around them after all.

“You might as well be. He won’t speak to our esteemed ‘leader’ ” Landir shrugs, starting to head back to his post and the Earth-kin waiting there. He hears the huff of laughter from behind him and grins. Knowing that he has followers by the faint sound of footsteps.

“Hal.”

“Asikko. What brings you to Esteldin’s backdoor?”

Direct and to the point. One of the qualities that makes the Earth-kin leader and his people actually like the quiet gender-fluid Man. Asikko hands over a note, recognising the grimness as it’s read. “A lot of activity near the entrances. Too much for a tiny group.”

Black Speech. Dark eyes focuses on the Orcish words that jump out at them. “They’ve been watching and preparing. Hoping to overwhelm by sheer numbers and strength.” They run a hand through long hair with a slow exhale of air. Considering options. But there isn’t really any to choose from. Not when Esteldin is the first line of defence against Angmar.

That cold gaze swings back up to meet the calm look of the much taller non-human. “Thank-you for letting us know.” Thoughts are already spinning in their mind on how in Arda’s name they are going to survive this. When over half of those in the ruins aren’t even full Rangers yet.

“Not letting you fight alone, Ranger.” Asikko speaks slowly, before someone else catches his attention.

“Ye helped our kin durin’ their fight fer Erebor. King Thorin would not be best pleased if he finds out we left ye an’ yer kin tae fend fer themselves now.”

There’s a long pause as those words from both the Earth-kin and Dwarf are taken in. Then a tiny half smile appeared briefly, the knot in their chest loosing slightly. Hal still isn’t sure if they’ll make it. If any of them will survive the coming onslaught but they have a better chance with their two allies fighting alongside them. “Your assistance will be much appreciated.”

“Warg rider approaching the middle of the plain.”

Hal turns at Saeradan’s warning, stepping out from the safety of Esteldin’s shadow. Eyes razor sharp and wild. There could only be one reason why a lone Rider would approach without any kind of backup. And they find it just mildly amusing in the thought. To parley. But they weren’t Thalaron and their true Chieftain was still growing up. To let the orcs take the North Downs without a fight would be failing the Oath they gave to to Arathorn.

And other lives depends on what happens here. Those who live in Bree and the Shire. Folk who couldn’t protect themselves properly. All down to one question. Hal knows what Thalaron if he could. Hal… isn’t that man. Isn’t the man who has given up all hope.

“Ranger. We’re giving you a choice. Stand down and we’ll let your people leave without harm.”

There’s a point when the difficult questions need to be asked. When a single word has the power to make or break everything you care for When it feels like standing on the edge of a cliff.