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<b><u>Author’s Note:</b></u> If anyone would like to see my idea of what the King’s House looks like, click on my homepage and go to the September 26th entry. There are three drawings there that will give you a rough idea of what I ‘see’ in my head when I am describing things going on inside the House. I’m warning you that I am NOT an artist!
Things continue to be very hectic for me and if you are waiting for a chapter of ‘Brothers at Heart’, I will tell you I am working on it, but it is coming along very slowly. Thanks for your patience.
<b><u>Chapter 4 – Winter</b></u>
“What do you think of this one?” Thomas asked pointing to another tree. It was the fourth or fifth tree he had pointed out to Rebecca in the last few minutes and, just as with all the others, she glanced at it and shook her head. He frowned as she turned away. “What’s wrong with it?” He looked the fir tree up and down and could see absolutely nothing wrong with it. She didn’t answer as she walked up the slope away from him. Thomas sighed and followed her. He glanced at Halbarad as the Ranger fell into step alongside him.
“What is she looking for?”
“I don’t know,” he replied glumly. “Most of them seem perfectly fine to me.” Thomas gestured at the tree covered hillside. Turning his gaze back towards Rebecca he saw that Arwen had joined her and they were talking and pointing further up the hill. He sighed again. “We’re going to have to carry the tree a long way.”
“Carry it? Why would we carry it?”
“Because if she’s going where I think she’s going,” he pointed to an area above and to the right of where they were standing, “it will be difficult to get the horses up there.” The area Thomas was pointing to was on top of a wide ledge of rock and while it was possible for people to climb up there, it would not be possible for a horse.
“Why would she go up there?”
Thomas just looked at him for a moment. “You’ve known Rebecca for quite some time now, Halbarad, and you can still ask that?” He smiled and shook his head. “There might be a better tree up there.”
Halbarad snorted softly. “Perhaps Arwen will persuade her not to,” he muttered. Thomas gave him a sidelong glance and a half smile. “I thought this would be… simpler.”
They had left Minas Tirith just after dawn, each of them warmly wrapped against the cold. It had taken them three hours to reach this spot just off the Great West Road that led towards Rohan. They had stopped once to rest the horses, but Rebecca’s excitement had quickly driven them on. Baisael and Laegrist had ridden ahead of the group and picked a spot that appeared to have the sort of trees Rebecca and Thomas had described to them and had then led the party to the hillside covered with young fir trees. Now, Balrant hovered nearby with an axe, ready to cut down whichever tree was decided on. The rest of the Rangers were spread around the area with bows in hand.
“There are too many to choose from. At home there would only be a hundred or so.” Thomas grinned, “and here there must be…” he glanced around, “seven - eight hundred or more on this hillside and she probably wants to see them all.” He laughed at the stunned expression on Halbarad’s face. “She will find one soon… I hope.” They continued walking behind Arwen and Rebecca as they talked.
“Don’t you care what it looks like?”
Thomas shrugged. “Yes, but as long as it’s the right height and doesn’t have any big holes in the branches… like that one,” he pointed to a tree with a gaping hole along one side, “then it’s fine with me.”
They walked in silence for a time watching Arwen and Rebecca pointing out flaws in the various trees that they examined. Thomas broke the silence. “Are you going to bring Camíriel on Christmas day?”
Halbarad stared down at his feet for a long moment. “I’m not sure. I’d like to, but if I do, then we couldn’t talk about your past and I think you need to. I will bring her to Mettarë, of course.”
Hesitating only briefly, Thomas gave Halbarad a long look. “I know it’s none of my business, Halbarad, but do you think you’re going to marry her?” He rushed on at the frown that appeared on the Ranger’s face. “I’m only asking because if you are, then maybe Aragorn would let you tell her about us so she could come. That’s all I meant,” he added.
“I haven’t decided,” he replied and then abruptly changed the subject. “You should’ve brought Nartál with you today.”
Thomas shrugged as he thought of the colt Éomer had given him. “It never occurred to me, it probably would have been good for him,” he agreed. He was about to ask Halbarad’s opinion on a problem he’d been having with the horse when they heard Rebecca’s call.
“Thomas! I think this is it!” she called excitedly.
“Thank the Valar,” he muttered to Halbarad who chuckled as they approached Arwen and Rebecca.
“What do you think?” Rebecca asked Thomas, her eyes shining with excitement as she pointed to a fairly tall tree. The young man didn’t say anything as he slowly circled the tree looking it up and down carefully. He knew it was perfect but he wanted to enjoy teasing her a bit.
“I don’t know,” he said as he reached her side.
“What’s the matter with it?” she asked, anxiously looking the tree up and down once again.
“There are a couple of needles on one of the branches on the other side that aren’t perfect,” he replied with a straight face.
Rebecca stared at Thomas for a moment before she laughed and turned to Halbarad. “This is the one we want. Isn’t it, Arwen?” she glanced at the elf who smiled as she nodded her agreement.
“It is a beautiful tree.”
Halbarad turned to Balrant and gestured for him to cut down the eight foot tree before he called down to Hinluin to bring up the packhorse. Within a half hour the tree was loaded onto the horse and they ate a quick lunch before heading back to Minas Tirith. It had grown colder as the day progressed and by the time they reached the Rammas Echor it began to snow. Soft, feathery flakes floated down from the low, grey clouds that had been darkening all day. Thomas turned his face up into the snow and smiled. He knew it was the kind of snow that wouldn’t last… he had been around snow all of his life and could tell that, but even these few flakes were beautiful. He glanced over at Rebecca to see her looking up at the snow with a grin of her own.
“Do you want to sing, Thomas?”
Thomas glanced at Halbarad who was riding alongside him as he considered. He’d never sung in front of people before… well, not unless you counted church and then everyone was singing. But, this would be just him and Rebecca. He finally decided he didn’t care what Halbarad or the others thought. This was important to him; it was something that he and Rebecca had already discussed, even if they hadn’t specifically talked about singing in front of the Rangers.
“What should we sing?”
Rebecca beamed at him. “I was thinking fun ones like, ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Frosty the Snowman’, I thought we should save ones like ‘Silent Night’ for Christmas day.”
“These are special songs just for Christmas?” Arwen asked from where she rode next to Rebecca.
“I suppose you could sing ‘Frosty’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ at other times during the winter, but I’ve never heard anyone singing them at any other time,” Rebecca replied. She looked at Thomas and he indicated she should start. Glancing up at the increasing snow, she started off with a smile.
“Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,”
Thomas joined in on the second line and he had to pat Baldor as the horse snorted and tossed his head at the unfamiliar sound of his singing. He grinned at Rebecca as they sang and completely ignored the other people around him.
“That’s an… interesting song,” Halbarad said when they finished.
Rebecca laughed as she nodded. “It is,” she admitted. “And it’s a new one, too. Most of the songs we know are really old, but this one is only a few years old.”
“A cowboy sang it,” Thomas added.
“A cowboy?” Arwen asked with a puzzled expression.
“Someone who rides horses and takes care of cows,” Thomas replied after a moment’s thought. He was not going to go into any more detail than that. “Anyway, this cowboy wasn’t a real cowboy, I suppose. He just played one in the movies.” Arwen and Halbarad gave hesitant nods at his questioning look so he continued. “I used to go to his movies…”
“Me, too. Gene Autry,” Rebecca sighed and Thomas bit back a smile and continued.
“He also had a radio show and well, lots of other songs,” he shrugged. “I liked him a lot, but this song was a special Christmas one he made.” He didn’t mention Autry’s more famous ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ song since he and Rebecca had decided not to confuse everyone by introducing Santa Claus into the picture.
“Halbarad,” Eradan turned from where he rode a short distance in front of them. “Someone is coming.” The Ranger indicated a small group of riders that could be seen approaching through the falling snow.
“It is Estel,” Arwen said after a moment. She turned and smiled at the others. “He told me this morning that he regretted not being able to come with us, it appears he finished early.”
“It’s a cold day to go for a ride,” Halbarad said shaking his head and pulling his cloak more tightly about his shoulders.
“Yes, but he will enjoy leaving the city for a time.”
“And he’s a Ranger and I know he’s been in colder weather than this,” Rebecca said. Halbarad nodded and gave her a somewhat grim smile.
Rebecca started another song. “Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh.” Thomas again joined in on the second line and they were still singing when Aragorn rode up to them. He smiled as he neatly brought his horse around and rode alongside Arwen while his five guards rode past and took up positions at the rear of the small group.
“Well met,” he greeted them as the song ended. Leaning over he took Arwen’s gloved hand and raised it to his lips. “You found the tree you wanted?” he asked twisting slightly to look back at the packhorse that Hinluin was leading.
“It’s perfect, Adar!” Rebecca exclaimed grinning. “It didn’t even take that long to find it, either.”
Thomas choked back a laugh and glanced sidelong at Halbarad to see him doing the same. Turning towards the others he saw that Rebecca was looking at him with narrowed eyes and he shrugged. “It took longer than you think it did,” he said, grinning
“There were a lot of trees,” she retorted with a shrug of her own. “Weren’t there, Arwen?”
“Indeed… several hundred at least.”
“You looked at that many trees?”
“Rebecca and Arwen did,” Thomas replied. “Halbarad and I followed them and pointed out trees that we thought were perfectly fine.”
Aragorn threw back his head and laughed, the falling snow striking his face for a brief moment. He wiped it away as he looked at the others. “I wish I had been there,” he said with amusement.
“I’m glad you’re here now,” Rebecca said smiling. “You can sing with us.”
“I do not know your songs,” he pointed out. “Though the one you were singing just now was quite… interesting.”
Rebecca and Thomas laughed. “You should have heard the one we sang before you got here,” Thomas said with a grin.
“It had a snowman that came to life,” Halbarad informed Aragorn who blinked in surprise.
“A snowman that…”
“It does sound sort of silly, but these songs are just meant to be fun… we have lots of serious songs we’re saving for Christmas day,” Rebecca said with a worried look in her eye.
“It’s all right, Rebecca,” Thomas said as he reached over and patted her hand, “there are lots of fun songs sung here too, we just don’t know them. But, I’ve heard some as I’ve walked past various inns.”
Aragorn gave him an inquiring look, but made no direct comment as to the type of songs that might be sung at an inn. “We do, of course, have light-hearted songs, Rebecca. I suppose we just have not sung them often and I think that in dark times songs tend to be a little darker.”
“That is when we should sing them the loudest,” Arwen said. “To encourage our hearts and our spirits and push back the darkness from overwhelming us,” she said quietly. She turned her gaze on Rebecca, “You have another song to sing?”
She nodded. “Yes, and it’s a long one,” she glanced ahead to the walls of the city which were looming large as they drew near. “We should have enough time to sing it before we reach home. I meant what I said, you really should be able to join us because it repeats itself. It’s called ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and it’s an old, old song about what a man gives a woman for Christmas. They’re very strange gifts, too,” she said with a frown. “It’s not things we would ever give as presents but maybe they did hundreds of years in our past,” she shrugged. Rebecca absently brushed some snow from her cloak as she turned to Thomas. “Do you know the words?” He gave a hesitant nod and Rebecca started.
“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.’
By the third time they were repeating themselves both Aragorn and Arwen had joined in and Thomas could see that Halbarad was mouthing the words under his breath. They had just reached ‘Twelve Drummers Drumming’ when they reached the opening that was the gate into the city and they passed inside and up towards home.
0-0-0
“What is this?” Aragorn lightly touched a round figure that Rebecca had cut from heavy parchment.
“It’s going to be a Christmas ball,” she replied absently as she cut out another figure.
“Oh.” Aragorn exchanged a quick glance with Arwen who was sitting across from Rebecca but his wife only gave him a small smile and a head shake before returning to what she was doing – loosely braiding red, green, and white ribbon together. A stack of parchment, along with paints, thread, and other such materials were scattered across the table that was set in the corner of the sitting room near the fire and the Christmas tree. Aragorn wondered where Thomas was as he sat down next to Arwen.
Rebecca finished and looked up at Aragorn with a wistful smile. “These are going to take the place of ornaments on the tree.”
“Oh,” he said again but with a slight frown. “What does a real ornament look like, then?”
“They’re round like this,” she held up the parchment, “but it’s made of glass and it’s hollowed out,” she cupped her hands to show him. “They are all different colors of glass and usually have some sort of design on the outside. They’re very pretty. Thomas, Arwen, and I are going to paint these so we’ll have them to hang on the tree so it will have some color. But we don’t have any tinsel to put on the tree.”
“I see,” Aragorn said slowly as he thought. He did not know what tinsel was but he was thinking about the ornaments Rebecca had described and he wondered if there was someone in the Glassmakers Guild who could make something similar. If not in time for this year’s celebration, at least for next year’s. “Where is Thomas?” he asked, surprised the young man was not in the room.
“He went to find something. Although I know not what he was seeking as he was mumbling under his breath as he left the room,” Arwen said smiling as she continued. “I heard the words Estel, but I did not understand the meaning of them.”
Aragorn chuckled and glanced over at Halbarad who was sitting on the hearth and appeared to be lost in thought. “Why is he not helping?” he whispered softly into Arwen’s ear.
“I know not, perhaps for the same reason you are not.”
Aragorn chuckled at Arwen’s gently chiding words. He plucked at the material she was braiding into a garland. “I do not think I could make something like this, Meleth-nín.”
“I think you can cut out stars, Adar,” Rebecca said without looking up from what she was doing. “You are Dúnedain and you know all about stars,” she looked up and gave him a sly smile before returning to her cutting.
“Hmmm,” was all he said in reply as he picked up a piece of the yellowish parchment. “How big of a star do you need?”
Rebecca shrugged. “It matters not,” she said and then blinked in surprise.
Aragorn and Arwen laughed lightly. “It seems our speech is finally having an effect on you,” Arwen commented as she paused and took a sip of her tea. They looked up as the door opened and Thomas walked in carrying pieces of wood in a variety of sizes.
“What are those for?” Aragorn asked as Thomas gently laid the wood on the end of the table. The young man wiped a few traces of snow from his hair before sitting down. The brief snowfall of the day before had started up again just after dawn leaving a half inch of powdery snow covering the city in just the first few hours, much to the delight of the children of Minas Tirith.
“I wanted to try and make a star for the top of the tree, but I don’t think this wood will work and I’ve never carved anything like a star before anyway.” He picked up a couple of pieces of the wood and stared at them with a frown.
“I thought the stars were being made out of parchment,” Aragorn asked in confusion.
“Some of them are, but Christmas trees usually have a special ornament on top and so I thought maybe I could make one.”
“Are they usually made of wood?” Aragorn wondered if they were also made of glass.
“No, but I couldn’t think of anything else to use. Sometimes they’re made of glass but other materials are used, too. The star is usually gold or silver colored.”
Aragorn stood abruptly. “Come with me, I have an idea where we may be able to…” he voice trailed off as he decided not to say anything further. “Just come,” he said looking down at Rebecca and Thomas.
“I want to finish these,” Rebecca protested but Aragorn stood firm.
“You can work on those later,” he replied hoping that she would not have to. Scowling slightly Rebecca got to her feet and joined Thomas in walking towards the door.
“Would you like to come, Arwen?” he whispered.
She shook her head, “I think I will stay her and finish this, it will be needed whether you get the ornaments you are seeking or not, Beloved.” Aragorn grinned as he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Perhaps you might also speak with my cousin and get him to see that he needs to ask Camíriel to marry him.” He glanced over at Halbarad who had not moved during the entire conversation.
“Perhaps, though I am not sure he is ready to listen.” Aragorn nodded and left to join his children.
They stopped at the Tower briefly so that Aragorn could speak with Faramir about where to find the best glassmaker. Ignoring both of their questioning looks, he led Rebecca and Thomas through the tunnel and down towards the third level of the city where most of the artisans’ workshops were located.
The streets were full of children playing in the rare snowfall and Aragorn smiled as he watched them try to make snowballs and little snowmen out of the dry snow. They were slowed when people greeted him as they made their way through the streets on the fifth and fourth levels. His Ranger guards made it obvious who he was – he was not just a member of the nobility who happened to have guards. Aragorn was surprised to see that Rebecca and Thomas were greeted right along with him and he wondered if it was due to his presence or if they were always treated this way. He would have to ask them later, although he noticed that neither of them seemed particularly surprised nor uneasy as they spoke to the people.
“Adar,” Rebecca finally asked as they passed through the gate into the third level. “Will you please tell us where we’re going?”
“You will see in a minute, Sell-nín, the workshop is just around that corner.” He suppressed a smile at her frown. Glancing at Thomas, Aragorn saw that the young man was whistling tunelessly under his breath as he walked along. His hood was down and he seemed to be finding immense pleasure in the falling snow. Aragorn had a sudden image flash into his mind of Thomas helping him and Boromir clear a path through the snow on Caradhras and he remembered the same whistling and Thomas later telling him how his father had taken him sledding and ice fishing when he was very young. It was no wonder the young man enjoyed the snow so much Aragorn thought with a touch of grief for the one he now called his son. Thomas looked at him and grinned.
“Isn’t this beautiful, Adar?” he gestured to the falling snow.
“It is, Ion-nín,” Aragorn returned his smile. “Here,” he turned into the workshop Faramir had mentioned. Rebecca and Thomas’s guards stayed outside while Balrant and Eradan followed them inside and stood near the door.
Shaking the snow from his cloak, Aragorn looked around the room. There were small tables and shelves displaying the glassmaker’s wares. Vases, pitchers, and bowls of various sizes took up most of the space, but there were also a few sculptures, strings of beads, platters, and glasses scattered around the room. Aragorn was pleased to see that much of the glassware had color swirled throughout it and some appeared to have designs painted on the outside of the glass. Rebecca looked up at him.
“Do you think they can make ornaments here?” she whispered with a hopeful light in her eyes.
“I know not,” he replied laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, “but looking at all of these,” he gestured at the glassware, “makes me think it is possible.” Aragorn wondered where the glassmaker was. He had heard a small bell ringing somewhere in the back when they had opened the door but no one had come. The roar of the fires in the back could be clearly heard and with a small shrug he wandered over to look at some of the beads. Picking up a necklace that had small clear beads with delicately painted star-shaped yellow flowers Aragorn smiled inwardly as he ran his hand lightly over the round beads. While not a perfect match, the flowers were very similar to Elanor, a flower found only in Lothlórien.
“Those will look good on her,” Thomas said as he joined Aragorn.
Aragorn nodded and was about to respond when a stout little man came barreling out from the back of the workshop. He was wearing a thick, heavy leather apron and was wiping sweat from his balding head with his thick gloves as he entered the room. Pulling off his gloves with a weary sigh, the man finally looked up and started to apologize.
“Forgive me for keeping…” his voice trailed off and his eyes widened as he saw who was in his shop.
“There is nothing to forgive, I am sure you are a very busy man,” Aragorn said. “Are you Master Tadion?”
“Yes, my Lord King,” the glassmaker said bowing deeply. “How may I serve you?” his eyes strayed to Rebecca and Thomas.
“Lord Faramir has advised me that you are the best glassblower in the city and I need some special… ornaments made.” Master Tadion gave the king an uncertain nod and Aragorn gestured to his children. “Lady Rebecca and Lord Thomas will explain what we need.”
“An ornament is about this big,” Rebecca and Thomas both used their hands to demonstrate the size. “It’s hollow and usually they come in different colors. Either the glass is colored or it’s painted.”
“There has to be someway at the top… maybe a hole… so that thread or a ribbon can be used to hang it up,” Thomas added.
When the two began speaking, Master Tadion had grabbed a piece of parchment and quickly began sketching. “Something like this?” he asked when they finished. “It doesn’t show the colors, but is this the shape you want and the place for the ribbon?”
“Yes, that’s perfect!” Rebecca said with a smile while Thomas nodded.
Aragorn gave her a fond smile before looking back at the glassmaker. “How long would it take to make these?”
“Not long,” he replied after a brief pause as he studied the parchment. “It is a simple thing to make. It really depends on how many of them and what kind of design you want on them.”
“We need them quickly,” Aragorn said before looking at Rebecca and Thomas. “How many do we need?” He watched as they exchanged glances and he could almost see them trying to figure out how much each glass ornament would cost… glass was expensive. Even after all this time, which, he admitted, had not been that long, they still worried about money and if they would run out. It always made him wonder about their previous lives and how hard it must have been. He stepped closer to them and leaned down to whisper softly. “Do not be concerned about the cost.” Both of them looked startled before giving him sheepish nods.
“I-I think thirty, Adar,” Rebecca said. “We don’t have anything else to put on the tree, so…” she shrugged.
“We need thirty of them, Master Tadion,” Aragorn said smiling as he watched the man’s eyes light up.
“All right. When do you need them?”
“Today.” The glassmaker’s face paled and Aragorn chuckled. “We do need them quickly… is it possible to get them in two or three days, or will it take longer? I am sure you have other orders you have promised to people, but I am willing to pay extra to have the ornaments as quickly as possible.” He glanced at Rebecca and Thomas and saw the eager expressions on their faces as they waited for Master Tadion’s response.
The glassmaker smiled. “We have not even agreed on a price yet, my Lord King. But I’ll not charge you extra to make them quickly. I believe I can have them ready by the day after tomorrow if you don’t mind me asking a friend of mine to help with making the ornaments. I’ll be doing all of the glassblowing,” he hastened to add, “but she helps me out from time to time with painting on designs.”
“Are all of them going to have painted on designs?” Thomas asked.
“It’s up to you. I can make some like this,” he showed them several vases that had colors swirled throughout the clear glass.
“I like these,” Rebecca said and Thomas nodded his agreement.
They spent the next little while deciding how many ornaments should be painted and what designs they wanted and how many should be made with the slightly thicker glass that had colorful swirls. Aragorn watched with an indulgent smile as the two young people made their choices. They asked what he would like and he suggested one should be painted with the White Tree. He was puzzled as they asked for one to be decorated with a large stag with many antlers… something about it amused them, but they did not share the meaning of it with him. Having these ornaments was obviously something that would help make this Christmas a little more like one they were used to and for that he was pleased. With Master Tadion promising to deliver the ornaments to the Citadel as soon as the order was completed, Aragorn paid for the necklace and, wrapping their cloaks about themselves, they went back out into the snowy morning. The snow had tapered off some, but flakes were still gently falling.
“Thank you,” Rebecca said smiling up at Aragorn.
“You are welcome, I am glad that he was able to make them for us. Now, we need to see if a star can be made,” he said leading them down a side street to where the silversmiths had their workshops. In a short amount of time they had ordered a star that would suit their purposes and they headed back up the hill. As they were entering an inn on the fourth level for a hot drink, loud, angry voices caught their attention. The shouting sounded as if it was coming from the side street directly opposite the inn and Aragorn walked across the main road to see what was happening.
Small houses lined each side of this street and were built right next to each other with little or no space between each building. As Aragorn looked down the street he frowned. Three young children were huddled together crying on one side of the street while directly across from them a man was arguing with two other men who were roughly pushing him away from an open doorway. A fourth man came out the door carrying what appeared to be clothing and dumped it on the snow-covered ground causing the man who was being pushed to cry out. Aragorn had seen enough and he quickly started down the street.
“Rebecca, Thomas, see to the children,” he said as they neared. He sensed more than saw Balrant and Eradan fanning out to either side of him and he knew that Gílorn and Haloth, Rebecca and Thomas’s guards, were right behind them but closer to the children. None of the loudly arguing men looked up at their approach.
“Cease this at once!” Aragorn commanded. His stern voice rang with all of the authority and power he carried within him. The men froze. Aragorn watched with narrowed eyes as one man started to protest but when he looked up and saw his king standing there he quickly shut his mouth. Tapping his fingers impatiently on the hilt of his sword he waited for the men to respond to his presence, but none of them moved and he sighed inwardly. It was not that he needed or even necessarily wanted men to bow or kneel to him, however in some situations it made things easier if they acknowledged his kingship. But, he knew that these men had not reacted simply because they were startled by his sudden presence and not because they were being disrespectful.
Aragorn glanced at Eradan as he moved into his line of vision and saw that the Ranger was scowling fiercely at the four men. “Kneel before your king,” he growled harshly. The men looked at him in surprise and three of them dropped to their knees immediately, bowing their heads and staring at the ground. The fourth, the one who had been pushed away from the door, was much slower, but it seemed to be because he was hurting or injured. The only obvious injury Aragorn could see was his bandaged right hand. Eradan stood by the men with his sword pulled halfway out of its sheath.
“Look at me,” Aragorn commanded. Three of the men looked at him uncertainly and could not hold his eye for long. The fourth man, however, had a somewhat hopeful look on his face even as he bit his lip nervously. “While I do not know what is going on here, I will not allow the people of my city to be mistreated,” Aragorn glared sternly at the three men who dropped their heads. He gestured to the fourth man to stand. “Tell me what has happened.” He struggled to his feet.
“My Lord,” one of the other men protested but stopped at the quelling look his king shot him.
“Th-this is my home, my Lord King, but I don’t have the money to pay the rent and so…” he gave a helpless shrug and turned to look at his children. Aragorn turned as well. Rebecca was holding a baby that appeared to be less than a year old while Thomas was holding a boy about three years of age. A young girl of seven or eight stood between them clinging to both of their cloaks. He turned back to the men.
“Which of you owns the house?” he gestured for the other men to stand.
“I do, my Lord King,” it was the man who had protested earlier.
“Is he telling the truth? He has not paid his rent?”
“Yes he is, he has paid neither this month’s nor last month’s.”
“I see,” Aragorn said mildly as he stared intently at the man. “And so you were going to throw him out into the street? Him, and his three children? And throw his clothing… and I assume any other possessions he has… out on the street? No,” he added with a deep frown, “I imagine you would keep those to sell.”
“I’m not breaking any laws,” the man said with a hint of anger in his voice.
Aragorn raised his eyebrows at his tone and the man looked down. “I well know the law, but there is nothing in that law that says you cannot have compassion for others.” He sighed inwardly because he knew the man was well within his rights and he would not force his will on others in a matter such as this. He gazed at the man with the children. “Why have you not paid your rent?”
“I-I can’t work, my Lord King. I-I mean not steady jobs.” He licked his lips nervously before he went on. “Not-not since the war. Sometimes I c-can work for one of the s-stalls that sells baskets, b-but he doesn’t need me very often. W-what little money I have I’ve needed for-for food.”
“What is your name?”
“Caladel.”
“You were injured in the war?”
“Yes, during the siege.” His voice was a little steadier now.
Aragorn frowned. “Were you not given money at the end of the war? I know that all of the members of both the city and citadel guard who were injured were given a sum of money.”
“I was, but my wife took sick after the baby was born and she couldn’t work either and then… then,” he took a deep breath as he looked up at his king, “she died,” he whispered.
“I am sorry for your loss,” Aragorn stepped forward and clasped the man’s shoulder briefly. Glancing at the three other men he saw that they looked distinctly uncomfortable. Still, they had a right to their income even if they had treated Caladel poorly. There had been some discussion in Council about making sure that people were not thrown from their homes in this fashion, but nothing had been done as yet. That would change.
“What is your name?” Aragorn asked the man who owned the house.
“Pador, my Lord King.”
“Pador, have your men put the clothing back in the house. Tomorrow, I want you to come up and see me and I will make arrangements for you to be paid Caladel’s rent for the months he has missed and for several more. I will also be speaking to you about the way you treat my people,” he said sternly. Pador’s eyes widened but he simply nodded and bowed. “You may go,” Aragorn said dismissing him and his men.
“Caladel,” Aragorn said in a much gentler voice and with a kind smile, “I believe we need to get your children out of the cold and snow.”
“Yes, b-but, you can’t come into my house. I’ve nothing for a king to sit on or…” Caladel’s face reddened.
“I have not always been a king, Caladel,” he reminded him quietly. “I lived in the wilds for much of my adult life. At least the children must be out of this cold and snow. Perhaps I could send Lady Rebecca and Lord Thomas in with your children while we speak?”
Caladel stared at the king for a moment and then gestured toward the open doorway. “You can come in, my Lord King.” He turned, though and slowly limped over to his children. The girl broke her desperate hold on Rebecca and Thomas and rushed to him, sobbing as she threw her arms about him. The boy in Thomas’s arms struggled to reach his father, but the man scolded him gently. “You know I can’t hold you,” he said as he wiped the tears from the boy’s face. “You can walk. It’ll be all right now, the king will help us,” he said before turning and carefully taking the baby from Rebecca as the child eagerly reached for him. “Thank you,” he said looking between the two young people who simply nodded.
Aragorn indicated Caladel should precede him into the house and then he paused and looked searchingly at Rebecca and Thomas. From the sober looks on their faces he realized that they understood this family’s plight much more than he did. “I want you two to go home; there is nothing left for you to do here.”
“Do you not want our help with the children?” Rebecca asked quietly.
“No,” he shook his head and laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. “I believe they need his care now and he would be embarrassed to have all of us in there…”
“If there is even room,” Thomas interrupted him and Aragorn gave him a sharp look as he nodded.
“Yes, and I may ask to see his injuries to see if I can help him and you would have to leave then, Rebecca.”
“All right, Adar.” She paused briefly. “What are you going to do?”
“I do not know yet, but I will tell you this evening what I have decided.” He turned toward the door and then stopped and looked back at them. “Please stop and tell Lord Faramir that I will be returning later than I had planned.” Aragorn walked inside with his guards close behind.
As the door closed behind Aragorn, Rebecca and Thomas stood in the softly falling snow for a long moment just staring at the door. Rebecca moved first as she reached for Thomas’s hand. “We should go.” Thomas nodded and led her back out onto the main street and up towards the Citadel.
“Will he be able to help them?”
“Oh, yes,” Thomas responded with a firm nod. “Kings can do lots of things,” he added with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“I know that,” Rebecca said with a frown, “but he can’t…”
Thomas interrupted her. “Rebecca, I just meant that there are ways to help him and I’m surprised he hasn’t already gotten the help he needs. I sit in on the Council meetings and at Court and things like this come up quite often.” He grinned, “Although since Adar was here and knows this man personally I imagine he’ll probably get additional help.”
Rebecca laughed and squeezed his hand. “I’m sure you’re right, especially when there are children involved. He seems to take a special interest in children… and young people.” Thomas laughingly agreed as they continued home.
0-0-0
“It’s hard to give presents to kings and queens,” Rebecca said with a sigh as she stared into the fire and moved closer to Thomas.
“They are our adar and… well, Arwen,” Thomas reminded her as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair. “Not a king and queen. Not in this case.”
“I know, I know, but that really doesn’t make it easier.”
“I thought you were… making them something.” Thomas wasn’t sure what it was because she hadn’t told him, but he thought she was writing something for them. He was attempting to make them a painting but he didn’t really like how it was turning out so he was also considering a different gift for them.
“I am,” she admitted with a grimace, “but I don’t think it’s good enough, so I’m trying to think of something else.”
Thomas chuckled and she looked up at him, frowning. He lightly kissed her forehead. “I was just thinking that the painting I was making was not good enough for them, either. I haven’t painted long enough to make gifts for people.”
“Well, supposedly it’s the thought that counts, but I still want to get them something nice… or special in some way.”
“My mom always seemed to like whatever I gave her and it was usually something I made because I didn’t have any money.” Thomas shook his head and laughed softly, “It’s hard to believe that it’s more difficult to think of a gift when you have money than when you don’t!”
Rebecca joined him in his laughter. “Maybe we should get them a gift together – one from both of us.”
“It might be easier, especially as we also need to decide on Mettarë gifts for them.”
“I know,” she shook her head and sighed. “Didn’t the glassmaker say he’d be here today?” Rebecca looked the mostly bare tree in the corner up and down. The only things on it were some of the garland Arwen had made and the silver star that had arrived earlier in the afternoon. Arwen and Rebecca had spread the rest of the garland around the room, draping it on the mantle of both fireplaces and on the various tables.
“Maybe we can have the glassmaker make something for them,” Thomas said with a thoughtful frown. “A vase… or a… “ he was interrupted by a knock on the door. It opened at his call and Gílorn poked his head inside.
“Master Tadion is here,” he announced.
“Show him in,” Thomas said as he stood, helping Rebecca to her feet as he did so. “Would you please inform Lady Arwen that he’s arrived?” Gílorn nodded, opening the door to let the glassmaker in before hurrying away. The man walked in slowly carrying three large boxes and he carefully set them on a table that Thomas directed him to.
“Good afternoon, my lady, my lord,” he said bowing. They greeted him in turn. “I was able to finish these for you,” he said with a small smile. “I believe that you’ll find them to your satisfaction.” He took the lid off the top box and ten beautifully painted Christmas ornaments lay there carefully packed in cloth.
“Oh, they’re perfect,” Rebecca said biting her lip against the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes. She carefully picked one up and was surprised that a ribbon was tied to it as that was something they had been planning to add.
“I-I hope you don’t mind but I added the ribbons that you mentioned since it was easy enough to do. My friend picked colors that best matched the colors of the ornaments,” Master Tadion explained.
“Thank you,” Thomas said as he looked over an ornament that was painted with golden stars. It was beautiful and like nothing he’d ever seen in his own time. “These are… perfect, Master Tadion.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“We’re going to use them to decorate this tree,” Rebecca indicated the tree in the corner.
Seeing his puzzled expression and having come up with a plausible explanation for the servants, Thomas explained it to Master Tadion. “It’s a custom we have where we’re from, although not many people in the North observe it.” It was true after all and the servants seemed to accept it without question as they knew little of the customs of the North.
“Oh. Well, these will look pretty on it, then.” He opened the other boxes so they could examine the rest of the ornaments. They looked to the door as it opened and Aragorn and Arwen walked in. Aragorn was still wearing his cloak and he removed it and tossed it on a nearby chair before joining them.
Aragorn lightly ran his fingers over the glass ornaments before looking at his children. “These are beautiful,” he glanced at the glassmaker with an approving smile, “and appear to be what you requested. Are you pleased?”
“Yes, Adar, these are exactly what I was hoping for… except even prettier,” Rebecca said smiling at Master Tadion.
“Thank you for getting these done so quickly,” Aragorn said. “It was important to me and my family and I will not forget it.”
“You’re very welcome, my Lord King,” he said as he bowed deeply. “I’m always willing to make anything that you need. I’ll admit that it was a welcome challenge to make something different. I’ll take my leave of you, now,” he said as he bowed once again and Aragorn walked with him to the door.
“How do you decide where to hang each ornament?” Arwen asked as she picked one up and held it up to one of the candles and let the light shine through it.
Thomas shrugged. “There isn’t any set pattern… “
“You just want them spread out evenly and you don’t want all of the painted ones together,” Rebecca interrupted. “Do you and Adar have time now? It seems like he’s home early.”
Arwen smiled. “He is, he has something he wants to tell you. Then we can decorate the tree.”
Rebecca set the ornament back down and sat on the edge of the couch and waited impatiently for Aragorn to finish speaking with Master Tadion. Finally the door closed behind the glassmaker and Aragorn returned to his family with a smile on his face.
“I have very good news to share with you,” he said. “I just spoke with Halbarad and he has become betrothed to Camíriel. He asked her last evening and for some reason she has agreed to marry him,” he said, his smile widening into a grin.
“How wonderful!” Rebecca exclaimed.
“I’m glad that he finally asked her,” Thomas said shaking his head. “I wasn’t sure he was going to… at least not anytime soon.”
Aragorn laughed, “I had the same concerns, Ion-nín.”
“Adar, did he never have someone… well, when he was younger didn’t he love anyone? I know I shouldn’t ask you maybe, but I’ve always wondered.”
“I am surprised that you have not asked me this before, Rebecca,” he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yes, he did indeed love someone long ago. When he was in his late twenties he loved a young woman very, very much and I am sure that they would have married eventually. But she and her brother were killed by orcs before he ever even had a chance to ask her. I think after that he decided he did not want to risk his heart again and it was growing increasingly dangerous in the Angle for our families so he chose not to marry.” He looked away for a moment. “He did tell me that if I ever became king and there was peace in the land, then he would look for a wife. I think he said that mostly so I would stop speaking to him about it. Of course,” he glanced sidelong at Arwen who smiled, “I was not married either so he would bring that up every time I encouraged him to get married.”
“That’s horrible,” Rebecca said softly, reaching out for Thomas who quickly moved to her. He sat beside her wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her close.
“It was,” Aragorn agreed. “However, Rebecca, you must remember that that happened over sixty years ago and that he is very much in love with Camíriel now. He is more content, I think, than I have seen him since I first met him as a young man.”
“He does seem a little bit… different.”
“Indeed,” Aragorn smiled. “Now, I believe we need to hang these ornaments on the tree. The star seems to fit well,” he said to Thomas.
Thomas kissed Rebecca lightly on her cheek before standing and drawing her up alongside him. “It’s perfect,” he replied. Taking a painted ornament from the box, he handed it to Rebecca. “You put the first one on,” he said quietly. Then he smiled. “I’ll tell you if you do it wrong.” She laughed and hung the ornament on the tree making sure that it was perfectly placed.
“I thought so,” Thomas whispered to Aragorn.
“What?”
“She’s going to want to make sure each one is just right… it’s going to take a long time.”
Aragorn laughed and clapped him on the back. “My advice is to just enjoy spending the time with her.”
“That is very good advice, Beloved,” Arwen said as she handed both him and Thomas an ornament. “Hang these up while I go and see about having supper served up here.”
“Faramir is coming tonight,” Aragorn told her as she walked towards the door, “but I believe that Halbarad will be with Camíriel and her family.”
“Adar, can you put this ornament on that branch up there?” Rebecca asked.
Handing the ornament he already had to Thomas, Aragorn took the one from Rebecca and, glancing at the one she had already hung on the tree, he carefully hung the ornament from a branch.
Rebecca scowled at it. “It needs to go over one branch… no, two branches.” Aragorn raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he moved it. “Perfect! Now, if you’ll put this one…”
Thomas began humming ‘Joy to the World’ as he moved around to the other side of the tree to hang up some of the ornaments. He knew that Rebecca or Arwen would probably move them around a little bit, but it was fun to hang them up anyway.
“What song is that?” Arwen asked as she silently appeared alongside him.
“It’s called ‘Joy to the World’,” he said taking the ornament she handed him. “Don’t you want to hang this up?” Arwen shook her head with a soft smile.
“No,” she replied before returning to the song. “Will you not sing the song? The tune is pleasing.”
He thought for a moment, silently running the words through his head to see if he knew the whole song. “Rebecca will have to help me. I’m not sure I remember all of the words.”
“I know the words, Thomas. Do you want me to start?” At his nod, she began to sing, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.”
As they finished singing, Aragorn glanced between the two of them. “Have you written the words to these songs down? I know you spoke of doing that several weeks ago.” Rebecca shook her head. “You should do that, not only to help you remember but also so that Arwen and I may sing with you.”
Rebecca smiled. “I will do it tomorrow, Adar.”
They turned back to the tree then and spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening decorating, singing, and eating.
0-0-0
Rebecca awoke very early Christmas morning. It was dark outside and the only light came from the small lamp that was kept burning in the bathing room. She lay in bed staring up at the ceiling thinking back to the previous year and the last Christmas she had spent with her family. She tried to keep the tears at bay but she struggled in vain and a small stream soon trickled down her cheeks. While she was looking forward to spending this day with her new family it was so hard not to look back to what she had lost. Images of her mom and other family members flashed through her mind, but it was mostly her mom that she missed and longed for on this special day.
She and Thomas had spent Christmas Eve alone, deciding that it was something they would share just with each other. Nothing special or out of the ordinary had been done - no special meals or foods and no gifts were exchanged. The two of them had simply sat near the Christmas tree until quite late sharing stories of past Christmases. Both of them knew it was something they needed to do, something that would help them get through the following day. There had been both tears and laughter. When they had finally parted, it was with the understanding that while Christmas might be difficult for them in some ways, they were both determined to make it a special day; both for themselves and for the rest of their family who were working hard to make this holiday special for them.
A quiet knock on the door interrupted Rebecca’s musings and she started, grasping the covers close to herself. She relaxed back onto the pillows when the door slowly opened and Lothrín peered in. “Are you awake, Lady Rebecca?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, thank you,” she replied as she quickly wiped off any evidence of her tears. Rebecca sat up but kept her face turned away as Lothrín entered and carried hot water into the bathing room. It was cold and she kept the heavy blankets well wrapped around her while she waited for Lothrín to return and light the lamps. She could hear other servants stirring up the fire in her sitting room and knew one would soon be in to add more wood to the fire that was now burning low. It had taken weeks for her to get used to having someone come in during the night to add wood to her fire. But, like everything else in her new life, she had gradually grown accustomed to it. She smiled at the young servant girl that entered but turned as Lothrín reentered the room.
“Was there a special gown you wanted to wear today?” she asked as she busily set about lighting the lamps.
Rebecca frowned as she slowly pushed off the covers and stood, grabbing a thick robe to wrap around herself. “I think the dark blue one,” she replied as she put on warm slippers. “The one that has bead work around the collar and the sleeves… not the lacey one.”
“You’ll look beautiful in that one,” Lothrín said with an approving smile. “I’ll set it out while you wash up,” she made a little shooing motion and Rebecca smiled as she walked into the bathing room.
A short time later Rebecca was dressed and standing in her sitting room staring out into the garden while she thought, once again, about the gifts she had bought for each of the people who would be celebrating Christmas with them. She knew it was a fruitless endeavor since she couldn’t change the gifts at this point, but still that’s what was running through her mind. It gave her something to think about other than her family. With a start Rebecca suddenly realized it must be time for breakfast and she turned and hurried out the door stopping abruptly when she almost ran into Aragorn and Arwen. She smiled as she greeted them.
“Merry Christmas!”
Aragorn gave her a searching look. “Good morning, Rebecca.” He paused briefly before continuing with a slow shake of his head. “You need not pretend with us, Sell-nín. Arwen and I know that today will have difficult moments for both you and Thomas.” He took Rebecca’s hand and drew her close to him wrapping one arm around her as he kissed her brow. She leaned against him for a moment with a long drawn out sigh. “But,” Aragorn said as he released her, “I believe that you will have many wonderful moments today as well.”
“I know,” she whispered as her gaze shifted between Aragorn and Arwen who was watching her with such compassion that she had to look away. “I know… and that’s why I’m determined not to be sad today. It will be a wonderful day.”
“It will,” Arwen agreed as they resumed walking towards the dining room. “But that does not mean you cannot grieve as well, Rebecca. Events in our lives are like that at times… a mixture of both joy and sadness. Like Aragorn’s and my wedding. I suspect this day might always have a twinge of grief associated with it, although I do think that as the years go by that will grow less and less until mostly it will be a day of joy for you and Thomas. A day you will remember your past without the pain that you feel right now.” Rebecca did not respond other than to nod her head as they entered the dining room.
The others had already arrived – Thomas, Halbarad, and all five of the Rangers. Faramir was to join them in the afternoon for the special Christmas meal, but he had official business that needed to be seen to during the morning. Everyone else had the whole day to relax and enjoy being together. The men were standing by the fire talking and they turned and greeted the last three arrivals. Thomas immediately moved to Rebecca and took her hand in his own.
“Merry Christmas,” he said as he gently kissed her.
“Merry Christmas, Thomas,” she replied as she squeezed his hand. Thomas turned to Aragorn and Arwen with a small smile on his lips.
“Good morning.”
Aragorn returned his greeting as he studied the young man and then he gave a small nod, satisfied with what he sensed about him. “Are you hungry?” he asked as he ushered them towards the table.
Thomas chuckled as he pulled out Rebecca’s chair and then sat down between her and Hinluin. “Of course!” he replied. “I’m not quite as hungry as a hobbit, but pretty close, I think.” There were smiles and quiet laughter from the others.
Once everyone was seated, servants quickly brought in the food and set it on the table. While Rebecca and Thomas had requested several special foods for the supper in the afternoon, the only special thing served for breakfast was cinnamon rolls. Knowing that neither Aragorn nor Arwen had enjoyed the frosting, one platter of rolls was served without the sweet icing. Halbarad and Balrant both enjoyed the frosted rolls and the rest of the Rangers found the unfrosted rolls to their liking.
The Rangers were more at ease at this meal than they had been at Thanksgiving and they spoke a little more openly as they ate. Balrant, Eradan, and Laegrist each spoke of the wife they had waiting for them in the North and also of their children and grandchildren. Baisael, whose wife had died many years previously, spoke of his daughter and her family. Halbarad found himself the target of much good-natured teasing when he quietly announced his betrothal to Camíriel.
As Rebecca watched and listened to the stories and the laughter, she realized that, except for the lack of children, this part of Christmas morning was almost the same as any other Christmas breakfast she had ever been at. She sat back in her chair and relaxed somewhat, knowing that it was, in fact, going to be a good day. It would be a different Christmas, but one that would begin building memories for her new life in Middle-earth.
“Thomas, Rebecca,” Aragorn said as they finished eating, “is there some custom we should be observing now?”
Thomas shook his head. “No, not really, Adar. Now is the time that we open our gifts,” he grinned.
“This morning?” Halbarad asked. “Right after breakfast?” Rebecca thought she detected a hint of alarm in his voice.
“Sometimes even before breakfast!” Rebecca said smiling. “When I was younger we would often open the presents before breakfast. We were too excited to wait.”
“Mom usually let me and Johnny open one gift before breakfast.”
“I thought we’d do it this afternoon,” Halbarad said glancing toward the door with a furrowed brow.
“Is there something the matter, Halbarad?” Aragorn asked. His cousin shook his head and Aragorn stood. “Then we will go up to the sitting room. I do not want to make you wait any longer,” he said with a fond smile at his two children as they walked from the room.
The five Rangers had been invited to come to the Christmas celebration or to simply have the day off to spend as they so chose. All of them had chosen to come to the celebration. Aragorn knew it spoke somewhat to the loneliness his men felt for their families but also the closeness they felt to him and, he thought, the growing ease they felt with the rest of his family. He had told them they need not bring gifts. However, he had no intention of letting his men sit there without receiving something and had bought each of them a new belt, knife, and sword. On Mettarë each would receive a new horse and tack.
“The tree is…” Hinluin stopped just inside the doorway as he saw the decorated Christmas tree for the first time. “It’s beautiful,” he finished in a whisper, his eyes gleaming as he looked it up and down. Baisael gently shoved him in the back to move him on into the room.
Thomas turned back and smiled at his friend. “It’s not quite what a Christmas tree would look like at home, but it’s pretty close.”
Hinluin stared at him for a moment and then looked back at the tree. He shook his head as he walked to a chair between the tree and the merrily crackling fire.
“Where is Halbarad?” Aragorn asked as he settled onto a couch next to Arwen.
“He… um… had to speak with someone,” Eradan said giving Aragorn a quick sidelong glance. “He’ll be here in a moment.” Eradan ignored Aragorn’s questioning look as he sat down.
Knowing Halbarad had a good reason for disappearing, Aragorn looked at Rebecca and Thomas. “How is this done?” he gestured at the gifts under the tree.
“In my family the oldest person handed out the gifts,” Thomas explained as his gaze shifted from Aragorn to the other Rangers wondering who was the oldest. He knew Halbarad was older than Aragorn, but thought one of the other men was older even than him. Aragorn’s chuckle caught his attention.
“None of the men here is the oldest, Ion-nín,” he said, still laughing softly.
Thomas’s gaze flew to Arwen as he reddened slightly. “Yes, of-of course,” he said stuttering slightly as the others joined Aragorn in his laughter.
“I believe Rebecca or Thomas should hand out the gifts,” Arwen said with a kind smile and twinkling eyes as she looked at Thomas.
“You do it, Thomas,” Rebecca said hiding her smile. “It was always the oldest man in our family that handed them out because of… well, just because,” she said thinking of her uncle wearing a Santa Claus hat as he passed out the presents.
Nodding, Thomas stood and looked at the presents uncertainly, wondering if he should start with Rebecca or Arwen. He had decided on Arwen when Halbarad tried to slip into the room unnoticed. His years of Ranger training and experience did him no good however, when all eyes turned to him as the door opened. Halbarad paused briefly before sitting down near Eradan without a word. Thomas turned back to the gifts and picked up a small cloth wrapped package and handed it to Arwen with a smile. He sat on the arm of Rebecca’s chair and watched as she opened the gift from Aragorn.
Arwen slowly unwrapped the package and drew out the necklace of glass beads. She lightly brushed her fingers over the beads before raising her eyes to look at Aragorn. “The season we spent together in Lothlórien is one of my most cherished memories, Beloved. I would often think back on those days during the long years when I did not see you and was comforted and reminded of the love that we shared.” She glanced down briefly at the necklace with the Elanor-like flowers and then gave Aragorn a brilliant smile. “Thank you,” she said softly. Aragorn leaned over and gently kissed her.
Thomas waited for a few minutes and then, with a quick glance at Rebecca who nodded, he got up and retrieved a gift for Halbarad. “I think you should open one because I think Adar might be distracted for a few minutes,” he said grinning. Halbarad smiled, as did the rest of the Rangers while Aragorn just looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
The gift was a pair of warm leather gloves that Rebecca and Thomas had had made especially for him and Halbarad gave them an appreciative smile and a warm thank you. Gifts began being opened more quickly then… for Rebecca there were books, jewelry, and a healer’s bag that was much like Aragorn’s; Thomas received new leather vambraces and a book about a famous painter; a new saddle blanket and bridle for his horse were given to Halbarad along with a belt and knife that was slightly more ornate than those the Rangers received.
Aragorn watched the expressions on the faces of his men as Thomas handed them packages. Only Hinluin truly looked surprised to be receiving a gift… the young man had not known him for close to seventy years. Nor was he surprised when the Rangers gave him and Arwen a beautifully painted ceramic vase and bowl. Aragorn kept an eye on Thomas as the last of the presents were handed out to see if he seemed disappointed. If he did, he kept it well hidden, but Aragorn thought there must be some disappointment in the lack of gifts he had received so far. He bit back a grin as he thought about what his son would think of the surprise he and Arwen had arranged for him.
“This one’s for you, Adar,” Thomas said handing him a rather large flat package. “It’s from me and Rebecca.”
Aragorn looked up at Thomas at the anxious note he heard in his voice. Glancing at Rebecca he saw that she, too, seemed worried as she played with the beading on her sleeve. He opened it carefully to find eight to ten loose pieces of parchment.
“It’s a book but we don’t know how to get it bound together,” Rebecca said.
He glanced at her again, nodding, before returning to his examination of the book. The top page said, ‘Saint George and the Dragon’, in brightly colored letters and there was a sketch of a man and a dragon underneath the words. Turning to the next page he quickly scanned the words to see that it was a story while the next page had a colored picture. Flipping through the rest of the pages he saw that while most of the pages contained text, there were several small pictures scattered throughout the book which he paused and looked at carefully. Aragorn turned his gaze back to his anxious children handing the pages to Arwen as he did so.
“It is a beautiful book, thank you,” he said smiling. “Is the story one that you made up, Rebecca?”
“No,” she replied shaking her head. “It’s a very old story that I put into my own words. He was a real man and there was a legend that he killed a dragon… there weren’t any dragons in our world.” She paused and then giggled. “I guess there were dragons since Bilbo helped kill one, but the one in that story wasn’t real. It was just a legend that grew over time, I think.”
“I assume you made the pictures,” Aragorn asked turning to Thomas.
“I did. I wanted to make you a real picture, but I’m not good enough yet. Even these aren’t very good,” he said frowning. “People are hard to draw and I’ve never tried to make a dragon before… getting the perspective was difficult. That’s why there are more scenery pictures than anything else.” He shrugged and glanced at Rebecca, “Rebecca can be very persuasive,” he said with a grin.
“I am aware of that,” Aragorn said dryly, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at the suddenly blushing young woman. “However, I think these pictures show a lot of promise, Thomas, and are well done for someone with your limited experience. I look forward to reading the story and seeing how it goes with the pictures.” He looked at Rebecca, “I will have it bound, there is someone at the archives who does that.”
“Good. We didn’t know who to ask and we just finished it yesterday.”
“Since we appear to be finished opening the gifts, how is the rest of the day spent?” Aragorn asked. He still had the one gift for Thomas, but wanted to wait a moment for that.
Rebecca was answering when Halbarad interrupted her. “Forgive me for interrupting you, lady,” he said quietly. “But there is one last gift. I couldn’t leave it in here so if everyone will wait just a moment,” he stood and strode quickly from the room. Puzzled glances were exchanged between Aragorn, Arwen, Rebecca, and Thomas, while the five Rangers stared at the floor.
“I believe your Rangers know what this gift is,” Arwen observed quietly to Aragorn with a soft laugh.
“It must be for Rebecca because he didn’t give her anything,” Thomas said looking down at her from where he once again sat on the arm of her chair. She just shrugged while Aragorn noticed the relieved expression on Thomas’s face and he realized he had been concerned for her. Halbarad had given Thomas the vambraces and he really should have known that he would not forget to give a gift to Rebecca. It made Aragorn wonder what he thought about the relative lack of his own gifts.
The door reopened and Halbarad walked back in carrying a large lidded basket which he carefully set on the floor in front of Rebecca. “I didn’t know what to give you and then I thought you might like these,” he gestured to the basket and stepped back glancing briefly at Aragorn as he did so.
Rebecca was reaching for the lid when the basket moved and she gave a small involuntary cry as she jerked her hand back. Suddenly having an idea of what was in the basket she eagerly reached for the lid and flipped it open. Kittens. Two kittens with large golden eyes stared up at her. One was a grey striped tabby and the other was white with a few small black blotches on it’s back and the tip of it’s tail. “Oh,” she said softly as she tentatively stroked the fur of the tabby. The kitten tried to climb out of the basket towards her and she smiled even as she blinked back tears. The white kitten meowed piteously when she picked up the tabby, leaving it alone in the basket for a moment.
“Cats? You gave Rebecca cats, Halbarad?” Aragorn asked, surprised at the gift since it did not seem like something his cousin would have thought of. Then he remembered Camíriel and he wondered if she had had something to do with this gift. But, glancing at the other Rangers made him suspect that one of them might have given Halbarad the idea… perhaps Eradan from the expression on his face. Aragorn liked and enjoyed cats - and dogs for that matter - it was just not something he had ever thought to have here.
“I thought she might like them, Aragorn,” Halbarad replied shrugging as his gaze shifted from Aragorn back to Rebecca who was paying no attention to them as she now held both kittens on her lap. At least she was trying to as they both were making valiant attempts to escape so they could explore. Rebecca spoke soothingly to the kittens as she petted them. Thomas reached down and gently scratched behind the ears of the white kitten and it began purring. Suddenly remembering her manners, Rebecca looked up at Halbarad with a shaky smile.
“Thank you… I’ve…” she stopped as tears filled her eyes. She stood, thrusting the kittens at Thomas who grabbed at them as they almost slipped from his hands. He grimaced as sharp claws dug into his hands and he quickly gathered them close to himself. Thomas gave Arwen a grateful smile when she took the tabby from him.
Rebecca hugged Halbarad tightly as she whispered her thanks once again, her voice trembling slightly. He awkwardly patted her shoulder as he looked at Aragorn with questioning eyes. Aragorn shrugged and shook his head. He did not have any idea what had caused Rebecca to respond in this manner… he could only assume it was a reaction to the events of the day.
Returning to her chair, Rebecca took the kitten that Arwen held out to her and cradled it against her chest, petting it gently as she sat back down.
“I’m glad you like them,” Halbarad said with a half smile as he returned to his seat.
“How old are they?” Hinluin asked as he scratched behind the ears of the white and black kitten Thomas was holding.
“About five months,” Halbarad replied.
“Well, unless you have another surprise gift for someone, Halbarad,” Aragorn gave his cousin a questioning look, but Halbarad shook his head, “then Arwen and I do have a final gift to give. However, we must leave the House to give it to Thomas since it is immovable. Yes, Thomas, we do have another gift for you,” his eyes twinkled as he looked at the younger man who simply smiled and shrugged.
Leaving Hinluin and the other four Rangers to care for the kittens, Aragorn and his family left the sitting room, stopping only to collect warm cloaks before they left the House. It was cold and clear on this twenty-fifth day of the month. The dry snow of the week before had not melted and the winds had blown it to and fro around the Citadel so it now lay pushed up against the walls in unique and interesting patterns as it waited for the wind to come again and start drawing a new pattern with the white powder.
Aragorn led the small group across the courtyard to the Tower. He listened with amusement as Rebecca and Thomas discussed names for the kittens, trying desperately to suppress his laughter over Halbarad’s mock outrage when she told him she was considering calling the two male kittens, ‘Hal’ and ‘Barry’ in his honor. He leaned down as Arwen spoke softly to him.
“It was the perfect gift for her.”
“Better than jewelry or books,” he agreed bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. “They will help her enjoy the day and not think so much about the past.”
Arwen nodded. “Yes. Halbarad knew that, I think.”
“He did, he has always seen those sorts of things about people… especially those he is close to.” He glanced back at the others as he and Arwen began walking up the Tower stairs. “Come along, Thomas. You may not be anxious to see your gift, however, I am anxious to give it to you,” he said with a small smile. Thomas laughed.
“I am more curious than anxious, Adar,” Thomas said as he gestured around them. “I can’t imagine what kind of gift can be in here that is immovable.” His curiosity grew as they continued past the second floor… it was more like the third or fourth floor since the ceiling of the throne room was so high. The second floor was where all of the minor clerks and secretaries had their offices. Aragorn, Faramir, and Thomas had offices on the main floor near the throne room. Aragorn took the door into the third floor and led them down the hallway where he stopped in front of a door with his hand resting on the latch.
“Arwen and I thought this was something that you needed, Ion-nín. It is close enough to home that you may use it often, but private enough that you should not be disturbed.” He swung open the door and motioned for Thomas to enter the room. The young man did, but he stopped just inside the door and stared around the room.
What had once been an office – none of the rooms on this floor were currently being used – had been turned into a studio. His painting supplies were neatly set out on a worktable along one wall while the stands he used when painting were set near the windows. Thomas smiled in delight at the light coming in through the windows. He and the painting master often talked about light and when Thomas tried to practice in his own chambers he was continually frustrated by the lack of light.
“Are you pleased?” Aragorn asked as he pushed him gently in the back so that the others could enter the room.
Thomas could only nod his head before he walked around the room. It was then that he noticed that there were many more brushes and paints and other supplies than he had had before.
“We had your painting master come and make sure that this was set up properly,” Aragorn informed him.
“He told us this room would give you the best light,” Arwen said.
“It has wonderful light,” Thomas said smiling as he gazed out the window.
“He will come here now for your lessons.”
“I don’t think you’ll ever get him to do any work now, Adar,” Rebecca said as she grabbed Thomas’s hand. “He’ll be coming up here all the time.” Thomas wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close as he chuckled. He looked at Aragorn and Arwen.
“Thank you… it’s a wonderful gift. It’s not something I ever even thought of having,” he said as he glanced around the room, “but it’s wonderful and I know it will be used a lot.” Thomas kissed Rebecca lightly on her cheek. “And not while I’m supposed to be working.”
“I have no fear of that.” Aragorn glanced around the room and gave Halbarad a half smile before turning his gaze back to his children. “We should return before Hinluin becomes too fond of your kittens, Rebecca. I believe that you are quite attached to them already.” He headed out the door at her smile.
They met Faramir on the way back to the House and he was able to join them for the rest of the Christmas Day celebration. It was spent much as Thanksgiving Day had been spent… with all of them gathered together enjoying one another’s company. Games were played, food was eaten, stories were shared, and kittens were played with. There were times of quiet and times of laughter. There was even a time of singing when Rebecca and Thomas pulled Aragorn and Arwen aside and handed them paper with their favorite Christmas songs written down so they could join them as they had promised. To their surprise, both Faramir and Halbarad joined them while the Rangers listened.
It was late in the evening when the Rangers and Faramir left, with Halbarad taking his leave a short time later.
Rebecca sat on the floor staring into the fire as she absentmindedly petted the kittens that had fallen into an exhausted heap on the floor near her as soon as the others had left. She was unaware when Aragorn sat down on the couch near her and she started when he spoke.
“Did you enjoy the day?”
Shifting her gaze from the fire to his eyes she smiled briefly before she responded. “I did… it was a wonderful day, Adar.” She glanced beyond him to Arwen who had joined him on the couch. “It was… different than any other Christmas I’ve ever had… and yet,” she paused and looked at Thomas as he sat down next to the kittens. “Yet, it was the same in many ways. My… family was all together… we ate… we laughed… we sang… we played games… we got presents,” she grinned. Rebecca stared down at the floor for a moment before meeting Aragorn’s eyes once again. “I don’t think I really thought of my… other family more than a couple of times all day.”
“Until now,” he said gently and she nodded. Aragorn looked at Thomas who nodded as well.
“I thought about Johnny and my mom a lot last night and earlier today,” he said with a small frown. “But it’s been a good day… it’s been fun and I haven’t had time to think of them.”
“I am glad that the day was all that you had hoped,” Aragorn said slowly. “I know that I enjoyed it and I think Arwen did as well,” he glanced at her.
“I did, it was a wonderful day with our family.”
Aragorn studied each of the young people in turn. Satisfied with what he saw in them, he relaxed back against the cushions of the couch with a faint smile. He knew that the two of them would talk later if they needed to, but felt that he and Arwen had spoken to them enough for now and so he changed the subject.
“Did you decide on names for your cats?”
“Well, I… think Frosty for the white one and maybe Tiger for the tabby. But that’s not very original so I’m trying to think of a Christmas name… or maybe something with ‘Mith” in it and sort of name him after Gandalf,” she said grinning. Laughter filled the room.
“You really wouldn’t name a cat after him, would you?” Thomas asked.
Rebecca shrugged and petted the grey-striped kitten which began purring under her touch. “He wouldn’t mind, Thomas, and I wouldn’t call him Mithrandir, just something that has the word grey in it.”
“Mithon would be the best name for a cat, I suppose,” Aragorn said. “It means ‘grey male’.”
Rebecca repeated the name several times and shook her head, “I don’t like how it sounds. It’s all right, I don’t have to give him a name tonight.”
“Halbarad will be glad to hear that you are not naming them after him.”
She grinned. “I was shocked when he gave these to me… I’ve wanted to have a pet for so long, but my uncle wouldn’t let me have one.” She picked Frosty up and set him in her lap and gently stroked his fur. The kitten batted his paws at her before rolling over and falling back to sleep. “I suppose my horse sort of counts as a pet, doesn’t it?” she said as she continued petting the kitten.
“It is not quite the same thing, Rebecca,” Arwen said, her eyes twinkling. “A horse does not usually come into the house.”
“Unless you are Rohirrim,” Aragorn said with a smile that was matched by the others. He stood and stretched. “I am glad that Halbarad thought to give you the kittens, Rebecca. It was not something that would have occurred to me… at least not anytime soon.” He helped Arwen to her feet.
Rebecca gently and carefully set the two kittens back in the basket so she could carry them back to her room and began gathering up her other gifts.
“I’ll carry the kittens for you,” Thomas offered.
“You have things to carry, don’t you?”
“I’m just across the hall… I can get my things when I come back up here.” Rebecca handed him the basket and they followed Aragorn and Arwen out the door.
“Adar, when is Prince Imrahil supposed to arrive?” Thomas asked.
“Tomorrow or the next day. We will be very busy for the next week once he and his family arrive. I believe he is bringing several lords from the area surrounding Dol Amroth that I have not met and so there will be meetings with them as well as the formal dinner on Mettarë evening. This years celebration will be very special because of my return,” he smiled down at the ground. “At least that is what Faramir tells me.”
“So, it will be like your wedding feast?” Rebecca asked as they neared her room.
“Perhaps even more elaborate. Remember, no one except Faramir knew what the celebration feast was for until a day or two before Arwen arrived. Mettarë is always special and the master of protocol has been planning this for several months.”
“Should be fun,” Thomas muttered under his breath but Aragorn and Arwen heard him anyway and they laughed lightly.
“You will enjoy yourself just as you have at every feast you have been at,” Aragorn said knowing he spoke the truth. Thomas had enjoyed them – once he entered the feasting hall.
“During the day we will be together much as we were today… though not for so long a time and I think I will ask Imrahil and his family to join us, but you will enjoy that as well.”
“I’m sure I will, it’ll be good to see Elphir again,” Thomas said with a small smile.
“I’m looking forward to the feast and to seeing Lothíriel again,” Rebecca said as they stopped in front of her door. “I’ve missed having someone like her to talk to… someone my own age.”
Aragorn smiled down at her, “They plan on staying for at least a month so you will have quite a bit of time with her. Now, as the next week will be extremely busy for all of us, I suggest we all seek our rest now.”
There was one more round of thanks for gifts received, followed by quiet good-nights before they did just that.
0-0-0
To be continued…
Reviewers: Thanks to everyone who reads the story and especially to those who review, I appreciate the encouragement. I will try and answer everyone by email if I have an address.
