Chapter 31. Journey to Gondor

The weather continued mild for a few days, and when bitter temperatures returned, the Captain of the escort broke out beautiful fur cloaks that Queen Arwen had sent for Rose and Elanor.

The escort consisted of ten guardsmen on tall horses, and at first it felt odd to the hobbits to be riding with such a wall about them. Two guards rode to the fore, two to the rear, and the other six encompassed the little party they escorted.

'Is there really need for such care?' Sam asked one night when they were gathered around a campfire, with two guardsmen standing watch over the party. They were between outposts of the King's Guard. Sam had been astonished to be sleeping every other night inside a barracks built by Men, blankets rigged around their corner of the room to give Rose and Elanor privacy, hot supper and breakfast shared with deferential Guardsmen posted along the King's High Way to see to the safety of travellers. It was a far cry from his first journey South.

The Captain laughed. 'Probably not,' he said, 'but the King's taking no chances after what happened to the Master and Mistress of Buckland.* There will always be ruffians about, and it is better to be ready for them than to be surprised.'

'O yes,' Sam nodded. He knew much about being ready, whether you could smell trouble nearby or no.

Elanor enjoyed the journey, staring wide-eyed as the familiar terrain of the Shire gave way to wilder country. When they reached a branch in the road, Sam reined up his pony, pointing back along the other branch. 'That way lies Michel Delving,' he said. 'It's not too late to turn back.'

'Turn back!' Ellie said. Then curious, she asked, 'How far would it be?'

'About two hundred miles,' he said, 'give or take a few.'

'And how much further do we have to go?'

'A bit further than that,' Sam said. The Captain of the escort, overhearing, smiled. Rose rode along silently. Travel did not seem to agree with her as well as she'd hoped. She felt drained at the end of each day, and the food cooked over the fire was somehow unappealing. She forced it down to avoid worrying her husband, but it was a disappointment. She was glad to see that the trip was living up to Ellie's expectations, though.

The guardsmen were all gravely respectful towards the hobbits, and especially deferential towards Samwise. Ellie loved the grown-up feeling it gave her, and it gratified her to see her father honoured by these dangerous-looking Men. She'd read the tales in the Red Book, of course, but they'd never seemed quite real to her until now.

After about a fortnight of easy travel, they crossed the Greyflood, amazed to see houses springing up, and a great drawbridge under construction, as there had been at Sarn, to accommodate traffic on the High Way as well as allow for shipping up and down the river. 'We have left the Greenway,' Sam told his daughter, 'and are now on the Old South Road.' He pointed off to the distance. 'Soon we'll be able to see the mountains, and in another two weeks or so we'll cross through the Gap of Rohan.'

Rose sighed. It seemed to her as if this journey had already gone on forever.

'We're making good time,' the Captain said. 'At this rate we should reach Minas Tirith just before the New Year, even though we started some days late.'

'Since we were originally scheduled to arrive a fortnight before the New Year, I would expect you're about right,' Sam laughed. 'You planned it well, Captain, even allowing for a late start so as not to fall out of the King's favor.'

'The queen's rather,' the Captain laughed. 'She has her heart set on you celebrating the New Year in Minas Tirith.'

'We must not disappoint her, then,' Samwise said emphatically.

'Indeed, not!' the Captain said.

Sam noticed that Elanor laughed, while Rose only smiled. 'All right, Rosie lass?' he asked softly.

'Fine,' she answered. 'Just a bit tired is all.'

'We'll camp soon,' the Captain said, instantly solicitous.

Rose and Elanor found the mountains in the distance astonishing, inspiring, and a little frightening as well. 'You climbed one of those?' Rose asked Sam in awe.

'Tried to,' he laughed, 'but the mountain wasn't having any. We ended up having to go under instead.' Elanor was silent, thinking of the story she'd read in the Red Book, of the terror that was Moria.

'I'm glad we're going 'round, this trip,' Rose said softly.

They passed through the Gap of Rohan, and as they forded the Isen, Samwise said, 'Well, we're about halfway now. Might as well go on as not.'

Rose laughed and said, 'I certainly hope so! I would hate to have done all this riding for nothing!'

That night as they camped, she felt drained and a little unsteady. 'You look pale, Rosie-lass,' Sam said, concerned. He put the back of his hand to her forehead. 'You're not sickening with something...?'

'I'm just tired is all,' Rose said.

'You've been tired a lot, this trip. It's not like you,' Sam said.

'I'm fine!' she insisted, and rose... too abruptly, for she was suddenly dizzy and Sam had to catch her.

'Rose,' he said under his breath. 'Have you been feeling queasy at all?'

She looked at him in surprise. 'The food doesn't agree with me the way good home-cooked food would, but...' her eyes widened as she caught his meaning. 'No, Sam, no it couldn't be!'

'Couldn't it?' he asked gently.

She shook her head. 'I'm past all that! Robin was the last, poor lad, it was so hard to wean him knowing there'd be no more...'

'Couldn't there be?' Sam asked more gently. 'Are you sure, Rosie?'

Ellie caught the gist of their conversation. 'Mama?' she said in wonder.

The Captain came closer and sat himself down, the better to converse with his charges. 'I'm sorry,' he said gravely. 'I would not eavesdrop, but it is my business to note every detail under my command.' He looked at Sam. 'I beg your pardon, Sir, to ask this, but...' he turned to Rose. 'Are you with child, my lady?'

Rose blushed and looked away. Sam put a protective arm about her and turned to the Captain. 'She might be,' he said.

The Captain looked even more grave, if that were possible. 'I'm sorry to be so blunt,' he said, carefully addressing his words to Sam, having noticed Rose's discomfort. 'But jolting about on a pony for the better part of every day is not the best thing for your wife.' He looked away. 'My wife rode away from Minas Tirith on the wains that were to take the people to a safer place before the siege,' he said softly. 'She was expecting our first...'

He took a deep breath. 'The jolting wasn't good for her, either. First she lost the babe, and then...' he swallowed, but forced himself to continue. 'Then I lost her.'

Sam felt a chill. 'What do we do?' he said. 'We cannot stay here, and it's as far to go back as forwards.'

'I would like to press forward with all possible speed,' the Captain answered, 'cut the journey short, but spare your wife the jouncing.' He hesitated. 'If I might be so free...'

'Go on,' Samwise said.

'We can go faster if we lead the ponies, and each of you rides with a guardsman. We can bear Mistress Gamgee in our arms, cradle her, give her a smooth ride the rest of the journey. I would trust any of my men with the job.'

Sam was quiet for a long time, considering. He looked up. 'Rose, I think he's right. Will you let them carry you?'

'I'm not a doll or a babe,' she began.

'For the sake of the babe,' he urged. 'And for you. Please, lass, for me?'

Though the thought of one of the tall guardsmen holding her was unnerving, she nodded.

She found that reality was not as unpleasant as she anticipated. She would be handed up to her bearer, who would settle her in his arms and wait for the rest to be mounted, then they would be off at a ground-eating pace. The canter was so like a rocking chair that Rose found it easy to doze and give her body the extra sleep it craved, and when the guardsmen dropped to a trot to rest their mounts, the gentle rise and fall as her bearer posted the trot was not at all jolting. Each of the guardsman was polite and respectful, answering any questions she might pose about the White City, and asking questions in return about the Shire. The time passed pleasantly enough, to Rose's relief.

Ellie enjoyed riding before a guardsman, safe between his arms, and they had long conversations as the miles fell away. Sam, of course, had much to talk about with the Captain, and all in all, the sped-up journey was not disagreeable.

Soon the Captain announced that they were but a day away from the White City. That evening he sent off two of the guardsmen. 'They will ride ahead to let the King know we are coming,' he said.

Sam laughed. 'I could almost think you changed us from pony to horseback in order to arrive on time,' he said.

'I might have, had I thought of it myself,' the Captain answered with a smile. 'We have made up much of the time we lost due to our late start.'

The next day, they crossed the Rammas Echor and rode onto the fields of the Pelennor. No signs of the great battle were to be seen in the green and fertile townlands. The homesteads burned by the invading orcs had been rebuilt, the fields resown, and sheep and cattle grazed in peace upon the rich grass. Rose and Elanor gazed in delight, so Shirelike were their surroundings. To their right the great mountains followed them, but ahead was the bulk of Mount Mindolluin, the White City shining upon its out-thrust knee.

As they approached, the City itself seemed to be waving and cheering in greeting, but riding ever closer they saw that the walls were lined with people, and a great multitude awaited them outside the Gate. Cheers and trumpets came to their ears, and they could see colourful banners being waved by many.

King Elessar and Queen Arwen themselves greeted the travellers outside the Gate. The Captain dismounted and lifted Samwise down from the great horse, and the other guardsmen bearing hobbits did the same. Sam took Rose's hand in one of his, extending his other to Ellie, and walked forward. As they approached, Ellie was astonished to see the King and Queen bow low to her father.

'Hail, Ring-bearer,' the King said, smiling. 'Hail and well met.'

'Hullo, Strider,' Sam smiled. 'No need to stand on ceremony with the likes of me.'

The King chuckled. 'Of course not, Sam. I trust you had a good journey.'

'Much better than the last,' Sam said.

'Welcome to the White City,' Queen Arwen said, smiling warmly at the hobbits. 'If there is anything we can get for you, be sure to ask.'

Sam laughed. 'I could use a bath, for starters,' he said.

'Sam!' Rose admonished under her breath.

'I think we can arrange that,' the King said. 'The Queen has worked very hard to make sure you will have every comfort during your stay with us.'

Arwen came forward to offer a hand to Elanor. 'You are still my maid of honour, are you not?' she smiled.

'O yes,' Elanor said sincerely, looking up into the beautiful face.

The King offered a hand each to Sam and Rose. 'Come,' he said, 'Come and grace the White City with your presence.' The crowds cheered and sang and waved their banners, as they walked into the City. Elanor thought she had never seen anything quite so splendid in her life. Probably never would again, either, she thought privately to herself. Just wait until she told those at home about this!

*Author's Note:  See "Ruffians" for more details.