For Marigold's Challenge 39. Write a story based on an assigned quote from another book.

My assigned quote was:

"In the exultant crowd were still to be seen haggard faces, men with bandaged limbs and heads or hobbling on sticks and crutches. The richly coloured native costumes were most of them worn to rags. But their wearers had the faces of creatures plucked from despair to be lifted to heaven."

From "The Lost Prince" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and all its characters and settings belong to the Tolkien Estate, New Line Cinema and Peter Jackson. I'm just borrowing them. Please don't sue me. A turnip is worth more than I am.

Beta by Llinos and Marigold.

Triumphal Entry

by Garnet Took

As soon as the barrier was pushed away, Aragorn entered into and began ascending the streets of Minas Tirith. Beside him walked Frodo and Sam in their honoured places as the Ringbearers. Both hobbits found themselves staring in open-mouthed wonder at the sheer size of the City and the number of people lining every street and leaning out of many windows trying to get a glimpse of their new King.

A few steps behind, Pippin walked with the returning men of the Third Company with whom he had marched to the Black Gate. Unlike the other two hobbits, Pippin was not overwhelmed by the size of the City, though the number of people was a bit of a surprise. He had not guessed that so many would be there to greet them in a city that had been almost empty only six weeks ago.

Following the Gondorian Guards were the ranks of the Rohirrim. In this group was Merry. Like Pippin, he was impressed with the changes he saw in Minas Tirith just since he had departed to be with Frodo, Sam and Pippin at Cormallen.

Pippin scanned the crowd closely. The many bright colours worn by the residents of Gondor were at first dazzling until he looked a little closer and saw that many of the costumes were worn and threadbare.

"I wonder," he muttered to himself, "how long it has been since these people had reason to dress gaily and celebrate anything." He glanced quickly down at his own uniform of sombre black and silver. These were the colours all too fitting for the City these last many years. Between the darkness of Sauron and Denethor's increasing madness, it seemed impossible that anything bright and cheerful could still exist here. "I'm glad they still have their bright clothes, even if they are tattered with age and disuse."

As they continued up through each successive circle, Pippin studied the faces in the throng intently. He saw many of the soldiers both of Gondor and of Rohan who had survived the siege and the battle of the Pelennor Fields. These men, with their arms bandaged or splinted and held in slings, or their heads wrapped tightly in white bands to protect a healing wound, stood proudly among the crowd. Also he saw many who valiantly stood leaning on crutches as they dutifully kept a wounded or broken leg from touching the ground. He found himself wincing in sympathy for all these men, but the ones that truly broke his heart were those with only one leg to stand on or one arm to raise in a triumphant greeting to their King.

"Thank goodness the four of us came through in one piece - well except for poor Frodo and his finger. I can't imagine how hard life is for some of these people. But I'm sure Strider will see to it that they all have a place in his realm."

Finally, as they were passing through the sixth circle, very near to the Houses of Healing, Pippin saw one of the people he had been looking for all along. There with the herbmaster and the chief healer, stood Bergil.

Pippin knew he could not break ranks to greet his friend, as much as he wanted to, so he satisfied himself with a nod and smile.

-----

That evening, all four hobbits sat together at the feast to welcome King Elessar to his City.

"You know," said Pippin, to no one in particular, as he looked at his heaping plate, "this is more food, I think, than I had the whole time I was here during the siege."

A short time later, as toasts were being made to many things, Pippin stood up, raised his glass and said, "May today be the beginning of a bright future for this place; a future that we have only seen a glimpse of in the brightness of this City, the fragrance of her flowers, the richness of her food, the sweetness of her wine and, most of all, the beauty and warmth of her people."

There was a long second of silence as he resumed his seat, and then as one the assembled quests erupted with shouts of "Huzzah!" and "Hear! Hear!".

The End.