Ranger in Waiting
by Pippin's Sunshine
Chapter 3: The Service of the King
The next year, Aragorn followed Gandalf’s advice and went in the
service of Thengel, King of Rohan. He took for himself the name
Thorongil, which means Eagle of Star. He had never traveled in this
country before, but had been given instruction to go straight to the
seat of the King in Meduseld.
As he crossed the river, the rolling sea of grass that was before him
transfixed him. His plan was to camp in the cover of the trees before
riding out on the plain. As he reined Melian in, she snorted and
stamped in protest. Never in her life had she seen so much open land.
She wanted to run free over it now.
Or maybe it was that she knew this was the land of the horse-lords
where the most majestic and powerful horses were revered. Only the
horses of the Elves matched or bested those of Rohan.
Aragorn had to laugh. “In good time, my friend. I am sure you will
get what you desire soon,” he said as he patted her head. He quickly
dismounted and began to set up his camp. Just at the edge of the trees,
he set up Melian’s picket so she could graze on the fresh grass.
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Over the next few days, the golden thatches of Meduseld became
brighter and brighter, until on the third day, Aragorn came to the very
gates of Edoras. When the guards questioned him, he said that Lord
Elrond had sent him to join the service of the Rohirrim and that he was
to see the King at once.
The guards looked in wonder at this travel-stained man. Though his
clothes were poor, there was a strange hidden light of some ancient
royalty in the depths of his eyes.
They asked, “And what name should we give the King?”
“Tell him Thorongil wishes to have an audience with him.”
The guard called over a messenger and sent him up to the Golden Hall
with the message. King Thengel’s messengers informed him of the strange
man who wished to see him. He allowed Aragorn to be admitted. Within
the hour, Aragorn was standing before the King.
As he walked the distance from the door to the throne, Aragorn was
amazed at the tapestries that hung from the walls. He guessed that they
told the stories of the first sires of Rohan for they were adorned with
many rich colors and in every one was depicted the great steeds of
Rohan, many of the Maeras. Thengel watched as the young man approached
and dismissed his servants.
Aragorn bowed low before the King’s throne. That was one thing that
had been drilled into him while living in Rivendell; always give those
in higher authority than himself the respect and recognition deserved.
“My messenger has informed me that your name is Thorongil and you came from the North. Are you of the Dunedain?”
“Yes, I am. I met the wizard, Gandalf the gray in the woods last year
and upon his and Lord Elrond’s advice, I have come to serve in your
army while I may.”
“Ah, yes, Master Gandalf is known to us. He seems to appear only
when he so chooses and only when it is very important. Though I must
tell you, it may difficult for a while for you for we speak both the
language of Gondor and of the Rohirrim. I myself served for a while in
Gondor and speak the ‘language of the elves’ as it is known there.”
“Then, I shall not have as much trouble as you think for I was
raised in the house of Master Elrond until a few years ago when I
journeyed North to find the kindred of my house in the Dunedain.”
Thengel sat silently for a moment then announced, “I will accept your service. Give me your sword.”
Aragorn unsheathed his sword and gave it to the king. Thengel laid
the sword on his lap with the hilt to his left. “Take the hilt and
repeat after me: ‘Here do I swear fealty to Rohan. In war or peace, in
living or dying from this hour henceforth until my lord release me or
death take me.”
When he had finished, he resheathed his sword. Thengel rang a bell and had a messenger take Thorongil to the barracks.
“Sir, I know you are the horse-masters and take good care of your animals, but I wish to see where my horse is stabled.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
Chapter 4
Aragorn was grateful for a real bed; though
scant, to sleep on for once. That was one thing that he regretted about
living with the Rangers, there was no real opportunity for comfort. At
the mealtimes on that first day, he ate as if he had never eaten
before. Root, herb and the occasional meat can fill one for a few days,
but there was nothing like the taste of bread and wine. He found out
that he had been assigned temporarily to the company that patrolled the
borders between the mountain ridges, The Gap of Rohan.
The Rohirrim had always been friendly with their neighbor Saruman, but
as of late, he had begun sending spies and orcs to the outer edges of
Rohan. The orcs and now wild men were always terrorizing those who
lived in those outer reaches. The Rohirrim had seen that as the weakest
point although their northern border was never safe either, being so
close to Mordor. Many times, servants of Sauron had invaded Rohan and
taken many of the finest horses, always the black ones.
The only thing that bothered Aragorn was the killing of the Wild Men.
He had been taught to withhold mercy from the orcs for they were the
foulest creatures of the enemy. The lieutenants of Morgoth had made
them in mockery of the Elves. But the Wild Men had faces, names and
families waiting for them.
---------------------------
After his first year of service, Aragorn had already established
himself as a man worthy of honor. The Marshall in charge of their eored
was named Folcwyn. He had the same look as the rest of the Rohirrim,
though grimmer. He also seemed younger than most of the other men under
his command.
One afternoon Aragorn was surprised to find a summons to the seat of
the king. Folcwyn had told King Thengel of Thorongil’s great deeds on
the battlefield. The company had returned to the city for their
mandatory rest. Aragorn quietly made his way up the steps of the Golden
Hall. He wondered what this summons was about. He was trying not to be
worried, but this was an audience with the king whom he had not seen
since his arrival. As the guards opened the doors, Folcwyn met Aragorn.
“Don’t be nervous. If I heard right, the King has a special assignment for you. I must wait here.”
Aragorn nodded and continued down the hall. He bowed before the
seat of the king. “Arise Thorongil. Your captain has told me of your
skill in battle. I have a personal request to make of you. My son,
Theoden, is still quite young, though I believe he is ready to begin
training with the sword.”
“How old is he?”
“Almost eleven.”
“Yes, that is a good time to begin. That was around the same time
that I learned the art from the elves. I will agree to it, but I would
like to still go out on the patrols, if that is okay.”
”I will see what we can work out. But for the meantime, I will say
no for I want him to begin as soon as possible.” With that, he rang a
bell and summoned a messenger to fetch his son.
A few moments later, Thorongil was face to face with his new charge. He
had rarely been around human children, but figured they really weren’t
so different from the elves. The small child in front of him was a
mirror image of his father with wavy blonde hair, and deep dimples when
he smiled.
One of the first things Aragorn noticed about anyone was their eyes.
Theoden had eyes of blue-green that danced in the lights. Aragorn knelt
before the child and held out his hand.
“I am Thorongil and I have just received word that I am to teach you the sword. What do you say to that?”
Theoden jumped up and down with joy and looked at his father. “I really get to learn how to use a sword?”
“Yes, son. I believe it is time for you to begin learning. Now go find your mother and tell her the good news.”
As Theoden ran out of the room, Aragorn let out a laugh. “Good
news? I still remember how mad my mother was when I was to begin my
training. I hope it is different for you. I must take my leave of you
for now. It is time for the midday meal.”
