16. Palantír: Getting colder - Yule

No, not this memory! Aragorn groaned inwardly. He almost had the feeling he heard something like a chuckle in his mind, and he had no doubt it belonged to Sauron. Cold and without women, cold and without women, he repeated to himself. Concentrate!

"Strider!" Pippin approached him one day in the morning, while they were preparing for rest after the nightly march. "Uh… I'm sorry, I meant Aragorn…"

Aragorn smiled. "You can call me Strider if you want. I have nothing against that name."

Pippin blushed. "It is not that I want, if you understand me. It is just I am used to think of you as Strider already…"

Aragorn nodded in understanding. "A lot of walking awaits us yet," he said quietly. "On a long journey, I sometimes think of myself so as well," he smiled at the hobbit. "And I listen to many names, you can chose which you like best. But what did you want to tell me?"

"Well…" Pippin bit his lip. "I know we have to travel fast and inconspicuous, but… it is Yule today. Do Elves celebrate Yule?" And Men and Wizards… were the unsaid words of his question.

"They do celebrate winter solstice. There was a feast in Rivendell, don't you remember?" Aragorn replied, pretending he did not understand where the question is heading.

"Ah. Right…" Pippin looked downhearted. "Good night then. Er… day," he said as he wrapped himself in the covers. It took him some time to fall asleep, though. He knew they are travelling during the night to not be seen, but sleeping in the light of the day when there was sun on the sky still seemed strange to him, and the first days he didn't sleep much, and was tired during the march. But now he was already getting used to it.

Aragorn remained keeping watch. Sleet was falling since the morning, making the day cold and unpleasant, but he just pulled the cloak closer to his body and a headless of the wind and weather, a smile slowly spread on his face. First he assured that the hobbits are all asleep. Then he looked around their camping place…

When he woke Gandalf for the watch, he spoke to him quietly, and the wizard smiled as well. Aragorn went to sleep first when the sun started to descend on the sky, and after he assured that that everything is prepared.

The hobbits woke to a song. When Pippin opened his eyes, it took him a moment to recognize it. It was an old Shire Yule song, and Aragorn with Gandalf were singing it, the others humming, not knowing the words. When Aragorn saw that the hobbits are awake, he smiled at them.

"Happy Yule!" he called.

The looked around in wonder. The sleet changed to a soft snow sometime during the day, and a soft layer of it was covering the trees around. There was a small evergreen fir, and it was…

Pippin gasped. "It is a Yule tree!" he exclaimed, and laughed. The fir tree was decorated with garlands made of cones and a roughly carved star was fastened to its top.

"You do celebrate it then!" he looked at Aragorn joyously.

"Only when I am with hobbits," Aragorn winked.