Your love will bring me home
(Northern Ithilien TA 3019 March 23d)
The new king of Rohan muttered something under his breath about the spawn of Mordor and cowards who didn't have the courage to stand and fight, as he sat down heavily beside Prince Elphir of Dol Amroth. The Prince sat by his horse resting his arm on a bent leg, slowly biting into a piece of bread, his silver eyes fixed on the dark road ahead, completely lost in thought.
Eomer, not getting any response from the man beside him turned his head and looked at Prince Imrahil's oldest offspring. Elphir bore a resemblance to his father and brother with dark hair and a stern face but was more quiet and withdrawn than his brothers, Erchirion and Amrothos. It seemed to Eomer like the younger ones were always involved in trouble of some kind. When he thought of it Eomer couldn't think of one time he'd see Elphir smile.
Their first meeting had been in the raging battle at the Pelannor, Eomer riding back to rally his men in another charge had spotted a single Gondorian captain fighting on foot. Without a second thought Eomer spurred Firefoot around and road to the man's side. After killing two orcs and three men from Harad, Eomer turned to the man. He was bleeding from a gash in his leg but there were fire in his eyes.
"Thank you Horse master!" the captain said then turning to someone lying on the ground, "can your horse take him back to the city?"
At that moment Eomer discovered the badly injured ranger, he signaled to one of his riders who had stopped nearby. The rider, a man from Aldburg, leaped of his horse and together they lifted the ranger and sat him in the saddle. Mounting behind him the rider checked his horse and took off for the city walls. As Eomer and the captain watched them ride away a new wave of enemies fell upon them. For the next hour or more they fought side by side until a quick charge of Swan Knights tore them apart and that was the last thing Eomer had seen of the captain.
With a slight smile Eomer thought back on his next meeting with the captain. It had been the morning after the battle; Prince Imrahil had offered him a bed in his house and Eomer had accepted. When he woke he found his bloody and filthy clothes gone and a beautiful blue tunic with black hoses in their place. With a complaining stomach he dressed and went in search for food. Taking a right turn in the corridor he almost collided with a man. They both stood looking at each other for a moment before the man said:
"Blue suites you, Horse master!"
With a nod the man stepped aside and continued on his way. Eomer stood still for another moment but them his stomach growled again and he continued his search for food. It didn't take him long to run into Prince Amrothos and together they went to the breakfast room. It was only after he'd stilled his hunger Eomer remembered that the man had still been in his armor.
A chuckled escaped Eomer and woke Elphir up from his reverie:
"You find something amusing about this place, Horse master?" he asked while elevating an eyebrow.
Eomer frowned: "Why don't you say my name," he asked, "like the rest of your family?"
Slowly Elphir turned his head and Eomer could see humor sparkling in his eyes. "Well," Elphir began; "you are the king of the Mark aren't you?"
Eomer nodded in replay wondering where the older man was going. "And as the king you are the master?"
Another slow nod from Eomer as Elphir continued: "The Mark is known for its horses hence you are the Horse master," he concluded, Eomer still didn't look convinced. Not letting go of Eomer eyes Elphir broke out in laughter. Eomers confusion widened as he begun to wonder about the sanity of the other man.
"I met Theodred a couple of year back and after knocking down a few beers together we started talking," Elphir suddenly said.
"It was at Helms Deep", he continued, "great beer by the way, that's one thing I've always said about the Mark, you sure know how to make beer. Anyways, I was there to see if a trade between us could be set up, you know; you bring your horses down to the Isen and we'll sail them back to Dol Amroth."
He looked at Eomer like he expected him to be fully in on his cousin's plans. Eomer shook his head, he'd never heard Theodred mention a trade with Dol Amroth. Puzzled by Eomer lack of knowledge Elphir continued;
"There were even loose talk about me marrying your sister to ensure the bonds between us but returning home from that visit I came to Edhellon. I met Tirin and there's been no other woman for me since. I was thinking about her when you sat down."
He gave Eomer a sad smile; "We've been estranged ever since the birth of our son, we were just getting close again when the orders to marsh to Minas Tirith arrived."
He sat quiet for a long time taking a gulp of his wine sac from time to time. Eomer, sensing there were more to it, said nothing. Finally Elphir seemed to realize he hadn't offered his companion any wine and handed Eomer his sac. Eomer took a large gulp of the strong red win, savoring it in his mouth. He closed his eyes and tried to picture himself back in Helms Deep with Theodred talking and laughing by a warm fire when he realized Elphir had begun talking again:
"beautiful, strong and amazing." Eomer thought he was describing his wife when the other man said; "but it was hard for her to give control to Tirin. I don't think my father ever realized how much it hurt Lothiriel to have to play second fiddle, he was so pleased to finally see me married, but Lothiriel - that was another thing."
Lothiriel, Eomer thought, he knew he'd heard that name before but then Tirin sounded familiar as well. The he remembered what Amrothos had told him at the campfire some nights ago, they had been discussing family and Amrothos had thought Eomer were to pity for not having such a large family as himself;
"Well, there's Sulvarien and our two children, Erchirion and Aralee and their bunch of four. Then there's Elphir, Tirin and Alphros, father and Lothiriel."
In his drunken stage that night Eomer had thought Lothiriel to be the wife or maybe mistress of Imrahil but as he continued to listen to Elphir he realized that she had to be his sister. Getting his mind around this new information about the ruling family of Dol Amroth, Eomer didn't pay much attention to what Elphir was telling him until he hear the words;
"… like her, she was born to be a queen and you need a queen." Eomer sat straight up and spit out the last gulp of wine in his mouth.
Elphir looked at him with an interested in his eyes as Eomer fought for something to say;
"Queen! We're riding to our doom and you're talking about me marrying your sister?" He managed to get out just as Amrothos walked up to them and sat down.
Taking the wine sac from Eomers hand Amrothos carelessly asked; "Forgetting our diplomatic skills are we, brother? I strongly remember uncle saying never to piss off your allied and especially not before the battle that will determine the outcome of our lives."
A cat like smile played upon Elphirs lips: "I just suggested to Eomer king here that our sister was born to be a queen and he was a king, that's all."
Amrothos, knowing the look in his brothers eyes, grind widely; "What an excellent suggestion, brother. I'll tell father, I'm sure he'll love the idée. He already thinks of our friend here", he continued pointing at Eomer, "as his son. Why not make it true?"
Eomer looked at the leaving form of Amrothos in chock. Marrying their sister? Where they insane? He didn't know her, he'd never met her. Then he realized Elphir had called him Eomer and he turned to the other man.
"You just called me Eomer."
Elphir didn't respond, he just stared at the road again. "Did you know that foresight runs in my family?" he asked, Eomer shook his head. - "Well it does and neither I nor my brothers has golden hair but yet I saw my sister with a golden hair boy. I didn't see the child clearly until you sat down and starting muttering."
Elphir turned to Eomer and the smile went out of his eyes. Once again Eomer saw the captain from the Pelannor, hard and fearful.
"Hurt her, Horse Master, and I'll break you in two."
The smile was back and Eomer realized it was a nice smile. They passed the wine between them and sat quietly for the rest of the evening. Right before Eomer closed his eyes he heard Elphir whisper.
"He was so proud of you, his little Horse Master."
Theodred, Eomer thought and then sleep took him.
Elphir took a blanket and placed it over Eomers sleeping form. I'll look after him for you, my friend. Just as I promised, he thought, I'm sorry I didn't reach you at Isen, Theodred. You were my brother! We'll meet at the halls of our forefathers but now I have to live. You see, I promised Tirin I come home. You'd love her, hell if I hadn't seen her first you'd want her for yourself.
He closed his own eyes, remembering the red rose and the note he´d left his wife, you love will bring me home, he whispered into the night and fell asleep.