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Rays of sun streamed in through the window as it signaled the approach of the new day.
Adelina squinted and burrowed deeper in the warmth of her fur bed. What was the point of waking up?
Living had become just about unbearable with the king's increasing illness and the growing shadows looming over the horse lands.
If it weren't for Eowyn, her best friend and confidant, Lina would have stayed in the comfort and safety of her room all day to avoid the gloomy atmosphere and a certain slimy adviser to the king.
Grima, she thought with disgust. The wretched man had been watching her of late with his cold beady eyes and lust-filled expression. Thankfully Eomer had returned to Meduseld a few days earlier.
The king's nephew had always been a protector to both Eowyn and herself, and Lina felt a sense of relief with him around.
After stretching, she slid out of bed and grabbed her brush. It was a gift from Eowyn and made from fine horse hair with silver intricate detailing on the back. After running it through her long dark hair she grabbed a light blue dress from her trunk and threw it on, taking care to lace the back up tightly on her petite frame.
She then slipped her feet into her leather riding boots. They were a beautiful brown-red color and made from a soft leather to provide more comfort for her feet.
Taking a quick glance into the looking glass on her dressing table and deciding she looked decent enough, she exited her room and headed for the Golden Hall.
Before she even turned the corner, she was ambushed by a teary Eowyn whose pretty face was pale and contorted with grief.
"Oh Lina! Eomer and the men returned from the search. They found Theodred's unit near the Fords of Isen. There were hardly any survivors."
"Theodred - is he..?" Lina couldn't bring herself to say the words, as she held her breath waiting for the other woman's answer. It felt like she had been drenched in a bucket of ice. She couldn't move her body as her muscles tensed up in shock.
Eowyn shook her head. "Not yet, but it won't be long. He is barely alive." She grabbed her beloved friend's hand to pull her along as they rushed to the young prince's quarters.
"I do not know how to break the news to uncle, especially in his condition," Eowyn whispered to her as Lina struggled to process the news her friend had given her.
"Come Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas looked back at his dwarf friend who was struggling to keep the pace set by Aragorn. With a smirk, he noted the dwarf's shortness of breath and heard his incessant grumbling.
In his heart, he prayed to the Valar that Merry and Pippin were alive and well. Even though the elven prince had not mingled with them as much of the rest of the Fellowship, he still held a fondness and love for the child-like hobbits.
The Fellowship had separated with Frodo and Sam traveling to Mordor and himself, Aragorn and Gimli tracking the Uruk-hai who kidnapped Merry and Pippin. And Boromir, Legolas thought with a twinge of sadness.
The proud man of Gondor had annoyed him upon first meeting, but his bravery in sacrificing his life for the rest of them had earned him a place of high honor and respect in his regard.
He was snapped out of his thoughts at Aragorn's exclamation and observed the object in the ranger's hands. It was one of the Elven leaf pins the Lady Galadriel had gifted the hobbits.
Legolas' gray-blue eyes scanned their surroundings cautiously. They were definitely near Isengard, and that meant that they were also in Rohan. The plains and hills of the horse lands were not as beautiful as Mirkwood or Rivendell, but there was a certain simpler beauty about it that even grand cities like Gondor did not contain.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall. We are right on their trail," Aragorn told his two companions as he began tracking the Uruk-hai footprints once more.
"Let us hope this is not a wild warg chase, and we find those two hobbits dead," Gimli mumbled quietly as he continued to take deep breaths.
Legolas, hearing his words with his sharp elven ears, could only agree secretly as the three picked up their pace to find their comrades once more.
"Lina!"
The sound of her name being called made Adelina lift her weary head and glance toward the entrance to the room. Eomer took big strides to where she was positioned next to Theodred's bedside and swept her up into a brotherly hug.
Fighting back the heavy sobs, she managed a small smile despite her sadness. "How are you doing?"
Eomer sighed heavily and watched as she went back to wiping Theodred's brow with a cool rag. He could feel the pain and sorrow radiating off her small body.
"Not as bad as you," he told her and watched in grief as she continued to squeeze and ring out the water from the rag.
Eowyn had wandered like a ghost to the kitchens to bring them food, but Lina knew she just couldn't bear to be in the room with her dying cousin. After all, no one had much of an appetite.
"His condition isn't improving," Eomer's statement sounded blunt but she knew it was a growing reality for everyone. At this rate, the young prince of Rohan would not live through the night.
"The healer said he could have had a better chance at living, but he has lost too much blood," she choked out as more tears fell from her blue eyes. "He will be taken from us soon."
Eomer's face darkened and he clenched his fists. "This is all because of that snake Wormtongue! Everyday he poisons my uncle's mind! He has become no more than a pawn for Saruman, and now his only son is dying!"
Placing a delicate hand on his arm to calm him down, Lina nodded. "Your uncle is definitely being manipulated, but right now we have to be strong. For each other. And somehow he must be told of his son's fate."
His face softening slightly, Eomer nodded. "You are right. Who knew you would be the voice of reason despite all this?" He gave her a quick hug before leaving the room to look for Eowyn.
After he left, Lina closed her eyes and prayed silently to the Valar. Her mother had told her stories of the mystical Elven beings and how they keep a watchful eye on everything in the world. Her father always hated those stories, and hated her mother's kin.
Now, Lina wished that her mother had told her more before her untimely death. How she wished she was still alive!
With the Golden Hall turning dark under evil's influence, and the man she loved close to death, her mother's presence could have been a beacon of light and her wisdom and grace would have provided a solution to the king's problem.
"I know I am nothing more than a half-blood, a peredhil, but please Vala. Rescue us from the darkness and restore my beloved's health and life," she whispered.
As she finished her prayer, Theodred stirred and moaned in pain. She ran her fingers through his matted hair and pressed a kiss to his palm. "I love you."
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