Hey everyone! I know I just posted the last chapter of 'Returning Home' but Taijiya Sekeyo gave me a new idea for a new story. So, a big thank you to Taijiya Sekeyo for the interesting idea I only hope I can live up to your expectations. I worked for a while on this first chapter and we'll work on posting the next one as soon as I can because my ideas are flowing steadily I just have to make them make sense. As always, let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 1

The day was finally drawing to a close for young Avelina. She worked hard for the four gold coins she was given every two weeks. Avelina was a servant in an English nobleman's house named Nigel Wilmington who owned nearly all the land of the western countryside of the Kingdom of Sandria. Avelina finished washing the dishes from the evening meal. She raised her hands from the now cool water basin and wiped them on her apron before she used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Avelina!" came a piercing female voice. Avelina winced and closed her eyes tightly at hearing Eva Wilmington's voice fill the air. Eva was married to Nigel for the last five years, since she was sixteen. Avelina came to work for the Wilmington's at the time they married and she was Eva's age. Her father was killed during a peasant uprising when she was six and her mother died of an unknown illness when she was fifteen. With no other siblings and unable to run the small sheep farm on her own, she was forced to find work to survive and thankfully at sixteen she found work in the Wilmington house and had been there ever since.

Avelina sighed as she dried her hands and made sure her caramel colored hair was tucked into her scarf. If it was one thing Eva envied about her it was her hair color so she was ordered to keep it covered while she was in the house. Avelina quickly made her way down the corridor and into Eva's sitting room. She knocked and opened the door.

"You called milady," she said gently. Eva looked up from the text she was looking at as she laid on her chaise and nodded.

"Yes, I am ready to retire and require your assistance in dressing for bed," Eva said before she closed the book and stood from the chaise. Avelina nodded and opened the door further for Eva to walk through. As Eva walked past in her flowing silk gown Avelina glanced down at her wool over dress and sighed before she glanced at the book that now laid useless on the chaise. If there was one thing Avelina envied about Eva it was that she knew how to read. "Are you coming or not?" Eva snapped. Avelina quickly looked at her and nodded before she followed the woman down the hall. Eva stopped outside her room. Avelina quickly walked ahead of her and held open the door while Eva walked inside. Avelina rolled her eyes and followed behind the snotty woman and helped her ready for bed.

Eva was soundly tucked into her bed Avelina left the room and began to make her way down to the kitchens to finish the last of her chores. The sun was just setting and she was exhausted only she would be up at dawn to do the same thing over again. Avelina sighed as she turned the corner only to run into someone. She looked up and smiled at the familiar face of Edwin, one of the men that worked in the stables. "Oh, I beg your pardon Edwin," she said with a smile. The older man's kind blue eyes sparkled at the young woman.

"It's quiet alright Avelina. Just tucking the mistress into bed?" he asked. Avelina nodded.

"Aye, she said she was much too tired to wait for the sun to completely go past the horizon." Avelina said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She really had no clue as to why the woman was always so tired; she never did a thing all day. Edwin chuckled.

"If you are finished with your chores, you can come to the stables with me. I know the horses have a special place in your heart." Avelina sighed and lowered her arms.

"I would but I must finish my duties in the kitchen."

"I can take care of those for you. I know there isn't much left," an elderly woman's voice said quietly from behind Edwin. Avelina looked over Edwin's shoulder and smiled at Emma, one of the cooks in the house.

"Emma, it is my job to-," Avelina began but was cut off by the motherly woman.

"It is just as much my job as it is yours, now go with Edwin and enjoy the horses." Avelina rushed over to the woman and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you Emma, you are too good to me," she whispered as she hugged the old woman. Emma laughed softly before she returned the young woman's embrace.

"Go. Go," Emma said as she pushed the young woman away and Avelina walked out of the large house with Edwin and a large smile playing on her face.

Avelina walked into the stables and smiled brightly when she saw Sigeric, a large black Shire Stallion. Sigeric was Lord Wilmington's horse and Avelina's favorite. However, Lord Wilmington rarely took him out anymore. He said that Sigeric was getting too old for long travel, but Avelina knew there was more to the horse than he could see. "Sigeric," she whispered to the horse and his head popped up and his large dark eyes seemed to light at seeing her. She raised her hand to pet down his neck and smiled. He stood seventeen hands high and his coat was as shiny as it ever was and his mane and tail were neatly combed. "How are you my friend?" she asked as she petted him. Edwin smiled and handed her a small satchel that contained some carrots and pieces of apple.

Avelina pulled a carrot out and held it in her hand. Sigeric quickly ate it before he nudged her head gently. Avelina laughed and pulled out a piece of apple. Apples were his favorite and he always knew when she had some because he wanted to eat them first. Sigeric quickly ate the apple and Avelina smiled.

"Would you like to trot him?" Edwin asked. "I trot him every night, but I'm too busy to tonight," he said as he began to saddle the horse. Avelina smiled and held another piece of apple to Sigeric.

"Would you like me to ride you?" she asked him quietly. After he ate the apple he snorted and nudged her again. "I'll take that as an aye," she said quietly to Sigeric before she looked at Edwin. "I'd love to, just be sure to put a side saddle on him. I can't ride normally with my dress on." Edwin nodded and smiled at her while he finished readying Sirgeric.

Avelina trotted Sigeric around the pen and smiled as Edwin walked from the stables and leaned on the wood fence and watched her. Suddenly, thunder sounded in the sky but no lightening came before it. Sirgeric reared and took off in a fast run. Avelina grasped the reins tightly and screamed. She pulled back to get him to stop but he wouldn't. Edwin called out but Sirgeric just jumped over the tall fence, and much to their surprise he cleared the fence with no problem. Avelina gasped as Sirgeric just continued to run.

Her white linen scarf was blown free from her head and her waist length hair blew harshly behind her. She glanced back and saw the main house and the stables slowly become small specks in the distance and no matter what she did to stop him, Sirgeric would not stop.

Suddenly, a bright clasp of lightning was right before them. Avelina screamed loudly as the sound of thunder overwhelmed her ears and the last thing she remembered was a bright light before she fell forward against Sigeric's neck and into blackness.

Avelina groaned quietly as she slowly began to wake from the darkness that had consumed her. She was lying somewhere on a soft mat, but she was outside as she could feel the cool breeze against the exposed skin of her face. She was bundled securely in warm blankets of some kind and she could hear quiet talking around her and the smell of something cooking over a fire. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times to get used to the sunlight as it slowly filled the sky. Avelina shifted and began to sit up only to be overcome by a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes and rested against her elbows. She felt someone kneel next to her and she took her time opening her eyes, when she did a sight met them that she was not ready for.

A man, with long golden dark blonde hair that was slightly pulled from his face looked back at her with a questioning gaze. He was dressed in an armor of some kind but she did not recognize the pattern as one of her kingdom. Dark eyes searched her face and she searched his. His beard and brows were slightly darker than his hair and he was young, but not incredibly young she guessed no more than twenty-eight years.

"W-who are you?" she asked quietly.

"I am Éomer, son of Éomund. One of my men found you riding unconscious on your horse," he said. Avelina nodded. "What were you doing traveling through the Riddermark alone and unarmed?" he asked. Avelina looked at him confused.

"Riddermark?" she asked greatly confused. "I was on my employer's property when Sigeric was spooked and ran with me on his back. Lightning struck the ground in front of us and that is all I remember. How I came to be where I am I know not."

Éomer looked at her and studied her face. He saw no lie in her eyes as they never wavered from his and he saw a deep confusion in their dark blue depths. Whoever she was, she was young, he guessed no more than twenty years old with smooth features and an innocence to her that reminded him greatly of his sister.

"You are in Rohan and leagues away from the nearest village. When you are well enough, we will begin our ride. I trust you shall be able to ride that beast of yours." Avelina's eyes widened and she sat up fully, the cloaks that were wrapped around her pooled in her lap and her body was assaulted by the cold air.

"Sigeric is not beast. He is a great stallion," she said and the man smiled.

"That he is, but he would not let anyone of my men near you while you laid unconscious on his back. They only meant to help, but he would not give them a chance. He would only allow me near you. I must say he is an excellent breed. I have never seen his kind before." Avelina nodded as the man just looked at her. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Avelina," she said and the man smiled although there was a sadness in his smile.

"Well, Lady Avelina," he began but she shook her head fiercely with wide eyes.

"I am no lady. I am a servant for Lord Wilmington," she said quickly. The man's brow furrowed.

"I do not know who Lord Wilmington is, but I shall address you as you wish, Avelina." It was Avelina's turn to be confused because Lord Wilmington was greatly known throughout England and France. "You ride with a party of banished Eorlingas, and these are dark times. I suggest you keep to the middle of the group when we ride for your safety." Éomer stood and looked down at her. "I will ensure some food and water is brought to you before we leave." Avelina could only look at him with great confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand any of what he was talking about. The wars had long been over and she heard no news of another brewing. He turned and left her sitting there with a dazed expression on her face.

All Avelina could do was sigh and rub her face before she looked to her left to see Sigeric standing near her nibbling on some long grass. "What mess have you gotten me into Sirgeric?" she thought to herself before she laid against the mat and raised her hands to her face and covered it trying to understand what was happening.