(A/N: Not much time for an A/N tonight as I really need to get to bed but thanks guys for favoriting / story alerting my fic :D those who are getting this and anxiously waiting for my SPN fic update…TOMORROW I swear it will be up tomorrow.)

Chapter Two: A Stranger Among Them

Eowyn's footsteps clattered against the stone of the steps and echoed through the still air as she hurriedly made her way towards her uncle's hall both out of excitement and out of dread. She had heard of the Eored's return to Edoras but and with the news of their return came the news of returning with one who was injured and as was always the case, as the news spread throughout town the details shifted more times than could be counted and there was no getting a straight story if life itself depended on it. Times being what they were, it was hard for her to do anything but fear the worst; even one as skilled in battle as her brother was not immune to falling in combat. If by chance luck held and Eomer had returned unscathed, Eowyn had known most of the men in his company for many a year, if not her entire life to date, and it would grieve her to see any of them come to harm; unavoidable as it was, or not.

Muscling open the heavy oak doors of the hall and striding purposefully down an empty and somewhat foreboding corridor, Eowyn's mind was laid to rest at the sight of Eomer, a little road worn but none the less in one piece, loitering just outside a room not but halfway down the hallway.

"I worried." She sighed in relief, a broad smile painted across her face as she wrapped her arms about her brother and gave him a warm.

"You always worry." Eomer quipped and returned Eowyn's welcome. "Even when you have no cause to."

"I heard of an injury." Eowyn furrowed her brow in concern. "I thought that was cause enough. No one could speak of who it was who had come to harm...no two recountings were alike…I thought perhaps they hid the truth with a purpose. Surely you cannot find fault in my fret on account."

"You are right, and I am sorry. A good brother would not leave his sister on her own to worry as often as I." Eomer sighed and laid a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder. "But set your mind at ease Eowyn; I've come to no harm save a small scratch on my hand." He pulled off his glove and shoved his hand direct in her line of sight and smirked. "If you still have mind to fuss and fret."

Eowyn heaved and exasperated sigh and backhanded her brother playfully. "You would do well not to tease me, the day may come when you look to me to care only to find I do not."

"Perhaps." Eomer shrugged non chalantly, goading another blow from Eowyn.

"Who then of your men is wounded? And how badly? It is nothing serious I hope."

"The wounded is not of our own."

"Not of our own?" Eowyn echoed, curiosity stirred. "Then of who?"

Eomer nodded his head in the direction of the room. "See for yourself."

Motionless, Eowyn regarded him questioningly before satiating her inquisitiveness and shuffling towards the room with Eomer close in toe. There on a small yet adequate bed next to a well-stoked fire, was the injured in question. The sweet smell of herbs lingered in the air in sharp contrast to the musk of the ash and smoke of the fire as an aging nursemaid gently cleaned and applied a generous amount of thick healing save to the wound on the unconscious woman's head before turning and flashing Eowyn a quiet smile and a respectful nod of her head upon taking notice of her entry into the room.

"Not one of our own indeed." Eowyn muttered, eyes roaming over the still form of the woman before flicking to the sodden earthy green cloak and similar hued garments hanging to dry by the fire; resting among them a long sword resting in a sheath inlayed delicately with an intricate silver leafed pattern and quiver half filled with arrows, the bow to which they belonged leaned in the corner of the room. "That is the garb of a ranger."

"And not only that m'lady." The nursemaid, known to Eowyn as Myldrith, offered softly. "Come nearer and have a gander if you so wish."

Eowyn complied and leaned over the bed as Myldrith carefully skirted a handful of still dampened dark locks away from obscuring the view of a slightly elongated and gently pointed ear.

Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Eowyn half grinned over her shoulder in a mixture of excitement and intrigue; a smile returned by Eomer near instantly. Long had he known of his sister's desire for some kind of glorious life beyond the familiar walls of Meduseld and what she would call the mundane life Rohan had to offer her. He knew how much she longed to join the riders on their patrol and dreamed of taking place on patrol and delving fearlessly into combat only to know it never to be. There were laws, and more over she was his sister and quite nearly all he had left of family; even if it were permissible he would never allow Eowyn to take up the call of a warrior. Undoubtedly for her own good, his sister needed to find satisfaction in dreams confined to the safety of her mind with the hopes of on rare occasion, such as that day in particular, something foreign and new coming upon Rohan with the hope of giving her enough titillation to last out weeks or even months on end.

"She is elf kind!" Eowyn gasped, leaning closer to the unconscious maiden as though proximity itself would cause her spring back to life at once and spill forth all details of her life and trials as an immortal.

"That she is," Eomer nodded and stepped forward. "For some part at least. I do not think she is of pure blood, her stature is too small…half I would think, perhaps more."

"Elven blood is Elven blood." Myldrith chortled. "What ever she has is doing her good at any rate. She may not yet be wakeful but two days ride without dry robes and little warmth to come by and she is without fever; that is something to behold and no mistake. Her wounds may not even net my preparations for all I know."

"But it surely cannot do any harm." Eowyn encouraged the nursemaid, still mooning over the young elleth.

"Indeed no," Myldrith agreed.

"I wonder what her name is."

"She will be right as ever she once was in no time." The nursemaid forcefully tore a sheet of linen into smaller strips and motioned for Eowyn to aid her with the application of a splint to the stranger's badly broken arm. "Soon you will be able to lay her to her all the questions you so wish."

"An inquisition beyond comparison no doubt." Eomer quipped. "I would have my own questions to pose were she fit to answer." He sighed and pulled his glove back over his hand. "As she is not, however, I must take my leave."

With a polite nod to the women, he shifted his weight and made to exit the room, leaving Eowyn as the follower this time.

"You mean to take your riders out again?" She questioned him quietly.

"You know I must." Eomer replied, crestfallen at his sisters rising sadness. "A hasty departure is better for the men before the comforts of home take too firm a hold over them."

"But you've only just arrived. Stay the night brother…" She implored him. "Please? Keep your sister company."

"Day by day our borders are breached and day by day our people are under threat from beasts that have courage I've not witnessed before in a normal band of Orcs. I must go." He turned from her once more. "You know this."

"Theodred speaks endlessly of taking a company to the wild at length. Why not let him go in your stead?" Eowyn called out as Eomer took a few slow steps down the corridor.

"Strength in numbers Eowyn, both companies should patrol."

"Do not leave me here alone." She lunged for Eomer and clutched at his arm. "You have not left me alone of late and I know it is because you know not all is well in our hall. No one speaks of it but everyone sees it as the days slip by. Our uncle is overwrought and under thumb and I fear what will happen if I am bereft of both of you; he will make move, something will happen, of that I am sure."

"And if he does I will kill him as soon as I would draw breath." Eomer seethed between clenched teeth. "The days of Grima Wormtongue at Meduseld are numbered, that I promise you."

"I do not worry for my safety alone but for that of Theodred, and of yours as well. Something is about to happen Eomer…of that I am certain." Eowyn shuddered slightly at the thought of harm coming to what was left of her family. "At least with one of you keeping guard around the hall his plans are not so easily made; he is weary of retaliation with you two about."

"And so he very well should be."

"Stay Eomer, and keep watch over matters here." She pleaded. "Give word to our cousin and let his company hold patrol for a spell. You are not beyond need for rest and the comforts of home at the very least allow yourself that."

"For the night and that is all. Perhaps two, but no longer." Eomer relented with a smile and a subdued sigh, knowing full well his sister's reasoning was solid. A man of honor and duty he was perpetually torn between his duty to the Rohirrim and his unspoken duty as Eowyn's keeper; too many times had he made the wrong choice; now was the time to once again lend her his strength in any capacity she so needed it.

Eowyn smiled and tugged at his arm excitedly. "We can keep watch over our pretty Elven charge! She will be glad to be in the presence of he who saved her life when she awakes."

"You keep watch over our charge if you so see fit." He snarked with a roll of his eyes and a sardonic smile. "I am tired and I going to bed seeing as you yourself spoke of my need for the comforts of home and a good rest."