Chapter Eight: On the Horizon
A knock on her door interrupted Olwen's breakfast the next morning. She had just returned from the garden, and she wondered briefly who could be seeking her so early.
"Lady Éowyn!"
Éowyn took in her appearance with approval. "You are dressed already, good. I hoped you were not one of those females who take forever to get ready in the mornings."
Olwen hid a smile—clearly parts of Éowyn remained a shield maiden. "I was just eating my breakfast and then I shall be ready…" She let the sentence dangle, for she still was not quite sure why Éowyn was here.
"For the Houses of Healing. I have thought about it, and I decided King Elessar's idea was a good one. Of course, there are not many injured for the Master Warden to care for, but I am sure he can find ways to occupy your time."
Olwen spread butter and jam on a thick slice of bread. "Let us go—I can eat this while we walk."
Éowyn led the way out of the Citadel and down the quiet street Olwen was already familiar with. Of course the gardens are attached to the Houses of Healing.
The entry was so dimly lit that for a moment she could not see. In the absence of sight, her other senses were heightened, and the musty aroma of dried herbs overwhelmed her. She swayed slightly and Éowyn caught her arm. "My lady, are you feeling unwell?"
"Nay Éowyn, 'tis but the scent. I had forgotten the sweet smell of athelas."
"I shall never forget."
Though Éowyn's voice was low, Olwen heard and wondered. She did not have time to ask though, for the Master Warden arrived at that moment. After some hard questions, they soon learned that her knowledge of herblore rivaled the king's. He was thrilled to discover this and sent her to the herb room, where she was quickly put to work assessing and managing the stores.
The time flew by and she was surprised when Éowyn came and told her it was lunch time. "And when we have eaten, I have ordered horses to be saddled for us." The prospect of a ride quickened Olwen's steps and she rushed through the cold meats that had been prepared for them. In little time, they were riding out of the Great Gate onto the wide plains of the Pelennor.
Olwen noticed things she had missed due to her nerves on her previous ride. "I did not realize people lived here!" she cried when she spied a small house.
"Not many do," Éowyn answered. "In truth, the war was not kind to these people. Their homes were destroyed in battle, their farmlands trampled by horses."
Olwen frowned and turned her horse toward the closest house. "What has the king done to help them?" Éowyn did not answer and Olwen looked over her shoulder. "Éowyn? What help has King Elessar offered these people?"
"The king has been busy gaining peace for all his people," Éowyn finally answered.
Olwen's lips thinned. "What good is peace when you do not have bread? Let us find out what aid we can offer."
Two hours later, the ladies rode back toward Minas Tirith. "I had no idea," Éowyn said. "I have lived less than a league from these people and I never gave their struggle a second thought. How did you know?"
"I do not know—but I am glad I did."
Neither lady spoke again until they were inside the Citadel. The memory of the farmer and his wife striving for just a mouthful of bread for their five children had struck them hard. They had lived through two winters already; Olwen did not think they would make it through a third without help.
After they dismounted, Éowyn turned to Olwen. "Will you join us again for supper tonight, Lady Olwen? I have not had many female friends in my life, but I enjoyed your company."
Olwen gnawed on her lip. "I do not know… what will the king think?" She remembered the way he had dismissed Vénea the previous day. I do not want to see that cold disdain leveled at me.
"King Elessar will rejoice to see us both settling into Minas Tirith," Éowyn assured her.
Olwen was not positive Éowyn was correct, but she acquiesced nonetheless and a few hours later she found herself back in the small dining room enjoyed by the king. He and Faramir had not yet arrived and she gingerly sat down in the wooden chair farthest from his seat at the head of the table.
The men joined them a few minutes later, and Aragorn's manner soon put her fears to rest. Thus the pattern of her days was set: mornings in the herb store room, afternoons riding with Éowyn, and dinner with the king. One afternoon when they returned to the city, there was a strange horse in the stable. "Legolas is here," Éowyn said. "He is a friend of the king and one of the nine Companions of the Ring. Dinner tonight will be merry."
Olwen smiled faintly to hide her nerves and escaped to her room as quickly as she could. When the dinner hour approached, she paced in front of her door a few times before opening it to call for a servant. "I wish to have a tray brought to my room this evening. Please tell Lady Éowyn that I am indisposed and will not be dining in company."
The servant bowed slightly and hurried away to do as she'd been asked. After she left, Olwen wondered again at her reluctance to meet the king's friend, but she could not find an answer.
She rose at dawn the next morning and dressed hurriedly against the chill that lingered in the air. Though it would soon be too cold to spend much time outdoors, she would not sacrifice her sunrise vigil. Ornendil was in his usual place when she stepped out of her room, and he shook his head in answer to her questioning look. She smiled in thanks and then walked away.
This was the first time she had slept through two nights in a row without sleep walking. The incidents were becoming more and more sporadic as she settled into her new life, and she eagerly awaited the day when she would no longer need a guard on her door.
The garden was silver with frost when she arrived. She touched a leaf gently, knowing it would soon fade in the pull of winter. Most of the flowers were already brown and dying; it would not be long before the entire garden was covered with snow.
Already the eastern horizon was changing from grey to pale yellow, and she hurried over to the garden wall. She held her breath as the sun finally crested over the edge of the world, turning everything in its path golden. For a long moment she stood still under the morning light, whispering a prayer of thanks to the Valar that had graced her with this life.
Each day, she was poignantly aware of how much she had been given. When she wandered the Citadel and the lower levels of the city, she was struck again by the kindness King Elessar had shown her by bringing her into his home. He claimed it was his responsibility to see she was cared for, but she knew not many would have enough compassion to carry that duty as far as he had.
After a month in Minas Tirith she was beginning to see that this was simply his manner in all things. He treated the serving maids who waited at their table with the same dignity he accorded to herself and Éowyn.
Her gaze landed on one of the houses dotting the Pelennor and she frowned. She had not had a chance to speak with the king on this, and it ate at her. He is so considerate of everything else, how can he neglect his duty here?
When the sun had fully risen, she turned to leave. She did not get far however, for outside the garden gate she ran into a tall Elf she realized must be Legolas. "I apologize for my clumsiness," she said.
"There is no need," the elf said, taking her hands and pulling her up to face him. "It could just as easily be said that I ran into you. I do not believe we have met. I am Legolas."
"I am Lady Olwen."
His eyes lit up. "Ah, Lady Olwen. I heard much about you yesterday and was sorry you did not join us for dinner."
"I am sorry I disappointed you. I found I was…" She paused, and the truth came to her. "In truth, I was weary of meeting new faces."
His laughter eased the embarrassment her admission caused. "How often I have wished I could simply keep to myself rather than meet all the visitors to my father's realm. Well, we have met now my lady. Would you be kind enough to break your fast with me?"
His easy manner erased all her reticence. "I would be delighted."
They walked back toward the palace together and informed a servant they wished to eat. The arrival of their food halted conversation for a time. Once the servants had left, Olwen asked Legolas about himself, and by the time there were done with their meal she felt she had gained another friend. As with Faramir and Éowyn, Legolas did not ask uncomfortable questions about her past, and she could only assume that King Elessar had informed him of her memory loss and she mentally added this to the list of his kindnesses.
That evening, dinner in the king's dining room was a lively affair. Olwen was delighted to discover that Legolas' long acquaintance with Aragorn offered many entertaining stories, which he did not hesitate to share. The king was unusually laid back, and Olwen found this relaxed Aragorn even more likable.
When supper was over, Aragorn joined Legolas in the library so they could catch up "Tell me, Legolas. What is your real reason for coming to Minas Tirith this winter? I well know how trapped you feel here."
Legolas accepted the glass of Elven wine Aragorn offered and sat down in front of the fireplace. "You are right, mellon nin. I am here to ask a favor of you."
Aragorn sat down and crossed his legs in front of him. "Whatever you ask, it is yours."
His words sparked a teasing light in his friend's eye, and he felt a smile tug at the corners of his own mouth. "Are you not concerned that I might ask for something you cannot give?"
Aragorn laughed outright. "I have known you for many years, Legolas. I believe I can afford your tastes, however extravagant they may run."Legolas raised one elegant brow and Aragorn chuckled again.
Slowly, the laughter disappeared from the Elf's expression and Aragorn sobered as well. Whatever he wishes to ask is serious.
Legolas stared into the fire for so long that Aragorn almost prodded him to speak. "I have traveled far in the years since the destruction of the Enemy, but I have not found a place where I feel at home. The glories of the Glittering Caves, as wondrous as they are, are no place for an Elf. I thought that perhaps I could find rest under the eaves of Fangorn, but for the first time in my life, trees did not soothe the ache in my fëa. And even when I went to my father's home, I knew I no longer belonged there."
Aragorn's heart sank, for he knew why his friend was so restless. "You have heard the call of the sea, Legolas. You will never be at peace until you follow it into the West."
Legolas shook his head. "I have many friends yet in Middle-earth. I am not ready to leave for Elven home."
"I confess I am relieved to hear that, for I did not want to say good bye to yet another friend." The two men looked at each other, and names hung between them, unspoken. "So tell me, what did you want to ask?"
"The sea does call to me. If I could live in a place nearer the water the deep need I feel might be assuaged, and this is my request. I would like to bring some of my kin and settle South Ithilien."
As soon as the words were spoken, Aragorn felt the rightness in them. In his mind's eye, he saw the neglected glades restored to their earlier beauty, and even greater. The presence of the Elves would bring nature back to the land. "Gondor would welcome you and your brethren. The land of South Ithlien I give as home for Elves as long as you remain on these shores."
Legolas smiled, and Aragorn saw relief in his eyes. "Thank you, Aragorn. And now I find the late hour catching up with me. Good night."
Aragorn remained in the library for a few hours after Legolas had gone, reading over papers that needed his signature. When at last his work was done he stood, wincing as he straightened the kinks in his back. He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension that came from too many hours spent hunched over books and parchment.
The corridors were silent as he walked to his room. He was almost there when a slight shuffling alerted him to the fact that he was not alone. The situation was so like the time he had found Olwen sleep walking that he expected to see her when he turned. Why did Ornendil not stop her?
The answer was obvious as soon as he turned around: it was not Lady Olwen after all. "Lady Vénea! What are you doing walking the halls so late?" And so scantily clad, he added silently, for the lady was dressed in a sheer gown that did little to hide her considerable assets.
A moment later, those assets were pressed against him when Vénea threw herself into his arms. "Your Highness!" she exclaimed. "I am so relieved to see you!"
Aragorn gently disentangled himself from her grasp before answering. "How may I help you, my lady?"
Vénea shuddered delicately, one hand pressed against her cheek. "I had the most horrible dream, and when I woke I could not bear to stay in my dark room all alone. I thought only to walk the halls until I could sleep, but I fear I became terribly turned around. Everything looks so different in the dark."
Aragorn was quite sure he was being set up, but as much as he wished, he could not leave her alone. "I would be glad to escort you back to your room." Her face fell slightly and he wondered what offer she had hoped for. However, she took his arm and allowed herself to be led back to her own room, which was in truth but a few corridors away. Once he was free of the lady, Aragorn finally returned to his own room and bed.
As he did every morning, he rose early and went to the window. Since the first morning he had seen Olwen slip from the Citadel to greet the dawn, he had watched her, observing her ritual. He knew it was a fanciful way to start the day, but the pleasure she took in these few moments eased some of the ache in his own heart.
This morning as he watched her glide across the courtyard, he was driven by a sudden impulse to join her. Before he could consider his actions, he pulled his cloak on and a moment later, he was out under the fading stars. The morning air was crisp and he breathed deeply of smoke and the earthy smells of autumn as he walked toward the garden.
He paused for a moment at the gate. The stone walls surrounding this green, living place had often seemed odd to him. He was not accustomed to seeing nature contained in this way. It had seemed to him as a young man when he had first come to the city, though he was slightly used to it now. Still, he felt a slight foreboding of what would happen to them if they could not learn nature was not something that could be subdued by men.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he was almost upon Olwen before he saw her. He managed to stop before she could sense his presence and watched her. It was nearly sunrise, and she stood facing the east as she always did.
Up close like this the moment seemed much more intimate than it had from his chamber window. He had not been able to see before the faint smile that played with the ends of her lips as she let those first rays of the dawn caress her face. He noticed the way the pink hues danced over her features and suddenly had difficulty breathing. Perhapos I should not have come.
He shifted and the frosty grass crunched beneath his feet. Olwen opened her eyes with a little gasp. "My lord!" she said. "I did not expect to see you here."
Aragorn smiled, feeling a bit like a child caught doing something they knew to be wrong. "I have watched you many a morning from my window," he pointed toward the turret window, "and I decided to join you today. I hope that is not to your dislike?"
She pursed her lips slightly and he knew she was truly considering his question. When she finally answered, she spoke slowly, as if she had just discovered something interesting. "Nay, not at all. I confess I have thought of this time as my chance to prepare for the day in solitude, but your presence does not hinder me from that."
He looked at her closely. Though she was talking to him, she was still smiling and leaning into the embrace of the sun. "You truly love the dawn, do you not my lady?"
She looked at him then. "Aye, I do. The day is fresh, with no irritations or mistakes to mar it."
He paused. The thought had never occurred to him. He was well acquainted with the cold face of the dawn, but he had always preferred the fading light of evening. With her words, he could see the possibilities of morning better than he ever had before.
"Have you always loved mornings, do you think?" he asked, careful to keep his tone light.
She did not answer at once, and he worried that his veiled reference to her memory loss had hurt her. "I cannot say," she said finally. "This moment when I first greet the day is certainly tied to when I woke for the first time in the misty woods. Perhaps that is why I love it—if I did not, I would fear it, and that would do little good."
Her words were wise, and Aragorn found himself pitying the lady and admiring her not a little. "You have taught me much this morning," he murmured. "I trust I will continue to learn from you, if you will allow me to join you in the mornings."
The sun rose fully over the horizon at just that moment, and he could not tell if the sudden flush on her face was because of his words, or from the light of the sun. At any rate, it cemented more fully for him the thought that she was a creature of the morning, and when she nodded her assent, he felt a rush of achievement.
The following morning, he rose just before the dawn and followed the previous morning's path into the garden. This morning, the lady was not surprised to see him and greeted him with a smile. He smiled in return, and without a word they turned to watch the sun as it rose over the city.
He was surprised that he could share such a comfortable silence in the presence of one he had known for but a short time. There was something familiar to him about Olwen, though he could not put his finger on what it was. He glanced over at her in the early morning light and studied her. After several long moments, he realized it was her serenity that he recognized. She was utterly at peace with herself and her surroundings in a way that reminded him much of the Elves.
Unaware of his intense gaze, she turned from the sun and wandered beneath the trees. There she found a small clump of elanor growing, and she knelt to breath deeply of their fragrance. I should leave her; she is no longer aware of my presence.
His feet would not obey the will of his mind however, and after a moment, she felt his gaze on her and turned to look at him. "Did you need something, my lord?"
He flushed, though he did not know why. "Nay, my lady. I was simply trying to… Never mind. It matters not. Have you broken your fast yet?"
"I have eaten breakfast with Legolas these last few mornings, but I am sure he would not mind if I abandoned him this once." Again, he felt a small thrill and wondered at it. Why should I be happy she chooses to spend her time with me?
He shook his head and offered her his arm. Together, they returned to the Citadel and he led her to the dining room where a meal was already laid out for him.
She took it in with a raised eyebrow as she sat down at the table. "Do you often eat this early, Aragorn?" she questioned.
He laughed ruefully. "I am afraid, Lady Olwen, that the glamour of kingship is all for show. In reality, it is many hours of hard work. I rise with the sun and do not sleep until well after it has set. There are many nights when I can be found in the royal study long into the night, pouring over some official document or another."
Now it was her turn to study him. "You take your duties very seriously, don't you?"
He nodded. "I do. They have been impressed upon me since a very early age, even before I knew of my heritage."
"You did not always know you were the heir to the throne?"
"The heirs of Isildur have been fostered by Elrond at Imladris for generations," he began. "There too was I raised, and out of wisdom he kept my true identity from me. The Shadow of the Enemy was at that time growing stronger, and he knew war would come in my lifetime. I was given the name Estel, and loved by Elrond as if I were his own."
"When did you learn the truth?"
"I was twenty when Elrond saw the time had come to tell me who I truly was." And the next day I met Arwen. He shook his head again; this was the first time in many months that a memory of Arwen had slipped into his conscious mind.
He cleared his throat and continued. "My father showed me the Shards of Narsil and told me who my ancestors had been. It was a surprise to me, and yet not wholly, for I had always felt that there was some doom hanging over me, some hold that fate had on me that would not let me go. In truth, it was a relief to find out what it was."
"Perhaps this is why I feel so at ease with you," Olwen murmured. He looked at her in question, and she shrugged slightly. "You understand what it is like to not know who you really are."
He saw again in her eyes the bleak loneliness that appeared now and again, and he took her hand. "Fear not, my lady. I do not believe you will be alone forever."
She rose from the table, and he mirrored the movement as courtesy demanded. "I hope you have a pleasant day, my lord."
On the way back to her chamber, Olwen considered the king's actions. He had been watching her, apparently for many days. Why did he choose to join me today? It was the first time she had spent alone with him since that afternoon in the library. Then he had invited her to breakfast—where I very nearly broke down, she remembered with a groan.
Something about King Elessar made her feel vulnerable. Talking to him brought to the surface all the emotions she worked so hard to keep hidden. Part of her wished she had not agreed to let him to join her in the mornings, but he had looked so hopeful that she had not felt she could refuse him anything.
She recalled his comments about duty while she prepared to join Éowyn in the Houses of Healing, and she frowned. I do not see why he does not take care of the poor on his own doorstep. Perhaps I can speak with him about it tomorrow morning.
