Disclaimer: Same as always... I wish someone would just give me all these characters so I didn't have to write a disclaimer all the time.
Things Worth Fighting For
Chapter 8
The camp was still asleep. Morning had not yet come, but it was not long until the sun crept over the mountains. Lothíriel was sitting in the outskirts of the camp, clad in shirt and trousers and her blue cloak. Deep in her own thoughts she did not hear another come over to her.
"What are you doing?" she looked up to see Éomer.
"Waiting," she answered with a smile.
"For what?" Éomer asked.
"The sunrise," Lothíriel said.
"You do not think you should get some sleep instead?" Éomer asked and took a seat next to her.
"I would rather watch the sunrise," Lothíriel said, smiling. "It reminds me that some things remain constant no matter where in the world you are."
"Not everywhere," Éomer said, nodding eastwards.
"Well, almost everywhere," Lothíriel said. "I was just thinking how comforting it is that the sun is the same here as it was at home. Only the surroundings are different, but the sun is the same, as is the sky and the stars." She smiled at him.
Éomer wondered if she had any idea how beautiful smile she had. And what that smile made him think. "Do you miss your home?" he asked.
"Sometimes," Lothíriel admitted. A sad smile crossed her face. Would she ever see them again? She missed her father despite of everything that had occurred before she left Dol Amroth. She missed her brothers and she missed Mariel and Valinea. She and Val had been friends for years, and when Mariel married Elphir she also became a close friend. And she missed her nephew. Lothíriel wondered how much Alphros had grown. She wondered if she would ever see him again. Would she see him become a man as his father or would she only remember him as a small child, desperately to get his parents attention?
She turned her attention back at Éomer. "Yes, I miss my home, but not as much as I miss my family. But it was my choice to leave and I will never regret my decision to leave," she looked into his eyes. "Had I not left I would never have met you."
Before Éomer had time to come up with a reply, his lips were captured in passionate kiss. All his senses left him and all he was aware of was those sweet lips upon his own. Unfortunately her lips left him just as soon as they had captured him.
Lothíriel was afraid she had drawn the wrong conclusions as he did not respond to her kiss. "Sorry, that was inappropriate of me." He did not respond, and she blushed, wondering if there was a hole in the ground somewhere she could just slip into.
Slowly Éomer's senses came to use again. "Are you sorry for kissing me?" he asked her and couldn't hide the smile that appeared upon his face.
"No," Lothíriel answered, also smiling. "I am not sorry."
"Good," Éomer said and recaptured her lips. This kiss was filled with passion from them both, not only one-sided as the first had been.
Had any of the Rohirrim been awake, they would have seen the two of them in a passionate kiss, the rising of the sun in the background.
When the men woke, Éomer and Lothíriel continued pretending as if nothing was different, as if they had not crossed a sacred line that perhaps was better not crossed. Lothíriel had no idea where to go from here. Did she tell him that she had lied to him? About her name, her reason for leaving home, about... everything.
She could not tell him. It was only a kiss. She did not even know if he felt anything for her, but by the Valar she felt something for him!
Riding next to Galrim and Déorl all day certainly was a test of strength. They expected her to talk, as they always did, but her thoughts were nowhere near a conversation with her friends. All she managed to think about was that kiss, his lips, his eyes, his voice... all she managed to think about was Éomer.
Ahead of the éored, Éomer was having similar problems. He barely managed to focus on what Éothain was talking about.
"I think we should consider the possibility of..."
Éomer had no idea what his friend was talking about. It might be important, so he decided to pay attention.
"But then again..."
Forget it. It was hopeless. Whatever Éothain was talking about, it could not be that important. Unwillingly Éomer's thoughts travelled to Lady Liriel. She had the capability to catch him by surprise. He had not expected her to kiss him, but he did not mind. He had been so close to kiss her the night at the stream. He had done it if Éothain had not interrupted them. Now he had almost forgiven his friend. He glanced at Éothain. He would forgive him if he would just shut up soon.
Lothíriel sighed. They were surrounded by men, so there would be no way to get to talk to Éomer in private. She started brushing Thalion. She smiled as she remembered their kiss this morning.
"You must be more thoughtful when you are taking care of your horse." She turned around to see Éomer standing next to her with Firefoot.
She realized she must have forgotten all about Thalion, as the brush had fallen to the ground. She picked it up. "Sorry, Thalion. Im car ú-nautha. Im car ú-faeg an."
Éomer raised an eyebrow at her. "Was I so caught up in your beauty that your words sounded as if spoken in a different tongue?" He talked in a low voice, since the men was not far away. Not close enough to hear them if they spoke quietly.
Lothíriel blushed slightly. "No, you heard what I said. The Elvish tongue is still used much in Gondor, and even more so in Dol Amroth."
"Dol Amroth? Is that where you are from?" Éomer asked.
Oh, start thinking before talking! "Not far away," she answered. She hated it that the lies came so easily, but she could not tell him she was a princess from Dol Amroth. He would send her back home, and then she would never see him again. And she could not bear that.
"I do not think we could get away tonight," he said, looking around. "There is too high a risk for us being seen together, and I do not think it would be good for the éored if they knew what their marshal had been up to lately."
"I understand, Éomer," Lothíriel said, smiling.
"So I will just have to wish you a good night then, Liriel," Éomer said.
Éomer was cleaning his sword when Éothain took a seat next to him. "Anything to report?" Éomer asked.
"Nay, all is good," Éothain answered.
"Then why this strange look upon your face, my friend?" Éomer asked.
Éothain shrugged. "What is going on between you and Lady Liriel?"
Éomer frowned. "Where do you have that from?"
"You do not deny it," Éothain commented. "So something is going on?"
"The relationship between Lady Liriel and I is none of your business," Éomer said, continuing to clean his sword. Had he glanced at his friend he would have noticed the grin upon his face.
"Relax, Éomer," Éothain said, chuckling. "Even a fool could have guessed what happened down at the stream."
Well, because of you nothing happened, Éomer thought. "And what do you think happened?"
"It is not my place to guess your affairs, Éomer," Éothain replied. "Although I have to admit she is a beautiful woman."
Éomer nodded, "yes." He stared in her direction and could not get his eyes off her.
"Well, it is good to see someone has finally caught your heart," Éothain said.
Éomer looked at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Relax. I am only glad someone has your heart. Although I find it ironic that the woman to do so is not a Rohirric shieldmaiden, but a shieldmaiden from Gondor," Éothain said.
"Are you implying that I have lost my heart to her?" Éomer asked.
"I am not implying anything, my friend. I am stating a fact," and with that he left.
Éomer stared at the steel of his sword while pondering Éothain's words. Was he right? Had he indeed fallen for her? Glancing over at her again, where she was seated with some of her friends, he could not help but feel a little jealous that she was not here with him.
He looked at his sword again. He couldn't have fallen for her. No, this was only something that would pass. It would be complicated if he had fallen for her. He had sworn never to wed anyone like his sister! Not a woman who would train with him with a sword or race across the plains of Rohan. He glanced at her again as she laughed of something one of the men had said, making a movement in the air that was supposed to be a stroke with a blade.
Oh,Bema help him! He had fallen for a shieldmaiden from Gondor!
"Wake up, Rohirrim! Where is your Marshal? Éomer, where are you?"
Lothíriel opened one eye, and then the other, wondering what was going on. Had that booming voice only been a dream? No, it had not. She realized that when she saw that magnificent white horse riding into the camp. She then noticed who was riding it. Mithrandir! He cannot see me! He will recognize me! What if he tells Éomer?
Éomer was fully awake when he heard that voice. He was standing, his sword in his hand. "What is going on?"
Gandalf saw him and rode over to him. "Ah, Éomer, there you are."
"Gandalf?" Éomer looked puzzled at him. "What are you doing here?"
"I come from Edoras and bring grave tidings," Gandalf said and dismounted. "Théoden King is no longer under the spell of the traitor Saruman. However Saruman seek revenge and has bred an army that will attack Rohan in a short time, I fear. Your uncle has lead the people to Helm's Deep to seek refugee, but I fear there is nowhere out of the Deep shall they be trapped."
Éomer nodded. "There is no way. Only the caves there are to hide within, but there is no way out of them."
"Under an attack, Théoden will be hard pressed there," Gandalf said. "You must come, Éomer, and aid your king." He paused for a moment. "Éowyn is there with them. I am grieved to tell you that your cousin is dead."
Éomer nodded, refusing to show any feelings in front of his men that were near by. "And the king... he is well then?"
Gandalf nodded. "Théoden is the man you remember from your childhood, Éomer. But time is of no waste now shall we reach Helm's Deep before it is too late."
"We will reach the Deep before it is too late," Éomer said. He turned to give orders to his men. "Break camp! We ride at once!"
Gandalf went to the outskirts of the camp to wait for the Rohirrim to break camp. Lothíriel already had her armour on, and leading Thalion by the reins, she approached Gandalf. He saw her, a surprised look upon his face. He started to greet her in a quite loud voice. "Ah, Pri..."
Lothíriel ran forward and jumped up and placed her hand over his mouth. "Do not say my name!" She looked around to see if anyone had seen her before she took her hand away. "I am simply Liriel here."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "That does not keep me from wondering what the only daughter of Prince Imrahil is doing here, surrounded by Riders of Rohan that were banished some time ago, not to mention the fact that shewas wearing Rohirric armour."
"Mithrandir, please, I can explain, but as you said yourself time cannot be wasted," Lothíriel said. "We must come to aid of Éomer's people."
Again Gandalf raised an eyebrow at her. She wondered if it was because of the informal manner she had said Éomer's name in or the fact that she had said 'we must come to aid'. Apparently it was the latter.
"And by saying 'we' what do you mean?" Gandalf asked.
"I promise I will explain all when I have the chance, but for the love of the Valar, can you not let the subject pass for now?" Lothíriel asked.
"Until later. Indeed Imrahil has quite stubborn children. You are no better than your brothers," Gandalf said.
"Hannon lle, Mithrandir. I take that as a compliment," she smiled.
Éomer came over to them. "One of the scouts saw Erkenbrand with his éored yesterday. They were far from the Deep..."
Gandalf nodded. "I will find Erkenbrand, Marshal, and we will meet you tomorrow afternoon at last," he mounted Shadowfax and was on his way.
Éomer turned at Lothíriel. "Are you meaning to ride with us?"
"Well, I am not staying here," she replied, "of course I am coming with you."
"It is not just a few Orcs we are after. This will be a great battle, Liriel. I will not have you hurt again," Éomer said.
"And I will not be. Éomer, I have trained with your éored for many weeks. You have seen me fight. If you still believed me to be a boy we would not be having this conversation," Lothíriel said. "And it is my decision if I come or not. I will not let you and my friends ride to Helm's Deep alone. You are far better off if I am with you. And did I mention it is my decision? And what are you going to do anyway? Tie me to a horse and send me well on my way back to Edoras? I will either ride with you or after you. So you really have no choice but to allow me to ride with you." She was out of breath.Éomer shook his head. "You are more stubborn than anyone I have ever met. I can order you to stay behind."
"No, actually, you can not. I will still come," Lothíriel said. "Had you not discovered me, I would have obeyed almost every order you had given, but since you now know I am a woman I will not obey your orders since I am not really a member of your éored."
Éomer sighed. "What if I say you are a member of the éored, and since I am the Marshal, I can order you to stay behind?"
She smiled. "Well, since I am now officially a member of your éored again, I say that you cannot leave me behind since being a member of the éored means that I have sworn an oath to defend the Mark against its enemies. Therefore I cannot stay behind, and you have no way to win this argument. Besides time is running out," she reminded him.
Éomer looked around. The men were ready. "Fine," he growled and they both mounted, she with a satisfied look upon her face. "Forth Eorlingas!" And the Rohirrim rode south.
They rode through the rest of the night and the morn without rest and at afternoon that day they met up with Gandalf and Erkenbrand. Together they continued to Helm's Deep.
Translations:
Im car ú-nautha. Im car ú-faeg an – I did not think. I did not mean to
Hannon lle, Mithrandir – Thank you, Mithrandir
ellenflower: Bad timing indeed! I am sure Éomer agrees with you. At least Éothain does not like to stand up at sunrise so he could not ruin it this time. Glad you've enjoyed my story, and I finally found the website. Thanks!
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yes, wasn't it annoying that he came? Well, it went better this time. Thanks for your review!
lady scribe of avandell: Glad you liked it! And they finally kissed in this chapter, without any interruption! Thanks for this review and all the others!
So, as you can see I need more reviewers. Have some sympathy with me and push that nice little button so you can review, all right? I'll thank all of you.
Well, I'm tired and I've got to stand up early tomorrow. Am I just so happy to sleep long in the morning that I feel sorry for myself that I have to stand up 11.30? Well, enough from me for now. I'm tired and I got a cold, and I'm going to bed.
