Before the Storm

Following the funeral procession, she caught sight of the same maiden from the hall who stood near the grave of her cousin, donned in black much like her countrymen with her blonde hair pulled from her face, and she did not need to look on her for long to recognize the grief of their loss had fallen hard on her. The she-elf looked momentarily to the king who was at the helm behind the litter and her shoulders gave the slightest hunch at noting the wooden way he walked as he kept his gaze down.

Memories of when they had laid Thorin to rest surfaced in her mind's eye and her nostrils flared as she ignored the dull ache somewhere in her heart in response to that day.

'Do not let them meet my fate, save them…'

Eäriel slid her eyes closed when they at last stopped to stand to the side as the prince –Théodred, as she had learned he was called, the youthful and only son of the king who had met an unfortunate and untimely end— was gently lowered into the family tomb.

When did the state of the world get so depraved, she wondered, to have a son be outlived by his father?

The Rohirric language morphed into a sad song filled the quiet air of the funeral, and her left ear twitched at hearing it come from the blonde maiden standing across from her.

The elleth knew too well for her liking the grief-filled tone the other woman carried in her voice as she sang. She opened her eyes when the song ended and the tomb was closed, glancing to the wizard as he stood closest to the king while the black-clad onlookers slowly left the burial site to return to the city; she looked to her companions to have Aragorn be the first to leave, and Boromir shortly followed, until she, Legolas and Gimli left as well to give the king time to mourn on his own.

It wasn't like this was the first life that was taken based on Saruman's greed, and even so, Eäriel felt further disgust and resentment towards the fallen wizard as if he had killed the boy with his own hand.

Of course she knew it wouldn't last, not if she had anything to say about it.

The five companions entered the great hall and Gimli politely asked the servants to give them food for they were hungry and hadn't eaten a decent meal in a month or so.

Legolas looked at their female as she joined Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir in the meal brought to them, briefly surprised she was as hungry as their friends; of course he supposed it made some sense, given her lineage. He knew her mother had had a measure of mortal blood, given she had been called a 'half-breed' by not just his father but also by other elves in the Greenwood, so to see his old friend eat like a man only surprised him for a moment. He was pulled out of his thoughts when she tossed an apple to him from the tray, to which he caught expertly; he lightly shook his head when she wiped her mouth with the side of her left arm. "I take it you got tired of lembas as well, then." He said.

"You must remember that I was friends with dwarves for a number of years." Eäriel remarked calmly before taking a sip of the ale in her goblet, nodding to the apple she'd given him and adding, "Since you're retaining the 'stoic prince' outlook so well." A smirk played at her lips as she tilted her head a smidge.

Legolas rolled his eyes on habit at her quip and took a bite of the apple regardless. "As well as you retain your 'untamed she-elf' outlook… It's rather old by now, I might add." He returned the head-tilt and only smiled innocently when she gave a 'humph' and looked away to take a hearty sip of her ale.

Boromir looked on at the elves' banter and shared a look with Aragorn who sat at his right only for the latter to give a slight shake of the head as he smoked his pipe. He took a sip of ale from his own goblet and sighed slightly, "I imagine Saruman will want to strike Rohan soon, despite the king's will trying to recover from his loss." He mused aloud.

Legolas chimed, "Mourning his son has driven his mind from any thoughts of an impending war… War will be on his doorstep if he doesn't act soon."

"That is most likely why we're here, then." Gimli surmised.

Eäriel exhaled slightly, "Gandalf could counsel him, yes, I have no doubt about that. But still, Théoden will undoubtedly be leery of trusting a wizard again… Gandalf will have to choose his words carefully unless he's seen as trying to do what Saruman did." She wrinkled her nose at mention of the other wizard even as a measure of pity welled inside her at understanding Théoden's point of view.

"If all else fails, your diplomatic tongue will be put to use." Aragorn gave her a look, smiling a bit when she made a sideways expression at his jab regarding her past.

Eäriel started to remark before the doors of the hall burst open at that moment, causing the five to look to both Théoden and Gandalf who walked in.

The former carried a young boy in his arms as the latter held what appeared to be the boy's younger sister in one arm, the king commanding the servants bring blankets and food. She stood immediately when catching Gandalf's quick glance extended to her and went to his aid to see to the boy, finding he didn't look much older than ten. She looked to the servant who shortly came forth with blankets and a jug of water plus a cloth to dampen, taking the cloth and doing so to gently revive the boy as she didn't have her bag with her, patting down his forehead with the damp cloth. "Looks like he's been riding for days, the poor lad." She said as compassion overcame her regarding the boy and his sister who was crying for her mother, her piercing eyes never leaving the boy even as a maid came to gather the girl and take her to the kitchens while assuring her that her brother would be fine.

The boy came to after a few minutes, much to her relief, quickly looking and finding the king standing to the right, and he began telling him of his village being raided by orcs and wildmen, that the Westfold burned. He was then taken to a room to be properly tended to as Théoden cleared the hall save the six companions plus a half-dozen of his men that remained.

Eäriel once again felt pity towards the king as he retook his throne chair and sat with a hand over his face with the sense of exhaustion about him, and she folded her arms at her chest while standing by Boromir's side of their table.

Seems they had spoken too soon, hadn't they?

Seated at the king's left, Gandalf chose to break the grim silence of the hall in saying, "The burning of the Westfold is just a taste of what Saruman will unleash." He wasn't wrong in any sense of the word in her opinion, and she was glad he took to advising Théoden for the poor man looked like his strength was completely spent. He placed a hand on the chair arm and added, "Draw him away from your women and children… You have to fight."

Théoden seemed to bristle slightly at having the wizard at his ear albeit the intentions were different, stiffly rising from his chair to step away as if to pace before the throne. "We've not the strength to battle Saruman, for Grima has already done his master's bidding well in lessening Rohan's defenses."

"You have good men riding north at this moment," Boromir said, "Éomer is loyal to you; he would return without hesitation to fight for his king."

Eäriel afforded a small smile at the aforementioned man's loyalty to his king, as she had both shown it and seen it firsthand among her dwarvish friends… Yes, she knew well of that unwavering loyalty.

"They will be a few hundred leagues from here by now… Éomer cannot help us." Théoden rebutted. He continued when the wizard approached him moments later, "I already know what you want of me, but I will not bring more death upon my people… I will not risk open war." He looked to the Istari who stopped when he spoke as their stares met.

"Whether you risk it or not, war is upon you regardless." Aragorn remarked as he lowered his pipe.

Eäriel sensed the tension her friend brought out in the king at his words, and she shot him a look as Théoden glared at him. Well someone had to say it… "Gwador…" She began.

"Last I looked, Théoden and not Aragorn was king of Rohan. You will not tell me how to rule my kingdom." Théoden stated frostily.

Legolas and Gimli shared a look at sensing the near-electric tension; Boromir frowned between both men; Eäriel's stare was fixed on Théoden even though she had more than enough cause to remind Aragorn of their objective.

They were only here to help, not run the bloody country.

"And what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked in hopes of destroying the tension in the room.

oO0Oo

"Helm's Deep!" Huffed Gimli, striding alongside his companions, "They flee to the mountains rather than fighting for their home."

At the king's command, the residents of Edoras were to take their families and what they could carry to flee to their ancestral keep carved into the southern tip of the Misty Mountains, so to avoid a slaughter that would undoubtedly come.

She couldn't deny that she disliked fleeing much like Gimli, but at the same time, avoiding a massacre was a better option…

It wasn't the greatest, or wisest, though.

"Théoden is only doing what he believes is best for his people," Aragorn pointed out. "Helm's Deep has helped them greatly in years past."

Gandalf remarked, "There is no way in or out of that ravine, so bloodshed is inevitable in any aspect…" He stopped when leading the five to the stables, pausing at the stall where Shadowfax stood waiting before turning to them, "I ride for Eomer and his host, for we will need every sword and spear we can manage; war is coming, whether Theoden wishes for it or not." He did not miss the slightest tightening of the she-elf's eyes at mention of another war, perhaps the greatest war she willingly walked into in his opinion, and he addressed the five, "make your stand with Rohan and ensure that the defenses will hold… On the fifth day, look to my coming at first light," he then stepped into the stall to hoist himself astride the mighty stallion, "Look to the east."

Eäriel stepped to the left as wizard and steed shortly exited the stables and soon Edoras for all she knew, having a muzzle nudge her back when she moved closer to one stall, and she turned to look on her mare. She smiled on her friend as her male comrades left the stables, her smile faltering when both she and Aeglos looked to the lone stallion in the stables that was not calm like his fellow horses, recognizing the dark steed's sense of grief and resistance as he fought against the stablehands trying to calm him and place him in his stall. She raised a brow when Aragorn came back to help the men, sidestepping them yet she clearly heard the elvish words he spoke to the restless stallion as he calmly took charge of calming him and therein relieving the stablehands of their task.

"His name is Brego, he was my cousin's steed." Both friends looked to the maiden who had lingered to watch the Ranger, Éowyn as the elleth recalled from the other day, her green eyes looking to the man.

"That is a kingly name, then." Aragorn mused to the placated stallion, earning a quiet nicker from him.

Eäriel smiled at her friend before she resumed finishing brushing her mare's mane, looking up again when Éowyn approached the two.

She wasn't blind nor was she incompetent.

"…I did not expect to see the magic of elves in a man; you speak like one of their own." Éowyn observed.

Aragorn imagined the lone elleth looked his way at her words and he smiled slightly, "I was raised in Rivendell for a bit." He gave the rope for the steed's bridle to her, "Set him free for I deem that he has seen enough of war." He then stepped away to leave the stables in favor of saddling Hasufel as he had originally intended to do.

Fixing the mare's bridle and tack, Eäriel led Aeglos out of her stall to get a bit of fresh air, momentarily meeting the blonde woman's green stare as it fell on her and she smiled briefly when their stares met before continuing out of the stables. She found Aragorn settling the tack on his chestnut steed and paused to let Aeglos greet Hasufel. "I think she likes you." She said.

Aragorn straightened from settling the tack at her observation and he remarked in the same tongue, "It's not polite to eavesdrop."

Eäriel rolled her eyes as he was fixing the bridle and offered a piece of apple to Hasufel from the small pouch on Aeglos' saddle, "It's not like I'm going to make you stay with my sister… I may be older than you but I can't make you do anything you don't want to do, now can I?" She stated as the stallion nickered in thanks and nibbled on her opened palm.

It was no business of hers to dictate who Arwen loved or fancied, and the same went for Aragorn… The thought of behaving like Elrond regarding Arwen's romantic choices left her feeling ill.

Besides, whether he stayed with Arwen or not, she still saw and loved him as a brother.

Aragorn smiled thoughtfully at hearing her standing on the relationship between he and her sister, nodding, "Best of luck trying to get the twins to see it as you do." He said.

Eäriel laughed quietly at the thought. "Gods know I've tried." She replied.

an: hey guys here's the latest update for AAtWCTD, hope you don't hate me too bad for being so late :/ school is kind of kicking my ass rn but the semester is ending in a month from today so i'll have plenty time to juggle this fic and my Hakuouki fic over the holiday. oh i changed my tumblr url too, it's on my bio if you're curious. also yes things are going along sluggishly in the fic, my bad, take it up with Peter Jackson for having this part in the film lag.. anyway, enjoy and review if you like, if i'm even deserving of that lol. later!