Chapter Eleven: Eomer's Kingdom, Rohan
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Naruto.
"We are passing into the realm of Rohan." Gandalf stated suddenly as they cleared a rocky hill.
"Rohan?" Sakura asked, fighting the slip of the slope.
"Realm of the Horse Lords." Leoglas replied.
"They are skilled in all manner of beasts and, aside from the Elves, are most highly praised for their riding abilities." Aragorn added.
"I see." Sakura muttered as she righted herself at the bottom of the incline.
"Let us hope we are welcome." Gimli muttered grimly.
"Don't be so defeatist." Sakura replied with a playful shove to his shoulder as she continued to walk.
"Frisky little mink, isn't she?" He smiled good-naturedly, hefting his ax over his shoulder.
Legolas chuckled to himself in personal agreement as they followed after her. Sakura glanced back at them with a smile. However, her foot caught upon a stone, tripping her. The sharp inhalation of surprise reached the Elf's ears and he moved to catch her. But she had already found her balance, and the unexpected pull on her arm only forced her against him.
Sakura blushed furiously, all too aware of the heat of his chest against hers and the sudden weakness in her belly.
"Uh…thank you…" She stammered.
"It was my pleasure." He replied, releasing her far too soon.
She stumbled back, finding her own feet again and turning before anyone could see the blush that had formed before she could suppress it.
Sakura wiped the sweat away from her eyes as they approached a large plot of land dotted with what appeared to be a castle and a surrounding spatter of village. But it was still quite a ways off.
"Are you well?" Legolas asked, materializing beside her.
"Just tired." She replied.
"Perhaps we would be wise to halt." Aragorn stated from behind them.
"No, not here. We will rest soon, however." Gandalf stated as he took up the lead.
Sakura nodded, following after him.
It was several hours later that they finally reached the gates. The guards, recognizing Gandalf immediately, allowed them safe passage and went to see to an audience with Eomer. However, it was their good fortune that his sister, Eowyn, was visiting to attend to a political matter on behalf of her husband, Faramir. However distant she was from the kingdom now, it was still her home and she felt it her duty to provide good hospitality.
"You poor dear, traveling in company such as this." She stated as she eyed Sakura with a familiarity that was almost uncomfortable. Sakura didn't quite know what to make of her: maternal or marshal, steel or silk, soft or hard…But in the end, she reminded Sakura a great deal of Tsunade, both in appearance and mannerism.
"Now, see here, lassy, what is that supposed to mean?" Gimli growled.
"That however chivalrous and polite you men folk might be, she is woman." Eowyn smiled gently at the company before turning to the kunoichi, "A bath seems well in order."
"If it wouldn't be any trouble." Sakura replied.
"None at all. I'll have the guard set the men up with similar necessities." She replied, calling over the captain and instructing him to take good care of the males in the party as she showed Sakura down the nearest hall.
"I'm deeply apologetic that you had to spend so much time with them." She smiled.
"They're not that bad." Sakura replied.
"No, they're worse. They're men."
They both giggled at the remark.
"Here we are." Eowyn stated suddenly, opening the doors to the left of them, steam pouring out.
It was a massive bath chamber made almost exclusively of marble and lit with covered candles that framed the outer walls. The pool itself took up most of the floor space and was quite deep.
"I'll have dinner prepared while you bath. Take your time."
Sakura sat for a long time in the hot water before she ever actually got around to cleaning her filthy hair and grime-crusted body. Even her torso was nothing but a slick of slimy sweat.
With acute horror she suddenly wondered what she smelled like to Legolas. That train of thought simply continued and eventually she had to slap herself to stop it. She was his, well, his burden, to be honest. But it was burden that couldn't be helped…only she could carry the One Ring. So what if they had kissed…she had kissed men before and had it go nowhere.
She shook her head again, splashing her face with the hot water. She really needed to stop letting her mind wander…
With a sigh, she reached over and emptied a small amount of shampoo into her hand and lathered her hair again before finally conditioning it. When she was satisfied her hair couldn't get any cleaner, she pushed herself onto the edge of the pool and rubbed in the lotion that Eowyn had left for her.
It smelled faintly of something like vanilla and peach, she realized when she brought her wrist to her nose.
With a sigh, she rose, wrapping a towel around herself as she disappeared into the side room to dress again.
Legolas quickly braided his hair back, making sure all of it was tightly secured before appearing before the court. He was sure that Aragorn and the others were making similar preparations. They could hardly seem incompetent, even to Eomer, who knew them well. He was a king now, and political duty would weigh in any decision he made.
Sakura brushed her hair back, hesitating slightly as the door opened and Eowyn walked in. She offered no apology and the kunoichi expected none; it was like training with the female divisions, quite often they would shower or bath in a communal group. This was hardly different.
"I hope you don't take offense, but we took the liberty of altering your clothing in much the same way you tailored your current garment."
Sakura smiled, "No, thank you, I appreciate the help."
"Sadly, I must ask that you wear this to dinner."
Sakura blanched visibly as she held up a ridiculously lavish dress. Off-the-shoulder, floor length, heavy train, white cloth shot with silver threads…everything the kunoichi dreaded in one…
"I know the feeling." The blonde beauty replied with a sigh as she helped her into it, lacing it up the back, the sleeves, and the front, corset-like bodice.
"It is my understanding that this must be of dire need to request audience on such short notice." Eomer began, his annoyance a poor attempt at covering his anxiety.
"It is the One Ring." Legolas replied.
The King sputtered, choking on the ill-timed chug of ale, "You must be jesting."
"How we desire we were. But not even the greatest fool would jest about such dire matters." Gandalf replied.
"Very true." Eomer responded.
"His armies are already moving." Aragorn added, "We've had the misfortune of encountering several."
"And what would you have me do?" Eomer asked.
"Move, again, for Helms Deep." Gandalf replied.
The answer met with stares on all sides, none quite as furiously as Aragorn. During the last War, that one way fortress had nearly been their end. What was he thinking?
Gandalf met their stares, "There are civilians to consider, and livelihoods that must be preserved. The passages under the Deep over the best chance for that."
"Then we shall move for Helms Deep at first light."
"What were you thinking?" Sakura demanded in a flurry of silver and white skirts.
"That our enemy is not easily fooled."
"I think senility is finally getting to you." Sakura hissed.
"Quite the contrary. Sauron never managed to chart our original path. In using the same one, we may very well succeed."
"You've trapped up!" She cried.
"Have faith." He replied.
"And should I tell that to the men you've just sacrificed and the children you've just orphaned? Who gave you the power to decide that?"
"That power is my right." He responded calmly.
"Life and death is no one's right!" She screamed.
"Gandalf, however wise you are, even I must admit this seems foolish beyond reason." Legolas added softly.
"Believe me, I realize how foolish it sounds…"
"Foolish!" Sakura cried out, "It's insanity!"
"But there are things in motion now that cannot be undone."
"Because of you!" The kunoichi yelled.
"My dear, I have not led you astray yet."
"There's a first time for everything." She replied coolly.
"And I promise this is not it."
"There is nothing you can promise." She replied, "That I can't foresee a poor end to."
"Enough." Gimli finally snapped, "Are we a fellowship or not?"
There was a quiet murmur of agreement as they stood down.
Gandalf smiled to himself. He knew exactly what he was doing: It would be the riskiest undertaking that had ever been attempted…but if they fell, their needed to be a resistance already hidden way, waiting to strike. He needed to ensure that even if they failed and the One Ring fell into the enemy's hands, that all hope would not be lost…that it would exist in the cradle of the mountains of Helms Deep.
But, much more importantly, he needed the enemy to believe that the One Ring was moving farther away as they approached. And to do that, he would jeopardize them all in the hopes of saving them. As Pippin had once stated, and later Treebeard relayed, "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."
Sakura ate sparingly, already sick to her stomach with dread.
The only small comfort she found in the day was that the altercations to her clothing were not only suitable, but done well. But it was such a moot point she simply dressed in the first one Eowyn handed her; a black one, the front piece cut away until it rose only to her hip, the back shortened to the top of her thigh to maintain some decency but to allow for more movement. The trousers had been cut to form shorts, and then stitched for a better fit. She was even provided boots of a higher cut and gloves. They had even altered the off-the-shoulder aspect to prevent it from sliding if she found need to fight…She simply went through the steps Eowyn had told her they had taken with it, trying to distract herself from what seemed like an impending doom.
She reached up, attempting to pull her hair back only to find her hands shaking so badly she couldn't grip the strands. With a cry of frustration, her arms dropped at her sides.
"Allow me."
She glanced over at the Elf as he walked up behind her, a thin smile on his face.
"Thank you…" She replied as his fingers twined in her hair, braiding it back, but leaving her bangs free.
"I know it's difficult to understand, but Gandalf knows what he's doing."
Sakura suppressed the urge to snap at the Elf, sighing to regain her composure.
"I certainly hope so."
Sakura rode on her own horse, Legolas beside her. They stayed on the outside rim, guarding the civilians in the center of the mass of moving people.
But she kept her head down for the most part, torn between sleep, frustration, guilt, thirst and a myriad number of other sensations and feelings she couldn't reconcile.
"Sakura?"
Her head snapped up towards Eowyn's gentle voice as the female pulled alongside her, "If I might have a moment alone, Legolas…"
The Elf simply nodded, falling well back into the ranks where even his hearing couldn't make out their words.
"I thought you might want this." The blonde replied as she slipped a flagon of something to the kunoichi.
"What is it?"
"It's a cleansing liquid. It will wash away smells associated with the body."
"How did you…"
"I've seen the way you look at him." She smiled.
"Who?"
"We both know very well 'who'." She replied.
Sakura blushed, "It's not like that…"
"But you wish it was." Eowyn responded.
Sakura paled slightly before blushing and, with that, the blonde princess moved back into her formation.
Sakura lifted herself off her horse easily, but found standing a fight as her legs seemed to melt beneath her. She latched onto the saddle for a moment, supporting herself with it before she found her limbs again.
Beside her, Legolas dismounted, pulling his horse off to the side to allow the civilians through the gate. She followed a moment later, when the weakness in her sore muscles passed.
It was already late in the day, the sun had already dipped far below the horizon and the sunset had passed, though it was still just bright enough to make out the people around her.
"You seem tired." He commented.
"I am." She admitted.
"Have you eaten today?"
"Yes." She replied as she led her horse to the stable.
"This should help." He said, passing her wafer of some kind, "Its lembas bread."
Sakura nodded, remembering Elrond speak of it, as she took it, passing it into her mouth. It was sweet, and she did feel her energy swell again.
"We can rest shortly." He assured her as he stepped away.
It was well after midnight before any of them turned in. With all the preparations they needed to complete, it just wasn't possible until that late…and even then, it wasn't very responsible. There was good that needed to be prepared, weapons that needed sharpening, medical bays to be prepped…
Sakura could barely think about laying down without something coming to mind. But however troubled her mind might have been, her body was too exhausted to comply.
She sighed as she forced herself up on her arms, looking around. Everyone else was so deeply asleep, she doubted they would notice if the armies of Mordor came knocking. Suppressing a groan, she stood up, faltering on her severely tender muscles. But she gained her balance easily, disappearing back out into the common area.
Unexpectedly, it was empty…and dark.
With another noncommittal sound of frustration, she sat down on the stone steps, wrapping her arms around her knees and bringing them to her chest.
"You'll catch ill out here."
She turned to Legolas as he stepped forward, pushing the hood of his cloak away.
"It's not that cold." She replied with a smile.
"Why risk your health?" He responded as he sat down beside her, throwing the extra cloth around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"Legolas…" She said after a moment.
"Yes?"
"I…uh…well…" She stammered before simply stopping.
"Perhaps this conversation would best be had over a hot meal."
Sakura swirled the soup lightly with her spoon, listening to the Elf chat about something light. It was an attempt to distract her from the impending battle, she knew. But it was a good attempt and was it was working.
She smiled as he concluded another story between bites of bread dipped in the flavorful broth on the table.
"Legolas, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What…do you think of me?"
"You are obviously a strong, independently willed person." He replied.
"I mean…"
"You are precious to me." He suddenly stated.
Sakura looked up, dropping the spoon without meaning to.
"You are more than a companion to me." He added, "You are of…romantic interest."
Sakura smiled; she couldn't help it. He was always the proper prince, dealing in absolutes when he could and compromising little when he couldn't.
"Legolas…I…I like you, too." She replied, feeling every bit the shy and cheesy genin she once had been. But it had seemed so natural to just say it, that she had.
He leaned over the table, gently running his slender fingertips across her finely sculpted jaw line before capturing her mouth with his.
It was short, but passionate. Suitable, she concluded, for a second kiss on the eve of battle.
"I won't say I love you." She said, knowing she couldn't make that promise yet.
"You don't have to." He assured her.
TBC
