Chapter 21

Minas Tirith

March 3019

Éomer felt a shiver go up his back as he stared into the woman's eyes from across the room. People rushed around them but they seemed to be under a spell and could neither look away nor move. Then one of the healers bumped into him, making him move forward half a step to catch his balance and the spell was broken. The woman lowered her gaze, turned her back, and rushed into the busiest part of the House of Healing. He watched her every movement until she was completely out of sight, memorizing them, so that if ever saw her again, he would immediately recognize her .

Finally, he turned to see the healer who had bumped into him. The man looked to be younger than Éomer, even as he smiled sheepishly, his eyes had the same iron strength of any of his riders. "I apologize, my lord." The healer shifted the small basket of purple vials in his hand. "I'm afraid I was rather distracted when I nearly knocked you over." A joyful look passed over his face for a moment as he clapped his hand on Éomer's arm. "And I know how I'll make it up to you! Come to my home once things have begun to settle down and have dinner with my family. I guarantee that it will be one of the most pleasant meals you've ever had." He smiled widely before stepping past Éomer and towards the busiest part of the House of Healing where the woman had disappeared, but before he did he turned and shouted, "To find it, just ask where the house of Dol Amroth is and give my name: Amrothos!"

Lothíriel kneeled in front of the black nightshade bushes that sat in the very back of the House of Healing's herb garden, trying to look as normal as she thought she should. Although she hadn't recognized him, she knew as soon as she had seen him in person that she had met him before. Shaking her head, she took one of the empty bags that were folded neatly beside each bush in the garden and began picking the ripe berries. As she felt each of the berries, testing how ripe they were, she remembered when Amrothos had tutored her in front of these very bushes.

"You use poison on your patients?" Lothíriel's voice was shrill as she thought of all the people who would have come for help and died. Amrothos chuckled as he picked up one of the berries and popped it into his mouth. Lothíriel sucked in her breath and stared at him in horror as Amrothos began to laugh.

"This is harmless. Although it looks almost exactly like it's cousin, deadly nightshade, we can tell the difference because black nightshade grows in bunches while it's poisonous cousin's berries grows on it's own." He held out a small twig with a bundle of blackish-purple berries attached. "What these wonderful berries do, is block pain. We can rub it on the skin as a honey-salve for cuts, bruises, and the like. It can be eaten to ease head or stomach pains, and mixed with other herbs it can have other uses, such as easing a patient into a painless unconsciousness so we can have an easier time working on their wounds if needed.

Lothíriel looked up at the sky as the memories faded. Although night had fallen for several hours, she knew that the House of Healing would be very busy for the next couple of days. At least until most of the patients either began to mend or passed. Although several healers had sought the solace of their homes for a few hours, others had merely found a free bed to rest before returning to their work. Lothíriel knew that none of the healers would be upset or astonished if she chose to return to her home, but still she remained. Even if her training was not complete, she could still give aid to the healers who needed it.

She stood and turned around to see Amrothos standing in the doorway leading back inside. He smiled gently as he held the door open for her. When she walked through, he opened his mouth to speak but after seeing the look on her face, he seemed to decide to remain silent. She was grateful as they walked down the halls where the sounds of groans and cries could be heard along with muffled words of comfort. Some of the rooms were silent and inside the figures of sleeping soldiers, who had been successfully treated, lay unmoving.

As Lothíriel and Amrothos worked, they passed a doorway with a woman lying unconscious with a figure seated beside her, resting a damp linen on her forehead. Almost immediately she recognized not only that it was the woman from her vision, but also that the man seated was none other than Aragorn. She stepped into the room silently and studied the woman's face, trying to place why it was so familiar.

"This is the Lady Éowyn." Aragorn had not turned, but his many years among the elves and silent animals had seemed to give him a sense of being able to know when he was not alone. When he finally did turn and saw Lothíriel, a smile lit up his face in recognition. "Lothíriel? My goodness, it has been a few years since I last saw you, but you look just as you did then." He stood and embraced her lightly. She found a seat on an empty bench beside Éowyn. Every moment she studied Éowyn's face, it became more and more clear that it was the same girl who she had met in Edoras as a child, even if the years that had passed had her seem to be made of stone, even in sleep. "It's actually fortunate that you are here now, Lothíriel," Aragorn touched her shoulder lightly. "I need to step out and replenish my supplies, and while I do so, will you stay with Éowyn?"

"Of course," Lothíriel nodded, turning her attention back on the sleeping woman, "take your time." His smile widened as he stepped out of the room. Lothíriel checked Éowyn's forehead for fever but was satisfied that there was none. Shifting closer so that her words would not be overheard, Lothíriel whispered, "I'm sorry about Théodred. I'm sorry for not loving him as someone should have before his death. I'm sorry for the loss of your kin." Éowyn gave no response except for her deep, even breaths and Lothíriel still felt the weight of guilt and responsibility.

Only a few days after the battle of the Pelennor Fields, Lothíriel watched as her Father and Elphir both rode through the gates on their way to face down the armies of Mordor. The House of Healing finally had calmed down as most of the wounded were out of danger, so the need for healers was diminished. Lothíriel, Amrothos and several other healers who had worked until exhaustion had been sent home to rest until at least casualties from this battle returned. Amrothos squeezed her hand as he stood beside her.

"Father and Elphir are two of the best warriors I have ever met. They'll come back." Her voice was quiet, but Amrothos was close enough that he heard every word. He squeezed her hand again and the two watched until the army was entirely out of view.

Na'man watched from the shadows of the trees as a line of soldiers marched out of the Minas Tirith. He felt his anger ignite as he saw the banners belonging to the cursed horselords, one of which had killed his own younger brother. Through the use of spies leading up to the disastrous battle, Na'man had learned that the Oracle who had disappeared months ago was actually within city. So along with a member of his family, the horselords were also responsible for keeping her from him as well.

He had considered an attempt to invade the White City, but even with the number of men leaving towards the East, he knew the city would not be left totally unprotected, and the amount of men he had ready to fight was not large enough that he was confident in the outcome. He cursed under his breath as he thought about Yusraa back in Harad. As he had left, she had advised him to take her with him, but he had refused. While she was an incredibly powerful sorceress, the battlefield was not a place for women.

He knew now that if he had brought her, even to hide while the battle raged on, she could have caused a fog that would help him and a few men to enter into the city unseen and take their prize. He would have to bide his time now, and Na'man was not a patient man.

April 3019

Minas Tirith

Lothíriel stood, just as she had been for several minutes, outside of Éowyn's room in the House of Healing. The Rohirric woman had been staring outside her window that faced towards the East the entire time and hadn't seemed to notice Lothíriel's presence. Finally, gathering up her courage, Lothíriel stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door, drawing Éowyn's attention. The look on her face when she saw Lothíriel was one of impatience.

"Yes?" Éowyn's tone was flat and she shifted in her bed. Lothíriel felt some of her courage desert her, but she didn't dare run away now that she had been seen.

"Good morning, Éowyn." Lothíriel clenched her hands into fists under the folds of her skirts before taking a seat at Éowyn's bedside.

"So, now that my name is known, I am to be addressed as a friend without even making your acquaintance?" The flat tone pitched with annoyance. Before Lothíriel could respond Éowyn scoffed and turned her head away. "Can't you and your friends leave me alone? Didn't I make it clear after the last three of you came in to keep me company?"

"I-I'm sorry for disturbing you!" Lothíriel could feel the heat rising in her face as she stood and hastened for the doorway. She was so busy keeping her head down to hide her enflamed face that she ran into someone before she even made it through the door. She would have fallen backwards if a pair of strong hands had not caught her by the arms.

"What is this?" Éowyn turned towards the man's voice with a look much more accommodating and gentle.

"Faramir!" Noticing that Lothíriel was still in the room, she scowled slightly. When Lothíriel saw the scowl, she shook off Faramir's hands and began to edge past him. He smiled down at her and caught her once again.

"Did you and Éowyn have some sort of disagreement, cousin? I thought from the way you spoke of your time in Rohan you two had become friends." At Faramir's mention of Lothíriel's visit to Rohan, Éowyn's expression turned to one of shock.

"Cousin? You're not telling me," she paused as she studied Lothíriel's face even further, "you're Lothíriel?"

"I am," Lothíriel watched as the surprise now made way for delight. Éowyn jumped out of her bed and made her way quickly towards Lothíriel and threw her arms around the stunned princess.

"I'm sorry! If I had known it was you, I'd have never been so curt. For the past days noble ladies of Gondor's court have come to provide company to me only to stare at me in horror as if I was some wretched barbarian who was in desperate need of tutoring or some sort." She let got of Lothíriel's shoulders and took one of her hands, guiding her back to the seat beside her bed. A somber look passed over her eyes for a moment. "Have you heard about Théodred? He had told me that you two were meant to be wed before he," her grip on Lothíriel's hands tightened slightly, "passed on."

A pang of guilt made Lothíriel bite her lip as she nodded. "The wizard, Gandalf, brought me the news when he first arrived in Minas Tirith. I am sorry for the loss of your cousin." Éowyn smiled sadly. Before Éowyn could ask more, Lothíriel changed the subject and turned to where Faramir stood. "What are you doing here?" She glanced between Éowyn and Faramir and realized fairly quickly that it was a question she needn't have asked. The two of them gazed lovingly at each other before Faramir cleared his throat and answered.

"Éowyn and I have gotten to know each other well over the past days. It is my hope-" His words cut off abruptly as his attention was drawn to the window. He focused and stepped forward. Both Éowyn and Lothíriel followed his gaze and saw that there were figures on the horizon. Lothíriel stood and eventually made out the banner bearing the Swanship of Dol Amroth and sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry," Lothíriel stepped back, making her way towards the door, "I will come again, but for now I have to go home and tell Amrothos that our family is coming home!"

Two days after the triumphant return of Gondor and Rohan's armies, Lothíriel sat in her father's solar with Imrahil and Elphir. Amrothos, who had declared he'd had enough resting and would go to tend the few wounded in the House of Healing, was absent. Her eldest brother and father were recounting the events of the battle as well as giving a detailed account of the most recent events in Dol Amroth which included the fact that Meira was once again pregnant and thus too unwell to travel to Minas Tirith for a time. This said, Elphir would be departing to be near his wife the next day and their family would be having a splendid dinner together with Amrothos upon his return.

Lothíriel shifted in her seat as they told of the fall of Sauron and the triumph that swiftly followed. "And to think, it was through the abilities of a hobbit that it was at all possible!" Imrahil laughed heartily and Lothíriel soaked in the laugh, allowing a smile onto her own lips. She set aside her needlework and stood. The sun had been making its descent for some time and the sky was darkening as a result.

"I think I ought to get Amrothos." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she began to exit the room. "He can sometimes lose track of the time when he's in the House of Healing, and I doubt we'd want to have a midnight feast because of it." Elphir and her father both stood and followed her as far as the doorway.

Lothíriel was at the bottom of the stairs when she heard her brother's voice. She was about to call out to him when she realized he was not alone. "You know, I was beginning to think that you'd never accept my offer to come and dine. I'm so glad I ran into you again," he continued with a small laugh, "though I am equally as glad that it wasn't the same kind of running into you as last time."

"Indeed." A deep laugh echoed towards where Lothíriel was tucked away, and something about the laugh called to her.

Stepping out of the shadows she stood directly in front of the Rohirric warrior who had the same blue eyes she had seen not only in the House of Healing, but several years before. She wondered at why she hadn't recognized him sooner, but he was in fact the brother of Éowyn who she had met at the outskirts of both Rohan and Gondor so many years ago.

"Hello, Éomer."