Author's Note: Hey guys :). Here's the next chapter and, I tell you now, it's a lot, and I mean a lot, of AmeliaxEomer. Hope you enjoy and, as usual, read and review,I love hearing what you think. ~ And a little teaser; there will difinitely be more RaexLegolas in the next chapter. :) ~ And excuse any mistakes. Also, I know I'm late, but Merry Christmas, to my wonderful readers :)!
Thanks to;
Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967
kapibarasan - I know what you mean ;). I want to get me some Legolas :3
Luli Cullen
Elissa Shephard
amrawo
DarkAngel620
Wini
I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Twenty-Eight: Sauron's Plan Unveiled
Amelia could only handle so much. Having Sauron scour about her brain? Not something she wanted a replay of any time soon. She could handle any kind of battle; Orcs, Helm's Deep (being thrown off the Deeping Wall as it blew up was enough to prove that) but her experience with the Palantir?
Not so much.
Her head was pounding, her hands shaking. The fact that he had been inside her head terrified her, so much so that she was still experiencing the effects of the traumatising events the morning after. Gandalf had called a meeting with Théoden later on in the morning, where they would discuss the events of the night and she had promised to attend, if only for Merry and Pippin's sake.
As the door to the hall most were sleeping in opened, Amelia jumped, despite knowing that nothing dangerous could be coming through it. She could've face palmed when she saw it was just Rae, moving slowly and groggily, tripping over her feet as she padded to blankets that made her bed. She was, for lack of a better word, a mess.
"Rae," Amelia said, a questioning tone to her voice. Rae flinched and Amelia figured it had something to do with how loud she had spoken. There was barely anyone left in the sleeping hall, only a few overly drunk Rohirrim soldiers; everyone else had left quite early.
Amelia was in the middle of pulling on her boots, getting ready to go for a walk. The action was meant purely for clearing her head, her last attempt at forgetting the events of the previous night. As Rae fell onto her blankets with a soft thud, looking ever so elegant, Amelia raised an eyebrow.
"Were you out all night?" Amelia continued, frowning. Rae simply grunted and Amelia rolled her eyes, standing and flipping her hair over her shoulder. She asked, plaiting her hair as she did so, "Why would you do something like that? We danced for half the night, though-" she winked at Rae as she looked up at her through narrowed eyes "-I heard from two little birdies that you were up to something… else."
Rae groaned and grumbled, "I knew they'd tell you. And I didn't dance."
"I did," Amelia said, smiling absentmindedly.
"I know you did," was the younger sisters reply. "Can I sleep now?"
"No." There was a pause, during which Rae glared and Amelia folded her arms across her chest. Both stared at each other, never wavering, until Amelia said, "Alright, I suppose. I'm not waking you up for the meeting later though. You can do that yourself."
"Alright," was the barely audible reply.
Amelia began to walk towards the door, smiling slightly as she did so. Even before they had arrived in Middle Earth, Amelia had enjoyed teasing Rae. Now that Rae and Legolas seemed to have finally realised their feelings for each other, the teasing was going to be endless.
Grinning, Amelia said, "I'm going for a walk."
Rae's reply was so quiet that Amelia almost missed it; "Why don't you take Hasufel?"
"Hm?"
Rae groaned and sat straight up, glaring at her sister. Amelia winced, expecting Rae to throw something at her but instead she just scowled. Amelia, luckily, didn't have to ask her to repeat what she'd said.
"I said you could take Hasufel," her younger sister ground out. Amelia nodded.
"Well," she said, "if you hadn't been speaking to the floor, then maybe I'd've heard you the first time."
"Just go," Rae grumbled, thumping her head on the floor.
Amelia did so, opening and closing the door softly. It was the least she could do for her sister, even if it was her own fault for staying up all hours of the night. Amelia, taking her sisters idea into account, began to walk to the steps at the front of the Golden Hall, making her way to the stables.
It was a relatively short journey, with very little people Amelia knew actually wandering around. She was pleased with this as she entered the stables, making a beeline straight for Hasufel's stall. As she slipped inside, she was eyed Hasufel's bare back cautiously, before deciding it best to saddle up. Perhaps Rae could ride bare back without discomfort, but Amelia doubted she could do the same without falling off and embarrassing herself. It would be just her luck that it would happen and Éomer would see it.
Sighing, Amelia got to work.
A good time later, Amelia was finally ready, leading Hasufel out of his stall. There was a soft whinny from behind her and, in the beginning, Amelia thought it was just Hasufel, impatient to start running or something. She stroked his neck, smiling.
And then there was a cough.
With a startled gasp, Amelia turned to face the newcomer; she hadn't even heard him come in. Immediately, she blushed a deep red, wishing she could hide somewhere and never come out. Then, remembering her manners, she curtseyed slightly, a difficult thing to do in her tunic and leggings.
"Lord Éomer," she greeted.
"Lady Amelia," he said in response. She smiled shyly, something she'd found herself doing a lot around him lately.
Especially after the previous night.
There was an awkward pause between them, the sound being Hasufel's hooves beating impatiently on the stone floor. Firefoot, Éomer's grey coated horse, stood behind him, the complete opposite of Hasufel. After a few moments, Amelia felt slightly uncomfortable in her travelling tunic, realising how she must've looked to him; dirty, uncivilised… The list was endless.
"I was," she started quietly, "just going for a ride."
"As was I," came Éomer's reply. He didn't seem aware of the tension in the air at all.
"O-Oh," was Amelia's intelligent reply. She swallowed, her hands shaking again. Her head was still pounding but the pain hardly mattered to her as she watched Éomer patiently..
Eventually, smiling, he said, "Perhaps we could go together?"
Amelia froze, hand resting on Hasufel's neck. It would be impolite to decline Théoden's heir and she couldn't deny that she wanted to go…
"Alright," she replied. "The company would be nice, I suppose." She hoisted herself up onto Hasufel's back as Éomer gracefully clambered up onto Firefoot. She was nervous, as was to be expected, as Hasufel began to leisurely trot out of the stables. Éomer directed Firefoot directly to her side, seemingly at ease with the whole situation.
Many of the Rohirrim soldiers noticed the two and greeted Éomer, only nodding to Amelia. She politely nodded back, saying nothing. There was very little conversation between she and Éomer in the beginning, mostly because they wished to get out of Edoras before any began. As they neared the gates, Amelia urged Hasufel into a gallop, grinning over her shoulder as they left Éomer and Firefoot behind. Not that it mattered; it wouldn't be long before they caught up to them.
Shortly after leaving Edoras, Firefoot did catch up to them, and Éomer seemed amused by Amelia's antics. It was only afterwards that Amelia realised why; Éomer, being a horse lord, had much more experience with Firefoot, and so had the advantage on her. She suddenly wished she had the language of the Elves. It would've certainly been useful. Still, Amelia would not give up so easily, and she continued to push Hasufel, hoping to keep her lead, even if it was small.
The wind blew the loose strands of her hair from her face but she paid no attention to it; her full focus was on this. Firefoot was fast approaching behind them, but Hasufel was already at his full speed. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Éomer, face furrowed in concentration, murmuring words to Firefoot but staring ahead, determined.
Éomer did catch up with her eventually and Amelia decided it was about time they slowed down. Éomer told her of a river nearby and they directed their horses towards them, also deciding they needed to take a break as well. As Amelia hoped down, her head clear and all issues from the night before seeming to have disappeared, her heart skipped a beat as she watched the blond horse lord expertly climb down and walk towards her.
"That was a good ride," she managed to say as he approached. Waiting for his reply, she found she couldn't control the butterflies in her stomach; why was it so difficult to talk to Éomer rather than Aragorn or Gimli?
"It was indeed," he replied casually. "I've rarely met anyone who could almost outrun myself and Firefoot."
Amelia smiled and said, "Almost. I find I am not as skilled with horses as you or your soldiers."
"You are skilled enough."
Éomer stared at her as she stroked Hasufel yet again. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, thinking better of it. Amelia didn't press him to answer, simply smiled softly. But there was the issue of the night before, where things had either taken a giant step forward or a massive leap backwards…
"I do hope Rae will be alright by herself."
"Do not worry yourself, Lady Amelia. If there is any she-elf I know can take care of herself, it is Lady Rae."
Amelia smiled, eyes bright as she realised he was right, "I suppose you're right. She is quite handy with a blade."
Éomer chuckled and Amelia realised he was no longer holding a tankard. What was so important that he had to halt his celebration? She didn't question, simply allowed him to take her arm and lead her outside. She trusted him, after all. What was there to fear?
They stepped out into the chilly air and Amelia hugged herself, regretting leaving her cloak indoors. Despite this, she loved the feeling of the wind playing with her hair, cool and gentle. She so desperately wanted to know what Éomer wished to speak to her about but she patiently waited for him to begin in his own time. It couldn't have been anything bad, so what was there to hurry?
"I apologise if I am keeping you from the celebration," said Éomer, the closing behind him with a soft thud.
"I'm sure it will go well on into the night," Amelia replied offhandedly. "And we won't be long, yes?"
Éomer hesitated before replying, "Yes."
Amelia immediately regretted her words; if he'd intended on keeping her long, she'd obviously ruined that plan. She decided it best to keep her mouth shut for the duration of their talk but whether she would remember to do that was a different story completely.
"I apologise, Lord Éomer," she said softly. "I fear that was harsher than intended."
"No, my lady," the horse lord replied, just as quietly. "There is nothing to apologise for."
With a smile, Amelia waited for him to continue. What in the world did he need to speak to her about? She gazed down at Edoras; in the night, it looked so peaceful and serene and she wished she could stay there for the rest of her life.
"It's so beautiful," she murmured absentmindedly. Then, louder, she said, "I wished I'd fallen here. I would've loved to have stayed here for the past two years…" she trailed off, remembering Éomer had yet to learn of how she had arrived in Middle Earth. Then, realising what she had said, she added, "Not that travelling with Aragorn wasn't exciting."
"I imagine it was," Éomer replied. Amelia worried she had bored him and twisted the folds of her skirt nervously. He then continued, "Edoras was not always as peaceful as it is now." Amelia nodded, understanding.
"It would've been much easier to stay here," she said, "but much less thrilling. And I can only imagine how much longer it would have taken me to find Rae."
"But it would have taken me less time to find you."
His statement shocked Amelia and she whirled round to face him, eyes wide. There was an underlying question behind them: what are you talking about? She kept her eyes on him, waiting for him to speak again but he just kept staring at her; nothing in his eyes betrayed regret at his words.
"I-I…" she trailed off, unable to find anything to add. And what could she? Éomer had practically admitted he liked her and she had yet to answer him. What if her lack of answer made him worry about his words to her? Amelia bit her lip, still struggling to answer.
"I will not deny that I feel a connection to you," Éomer continued boldly. "But whether you feel anything towards me-"
"Éomer, please-" Amelia finally said, her stomach doing flips. "I don't think this is the best time to talk about this…"
"We can't avoid this, Amelia."
"I know, I know!" Frustrated and nervous, all Amelia could think was that she needed to get away. She needed a good nights rest, time to clear her head. It seemed that was all she needed nowadays…
"Éomer," Amelia began slowly, "about last night…"
"I understand," he answered immediately. "I was too up front and confident. I believe I had a bit much to drink-"
"No, no," she interrupted, stepping towards him. "I-I just wanted to tell you that… You're right." There was a pause yet again and Amelia, terrified that she had said too much, wrung her hands together. She continued quietly, "I feel a… pull towards you; one I can't explain."
The two of them stared at each other, none of them making a sound. The only sound came from the running water and the horses. Hasufel whinnied softly, and Amelia placed her hand on his neck gently. Éomer continued to stare at her, disbelieving. Amelia sighed.
"What do we do about it?"
The air in the throne room was tense, all waiting for the reaction of Théoden-King. Rae was stood with Merry and Pippin, worried for them and how this whole situation would affect them, if at all. Amelia was sitting with Aragorn and Gimli, whereas Legolas had taken a place behind them. She couldn't care less about him not standing with her - he wasn't important at that moment in time. Amelia seemed better after her ride, promising to tell her all about it after the meeting.
She had neglected to mention that Éomer had accompanied her.
Gandalf was walking around the fire in the centre of the room, gazing at each of them in turn.
"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes," he was saying, mostly to the king. He continued, "A fool… but an honest fool, he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring." Gimli gave an audible sound of relief, having been the only one who hadn't been fully awake for the events of the night. "We've been strangely fortunate," Gandalf continued to say, "Pippin saw in the Palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plans."
There was a drawn out pause that seemed to last infinitely long, irritating Rae as she waited for the wizard to keep speaking.
Eventually, he said, "Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith." He paused yet again and the air in the hall seemed to intensify ten fold. "His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing - he knows the heir of Elendil has come forth." As he said this, he nodded towards Aragorn, drawing the eyes of every person in the hall to him. Gandalf spoke again despite this, "Men are not as weak as he supposed, there is courage still. Strength enough, perhaps, to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one banner." Gandalf turned his gaze to Théoden but the king was not looking him. "He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."
Gandalf hesitated, his gaze still on Théoden as he waited for the response. The members of the Fellowship present did not delay in believing Gandalf, and all had been present the night before. Gandalf had never given them a reason not to believe him anyway. Théoden turned to face all present slowly, eyes passing over each of them in turn. He seemed defiant, almost reluctant.
"Tell me," murmured the king thoughtfully, "why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours?" As Théoden added, "What do we owe Gondor?" Rae could not help but feel disappointed in him. Was he not better than that?
Aragorn stood and stepped forward, looking at Gandalf. He said, "I will go."
Immediately, Gandalf snapped, "No!"
"They must be warned," Aragorn continued, an almost pleading tone to his voice.
"And they will be," the wizard replied confidently.
Gandalf began to speak to Aragorn in a low voice and, feeling that it was improper to eavesdrop, Rae glanced over at Amelia, only to find her sisters eyes on a certain horse lord behind her. Giving a small sigh or irritation at how obsessed her sister apparently was, Rae returned to the meeting as Gandalf suddenly began to face herself and the Hobbits.
"-and I won't be going alone."
Rae's first thought was that he meant her but, in fact, he meant Pippin, who now looked frightfully worried. Merry gazed at him, worried for his friend and then, shocking the young elleth to no end, he looked frustrated and angry.
Oh, Pippin, she thought solemnly. What have you gotten yourself into now?
