36# The Guest

Late December 3021, Harrowdale

One would have thought that after racing to the town of Harrow and back would have left him exhausted, and that he'd collapse beside his wife soon as Eadgyd had given him the confidence the young woman was like to make it.

However, Éðelléas looked like he was concerned by everything else but weariness. Quietly he sat beside the bedside of his wife Garafiell, one elbow leaning on the back of the chair and his cheek resting on the cup of his hand as he regarded the sleeping woman. From the doorway Eadgyd saw the softness of his eyes, the tenderness in the dark depths... this love he had for his wife smoothed his features, mellowed the sharpness of them. Once more Eadgyd had to wonder just what roads these two had walked.

It was then Éðelléas noticed he was being watched. The gentleness disappeared and he looked at her, his mask firmly at place once more. But she also saw the flash of his eyes, sharp and protective as that of a great beast watching over his own; had she been a threat, she would now be staring in terror as well past six foot of fury and danger rushed towards her with a naked blade in his hand.

She chased away that thought and gave him a gentle smile.

"How is your wife?" she asked, though she knew the young woman must be getting better. Even from where she stood she could see a more healthy colour on Garafiell's face.

"She seems stronger", he replied, glancing at his wife again. Then he looked at Eadgyd, "Thank you for all your help. I do not know what I would have done if she had..."

Unable to finish the sentence, he shook his head and seemed to shiver. Eadgyd wished to reach for him, much in the way she would have reached for her son when she had sensed some troubled mood on him, but she kept her distance. There was something about this man that spoke do not touch. And she could very well guess where that something came from.

"I was glad I could help", Eadgyd said and smiled. Searching his face – searching to see behind that countenance he was trying to hide his true self – she went on, "I kept some supper warm for you. You should eat something, my friend."

She half expected him to decline the offer, but heavily Éðelléas rose up to his feet, his movements at last revealing the great weariness he must have felt.

"Of course. Thank you, Eadgyd", he said and followed her into the main chamber of the modest farmhouse.

There was silence between them as she filled a bowl for him and found a piece of bread, which she laid before the man. But it was not an unpleasant or awkward silence – instead, Eadgyd felt there was some kind of a companionship between them on that moment.

She sat opposite him in the table and for a while he concentrated on eating.

"I hope everything went well in Harrow?" she asked then. Granted, he had got there and back, and brought the medicines for his wife, but that did not tell everything.

"I think so", Éðelléas replied, not lifting up his eyes to meet hers. When he did glance at her, his expression was guarded, "Do you think my wife will recover now?"

"The signs are good. She seems very strong, and very keen on fighting", Eadgyd replied gently. A smile appeared on his face, like he was recalling some moment in the past. To herself she thought he was just as handsome as his father had been, but taller as well. And where it had been laughter to dance in the First Marshal's eyes, his son's carried a memory of grief.

"So she has always been", he said softly and looked down into his bowl of food.

"You have great love for her", she said, though that was stating the obvious.

"Aye. I suppose there was a spell on me from that very night I first saw her, and all that she did afterwards only entangled me more", said her guest. Softness entered his voice now, even if it was not in his expression.

When he spoke again, it was almost too quiet for Eadgyd to hear.

"She has made me want to live again."

There was an echo of something terrible in his voice then, yet nothing more than an echo it was, and more than that he spoke with the incredulous gratefulness of someone who has been saved. Eadgyd trembled and let out a long, slightly awed breath. With some effort she was able to smother her curiosity and the questions that had sprung to her mind, knowing the things his voice only hinted of did not belong to her. Nor did she think he'd have shared those with her, even if she had broken her tact and asked indeed.

"Your wife must be an extraordinary woman", Eadgyd said, her voice quiet. Briefly Éðelléas flashed a smile to her before answering. In his eyes there was a sudden glimmer of light.

"More so than I could ever tell you."

A/N: Here is a new little scene! We're now getting closer to the present day of ALTE, as there are some topics I'd like to cover before bringing the main story at close.

I've noticed the site sometimes omits words from stories while I'm editing them in Doc Manager - when I check the file I've got on my PC, the sentences are just fine. So if you notice weird joint sentences, it is likely not some brainfart I had but instead a case of the site eating words. I don't always notice these instances, but if you do, please notify me!

Also I've been getting messages about updating Her Tattooed Knight. I've not abandoned that story though it's been over a month since the last update. Currently I'm just so concentrated on ALTE and Flickers, and real life has its demands on me as well, so I don't really have much time to work on HTK. I will try to update it some time soon.

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Felion - Glad to hear my story was able to cheer you up! As a writer I'm always happy to hear my writings have had a positive impact on someone's mood. :)

Also it's nice to know I've managed to create realistic thought processes. I try to write the characters like they were real people, because that makes them more relatable.

Jo - He's getting better every day indeed. And he's starting to look ahead instead of gazing back.

Wondereye - Those they are indeed. :)

Talia119 - The matter is not discussed in the story unfortunately, but I would say Lothíriel doesn't really think like that. The last scene takes place at a time when the theme was first introduced in the main story, and before that she hadn't really given much thought to having children. They are not actively planning or trying to start a family, and at this point the thought of having a heir for the Mark has not become acutely important.