Eli looked at herself critically in the full-length mirror of the room she shared with Camille. "Hey Camille, do I look good in this color?"
Camille smirked from where she was sitting in front of the dressing table, braiding her hair into her usual elegant but functional French plait. To make it a little dressier, she had twined a long strand of emeralds into it, to match the forest-green dress she had chosen to wear to the feast. The Pendant of Lothlorien gleamed against the skin just below her throat. "Since when did you care about your looks?"
"Don't give me that," Eli growled back. She was currently wearing a blue velvet gown with silver embroidery all over the bodice and part of the skirt. Half her hair she had pulled back into a bun near the top of her head, and the rest she braided to make it look like a little tail to the bun. To give it a more formal look, she had taken a long link of sapphires set in silver, and worked it through the bun and into the braid. Around her neck hung the Pendant of Imladris, the diamond twinkling in the firelight.
Eli touched it thoughtfully. Elladan…Elrohir…when am I going to see you guys again? I really miss you… She still hadn't made up her mind about which of the two she really liked, and it made her worried. I know I'm supposed to be with Elladan…but…what's this THING in my heart that's telling me I should be with Elrohir?!?! Oh God, this is SO not good!
Just then, there was a knock on their door. "I'll get it!" Camille said as she stood up and walked up to the door. Eli looked up just as her best friend opened it, and noticed Lady Eowyn standing in the doorway, flanked by her two handmaidens.
Eli grinned at her. "Oh, hi Lady Eowyn! Do come in!"
The White Lady of Rohan smiled graciously at them as she and her handmaidens swept in. "Good evening, Lady Camille, Lady Eli! I hope that I find you well this evening." She looked at them, and her smile grew wider. "Well then, I suppose that I will not need my handmaids after all!" With that she waved, and the two maids disappeared outside into the hall, pulling the door closed behind them.
"What do you mean, you won't need your handmaids?" Camille asked curiously as Eowyn walked over to one of the beds, and sat down.
Eowyn smiled. "I had thought that you would need their services to prepare for the feast, but seeing now that you have dressed yourselves, I supposed that you would not need them anymore."
Eli smiled back at her. "Thanks for being so thoughtful, but Camille and I can dress ourselves just fine on our own. Though there are times when we want to be spoiled or are too lazy to do anything ourselves, and that's when your handmaids would've come in handy."
Eowyn laughed cheerfully. "Indeed, Lady Eli?"
"Before we go on, could you skip the 'Lady' bit and just call us by our names? We aren't nobles, so we don't really deserve that title," Camille said.
Eowyn looked at them for a moment, then smiled slyly. "I shall agree to that, but only if you shall do the same to me."
"It's a deal…Eowyn," Eli said with a smile.
Camille bounded up then towards Eowyn, plopping down in the seat beside her. "Well, now that everyone's friends here, why don't you start by telling us what's been going on here in Rohan before we got here."
Eowyn began to tell them of how life had been for her in Rohan, and somewhere in the middle of her story, she mentioned something about wanting to get out of the cage she had been living in.
She sighed wistfully. "You do not know how greatly I desired to be freed from these walls! I wish to ride to war and to battle! I am a shieldmaiden; I was not meant to sit at home in the halls and do embroidery to pass the time! I was meant to go forth onto the battlefield with the other Riders, to join them in their feats of courage as they seek fame and glory!" She turned to them then. "When I first saw you in the halls, I thought that you were soldiers in the train of Gandalf. Only later did I realize that you were, indeed, young women. Please, I wish to hear of your exploits in the field, for I have not yet met any woman who has dared to do what you seem to have done."
So Eli and Camille told her their story, starting from the very beginning. But they had to cut their story just at the part wherein they reached Moria, because it was at that time that one of the servants decided to show up and tell them to get down to the feast.
Eowyn sighed, and stood up, smoothing out the creases in her long white gown. "It seems that your story will have to wait until later. Come, let us go."
* * *
Legolas could not believe what Aragorn said. "Are you certain that it would be right to bring them with us to Isengard?! Would it not be too dangerous?"
Aragorn shook his head. "No, I do not think so. They have proven their skill time and again on the battlefield, and I believe that they would be able to fend for themselves." He smiled sardonically then. "And I do not wish to face them when they are angered. You know as well as I do what they are capable of doing when they are in a rage."
Legolas only laughed helplessly, remembering what had happened to Wormtongue that day. Yes, Aragorn is right. It is best not to leave them out of anything… One part of his heart rejoiced at this, for it meant that Camille would remain close to him, but another screamed back at him that he should leave his love in Edoras for her own safety, in spite of the fact that it would rend his heart to pieces.
He heard the guests at the feast stirring at that moment, and he looked up to see what the commotion was all about. He watched then as Eowyn, the White Lady of Rohan and sister of Eomer, walked in through the door at the end of the hall. Beside her walked Camille and Eli.
Legolas smiled as he beheld his beloved, clad all in forest-green, emeralds twinkling in her hair like a multitude of green stars. About her throat lay the Pendant of Lothlorien, glimmering softly in the light of the torches and the candles. Eli, on the other hand, was dressed in a midnight-blue velvet gown, sapphires glinting in her hair that she had put up in a rather unusual style. The Pendant of Imladris shone like a star against the velvet bodice of her gown.
He was so enamored of the sight that he beheld that he barely heard Aragorn chuckle beside him. The Ranger leaned closer to him, and whispered in Elvish, ^I believe that you must go to the aid of your beloved, Master Elf, else I fear some other Man will make off with her.^
Those words made Legolas come falling back to reality. What?! Indeed, when he looked, he noticed that Eli and Camille were hemmed in by a group of Riders, most of them requesting that they be the escort of one of the girls, or even both. The fire of jealousy was rekindled in Legolas' heart, and now raged more hotly than when he found out that Boromir had harbored feelings for Camille. For Boromir was now out of the way, painful though his death had been, but THIS was an entirely different situation. And even if Boromir were alive and had requested to escort Camille, Legolas would have granted him the privilege, jealous though he might have been; for Boromir was a trusted friend, and an honorable lord. How dare these Men approach her?! They are not worthy of her attentions!
With a determined force behind his movements Legolas stood up, and walked over to where the girls were. As he approached, he smiled at them. "Ah, you have appeared at last, Fair One!" he called, placing emphasis on the last two words that all the Riders would hear. He broke through the circle of Riders who were attempting to win his beloved over, and stood before her, a smile upon his face. "If I had known that you would come to this hall with no escort, I would have come and taken you here myself!" At these words he bent down and pressed a kiss to her hand, then pulled her closer to him, putting one hand possessively on the small of her back, while with the other he grasped her own hand.
Aragorn appeared then at that moment, and, smiling, bowed to Eli. "Indeed, Legolas is right. You should have told me, dear foster-sister," he said, also placing emphasis on the last two words, his intentions the same as Legolas'. He took Eli's hand, and placed it on his arm. That accomplished, they led the two girls to their seats at the table.
The two girls laughed as they passed through the circle of Riders, though there was also a tinge of relief in their voices. "Thanks for pulling us out of there, Legolas, Aragorn," Eli said with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah, that was too close," Camille agreed as she sat down in her chair. Legolas sat down in his own seat to the left of her, while Eli sat down on her right. To Eli's right sat Aragorn. And it was then that the feasting began.
* * *
Camille had a hard time suppressing her laughter after that story Eomer told them, the one about a horse, a serpent, and himself. Where does Eomer GET these stories?! Since he sat across from her at the table, they were able to converse with one another easily, with Eli, Legolas and Aragorn joining in every now and then. Supper was winding down, and most of the food was gone, having been consumed by a group of Riders and warriors with VERY healthy appetites. So now most of the people were merely talking, laughing and drinking wine in copious quantities.
It was then that Theoden chose to speak to them. For the most part he had been talking to Gandalf, the two of them discussing something that most likely concerned their ride to Isengard the following day, but whatever they had been talking about seemed to have been concluded or agreed upon, because he turned then to Eli and Camille, and there was a glint of curiosity in his eye. "Now then Gandalf, I wish to hear of these two most extraordinary young ladies! I have witnessed their power in my halls, and I know that there is a tale behind it all."
Gandalf laughed easily. "Ah yes, Theoden, these girls are indeed extraordinary. I shall not reveal to you the name of their homeland – that is a secret they shall give only to those whom they will – but I can tell you what it is like. In that land males are not the sovereigns of the female race; they are considered equals and are treated as such. In light of this matter, these two young ladies have been trained in the art of wielding the blade – or, as in Camille's case, TWO blades. And the fashion in which they use them would most assuredly astound even the greatest swordsmen of Middle-Earth."
Eomer smiled, interested. "Is this indeed true, Master Gandalf? Save for my sister Eowyn, I have not yet encountered any other woman who knows how to use a sword."
Aragorn spoke up then. "I shall willingly vouch for their skill, Master Eomer. And I speak as one who has seen them fight many battles against Orcs."
"Would you care to describe?"
"When they are in a battle, they do not immediately draw their blades. They merely place their hands upon the hilt, lying in wait. And then, when the danger is upon them, there is a flash of cold biting steel, and the enemy lies dead at their feet. Once this happens, there is no hope of survival for the other enemies they may go up against, for they are swifter than any save Elven-eyes can see, and predicting their moves is futile. They bother not with parrying attacks; all they aim for is the weak spot."
Camille smirked. "Well how're you going to kill anything if you don't aim for its weak spot? And besides, bothering with parrying attacks and all that just wastes time and tires one out. Hit hard, and hit fast, as my father once told me when we were training."
"But don't lash out so fast that your enemy can predict your move," Eli added. "That's one of the main reasons why we don't draw our swords right away; it makes the enemy think we're not going attack, thus luring them in and allowing them to execute whatever move they had planned. Also, that's why we never bother with parrying attacks with a sword unless absolutely necessary. Just dodging the blade does many advantageous things: one, it annoys the enemy. Two, since they're annoyed, they'll be more likely to do things that aren't well planned out. And three, dodging conserves energy that would normally have to be used in lifting the sword and parrying, so we have a much longer endurance in a fight."
Gimli rolled his eyes from where he sat to Legolas' left. "Hah, those words slip easily from your lips. You and Camille are quick on your feet. You do not think I did not observe how you moved during your duel at Hollin? Why, if I did not know any better I would think that you were dancing upon the very air itself!"
"For that is how it seems to us mere observers," Legolas said. "In form and motion it resembles a dance, but it is a dance of death and carnage, for as they move to the rhythm that only their ears can perceive, the steel of their blades wreaks havoc amongst their foes."
Theoden smiled bemusedly at them. "I am impressed, My Ladies, that these warriors and Gandalf would say such of your skill. It seems that the old tales and legends of Battle Maidens has rung true in you. Many stories have told of women warriors who rode in the armies of Men during the Last Alliance, and their deeds are sometimes sung still. But this shall be the first time that I behold the fulfillment of such legends." He frowned then. "However, I do not think that there is armor in the hoards of Edoras that would be suitable for you. And this is a war; you cannot go without armor."
Camille glanced at Eli, and for a moment, their gazes locked. Their thoughts passed silently between them, and in moments, they smiled. Camille turned to Theoden, and waved her hand. "Thanks for the offer, Your Majesty, but I think Eli and I can manage on our own."
"Are you certain of this?" Eomer queried. "If the blacksmiths were to work over the night, I believe that they would have at least shields ready for you by the morrow…"
"And if I work with them, helms as well," Gimli offered.
Eli shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but really, we'll be fine." She grinned. "Have any of you heard of the saying 'The gods will provide'?"
When there was a unanimous nod from those she was speaking to, Eli continued, "Well then, that's your answer. All you have to do is scrap the word 'gods', replace it with 'Spirits', and you'll see what I mean."
Camille nearly laughed out loud when she saw the expressions on their faces, particularly the ones on Eomer and Theoden's. "Oh, you'll just find everything out tomorrow!"
* * *
Aragorn walked towards the gate of Meduseld, where there was assembled a great host of men, young and old, all ready in the saddle. More than a thousand were there mustered. Their spears were like a springing wood. Loudly and joyously they shouted as Theoden came forth. Some held in readiness the king's steed, Snowmane, and others held Hasufel and Arod.
But where are Shadowfax, Whitewing and Blackwing? He realized then that the three horses were not present amongst the ones that were there. He looked back towards the great door of the hall, waiting for Camille and Eli to make their appearance.
When Aragorn had gone to their rooms to awaken them and tell them that they were about to leave, they had refused to open the door for him and speak to him directly. They only told him that they would be out in a few moments. From inside, he could hear Camille cursing and telling Eli to help her put something on.
But now, as he looked, he saw two flashes of color come running down the steps to the gate. One of the flashes was red, and the other was blue. He smiled as he realized who was approaching. Eli and Camille.
When the girls had declined the offer of Eomer and Gimli to make some form of armor for them, he had found it rather odd. They were going to war, and they could not afford to fight unprotected the way they usually did. They would not accept even corselets of chain mail! But when Eli had put forth the riddle that 'the gods would provide', Aragorn realized that they were expecting the Spirits to give them armor. However, what sort of armor it will be we do not know, and we shall only find out now.
They rushed past the gate then, all smiles and cheerful expressions. "Sorry we're late!" Camille apologized to all those present. "Eli and I had a little trouble figuring out where everything went!"
A dead silence had risen through the mustered warriors.
Eli blinked. "What? Why's everyone so quiet all of a sudden? I could hear you from a mile away a minute ago and now all I can hear is breathing."
Gandalf chuckled uncomfortably then, and approached the two girls. "And a good morning to you, my dears! As usual, you maintain your reputation for shocking entrances!"
Shocking does not even begin to describe this, Aragorn thought dryly as he looked at what sort of armor the Summoners were wearing. They were wearing close-fitting shirts with sleeves that covered their arms, and over this was a breastplate that was contoured to fit their feminine curves and angles. Breeches – red for Camille and blue for Eli – and boots that touched their knees, matched this. Each had a long flowing cape in her favored color that swept the ground and gave them a regal air. They also had bracers, intricately designed and inlaid with many gems. Their hands were sheathed in soft leather gloves that fitted well to their fingers. Bejeweled belts were clasped around their slender waists, and to these were attached their swords. Instead of helms, they wore bands over their hair, adorned with jewels and gold and silver. But each band had an unusual ornament. For Camille it was a pair of bird wings in gold, spreading out from just behind her ears. For Eli, it was a pair of dragon wings in silver, also spreading out from behind her ears and arching upwards slightly.
Camille shrugged. "Well, you know us. We love to make grand entrances." She looked around then. "Hey, wait a minute. Where're Blackwing and Whitewing?"
"Running wild over the grass with their brother Shadowfax, My Ladies," Eomer answered, still staring at them in utter shock. "They will let no man handle them. There they go, away down by the ford, like shadows among the willows."
Gandalf whistled and called aloud the horses' names, and far away they tossed their heads and neighed, and turning sped towards the host like arrows. As they approached, however, the host noticed that Blackwing and Whitewing also had an unusual ornament. On the bridle of Blackwing was a silver snake with emerald eyes, and on Whitewing's was embroidered a tiger, with eyes of flickering amber.
"The gift seems already given," said Theoden. "But hearken all! Here now I name my guest Gandalf Grayhame, wisest of counselors, most welcome of wanderers, a lord of the Mark, and chieftain of the Eorlingas while our kin shall last; and give to him Shadowfax, prince of horses. And here now I name the Ladies Elisabeth and Camille shieldmaidens and warriors of the Mark, redoubtable in all skills of war. I also give to them Blackwing and Whitewing, sisters of Shadowfax, whom none else have been able to mount."
"I thank you, Theoden King," said Gandalf.
Eli and Camille bowed. "We thank you for your generous gift to us, Your Majesty," Camille murmured.
Eli nodded. "We shall do our best to help win this war, Your Majesty. The Golden Phoenix and the White Dragon will see to it."
Aragorn watched as they mounted their horses, and he too got onto Hasufel. To his left was Eomer, with who sat Gimli, and Legolas was to Eomer's left. He waited for Eli and Camille to come closer upon their mounts, and when they were close enough, smiled at them. "I feel that I have reason enough to believe that THIS was the reason you did not want me to see you this morning."
A crooked grin appeared on each of the girl's faces. "Damn right you are," Camille replied as she drew up Blackwing so that she was beside Arod. "You know I never figured out how you males manage to put up with all this armor. Given a chance I'd ditch this silly breastplate in the next river we come to. I'd take one of those Kevlar vests they sell in our world anytime."
"But I don't think Kevlar's any good against swords and spears and arrows," Eli said thoughtfully.
"They never tried."
"Good point."
The trumpets sounded. The horses reared and neighed. Spear clashed on shield. Then the king raised his hand, and with a rush like the sudden onset of a great wind the last host of Rohan rode thundering into the West.
Far over the plain Eowyn saw the glitter of their spears, as she stood still, alone before the doors of the silent house.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Phew, done! Now I had a HARD time writing the description for the girls' armor, especially the headbands they were wearing. THAT idea I kind of pilfered from Magic Knight Rayearth, but hey, it's something that appears often enough in video games and movies (I think). Anyway, onwards! The last host of Rohan is heading towards Isengard, but along they way they're informed that Helm's Deep is in sore need of defenders. Just watch and learn, kiddies! Ciao!!!