I thank all again who have reviewed. On such short notice, too! Could I please ask what an AU story is? I haven't heard of it before. Is it just a Fanfiction error like the 'rn's or does it mean something that I don't know about?

Oh there is so much I need to write about. You will not be dissapointed by me my friends, I hope. *Gulps*

I am sorry that I did not get to answering your questions about Amaden yet, AotW. That is what I will do this time. I promise. Or I can almost assure you that I am slightly convince that I will. It is right here, anyway. So allow me to start, and chapter nine of The Tale of Eowyn shall begin.

***

The steward of Gondor met with us in the hall of greeting in front of a few prestigious officials at short notice. When we entered he was seated in his grand jewel encrusted chair. The chair was to the base of a towering vacated throne, which made the hall look desolate and bare.

As soon as the aged but solidly built Denethor spotted my brother and I, he gracefully hopped out from his minature throne and, a little too quickly, strode over to us in a elegant but entirely unrefined gait, smiling cheerfully all the way. "Eowyn! Eomer! Our paths meet again. Like the cycles of the moon and the sun it is a continuous process, and like the moon and the sun I can never seem to be rid of you!" He wrung his hands in happy anticipation. "How nice it is to see both of you. How bodes things with your father?"

Eomer's smile soured, "What father?"

I turned back and grabbed Eomer by his should firmly, "Now brother do not be like this." I grabbed my forehead with my other hand. Oh! There was so much to explain. Things that I did not wish to explain, but they all needed to be said, "Denethor, you must forgive me, we have much to speak of. Our king, Theoden's, mind has been poisoned by Sir Grima the Wormtongue, the plague of Rohan. Things do not bode well for us at all, dear friend. Not at all." To think of it hurt. I paused a moment to organize my thoughts.

"My father, they have been through a long and tedious enough journey besides having cause to mourn," Faramir said stepping to my side to offer me an arm, and I declined. "I feel that our guests need a respite to regain their strength. Let us resume this tomarrow?"

I nodded to him gratefully, but no sooner had I done so then Amaden had come forward to speak to the Steward of Gondor. "Oh, but my lord! I still have much I require to speak to you about. But it is also required of me to speak of it in solitude. Shall we take this time to speak of it now?"

Denethor's broad smile dimmed as he spoke, "Yes I suppose we shall have to. Let us go quickly then." He looked to his sons. "Boromir, the master of weapons wishes to see you for your latest exscuse about why you have evaded practice, again. Really I forbid you to take to such sloppy behavior. How will you ever be a good Steward if you do not show responsibility?"

"I will attend to him now." Boromir smile was traced with chagrin.

"And Faramir, my son, Mithrandir arrived while you were away, and wishes to speak with you at once." Denethor's once prominient smile had now vanished completely. "I believe that he is quartered in the violet room in the guesthouse. After you escort our friends to their rooms I hope that you will see to him."

"Of course, father." His cheeks colored quickly, but his features were stoic. Wether he was angry or embarassed I could not be certain. He wasn't exactly one to embarass easily so I assumed that it was the former, but why?

***

Faramir led Eomer and I to our rooms and with a hasty goodbye and a kiss on the cheek he hastened off down the corridor. I wonder what effect that Mithrandir must have over him to make him rush like that? Faramir isn't the sort who will just bend to some one's will or follow them around like a lost puppy. Something must be very wrong.

Oh well at least we are relatively safe for a while. I locked the door to my fuzzy peach colored room and practically sprinted to the bathroom tearing my wretched riding suit off as I went. My that thing smelled! Oh yes! There was already hot bathing water ready for me! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Faramir! He was always the considerate one when he wasn't busy trying to ruin my life. Ah yes! This would be my first hot bath since we started out. I smelled nearly as bad as my brother Eomer did and just as bad as the horse I had been riding.

When I slipped my tunic over my head I hopped straight into the tub and sunk my head below the surface watching my hair float through the wather in a very spooky supernatural looking fashion. I just watched it wave back in forth in the echoeing currents of the tub's water until I was nearly out of breath. Water is so nice. It is a truely damned beautiful thing. The best I have had lately was the odd metalic tasting water that had been in my canteen for the last three days that I had not filled since the Entwash. My fingers began to loosen up at their knuckles as the cold was replaced with the feeling of warmth from water. No wonder they say water is the essence of life. If I am ever going to pray to anything it will be water.

These thoughts continued to revolve through my head for the better half of an hour as I soaked in the tub. That was until my thought started to wander. What about that Amaden, elf. I deserved an explanation from him! He cannot just keep secrets like this from me. I shouldn't be dragged into anything by him unless I knew what the heck I was getting into. He has some purpose. He isn't just here along for the ride. He wants something from me and by the looks of him I don't think that it will benefit me all that much.

I heard the sound of something tinkling as it broke on the floor right out side of my doorway. Someone was out there. It was an asassin. Who else would sneak and not knock first? I slid noiselessly out of the tub to prepare myself. There was no towel! Faramir has struck again! Oh I will so get him! I should of known that it wouldn't have been easy for him to do something nice, like to have a servant fill a bath, and do it innocently. If only he knew the predictament he put me in. There was no time to do anything about this. I grabbed by smelly riding dress and flung it around my like a toga. Looks can't be that important to an asassin, can they? I took hold of the sword I had recieved in the guard house and stood with my back pressed against the door frame. I am so not prepared for this! Water was soaking my toga-dress as it flooded down my hair in rivers. I moaned silently.

At the door there was a light barely perceptable thud. I crouched forward and ripped the door open thrusting my sword out into the corridor. A vibrant emerald illuminated the door frame and the sword's blade fell in clumps of molten metal. I was shoved backward and landed on the floor hard under the weight of Amaden. He smiled an mocking smile and laughed at me in his harsh voice, "I believe that we ALSO have many things to speak of, my lady."

"My lady? More of a malady if you ask me." I replied in an arrogant tone and kneed him in the groin. A cruel thing to do. Normally I wouldn't do it but I was unable to do much else.

"Oh I see." He smiled weakly before he regained his composure, "This is how you greet visitors with information."

"Oh and to think that you were just visiting!" I pulled up on my make shift toga to no avail. "Well I hardly find this a pleasant way to visit people!"

He grinned at me, stood up and bowed, "Exscuse me, but I will wait outside for you until you... pull yourself together." He looked pointedly at my soaked dress.

"Yes please do. I expect an explaination for all this! How did you get in? The door was locked."

"I will show you when you are ready to attend to me." Amaden turned around and exited the bathroom as I threw a bar of soap at his head. It exploded into flakes and landed in a pile behind him. He left and I scowled at his receding form.