By Bema her head hurt!! And her body throbbed. As she opened her eyes, she
saw an old woman tending to her wounds.
"you have the courage of the immortal in your blood child, you will heal,
although there are people that would mourn the loss of you". She told her
wisely.
Lucien sat up, dizzy for one moment.
"mourn me?, where am I?' she asked.
"you are safe, that is all you must know, the wizard he brought you here to
heal, the blade that struck you, had orcish poison, and Rohan sadly does
not have the cure for such a thing, tis also said that the marshal was
beside himself when he was reported of your death". The old woman added
with a smile.
"why is everything so hazy?" she asked, she could feel it behind her eyes.
Something was coming, and she felt as if she would wake up soon.
The old woman touched the young one's forehead. "Yes you will heal, and
your life will return as you knew it, it will be up to the marshal to find
you, such is destiny". Then she turned and left Lucien to sleep the poison
away.
What seemed like eternity, Lucien woke up, and everything was not so hazy anymore. She tentatively sat on the edge of the cot and looked at her surroundings. Herbs hung by the rafters, and as she glanced outside a window, she saw that the plains were green and the forest was old. She was no longer in Rohan. She looked down as a tear escaped her eyes. No one would miss her, her only kin left had died before Helm's Deep. The familiar pang of heart ache struck her, and she clenched a fist to her chest. "Are you unwell?" the old woman asked entering with flowers from outside. "No I feel hale, tis only - I miss my home". And I miss him, she thought to herself. The old woman cackled. "so you should, you will return soon, and they will not know the difference". She answered. Lucien looked at her and stood. "Not know the difference? Of what do you speak? My people will have known, the rumors spread of my demise". She said. "Your villagers will rejoice in your return, they do miss you". The old woman said.
"what is your name?" Lucien asked. "My name is Etheil, I am a herbalist of sorts if you will, and I cure diseases like yours, now I thinks is time for you to return to Rohan, and to the life you knew". With that she turned and opened the door. "A horse awaits you, to take you back, and do not speak of this house to anyone, I ask this of you in payment". Lucien nodded and touched the old one's hand. "this I promise you, for I thought myself dead and now I am hale, I have your secret until my dying day". Then she turned and went to find said horse.
She did not ride the open plains, instead preferring to stick close to the old forest, which seemed to offer her protection. And she reached the borders of rohan earlier then she had expected. The horse beneath her seemed to have energy that never ran out. That made her wonder, if he were one of the Mearas. For he was white, and for a time she fancied herself riding the famed Shadowfax, but that thought was quickly squashed, as she remembered that none rode him except the wizard himself. The familiar buildings of her village soon appeared, and her heart pounded. Children saw her from a distance, and ran to her shouting her name as they did so.
"You are like an angel, you saved our Lady Eowyn and we thought you dead!!". They cried. She smiled weakly as the adults came. Glancing about, she made sure that none of the marshal's men were about, she was not ready to face him yet. Friends, helped her down from the horse, which nickered and seemed to bade her farewell before turned and trotting back into the plains to graze until his master called to him. "Thank Bema you are alive!! Come inside in your home, we cleaned it as best as we could, and there is water boiling over the fire inside". It was Naida, an old friend, and a girl she had grown up with. Being led inside she sat down on the nearest chair. Naida clicked her tongue. "Lucien I am glad you are alive, I feared it all!, the marshal rides by every day, at the same hour, he stops here in front of your home, he feels guilty, and he always murmurs a word or two before riding off again". "has he come by yet today?" Lucien asked. Naida shook her head. "No he comes by at sunset, when the children still play with the grass ball, he will be glad to see you hale!" Naida told her. "Nay my friend, what transpired between us at Helm's Deep can no go on, he is of noble blood, and I a commoner". Lucien told her. Naida looked at her confused. "what has that got to do with anything?, see you any of noble blood around here for him to marry? The heart does as it is bid, and his heart is here in this room, do you not love him?" Lucien had the decency to blush. "Yay, I think I do, how is the Lady Eowyn?" Naida nodded accepting the change of subject. "she is well, but she mourns you, we will send word to them that you are returned to us, the wizard, we saw him take you, he said that he had told the marshal, that he did not know if you would live the poison, only elvish medicine can cure the evil, did you see an elf?" naida asked her. "Is the elf legolas still about?" Lucien asked. "that he is, with the ranger, they are at Edoras, why do you ask?" Naida asked. "because I need to apologise to him, it is not in me to insult the immortal, and when one saves me, I have much to learn!" "Then we will send word to the elf". Naida told her and got on to making her a cup of tea to ease the ache in her friend's body.
A soft knock on the door, and naida opened it to admit the elf. He bowed his head in respect and walked in, stopping on the threshold when he saw Lucien. "You are returned, we feared for your life". He told her softly. Lucien stood and walked over to him. "Legolas, I owe you an apology, I would have gone to Edoras myself, except I am still weak - ". He waved away the explanation. His hand went to her face. And his elvish eyes saw what Naida could not have seen. "You bear the scar of warrior, I took you to the old one, she said she could heal you". He said to her alone. "She healed me, but this scar remains, I do not mind, I am no beauty, and it serves to remind me of this day, Legolas, as for my apology - ". "you do not owe me one maiden, I was the one out of line and I have since said so to Aragorn, your words marked my heart and I have taken them as lessons, do not worry any longer". He replied to her. "How is the marshal?" she asked softly so that only his elvish ears would hear. "He is well, but saddened deeply, if he were elfkind he would be dead, why do you not see him?" legolas asked her. Unconsciously her hand went to her face. Legolas picked that up with a flicker of his eyes. "I had not thought that vain blood coursed through your veins maiden, you say you are no beauty but yet, that scar makes you hide, the marshal has already given you his heart, do not let him carry only the flower of rohan, let him also have your heart". He went to the door and turned one last time to her. "We will be leaving in the morning, I say now my farewell to you, and I have learned much in my years, and one is to never leave words unspoken, for you regret them later". Then he bowed his head once more to her in respect and was gone with the speed of elves. Lucien sighed. She had not asked legolas to not breathe a word of her return. First there were a couple of things she had to do first. And as she faced the setting sun, she knew that she had one thing that could not wait. She had to hide.
What seemed like eternity, Lucien woke up, and everything was not so hazy anymore. She tentatively sat on the edge of the cot and looked at her surroundings. Herbs hung by the rafters, and as she glanced outside a window, she saw that the plains were green and the forest was old. She was no longer in Rohan. She looked down as a tear escaped her eyes. No one would miss her, her only kin left had died before Helm's Deep. The familiar pang of heart ache struck her, and she clenched a fist to her chest. "Are you unwell?" the old woman asked entering with flowers from outside. "No I feel hale, tis only - I miss my home". And I miss him, she thought to herself. The old woman cackled. "so you should, you will return soon, and they will not know the difference". She answered. Lucien looked at her and stood. "Not know the difference? Of what do you speak? My people will have known, the rumors spread of my demise". She said. "Your villagers will rejoice in your return, they do miss you". The old woman said.
"what is your name?" Lucien asked. "My name is Etheil, I am a herbalist of sorts if you will, and I cure diseases like yours, now I thinks is time for you to return to Rohan, and to the life you knew". With that she turned and opened the door. "A horse awaits you, to take you back, and do not speak of this house to anyone, I ask this of you in payment". Lucien nodded and touched the old one's hand. "this I promise you, for I thought myself dead and now I am hale, I have your secret until my dying day". Then she turned and went to find said horse.
She did not ride the open plains, instead preferring to stick close to the old forest, which seemed to offer her protection. And she reached the borders of rohan earlier then she had expected. The horse beneath her seemed to have energy that never ran out. That made her wonder, if he were one of the Mearas. For he was white, and for a time she fancied herself riding the famed Shadowfax, but that thought was quickly squashed, as she remembered that none rode him except the wizard himself. The familiar buildings of her village soon appeared, and her heart pounded. Children saw her from a distance, and ran to her shouting her name as they did so.
"You are like an angel, you saved our Lady Eowyn and we thought you dead!!". They cried. She smiled weakly as the adults came. Glancing about, she made sure that none of the marshal's men were about, she was not ready to face him yet. Friends, helped her down from the horse, which nickered and seemed to bade her farewell before turned and trotting back into the plains to graze until his master called to him. "Thank Bema you are alive!! Come inside in your home, we cleaned it as best as we could, and there is water boiling over the fire inside". It was Naida, an old friend, and a girl she had grown up with. Being led inside she sat down on the nearest chair. Naida clicked her tongue. "Lucien I am glad you are alive, I feared it all!, the marshal rides by every day, at the same hour, he stops here in front of your home, he feels guilty, and he always murmurs a word or two before riding off again". "has he come by yet today?" Lucien asked. Naida shook her head. "No he comes by at sunset, when the children still play with the grass ball, he will be glad to see you hale!" Naida told her. "Nay my friend, what transpired between us at Helm's Deep can no go on, he is of noble blood, and I a commoner". Lucien told her. Naida looked at her confused. "what has that got to do with anything?, see you any of noble blood around here for him to marry? The heart does as it is bid, and his heart is here in this room, do you not love him?" Lucien had the decency to blush. "Yay, I think I do, how is the Lady Eowyn?" Naida nodded accepting the change of subject. "she is well, but she mourns you, we will send word to them that you are returned to us, the wizard, we saw him take you, he said that he had told the marshal, that he did not know if you would live the poison, only elvish medicine can cure the evil, did you see an elf?" naida asked her. "Is the elf legolas still about?" Lucien asked. "that he is, with the ranger, they are at Edoras, why do you ask?" Naida asked. "because I need to apologise to him, it is not in me to insult the immortal, and when one saves me, I have much to learn!" "Then we will send word to the elf". Naida told her and got on to making her a cup of tea to ease the ache in her friend's body.
A soft knock on the door, and naida opened it to admit the elf. He bowed his head in respect and walked in, stopping on the threshold when he saw Lucien. "You are returned, we feared for your life". He told her softly. Lucien stood and walked over to him. "Legolas, I owe you an apology, I would have gone to Edoras myself, except I am still weak - ". He waved away the explanation. His hand went to her face. And his elvish eyes saw what Naida could not have seen. "You bear the scar of warrior, I took you to the old one, she said she could heal you". He said to her alone. "She healed me, but this scar remains, I do not mind, I am no beauty, and it serves to remind me of this day, Legolas, as for my apology - ". "you do not owe me one maiden, I was the one out of line and I have since said so to Aragorn, your words marked my heart and I have taken them as lessons, do not worry any longer". He replied to her. "How is the marshal?" she asked softly so that only his elvish ears would hear. "He is well, but saddened deeply, if he were elfkind he would be dead, why do you not see him?" legolas asked her. Unconsciously her hand went to her face. Legolas picked that up with a flicker of his eyes. "I had not thought that vain blood coursed through your veins maiden, you say you are no beauty but yet, that scar makes you hide, the marshal has already given you his heart, do not let him carry only the flower of rohan, let him also have your heart". He went to the door and turned one last time to her. "We will be leaving in the morning, I say now my farewell to you, and I have learned much in my years, and one is to never leave words unspoken, for you regret them later". Then he bowed his head once more to her in respect and was gone with the speed of elves. Lucien sighed. She had not asked legolas to not breathe a word of her return. First there were a couple of things she had to do first. And as she faced the setting sun, she knew that she had one thing that could not wait. She had to hide.