Disclaimer: Most of these characters are not my own... and the ones that I have created are still inspired and often based on those created by the genius J.R.R. Tolkien. He created this world.... We just get to play in it! (

Dedicated to my fellow SoK Addicts—love you guys!

A small child sat on the polished stone floor. She could have been no older than four, but already her small head boasted golden curls that fell haphazardly all around her face. She was playing with a pair of small silver horses, sculpted so that they were eternally running. The girl had the horses chase each other over the feet of her mother, who was sitting in a chair, sewing and watching her young daughter. "Momma, momma! Look at the horsies go!" The woman laughed. "Yes darling, I see." "Are they going as fast as Daddy's horse?" "Maybe even faster!" The girl sat back and looked up at her mother's smiling face. "Do you really think so, Momma?" "Of course, my flower." The child grinned and laughed.

At that same moment, three boys ran into the room, one behind the other. They stopped, out of breath and didn't say anything until the oldest-who looked to be about ten-announced: "Father is coming! We saw them from the window! Can we go out and meet him?" The mother smiled at her young boys. "Run along, Elfwine. I'll be along shortly." Elfwine grinned and his face brightened. He turned and started to run back the way the boys had come. "You too, Éoden and Éomoth. Just be careful!" The younger boys let out shouts of glee and tore out of the room and down the hall, following their older brother. "Momma, momma! Don't I get to go too?" asked the young girl, bewildered. "Certainly not!" The child's face fell and the mother laughed. "Don't you know well enough that you always get to go?" The moment of sadness was forgotten, and the child danced around the room as her mother readied herself.

As they left the room together, the child hurried on ahead, filled with excitement, leaving her mother just to shake her head. Soon enough, all five of them were standing in front of Meduseld as the riders grew closer and closer. The horn blew to announce their coming and many of the people of Edoras left their homes to line the streets as a welcome. The gate opened and the men entered on their horses, King Éomer at the head, flanked on either side by a Marshall of the Mark. The boys let out a shout and ran down the hill. "Would you like me to go fetch them, Lady Lothíriel?" asked an attendant who had come to stand beside them. "No... let them run. It is a fine morning wouldn't you say, Freyda?" "Yes, my Lady... a beautiful morning." The boys reached the King and he dismounted his horse. They all jumped on him at once, causing the King to laugh. "What are you boys trying to do? Suffocate me?" He tussled their hair and then glanced up the hill to see his wife, the Lady of Rohan, and his daughter waving happily. "Can we go down Momma? Can we, can we?" "Why not?" She picked up her daughter and walked down the hill towards the King.

Halfway down, he called out to the little girl: "Did you miss me?" "Daddy!" she cried and jumped down from her mother and ran the rest of the way right into her father's open arms. He picked her up and twirled her around in the air, as she cried out with glee. "My little golden flower, my Elanor." They both laughed. As he put her down, he asked: "Did you take care of your mother for me?" She nodded dutifully. "And you ran the country for me? Didn't let your brothers take control?" "Nuh-uh! Never Daddy!" "Well then, I have a present for a little Princess who takes care of the kingdom when her father's away."

The little girl's face lit up. "A present? For me?" "Is there another Princess here?" her father asked playfully. "Nooo... what is it Daddy?" "I found her playing in the water, down near Dol Amroth." For this he spoke more to the Queen, who had finally approached. "Well look at that... here she comes!" From behind him came Gamling, leading a beautiful filly horse. She was small and slight-but with a beautiful white coat spotted with soft gray. Elanor stared in wonder. "A horsie? She is so pretty, Daddy!!" "This isn't just a horse, it's a mearas... a very special horse." "Me-...mear- ...mmmearaaas" She managed eventually. "Yes, honey, a mearas. Just like Daddy and your brothers have," her mother replied. Elanor couldn't stop smiling. She ran to the horse and tried to climb up, but she was too small. "Here we go!" Éomer lifted up his daughter onto the horse's back. The filly whinnied happily. "She likes me Daddy!" "Yes she does, honey." "What's her name?" "Lossefalme... for when I first saw her in looked like she had been born right out of the breaking white waves." "Losse...falme..." Elanor pronounced. "And she is my horsie and mine alone?" "Yes... your horse for ever and ever." Elanor laughed and hugged the mearas's neck, stretching her arms as far as they would go. "I love you, Lossefalme," she whispered. The horse whinnied back, as if saying the same thing. Éomer and Lothíriel watched their young daughter on her new horse and just smiled. In his wife's ear, Éomer spoke softly: "I feel that this will be the most willful child of them all." Lothíriel's eyes twinkled. "You may be right... you may be right." Horse and child seemed meant for one another, as they pranced playfully around the others, already as one...