Title: When in Rohan
Author: B-witched83uk (bwitched83uk@aol.com)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Prequel to 'Luthien's flute' The family visit Eomer in Rohan, only to meet the fret of the army of Ohtarba
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Lord of the rings' the whole of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien
Dedication: To those involved in making my website. Cassie (the creator) Sevan (editor) Kayleigh (artist) and me (author)
A/N: Again I apologies for taking so long to post, this is the last chapter of this story, I hope you have enjoyed it.
Chapter 13
To hope is to walk blind
Pippin walked in to the throne room, the room he had once pledged his allegiance in. The King and Queen of Gondor smiled at him, standing to greet him. The room was empty except for the royal family and close friends. He had left Diamond in their room, to rest.
"My lady." Pippin bowed before Arwen, who in return bowed back.
"It is good to see you again Pippin." Arwen looked to the door, where Celebriel had just walked in, late as usual. "I trust that you are rested from your eventful journey?"
"Celebriel. "Aragorn called to the seven year old, wondering what mischief she had been getting in now. "You remember Pippin don't you?"
Celebriel's little silver eyes widened as she set off at a run towards the same height Hobbit. She flung herself at Pippin, knocking them both to the floor.
Pippin laughed as the little girl landed on top of him, struggling to get back on his feet.
Arwen looked over at Aragorn and Faramir, both grinning from ear to ear.
"You must forgive my daughter." Arwen smiled at her daughter's actions.
"Not at all my lady." He turned to Celebriel, who was still waiting impatiently to be talked to. "Well look at you, you have gotten even bigger. I see you have inherited your mother's beauty."
Arwen smiled at them, walking closer. "Yes, but it would seem she has also inherited her father's grace."
The whole hall roared with laughter, including Celebriel, who had always loved the Hobbits. The stories they told were fantastic and the rude songs they had taught her over the years, that were not so appreciated by the girl's parents.
Aragorn walked over to his daughter and held her to his side. "And how is Merry? And Sam?"
"They are both well." Pippin grinned up at Aragorn, slight bags under his eyes from the babies first night. "Merry in particular you know. He used the money that Frodo left him to buy some lad of his very own. There he grows the sweetest weed you have ever tasted." He routed around in his bag for some parcels. He brought out a package wrapped in brown paper and string.
"I have brought some for you to sample. Marry was very disappointed that he couldn't come this time, but I suspect he will visit you soon." He tossed the parcel at Aragorn, who caught it in one hand.
He looked at Arwen, who instantly knew that she would not be seeing him, Pippin or Faramir for the next few hours.
Pippin then let out a high laugh as he remembered his best friend. "He is always trying to impress the ladies by telling them all about his part is the battle upon the Pelennor fields, and boasting about who many Orcs he killed." He smiled at Aragorn who was nodding and laughing with him. "But I played my part too you know, I killed my fair share of Orc." Pippin's face turned pensive as he thought about what he had just said.
"Well I mean…I killed one Orc, before Gandalf ordered me to go away." His smile left completely as he though deeper. "Come to think of it, he used to do that a lot!"
Everyone in the room burst out laughing, including Pippin, who didn't really get why they were laughing.
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Eomer, his family and Legolas and Gimli arrived in Minas Tirith a few days following Pippin's arrival. A great feast was held that night and a good few pints of ale were consumed. But men being men of course had to milk the arrival of baby Faramir for all it was worth.
"We can not let this event pass without proper celebration." Eomer had said.
"Aye, it is tradition to wet the babies head." Aragorn had chipped in. And so it was that the men found themselves in one of Minas Tirith's many taverns.
The sword and stone was a dimly lit establishment which smelled strongly of smoking weed. Aragorn and his men had taken over the place, roaring at one another's jokes, toasting the new child every half hour. Pippin of course had treated them to many a song that eve, he had even got both the Kings up and dancing at one point.
"Here ya go laddie. Get that down yer neck." Gimli filled up Eldarion's empty mug, he had had three pints already and so looked at his father.
"You can if you want." Aragorn nodded to his son, before returning his attention to Pippin.
Eldarion looked at his drink, once Gimli had gone, and remembered something his mother had said to him. His father had taught him many lessons over the years, skills with the blade, herb lore, history. Yet it was his mother's lessons that he knew would be important, the things she had taught him, that would shape who he was.
He thought back to a night when he was no more then nine years of age. They had been staying in Rohan, and a feast was laid out for the men to congratulate each other on a plentiful hunt. Eldarion had been permitted to join the feast, and he sat in between his mother and father. Arwen kept quiet all night, not wishing to get involved in the men's rowdy discussions. The only other woman there was Lothiriel, and she seemed positively used to their ways.
It was once the night had grown old and the men had grown drunk that Eldarion found himself fascinated by the men's behaviour. Aragorn being much older and wiser then them all instead turned his attention to his wife, and spoke mostly with her that night. A young woman caught Eldarion's eye, she could be no more then 16, a serving girl. He watched her as she walked shyly amongst the men, refreshing drinks and hoping no one would speak to her.
He couldn't understand why she so desperately wanted to keep herself to herself, that is until Eomer's hand reached out to pinch her bottom. All the men cheered and laughed, Lothiriel simply rolled her eyes and went back to talk to the man beside her. Eldarion studied the girl's face as her cheeks flushed red and she quickly moved to the other side of the room.
Eldarion didn't know a great deal, he was just nine years old after all, but he did know what you should do and what you shouldn't do. He knew that a woman, any woman should be treated with respect, the way you would treat your mother or sister. He glared at the man before turning to smile shyly at the serving girl.
An hour or so later, Arwen had excused herself and her son for the evening. Before he left he walked over to the girl and thanked her for serving them that evening, he took her hand and kissed it gently, bowing to her, like a gentleman of Gondor.
Eldarion looked down at his pint of ale and pushed it to one side. His mother had said.
'Ale can make even the finest men behave like Orcs. As can greed, the two mixed together ca be a dangerous thing.'
He smiled over at his father who, despite the fact that he had had his fair share of ale this night, was always a gentleman.
"I think I will head back Ada. This night is over for me." His father took Eldarion in an embrace and said. "Very well my son, I think I will join you."
The two left the pub quietly, not wishing the men to attempt to coerce them back. As they were leaving Aragorn heard Legolas.
"I never though I would die drinking side by side with a Dwarf!" He chuckled as he spilt some of his ale on to the floor. The tow had partook in a drinking game, one that Legolas had spent most of the evening refusing to play. Gimli's constant teasing and jibing had proven the Prince's downfall and he had downed the first four pints, one right after the other. No Dwarf would ever beat him at anything.
Gimli roared with laughter, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. "Aye, but what a lovely way to die." The two old friends, clinked their tankards together and laughed before draining them of their contains.
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Aragorn walked in to his chambers. Arwen was in bed reading a book in silence. He stood there watching her, so peaceful, so graceful. He walked slowly towards her, a sly grin on his face.
"Your back early, how was the tavern?" She placed her book on the bedside table and looked up at him. Aragorn removed his clothing, still smiling at his wife, and yanked the bed covers off of her. She giggled as he laid down on the bed and took her in his arms, a little more forcefully then usual.
"Your drunk." She laughed as he melded his lips with hers.
"Yes." He admitted, trying and failing to untie her night gown. "But I am still a gentleman. I came home early to tend my wife's needs." He raised an eyebrow, making her laugh even harder. Then as his fingers slid under her gown, she instantly stopped laughing. Her eyes closed as his mouth found hers once more. When he pulled away to see the almost drugged look in her eyes, she smiled.
"I much prefer you ungentlemanly ways." She rolled him on to his back and came to straddle him. He mouth came down to his with a fierce force, moaning as his hands slid over her thighs.
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The women had all sat round discussing stories of giving birth, it was this that had convinced Galadwen and Ithiliwen that they were best off out of there. As night had fallen, they had taken refuge in the courtyard, underneath the white tree. It was here that Eldarion found them both, after leaving his father, talking and laughing merrily. Once he had joined them, their moods changed, as they were forced, by each other's presence, to remember the battle they had been a part off, the deaths they had witnessed, the pain they had experienced, both physically and emotionally.
Eldarion remembered something else his mother had once told him, as he watched Ithiliwen's golden hair blow in the evening breeze.
'The moon is the most beautiful thing there is. Any man who disagrees is either blind, or in love.'
Ithiliwen noticed him looking at her, and she turned to face him. "Does it get easier? Will things go back to the way they were?"
Both the girls looked at him expectantly, a look of hope in their eyes. Eldarion smiled grimly and shook his head. "I don't think it does."
Silence took them as they thought about what this means.
Can time heal a broken heart?
Can love erase all of the hate?
Can you ever go back to the way things were?
No. you can only move forward. You can spend your whole life trying to find your past, the way you were, but you will never find it because it no longer exists. There is only the path forward, wherever it may lead. You just have to take a deep breath and hope for the best.
Because in the end all we have is hope, we are always changing, moving forward. In the end you can never go back… knowing what you now know, would you really want to?
No more When in Rohan. I hope you likes the final chapter, I'm sure I will have another on going fic up and about sooner or later.
ME132: I want a baby Hobbit, I have a suspicion that they are cuter then human ones. I also want a Muguai, a Wookie and an Ewark!
The Converted: Don't be a sad panda. Come to think of it I want one of those too. Blah blah shish kebab.
Queen Arwen: This has to be the last chapter cos I can only think of so much before it starts getting dull. Now put down the precious and get to work on the sequel to forbidden.
ThePrincess04: Thank you, I love babies too.
Cerridwen-Evereven: Glad you liked it, I usually spend no less then an hour in the bath.
The Last Evenstar: Ok I know that every now and then my mind shifts in to slight perversion, but I would never use the Legolas-as-a-paedophile idea. Come to think of it, your not the first person to bring that up, In fact I think its you lot that have the perverted minds. *Whistles innocently*
Galadwen19: Yeah I love A/F too, everyone needs a friend. *Starts to sing* Babies and friendships and warm woollen mittens, something and something and whiskers on kittens.
voldie on varsity track: Do people still say 'spiffy?' anyway…thanks!