"Whoever says Friendship is easy has obviously never had a true friend!" - Bronwyn Polson
Carrie burst into the great hall to find it deserted. 'Just great!' she thought. 'And I have no idea where to find anybody in this damn castle.' She was still very much under the control of her anger, and liable to find fault in just about anything. She stormed over to a table and slammed herself down into one of the chairs, prepared for a good long sulk. She heard a door open behind her and stood up and turned to see who had just entered. "Oh super," she murmured to herself, "just what I need." She tried to school her features into something more pleasant than the scowl that was currently marring her face as Eowyn approached her.
"Good evening, Lady Carrie, Messenger of the Elves." Carrie was glad that Eowyn spoke first so that she could follow the other woman's lead, even though Eowyn's voice was like ice.
"Good evening, Lady Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan." Carrie answered back in much the same tone. The two women stood looking at each other for a few minutes, the tension growing between them. Carrie couldn't believe how she was feeling. Standing before her was a woman who she had admired for most of her life, and yet the only feelings she could currently muster were those of animosity. Belatedly she realized that it may be in part because of her current mood, and she offered Eowyn a tentative smile, which was not returned.
"My brother says that you may wish to ride with me to Edoras?" The chill in her voice seemed to lift slightly, but Carrie was unaware of that fact, reminded again of the reason she stormed up here in the first place.
"Yes, apparently he has been requested to join the others going to Isengard. So I can't ride with him anymore." She tried to keep some of the anger out of her voice, but it slipped in there anyway.
Eowyn's manner abruptly changed and she smiled comfortingly at Carrie. "Do not be upset. You will see him again in Edoras." All of the earlier frost was gone from her voice.
"What?" Carrie was confused. "See him again?"
Eowyn regarded her for a moment. "You are upset because you wished to ride with my brother, are you not?"
Carrie realized how Eowyn had interpreted her reaction, and why she was no longer antagonistic. If Carrie was interested in Eomer, she wasn't interested in Aragorn, and therefore, not competition to Eowyn. But she couldn't let Eowyn believe she had any attraction to her brother. "No. I mean... well, yes I wished it but... oh..." Carrie held her head in her hands. "Oh I don't know."
Eowyn came and stood next to her. "Don't worry about it." Carrie looked up at her to see her smiling again. "You wouldn't be the first to take a liking to him."
Carrie looked up at her. "I didn't... oh jeez." Eowyn was smiling at her confusion. Carrie didn't know how to tell her she wasn't interested in her brother without making Eowyn think she had a thing for Aragorn. "I mean, I'm sure your brother is a nice guy and all..."
Eowyn smile left her face and she looked sharply at Carrie. "You're not interested in him." It wasn't a question. Carrie shook her head anyway and gave Eowyn a tight smile. "Then what is it that upsets you about his going to Isengard and not riding with you?" The chill was back in her voice.
Carrie considered Eowyn. She knew that she was caught. Either she lied and said she had feelings for Eomer, or Eowyn would be sure to suspect that there was something between Carrie and Aragorn. 'You could tell her the truth.' There was that voice again. Should she tell Eowyn the truth? On the one hand, she felt like she had known her forever. This woman was a character that she had known and liked since her childhood, mostly for her fierceness, which, at the current time, was not helping Carrie's situation. On the other hand, she realized that she really didn't know her, and only just met her. In the end, she decided that she trusted this woman, both her judgement and that she would be discreet. "What upsets me is the possible reason he was asked to go to Isengard."
Eowyn frowned at her, silently questioning what Carrie meant. Carrie abruptly changed the subject.
"Tell me Eowyn, what do you know of elves?"
"Elves?"
"Yes. I'm interested to know what you know of them, what you think of them."
Eowyn looked puzzled by, and not entirely comfortable with, this sudden change of topic. "Well," she began, "I would imagine that you know just as much as I do, if not more. After all, you rode here from Rivendell, and you seem to be on familiar terms with the elf that travels with Lord Aragorn." At the mention of his name, a shadow of emotion passed across Eowyn's eyes. It was so slight, that had Carrie not known of Eowyn's feelings, she would never have noticed.
"Ah yes, Aragorn." Carrie gave Eowyn a sly smile. "He's a fine man, don't you think?"
That was most definitely the wrong thing to say. The corners of Eowyn's mouth turned down and her eyes narrowed at Carrie. Carrie silently cursed herself for probably killing any hope of friendship with this woman.
"I see, Lady Carrie, you waste no time in staking your claim."
Carrie was quite taken aback, and a little miffed, by Eowyn's words. "Whoa, easy there, tiger. Staking my claim? I have no interest in Aragorn like that."
Eowyn folded her arms across her chest. "Then what was meant by your question?" She regarded Carrie through narrowed eyes and waited for her answer.
Carrie sighed and tried to think of words that would not get her into even hotter water with this woman. After all, she still had to ride with her to Edoras. "I was just curious as to what you thought of him." Eowyn's manner did not soften so Carrie continued. "He's more like, I don't know, a father…or brother." 'Or great-grandfather,' she thought.
Eowyn began to relax slightly and Carrie saw her opportunity to smooth everything over. "Look, we started out on the wrong foot. Let's just start over." Carrie paused and then smiled at Eowyn. "And why don't you call me Carrie. We don't need all of this formality, do we?"
Carrie sat down at the table and motioned for Eowyn to join her. Eowyn crossed around and sat down opposite Carrie, but did not unfold her arms. Carrie sighed at this, but figured that at least Eowyn joined her at the table. It was a start.
"Then you call me Eowyn," she said evenly. There was no trace of warmth or friendship in her voice, but Carrie accounted it as a minor victory, since Eowyn was no longer glaring at her.
"So anyway," Carrie went on, "you were telling me what you knew of elves."
Eowyn unfolded her arms and placed her hands on the table, "I was telling you, that you probably know more, and that's how we got on the subject of Lord Aragorn." Eowyn raised her eyebrows.
Carrie snickered quietly at the reminder. "Oh yeah, that's right." She looked away, nervous at the direction that their conversation could turn. Eowyn didn't say anything and Carrie looked back at her. Eowyn was regarding her intently and her arms were once again folded across her chest.
"Look, Eowyn," Carrie leaned in towards her while she spoke. "You don't have to worry about me. I swear. I'm not interested in him like that. I promise."
Eowyn's jaw dropped and her eyes got wide for a brief moment before she schooled her features. She turned them into a glare. "What makes you think I would worry if you were?"
Carrie looked at Eowyn and finally saw her anger for what it was. This woman had lived around men her whole life, probably never having any female friends to talk to. She had built up this shell to protect herself. As brave as she may be when it came to risking her life in battle, she was more insecure when it came to her feelings than Carrie was, if that was possible. After having this realization, Carrie felt an immense connection to this woman. They were not so different from each other. Eowyn had built her wall of anger, Carrie, of sarcasm.
She turned understanding eyes on Eowyn and sought to comfort her. "Don't worry. It's not obvious." She smiled and shrugged. "But I'm a woman and I see these things." Eowyn eyed her suspiciously. Carrie sighed, knowing they were not out of the woods yet. A thought came to her. "If it will make you feel better, I'll tell you why I was asking about elves."
Eowyn unfolded her arms and relaxed a little, leaning forward towards Carrie, her curiosity obviously overcoming her. Carrie smiled at her slight success, until she realized she was going to have to tell Eowyn her feelings.
"Well," she stalled, "you had mentioned Aragorn's friend, who is an elf, right?" Carrie bit her lip nervously and looked at Eowyn.
"This has something to do with him?" Eowyn's slight smile returned as she waited to hear Carrie's answer. All Carrie could do was nod at her. Realization hit Eowyn and she sat and stared at Carrie, her eyes wide, her mouth open. "You have feelings for him!" Carrie was surprised at how perceptive Eowyn was. She couldn't help the embarrassed grin that spread across her face. Eowyn sat there, unable to say more to Carrie, her shock was so great.
"Yes, although the feelings I have for him right now are mostly anger."
Eowyn, even more surprised at that, put her hand across her chest and sat back in her chair, her jaw still slacked. "How can you be angry with him?" Carrie didn't think her reaction would have been different if she had said 'I just went out and killed 100 men.' She seemed almost horrified.
Carrie looked at her, truly puzzled by her reaction. "Hasn't a man ever done anything to piss you off?" Eowyn looked at her, not comprehending. "Uh..." Carrie changed her wording, "to make you angry – infuriate you?"
"Well, men have, yes. It's in their nature to." And the women smiled at each other, bonded by their shared frustration with the male gender. "But he is no man."
"Right. Yes. He is an elf." Eowyn just sat, staring amazedly at Carrie, who was completely baffled by her attitude. "Which is why I asked you for your opinion on them. Obviously, I have done something horrible by being angry at him."
Eowyn recoiled. "Oh, no, no! I didn't mean that." Carrie smiled at her to indicate that she was not upset and Eowyn relaxed. "It's just that, well, I've never heard of anybody being angry with an elf, not like you are, not like we get angry with our men. There are many men who distrust them, or hate them even, but it's almost in a reverent way. I can't explain." Eowyn shook her head. She was obviously trying to put into words something that was just understood in this world. This kind of understanding Carrie would never have, being from the outside.
"But why would someone hate elves?"
"Because," and Eowyn lowered her voice. "They are so beyond the rest of us. There are many men who fear that, and don't trust it."
"And you?" Carrie wasn't sure she wanted to hear.
"Well, I had never met one until a few days ago."
"And..." Carrie was worried about the answer.
"I understand that some men are afraid of what they don't know and resentful that the elves are leaving, abandoning us. But even before having met one," Eowyn shrugged, "I never saw how you can feel anything but awe and reverence towards them."
Carrie smiled ruefully, "Yeah. I guess I would do well to remember that."
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The two women sat there talking, a tentative accord having been formed, and their earlier animosity almost entirely behind them. Carrie explained what she felt happened with Eomer being asked to go to Helms Deep. Eowyn agreed that it would have been rather suspicious, had Legolas been a man, but being that he was an elf, it was highly improbable. They were above that sort of thing. Elves, she said, had a 'greater purpose' and the base sort of human emotions; rage, jealousy, and the like; did not effect them as they did humans. Carrie learned a great deal about elves, and everything else in this world, seeing it all from Eowyn's perspective.
After talking for a while, Carrie remembered why it was she had come up in the first place. "Well, I hate to cut this short, but I really would like to go see the men before they leave for Isengard." She smiled at Eowyn and added, "You want to come?"
Eowyn returned her smile. "I would, had they not already departed."
Carrie's smile turned into a frown. "Oh." She hung her head, disappointed and sighed, thinking ahead. She looked back up at Eowyn and decided to admit her insecurity to the other woman. "I have absolutely no idea what to do once we're all in Edoras."
Eowyn shook her head. "Neither do I." She offered Carrie a small smile. "It is remarkable how someone can enter your life and in such a short time turn it upside down."
Carrie nodded and smiled in agreement. "Don't worry. Things will work out for the best."
"I hope so." Eowyn sighed and gave Carrie a reassuring look. "For you as well."
Carrie shook her head. "I don't know about that..." She rolled her eyes. "This isn't the easiest of circumstances I find myself in."
Eowyn chuckled at her. "I almost wish it were my brother you had feelings for."
Carrie shrugged helplessly at her and then smiled. "Falling in love with a man would have proven to be an easier situation, according to all you have told me." Carrie reflected for a moment. "At least I understand men."
"Ha!" Eowyn looked at her incredulously. "Then you are a better woman than I. For all my years I have grown up around them, and yet I can not claim to understand them.
Carrie laughed. "No, I guess you're right." Her expression sobered as she thought back to her earlier dilemma. "So do you really think his intentions were innocent? You really think he asked your brother to come to Isengard for help, not so that I would not ride with him?"
Eowyn smiled and shook her head at Carrie. "I can't believe you are still thinking about that!"
Carrie rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I'm being such a silly girl."
Eowyn regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "We all become like that when it comes to men. I don't think there's anything we can do to change it." She continued to look at Carrie and bit her lip nervously. "So, tell me..." She took a deep breath and then shook her head. "No, no I couldn't."
Carrie looked at her worriedly. "What is it? Go ahead."
Eowyn smiled shyly at her. "Tell me about Lord Aragorn."
Carrie didn't know what to say. "What do you want to know?" she asked, stalling.
Eowyn shrugged. "I don't know. Tell me about how you know him. Tell me what he's like. Tell me about his past. Tell me anything that might help me with him."
Carrie's heart broke for the woman. What could she possibly say that would not give this woman false hope, and yet not reveal her foresight of the future? Aragorn was, from what Carrie could tell, a wonderful man, but saying that would only increase his worth in Eowyn's eyes, making her imminent rejection even more painful. And yet, saying anything bad about Aragorn would not only be a lie, but Carrie couldn't bring herself to do so. And how would she say she knew Aragorn? It couldn't be the truth. She took a deep breath and began.
"Well, as far as how I know him, he is, um, a family friend." Carrie kicked herself. But it was the best she could come up with on the spot as she was. And it did go along with what Aragorn had said before. She continued to tell Eowyn things she knew of Aragorn, both from her own experience and from her reading. Eowyn ate her words up, eager to hear anything about the man who had so quickly captured her heart. Carrie was careful not to say anything that would encourage Eowyn, but nothing so obviously meant to discourage her.
Once the extent of her neutral information about Aragorn was exhausted, she shrugged and smiled at Eowyn. "I can't think of anything else."
Eowyn smiled back at Carrie. "He sounds like a great man," she said dreamily.
Carrie dropped her eyes. "Yeah..." she answered distractedly.
Eowyn luckily mistook Carrie's manner for being preoccupied with her own problems, and not what it was, the shame of knowing this woman's bleak future in the relationship she was so hopeful for, and not being able to do anything about it. "Do not worry, Carrie," Eowyn said comfortingly. "All will be resolved with time."
Carrie smiled sympathetically at the woman. "I hope so."
Jack-Sparrow-Lover - Here's the update. Hope you are, um…containing him like I said --wink--
NimrodelPR - I kind of like those two Carries as well. Hope you liked this chapter too.
XxgemxX - I'm glad you thought the last one was funny!
nap-003 - I'm glad you loved the chapter. A little humor to lighten the mood was needed, I think.
BtchieChrissy - I'm glad you love the story. No need to beg; here's the chapter.
PsychoPixie - So glad you loved the last two chapters. Hope this one lives up to them.
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