DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME (except for Arddun, but I made her up). MOST OF THESE CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE WONDERFUL JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN. Wow, don't you just love disclaimers?
NybCR: I know Faramir isn't a wimp, but this is when he's younger. I just twisted the storyline to be when Mordor was attacking Osgiliath.
Seto'swhiterose88: Thanks for reviewing my story!
LadyofRivendell78: I know who you are! (gasps) Anyways, as always, thanks for reading my stories when almost no one else will.
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Arddun peeked through the window. Maybe, just maybe, she could glimpse at least the shadow of the great King.
There was now loud cheering coming through her thin cottage walls. She raced outside, and tried to find what she was looking for.
There he was, the great Rohan king. King Theoden of Calenardhon, or Rohan, was back from his long trip to Gondor. The whole of Edoras was flooded waiting for him.
Arddun squeezed between two elderly men. "Sorry, sirs, but I am related to the King, and I wish to speak to him privately." The two men bowed, and let her through.
Arddun smiled to herself. That was easy. She really was not a blood relative to the royal house, but she was best friends with Eowyn, the king's niece, so that was close enough.
Eowyn turned around. "Arddun!" She shouted. The two friends embraced, and Eowyn tugged Arddun's hand. "Quickly, my uncle has already passed through the front gates!" The two young women quickly rushed through the crowd, which parted for the King's niece.
Theoden turned Snowmane around. "Eowyn!" he exclaimed, and he laughed, and let down an arm to hug his niece. Eowyn beamed, and turned around. "Eomer!" she shouted, and rushed off to hug her brother. Eomer was shaken, and his horse was startled. Eomer's steed galloped around the streets of Edoras for a while, while the crowd laughed. Eomer laughed nervously, but he whispered to Eowyn, "Don't do that again."
Arddun bowed down to the great Rohan king. "My lord..." she murmured. Theoden laughed. "There is no need to be so formal with me, Arddun." Arddun looked Theoden in the eye, and said, "Welcome home, King of the Never-ending Plains."
When the celebrations were over, Arddun and Eowyn snuck into the blacksmith's shed. Arddun whispered, "You know, I think that the King knows what I want to do. But I have a feeling that he's letting me." Eowyn shook her head. "Nonsense. If the King knew what you were planning, then he would stop you. Everyone knows that going to Fangorn is like trying to go into a death trap." Arddun stayed silent. In her mind, she gave herself a play-by-play of what was going to happen.
I must wake up to the sun rising, and take my things with me. I'll take Daeru, one of the rider's horses, and ride out for Fangorn. From there, I must find my way North, to the Misty Mountains. Then, I must find my way to the Rhimdath River. From there, I must follow its path through the mountains, and make my way through the Ettenmoors. Then, I must travel through Angmar and Arnor until I get to the Hills of Evendion. There, I turn South, and as soon as I find the Lake, I will turn West, and come to the Blue Mountains. Then, I will skirt the Havens, and make my way to Forlindon. Arddun was very proud of her plans. She had studied with the local cartographer, and learned how to use a map, and scale herself. She planned the trip to take at least a month.
Eowyn studied the expression on her friend's face. She evidently had no thoughts about leaving the place that she had grown up in all her life.
Eowyn thought about her friend. Arddun had been very unlucky through her childhood. Her mother, a traveler from Gondor, had met her father, one of the Riders, when she visited. They ran away to Forlindon. Her mother then gave birth to Arddun, but died soon afterwards. Her father had sent Arddun back to Rohan on a horse, with nothing to protect her but the rope that tied her to the saddle. Arddun still had that rope.
Her friend was searching for her father. She was leaving the place she called home for her real home, far away to the North. Eowyn wished that her friend would reconsider, but she knew that once Arddun made up her mind, it was very hard to change it.
Eomer peeked through the blacksmith's shed window. Ah, so there were the two. His sister's long blonde hair was visible against the dark black shed, and so was her friend's short light caramel hair. He tapped the window. The two looked back, startled. Eomer chuckled. He opened the door to the shed. "Planning something?"
Eowyn scowled at him. "None of your business, you annoying sneak." Arddun started stuffing items in her bag. Eomer watched them carefully. Sword, dagger, riding studs, and black charcoal. Arddun was obviously going somewhere.
Eomer said, "Arddun, you are packing for a trip, are you not?" Arddun didn't look up; she just nodded, and put her bag over her shoulder. She left the shed, and headed up the hill, towards the cartographer's small hut. Eowyn rolled her eyes at her brother, and murmured in his ear, "Thanks, brother." Eomer smiled, and said, "Come. We are wanted by our uncle."
Arddun snuck into the hut, and took a few maps. One of Northern Rohan, one of Fangorn, one of the East of the Misty Mountains, and one of the far Northwest. She slipped out of the hut, and hurried back to her cottage.
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Day broke over the horizon. Arddun shot up out of her covers. She pulled on some rough pants that she had stolen from Eomer, a farmer's shirt, and a cloth cap that she tucked her hair into. She slung on her bag, which clanked from its hidden bounty. She took ten saddlebags filled to the brim with food. Arddun snuck out of her cottage, and ran over to the stable.
"Here, come here," she whispered to a gray mare in the first stall. She snorted, and pawed the ground nervously. Arddun bit her tongue. She slipped out a small cube of sugar. "Shhh... don't wake everyone up!" The horse contently chomped on the sugar, making the most noise possible. Arddun saw one of the stable boys wake up. "What is going on?"
Arddun ran into the stall next to the gray mare. The stable boy passed her, and said, "Oh, Daeru, where did you get that sugar? Did you sneak into the food shed again?" The horse whinnied, and stomped the ground. The stable boy looked around, and said, "All right. Fine, I won't tell the stable master anything this time, but still any more sugar, and I'll have to report you." The stable boy mock scolded the horse, but she snorted, and continued chomping her sugar.
As soon as the boy left, Arddun ran into the tack stall, and grabbed a small silver ornate bridle. She clicked on a lead, and slung it over the horse's head. Daeru snorted, and slipped her head into the bridle straps. Arddun buckled them, and went back into the tack room. She took a fairly large leather saddle, and slung it over the mare's back. She clipped on the saddlebags, and then slung herself over Daeru's back. The mare reared up, and whinnied loudly. Arddun winced. That should wake up the entire city.
Daeru whacked her stable door until the latch broke off. The gray mare and her baggage rode out of the stable.
The stable boy ran over to Daeru's stall. "Hey, where is Alcarin's mare?"
Eowyn woke up to loud whinnying. She jumped out of her bed, to look out her window. She saw a horse and a rider riding out of the gates of Edoras.
"I give you all speed, Arddun. I hope you know your way, and you will find what you are looking for."
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Faramir strolled around the forest. So, the only way to gain Denethor's trust was to act more like Boromir, eh? He started thinking. If there was only a way... his brother was five years older than him. Maybe he should grow up five years... Faramir shook his head. No. No one I know could possibly speed up my aging process, except...
Faramir remembered an urban legend that Boromir had once told him. "There is a place up to the north, a place that was once the kingdom of Gil-Galad: Lindon. In its northern portion, there is a small village, where an Enchantress lives. It is said that she can work more magic than all of the Istar combined!" Faramir had shaken it off as a childish tale. But now... what if it was true?
All of a sudden, he heard a shrill whinny. He turned around, armed with only a tree branch. He shouted, "Who goes there?"
A tall girl with shoulder-length light brown hair and deep black eyes stepped out of the bushes, holding the lead of a horse. "I could ask the same thing. What are you doing with that branch?"
Faramir blushed. "Uh, I was, uh, practicing my sword fighting." He began parrying with an invisible enemy.
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Interesting... why are you in the forest? Not many people are willing to come here."
Faramir ignored her question. "Why are you wearing burlap pants?"
This time, the girl blushed. "I had to escape from my city."
Faramir shrugged. Whatever she said.
The girl asked again, "Why are you in the forest?" Faramir answered, "I am here to escape from my city, and find the Enchantress in Lindon."
The girl perked up. "Really? Lindon... I am traveling there as well. Perhaps we could travel together. I have maps, a route, and everything." Faramir looked up. "That would be a good idea."
A long awkward silence followed, until the girl said, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. My name is Arddun, daughter of Vanyaloske, a Rider, and Rana the Traveler. Who are you?"
Faramir said, "My name is Faramir, son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, and Finduilas from Dol Amroth."
Arddun nodded. "If we are to travel together, then we must leave now." She stepped up onto her horse, outstretched her hand, and said, "Are you coming?"
Faramir hesitated, and took her hand.