AN: Wow. There's nothing like watching the last five minutes of "She's All That" to get you all romanticized. So that, coupled with the fact that I just read over chapter two and realized how incredibly short my updates are, has inspired me to sit down and start on chapter three when I should be sleeping.
I also have been perusing FF.net and noticed that some stories have over FIVE HUNDRED reviews. Jeez! Who do I have to pay to get that kind of response? ;)
JK, guys! I love you all, and I couldn't ask for more. Although I guess I am…
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"Well? How does it look?"
"Perfect. Now just hunch over a little bit, and don't make eye contact with anyone until you're outside of the city."
I was huddled in a small pantry off the main kitchen building of the palace. Eowyn and I stood amidst smoked hams and barrels of flour, adjusting my disguise. A rough wool tunic, dyed an ugly dirt-brown color, covered me from chin to knee. Green leggings were worn underneath. My hair was carefully pinned up under a gigantic, lopsided hat, and a weather-beaten cloak and hood went over all. If I stooped just so, the hood and hat shadowed my face enough as to be unrecognizable to those who knew me.
Eowyn picked up a small pack and shoved it into my arms. "Here, I've packed some changes of clothes, money, and a little food. There's a dagger in case of emergency, but you should be safe enough on the road." She carefully drew something out of the pouch at her belt. "And this," she said, handing it to me, "Is a letter I've prepared. Give this to Eomer if anything happens—anything at all—and you feel you need to come home, or someone needs to know who you really are."
I took the scroll and tucked it safely away. "Only in utmost need will I present it to your brother. He will hate me for sure, and most likely throw me to the wolves, if he finds out of my charade."
Eowyn grinned wryly, her teeth glinting in the darkness. "Oh, somehow I think he'll be much angrier at me than he will be at you. Now listen: the servants are leaving in a few minutes. You are to meet them at the stables. You will then proceed on horseback to Rohan. The journey may take a few weeks, but it will not be overly tiresome. When you reach Edoras, Calla will help you find work…either in the stables or in the house. Whatever you want. Once you arrive, you can do whatever you feel is necessary to gain a clear perspective of what your life would be like if you married my brother."
Guilt crept along my spine. Eowyn was trying hard to help me—indeed, she was taking a great risk herself. If it was discovered that she had aided in a princess's attempt to run away (even if I did mean to come back), she would be ostracized and perhaps even punished. That possibility, however, was not as daunting to me as the likelihood that she would be angry with me when she found out I had not told her of my father's change in my marital plans.
"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this. But thank you for everything, Eowyn. I hope I will have a true adventure…something to look back on later, when the tedium of married life begins to gnaw at me." I started to leave, then stopped and hugged the woman who had been such a friend to me. I allowed myself a moment to envy her soft, fine dress and freely flowing hair, then broke off. "Well, this is it." Taking a deep breath, I jauntily tipped my cap at Eowyn and stepped out into the kitchen.
Where I promptly ran into a pair of guards.
"What's this? Hey, boy, what're you doing here this time of morning? The bakers aren't even up yet!" A shortish man wearing the white and blue garb of a common street guard appraised me suspiciously. Oily blonde hair flopped over his face. He had the puffed-up demeanor of a man who imagines himself to be infinitely more important than he actually is. Princess Lothiriel would have commanded him and his friend to leave…but what would a servant boy do?
"I might ask you the same thing." The words sprang from my lips almost before I thought them. I noted with satisfaction that I had disguised my upper-class accent quite well. My elation was short-lived, however. I found myself shoved roughly into the wall by the guard's equally unpleasant-looking companion.
"Easy there, urchin. Di'in't no one ever teach you to respect your betters?"
"If I see any, I will."
This time, I saw the blow coming and dodged it. Scampering out underneath the blonde guard's extended fist, I made a break for the door.
"'ay, you! Come back 'ere!"
Not likely. I thought. Goodness, what kind of bullies was my father employing? Making a mental note to write him an anonymous letter as soon as possible discussion the matter, I ducked down a dark hallway. One passage led to another, and eventually I was outside near the stables. It was so early that the sunrise wasn't even beginning to show on the horizon. Four horses stood next to the river, pawning the ground next to three lumpy shapes that turned out to be humans swathed in thick traveling clothes.
Panting, I drew up next to the nearest person. "H—he—hello. Er, I'm….Rial. Lady Eowyn sent me to accompany you…" If my fellow travelers knew who I really was, they gave no indication of it.
"You're late, Rial. I'm Calla. This is Yasni, your mount. Take good care of her and she'll take good care of you." Calla and the other two people swung up onto their horses, so I followed suit. "That tall fellow there is Easa, finest groom in Rohan. And Jeb," she gestured to a younger man about my own age, "is simply a stable lad. I," she added proudly, "was Lady Eowyn's personal maid for a time. She is kindly releasing us from her service to return to our own families. You, I understand, are wanting to see Rohan?"
I nodded, then realized she probably couldn't see in the darkness, so I said yes. Calla made a sound halfway between a grunt and a snort.
"Well, you'd better be prepared to do your part, then. We've no use for slackers and laziness in our country." With that she kicked her horse into motion and we set out.
It was a chilly night, even in summer, and I was glad for my thick cloak. The stars hung overhead, pinpricks in the black banner that was the sky. Not for the first time, I wondered what lay beyond that expanse of dark beauty, and whether I would even know any of its mysteries. Would the stars look different in Rohan? Would I have my adventure, or would I merely while away a few weeks mucking out stables, and return in disgrace and shame to a mediocre marriage in Dol Amroth?
In a short time, we were outside of the city, and I relaxed somewhat. My brothers would soon find me missing, but it might be days before they thought to start looking beyond the city limits, and by then we would hopefully be far away. I had no desire to be dragged back any sooner than I had to be. Our pace was steady and comfortable, but still quick. We would make good time. The clip-clop of Yasni's hooves on the hard-packed road soon lulled me into a semi-dreamland, and I began imagining what sort of life I would pursue in Rohan.
I wanted something daring and adventuresome. Perhaps I could learn archery and sword fighting from someone! Surely there was a good teacher around who would be willing to show me the ropes for a small fee. In the meantime I could do odd jobs, or perhaps gain steady employment at the castle (did Edoras have a castle?) somewhere. I knew that our palace was constantly hiring and firing boys for menial work, no doubt Rohan utilized the same system.
This brought me up to the problem of hiding my identity. In the dark I could pass for a male, and perhaps if no one looked too closely, and I was allowed to keep my hat and loose clothing on, I could escape detection in the daytime as well. If the other servant wouldn't turn a blind eye, I was in trouble….but evidently Eowyn expected them to help me out in that department, or she wouldn't have dressed me so! Even now my leggings were beginning to chafe. I wasn't used to such rough garments.
Eventually the sun rose above the mountains and the day heated up. Around midday we stopped for a bit of rest and lunch, during which time I learned a bit more about my fellow riders. Easa was indeed the finest groom in Rohan: he had been in charge of the King's stables, and had traveled with lady Eowyn after her marriage to lend his expertise to aid Faramir and her in setting up their own. Jeb was a mere stable-boy, true, but he had great plans for his future. He was planning on joining the standing army when he returned to Rohan, and hoped to work his way up to a position of responsibility and importance. He seemed smart enough, and I liked him right away. Calla had no doubts about her abilities. She was a self-proclaimed 'magnificent ladies' maid', though she admitted to being a bit put out at Eowyn's apparent ease of managing without her. Still, she had a mother and father and long-time fiancé waiting for her at home, and had eagerly accepted the opportunity to return to them.