I have finally got my computer back. Everything has been erased and I'm going to have a lot of installing to do but I think I will attend to my fiction first.
To LOTR-nutcase: I know, but wouldn't you? ;0)
Chapter 8 : A Budding Friendship
Lothíriel opened her eyes and stared up at the white ceiling. She sat up in bed, at first not remembering where she was. She looked around and saw that she was in her room in Emyn Arnen. Why don't I remember coming in here last night? She frowned, then realised that it was because she had not entered her room the night before. I must have fallen asleep outside last night.
Lothíriel was early for breakfast this time, and the hall was still empty, except for the servant girls who were setting the table. Lothíriel greeted them and left them to their work. She left the hall and went to the library, which Éowyn had revealed to be Faramir's pride and joy. No wonder, Lothíriel thought to herself as she looked upon the shelves and shelves of books. It looks as if Faramir had all the books of Minas Tirith moved over to Ithilien!
She wandered about the library, looking for a book, and noticed a man sitting behind one of the tables, seemingly engrossed with a book. Smiling, she approached, and took a seat opposite him. "You certainly don't need much sleep, do you, my lord Éomer?"
Éomer looked up from his book, a little startled. He grinned at her. "Good morning, my lady."
Lothíriel made a face. "That sounds so strange, 'my lady'. It makes me sound so… so… old. Why don't you just call me Lothíriel?"
"All right, Lothíriel, but what makes you think that 'my lord' sounds much better?" Éomer chuckled and turned back to his book.
"Fine, then I'll just call you Éomer. That's all right, isn't it?"
"You certainly are chirpy this morning," Éomer remarked.
"That's what happens when I get a very good night's sleep. Which reminds me, I really have to thank you for bringing me back to my room last night. It was you, wasn't it?"
Éomer shrugged. "Well, I couldn't possibly leave you sleeping outside, could I? Your brother would probably kill me." He closed his book. "Come on, I think it's time for breakfast now."
Éomer ate his breakfast in silence, as he always did. He had always thought breakfast a good time to keep silent and just do nothing but eat and think. Lothíriel and Elphir spoke merrily, though, after a good night's sleep.
"Do you have a headache today?" Lothíriel asked Elphir cheekily.
"No, why do you ask?"
"You seem to have slept for such a long time, I thought perhaps you were drunk from last night."
Everyone laughed, Elphir included. "Sister, let me assure you, I hold my ale better than you think."
"Then you must challenge Gimli to a drinking game. My friend here seems to have that down to an art. I don't suppose many can beat him at that game," Legolas said with a grin. "I admit that I lost to him once before."
Lothíriel giggled at the thought of a drunken elf, and Éomer gave up on thinking, and turned his attentions to all that talk that was going on.
"No, I dare not participate in drinking games," Elphir was saying. "I can hold my ale rather well, but not well enough to have the courage to challenge anyone."
"Come on, brother, I won't tell anyone in Dol Amroth!" Lothíriel urged.
Elphir shot Éomer a glance, as if begging him to change the subject, or do something, to divert his sister's attention. Éomer grinned and spoke up. "I remember some people who can out-drink Gimli," he said. "The four Hobbits of the Shire were very good. Especially Merry and Pippin."
"Peregrin Took of the Shire! Even I dare not challenge that fellow," Gimli chortled. "He treats ale like tea, that young rascal!"
"Hobbits of the Shire?" Lothíriel questioned, interested. "My father mentioned something of hobbits, but he didn't say much."
"Then we will tell you, but slowly," Faramir said. "There is much to tell, especially from Legolas and Gimli, I expect. After all, they have travelled from Rivendell with the Hobbits."
The conversation then turned to the hobbits. Lothíriel (the only one who had never seen a hobbit before) listened eagerly, her breakfast all but forgotten. At that moment she seemed radiant and lovely, and Éomer thought to himself how wonderful it was that they were friends now.
Faramir took Lothíriel's hand after breakfast. "Come, Lothíriel, I want to show you something. You'll love it, I promise."
She followed him to a part of Emyn Arnen some distance away from the houses, and down a path. "You are the first civilian to walk this way without being blindfolded," he told her. "The Rangers of Ithilien used this as a hideout during the War of the Ring, and before that. Now that we're here in Emyn Arnen, I don't suppose we're going to need it as a hideout that much anymore."
He led her into what seemed to be a cavern. Lothíriel looked around curiously, then gasped as she went further in, when she realised that they were behind a waterfall. Water came down like a curtain, a beautiful gossamer curtain. She stretched out her arm, breaking the flow of the water, and smiled. "It's beautiful," she breathed.
"Yes, I did think that you would like it." Faramir looked around with a strange sort of pride. "At first, when my father made me Captain of the Ithilien Rangers, I felt like he was simply trying to be rid of me, to get me as far away from Minas Tirith as he possibly could without sending me into exile. But then I saw this place, and I felt glad that I was sent away from Minas Tirith. I always managed to find some form of peace here, even in the most troubled times. And I thought that I would share this with you."
"Can I show this to anyone else?"
"You may, but don't go showing it to too many people, cousin. This place is special."
Lothíriel nodded. "I understand."
Faramir and Lothíriel left the hideout after an hour, and were walking back when Beregond came hurrying up to them. "My lord Faramir!" he said breathlessly, bowing. "My lady Lothíriel. A rider from King Elessar has arrived. The King will be in Emyn Arnen in about an hour."
"Well, he certainly is earlier than expected," Faramir said, taking Lothíriel's hand. "Come, we must get ready for his arrival. We must hurry."