Chapter Five

And with the moon beginning to set behind them, their eyes shut and lips met.

Will awoke the next morning next to Margo, just as he had started out the night before. The noise from the main room was what had woken him, and he quickly threw the covers off of him, and put his boots on. The sun was just beginning to show its full form in the sky, and the entire bed of girls was already up, while all the boys besides himself continued to sleep on.

He entered the main room to see the fire blazing with life, and many eggs frying in the pan.

"Good Morning, Will!" Said Trefa in a bright and cheery voice, a large smile on her face as she greeted him and pulled him over to the table where she forced him into a chair.

"Now hurry and eat your breakfast. You may be a guest in this house, but seeing as we barely know yah, you'd be doing well to earn your keep. You'll be going out with Marfe to help with the horses. Lord Eomer says your mighty good with your horses back home. Eat!" she said again, since Will had not yet touched the food they had just placed in front of him.

Just as he took the first few bites, Marfe entered the room, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and taking a seat opposite Will. Soon after sitting, Marya set a plate of food down in front of her brother, but paying no attention to the food and instead making eye contact with Will. She smiled lightly and in the moment she'd let her mind wander, shed spilt the glass of milk that was in front of Marfe with the plate shed been carrying all over her brother.

"Oh, by the Valor! I'm sorry Marfe!" she said, going to the other side of the room to get a towel to clean up the mess. "I don't know what's gotten into me. No, no, I've got it. Just sit down brother!"

Marfe did as he was told as soon as his chair had been cleaned, and began eating again.

When breakfast was over the sun had fully risen, and Trefa and scooted them out of the house.

"Show him how everything works Marfe. And I'll see the two of you at dinner."

Marfe shorter then Will by a lot, but his strides were quick, and Will had to stay on his toes to keep up while traveling down the dirt road. He wanted to ask where they were going, what they were going to do, and such, but it then occurred to him that he had not yet heard him speak, and he wanted Marfe to speak only when he was ready.

After a five minutes walk down the hill, they ran into a huge building that could only be the stables, thanks given to the smell.

They walked right in and Marfe walked up to some of the horses and began stroking their noses, Will watching from behind and then finally choosing the horse next to him to pet. "What's his name?" Will asked, while getting lost in the horses eyes.

"Stallion, sir.." Marfe said. His voice was deeper then you would expect of a fifteen year old. It sounded of a voice that knew how to comfort, and how to relax. It was the voice every horse wanted to hear. "They found him out grazing on the plans when he must have already been 2 years old. Some how they captured him, but he's the hardest one they've ever had. I'm surprised they ever even broke him sir."

"Please, Marfe, no sir. I'm only about two years older then yourself."

"Sorry."

"Don't be, its fine." Then, referring to the horse, Will said, "He does look like a wild thing, don't you boy..." The horses markings were of black and brown, the two colors loosing themselves in the others.

"Do you know where they might have put my horse?" Will asked.

"Come," Marfe said, leading him away from the horses they stood around at the moment. "They usually keep the newer horses away from the others incase some of the don't get along."

They left the stables and Will followed Marfe to a smaller stable about a minutes walk from the larger one.

"All the new horses are kept here for a few days until they get comfortable. Then, a few at a time are introduced to the other horses, and if it doesn't work out, they come back here where we have a few horses that are all outcasts."

The moment Will saw Phoenix, his heart leapt. This horse was the one being that knew what home has been like, was Will's last connection. But in the back of his mind, he thought, 'Do I really want to go back?.'

"Hey Phoenix, did you miss me boy?" Will said, greeting his horse. Phoenix nodded his head and neighed softly in answer. "They treat'n you alright here? Yeah, I'm sure they are, just wanna be sure boy." Will continued to stroke his horses head until Marfe spoke up. "What's a 'Phoenix'?" He asked.

"It's a mythical large bird that is wreathed in flame and lives for hundreds of years. See, when a phoenix gets too old, it dies by bursting into flame and then is reborn from the ashes, causing it to live for a very long time.

"You name him that cause of his coat and hair?"

"Well, I didn't name him."

"You didn't name him!?" Marfe said, an astonished look on his face at these words, as his feet literally took a few steps back. "It's terrible luck to not name your own horse. You have to change it or in battle he will be the death of you!"

"He hasn't as of yet..."

"But soon he will be! You must change it! Especially in this time of war, it is very important." Marfe sounded dead serious, almost worried about what the outcome would be if he were not to pick a name soon.

"Alright! I'll pick one, don't worry. Give me a day or two. If the name is as important as you say it is, then I will pick a good one, and the best of things come from much time and effort."

Sighing in relief, Marfe let his guard down and said, "Come, I have showed you around, now we must see to my families horses. We have four, and it used to be my brother I's duty to see to them, but now that you are here, you can help."

Marfe led Will back to the large stable. He led him through a maze of stalls until they reached four stall doors all painted a feint blue. "These are our horses. Father plans on mating our female with one of our neighbors horses so that we can sell him to Gondor. He'll be of the best quality there is. Her name is Frega. She's the fastest mare there's ever been. Even Lord Eomer said so."

The mare stuck her head out of the stall to better see what was going on. She had the richest brown eyes Will had yet to see, and her coat was pure brown. It was no wonder they were going to sell her offspring. What came from this horse was sure to be beautiful.

The two of them took two horses separately on a short run to exercise them, then fed groomed, watered, and cleaned the stalls of each horse. By the time they were done, it was mid afternoon, say, 3 o'clock.

Stepping away from the stall Marfe had just finished with, he wiped his brow with his arm and said, "We can head back now. I usually am kept busy with the hour of them until super, and I'm usually late for it. It'll be a change to arrive early."

Will smiled. He was always glad to help people when ever he could.

They took the walk back to Marfe's house much slower then they'd taken the walk to the stables. They were both beat, and they were walking up hill. When they reached the house, the chimney spewed smoke even though it was farley warm outside. Up the road a group of children running across the street chasing after one and other. Will recognized Marta and Margo within the bunch.

When they entered the house, they were immediately immersed with the smell of cooking food and Wills stomach reacted so strongly that Marya turned her head from the pot she stood over to see who'd made the noise. His face burned red when she turned.

She smiled lightly and then went back to the pot, speaking, "Obviously someone is hungry. How were the stables Marfe?"

"Like normal." he said in a quiet voice. He seemed to prefer the stables to the home any day. At the stables, Marfe could talk for hours about one particular horse. At home, he was nothing more then a silent brother. It really was a shame. Marfe had taught things to Will today that he'd never thought to do now days.

The room was quiet for a few minutes until Marfe suggested to Will that they both go clean up, and he agreed quickly. He couldn't imagine what he smelled like at the moment.

He followed him to the well, where they both quickly washed there face and such. After the quick wash, they both headed back to the house. When they arrived back, there were two soldiers guarding the outside of the house, one on each side of the door, and bearing armor only the royal guard were allowed to wear.

Glancing over at Marfe, they both walked past the soldiers and into the home, wear the presence of the guards was quickly explained.

Lord Eomer was sitting down at the eating table having a cup of tea with both Mardo and Trefa. Upon seeing Will enter, Eomer stood up to great him, a smile on his face.

"William the Strange, we meet again."

"Yes, we do." Will spoke, "But it doesn't see by accident. Especially since you sit here in the place I'm staying in."

"Indeed, it is not by accident. I come here with tidings from the king. He wishes to speak with you. Gandalf the White had just left the city and the King now wishes for your wisdom, though I do not see what he will find in a young colt such as your self."

Will laughed. He was taller then Eomer by at least two inches, but not as muscular, yet he dared to call him the colt.

"We may later find who the colt truly is, my lord Eomer."

"We may! But now, come. You will be back here before night fall. He wishes to see you at once. May we take our leave, Master Mardo and Lady Trefa?"

They both nodded their heads, and before Will could speak another word to any of them, Eomer had dragged him out the door and towards the palace.

A/N-I know this is shorter then my last chapter, but this seemed a decent place to stop. And seeing how the only time I can really write is when I'm supossed to be sleeping, and finals are almost upon me (ech!) I don't supossed I'll be writing much more for about a week. I'm truely sorry for the delay, and I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive and REVIEW TILL YOUR FINGERS BLEED!! lol, no, a simple nice job' would b sufficent. Thanks even to all those who read and don't review... but id love you even more if u DID review!