again- unfortunately I did not get to any of tolkiens characters first (tear)

So change imraleth to elphir (sorry about that)

I checked the library but their copy is out so I'm afraid I've got to be based mostly on what's in the movie, one of the girls on the hall has all three extended versions….

But no books…..grr

So back to the story……

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Éomer walked down through the city slowly, watching the wounded being born up to the houses of healing and the dead being taken down. Éowyn was resting, he could do nothing for her now. He had watched her sleeping until the healers had told him to leave and get some rest himself. He turned as a soldier shouted to him,

"Here, could you, help? We have to find all the injured and clear out these scum."

Eomer nodded and looked around, the dead orcs were lying all about the streets; he went over to a troll whose body was blocking a little doorway in the wall. Heaving at the massive form he managed to roll it over and into the street. He stopped, and stared. Pinned to the wall of the doorway was a girl, in chainmail, her hand still gripping a bloodied sword that clearly had just been residing in the skull of the troll. Beyond her was another bloody figure. He called to one of the soldiers to come and help him.

"It's the lord Elphir! Quickly, get a stretcher!" the soldier bent over the man in the back of the room. "He's still alive, thank the stars. His father would have been devastated. He loves all his children more dearly than himself."

A stretcher was brought for the young lord. Éomer turned to the girl. He pulled the lance out of her side; it had pierced the chain mail and driven into a small crevice in the wall. Catching her as she fell forward he called for another stretcher.

"She clings to life as well, but it has nearly escaped her. It seems that not only the ladies of Rohan ride to Gondor's aid."

Lord Elphir stirred, his eyes cracking open. Seeing the limp shape of his sister in Éomer's arms he let out a hoarse cry.

"Iri, no this is a dream. You cannot be dead, my sister, my little sister!"

Éomer raised his eyebrows at the soldier and turned to Elphir.

"She is not dead, wounded, yes, but she lives still."

The little procession made its way up the streets of Minas Tirith to the Houses of Healing. There the healers were rushing about tending to the wounded. There were a very many wounded, too. No more beds were left so the soldiers simply placed the stretchers bearing the two children of Imrahil near the door to the gardens and returned to their work clearing the city of orcs.

Éomer sat waiting for the healer, now watching the young girl and her brother. They were both fair, pale skinned and blonde haired, but paler than usual with loss of blood. The girl in especial was almost green. Even her lips lacked colour, they were cracked and bleeding slightly. Her nose, too, it looked as if it might be broken, certainly there was enough blood, and her hair was matted and dirty. Both, he thought, were probably quite beautiful, but in the state they were in it was difficult to tell.

The healer came at last and once again, Éomer found himself told to go rest after staring at a girl sleep. He did this time, after promising to himself to go see all three patients again tomorrow. His sleep was deep and mostly dreamless, except for the dirty white face of a girl who was the sister of lord Elphir of Dol Amroth.

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Lothòiel came to slowly, the world sliding gently into focus around her. She hurt all over. Looking down at herself she noted a rather large bandage on her stomach; she tried to poke it but found that any attempt to move her left arm resulted in increased pain. Closing her eyes she did a quick mental assessment. Toes seemed fine, feet, her shins were fairly bruised but not all bad, thighs were less well off, the right one felt absolutely horrible, her stomach, especially the left side was horrendous, then her left arm felt like her elbow was just about gone, the right, where she had been using her sword, was about to fall off. Her head ached, too. And her nose was broken. She used her left arm to poke the bandage. Mental note- never poke a bandage, from the feel her ribs were cracked and there seemed to be some sort of open wound there as well.

Turning her attention away from herself she surveyed her surroundings. She was clearly in some sort of healing place, but other than that she couldn't tell much. To her right was a rather attractive Gondorian with a bandage on his chest that was practically a work of art. She regarded him for a bit, but decided he wasn't all that interesting. Turning to her left she was both delighted and dismayed to find her brother, Elphir.

Dismayed that he was in a condition requiring treatment but delighted that was receiving it and was next to her, and, she thought, remonstrating herself, she had seen what his condition was earlier, she shouldn't be surprised. His eyes were closed but when she whispered his name they opened and looked at her.

"Wondered when you'd wake up. How are you feeling?"

"Ung", she surprised herself, her vocal cords seemed to have come unconnected, "Awful."

"You look it, remind me of old Caroline."

"I do not!"

Elphir grinned. "Still impressed with you're swordsmanship?"

Iri almost snorted, but caught herself just in time; snorting with a broken nose was probably not a good idea. Instead she made a strange hacking sound in the back off her throat.

"Beginning to sound like her, too."

Iri did not deign that with an answer; to change the subject she asked if Elphir had heard anything of their brothers or father. He hadn't, but he did know something else.

"The King of Rohan found us? He joined the search? We are honoured indeed."

"Don't be silly Iri; he was just helping the men clear the city, there was no search for us. This is war, we have other brothers, and they didn't know you were here. They aren't going to spend time searching for some one who can be counted as expendable.'

"But Father-"

"Would be sad, but he doesn't have the time now."

"I'm sorry."

"I know, you just don't understand war. You're still a girl even if you can fight."

"I thought I did, but it's more complicated than that isn't it."

"It is, get some rest, you still look awful."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Iri, even when you look horrible."

"I'm not going to say anything."

Elphir settled back into the pillows, a slight smile on his lips. But Iri stayed awake, wondering what the King of Rohan thought of a girl going to war.

So I know nothing much has happened yet but I promise we're going to get there
Please tell me if all three brothers survive, and if they go to the Black Gate….
So review, review, review, I'm begging you….

And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, too