A/N: To Melian and Prongs...My bestest buddies...or should I say Mooney and Prongs! Long live the dream...Live long and prosper, and all that stuff! I wish that I could claim Eomer as my own, and I suppose that in everyone's stories there is a touch of who they see Eomer to be...Stick with me, this story gets good...I am almost done with my original on paper...The thought of saying good bye to my characters makes me want to cry, but there is always the opportunity for a sequel...or should I say a continuance! Or maybe a diversion into another friends story...Tee Hee...I've always been a touch nosey! 

CH 2 – Of Friends and Memories –

I collapsed on the ground in front of Jani. She looked at me and laughed, "On the run from someone love?" She continued snickering for awhile, while Ewilyn and Eonis looked at me puzzled. "You could have just ridden your horse it would have been faster and you would not be so exhausted." Said Ewilyn, Eonis her sister nodded her head in agreement. I didn't have the heart to tell them what exactly I had been running from or why I had not stopped long enough to saddle my horse. I was quite aware of what their reaction would have been, and it would not have been pretty. They were far more conservative than I; secretly I was begging to wonder if they thought my plight more of a joke than a cause these days. After all there really was no more call for Sheildmaidens anymore.

"I was detained at the stables." I huffed as I tried to catch my breath, after all this was partially true. "So what did we call a meeting about?" I asked as I flopped on my back, looking between the three of them for an answer. "The King is holding a contest in celebration of the visit from the King of Gondor." Eonis said casting about for a leaf or flower to play with. "A contest" I muttered to myself.

"Yes, and the King has decided to open it to all that wish to participate-some have said that he is also looking to recruit new members into the Rohirrim." Added Jani rather nonplussed. "So I take it we are planning to enter" I said looking at them quizzically, there really was no need to call a meeting to make that sort of decision; however following the row I just had with Lord Eomer I did not think it the best idea for me just to waltz in, expecting to participate. "Naturally," said Jani again, rather matter of fact. "Is this not just the opportunity that you have been waiting for?" I had to admit, this would have been hard to pass up under normal circumstances. We were ready for this competition; I just was unsure how our Lord and King would receive our participation now. So I settled for a solemn nod.

"Perhaps I should inform Eolas, I know he too has been waiting for this opportunity." I said grinning; thinking of how excited my brother would be at the opportunity to prove his King proud at all he had learned. "Oh, well that is who I learned of the competition from" Said Eonis, this did not surprise me as my brother fancied her immensely- but Eonis did not fancy him. Under regular circumstances, my brother would have told me first though. "He said the King wished to deliver the invitation to you personally." She said as if she could read my mind. "Anda, are you alright?" She said noting the flush creeping into my cheeks. How could I have been so dumb?!?! Eomer was trying to simply offer me and invitation, not to poke fun at me-however I noted I had certainly given him the opportunity to do so in the process. "IDIOT," the girls all turned to me in shock.

"What have you done?" Said Jani, she was part elf and her intuition gave her away all the time. I had the unfortunate knowledge that she knew more than anyone ever gave her credit for. It was a rather frustrating habit, why did she have to be so stinking intuitive; there seemed nothing I could keep from her. "Nothing" I said emphatically. But I knew this would not satisfy them. "Alright, I merely exchanged a few words with the King that is all." I wrung my hands partly out of habit, and partly out of discomfort. The three of them rolled their eyes in unison, they knew exactly what a "few words" meant. "Anda, have we not warned you not to rip off the hand that feeds us?" said Ewilyn. I couldn't help it, I cracked a grin, "I did not rip him apart," I paused "I shoved him" I paused again "Rather satisfactorily actually!" At this I received varying reactions, leaving me to wish briefly that there had been a way to capture the mood that passed over each of them.

"You did WHAT?!" Ewilyn said, being the most concerned of all of us with decorum and manners, I knew her reaction to my behavior would be direct. "I pushed him, he made me rather angry" I paused, hoping somewhere along the way one of them would understand what I was trying to explain. "I did the only thing I could do without costing me my life or my country! Besides you know as well as I that he deserved it! Arrogant...Self righteous... Bastard!" I stood to my feet; I always seemed to think better that way. "You cannot tell me there was not a time when you at least considered throwing something at him!" I smoothed out my skirts, trying to cover the fact that knew I was in the wrong by starting and argument would not solve anything. But for every ounce that knew I was wrong there was a part of me that was still celebrating the strides I had made; I had been brave and stood my ground. Something I had never been able to do with Eomer before, and I had come out on top...For now. However by the looks on their faces I knew this answer to be unsatisfactory, I suddenly remembered relaying a similar story to my father, he had not accepted my behavior then, and I knew my three closest friends would hardly consider it now. "Well, it was his fault. He ruffled my feathers, then tried to smooth them out again by telling me he missed us. It was rather sweet until he got to the part about the only thing he missed about us being able to tease us whenever he wanted." I flopped back down to the ground, accepting my defeat.

"You know you must apologize" said Jani flatly. "I will not!" I said, although my determination was ebbing, and I myself knew that I would be apologizing to the King before my head hit the pillows this evening. There was a brief moment of quiet as Jani, Ewilyn, and Eonis stared me down; surrender. "You will." Jani said more to the point. I hated when we did this, but I knew my best interest was at hand, I could not let my foolish pride get in the way of my one dream. I rolled my eyes, I always had to have the last word. "So," I said. "What's our next order of business?" Hoping this would be all it would take to get the subject changed.

Ewilyn as always took the initiative and stood. "Assuming you have not ruined the opportunity for the rest of us, we best get some practice, there is little more than a fortnight until the parties arrival" She got a sort of star-crossed look on her face when she finished her statement. We all knew why Ewilyn was so excited about the party's arrival; she had quite the thing for the young captain Faramir. Jani and I exchanged looks, Eonis rolled her eyes, and despite her protest of the opposite we were very much aware that Eonis had similar feelings for Faramir. The two siblings generally erupted in discord the moment his name was brought to the surface. "Oh, and I wager you will be at the gates throwing yourself at the Captain when he arrives." Although there was a slight change in Ewilyn's posture, she skimmed right over the top of her sister's comment. "There is rumor that more than just the King and Queen will be here, there is also rumor the remains of the original nine companions will be joining him." I snickered as I thought of the dwarf that had become one of Eomer's dearest friends during the Great War. Just what Rohan needed more strange folk. I stood to my feet, raising my skirt to reveal the simple silver dagger strapped to my thigh, "Then I wager you are right, we best get about it, these forests still hold their secrets" I said, drawing back and letting the dagger fly- it nailed a tree about 50 paces behind me dead center.