The next morning they ate a light quick breakfast and got ready to ride quickly. Ari had discarded her knapsack and had packed everything into a saddlebag. Eomer helped her lash it and her bedroll to her saddle and then helped her into the saddle. Her horse was white with dappled gray and brown markings. She settled comfortably into the big war saddle and fell in line behind Eomer. When the group began to move, she set out with them, leaving her old life behind her. They were tracking something, of that Ari was sure. The men of Rohan had eye sight that was incredible. Then she too picked up on the wide swatch of land that had been carved up.

"They've moved farther off…we'll catch up to them in the branches of Fanghorn."

"Who?" Ari asked the man beside her.

"Orcs." He answered.

"Aye….nasty creatures." Another added looking hard at the path before them. Ari caught up to Eomer and tried to press him for information, but he would give her nothing.

"Ari, I want you to stay near the rear of the column…do not engage in whatever lay ahead. Do you understand me?"

"Sort of. I'm not strong enough to fight right now…nor am I skilled enough. So I'll stay back. But only for now."

"That's all I can ask of you." Eomer and Ari rode at the head of the column throughout the day until they began to see shapes moving on the horizon.

"Get to the rear." Eomer growled out. Ari was slow to move and continued to stare at the blur moving across the horizon. "Arianna…" Ari moved to the rear—this wasn't her fight…

It was evening before the horsemen could attack the goblin horde. Ari was remaining near the edge of battle when she was suddenly yanked violently from her horse. She looked into the ugly yellow eyes of an orc for the first time. She was terrified; so scared she couldn't even scream. The orc raised a hooked blade and brought it crashing towards Arianna's head. Ari rolled left as the blade sliced through the grass at her shoulder. She brought her boot up between the creature's legs and hoped it had balls. As the creature pitched sideways Ari leapt up and grasped a spear form near by and killed the demon before her. She wrenched the spear out of the body and raced to where a young man was getting pummeled by two orcs.

"Lady Arianna?"

"I'm no lady!" Ari said spearing one of the orcs. Ari was already picking up the big blade that one of the dead orcs had dropped. She moved farther toward the edge of battle when she suddenly tripped over an orc. When she pushed herself up she was looking into two pairs of scared eyes.

"It's a woman!" One of the tiny people said.

"It's a trick!" The other cried out, scooting backwards.

"You're hobbits!" Arianna couldn't contain her shock at seeing the two Halflings.

"She's heard of us Merry…"

"Go! Get into the woods! Hurry!" Ari could hear a horse coming up behind her. She crawled in a direction opposite that of the hobbits and continued fighting on the outskirts of the battle. The band of Rohirrim lost few of their men and did not stop until every last orc was dead. Ari helped the others drag bodies together to burn them. Other men lay their comrades out under burial mounds.

"You don't have to do this." Eomer said as he helped her drag an overly large orc to where the others were already being torched.

"Yes I do…" She looked over to where the mounds for the dead Rohirrim were being finished. "You all helped me get back on my feet the last few days. You didn't have to break me out of jail." Eomer nodded silently. They left the battlefield after dawn and started galloping in the opposite direction. It was afternoon when something odd occurred.

"What news, riders of the mark?" The men of the cavalry seemed to turn their horses on a dime, but it took Ari a moment to wheel her mount. She decided to stay outside the tight circle made by the Rohirrim and watch the proceedings. She could barely hear what Eomer said. Eventually, the three men they were surrounding were given horses and they galloped off towards where they had battled early that morning. Ari looked over her shoulder knowing that the three men were part of the famous Fellowship and that the adventure they were on was a great one.

In the next week Ari was shown much of Rohan. In the evenings Eomer taught her about geography, botany, wildlife, and the history of Rohan. Ari absorbed everything like a sponge. She observed villages that had been completely destroyed by the orcs and other invaders. It saddened Ari to see the decimation.

Eomer began to become gloomy and distant with each passing day and Ari began to worry about him. He distanced himself from everyone, Ari included. Finally one night, after she'd been practicing sword fighting with one of the men, she decided she couldn't take it anymore and went to the fire where Eomer sat alone. His long legs were kicked out lazily in front of him and he stared morosely into the flames before him. Ari plopped down opposite him and stared in to the flames.

"I need peace." Eomer said quietly.

"Oh, you'll get your peace, but I stay."

"Ari…"
"Shhh…!" Ari silenced him as she sat and looked at him through the flames. Eomer stared back. He'd acquired a scar during the big orc battle that made him look sexy as hell. Ari wanted to jump him then and there, but restrained herself. "My mother's people tell a story about how horses came to us. Would you care to hear it?"

"Maybe someday."

"Do you want to talk?"

"No."

"Fine, be that way." Ari and Eomer continued to stare at one another for sometime before Ari got bored with the silence and made a very slight move to get up.

"Everything I believe in is destroyed." Eomer said suddenly. "Just before I left, my cousin was near death." Ari sat back down and stared blankly at Eomer. "It would have taken an absolute act of a higher power to have saved him."

"So you think he's…?"

"I know he's…" Eomer spat out the comment but couldn't finish it. "My uncle didn't even care."

"It was his son though…"

"He didn't care!" Eomer's green-gold eyes flashed dangerously. "And then he banished me." Ari sat still as Eomer spoke. His words washed over her and she felt every sorrow in the world. Eventually he stopped speaking and Ari got up to sit closer to him. She took a moment to find the words she wanted to use.

"It all happens for a reason." Eomer looked at her like she'd gone mad. "I mean, I was obviously MEANT to crash my motorcycle and end up here in middle earth. I was meant to sit for God only knows how long in prison…thought my mother doesn't believe it, I was meant to streak my hair purple."

"You truly believe that?" Eomer turned to look at her for the first time.

"No….the other saying in my world is 'Shit happens' but the other one is more poetic." She smiled up at him as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Eomer leaned closer to her, as if intending to kiss her when a man on horseback suddenly appeared beside the fire.

"Eomer, third marshal of the mark, you have been summoned to the deep."

"Reveal yourself old man!" Eomer rose and drew his sword as he stepped in front of Ari. The old man dismounted and stepped into the light of the fire and threw the hood of his cloak back.

"Gandalf!"

"Your uncle has seen the light and is in serious need of your help at Helm's Deep." Eomer hesitated a moment before moving off into the darkness with the old man. Ari sat back and watched….she'd been so close, and yet so far. When Eomer returned he was resolved to go to Helms Deep. After he spoke to his men, he came and spoke with Ari privately.

"You stay here until…"

"No way…there's not chance I'm staying here by myself."

"Arianna—"

"Don't you even try to talk me into it either….You've seen me fight before. I'm going; even if you try to leave me behind, you know I'll follow you."

"Alright then—suit yourself." Eomer grinned slightly, Ari's stubbornness was something that was so attractive about her. "But we must find you some armor. You can't go into battle without some protection." Eomer brought her the armor of one of the fallen soldiers and helped her get it adjusted slightly so it fit her better. When they were done, she was indistinguishable from any of the other soldiers.

"Who is this woman, Eomer?" Gandalf asked as Arianna swung easily into the saddle.

"Her name, is Arianna Carver." Eomer handed Ari a spear and moved to mount his own horse. "She was falsely imprisoned and I helped her escape."

"Where are you from child?" Gandalf asked.

"Prestonville, Missouri."

"I do not know that place."

"You wouldn't," Ari replied moving her horse into place, "it isn't in Middle Earth." The riders moved out quickly with Gandalf and Eomer at the lead. Arianna dropped back slightly and admired Eomer's fine figure.

"Yeah—you know you want him." Ari thought sadly, "but you're on a 'look but don't touch' diet. You can't have him and you know it!"

That thought served to depress Ari for Eomer was a decent guy. It was just her luck that he had to live in an alternative world.

"We must hurry!" She heard Gandalf shout. "They will almost be out of time!"