When Eomer awoke the next day he felt irritable and tired. Eowyn tried to speak to him but he was so moody she eventually gave up. Eomer stood outside the hall and gazed at the city around him. He sighed. He was irritable because he'd dreamed of Ari the night before. He was falling for a woman who was strong and independent, but not of his world. To her, his world was a fantasy, a place of make believe—he couldn't keep her. Children's laughter rang out and he looked below to where Arianna was playing a game with the young ones.
"I don't know if I can….let's see!" Arianna was suddenly swinging one of the children about her. She set the child down and looked up to where Eomer was staring down at her. The children ran off and Ari climbed up the stairs to where Eomer stood.
"Did you just wake up?"
"Aye…just a moment ago."
"Ready for the big banquet tonight?" Ari said with a smirk upon her face.
"I never am." Eomer turned his back on Ari and strolled inside. Ari's brow furrowed for a moment and then she took off after him.
"What crawled up your ass and died?" She called after him.
"Pardon me?" Eomer turned to face her.
"You heard me…what's wrong with you today? Holy crap, I mean, you've been up only a little while and you're cranky as fuck!"
"I'm allowed to be as cranky as I like." Eomer seethed. Ari sighed heavily.
"Is it something I did?" Eomer stared stonily at her. "Fine, be that way. Don't tell me what's wrong." Ari went off in a different direction than Eomer had been headed in.
Eomer eventually ended up outside at his cousin's grave and stared blankly at the flower covered mound. Theodred had always been better with women. Eomer didn't know how to react around Ari. On one hand he wanted her desperately. Her beauty, attitude and drive made her attractive to him. On the other, she was so stubborn and, coupled with being from another world, she was so distant that he was sure it would never work between them. When Eomer finally wandered back towards the walled city, Ari was stomping out. She was dressed in her shorts and hooded sweatshirt and had a look of pure anger on her face.
"Ari?" someone was calling out to her from inside the city.
"Fuck off!" Ari yelled back over her shoulder. "I told you to back off and I meant it." Eomer and Ari nearly collided.
"Sorry." Eomer said as Ari pushed away from him.
"Whatever."
"What's wrong? You seemed happy this morning."
"I got around you, that's what. Your cranky-ness rubbed off on me."
"I'm sorry, I'm not exactly a 'morning person' when I'm here." Ari looked back inside the gate and sighed.
"It's OK. I'm just tired of them pawing all over me. Eowyn had them chase me down. I think I just need to do something physical."
"Like what?"
Like jump you, right here, right now. The thought raced across Ari's mind like wildfire.
Eomer smiled as Ari began bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"I dunno, run, play soccer, lift weights….."
"Soccer….that's the game with the ball and the nets, right?" Eomer recalled one of their first conversations when she'd tried to explain it to him. Ari grinned and ran to where the children were still playing outside. She secured a ball from them and though it was slightly larger than regulation, she knew it would serve its purpose. She briefly went over the rules and basic concepts of the game with Eomer. He was a fast learner, but was still no match for Ari.
"You're far too quick." Eomer chided after Ari booted the ball into the barrel that was her goal and sent both spinning wildly.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" Ari ran a victory lap and danced about Eomer while he grinned.
"This is a foolish game! I do not understand its purpose!" He placed the ball on the ground and kicked and dribbled it towards Ari's side of the 'field'. His goal consisted of a few large crates they'd pushed together. Ari stole the ball and began running towards the barrel. Eomer gave chase and caught her around the middle. "Not so fast!" He laughed as she struggled to get out of his grasp. "It's my turn to score."
You could do it in more ways than one, Eomer. Ari thought as he whipped her around. Thunder cracked overhead and rain began to pelt down onto everyone standing outside sending them running for shelter. Ari and Eomer ran into the stables as the rain started coming down in heavy sheets.
"What exactly IS the purpose of soccer?" Eomer asked as he shook water from his long hair.
"Purpose? There isn't one really—it's just a way to have fun." Ari was still a raging ball of energy and climbed up to one of the rafters. She started doing pull ups while Eomer watched. "I mean, in my world, recreation is really important, but we're lazy. Your people probably do more work in a day than mine do in a week." Ari pulled herself up and swung a leg over the rafter where she'd been hanging from.
"Is your world really that different from ours?" Eomer asked as he watched her swing her feet on the rafters.
"Oh, yeah…no doubt." The rain began to ease up and Eomer and Ari went back into the golden hall to prepare for the evenings' festivities.
Ari bathed and then got out and brushed her hair. Eowyn had laid out a dark blue dress for Ari to wear. Someone came in and offered to arrange Ari's hair, but Ari declined, choosing instead to wear it straight. Eowyn and Ari marched down to the great hall together. When they entered, Ari couldn't believe the amount of food that had been accumulated. There were entire pigs and goats were laid out for the feast. Fruits and vegetables and rich stews also adorned the tables. Ari and Eomer were seated opposite one another during the banquet. Mead, Ale and wine were served up and Ari knew the night was going to be boisterous and wild. Two hobbits were present and they were introduced to Ari as Merry and Pippin. The heat of battle had been too great. They were fun and Ari decided that she liked them. She was pretty sure they were the same two she had met up with at the Battle at the Ford, but couldn't be positive, and they never brought it up. The heat and stress of battle had been to great, and the stretch of time between the two meetings was also a factor in the fuzziness of the memory.
Ari sat off to the side and was 'people watching' when she saw Eowyn offer a cup of wine to Aragorn and they drank. Ari knew Eowyn had fallen for Aragorn; who wouldn't? He was handsome and brave and smart…"Just like Eomer." Ari banished the thought from her mind and paid attention to other people in the hall. She was watching Merry and Pippin sing and dance when she felt someone's eyes upon her. She turned to see Eomer staring intently at her. She raised her mug of ale (one she'd stolen from one of the men) and toasted Eomer.
"Lady Ari! Come drink with Merry and I!" Pippin shouted from where he was standing on the end of a table.
"That's not exactly a lady like activity Master Pippin."
"Please?"
"We want to see who can drink ale quicker…a woman or a hobbit." A man said, laughing.
"And you said earlier you like to drink ale quite a bit."
"Oh alright!" Ari got up from her seat and eagerly went to where Merry and Pippin were now standing on their chairs, the table seeming a bit rude.
"So how many have you had?" Ari asked when she reached them.
"I've had three…Merry's had two."
"And a glass of wine!" Merry countered.
"OK, because I've had three wines, mead and I've got a half an ale left." Ari chugged the rest of the ale and called for another loudly. She was shocked when Eomer handed her a full mug.
"Do us proud, Arianna." Ari grinned when he winked at her.
"Alright." Hama said as Merry and Pippin's mugs were topped off. "you'll all start with your mugs on the table. You'll bring them up, back to the table, and up a second time. Back to the table and then drink. Is everyone clear?" Merry and Ari nodded but Pippin asked for a demonstration. Two of the men obliged and once Pippin was satisfied, they began.
"One, Two, Three!" Ari brought the mug to her lips and downed the beer as quickly as she could. When she was finished, she slammed the mug down on the table and raised her arms in victory. Merry and Pippin finished a few seconds later as everyone applauded Ari.
"Woo-Hoo-Hoo!" Ari shouted. "Beer Bonging Champ of Prestonville in the house!" Ari bowed. "Now the Ale Guzzling Champ of Rohan." Several men came forward and a boat race as established along with other various drinking games. Ari used a belching contest as her signal to leave the hall. She strolled outside and gazed up at the stars, despite some unsteadiness on her feet. She looked up into the velvety sky at the pin prick lights twinkling back at her. She hadn't seen so many stars since she had last been on her grandfather's ranch in Oklahoma. Aragorn and Legolas were talking off to her left so she decided to go to the right. She was still gazing at the amazing sky when someone placed a cloak over her shoulders.
