When Éowyn returned to her chamber she found there her brother cradling his niece. Éomer gently returned Findiel to her crib before even looking at his sister. "It is rather late," he said blankly.
"Aye, it is late, Éomer." She sounded a bit defensive. "And since it is late i would like to take my rest now, if you would be so kind," she said motioning toward the door."
Instead of leaving, Éomer stepped toward his sister. "I would be so kind, however i can not be at the moment. Are you mad, Éowyn? Perhaps living in this place has actually driven you to madness, it seems this place has that effect on people."
Éowyn's hands were firmly rested on her hips, proving that even if she was mad, she was still herself. "I think it is you who is mad, Éomer. First you berate me for not trusting them, then you call me mad for riding out with Lord Castamir. And how do you know? If you tell me that you have sent spies...."
Éomer rolled his eyes. "What need have i of spies? You do not hide your actions. Anyone in Minas Tirith could have witnessed that. Éowyn, i invited those men to our table in a gesture of diplomacy, not to ride with my sister at night. Mayhap you do not realize what the consequences of that could be, even if those men are as trustworthy as they seem? Faramir does not need to come home to be branded a cuckold. Furthermore, what if they are not so honorable?"
"I have done nothing inappropriate and i can defend myself!" she shouted back.
"Can you, sister?" Éomer said sadly. He would not soon forget killing the captain of the Rohirrim who had cornered his sister in a stable. The wounds he received were only just properly healed. It was dangerous grounds for the King of Rohan to tread and he knew that. The furious slap he received did not entirely surprise him, but he had not anticipated his sister's next words.
"I will ride when and where, and with whom, i choose, Éomer. You are not my keeper, that is a title none can claim. Neither you nor anyone else can tell me what to do. I have already given up many of my dreams for others and i shall yield no more! Now go and leave me in peace!"
The next day she broke her fast in her chambers and when Berethil came in, Éowyn told her that she would be away for a while. Kissing her twins and taking up her riding cloak, she left to find Castamir to invite him to ride.
Éowyn thought her brother was being preposterous to be so worried about reputation, anyone could see that something as harmless as a ride meant nothing. Éowyn had vowed to herself that she would no longer be concerned with what Gondor's society thought of her. She was thoroughly tired of not being good enough for them.
"Lady Éowyn!" Castamir called cheerfully, bowing when he saw her approaching the inn.
"Good morning, Lord Castamir," Éowyn said. "How does this day find you and your friend?"
"I can not speak for anyone but myself, Lady. But since i have seen you, this day has found me well indeed," the foreigner said, laying a simple kiss to her fingers, and causing her blush against her will.
"Your words are gentle, Lord Castamir. May i ask if you would like to ride with me again today?" she said.
"You need not ask, my Lady. You have only to tell me that you shall be going and i shall follow," Castamir said and disappeared momentarily into the stable adjoining the inn. Éowyn noticed that his horse was already tacked, but ignored it.
They rode in companionable silence for some while, again toward the river, until Éowyn's curiosity got the best of her. "Lord Castamir, can you not tell me of what you come to discuss with Faramir? Or perhaps you can speak with Lord Erestor. He has assisted Faramir since last summer and i understand that he was prominent in Lord Elrond's house."
"An Elf?" Castamir asked surprised.
"Yes," Éowyn replied. "He and Lord Glorfindel remained here in Minas Tirith when the rest of the Elves departed with the funeral march of Théoden, my uncle. They are friends of the Queen."
"I see," Castamir said sounding fascinated. "Alas, no, my dear Lady, i was entrusted to bear my words to the Steward of Gondor alone. I certainly do not mind though, for as long as i must wait, i may at least have the comfort of knowing that one so fair dwells near."
Éowyn seemed to except his answer and from there their talk turned to other things. Castamir spoke of how different Harad was from the northern lands of Gondor, and Éowyn wondered just how vast Middle-earth was; she had always referred to Gondor as the south.
Éowyn spoke more of Faramir, hoping to void any misrepresentation she might have given of him the night before. She also spoke of her two greatest joys, Findiel and Elboron. Castamir was quite interested in all that Éowyn had to say. She rather amazed herself with her uncharacteristic loquaciousness, but attributed it to the fact that she so rarely had anyone new to talk to.
As they returned back to the city at mid-day, Éowyn was nearly tempted to take her new friend to meet her children, but she thought better of it and decided to invite him and Calimehtar to dine with them again that evening. Castamir accepted at once and excused him to seek his companion to let him know of the invitation. Éowyn returned to the Citadel feeling much assuaged of the restlessness she felt that morning.
Castamir found Calimehtarin their room in the innand relayed to him word of the invitation. The other man of Harad merely smiled. "That was much faster than i expected, Castamir. Your charms have not waned."
"Will you have the draught ready that soon?" Castamir asked apprehensively.
Calimehtar laughed softly. "I have been working on it since i saw you riding with the lady last evening. The timing is wonderful really. By tonight it will be very heady, yet still taste- and scentless. Furthermore, if the Steward keeps to his schedule, we should be able to make it to Rhûn before he returns."
"We shall have to make our exodus without delay and, moreover, without being noticed," Castamir pointed out.
"Worry not, my friend. If we depart just after moonset we will have plenty of cover. It should be the third hour past midnight then and just about when this," he held up a small vial, "will really begin to take effect. It will only take just a bit," he said holding up an odd ring.
Castamir nodded. "We must be extremely careful. I have just learned today that this city is crawling with Elves. Besides the Queen, the lady spoke of two others, also from the house of Elrond."
Calimehtar laughed at that. "Elves? Castamir, Elves count for nothing anymore. Their time is finished, they are powerless. Middle-earth is the domain of Men now, and if we succeed in our mission, it will be the domain of the Haradrim."
Castamir was still wary though. "So, yes, the Elves may not be as powerful as once they were, but suppose the leaders choose against supporting our faction? What if they desire rather to make lasting peace with Gondor?"
"If they do then they declare themselves too weak to fight. If the leaders will do nothing for our people, we must," Calimehtar said angrily. "Gondor does not intend to make real peace for more than a few years. Then they will come and claim our lands as theirs according to some ancient scrap of parchment. Would you have these Gondorians continue to ride roughshod through our villages?"
"You question my commitment?" Castamir said.
"Of course not. If you were not loyal, you would not have come this far. However, i must wonder of your attention to the lady.... Several times it rather seemed to me that you displayed some manner of... affection?... for her."
"You are wrong, Calimehtar," Castamir said firmly. "However, i must ask you if she is a wise target. You know that she is not Gondorian herself and that this could end up involving Rohan as well. Are we prepared for that?"
"Are you prepared to die for the freedom of Harad?" Calimehtar challenged. "She is the perfect target. The wife of the Steward... what could possibly make a stronger declaration? Besides, we can not change targets now, you already have her in your confidence. Trust me, this will show Gondor that we will not abide their superior actions."
"She has two children, you know," Castamir said, more softly than he intended.
Calimehtar looked very interested in that. "You do not say?! How old?"
"Several months, that is all." Castamir was beginning to feel uneasy about this situation, realizing that they were no longer here to take on one authority figure but a woman and potentially her babies. It suddenly seemed to him that they were no better than the soldiers of Gondor who had invaded Pelargir.
"This is more perfect than i could have imagined," Calimehtar said mostly to himself. "If she nurses those children tonight...," he started to say gleefully, but then noticed that his companion did not share his mood. "What is the matter with you, Castamir? Perhaps i was not wrong. Perhaps you do have affection for the Steward's wife. If you want out of this, there is only one way," Calimehtar said threateningly.
Castamir rose from where he was seated, anger flashing in his eyes. "I do not want out. I want to see Harad at last free from tyranny, at all costs. I will ready supplies for tonight's journey," he said walking out and steeling his will to go through with his mission.
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linda: It would certainly seem that you were right.