Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Review Responses:

Slayer3: I understand. We don't get to see enough of Haldir either. But he is just cool.

Karone Evertree: Chivalry had its place and time. But during a battle with the odds they had, to heck with it. They needed all the help they could have gotten. Yeah I'm itching to get to the next story so I can have my smart-ass Atavus back. I miss her.

Larien: Haldir seemed to me to be a character that Peter Jackson could have developed a lot further if he'd tried, but instead he killed him off. So I cheated a little and did some development myself. I don't see him as messed up. He's strong, loyal, and fearless. He needs to stay that way. Man I'm having orc withdrawal. Oh Ugluk polish your sword. I'll need you soon.

Lintered: Oh I love new reviewers. Now, now, now, you can't read anymore story if you kill the authoress. (Cool my first death threat on this story. Yessssssss.)

manveri mirkiel: Impaling people, hmm, now that's a form of torture I haven't tried yet. Cool. Oh yeah right I was saying, the explanation about Vlad is long, so I'll just email you on it. And I assure you I don't drink blood on a regular basis, even though I have been tempted.

Oh I love the counting part too, but I didn't want to just retell the Two Towers story here so I left it out. And believe me Legolas might have something to say about her fighting pretty soon. And yes our dear Atavus is back to normal. But just as reckless as always, but that's the way we love her isn't it?

Author's Note: Okay don't throw anything at me. I ran into another plot bunny. Warning cliffhanger ahead.

Duty and Consequences

Atavus stayed with the carts that carried the wounded back to Edoras. Éowyn walked beside her. "My uncle will not be pleased that you disobeyed his orders."

"I know. Éowyn you feel the same way as I do about women fighting for their people. I respect our King, but I have been a warrior longer than he has been alive. It is in my blood. I cannot change that, just as you cannot change the way you feel. You will have your time also when you must make the same decision that I did." Atavus knew the secret longing to be a warrior that Éowyn held, and she also knew that the woman would not stand back idle while the men rode to war, for very much longer.

"Are you suggesting that I would disobey my uncle?" The woman said with a look of shock on her face.

"Only if it is what is meant to be Éowyn. You will know." She walked ahead a few paces giving the woman room to think. She also wanted time to herself. The wound in her side was affecting her more than she had thought it would. It had been many years since she had been injured while fighting, and she began to wonder at the amount of pain this time. She was still wearing the uniform of the marchwarden. She felt her side probing the wound. It did not feel deep, but was tender to the touch. As she brought her hand away from the wound she could see that her hand was covered in dark red blood.

She was bleeding more than she had thought, and with each step she took the sliced skin was stretching not allowing it to start healing.

It had taken them two days to return instead of the one she had expected. They had, had to take it slow as not to hurt the wounded.

As they entered Meduseld she instructed the healers to sort the wounded by severity of wound into the different rooms that were kept ready for such the possibility of multiple wounded. Then she was left alone in a room where the men who had received poisoned wounds had been taken. There were eight of them and they were arranged on pallets on the floor. She would need help and was elated to see Éowyn enter as she wondered whom to trust with helping her.

"I thought maybe you would need me." The woman explained.

"Yes I do." It had been many years since she had passed out while healing, as she had built up a tolerance of sorts, but she had never tried to heal so many at once. She started with the most serious wound. "After I do the healing you must bandage the wounds. Watch me close though. There is the slight possibility that I will pass out, if that happens the connection between the man and I must not be severed until the process is complete."

Éowyn had seen her use her gift before. At first she had been frightened of the healer, thinking her ability was unnatural, until the day that Atavus had saved her brother's life with the gift. That had forever changed her opinion of Atavus, and now she was most eager to help in any way. She watched as Atavus moved from one wounded man to another. She did not pause in between, and she could see the cloudy look in her eyes. By the time Atavus reached the sixth man she was not sure she would have enough of her own blood left to replace the poison she was removing, but she would still have to try.

This was it. The last wounded man. She was having difficulty moving around the room, and her vision was clouded from the poison inside her. She could barely hear as Éowyn asked if she was all right. She just nodded reaching out to the wounded man. Her hands fumbled as she searched for the wound. Her mind was becoming confused. She needed to finish it and quickly, before she was unable to do so. She felt Éowyn's hand grasp her own and pull it forward to rest on the shoulder wound. She did not remove her hand.

Éowyn watched Atavus working on the last man and was very disturbed at what she saw. Her skin was turning grey. Her eyes were so cloudy they seemed like milk. And her breathing was beginning to come in gasps. She felt Atavus pull her hand from the wound. The healer did not move. She stared to the marble floor, as if she was lost.

"Atavus you need to lie down." She suggested.

"Yes help me please." Atavus asked reaching out feeling for Éowyn's hand. The woman was shocked to see that Atavus could not find it.

"Atavus?" She questioned.

"The poison is clouding my vision. I can't see you." She whispered as the woman grasped her hand. "It will not last. Don't worry. I just need rest. Lots of sleep." Éowyn stood helping Atavus up, and placed her on a pallet in the corner. She had considered taking her to her own room, but wasn't sure she could get her there if she passed out.

She wrapped her in blankets, and pulled her hair back out of her face. "What do you need?"

"Just sleep Éowyn. Thank you. I could not have done that by myself." Atavus said squeezing her hand.

"I will help you any time you need it my friend." The woman said leaving her to sleep.

It had been a long hard ride from Isengard, but the remaining members of the fellowship were glad to be back. They had decided to ride ahead, bringing the two hobbits with them. King Théoden had started back at a slower pace allowing his men some well-deserved rest. It was the darkest night when they returned, and they all settled down together in the quarters prepared for them.

Éowyn learned later the next day that one of the hobbits had caused a disturbance in the middle of the night, which ended with he and the wizard riding off toward Minas Tirith with all haste. She wasn't sure what it was about but she did not like the looks of it. She had been kept busy most of the night making preparations for the King's return, so it wasn't until almost noon that she finally was able to go check on the wounded men and Atavus.

She could see that Atavus still slept, which wasn't uncommon, after healing. She could also see that most of the men were already up milling around due to the healing abilities of her blood. She allowed them all to leave the healing quarters, but put them on restricted duty. She almost decided not to disturb the sleeping woman, but changed her mind and kneeled beside her. Her skin was still that dull grey color which disturbed her so much. She reached out touching the side of Atavus' face and was shocked to feel immense heat radiating from the skin. "Atavus." She said shaking the woman. "Wake up."

There was no reaction from her. She did notice though that the woman was trembling, and her teeth were chattering. She grabbed another blanket pulling it over her. She did not know what to do for the woman. She was no healer herself. Then she thought of Aragorn. He was a healer. She bounded out of the room running down the hall, not caring that she nearly knocked down several men. As she entered the main hall she saw that Legolas and Gimli were present, but not Aragorn.

"Where's Aragorn?" She asked the two with a distressed note in her voice.

"He's off talking with Merry somewhere. What is wrong Éowyn?" Legolas asked.

"It's Atavus. Something's wrong. I can't get her to waken." She explained.

"Show me." He insisted starting back the way she had came. She led him to the room she had left Atavus in.

He found her lying on a pallet in the corner, and he had never seen her look so sick. "What happened?" He asked pulling her up cradling her to him.

"She healed eight men yesterday. When she finished she said she just needed sleep. But look at her. Something is seriously wrong." Éowyn explained.

"Too much mellon-nin." He whispered. "Why must you always go too far?"

He could feel the warmth coming from her, and knew her fever was raging. He could also see she was shivering. The room was chilled, and there was no fireplace present. "I need to take her to her own room. It's too cold here for her. You go find Aragorn." He placed both arms under her lifting her to his chest, making his way out of the room and towards her own.

When he reached the room he placed her on the bed as gently as possible. As he pulled his arms out from under her he could see dark red blood smeared on the left sleeve of his tunic. His eyes widened realizing that she must be injured. He worked frantically looking for the injury. He pulled the marchwarden cape and armor off then pulled the tunic up on her side. He could see the long gash there, and dreaded the sight. The edges of the skin had turned black from the poison running through her body.

"Atavus why do you have to do this? We just got you back. I can't bear to lose you again." He whispered, his voice full of emotion.

He found a basin full of water, and began cleaning the wound. He had just finished the task when Aragorn burst through the door. Aragorn could see the gash on her side, and could not believe he had missed it. "How did this happen Estel?" Legolas asked him.

"She was fighting as one of the marchwarden. It was Haldir's idea." Aragorn answered.

"She knew better to attempt healing while she was injured." Legolas said remembering when Atavus had healed Aragorn while she was suffering from a dislocated shoulder. "Going out and fighting was reckless enough, but doing this was downright insane."

Éowyn had been standing back watching as the two friends treated Atavus. "Reckless. You say she was reckless."

Legolas looked back at her not even realizing she was still in the room. "Yes, but that is normal for her."

"Why is it reckless for her to want to defend those she cares for?" She asked him.

"She should have been in the caves." He answered thinking it was obvious.

"Why, because she's a woman? She's a warrior too master elf. Just the same as you. And considering the fact that she and three other elves held off the orcs that were trying to get into the caves, to kill us precious women, I'm glad she is a warrior. Many of us might not be here today, if not for her." Éowyn was tired of the chivalrous attitude that the men surrounding her were taking. It was time for them to face the fact that they might need the help of the fairer sex to win this war. And she meant to make sure they realized it before all was said and done.

"No because she is essential when it comes to healing. The wounded could not well afford to lose her." He answered. "She has fought by my side many times, but in the case of all out war there are too many depending on having able bodied healers after the battle is over. That is why I say she was reckless."

She was so used to fighting with her brother and uncle on the subject of women in battle that she hadn't thought that the elf would have other reasons for not wanting her in harms way. "I'm sorry. I spoke, before I thought. But in her defense it is her caring heart that motivates her to recklessness."

"It always has been." Aragorn said pouring a fever reducing tea, he had made down her throat. He could see that her swallowing reflexes were still working. That was a good sign.

Her eyes flew open, as she gagged on the tea. "I can still tell when you're talking about me." She whispered. He could see the cloudy look in her eyes. That did worry him.

"That does not surprise me mellon-nin." He said placing a soft kiss on her brow.

Legolas sat beside her on the bed as Aragorn finished giving her the tea. He could see that she stared off in the distance not seeking them with her eyes. "Atavus are you all right." He had a nagging feeling that something was really wrong.

"Legolas." She said reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. She used her fingers to feel her way up his arm to his face. She touched his cheek softly feeling the frown on his lips. "I'm relieved that you survived."

Legolas looked to Aragorn with concern on his face. Aragorn looked back understanding the silent message. "Atavus is something wrong with your vision?"

She just nodded a dark look on her face.

"After she finished healing the wounded she couldn't see anything. She said it was the poison, but that it would wear off." Éowyn answered for her.

"Has this ever happened before Atavus?" Aragorn asked.

"No it hasn't." She whispered.

Author's Note: Oh boy I did again didn't I? Anyway what do you think of Éowyn standing up to the men? Atavus was hurt she couldn't do it for herself, so I had to find another strong woman to help her with it.