Difficult Decisions
Shouts made Selanae bolt up in her makeshift bed. She instantly reached for her sword, though it was not there. The guards had taken it yesterday.
Suddenly someone moved on the bed next to her spot on the floor. Selanae almost jumped, even more so when she saw Eomer had no shirt on.
Whoever was shouting was coming closer to the room.
"Stay down!" Eomer hissed at her. She lay back down just as the door busted open.
"Eomer!" Selanae rolled her eyes—it was Theoden. "See to it that the girl is freed. I would like to speak with her, as do Gandalf and Aragorn."
"Yes, uncle," he said, his voice a little shaky but deep enough to hide it. The door was slammed shut again, and Eomer sighed. "Sorry," he said in her direction. She nodded, and slowly got up.
Eomer followed suit, reaching for his shirt. Selanae chose to look at the door, though she listened for his movements.
"Why did you not use the bed?" he asked. Selanae shrugged.
"Too many nights in the woods, I guess," she said. "I'm not used to beds." He suddenly came into view, circling around to face her. She noticed he'd just redressed in what he wore the night before. The browns and greens suited him nicely. It was nice not to see armor all the time.
"I best get you to my uncle."
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Theoden had a confident air about him as Selanae entered the room. Beside him, Aragorn and Gandalf stood, their faces almost neutral but for the hope in their eyes.
Selanae found it funny. The door closed behind, with Eomer standing by it.
"Selanae," Theoden began, his eyes flickering to his nephew. Gandalf suddenly stepped forward, waving a hand at the king. Theoden seemed to be okay with this, and the wizard spoke.
"The enemy is closer than you know. Now is the time to decide what you will do," he said. "Last night, he saw into the mind of a foolish hobbit."
Just jump right to the matter, Selanae thought.
"Saruman did what?" she asked.
Gandalaf shook his head. "Saruman is dead. But Sauron knows of you, Selanae," he said, his voice grave. "He knows you are alive, among other things. And it seems his plan has changed because of this."
Selanae raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. Aragorn took over.
"We need you now more than ever. If Sauron accelerates his attack now, I fear we will not be able to protect the lands of men," the Ranger said. "Will you help us?"
All men and wizards in the room seemed to hold their breaths. Selanae didn't say anything for several moments, a measure of fun being drawn from their suspense. Finally she gave them relief.
"I will."
Theoden broke out into a proud grin. "Time in that dungeon gave her the perspective she needed." Selanae gaped at him, until her smart tongue came to.
"I'm certain there was a time that you were a great king, but I just can't see it," she said. Aragorn just about gasped, as did Eomer behind her. Theoden's face turned so red.
Gandalf jumped in quickly.
"There is much to discuss," he said, leading Selanae by the elbow and out of the room. Selanae was just pleased at her small victory.
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"We don't have enough time!" Gimli exclaimed. He, Legolas, Aragorn, Gandalf, the King, and Eomer stewed over strategy. Selanae could sense the urgency, but the men seemed to come up with nothing, although several things were thrown out as options. She heard strange terms, like 'paths of the dead.' She shrugged it off.
"Sauron is reforming his armies. They will march to Gondor faster than we can arrive," Aragorn said.
"Why should we help Gondor?" Theoden said. Somehow the comment didn't faze Selanae, not when it came from the man.
"We cannot stand by and watch them die," Aragorn said. The talk continued, on and on and round and round. It was endless, and pointless.
They spoke of strategy, yet for all the battle-hardened men in the room, no good solution presented itself. Sauron was coming, and quickly. How to stop it?
"A diversion," she said aloud, more to herself but it drew everyone's attention. The talk stopped as all eyes turned to her.
"What, Selanae?" Gandalf prompted. She smiled coyly.
"It seems we need to stall Sauron with a diversion. Keep him occupied so he does not march on Gondor right away, or at least not with full force." She shrugged. "It's just a thought."
"What type of diversion?" Eomer piped up for the first time. He tended to be quiet, especially when his uncle was around. Selanae turned to him.
"What would get his interest enough to turn away from Gondor?" she asked back. "While you round up an army to aid Gondor, Aragorn goes to the Paths of the Dead. Meanwhile, Gondor is still under attack. But if, say, a feared enemy challenged him . . ."
The stares that came back at her spoke volumes.
"You would take on Sauron?" Aragorn asked. Selanae shrugged. "Do not trifle with life and death, for he can easily destroy." His eyes held fear and darkness, so much that Selanae offered him a smile to lighten his despair.
"I am merely suggesting I make myself more visible to him. Perhaps, even allow his armies close enough . . ."
"He would kill you!" Eomer jumped up and started pacing.
"He would try," Selanae corrected him. Gandalf shot her a look.
"He will try to capture you—"
"Even better," she said.
"—and if you do not bend to his will, he will kill you," the wizard finished. Silence consumed the room, but Selanae tried to remain unconcerned. In truth she was—she still didn't want part of this, but she wasn't the only one at stake anymore. What a burden, she thought.
"Do you have a better idea?"
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Eomer, an eored, and Selanae left at once to gather soldiers for war. It was decided that such was the best way to "make Selanae visible" to the enemy. Gandalf and one of the hobbits left to warn Gondor, and Selanae had no idea what Aragorn and the King were doing in the meantime.
The worst part of the plan was that Selanae was again riding horses. She scowled at the beast that carried her, and he must have sensed it. His pace became choppier, flopping her around a bit violently.
She pulled at the reins suddenly, stopping the horse even as all the others rode past her.
"Look," she said, a little annoyed. "I don't like this either, but at least don't make it harder for me." The horse turned his head back to look at her, and then snorted. "Thank you." With that, she gave it a light kick, and the horse caught up with the eored.
"What was that about?" Eomer asked, appearing at her side. Selanae glanced at her horse.
"Just understanding each other, that's all."
Eomer chuckled. He seemed to be in a better mood. This was the first time in a while he spoke to her lightly or without deathly concern. He worries too much.
Even now, his smile disappeared, hidden under his helmet of the horse, with the white mane flying behind him in the wind. He was in full armor again, as were all the soldiers. Eomer had tried to convince her to wear armor, at least chainmail, but she refused. It was one of his less charming moments.
Why is he so worried? As far as she could tell, this prophecy just about meant she was indestructible, so why change how she fought or what she wore?
They'd come across two villages the first day, gathering men and sending them on to the camp where Theoden would be waiting in a day or two. The second day was spent the same way, and Selanae was fast becoming bored.
The third day, though, they stumbled across some orcs. It was just a small group, a scouting party no doubt. The eored started to chase them.
"Eomer!" she yelled out. The Third Marshall came to her side.
"What?"
Her eyes flashed with excitement. "Let me go after them. Alone."
Eomer rolled his eyes and started to ride away.
"Eomer!" She spurred her horse after his. "This is the perfect opportunity! Let them see only me. When they see who I am, word will get to Sauron." Why am I even asking?
With that thought, she went ahead, after the orcs. She heard Eomer yell something to her, but didn't stop. The orcs ran before her. She was amidst the other soldiers, but she urged her horse forward. The horse for once didn't seem to fight her. He leapt ahead.
The orcs scattered over the hills, and ran for an area just out of sight below a hill. Selanae eagerly went after them. She gained on them quickly, until she leapt off her horse and tackled an orc.
It howled, and those around him roared. Selanae rolled to her feet, and drew her sword. She spun and lashed out with her sword, beheading the nearest orc.
From there, things were unclear. But she danced around the orcs, engaging them two or three at a time. She twisted and leapt, swung her sword over head and ran it through the foul bodies of the orcs. She stopped herself when there were only five left. They ran quickly, scared of her.
"Should we follow, my lord?" someone asked behind her. Selanae turned to see the entire eored behind her, merely in a line, watching her fight. Eomer glared at her as if he were disappointed.
"No. Let them go."
Selanae nodded. They'll report back, and soon Sauron will be too distracted to focus on all things.
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Eomer paced the camp for lack of anything more constructive to do. His mind raced, but he tried to ignore. Then he saw Selanae, calmly sitting by herself, not even close to the fire. She was cleaning her sword.
And Eomer found his blood boiling. How can she be so calm? So uncaring? So reckless! It reminded him of Eowyn, but worse!
It didn't help that she was growing on him. Eomer knew it. Selanae was so simple, but yet so quiet, mysterious, and beautiful. It was her demeanor, shy but fierce, that enraptured him. And he hated it!
How he wanted to go up to her and hide her away where she'd be safe. Prophecy or not, no sane person should go out looking for Sauron. Least of all a woman! Barely more than a girl!
She put aside her sword, though it was barely out of her hand with how she positioned herself to sleep. Eomer found himself watching her, and yet thinking about how peaceful and yet strange she looked sleeping on the floor in his bedroom back at Edoras.
"Is the Third Marshall planning to sleep?" came a teasing voice. Eomer glanced over his shoulder at Eothain.
"How do you fare tonight, Eothain?" he asked. He was well aware that he hadn't answered the question, especially not when he saw Eothain's gaze flicker between him and Selanae.
"Well, my lord." The two stood in the night, watching the fire and Selanae. "She was quite impressive on the field today, sir."
Eomer nodded, but said nothing.
"I could watch her fight all day," the second-in-command said. Eomer almost gasped and he turned sharply to glare at him, but Eothain was smiling, teasing him.
Eomer rolled his eyes and walked away from his friend before anything else could be given away.
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Wind rushed by the eored, sending their hair and banners flying behind them. Eomer relished it. It was exciting and yet peaceful. The land before him was calm and golden.
Suddenly a frightful and ear-piercing shriek sounded above, echoed by roars ahead of them. Eomer almost fell off his horse as he covered his ears. Looking ahead, he saw a host of orcs, standing boldly and ready to face the Rohirrim. At the same time, a large dark shadow came over them all.
A winged beast, almost a dragon, shrieked again, and doom sounded within Eomer's heart.
Nazgul!
Eomer drew his sword for the orcs ahead, and shouted out to his men.
"Attack! Archers to the fell beast!"
Arrows rained upward at the beast, and those that missed fell back over the host of orcs. The Rohirrim charged ahead, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Selanae at the head of them all.
She didn't hesitate to dismount her horse, and launch into battle against the orcs. Eomer shook his head, but turned his attention to the fight around him.
He plowed through the orcs, swinging his sword with strength and honor. He cut into several, releasing a roar of his own as he killed one after the other.
Suddenly the fell beast shrieked again, making the soldiers cower at the sound. Eomer barely warded off a blow and ducked to the side as another orc tried to take him down. But that didn't worry Eomer. The Nazgul suddenly swooped down towards the ground on the beast, lower and lower. And just ahead was Selanae.
"No!" Eomer yelled, but it was too late. She turned just in time to see the claws of the fell beast come at her. She pivoted back and to the side, but still the claws grabbed at her.
Eomer charged after the beast, knocking down orcs in his path with no more effort than his shoulders. His eyes stayed on Selanae, up in the air and in the clutches of Sauron's servants. Even so captured, she struggled and slashed at the beast with her sword, which somehow she'd not dropped. The beast flew higher in the air, and let out another shriek.
For some reason, this one sounded like taunting.
Eomer charged over another orc, then suddenly stopped and grasped his sword somewhat loosely. His eyes honed in on the beast, and with all his might, Eomer hurled the sword at the Nazgul and the creature.
The blade flew up, end over end, higher and higher, but he feared not high enough. But the tip hit into the beast wing, drawing another shriek even as the sword came loose and fell. This one, though, was of pain. The creature released Selanae, and Eomer's breath stopped as her body fell to the earth.
He didn't know how far she'd fallen, or even how she survived, but she seemed to just manage to land on her feet almost with a spring. The impact appeared to be nothing, and she rolled over the ground with the momentum.
Eomer ran to her side, even as the winged beast and the Nazgul both yelled out their unearthly screams. The beast and rider were circling back towards them.
"Selanae!" Eomer yelled, kneeling by her. He glanced again at the enemy. "Hurry, we must get you to safety." She seemed a bit stunned, but she was awake and started to rise.
"No," she said, and suddenly she was on her feet and testing her sword and arm with a swing. "Eomer, it's after me."
Eomer almost rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Yes, I know!" He picked up his sword, which lay near them.
"No," she said forcefully. Suddenly an orc charged them both. Selanae twirled around, as versatile as ever, and stabbed the orc through the chest. She yanked out the blade and turned back to Eomer. "You and your men must gather the army for Gondor."
Eomer shook his head. Suddenly he saw two orcs behind Selanae. He brushed by her, and wielded his sword high. His blade crushed through one orc's shoulder, and Eomer spun around to catch the second orc at the neck.
He turned back to Selanae, surprised to see her impressed. Has she never seen a man fight? He brushed it off for now.
"We'll still gather the army, after we finish this," he said, nodding at the orcs.
"We cannot win, not with that thing!" She pointed in the sky, where the fell beast flew somewhat injured, but swooped on the Rohirrim. Eomer winced as two of his soldiers were run down by the beast.
Suddenly Selanae grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him a shake.
"They are after me, Eomer! I will draw them away," she said. Eomer started to protest, but she clapped her hand over his mouth. "It is the only way, for what we both must do." Her eyes stared deep into his. Eomer felt his heart be gripped by fear, fear for her. Her brown eyes became too much to bear. Eomer looked away and nodded.
"I will meet you in Gondor's lands," she said. And then she ran, off towards a riderless horse. She mounted with decent skill and rode off.
Eomer turned back to the battle, his heart and mind heavy with worry.
a/n: please review! thanks!