A/N: Well, here it is. The final chapter of this story. Hope it meets with your approval. Replies to reviewers are at the bottom again. I gave Tracey bonus points for noticing something no one else had brought up. (And she will get an answer in this chapter.)

Thanks again for all the reviews and encouragement. Hopefully, the Theodwyn story I started will see the light of day and be added to the Chronicles at some point. Just like Amrothos, I rather like the way I wrote her and want to do more with her. And I still have the two other kids to play with. The youngest, Morwen, hasn't done much besides merely exist so far. And surely Theomund will be active. I haven't really fleshed either of them out yet, though, as to personality. There are hints about Theomund, but only the beginnings. There's always the potential to do more with Eldarion and Elboron at some point also, so I'm not lacking for subject matter here. And I am sort of trying to work out a story that ties to a reader's suggestion, but haven't yet worked out how to do it. That would be an Elfwine story, but I'm uncertain what his age will be. I'm thinking probably between 10 and 15.

In the meantime, I'll keep searching Isengard for a map on how to get to Hogwarts... You'd think there'd be something lying around, wouldn't you?

Chapter 6

The girls returned to Edoras just in time for the noonday meal, and Dariel went to wash her face and hands. As she passed Elfwine's room, she noticed the door was standing open and could not help but glance in. Elfwine was seated on his bed staring at some papers laid out around him.

Risking new rejection, she knocked to catch his attention and went into the room without an invitation. "What are you doing?" she asked. As she moved closer to the bed, she saw he was looking at some of the pictures he had drawn.

He glanced up at her and the tight-lipped expression he wore almost scared her away, but she held her ground. He seemed to force himself to relax, though the tenseness did not disappear entirely from his posture. He began to gather up the pictures, "I was just thinking about...well, it does not matter now."

Guessing what he had been about to say she asked, "If you can learn to fight with a sword left-handed, could you not also learn to draw left-handed? You could not do any worse than my first attempts at it." She gave him a hesitant smile to accompany her jest, and was surprised when his mouth tweaked in response.

"You were not that bad when you started. I am sure my efforts left-handed would be far worse...but perhaps I will attempt it."

There was an awkward silence until finally she ventured, "I was just going to wash. They are starting the noonday meal."

He rose from the bed and went to set the pictures on the dresser. "Then I will join you."

Dariel was unprepared for this agreeable attitude, but she was more than willing to accept it and hope it continued. He waited while she washed her face and hands, and then they walked to the dining area together.

Lothiriel looked up as they entered and commented, "Ah, good. You brought Elfwine with you. Thank you, Dariel."

Theodwyn immediately began telling Elfwine how she had bested Dariel in a horse race, and he grinned knowingly at her as he sat down. "Truly? And did you give her a fair start or did you simply dash off the instant you mentioned it?"

Dariel snickered, and Theodwyn glared at him. "I still would have won!"

Dariel nodded. "That much is likely true. She is an excellent rider. Dear Hobbit and I are much more inclined to wander at a leisurely pace."

"Did not Elfwine give you Hobbit, as a gift?" asked Theomund, reaching for a slice of bread.

"Oh no!" Dariel assured him with a solemn look. "My Father told me Elfwine was most emphatic that Hobbit was a gift from Rohan rather than him personally!"

Lothiriel and Elfwine broke up laughing, and Elfwine blushed. "It seemed a clever idea at the time!" he mumbled.

Through her chuckles, Lothiriel smiled at him and said, "You do realize, of course, that neither king was fooled! But they found your presentation of the idea quite entertaining!"

Elfwine bowed his flushed face in embarrassment. "All right! But what did you expect from a fifteen year old who had never been interested in a girl before? Father never taught me how to do these things! He was too busy being a soldier to even notice at fifteen that there were girls!"

His mother laughed harder. "Not so! I am quite sure he noticed! However, he likely was no more confident about approaching them than you and had less opportunity to do so. I am afraid he had little experience to draw upon; you will have to teach these things to Theomund!"

Theomund looked aghast. "I do not think so! There is nothing I want to know about girls!"

Elfwine looked at him knowingly. "I assure you, little brother, in the not too distant future you will think much differently!" He turned toward his sister and started to add, "Theodwyn, on the other hand..." But catching her expression, he stopped in mid-sentence, then seemed to change course. "Theodwyn will be a challenge to any man, but I have no doubt that some day she will find her Faramir, just as Aunt Eowyn did." He reached out his hand and stroked her head affectionately as she blushed red and hastily took a bite of apple to hide her discomfiture.

Dariel's heart swelled at this unexpected display of tenderness by Elfwine. She knew all too well the fears of a young girl that no man would ever find her attractive, and Theodwyn's somewhat boyish tendencies would tend to be off-putting to most men. She fervently hoped there was a Faramir in Theodwyn's future. He would be lucky to win her.

xxxxx

For the next few days, things seemed more relaxed with Elfwine, though not without tensions. He apparently was trying to make more of an effort to be pleasant, not only to Dariel but to others around him, and though he blushed a great deal with embarrassment, he didn't make as much effort to hide any difficulties he had doing things.

Dariel wasn't quite certain as to the cause of this change, or what it might mean in their relationship. He would talk to her, but he still tended to not look directly at her. His physical tension when he was near her made her hesitant to touch or be too familiar with him, so their discourse tended to be more like polite conversations between acquaintances.

At the end of that week, there was a street festival throughout Edoras, and Dariel kept hoping Elfwine would suggest they go together. But by the afternoon of the festival, he had said nothing to her, so when Theodwyn and Theomund invited her to accompany them, she agreed.

The three left Meduseld at sundown, with Dariel being advised by their mother that the two younger children could take care of themselves, and not to think she had to keep an eye on them if she or they chose to go a separate path. In that, Lothiriel seemed to have foresight, for it wasn't long until the two were itching to dash off with their friends, and she released them. It wasn't quite so much fun without their company, but after half an hour, she encountered a group of three girls who were daughters of nobles. They recognized her and invited her to join them, so she did.

Dariel had become somewhat acquainted with them on previous visits, though she didn't really consider them to be close friends. Even so, it was better than wandering alone. It didn't take long, however, until the group of young ladies attracted the attention of a group of young men. Soon they were all laughing and flirting with one another, as they strolled among the festival stalls and food tables. One young man in particular, Dengel, seemed quite taken with Dariel and began focusing his attention mainly on her. While flattered, Dariel felt slightly uneasy about it, wishing it were Elfwine instead.

Unbeknownst to Dariel, Elfwine had come to find her. When he had finally worked up the nerve to invite her to the festival, he discovered she had already left with his siblings. But Lothiriel encouraged him to go and join them, and he reluctantly did so. He had turned down Theodwyn's pleas to go with her because he wanted to ask Dariel. He hadn't counted on his sister asking Dariel instead when he rejected her invitation.

It hadn't taken long for Elfwine to find Dariel but, at the sight of the group she was with, he remained in the shadows and observed them. She seemed to be enjoying herself, especially with Dengel being so attentive. Elfwine had always considered her a beautiful girl, so he was not surprised other men would find her attractive and be drawn to her, but it stabbed at his heart to witness it.

He had almost determined to slip away and return to Meduseld, when Dariel turned her head, laughing at some comment Dengel had made. Even in the darkness, he knew she had sighted him, and she hesitated for only an instant. Quickly she moved toward him and caught him by the hand. "I am so glad you came!" she whispered. "Come and join us."

He let her draw him after her toward their peers, and he was greeted cordially by the others. Even once they had reached the group, Dariel kept hold of his hand as everyone stood talking. Someone suggested finding something to drink and they set off in search of same. Gradually, Elfwine began to be more at ease and enjoy himself. He had not socialized much since the accident, and he was relieved that no one seemed to be staring or asking him questions.

Thirst quenching was followed by some lively dancing, more drinking to ease the thirst of their exertion, and then suddenly they were at a game booth. The goal was to toss hoops over various objects and obtain some prize. Eagerly the young men began vying, not only for a prize but impressing the young ladies with their prowess. In the laughter and excitement of competition, no one seemed to notice Elfwine's growing discomfort. Then suddenly a hoop was thrust at him and a disquieting silence fell as all eyes turned to him. Scarcely missing a beat, Dariel slipped her arm through his and said, "If you are going to play, I will stay and watch. Otherwise, I really should be getting back. I promised your mother I would not stay out late."

Relief flooded through him, and Elfwine turned to look gratefully at her, then said to their party, "Another time, perhaps. I will walk Dariel back." Farewells were said and the couple strolled away.

They walked silently in the dark for some time before Elfwine offered, "Thank you."

"For what? All I did was manage to sneak some time alone with you in the moonlight!" She smiled teasingly at him.

He drew an apprehensive breath, then turned to face her, but kept his gaze on his feet. "Dariel, I…you misunderstood me in the garden. I did not move away from you because I do not love you. I pulled away because…because I do not truly think you understand what it will be like to be…"

She interrupted his speech by stepping in close and slipping her arms around his neck. Her closeness took his breath away and he fell silent, struggling for composure. "I know I love you, Elfwine. That is all that matters. There are things you cannot do anymore, and there are things you are having to relearn to do with your other hand – this I know. It does not embarrass me to be seen with you."

He did not resist when she pulled him into a most welcome kiss. He had ached to have her back in his arms, to kiss away all the tears he had caused her to shed. Even as part of him insisted this was not possible, he could not help responding to her kiss. Hesitantly, slowly he raised his hands to her face, but as he touched her cheek with his stump, her eyes flew open and she recoiled slightly.

Feeling as though he had been kicked in the stomach, he reeled away from her. Why had he let himself believe she could accept him like this? he thought bitterly.

"Elfwine! Elfwine, please listen to me! I am sorry. I did not mean to draw away from you, but you startled me. I did not know the bandage had been removed, so I was not expecting to feel…" He stood with his back to her, heaving as he sucked in great gulps of air, trying to hold back his tears of anguish. There was no evidence he had heard anything she'd said.

Realizing words were no use to her, she quickly stepped around him and reached for his right arm, holding firmly when he tried to yank it away. Instead she raised it to her lips and planted a kiss on the top of his wrist. He watched through lidded, suspicious eyes as she then turned his arm over and pressed a lingering kiss to the inside of his wrist, causing a sharp intake of his breath. Next, she ran a finger lightly over the end and, when he did not flinch in pain, she gently kissed there also. Fearfully, she raised her eyes to meet his, wondering if he was convinced, and a moment later she had her answer as he swept her into a crushing embrace and buried his face in her neck.

She could not stem the tears from flowing down her face, so she just held him and stroked his head while he embraced her and wept. They stood in the middle of the darkened street and simply clung to one another for a very long time, oblivious to everything around them. And then Elfwine kissed her, hungrily, urgently, as though making up for lost time. At length, they broke apart breathless and dizzy, standing with their foreheads resting against each other as they regained control. "Marry me?" Elfwine murmured, almost a plea more than a question.

"And live in barbaric Rohan?" she teased softly. "I would love to!"

They laughed together and kissed more, but finally they decided they should return to Meduseld before they were too carried away in their passion and happiness. Reluctantly, Elfwine left her at her door with one final kiss and the promise of seeing her in the morning.

But sleep did not come quickly for either of them, as they lay awake savoring all the exciting feelings and emotions brought on by their joy.

xxxxx

Despite the late night, both were up early the next day, and no one could mistake that things were drastically altered between them. They could not look at one another without smiling or laughing.

Eomer was reluctant to draw Elfwine away for their sparring lesson, but decided it might be good to let him work off some of the emotion he was feeling in physical sport. He was to regret that decision. The emotion bursting from Elfwine was channeled into his fighting and, after a heated session, his son gained control and defeated him in sparring for the first time ever. But Eomer could not find it in him to resent it because of the look on Elfwine's face. He was regaining his confidence and assurance, and this small victory was a step in the right direction.

The two men walked back to Meduseld, laughing and talking, and then went their separate ways to wash and continue with their day. Elfwine found Dariel in the garden, but her expression dampened his enthusiastic greeting. It almost looked as though she had been crying. "Dariel? What is the matter?" he asked with concern.

She turned and rushed into his arms, weeping against his chest. Finally, she regained her composure enough to tell him, "Father sent a letter. He feels I have imposed on your family long enough, and it is time for me to come home."

Elfwine's jaw tightened and he pulled her close once more, resting his chin against her head. Suddenly, he pulled away to arm's length. "Do not despair, beloved. All will be well. I promise." He kissed her forehead and strode quickly away, leaving her more than a little puzzled.

Normally, Elfwine knew better than to charge into his father's office without knocking, but he gave no thought to protocol this time. Eomer's head came up in surprise at the interruption to his conversation with Gamling. "Elfwine? Why did you not knock?

"Forgive me, Father. Gamling. Father, I must speak with you on a matter most urgent, if I may."

Eomer took in the expression on his face and nodded to Gamling to leave them. "What is this urgent matter?"

"King Elessar has sent word that Dariel is to return home to Minas Tirith. Father, I ask your permission to accompany her home, and formally seek Dariel's hand in marriage."

Clearly Elfwine could barely contain himself in anticipation of the answer. Eomer had already been apprised of the missive from Aragorn, but he had not expected this response to it. Whatever had taken place between Dariel and his son last night, it had given him back the Elfwine he was used to. Eomer rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, then asked, "Have you truly given this matter enough thought? Can we be sure Dariel would make a fit queen for Rohan."

So flabbergasted was Elfwine that he missed the twinkle in his father's eyes. In astonishment he asserted, "Not fit! Father, she is a member of the royal family of Gondor! How could she be unfit? And she is the most intelligent, caring, strong..."

"Enough!" Eomer laughed, shaking his head and raising his hands in surrender. "I was only jesting with you, son. Dariel will make a wonderful queen someday, just as she will make you a wonderful wife. You have my blessing to seek her hand." He moved toward his startled son and pulled him into a hug. "Sometimes you are so gullible!" he chuckled, thumping Elfwine's back.

Elfwine blushed good-naturedly, but was clearly relieved. He then asked, "And what of mother? Do you think she will approve my choice?"

"Approve? Your mother probably knew before you did that you would ask her, and likely already has the wedding planned!" Eomer exclaimed.

They both laughed heartily together at that, knowing Lothiriel all too well.

The mischievous gleam back in his eye, Eomer added, "Oh, and lest you think this trip to Minas Tirith with Dariel will give you a chance to get out of hand with the young lady, be aware you will be properly chaperoned! Eldarion was the messenger that brought word from her father for her to come home!"

THE END

Replies to Reviewers:

Julia - not only did she leave a cliffhanger, but she sent it to me saying "oh, good news - Boromir and Arien are reunited and are presently kissing". So naturally you'd expect a breather from all the danger and questions and stuff, right? And what do I get? Mysterious rescuers and Arien keeling over! Hmph!

Jazzcat – "Oh must it end?" – Keep in mind that this particular story (or episode of the Elfwine Chronicles) is ending, but the Elfwine Chronicles continues indefinitely, so there could still be more references to this story later on. In reality, the Elfwine Chronicles is just one big long story, but "chapters" are posted out of sequence as they are written!

"I agree with you about LothirielofRohan." – YEEEESSSSSS! I knew someone had to agree with me! Maybe now she'll listen! But I can't give away anything I might know about where the story is going (partly because she could still change her mind and do it differently!). Hope you read her other lovely Boromir story (Return to Me). He gets to live in that one. It's the one that made me pay more attention to him and give him more credit than what was shown in the movie.

Hey! If you can go off Star War-ing, why can't I go off Harry Potter-ing? On the other hand, LothirielofRohan and I decided the reason it's so hard to leave Rohan is the surfeit of hunky men in LOTR! I'm much too old for Harry's crowd so it's hard to drool over him like the younger girls do!

lady scribe of avandell – "aw ratsickles!" – Tee hee hee hee! Sorry, but ratsickles makes me giggle. When I went to England a few years ago, I visited a lot of castles and at one of them they had a souvenir booth that sold "suckers", but these were licorice and shaped as either cannon balls or rats on a stick! I kid you not! Naturally, I bought several of the ratsickles for my weird friends.

Tracey – "Can't wait for the next chapter!" – Are you impressed how quickly you got it? See what happens when you come late to the story – you get instant gratification! Nope, no one's asked about his drawing, except you. You get bonus points for noticing that! It was such a big part of Second Thoughts, I thought for sure someone would bring it up. By the way, if you are registered at ffn, you can put stories or author's on an alert list and you get an e-mail telling you when they post something new. Otherwise, if you want to e-mail me directly, I can let you know when I post something new.