Here goes the next one. Hope you still enjoy it!

Chapter 7 'Twist of Hearts'

From where Eomer stood he had a clear view of the stables on the level beneath the citadel. And what he saw made his heart ache more than he had thought possible: Willa holding Frankie Boy's reins and embracing Eowyn fiercely. She then mounted her horse.

"I do not even really know her," he said quietly to himself. Yet the pain was there; undoubtedly so. Still his mind told him it was probably for the best, for him and for her also. He saw how Frankie Boy started to walk and sighed. And as if Willa had heard it she looked up and saw him standing there. She stopped her horse and to both it seemed an eternity that they stood and looked at one another. Eomer's heart beat wildly in his chest as if willing him to listen to what it had to say and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to run to her and hug her and never let her go. But he never did. It was Willa who broke their gaze and in one smooth movement had Frankie galloping through the streets, away from him.

For a long time Eomer was not able to leave his spot, part of him hoping she would return. Yet the other part knew she would not. She had made her choice just as he had made his.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Aragorn standing there giving him a compassionate smile. Eomer returned it weakly.

"I know not what happened, my friend. But although it might sound weak, all will turn out for the best."

Eomer heaved a great sigh and once again turned his gaze to the direction Willa had ridden off to.

"I hope you are right," he gave back and with another look at Aragorn turned and walked back to the Great Hall.

--

Getting Frankie Boy ready had only been a matter of some ten minutes. She led him out of the stables and saw Eowyn approaching her. They smiled at each other and hugged tightly.

"I will never forget you, Willa," Eowyn whispered and Willa could not hold back the tears. They were still running down her cheeks as she release Eowyn and got up into the saddle. Smiling once more at Eowyn she commanded Frankie to go which he did. Her gaze left Eowyn's face, also covered with tears and went upward. There she saw him. And their gazes met. She made Frankie stop and looked up at him, willing herself to remember how he looked like, every feature of his face. All too soon she felt new tears prickle behind her eyes and turned away from him. She drove Frankie on again and galloped down the street, eventually passing the last gate and leaving Minas Tirith behind.

She did not slow down as she rode over the Pelennor Fields on which still stood many tents and pavilions but raced through them. Soon that also was behind her and Frankie Boy picked up his speed rejoicing that he was able to run freely over the vast lands.

Willa rode long and hard not really focusing on where they went. And as she finally looked up she saw a herd of cattle. Frankie had slowed to a trot of his own account. As Willa looked around she saw a calf trot very peacefully next to the horse, one end of the lasso around its neck the other tightly fastened on the saddle horn before her.

"What took you so long?" someone yelled and with shock Willa recognized Randy. She was back.

"What?" she asked not entirely clear on what he wanted. Randy steered his horse so that he was next to her.

"You were gone for like an hour. What took you so long?"

Willa didn't know what to say and contemplated her options. She then looked back at Randy and shrugged.

"Lost your trail, I suppose. But now I'm back." Randy smiled at her. When they reached the herd with the other men Willa pulled Frankie to a halt, dismounted and freed the calf of the rope. It trotted off calling for it's mother. Willa sighed and patted Frankie's neck.

"Well, then let's get going," Willa heard her uncles voice. She quickly mounted and they continued the drive.

It took them another hour to get to the pasture and another to return to the ranch.

As Willa lay in bed that night she thought of everything that had happened. How she had ended up in that battle, how she had met Eomer and Eowyn. It had been so real, as if she'd really been there and yet she was certain it had only been a dream. The fact that she had been gone from her world for only an hour when she had spent at least 3 weeks in Minas Tirith…it made no sense.

Suddenly she jumped out of her bed, walked over to the chair in the corner and grabbed her backpack. She pulled out her mp3 player, a book, a clean shirt, a dirty pair of socks and then felt something cold and metal. She closed her fingers around it and out of the backpack pulled the necklace Eowyn had given her. In the dim moonlight falling through the window it shimmered silver and the stones which were green as Willa knew seemed to be almost black. Willa gasped as realisation hit her. So it could not have been a dream at all.

Holding the necklace tightly in her hand she went back to her bed. Now that she knew it hadn't been a dream it all made even less sense. What had been the purpose of her 'going' to another world? And to fall unhappily in love? It all came back to her, overwhelmed her as she sat in her dark room, on her bed. Staring at the wall opposite her she saw his face and couldn't help the tears that leaked out of her eyes and found a path down her cheeks. Feeling more alone and empty than ever before she threw herself face down onto the pillow and cried bitterly.