As the wedding day approached, everyone was busy. The townsfolk as well as those at the King's house had things to do.
Aragorn ordered Daelon and Faramir to ride out and escort Lord Eomer to Minas Tirith. Being Eowyn's brother it was his duty to give her away, since her father and uncle were dead. Aragorn had asked Daelon to accompany Faramir as second in command. He wanted to see if she was ready for duty, he wanted her to remain in the service of Gondor.
Daelon swung her pack over her shoulder and closed the door to her room. It was early; the sun had yet to come up. As she turned to make her way down to the great hall and out into the cool, dark morning, a voice halted her.
"Were you not going to say goodbye?" Legolas asked walking up to her.
"It is so early, Legolas, I was not going to wake you," Daelon said. She had hoped to escape unnoticed, she needed some time to think about what was happening between her and the elf.
"Did you think I could stay asleep knowing you were leaving me for days?" Legolas asked.
"I did not think you would cause a fuss with me leaving. It is my duty. If you cannot accept this, then perhaps we should not continue," Daelon snapped. She could not believe she had just said that to him. She turned and walked away from the stunned elf.
Outside, Faramir and ten soldiers waited. Daelon tied her pack to the saddle and swung herself up, her face a tight mask.
"May I ask?" Faramir turned his horse so that he could get closer to her without the men hearing.
"No, let us just go." She looked toward the double doors leading into the King's house. Legolas stood there, his arms crossed. Faramir turned to follow her gaze.
"Ah, I see, trouble with the new lovers?" Daelon turned her horse and began to ride for the top tier gates. Faramir ordered the men to follow him and he stepped his horse into pace with Daelon's.
As they rode along at a steady pace, Daelon rode out ahead to scout. They should be upon Eomer anytime. It was nearing sunset and Faramir hoped to be heading back toward Minas Tirith the next morning.
As Daelon rode away, one of the men spurred his horse to match pace with Faramir. They both rode in silence watching Daelon disappear over the rise.
"Goin' ta' have a go with the ranger one last time before you wed, Captain?" The man asked.
Faramir felt his face flush; he turned to stare at the soldier. Rough, crude men were these, he thought.
"Lord Boromir said that you two..." the man continued.
"I do not care what my brother told you," Faramir cut the man off. "You had best forget what you just asked me, Soldier."
"Yes sir," The man let his horse slow. Faramir turned in his saddle looking the man in the eye.
"Do not bother the ranger either or I will have your head," he told the man. As the man paced his comrades, Faramir could hear their voices mixed with crude laughter.
Boromir could not keep his mouth shut, Faramir thought. The idiot had these men believing that he and Daelon had been lovers. Of course, that is what Daelon had made Boromir believe, only to confirm it in his mind when he had seen them in Faramir's bed together.
Daelon's return brought him out of his reverie. She brought her horse to a walk and turned to ride beside him.
"What is the sour look for?" She asked.
"Nothing," he replied, "What news?"
"Lord Eomer's camp is just over the rise," Daelon answered, pointing.
They arrived in Eomer's camp as the sun set. They were all eager to sit by a warm fire and have a hot meal.
Eomer greeted Faramir, his eyes; however, followed Daelon as she rode passed and dismounted.
"What do we have here," the rohirrim leader asked as he gave Daelon a once over. An appreciative smile spread across his face.
"She is my second," Faramir said, hoping that would cool the rohirrim's blood. The last thing Daelon needed was this man vying for her affections.
"Second? You mean to tell me she is not a trifle for you before you are wed?" Faramir felt his face flush once again. Was this a test, he wondered.
"She is a ranger, trained by Lord Aragorn, himself."
"Ah, well then, I am sure she is a great fighter," Eomer said, still watching Daelon as she handed the care of her horse over to one of his men. "Allow me to offer you and your second a seat at my fire and a bowl of hot stew."
Daelon sat beside Faramir, growing ever more nervous with the looks Eomer cast her way.
"I am tired," Daelon said. "Where do I sleep?"
"There, the tent, next to mine. You and Faramir will have to share; we are unused to having a female second in our midst." Eomer said. "Eat first, you must be hungry."
"Perhaps you should get used to it. I hear your sister is quite the fighter, also," Daelon said, her gaze meeting Eomer's.
"Yes, but she is going to wed. She will have no need to go out on adventure. She will be happy to remain and make her home welcoming for her husband. That is what a woman should do when she is married." Eomer said.
"I doubt if all women would agree," Daelon said. She turned her focus onto her stew.
Neither she nor Faramir missed the comments coming from the men as they made their way to the tent. Once inside, they each sat on a bedroll staring at each other.
"Your brother could not keep his mouth shut. Every soldier out there knows about our little indiscretion. By morning even Eomer will know." Her anger was in every word she spoke. Her anger was not at Boromir or Faramir, but at herself for being so stupid and losing control.
"I doubt that will make a difference to Eomer," Faramir said. "He has eyes for you."
"You think I did not notice?" Daelon asked. "The last thing I need."
"Perhaps Legolas can set him straight once we are home." Faramir said smiling.
"Very funny, what do I do now, while we are here?" Daelon smiled back.
Morning brought them reports of a group of Urak Hai and a few orc following them. It looked as though they had been trailing Eomer and his men for quite some time.
"We must ride with caution," Daelon said. "They have let themselves be seen. They will probably try an attack soon."
Daelon and several others rode away from the main group to scout out the Urak Hai and their companions. Daelon spotted them moving along and gaining on the larger group of men they would continue thus until nightfall when the men stopped to camp for the night, then attack.
"They are waiting for us to stop for the night," Daelon said rejoining Eomer and Faramir at the head of the line.
"We will stop early and make them attack while there is still day light. They seem to be desperate now," Eomer said.
"I agree, desperate fighters make many mistakes and we out number them," Faramir said, looking to Daelon.
"A sound plan, there are more than enough of us," Daelon said
Daelon strode through camp to be sure the men were prepared. Those that had survived the war of the ring were ready, most were young and inexperienced, and she asked the veterans to help them.
"Perhaps I will help them if you will help me, Ranger," said one man, the one who had questioned Faramir the day before. Daelon stared long and hard at the man, he was a brute.
"How can I help you?" Daelon asked. She knew what was coming.
"Let me whisper it in your ear," the man lumbered toward her. He leaned close and whispered to Daelon. She listened with little expression.
"I am afraid I do not do that," Daelon said. "Now get yourself ready for a fight, Soldier."
"Who are you, Ranger, telling me what to do, when you will not do for me?" The soldier pushed closer to Daelon using his size as a threat.
"She is second in command here. You will do as she says," Faramir said, he had been watching the whole time.
"She must have been pretty good then, Captain, last night?" The soldier sneered, an ugly smile upon his face.
The next thing Faramir knew, he was being handed an elven dagger and sword. Daelon walked up to the big man and punched him with all her might in the jaw. He staggered but reclaimed his balance. He came back at Daelon. She ducked one meaty fist. The other connected just under her left eye, leaving a gash on the apple of her cheek.
Daelon staggered back, falling on her butt. Shaking the darkness from her head, she was up again running full tilt at the laughing soldier. She hit him with all her force taking him down hard. Daelon kneeled beside the winded man.
"Now, do as you are told and keep your mouth shut," Daelon said. She stood, preparing to take her weapons back when an arrow struck her just below her left collarbone. Down she went again.
"Daelon!" She heard Faramir call her name. He rushed to her side, grabbed the arrow and pulled it from her flesh. He helped her to her feet, handing her weapons to her as he turned to fight. Every man was fighting.
"There are more than we thought," Daelon shouted.
"Appears so," Faramir yelled as they fought, dodged, and fought some more.
The fracas was over as quickly as it had begun. The Urak Hai and their orc companions were all dead. In total Eomer and Faramir lost four men.
Daelon sat by the fire burning outside Eomer's tent, one of Eomer's men tended to her shoulder. Eomer, who had just come out of his tent from washing the dirt and blood away, stood watching.
"Good fighting, Ranger," he said smiling
"Which," she asked. "The Urak Hai or the soldier?"
"I meant the Urak Hai but you did lay that man out good."
"Yes and could have gotten both of them killed," Faramir said walking up to the fire. "May I see you in the tent a moment, Ranger?"
Daelon nodded, got up, and followed Faramir into their tent.
"You do not even need to say it. I know, I lost my temper," Daelon said before Faramir could say anything.
"You could have been killed, Daelon."
"I know, I am sorry," Daelon said, facing Faramir. For a moment, the tension in the air was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.
"What would I have told Legolas?" Faramir asked.
"The same you would have told anyone else," Daelon said, she guarded herself carefully.
"He is in love with you. I cold not have just told him you died in duty. There is a larger explanation owed a lover," Faramir said, pain in his eyes. Were they talking about Legolas now or was it he? He had not thought about loving or losing Daelon for a long while.
"I did not die, Faramir, I am here. You are the one who moved on, not I," Daelon said, she had caught the change in him, knew this was about her disappearing, now.
"I moved on because I though you dead!" Faramir yelled.
"If you had feelings for me, Faramir, before I was taken would have been the time to tell me," Daelon said, hurt in her voice. "Before we both loved someone else. You are about to marry someone worthy of you. I am just a ranger." Daelon turned to walk away but Faramir caught her arm swinging her around to face him. He kissed her; hard, passionate, then let her go.
"For old time's sake," he said. Daelon turned, slapping the tent flap out of her way, and stormed from the tent.
Daelon had jumped from the pan into the fire. Eomer sat by the fire in front of his tent, alone. She was sure that he, among many others had heard her and Faramir. She looked around, most of the men were asleep and the ones that were not seemed to be busy.
"Ranger, come sit," Eomer said, he patted the log he sat on. Daelon did not move to sit, she did not move at all. "I do not bite," Eomer said.
Daelon moved slowly and sat as far as she could from him but on the same log.
"Is there something wrong, Ranger, are you afraid of me?" Eomer took it upon himself to move closer to Daelon. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
"I do not think this is a good idea," Daelon said, turning to look at Eomer.
"What, us sitting here, talking?" Daelon nodded, her eyes meeting his. No, she told herself, this is not right, your are confused, you have fought one of your own men, a battle, and your best friend all in one day. That last thing she needed was to complicate everything by doing what she knew was coming. Eomer stood and held his hand out to her. She looked up at him, reached up and took his hand. He started to lead her to his tent.
"No, Eomer, stop. This is wrong I cannot do this. I belong to someone else, someone back in the city." She pulled her hand from his and ran back into the tent she shared with Faramir. Eomer shrugged and went into his tent.
Daelon entered quietly, she knew Faramir did not sleep. She said nothing and lay down. Sleep did not come until much later when exhausted by the thoughts running through her mind.