Thank you all for your reviews as I have said countless times before they mean so much to me and I'm glad to know that you all are enjoying this story. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement as they inspire me a great deal, and I am glad to bring a little happiness to all of you! And to WONDEREYE Eomer sees Avelina as someone he needs to protect because she is "lost" and for more reasons you'll find out soon. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I'm not so sure about it but let me know!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 5

Avelina tied her saddle bag shut with shaky hands. Gandalf was making his way towards her and she was not ready to speak with him. There was something about him that reminded her of a man who frightened her a great deal when she was but a child. She pulled her thick braid over her shoulder and began to play with the end as she turned and faced the man in white. "Who might you be?" the man asked.

"My name is Avelina, my lord," she said as she lowered her hands to her side. The man nodded his head as he turned and looked at Éomer who had joined them.

"Éomer, do you think it is wise to bring a woman with us into battle?" he asked the man who shook his head. Avelina looked at Éomer and met his eyes; fear filled her heart at the odd look she found in them. It was as though he was looking at something dark instead of at her.

"Nay, I do not, but she will ride with us. There are caves above the hill where she can take refuge until the fighting is over," Éomer said as he moved his eyes from Avelina to Gandalf. The man in white nodded before he glanced at her. Avelina's eyes were wide as she turned and met his gaze. To her, it felt as though he could see clear down into her soul by his simple glance.

"My lords," Eothain said and Avelina jumped slightly as she looked at the man. "The men are ready." Éomer nodded and looked again to Gandalf who did the same.

"We ride!" Gandalf said before he mounted the white horse and began to lead them. Avelina swung up onto Sigeric's back and rode along side Eothain and behind Éomer all the while her thoughts on what Éomer had seen when he looked at her after Gandalf's question.

Hours passed and they had only stopped once to water the horses. Night was quickly approaching and Avelina could feel the strain of a hard day's ride taking its toll on her already weakened form. They came to a stop and Gandalf turned his horse to face the men.

"We shall rest for no more than two hours. We are half a day's journey from Helms Deep and your people need you! They expect us as the sun rises in the east, so recover your strength!" he called out to the men. Avelina let out a sigh of relief and slid off the back of Sigeric and landed on shaky legs. She had to hold onto the saddle tightly until the tingling sensation left them and she could move them again. She walked around Sigeric rather proud that she no longer hobbled after long rides, but every muscle in her backside and legs were aching beyond belief.

"Avelina," Eothain said and she looked up from her shoes and at the man who had become like a brother to her. He smiled and handed her a flask of water and a piece of dry bread. "Eat and refresh yourself while you can." She smiled at him and nodded before he walked away. Avelina sat down on a large boulder near Sigeric and as she did so she winced but kept her complaints to herself. The men had enough to worry about and besides, she had been sore in the past from work she had to do in the stables back home and she never complained before. Why should she start now?

She took a deep drink of the cool water before she bit into the bread and sighed. She looked around the camp and saw the men standing and talking anxiously. They knew what awaited them, yet most did not seem afraid or nervous only anxious to arrive at their destination. Avelina smiled a small smile at the determination she saw in the men and the strength they held seemed just as powerful if not more than the man called Gandalf. At the thought of the man in white the feeling of fear once returned. She knew she had no reason to fear the man because she knew if he was evil, Éomer would not follow his word. Avelina sighed and looked at Sigeric as she took another bite of the bread. The Shire stallion seemed to have changed since their arrival in Rohan. He seemed to have a mystical feel to him now when she rode him, it was almost as if she was flying but she knew better than that.

Her eyes moved across the camp and came to rest on Gandalf and Éomer who stood talking. Her smile grew slightly as she looked at the golden haired man, but she quickly shook her head and looked away from the pair and at the bread and water in her hands. She sighed once more and stuffed the last of the bread in her mouth as she thought back to a conversation she had with Eothain the night before.

Flashback

"Eothain?" she asked as she sat looking into the dying embers of the fire. The man looked at her and she turned her gaze to him. "Tell me of Lord Éomer, and the men you ride with." Eothain smiled and nodded.

"Lord Éomer is the sister-son of King Theoden, and is the third marshal of the mark. He resides in the Golden Hall with King Théoden, King Théoden's son Theodred. He also has a sister, Lady Éowyn, and I must say you remind me a great deal of her." Avelina raised an eyebrow at that but Eothain just smiled. "In spirit I mean, for you look nothing like her." Avelina nodded and felt her stomach knot. She had been acting so casually with the nephew of the King of Rohan and surely she had crossed some line that she should have not by embracing him as she did when he had come to her after the orc attack. "The men, as well as Lord Éomer and myself, have taken oaths to protect our lord and our land to the death. Of course they all have families of their own, but they fight for them even harder during these dark times than they do for the king or for the land."

"You all are very brave to do so, and kind as well to take in a complete stranger and protect them as if they were one of your own." Eothain smiled and tapped her under her chin.

"You have become one of our own, Avelina, whether you like it or not." Avelina laughed and shook her head before she returned her gaze to the fire, feeling slighting better that she knew more of the company she kept.

End Flashback

Avelina shook her head before she closed up the flask. She slowly stood and gasped quietly as a pain shot through her right leg. Her muscles were cramping so she quickly sat down and began to rub the cramp from her calf. Tears shot to her eyes but she blinked them away as she tried her best to rub her leg. Suddenly, a much larger hand moved hers away and began to rub the back of her leg. She gasped and looked up to see the top of a golden head and a deep blush heated her cheeks. The cramp began to subside as his fingers gently rubbed her leg. "Y-y-you can stop now the cramp is passing," she managed after a moment. Éomer quickly removed his hands and finally looked up at her face. Her cheeks were still a deep red from her embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to be so forward, but I know that it is sometimes easier for another to rub the cramp away," he said gently. Avelina shook her head.

"It's fine, honestly," she said quietly. "Thank you." Éomer nodded. It was true what Eothain had told him. She did remind him a great deal of Éowyn. She was holding her own and not complaining even after her body was ready to crumble from the strain she was putting it through. The only way the two women differed was Éowyn was bolder in her words where Avelina was timid and shy. He didn't know why but the moment his men found her and she woke he had the strongest urge to protect her, and since the arrival of Gandalf, the fear that he had seen in her eyes only confirmed his feeling. He stood and Avelina did the same.

"We are getting ready to ride," he said slowly as she looked up at him. Avelina nodded. The sun was nearly gone, and only the tiniest bit of light filled the sky. It would be a challenging ride, at least for her, in the dark. Éomer looked at her intently before left her and she sighed heavily as she watched him walk away. Avelina walked over to Sigeric and rested her head against his neck. He snorted at her and she laughed quietly.

"How are you doing my friend?" she asked him as she raised her head and looked at him. He nudged her and snorted once again. She scratched between his eyes and smiled up at him. "If I keep this up with that man I'm going to earn myself lashings," she whispered to him. He snorted and shook his head. "Yes I will, Sigeric, if their king is anything like ours I will," she said gently before she kissed him and mounted him as the men were ready and waiting for her. She urged him over to Eothain and the party continued on their way.

The sun was rising behind them as they approached a cliff. A raging battle could be heard on the other side and Éomer stopped the men before the cliff and rode over to Avelina and Eothain. "Eothain, take Avelina to the cave just around that bend," he said quickly. Avelina could see a fire burning deep in his eyes as he readied himself mentally for the battle ahead. Eothain nodded and looked at Avelina.

"Follow me," he said. She nodded and turned Sigeric to follow him when she stopped and looked at Éomer.

"My lord," she said quietly and Éomer looked at her. "Do be careful." Was all she said before she urged Sigeric on and galloped him over to Eothain. Éomer watched her ride away and sighed before he turned his horse and rode up behind Gandalf.

"Théoden King stands alone," Gandalf said and Éomer rode up next to him and stopped. His glare deepened when he looked down below.

"Not alone," he said. Avelina looked back before she went into the cave as Eothain began to ride away towards the group.

"Stay safe, we will return for you," Eothain said before he took off into a gallop.

"Rohirrim!" she heard Éomer yell and watched as Eothain rode up next to him quickly and the other soldiers moved behind them. It was quite a sight to see. "To the king!" he yelled at last and the men charged down the hill.

To Avelina it sounded like thunder as the horses galloped away and the sun shined brightly behind them. Soon after their cries and yells filled the air, she heard the sounds of the battle grow ten fold. Avelina felt a tear slowly roll down her cheek before she dismounted Sigeric and sat at the edge of the cave. She drew her legs close to her and wrapped her arms around her legs before she rested her forehead against her knees and cried quietly as she prayed that most of the men she had rode with for the last two weeks would survive.