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Chapter 15

After what seemed like hours, a sound unlike any she had ever heard filled the air and her red, tear stained eyes turned once again to the battle field. Her eyes widened when a green mist floated across the field taking every enemy down with it. She slowly stood with the aid of the horse and stood next to him. She held onto his reins tightly. With a shake of her head she mounted him quickly. "Ride, my friend!" she said loudly, her voice still heavy with her emotions as the horse took off faster than any she had ever been on. Once she reached the field the green mass had gathered in front of a man. It was then that she realized the man was Aragorn. Then as suddenly as they appeared the green mass was gone like sand blowing in the wind. Her heart was pounding wildly as she scanned the faces of those that walked among the dead. She failed to find Éomer or Éowyn among them so she dismounted the horse and walked her way through the fallen, until a firm hand grasped her upper arm and turned her around.

"Avelina?" Legolas asked and the woman who smiled before she threw her arms around the elf. He stiffened but returned her embrace. "What are you doing here?" he asked quickly. "Do not tell me that you participated in the battle?" She shook her head and pulled away.

"No, I did not," she said gently the tears returning to her eyes. "I merely watched." Legolas nodded with a furrowed brow.

"Again, I ask, what are you doing here? Why did you not travel back to Edoras with Éowyn?" Avelina opened her mouth to speak when a piercing scream filled the air. It was one full of great pain and Avelina jumped. Legolas turned and looked behind him. Avelina followed his gaze and her heart sank. Kneeling on the ground was Éomer, he was alive and well, but he was crying and screaming out in desperation as he held his sister's limp body in his arms. Avelina shook her head.

"No," she whispered and once again her knees gave way only this time, Legolas caught her before she fell to the ground. She shook her head as the tears fell from her eyes. "No," she whispered again and Legolas pulled her to her feet and held onto her gently. "She cannot be . . . she cannot be dead." She pushed away from the elf and ran towards Éomer and Éowyn. She was nearly there when an older man kneeled next to him and looked at Éowyn. She stopped just short of them, her tears falling freely.

"She is not dead, she must be taken to the houses of healing though as quickly as can be managed," he said as he stood. Éomer nodded and lifted Éowyn from the ground. He did not look Avelina's way but she quickly moved and grabbed his sword and helmet and followed behind him and the older man. Suddenly, there was a presence next to her as she walked and she looked up to see Legolas walking beside her. She held on tightly to Éomer's helmet nearly pressing the metal into her chest as she looked at him.

"It is not wise for you to walk alone. Hand me his sword," he said gently and Avelina did as he requested thankful to be free of the heavy metal.

"He will be angry with me," she whispered as they walked. "He may never wish to see me again." Legolas looked at her and shook his head.

"He will not be angry," he said before he turned his gaze ahead once more.

"He will for I let his sister ride into battle without telling him, but I could not stop her. When she told me of her plans, I did all I could to try and convince her it was folly but she would hear none of it." Legolas looked at the woman once again and saw her grip tighten even more on the marshal's helmet. "If she dies, he will never forgive me and I will never forgive myself." Legolas stopped her and her tear filled blue eyes met his.

"She will not die, Avelina." But his words fell on deaf ears as she turned from him and ran to catch up with the two men who had already entered the city.

The healing chamber was full beyond compare and Avelina suddenly felt the need to help overpower the great pain that filled her mind and heart. She was kneeling next to a Rohan rider and stitching a gash on his right forearm when movement caught her eye. She paused and looked up to see one of the healers leading Aragorn up a set of steps. Avelina followed the man with her eyes as she saw him kneel next to someone. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Éowyn and when she looked to further to the left she saw Éomer sitting next to her with a greatly troubled look on his face. Her mouth fell open slightly. She had been that close to them for so long and never even knew. The man next to her groaned quietly and she looked back at him.

"Forgive me," she whispered and through the man's half closed eyes she saw him smile.

"It is alright Avelina," he whispered and she looked at his face more closely to see that it was Coenred.

"Coenred?" she asked before she raised her hand to his cheek and rested it there. "Oh, dear heavens," she whispered. The man smiled again and she lowered her hand. "I am sorry I did not recognize you."

"I would not expect you to." She smiled and lowered her hand before she resumed her task.

"I am sorry if this hurts, my friend."

"I can barely feel it thanks to the herbs you applied." She nodded and he made a face.

"You're not going to use your serum are you?" he asked and she laughed quietly and shook her head.

"I'm afraid I have none to use." He smiled and nodded his head slightly before he sighed.

"I'm rather tired, Avelina, I do believe I will sleep for a time." She nodded.

"That would be best, Coenred for you have lost a great deal of blood. I shall see you when you wake." He smiled once again before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. She finished stitching his arm before she cleaned it and applied a salve given to her by the healers and then wrapped it in a thin cloth bandage. She stood and wiped her hands on her leggings when she felt a pair of eyes on her pointedly. She slowly looked up and found Éomer looking down at her. His gaze made her feel so small she wanted to hide and when he jumped down from his elevated position onto the floor even with her she flinched.

"Come with me," he said before he turned and left the healing hall. She looked up to see Aragorn glance at her from his task and then his eyes moved to her again. Aragorn furrowed his brow when he saw Avelina and then the tears along with fear that filled her eyes as she looked at him. Avelina nodded her head before she followed behind Éomer into the corridor. She looked down at her hands and saw the dried blood on them. She paused and washed the blood from her hands in a basin before she rushed into the hall. When she did finally enter the corridor she wished she hadn't because of the look that was set in his eyes.

"My lord-," she began but was stopped when he pulled her into a darkened part of the hall and then he pulled her to him and held her tightly. She felt her tears fall as he pressed her close to him. Too soon for her liking he pushed her away and held her by her shoulders at arms length from him. The limited light bounced off his face allowing her to see the dark look in his eyes.

"Why did you let her come? Why would you let her do something so foolish?" he asked quickly, his voice heavy. She shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I did all I could, my lord. She would not listen," she whispered. He furrowed his brow and looked her over quickly.

"Why did you come? Did you fight as well? Are you hurt?" Avelina shook her head.

"No, she talked me out of doing that," she whispered once more and he met her eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"After I spoke with you that morning I went back to our tent and told Éowyn I was going to ride with her. She spoke to me and I realized that I would more than likely die if I fought because I know nothing of wielding a blade or bow. I followed anyway, but did not fight." Her tears began to fall once more and shook her head. "Please do not be angry with me." He wiped the dampness from her cheeks and shook his head feeling his emotions take the best of him once more in her presence.

"I am not angry. As we speak, Aragorn heals her. She will come back from the darkness that envelopes her. Avelina . . ." he trailed off and her eyes met his. He leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly and briefly before he pulled his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you," he whispered and Avelina's eyes widened before he tilted her head and kissed his lips just as tenderly as he did hers.

"I love you too," she said gently after she moved her lips from his. She heard a quiet sob escaped his lips as he pulled her close to him and leaned down to her and buried his face in her neck and cried quietly.