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Chapter 30

Éomer did not break in his ride, only long enough to water Sigeric and for the other men to water their horses. However, as they rode, Sigeric kept pulling Éomer further northeast and as they rested for a few minutes he stood in front of the horse. Éomer met his eyes and held the bridle. "What is it? Why do you pull northeast?" he asked quietly. Sigeric snorted and jerked his head free of Éomer's hands. He trotted towards where he wanted to go and pranced about neighing and jerking his head in the same direction. Sigeric stomped about. When he stopped he met Éomer's eyes and snorted hard. It was then that Éomer realized what he was saying. He quickly rushed to the horse, paying no mind to the curious stares of the hundred men that rode with him. "You know where she is," he said quickly and Sigeric nodded. Éomer sighed. They were a half a day's ride from Gondor, three scouts had left Edoras long before they had and called upon Aragorn and warned them of his coming and of the news he brought.

"My lord?" Eothain asked and Éomer looked at him. "What is it?" he asked gently. The man had a lost look on his face. Éomer knew Eothain cared for Avelina like a sister and was worried for her. Éomer sighed.

"He knows where she is, Eothain," he said and Eothain's eyes widened. "We must reach Gondor as fast as our horses will allow and gather their help. We must find her!" he exclaimed quietly and Eothain nodded and turned the men.

"Mount up! We must ride swiftly! We have not much time!" Eothain yelled and Éomer looked at Sigeric.

"Do you know if she has come to harm?" he asked and Sigeric just looked at him. Judging by the look that Sigeric gave him, he knew she had not suffered, at least not yet. He knew he had to reach her and soon.

Avelina sat in one of the three chairs in her chamber, or cell as she had come to see it in the nearly two weeks she had been there. At least she figured it was two weeks, she had been counting the number of times he had come in and said good morning and good night when he came in.

She had been right about there being no other door other than the one her capture had used constantly. Other than the large canopied bed there was a large armoire, two chairs and a small table that sat in front of the fireplace. There were no windows or washroom. There was an area where she went to the bathroom, and there was a brass bathing tub behind a dressing screen, and he had ensured that she bathed every morning and she was forced to wash with a spice scented soap. She didn't care for it; she much preferred the lavender water.

Her captor called himself Alric, and told her that she knew a great deal of Éomer and of her. She took a deep breath but found it difficult thanks to the stiff corset she wore. The new gowns he had mentioned were ready much sooner than she liked and now, she was forced to ware garments that were blood red, dark green, or black in color. All were corset gowns with dangerously low necklines that showed more of her cleavage than she deemed proper. So much so that she felt she would spill over the top of her dress. However, Alric had burned the dress she had worn when he had taken her so she had no choice. Well, he had given her a choice and she would rather ware the dresses than ware nothing at all.

She stiffened even more in her seat when the door unlocked and slowly opened. Alric stepped inside with a smirk on his face and carried a tray with fruit and a glass of wine on it. She did not smile at him only sighed deeply and looked back at the burning fire, which served as her only source of light.

"Well, a good afternoon to you too, my dear," he said as he sat the tray on the small table in front of her. She glared at him.

"I would not know how to great you. I have not seen the sun in almost two weeks," she replied coldly. She had not given up hope that Éomer would find her, but each passing day her hope slowly slipped away. He chuckled and sat down in the chair across from her.

"If you are good, I will see what I can do about getting you a room with windows." He sneered and Avelina looked back at the fire. "We have done this everyday, Avelina, have you come to feel for me what I feel for you?" he asked as he leaned over and picked a piece of fruit from the tray.

"What is it you feel for me?" she asked heatedly. "I know it is not love, for if it was you would not keep me prisoner." He leaned his elbows onto his knees and smiled at her.

"I do love you Avelina," he said gently. "I love your hair in the firelight, the smoothness of your skin, your perfect form, your dark blue eyes, your-," Avelina stopped him by standing and walking away from him.

"Those are my physical qualities!" she yelled before she turned and looked at him. "You do not love me! You do not love me as he does!" Avelina stopped saying Éomer's name when she received a smack across the face and was told the next time she did her punishment would be much worse. He growled and stood from the chair. He pinned her against the wall and held her tightly by her upper arms. She whimpered as his grip tightened on her already bruised arms.

"You will not speak to me that way, Avelina." His sneered and moved one hand from her arm to her neck. He increased pressure around her throat and she gasped quietly taking air in quickly. "I could end your life this very moment . . . I can see it slipping from you now." She gasped for air as his pressure slowly increased around her throat. She raised her free hand and tried to pry his hand from her throat but to no avail. She felt as though she would not last much longer, and he removed his hand from her throat quickly and grabbed her upper arm again. She slumped and gasped for breath trying to ignore the burning sensation that filled her lungs as she did so. Her throat throbbed and she had no doubt bruises would be forming soon. "I will give you one more night, and then . . . well then you will have no choice but to love me." He let go of her and turned from her. She raised trembling hands to her sore throat and still gasped quietly for air as he slammed and locked the door behind him.

Tears fell from Avelina's eyes and she slid down the stone wall to the floor. One day. That was all Éomer had left to find her and she had a feeling that he would never find her.

The week spent in Minas Tirith seemed like an eternity, but Aragorn had gathered enough men to ride with Éomer and even the King of Men himself rode with him, along with other war heroes including Legolas, Gimli, and Faramir. It was growing dark, and Éomer did not want to rest, but he knew that they had to soon.

"Éomer, are you certain that the horse knows where she is?" Faramir asked. He worried for Avelina. When Éowyn was given the news of Avelina's kidnapping, the woman had became succumbed with worry and fear for her friend even Queen Arwen worried for Avelina.

"I am, Faramir," he said as they rode. "Sigeric . . . has a connection unlike any other to Avelina. He knows where she is, and we haven't much time left." Faramir nodded. He barely made out the man's words and he was certain Éomer hardly heard his question over the roar of horse hooves as they rode. Aragorn urged his horse next to Éomer and glanced at the man. He saw Éomer's worry only in his eyes, the rest of his face was as cold as stone. The warrior in the horse king had made it's presence known.

"We will find her," Éomer thought. "We must find her." Soon, a large castle like home came into view. Éomer raised his hand and Aragorn did the same bringing the men to a halt. Legolas trotted his horse next to them. His Elvin eyes scanned the fortress that was covered by a stone wall.

"There are guards watching the gates," Legolas said as he continued to scan with his eyes. "It is hard to see much else, there is movement, but I cannot tell if it is from men or beast."

"We must do something," Éomer said quickly, "We must think of a plan." Aragorn put his hand on the man's shoulder and nodded.

"We will, Éomer, we will," he said and Éomer sighed as he looked at the fortress. His love was within its stone walls and he knew not how to get her out.

Avelina's chamber door opened and she sat up from her bed and met the eyes of the woman who had helped her wash and dress since she came to the horrid place. She rarely spoke and Avelina saw she carried a cauldron of hot water. "So, it is morning," Avelina thought dryly. She listened as the woman poured the water and sat the cauldron down.

"My lady," the woman said and Avelina met her eyes. The woman's eyes moved from Avelina's face and down to her neck. Her eyes widened and moved back to Avelina's. Avelina raised her hand to her throat and climbed from the bed.

"Your lord is a malice man," Avelina said quickly and walked around the dressing screen. She removed her night dress and climbed into the water while the maid remained on the other side of the screen. Avelina washed and climbed from the water before she dried herself off and slid on the thin lace shift. She walked around the screen to see the woman holding a blood red dress. Avelina sighed and slid into the dress and let the woman tie the corset top which only pushed her chest up and nearly over the top of the dress. Avelina lowered her head and looked down at the dress. She never hated something more than she did that dress or the man that kept her in that room at that very moment.

"I am sorry," the woman said and Avelina met her eyes. "I do not wish to keep you here. I would gladly let you out, but I will be killed if I do." For the first time since the time she had been taken Avelina smiled, even though it was a small smile.

"Thank you," she whispered with a pause, "it's slightly comforting to know that someone does not wish to keep me here." Avelina turned and began to make up the bed expecting the woman to leave.

"He will be coming soon," she said quietly before she quickly left the room and Avelina felt her heart race in her chest. There was little doubt who the woman meant, at least to Avelina. Alric would be coming soon and Éomer hadn't found her. She sank down onto the bed and felt all her hope leave her and tears filled her eyes. The door to her chamber opened and Alric stood there with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, love," he said and she did not even respond with a glare. She heard him laugh as he closed the door behind him. "Come now, Avelina. Did you really think he would come?" he asked and she looked up at him as the tears rolled down her cheeks. He cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears. She didn't have the strength to pull away from him, and she knew there would be no point. He leaned into her and kissed her hard once more. She fought him when he tired to push her down onto the bed and she pulled her lips away from his.

"Get off of me!" she screamed as she pushed on him, but he over powered her and pushed her down on her bed. He held her down by her shoulders and looked down at her his blue eyes dark in the firelight.

"Scream all you wish! No one will help you!" He sneered before he latched his lips on her bruised throat and left slimy kisses down her neck. She began to sob and she tried to pull away from him. His kisses moved from her neck down to the top of her chest. She tired to kick him, but her legs were pinned by his weight and her strength was leaving her arms. His left hand moved to her hold her down by her throat while his other began to move down her form. She screamed and began to thrash once more but he once again overpowered her.

Suddenly, crashes and yells were heard echoing down the corridor and through the wooden door that closed her off from the world. Alric's head snapped up and looked at the door. She took his moment of weakness and slapped him hard across the cheek. Alric looked down at her and growled. His grip tightened on her throat and he brought his other hand to her throat. He began to once again squeeze the life out of her. She raised her hands to her throat and tried to pull off his hands but block spots covered her eyes when she heard the door breaking open before her arms went limp and Avelina knew no more.

Éomer and the others fought through the men and tore down every corridor. He was charging down a corridor when a woman stopped him. "The woman you look for is down this hall, second door on the right," she said quickly as she looked with wide eyes at Legolas and Gimli who stood behind him. Then as quickly as she appeared she was gone. Aragorn soon came to his side but was told nothing when Éomer ran down the corridor.

He broke through the locked door and the sight that met his eyes made his heart fall and anger fill him. Avelina's limp body laid on a bed and the man that took her stood from the bed. Pure hate flooded Eomer's senses as his eyes met those eyes of his once childhood friend, Alric. Éomer charged for him but when Alric picked up a staff and swung it Éomer crashed against the wall. He shook his head when he was dazed and made to stand once again.

Legolas saw Éomer trying to stand and he rushed to the doorway and cautiously looked in. The sight of Avelina's laying lifeless on the bed and the smirk that graced the blonde haired man's face angered him. In the blink of an eye two arrows pierced Alric's chest and he stumbled back shock gracing his face. Éomer nodded at Legolas before he went into the room.

"Why did you take her?" he asked Alric with his sword pointed at the man's throat. Alric fell to his knees and gasped.

"You always . . . got . . . what you wanted . . . and I . . . wanted her . . . the moment . . . I saw her . . . in Minas Tirith," he struggled. Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn looked on confused, but Aragorn quickly rushed to Avelina seeing that there was no other threat in the room. Éomer kept his eyes trained on Alric.

"How did you see her in the White City?" Éomer asked the point of his sword grazing the man's throat.

"I was there on . . . business with Denthor . . . I saw her . . . with you, and I decided . . . I had to have her . . . now, not even you can have her." With a loud roar, Éomer moved his sword down to the man's chest and stabbed his sword deep through his heart. When Éomer pulled his sword Alric fell lifeless onto the stone floor. Éomer through his sword onto the floor and rushed over to where Aragorn hovered over Avelina. Tears came to his eyes when he saw the deep bruises covering her throat and the dullness to her hair and paleness to her was vibrant skin. Aragorn looked at him sadly and he knew instantly the words Aragorn feared to say to him. Éomer shook his head.

Tears came to the horse king's eyes and he grasped her small form and pulled her close to his chest. He sat on the bed and held her by her lower back and her neck. Her arms were limp at her side and her head would lull back if he did not hold it. Sobs and cries escaped the man's mouth, much like when he found his sister's unconscious form on the battlefield, only this time it was much, much different.

He had been too late.

A/N: Okay, it's not the end. There is more to come, so don't worry. I'll try to updated as soon as I can for you all! Hopefully I'll be able to finish the next chapter tomrrow and update but I'm not promising anything! Let me know what you thought.