A/N; Ohmygosh! You guys overwhelmed me with your reviews!! I was so inspired because they were so great that I immediately started on the next chapter. Say.. Does anyone else picture Lothíriel as Keira Knightley? More specifically, her version of Guinevere? I don't know why.. But after seeing King Arthur, that's how I picture Lothíriel. Could just be me, though. ;)

So anyway, enjoy, because here is the next chapter! 3

Responses;

lady scribe of avandell - Thank you!! I hope this is quick enough for you!

A A - Thank you so much!

ME132 - I am SO glad you like it! I won't answer that question, you'll have to keep reading to find out! .

Eokat - Thank you!!

Katzilla - Ohmygosh, thank you so much! I think I will make it a bit longer than I planned..

razzle dazzle - I am so glad you like it and that it makes you want to keep reading.. That really encourages me!

Spacepirate (spacepirateeyahoo.ca) - Oh I can promise you that it's going to get much angstier before it gets better. And I agree, we need more Lothíriel & Éomer fics!

Kathleen5 - Thank you SOOO much!! I was never a big fan of the "Yay for the no evil world!" type fics.. There always has to be some evil. But that's just my philosophy. And PJ definitely should have put that in there.. As well as the Houses of Healing and I think he should have made a brief appearance of Lothíriel, but oh well, that's just my wishful thinking!

Voldie on Varsity Track - Fears the headless chicken of doom! Please don't kill me!! I update, I update! 33

Anyone else; Sorry I didn't get your review while I wrote this, but do know that I appreciate it 100%!!! Thank you so much everyone!

- Elegant Couture / Shealy

Erfanaiel started when Lothíriel finally stirred, her hand accidentally knocking over a glass as she jerked from her sedated sleep.

"Éomer! Éomer!" Tears were instantly in her eyes, and she grasped to the furs of her bed. Her eyes followed Erfanaiel for a moment, terrified at what her maid would have to say to her.

"Tell me, Erfanaiel, that it was but a terrible nightmare.. Tell me my husband is healthy and safe!"

Erfanaiel sat down on the bed in front of her, one hand reaching out to smooth her mistress's hair back. "Safe.. Yes, he is safe.."

Instantly, Lothíriel had risen from the bed, her hand clutched at her chest. "Tell me not that he is dead! Do not speak it, for I shall die upon this very spot!"

"Nay, my lady, he is not dead." The word 'yet' hovered upon her lips, but seeing the hysterical state of her lady, she dared not speak it. "Éothain bade me to send you to Éomer's chamber, as soon as you awoke. You must remain calm and brave, my lady! The healers threatened to sedate you again if you did not calm yourself.."

Lothíriel was beside herself with grief and anxiety, and had Erfanaiel not forced her to slip into a plain gown, she would surely have run through the hall in naught but her shift.

And then, she was allowed to see him, a moment that she both longed for and dreaded. He lay in a large bed in one of the guest rooms, and a fire roared to keep the dampness of the rain out. He was pale and sweat lined his forehead, and he looked so frail to her. He was in a dead sleep, he did not move save for his shallow breathing. Where was her strong husband, who would lift her up in his arms and carry her back to their chambers? Where was the man that could single handedly calm a horse that no other man could ride? She felt tears well in her eyes again, but one glance at Éothain told her that now was not the time, now she must be strong.

"Tell me how this came to pass.." She whispered as she hurried to his bedside, her hand gingerly picking up his limp one. Her fingers wrapped around him, gently clutching his hand to her chest so that he could feel her heart beat.

"We were ambushed," Éothain whispered, his eyes carefully turned away from the scene of his King and Queen. "We thought we had destroyed most of them, and we had been helping rebuild a village. It was a small number, but they all seemed bent on getting to Éomer."

"Think you that it was a planned attack, specifically to get him?" She turned her gaze from her husband to his second in command.

"Perhaps.. We are in talks with council now to discuss if it was perhaps part of a larger plot. Perhaps the Dunlendings."

She nodded and looked back to Éomer, her free hand gently reaching out to brush across his forehead. He had been shivering before she had arrived, and it amazed Éothain to see his leader so calm now.

"He is burning up.. Is there nothing we can do?" She whispered, her hand resting on his forehead for a moment.

"He has a fever.. No doubt an infection. He has several wounds on his chest, and he was shot by a bow in the thigh. There was some sort of poison on the tip. It.. It doesn't look good, my lady. The healers have done all they can."

She closed her eyes, tears burning at the back of her eyes. "Send a letter to King Elessar.. Alert him to what happened. This may not be just a plot on Rohan, Gondor may be threatened as well. Besides, Elessar and Éomer are good friends.. No doubt he will want to hear of this. And send one to Lady Éowyn, immediately. Erfanaiel, you sent one to Dol Amroth, yes?" Her maid nodded. "Then go, please, and send those other letters. Send our fastest rider to Gondor." With that, Erfanaiel disappeared through the door way, Éothain watching her leave.

Lothíriel sighed and let her head rest softly on Éomer's shoulder, tears finally being released. "My love, you promised me.." As she began to sniffle, Éothain quietly slipped out and shut the door behind him.

Everything was black. He tried to turn to look around, but he couldn't move. Fire and ice.. It felt like he was constantly being tossed between the two. His entire body burned.

"Éomer.."

It was a woman's voice, but he couldn't recognize it. Why was it so familiar?

"Éomer.. Éomer.."

And then, all of a sudden, he was running. His legs moved him of their own accord, and he felt as if every nerve in his body would explode if he did not reach.. What? Something. His body so desired whatever it was, where ever he was running to. The comforting voice that was calling him seemed to be far behind him now, and his heart cried to go back. But his body wouldn't let him. He felt torn, wanting to be two places at once. As he kept running, he found he could no longer hear the voice, and his heart seemed to break. Who was she? Why did it matter so that he hear her voice?

He must have been running for hours, or maybe just minutes. He couldn't tell. Where was he anyway? And then, as if an explosion had gone off, he saw light. And then he was there, this lush green land. He was standing on top of a hill with rolling green grass, and below him was the most beautiful lake he had ever seen. Everything was beautiful. The sky was perfect blue, and the temperature was wonderful. He turned around, finding himself completely alone, and wishing that her voice had been there.

He felt at peace. He no longer burned, and he looked down to see his wounds were gone. He began to walk down the hill, a winding path leading him down to the lake. And there he saw them. His heart seemed to stop as he gazed at the face of his Uncle and Cousin, long dead.

They smiled at him as he approached the lake where they stood, and they laughed as they all embraced.

"Uncle.. Theodred.." He stared at them both in shock, and they laughed at his bewilderment.

"Your parents have been awaiting your arrival.." Theoden rest his hand on Éomer's shoulder. "They are quite proud of you, as are we all."

Theodred nodded to his cousin, playfully hitting his arm. "I couldn't imagine a better leader for Rohan, my cousin, you have done brilliantly."

And then it began to fade, the beautiful landscape and his cousin and uncle, just as he was beginning to see his parents approach. "No.." He whispered, reaching his hand out to grasp his uncles shoulder.

"We were wrong," Theoden began, "It is not your time yet. Do not worry Éomer, we await your arrival! Though it shall not be soon, I fear."

Everything began to fade to black, but just before his cousin was gone, he could hear Theodred call out to him. "Your wife is lovely, I cannot wait to meet her and woo her away from you!"

"Éomer!" Lothíriel nearly fell out of her chair when she felt his hand stir in hers. She leaned forward as Éothain and the healers burst in. She ran her hands over his face, brushing away bits of dirt and sweat. "Éomer!"

As he stirred into consciousness, he marveled at the voice he heard. It was the same from the dream.. The one that he had desperately wanted to go back to. Her beauty nearly blinded him as he forced his eye lids to open. He wanted to move, wanted to hold this woman in front of him. He wanted to ask her why she was crying, but all he could do was groan. He could barely move without pain shooting through his limbs.

A protest rose to his lips when the beautiful woman was pulled away from him and replaced by people he did not recognize. He could still hear her voice though, and it soothed him as he let his eyes close again.

She had been pulled from the room, the healers needing the space to work. He was awake! She sighed with relief as she leaned against the wall outside the room. Surely he would be ok.. Surely everything was going to be ok now.

Hours seemed to slip by and Erfanaiel kept her company as well as bringing food to her, which she was delighted to find her mistress would eat. Finally the door opened and Éothain stepped out, relief evident upon his face.

"The healers believe he will be okay.. He was sent back to us." He murmured before helping Lothíriel stand. "His fever is broken and his wounds are healing nicely. The poison must have passed out of his body, though I do not know how.. It is truly a miracle." He shook his head in amazement. "My lady, I insist that you go and rest. If he wakes again, Erfanaiel will wake you immediately."

Reluctantly, Lothíriel was lead back to her bed. She curled up on Éomer's side of the bed, inhaling his scent as she slipped into dreams.

A/N; In the middle of writing this I came up with a nice little plot twist. I'm sure someone can guess it! But I'm not going to confirm or deny anything ;) You'll just have to wait and see in the next chapter! Which, by the way, I'm sure I'll have out soon. I've already started on it. Reviews feed my fluff bunnies!