Disclaimer: Check Chapter One
Reviews:
JadeGoddess: He's mad cause he's being a pompous bastard. lol. He doens't think Haldir's good enough. . . but you find that out later this chapter.
DeepNight: Thanks. I know Eomer stories are hard to find. That's why I decided to write one. . . kinda for the hell of it. lol.
Sofasoap: Thanks for your review. I know it's not keeping with the book/movie. . . kinda. lol.
MarieMJS: LoL, I was gonna read some of your stories and then . . . well . . . I realized I don't understand French. LOL. Sorry!
Naltariel sighed as she brushed her fingers through her wavy tresses. She had already taken a quick bath and changed into a royal blue gown. Now she was stuck with the task of deciding what to do with her hair. It was tangled so she had to fight to get her comb through it. She tossed her comb down in frustration and reached into her drawer for her decorative hair net with little tiny sapphires imbedded into it.
She put it in quickly, not really bothering if it looked perfect. Her mind wasn't truly with making herself "acceptable" as her father had ordered. She was too upset about being caught with Haldir like that. It was obvious to her that her father would place all the blame on him.
A light knock sounded on her door and she hurried to answer it. Haldir stood before her dressed in travelling garb, a heavy pack was set at his feet.
"What are you doing? Why are you dressed like that?" She asked in surprise, she had never seen his expression so sad.
"You know as well as I what my punishment will be." He said quietly. "Are you ready to go?"
She nodded quickly closed the door, following Haldir down the path leading to where they would hold their trial. She had never felt more depressed. She had known her father would be harsh, but Haldir was expecting exile. She would not be able to bear it if he was banished from the Golden Wood. It would be empty to her.
Haldir dropped his pack outside the door and they entered into the small meeting room side by side. Both Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel were seated before them, there were no other chairs.
"I am appalled that you, Haldir, would take advantage of my daughter while she was in such a state." Celeborn said stiffly, they could tell his anger had not yet subsided.
"I am fine, Father." Naltariel said, lifting her chin in defiance.
"Naltariel, you are but a child in these matters. You have much time left to discover love, you must not rush it and give away your heart too soon." Galadriel said sternly.
"It is not fair." She whispered, then with her resolve strengthening she stared her father directly in the eye. "If you exile Haldir, you exile me."
Haldir looked at her in surprise, he had not expected her to stay true to all she had said, yet she had. She refused to leave him to stand alone, whatever the cost.
"Indeed . . . Naltariel, you leave the morn after tomorrow for Rivendell. Lathun has asked for your hand." Her father said after a moment.
Naltariel froze, even Galadriel looked in surprise to her husband. "No." Naltariel whispered shaking her head. "No! I wont!" She screamed taking a step back.
"It's not worth screaming about, Naltariel. It's already been decided." Celeborn said coldly. "As for you, Haldir, I have not yet come up with your punishment. You are dismissed, both of you. Get some rest."
Naltariel turned sharply and stalked out of the room, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Tears streamed freely down her face as she thought about her fate. Lathun? She had met him but twice before. Sure, he had been kind to her but she did not wish to wed with him. She did not love him, and he could not possibly love her.
"Naltari, wait!" Haldir called after her, using her childhood nickname. He ran to catch up with her then grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "I did not know. Lathun arrived here a few days ago, the same day you went missing. I did not know that was why he had come. I am so sorry."
"It is not your fault." A harsh laugh escaped her lips. "Indeed, now I wish that whatever Man it was who saved me had not."
"Don't say that! Such horrors you know naught of." Haldir said harshly.
"Then do you truly see me as a child, Haldir? We are near the same age, yet you seem so much wiser than I. I am to follow in the wisdom of my mother, yet I cannot even prevent a marriage I do not wish." She said sadly turning away from him again and walking back towards her chambers.
Naltariel woke suddenly as an idea of escape suddenly came to her mind. She looked out the window at the lightening sky and prayed she was not too late. She dressed quickly into a riding dress and heavy cloak and silently crept out through her door towards where the Men would be resting if they had not left yet.
She ran silently through the waking woods, not a sound was make but the slight sound of her breath inhaling and exhaling. She stopped suddenly upon the edge of a clearing. A hundred Men all turned to look towards her, eyeing her her up and down. She froze, perhaps Haldir had been wrong. Perhaps they had harmed her, but he did not know it.
Then her eyes fell on a Man standing on the far side of the clearing. Brown shoulder length hair could be seen clearly from under his high helm as he stood beside a big white stallion. Her saviour. She ran through the clearing, heedless of the many stares and calls at her until she was standing beside the Man.
"Who are you?" She gasped, she had run a fair distance and, not being a warrior, as Haldir had said, wasn't as easy as it was for him.
"My Lady," He said, bowing slightly. "I am Eomer son of Eomund, Third Marshal of the Riddermark."
"Eomer . . ." She said softly, looking cautiously over her shoulder.
"Are you alright? Is someone following you?" He asked with worry.
"No . . . I mean . . . I don't know. Would you help me?" She asked. Eomer nodded slightly, concern clearly written over his face. "I am to ride to Rivendell tomorrow morn to wed Lathun, a son of a lord of Rivendell. I do not wish it. Will you help me escape?"
Eomer stared at her for a moment, not quite able to tell if she was healed yet from her head wound or not. "What of Haldir? Would he not help you?" He asked cautiously.
"Haldir cannot help me, I fear his punishment may be worse than my own." She said quietly.
"Punishment?" Eomer asked in surprise.
"Our love is not condoned by my father. Will you help me?" She pleaded.
"It would not do well for your people to find me spiriting you away after just returning you." Eomer said.
"I go riding every morning. You could meet me somewhere beyond the outskirts of Lorien. There is a ring of stone from a tower long since collapsed close to an hour away from the eaves of the forest. My people rarely venture that far. Would you meet me there and allow me to ride with you? You must hurry with your decision, it is near to the time when I go to the stables." She explained.
Eomer sighed, then thought of his sister Eowyn. She would flee with or without an escort if she was forced to marry, Eomer feared this elf-maid may do the same. "Alright. An hour south of here is the Old Watchtower. I know where it lies, I have been there before. Be careful."
Naltariel nodded happily then turned and ran to the stables. Vaiwa, an young grey mare was already waiting for her. She nudged her happily as she gently stroked her neck.
"Oh, My Lady, your not supposed to go out for your ride today without an escort. Not after last day when you went missing and all." The stable boy said as he came into the stable from outside.
"Do you have parchment and ink in here?" She asked. The boy nodded and got her a sheet of paper and a small ink bottle and quill.
She quickly wrote on the paper;
Dear Haldir,
The time has come, so it seems, for me to leave Lorien. But do not despair, I ride not to Rivendell. I ride with the Men who rescued me, Eomer has said he would escort me. We have yet to work out further details. You must not show this to anyone, I do not wish for my father to send the last of his army to Rohan to get me back. I will send you word when next I can.
Love Naltariel.
She quickly folded it and put it in an envelope the stable boy had brought her. She sealed it quickly with wax then handed it to the stable boy. "You will give this to Haldir when next you see him. I fear I wont be able to see him today."
Then she turned from him and mounted Vaiwa. "But Lady! You have to wait for your escort! I'll surely get in loads of trouble if you go now. Your not supposed to ride alone." The boy cried.
"You wont get in trouble, lad. My father knows I have a hard head and weather I am allowed or not, I am riding this morning alone. I desire quiet." She said stubbornly then motioned Vaiwa out of the stables and into a gallop towards the South, avoiding the main paths as much as she could.
Luckily it was still early and few were awake. She made it out of the forest without any hassle then galloped for the Old Watchtower. The sun was warm enough for February, but she was glad she'd brought her heavy cloak. She had brought no other provisions, but she had often camped with her escort in the summer at a remote clearing not too far away. They had left some provisions behind last time they had camped and with any luck they would still be there.
Eomer looked around nervously, wondering, not for the first time, why he had agreed to escort Lady Naltariel away from the will of her father. He sighed, they were nearly out of the forest and still no sign had been heard that their plot had been found out.
He breathed finally in relief as they passed the eaves of the forest, his men positioning into formation and they started in a gallop. He had been named Elf-friend, but he did not feel like it. He looked back into the Golden Wood. It felt as though the eyes of the Lord and Lady were staring him down.
When they finally reached the Old Watchtower he found her already waiting on the back of a proud grey mare. She had a small pack ladening the mare, it could not hold more than an extra blanket, perhaps a few sets of clothes and a tiny bit of food. She nodded to him as they approached.
"I see you made it out of the woods without difficulty." She said, smiling warmly.
"You seem in high spirits for one fleeing from her home." He noted as he came up the hill into the circle of fallen stones of the foundation of the Old Watchtower.
"I have never felt so free. I have been sheltered from life all my two thousand years. I had not even seen an Orc until my unfortunate incident." She said happily.
"Two thousand years?" Eomer asked in surprise.
"Do you know nothing of the Elves?" She asked.
"Very little." He replied.
"I am immortal, I will continue to live on through all the ages. Although the time to sail across the Sea is coming soon and we will no longer walk upon Middle-Earth, we will still live on in the Elvenhome." She said, her mare shaking it's head impatiently.
"Do any know of your departure?" Eomer asked.
"Only Haldir. I left him a letter to be delivered today by the stable boy. He will not snoop in Haldir's mail." She said happily.
"And Haldir? What will he do when he learns of your flight?" Eomer asked, the stern face of the Elf on their first meeting coming back to him.
"He will do nothing, as I have bid him to do." Naltariel answered. "If we are going we must go now though. It will not be much longer until they notice I have not yet come back from my ride."
Eomer turned to his men. "This is Lady Naltariel, she will be accompanying us to Edoras. You will treat her with the utmost respect while she is in our company. If I find any other treatment to her, you will be punished with death." He said, looking straight at his friend Hattim who had been eyeing her up.
"What will happen when we reach Edoras?" She asked softly.
"I will introduce you to my sister Eowyn and she will take care of you, if you do not mind dwelling in the lands of Men." Eomer replied.
"I had not thought that far ahead, but unless I want to dwell in the realms of Dwarves, I have little choice." She said quietly.
"I hope it will not be too hard on you, and I have a feeling you will enjoy Eowyn's company though. She is much like you." Eomer said, a small smile coming to his lips.
"What is that to mean?" She asked quickly.
"You will know when you meet her."Eomer said. "Come men! Ride!"
They turned to the South and galloped away. After several hours the Riders of Rohan, who noted themselves as being horse masters, were struck in awe by the stamina of Vaiwa, the Elvish mare. They rested two hours after noon, at the Rohan border.
Eomer went to her side to help her dismount but found she was already standing upon the ground, stretching a bit from the long ride. She stroked her hand over the mares flanks, and it was then that he noticed the mare had no saddle or rein. Just as Legolas the Elf had done upon Arod.
"How do you ride with no saddle or rein?" He asked in wonder at her side.
"With understanding of the beast. They must feel at peace with you and allow you to ride upon them, not be forced. The breaking of horses, as your people call it, brings me great sadness. The wills of those beasts were once strong." She said. "I raised both Vaiwa and Laurea from their birth. They've come to trust me, and will bear no other than Haldir."
Eomer nodded. "I would like to learn this from you." He said quietly.
"At a price." She replied, taking the packs off the mares back so it could run free for a while.
"How high of a price?" He asked.
"That depends on what you view is high." She answered.
"What price? Gold? Silver? Jewels? What?" He asked.
"No. No. None of that. You are a warrior, I wish to learn how to wield weapons. Particularly the bow, although there will be no greater teacher for that than an Elf, Haldir refused. 'You are not a warrior, you are a maiden.' He said. But I still wish to learn, I wish not to be caught in the same predicament twice." She answered.
"You want to become a sheildmaiden!" He cried. "My sister will love you indeed! Your deal is fair and I accept. Shall we begin now?"
"Can we? How long do your Men need to rest?" She asked in surprise.
"Truly, we stopped for you, but they will enjoy the rest." Eomer laughed.
Naltariel suddenly jerked her head upward, the cry of an eagle could be heard high up in the distance. She quickly drew the hood of her cloak over her head to hide her blond hair from the eyes above. "There is no time, my fathers scouts are already abroad. The search has begun."
"What? How do you know?" Eomer asked as Naltariel quickly called Vaiwa back to her and put the light pack back on.
"The eagles are above. They are my fathers favorite messengers." She said, leaping gently back upon her grey mare.
"Let us continue then." He said. "Men! Lets go! We need to get further into our own land before we can rest."
The Men grumbled a bit as they quickly packed up and mounted again. They galloped on for a few more hours, their horses becoming more and more fatigued. Naltariel's heart went out to them and she soon began to sing to ease their hearts.
"Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear!
O Queen beyond the Western Seas!
O light to us that wander here
Amid the world of woven trees
Gilthoniel! O Elbereth!
Clear are the eyes and bright thy breath!
Snow-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee
In a far land beyond the Sea!
O stars that in the Sunless Year
With shining hand by her were sown,
In windy fields now bright and clear
We see your silver blossom blown!
O Elberth! Gilthoniel!
we still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees
Thy starlight on the Wester Seas!"
Her song eased the hearts of more than just the horses, the Men also began to look less exhausted and a few of them even began to smile.
They rested briefly once later in the day for a quick meal then continued on their flight, stopping later that night as the sun began it's slow decent behind the mountains in the distance. Naltariel looked around her, the land was nearly barren. Rocks and brown grass was all she feared she would find, but then her eyes fell upon an old tree.
It stood tall, but hunched as though the figure of an old man bent over his can. She smiled slightly and took the packs off Vaiwa, then she walked to the fires that had been lit and sat down, listening with awe at the stories they told while she ate her meal.
The stories of Men were far different than the tales of the Elves she had heard since her childhood. Men were proud of the ferocity of their predecessors, while Elves wished nothing more than to continue on in peace. Men fought wars over small causes, Elves tried their best to avoid them.
"Are you alright?" A voice asked from behind her. It was Eomer.
"I am fine, why do you ask?" She replied, turning to him.
"You seemed lost in thought, almost sad." He said, sitting next to her.
"I was just musing the differences between your people and my own. It is funny that we made the Last Alliance despite of our differences." She said, staring into the flames of the fire.
"And whys that?" Eomer asked.
"Our people are so different! The tales of Men are of war and great bloody battles while the tales of my people are of the song of the river Nimrodel or the color of the leaves of Lorien in autumn." She said quietly.
"We have fair tales too, but they are usually spoken in the company of women by women." Eomer replied.
Naltariel nodded. "Tell me of Edoras." She said, leaning back on a rock behind her. "What is it like? And every detail, I have never before been in the realms of Men."
"Edoras . . . I do not know how to describe it. It is perched upon a hill before the mountains. A dike and mighty wall surrounds it and in the midst of the houses there is one upon a green terrace which roof seems to be thatched with gold from a distance. That is the golden hall Meduseld, where I once dwelled. That is where you will go, for that is where my sister Eowyn resides." He described slowly, a smile was upon his face as he remembered the view of his home.
"And what about you? Will you not return to your home?" She asked, noting that he never included himself going into the city.
"It is a home for me no longer. I have been sent to exile, as have most of my men. My uncle, Theoden King, his mind has become poisoned from the words of Grima Wormtongue, his advisor. I believe Grima is a possession of Saruman the White, yet I cannot lay proof to my claim and it was my accusations and my want to rid the Orcs from our land that got me banished." He said sadly. "But I will send Marik in with you when we arrive, he has been kind and noble to you so you need not be afraid, and he will take you to Eowyn as I cannot."
"It is a sad tale you tell. I remember days in my childhood when the White Wizard would come to the Golden Wood for celebrations. He was always a guest of honor in our house, he was once noble and true. The trees have whispered riddles for many years now, I finally understand them. They were speaking of the treachery of Saruman and desecration of the forests near Isengard." She said slowly,"It is indeed a sad tale."
Time passed slowly and eventually many of the Men set out sleeping mats and blankets while others kept watch. Naltariel got up silently and shuffled through her packs, pulling out an old blanket she had reclaimed from the camping provisions. Then she quietly made her way to the tree she had seen earlier.
She tossed her blanket into the branches above then laid her hands on the rough trunk of the tree and slowly circled it, her hands running across the bark. She pressed her ear up to it and heard it whispering words of rejoice at the presence of an Elf.
"What are you doing?" A voice asked behind her. She whipped around to look at the intruder. He had black hair and stood, not as tall as Eomer, but stouter, with more muscle.
"Going to bed." She said quickly.
"You are too far from the fires. You cannot sleep here." He said kindly.
"Who are you?" Naltariel asked suspiciously, her gaze piercing him as her mother always did.
"My name is Marik, I am on the first watch." He answered.
"You are Marik, the one who is to escort me to the city of Edoras." She smiled slightly. "Well, Master Marik, Elves sleep in trees. This is a tree," She said, gesturing to the gnarled tree beside her. "I plan to sleep in it."
Marik broke into a smile. "Very well, My Lady. I will assign some guards to this area." He said and turned away, walking back to the camp.
Naltariel shook her head and jumped lightly up into the branches of the tree, crawling to a comfortable crevice between two large branches. She pulled her blanket over her and snuggled in, the whispers of the tree lulling her to sleep in the pitch black of the night.
TBC
Reviews:
JadeGoddess: He's mad cause he's being a pompous bastard. lol. He doens't think Haldir's good enough. . . but you find that out later this chapter.
DeepNight: Thanks. I know Eomer stories are hard to find. That's why I decided to write one. . . kinda for the hell of it. lol.
Sofasoap: Thanks for your review. I know it's not keeping with the book/movie. . . kinda. lol.
MarieMJS: LoL, I was gonna read some of your stories and then . . . well . . . I realized I don't understand French. LOL. Sorry!
Naltariel sighed as she brushed her fingers through her wavy tresses. She had already taken a quick bath and changed into a royal blue gown. Now she was stuck with the task of deciding what to do with her hair. It was tangled so she had to fight to get her comb through it. She tossed her comb down in frustration and reached into her drawer for her decorative hair net with little tiny sapphires imbedded into it.
She put it in quickly, not really bothering if it looked perfect. Her mind wasn't truly with making herself "acceptable" as her father had ordered. She was too upset about being caught with Haldir like that. It was obvious to her that her father would place all the blame on him.
A light knock sounded on her door and she hurried to answer it. Haldir stood before her dressed in travelling garb, a heavy pack was set at his feet.
"What are you doing? Why are you dressed like that?" She asked in surprise, she had never seen his expression so sad.
"You know as well as I what my punishment will be." He said quietly. "Are you ready to go?"
She nodded quickly closed the door, following Haldir down the path leading to where they would hold their trial. She had never felt more depressed. She had known her father would be harsh, but Haldir was expecting exile. She would not be able to bear it if he was banished from the Golden Wood. It would be empty to her.
Haldir dropped his pack outside the door and they entered into the small meeting room side by side. Both Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel were seated before them, there were no other chairs.
"I am appalled that you, Haldir, would take advantage of my daughter while she was in such a state." Celeborn said stiffly, they could tell his anger had not yet subsided.
"I am fine, Father." Naltariel said, lifting her chin in defiance.
"Naltariel, you are but a child in these matters. You have much time left to discover love, you must not rush it and give away your heart too soon." Galadriel said sternly.
"It is not fair." She whispered, then with her resolve strengthening she stared her father directly in the eye. "If you exile Haldir, you exile me."
Haldir looked at her in surprise, he had not expected her to stay true to all she had said, yet she had. She refused to leave him to stand alone, whatever the cost.
"Indeed . . . Naltariel, you leave the morn after tomorrow for Rivendell. Lathun has asked for your hand." Her father said after a moment.
Naltariel froze, even Galadriel looked in surprise to her husband. "No." Naltariel whispered shaking her head. "No! I wont!" She screamed taking a step back.
"It's not worth screaming about, Naltariel. It's already been decided." Celeborn said coldly. "As for you, Haldir, I have not yet come up with your punishment. You are dismissed, both of you. Get some rest."
Naltariel turned sharply and stalked out of the room, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Tears streamed freely down her face as she thought about her fate. Lathun? She had met him but twice before. Sure, he had been kind to her but she did not wish to wed with him. She did not love him, and he could not possibly love her.
"Naltari, wait!" Haldir called after her, using her childhood nickname. He ran to catch up with her then grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "I did not know. Lathun arrived here a few days ago, the same day you went missing. I did not know that was why he had come. I am so sorry."
"It is not your fault." A harsh laugh escaped her lips. "Indeed, now I wish that whatever Man it was who saved me had not."
"Don't say that! Such horrors you know naught of." Haldir said harshly.
"Then do you truly see me as a child, Haldir? We are near the same age, yet you seem so much wiser than I. I am to follow in the wisdom of my mother, yet I cannot even prevent a marriage I do not wish." She said sadly turning away from him again and walking back towards her chambers.
Naltariel woke suddenly as an idea of escape suddenly came to her mind. She looked out the window at the lightening sky and prayed she was not too late. She dressed quickly into a riding dress and heavy cloak and silently crept out through her door towards where the Men would be resting if they had not left yet.
She ran silently through the waking woods, not a sound was make but the slight sound of her breath inhaling and exhaling. She stopped suddenly upon the edge of a clearing. A hundred Men all turned to look towards her, eyeing her her up and down. She froze, perhaps Haldir had been wrong. Perhaps they had harmed her, but he did not know it.
Then her eyes fell on a Man standing on the far side of the clearing. Brown shoulder length hair could be seen clearly from under his high helm as he stood beside a big white stallion. Her saviour. She ran through the clearing, heedless of the many stares and calls at her until she was standing beside the Man.
"Who are you?" She gasped, she had run a fair distance and, not being a warrior, as Haldir had said, wasn't as easy as it was for him.
"My Lady," He said, bowing slightly. "I am Eomer son of Eomund, Third Marshal of the Riddermark."
"Eomer . . ." She said softly, looking cautiously over her shoulder.
"Are you alright? Is someone following you?" He asked with worry.
"No . . . I mean . . . I don't know. Would you help me?" She asked. Eomer nodded slightly, concern clearly written over his face. "I am to ride to Rivendell tomorrow morn to wed Lathun, a son of a lord of Rivendell. I do not wish it. Will you help me escape?"
Eomer stared at her for a moment, not quite able to tell if she was healed yet from her head wound or not. "What of Haldir? Would he not help you?" He asked cautiously.
"Haldir cannot help me, I fear his punishment may be worse than my own." She said quietly.
"Punishment?" Eomer asked in surprise.
"Our love is not condoned by my father. Will you help me?" She pleaded.
"It would not do well for your people to find me spiriting you away after just returning you." Eomer said.
"I go riding every morning. You could meet me somewhere beyond the outskirts of Lorien. There is a ring of stone from a tower long since collapsed close to an hour away from the eaves of the forest. My people rarely venture that far. Would you meet me there and allow me to ride with you? You must hurry with your decision, it is near to the time when I go to the stables." She explained.
Eomer sighed, then thought of his sister Eowyn. She would flee with or without an escort if she was forced to marry, Eomer feared this elf-maid may do the same. "Alright. An hour south of here is the Old Watchtower. I know where it lies, I have been there before. Be careful."
Naltariel nodded happily then turned and ran to the stables. Vaiwa, an young grey mare was already waiting for her. She nudged her happily as she gently stroked her neck.
"Oh, My Lady, your not supposed to go out for your ride today without an escort. Not after last day when you went missing and all." The stable boy said as he came into the stable from outside.
"Do you have parchment and ink in here?" She asked. The boy nodded and got her a sheet of paper and a small ink bottle and quill.
She quickly wrote on the paper;
Dear Haldir,
The time has come, so it seems, for me to leave Lorien. But do not despair, I ride not to Rivendell. I ride with the Men who rescued me, Eomer has said he would escort me. We have yet to work out further details. You must not show this to anyone, I do not wish for my father to send the last of his army to Rohan to get me back. I will send you word when next I can.
Love Naltariel.
She quickly folded it and put it in an envelope the stable boy had brought her. She sealed it quickly with wax then handed it to the stable boy. "You will give this to Haldir when next you see him. I fear I wont be able to see him today."
Then she turned from him and mounted Vaiwa. "But Lady! You have to wait for your escort! I'll surely get in loads of trouble if you go now. Your not supposed to ride alone." The boy cried.
"You wont get in trouble, lad. My father knows I have a hard head and weather I am allowed or not, I am riding this morning alone. I desire quiet." She said stubbornly then motioned Vaiwa out of the stables and into a gallop towards the South, avoiding the main paths as much as she could.
Luckily it was still early and few were awake. She made it out of the forest without any hassle then galloped for the Old Watchtower. The sun was warm enough for February, but she was glad she'd brought her heavy cloak. She had brought no other provisions, but she had often camped with her escort in the summer at a remote clearing not too far away. They had left some provisions behind last time they had camped and with any luck they would still be there.
Eomer looked around nervously, wondering, not for the first time, why he had agreed to escort Lady Naltariel away from the will of her father. He sighed, they were nearly out of the forest and still no sign had been heard that their plot had been found out.
He breathed finally in relief as they passed the eaves of the forest, his men positioning into formation and they started in a gallop. He had been named Elf-friend, but he did not feel like it. He looked back into the Golden Wood. It felt as though the eyes of the Lord and Lady were staring him down.
When they finally reached the Old Watchtower he found her already waiting on the back of a proud grey mare. She had a small pack ladening the mare, it could not hold more than an extra blanket, perhaps a few sets of clothes and a tiny bit of food. She nodded to him as they approached.
"I see you made it out of the woods without difficulty." She said, smiling warmly.
"You seem in high spirits for one fleeing from her home." He noted as he came up the hill into the circle of fallen stones of the foundation of the Old Watchtower.
"I have never felt so free. I have been sheltered from life all my two thousand years. I had not even seen an Orc until my unfortunate incident." She said happily.
"Two thousand years?" Eomer asked in surprise.
"Do you know nothing of the Elves?" She asked.
"Very little." He replied.
"I am immortal, I will continue to live on through all the ages. Although the time to sail across the Sea is coming soon and we will no longer walk upon Middle-Earth, we will still live on in the Elvenhome." She said, her mare shaking it's head impatiently.
"Do any know of your departure?" Eomer asked.
"Only Haldir. I left him a letter to be delivered today by the stable boy. He will not snoop in Haldir's mail." She said happily.
"And Haldir? What will he do when he learns of your flight?" Eomer asked, the stern face of the Elf on their first meeting coming back to him.
"He will do nothing, as I have bid him to do." Naltariel answered. "If we are going we must go now though. It will not be much longer until they notice I have not yet come back from my ride."
Eomer turned to his men. "This is Lady Naltariel, she will be accompanying us to Edoras. You will treat her with the utmost respect while she is in our company. If I find any other treatment to her, you will be punished with death." He said, looking straight at his friend Hattim who had been eyeing her up.
"What will happen when we reach Edoras?" She asked softly.
"I will introduce you to my sister Eowyn and she will take care of you, if you do not mind dwelling in the lands of Men." Eomer replied.
"I had not thought that far ahead, but unless I want to dwell in the realms of Dwarves, I have little choice." She said quietly.
"I hope it will not be too hard on you, and I have a feeling you will enjoy Eowyn's company though. She is much like you." Eomer said, a small smile coming to his lips.
"What is that to mean?" She asked quickly.
"You will know when you meet her."Eomer said. "Come men! Ride!"
They turned to the South and galloped away. After several hours the Riders of Rohan, who noted themselves as being horse masters, were struck in awe by the stamina of Vaiwa, the Elvish mare. They rested two hours after noon, at the Rohan border.
Eomer went to her side to help her dismount but found she was already standing upon the ground, stretching a bit from the long ride. She stroked her hand over the mares flanks, and it was then that he noticed the mare had no saddle or rein. Just as Legolas the Elf had done upon Arod.
"How do you ride with no saddle or rein?" He asked in wonder at her side.
"With understanding of the beast. They must feel at peace with you and allow you to ride upon them, not be forced. The breaking of horses, as your people call it, brings me great sadness. The wills of those beasts were once strong." She said. "I raised both Vaiwa and Laurea from their birth. They've come to trust me, and will bear no other than Haldir."
Eomer nodded. "I would like to learn this from you." He said quietly.
"At a price." She replied, taking the packs off the mares back so it could run free for a while.
"How high of a price?" He asked.
"That depends on what you view is high." She answered.
"What price? Gold? Silver? Jewels? What?" He asked.
"No. No. None of that. You are a warrior, I wish to learn how to wield weapons. Particularly the bow, although there will be no greater teacher for that than an Elf, Haldir refused. 'You are not a warrior, you are a maiden.' He said. But I still wish to learn, I wish not to be caught in the same predicament twice." She answered.
"You want to become a sheildmaiden!" He cried. "My sister will love you indeed! Your deal is fair and I accept. Shall we begin now?"
"Can we? How long do your Men need to rest?" She asked in surprise.
"Truly, we stopped for you, but they will enjoy the rest." Eomer laughed.
Naltariel suddenly jerked her head upward, the cry of an eagle could be heard high up in the distance. She quickly drew the hood of her cloak over her head to hide her blond hair from the eyes above. "There is no time, my fathers scouts are already abroad. The search has begun."
"What? How do you know?" Eomer asked as Naltariel quickly called Vaiwa back to her and put the light pack back on.
"The eagles are above. They are my fathers favorite messengers." She said, leaping gently back upon her grey mare.
"Let us continue then." He said. "Men! Lets go! We need to get further into our own land before we can rest."
The Men grumbled a bit as they quickly packed up and mounted again. They galloped on for a few more hours, their horses becoming more and more fatigued. Naltariel's heart went out to them and she soon began to sing to ease their hearts.
"Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear!
O Queen beyond the Western Seas!
O light to us that wander here
Amid the world of woven trees
Gilthoniel! O Elbereth!
Clear are the eyes and bright thy breath!
Snow-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee
In a far land beyond the Sea!
O stars that in the Sunless Year
With shining hand by her were sown,
In windy fields now bright and clear
We see your silver blossom blown!
O Elberth! Gilthoniel!
we still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees
Thy starlight on the Wester Seas!"
Her song eased the hearts of more than just the horses, the Men also began to look less exhausted and a few of them even began to smile.
They rested briefly once later in the day for a quick meal then continued on their flight, stopping later that night as the sun began it's slow decent behind the mountains in the distance. Naltariel looked around her, the land was nearly barren. Rocks and brown grass was all she feared she would find, but then her eyes fell upon an old tree.
It stood tall, but hunched as though the figure of an old man bent over his can. She smiled slightly and took the packs off Vaiwa, then she walked to the fires that had been lit and sat down, listening with awe at the stories they told while she ate her meal.
The stories of Men were far different than the tales of the Elves she had heard since her childhood. Men were proud of the ferocity of their predecessors, while Elves wished nothing more than to continue on in peace. Men fought wars over small causes, Elves tried their best to avoid them.
"Are you alright?" A voice asked from behind her. It was Eomer.
"I am fine, why do you ask?" She replied, turning to him.
"You seemed lost in thought, almost sad." He said, sitting next to her.
"I was just musing the differences between your people and my own. It is funny that we made the Last Alliance despite of our differences." She said, staring into the flames of the fire.
"And whys that?" Eomer asked.
"Our people are so different! The tales of Men are of war and great bloody battles while the tales of my people are of the song of the river Nimrodel or the color of the leaves of Lorien in autumn." She said quietly.
"We have fair tales too, but they are usually spoken in the company of women by women." Eomer replied.
Naltariel nodded. "Tell me of Edoras." She said, leaning back on a rock behind her. "What is it like? And every detail, I have never before been in the realms of Men."
"Edoras . . . I do not know how to describe it. It is perched upon a hill before the mountains. A dike and mighty wall surrounds it and in the midst of the houses there is one upon a green terrace which roof seems to be thatched with gold from a distance. That is the golden hall Meduseld, where I once dwelled. That is where you will go, for that is where my sister Eowyn resides." He described slowly, a smile was upon his face as he remembered the view of his home.
"And what about you? Will you not return to your home?" She asked, noting that he never included himself going into the city.
"It is a home for me no longer. I have been sent to exile, as have most of my men. My uncle, Theoden King, his mind has become poisoned from the words of Grima Wormtongue, his advisor. I believe Grima is a possession of Saruman the White, yet I cannot lay proof to my claim and it was my accusations and my want to rid the Orcs from our land that got me banished." He said sadly. "But I will send Marik in with you when we arrive, he has been kind and noble to you so you need not be afraid, and he will take you to Eowyn as I cannot."
"It is a sad tale you tell. I remember days in my childhood when the White Wizard would come to the Golden Wood for celebrations. He was always a guest of honor in our house, he was once noble and true. The trees have whispered riddles for many years now, I finally understand them. They were speaking of the treachery of Saruman and desecration of the forests near Isengard." She said slowly,"It is indeed a sad tale."
Time passed slowly and eventually many of the Men set out sleeping mats and blankets while others kept watch. Naltariel got up silently and shuffled through her packs, pulling out an old blanket she had reclaimed from the camping provisions. Then she quietly made her way to the tree she had seen earlier.
She tossed her blanket into the branches above then laid her hands on the rough trunk of the tree and slowly circled it, her hands running across the bark. She pressed her ear up to it and heard it whispering words of rejoice at the presence of an Elf.
"What are you doing?" A voice asked behind her. She whipped around to look at the intruder. He had black hair and stood, not as tall as Eomer, but stouter, with more muscle.
"Going to bed." She said quickly.
"You are too far from the fires. You cannot sleep here." He said kindly.
"Who are you?" Naltariel asked suspiciously, her gaze piercing him as her mother always did.
"My name is Marik, I am on the first watch." He answered.
"You are Marik, the one who is to escort me to the city of Edoras." She smiled slightly. "Well, Master Marik, Elves sleep in trees. This is a tree," She said, gesturing to the gnarled tree beside her. "I plan to sleep in it."
Marik broke into a smile. "Very well, My Lady. I will assign some guards to this area." He said and turned away, walking back to the camp.
Naltariel shook her head and jumped lightly up into the branches of the tree, crawling to a comfortable crevice between two large branches. She pulled her blanket over her and snuggled in, the whispers of the tree lulling her to sleep in the pitch black of the night.
TBC