Please forgive me for not updating when I said I was going to, I was just too tired yesterday to finish this chapter. I do hope you like it, let me know! Oh, and please read the note at the bottom!

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

Chapter 19: Dare to Hope

Days passed and Ellethwen's grieve only moved deeper. Éomer brought Theodred back from Fords of Isen, half dead and when she had gone to check on him, Éowyn kneeled next to Theodred's bed weeping. "Éowyn?" she asked and the young woman stood and looked at her friend. Tears came to Ellethwen's eyes when she saw the blue hue to the Prince's face and lips. Ellethwen walked over to Éowyn and hugged her tightly. "I am so sorry," Ellethwen said pushing her own grief away to console her friend. Éowyn sniffed and pulled back slightly.

"You should be resting," Éowyn said gently. "Go now, and rest, Ellethwen, you look so tired." Ellethwen shook her head. "Yes and no arguments. Theodred would have my head if I let you go against his last order." Her voice shook as she squeezed Ellethwen's hands.

"Where is your brother?" Ellethwen asked and Éowyn shook her head.

"I don't know," she said quietly and Ellethwen sighed.

"Let me sit with you and Theodred, you should not be alone." Éowyn sniffed and let her tears fall again before she hugged Ellethwen. Ellethwen closed her eyes and returned Éowyn's embrace until she felt a presence behind her. Ellethwen pulled away and turned slightly to see Grima standing there in the doorway. Ellethwen glared at him. "Now is not the time for your tongue Grima," she said. "The lady is grieving and must give her uncle the news of his son's passing. I suggest you take to your seat or tend to your duties." Grima glared at her.

"You have not place speaking to me in such a way," he sneered as she stepped closer. Ellethwen turned to face the man. If there was one thing that changed about her over the last twelve years it was that she was more confident and her spirit was stronger than it used to be. However, before the man could touch or speak to her, Éowyn spoke up from behind her.

"She does not speak for herself, she speaks for me," Éowyn said as she stepped around Ellethwen. "Take to your duties, Grima." Grima looked at Éowyn and then at Ellethwen with a glare before he swept away. Ellethwen looked to Éowyn. "I must speak with my uncle," she said slowly. Ellethwen nodded her head.

"I'll take care of him, Éowyn. I will see that he is given proper honor," she said gently. Éowyn sniffed away at her tears with a nod.

"Thank you," Éowyn whispered before she looked back at her cousin before she quickly left the room. Ellethwen sighed and walked over to Theodred's bed. She raised her hand to the Prince's forehead and pushed his hair from his face.

"Oh, Theodred, what is happening outside these fences?" she asked quietly. She took a slow deep breath and swallowed her tears. Now was the time to be strong. She had to for her child. She would wait for word on Boromir, if he was slain then she would carry on for their son. However, she dared to hope. She dared to hope that he would come back to her. "The darkness fills your father's hall, and now you are gone. But I will hope, I will hope for your safe passage to your forefather's hall, and I will hope that what you died for shall come to pass."

Ellethwen stood and sniffed loudly before she took a damp cloth and began to clean Theodred's face. If his father bothered to leave his throne to say his farewells she wanted Theodred to look as close to as he did in life as she could make him.

They had been running for three days. Boromir was tiring and his wounds were aching but they were nearing Rohan, and if their path would take them where he hoped then he would see Ellethwen, but first they had to find the hobbits. Aragorn bent down suddenly causing Boromir and Legolas to pause next to him. Gimli was lagging behind. "Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall," Aragorn said as he lifted a brooch from the ground. Boromir looked at his cloak realizing that the brooch Aragorn held must have come from one of the hobbits.

"They may yet be alive," Legolas said as he looked up.

"Less then a day ahead of us," Aragorn said as he stood. "Come!" he shouted before they took off in chance once again. Boromir winced with every step, and he was slowly as they neared a rocky area. "Rohan. Home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." Boromir slowly joined Aragorn and Gimli as Legolas journeyed a head and stopped on top of a large boulder. "Legolas, what do your Elf-eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas shouted.

"Saruman," Boromir hissed feeling his vigor return. Aragorn looked to him and nodded before the four of them took off once again.

"Keep breathing! That's the key! Breathe! Ho!" Gimli said behind Boromir after some distance. He too was thinking of the dwarf's words and repeating them in his head. He was used to running, but not as much as he had been and with his injuries.

"They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them," Legolas said and Aragorn only nodded as he continued on.

They neared a tall hill the sound of many horses echo around them. Aragorn motioned them to stop and the four hid behind a large boulder. When they saw that it was the Riders of Rohan Aragorn stepped forward.

"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" Aragorn yelled. Boromir and the others slowly stood and joined the man when they saw the leader raise his spear and the riders turned. Boromir furrowed his brow. He recognized the helm that rested on the head of the leader, and hope came to him. Soon they were surrounded by the men with spears pointed at them. Boromir raised his hands as he was unarmed but Aragorn did the same.

"What business does an Elf, two men and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" the leader shouted as he road his horse forward.

"We mean you no harm, Éomer son of Eomund," Boromir said and the dark eyes of Éomer looked to him. His eyes widened as he looked at the man.

"Lord Boromir?" he asked in disbelief. The spears were lifted and Éomer dismounted and removed his helm. "You're alive." Boromir nodded. Aragorn looked between the two men slightly confused. "What business do you have here?" Éomer asked as his eyes moved from Boromir to the others in his company.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king," Aragorn said introducing the others as seeing Boromir already knew the man.

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin," Éomer said as he looked to the man.

"What has happened, Éomer?" Boromir asked quickly fearing for Ellethwen.

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets," Éomer said. Boromir made fists. He had hoped Ellethwen would have been safe in Edoras, and yet he left her in the hands of a land that was slowly being taken by Saruman.

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive," Aragorn said and Éomer nodded his head.

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked quickly.

"They would be small – only children to your eyes," Boromir said.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," Éomer said as he pointed in the distance to the burning pile.

"Dead?" Gimli asked.

"I am sorry," Éomer said with a nod. Boromir sighed and closed his eyes before he stepped closer to Éomer.

"Éomer, what of Ellethwen? When you left the hall was she well?" Boromir asked quietly. Éomer sighed.

"I know not how she was through direct contact. Theodred was gravely injured and on the brink of death when I brought him to Edoras. I asked of her and Éowyn said she was grief stricken that she feared you dead, and with her condition I worry for her," Éomer said and Boromir frowned.

"Her condition?" he asked concerned and confused. Éomer sighed and glanced about before he met Boromir's gaze.

"She is with child, Boromir, and due soon," Éomer said quietly. Boromir's eyes widened and a very small chuckle escaped his lips but Éomer shook his head. "Her health has not been well, the last few months, and has been released of her duties until after the birth of your child." Boromir frowned again and nodded. Now he wanted nothing else than to go straight to Edoras, but his task at hand was more pressing. He would return to her soon. "Hasufel, Arod, Handar!" Éomer exclaimed and three horses were brought forward. He gave the reins to Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters," he said solemnly. He looked to Boromir and put his hand on Boromir's shoulder. "Éowyn is with Ellethwen, and she will let no harm come to her so do not worry." Boromir nodded slowly and Éomer lowered his hand and looked at Boromir's side.

"Where is your sword?" Éomer asked and Boromir sighed.

"It was broken during a battle with the Urks," Boromir said quietly. Éomer nodded and pulled a sword from the side of his horse and held the blade out to Boromir who looked at it with wide eyes.

"Ellethwen would have my head if she were to find out that I met you again and left you ride away unarmed," Éomer whispered. Boromir took the offered sword and bowed his head.

"Thank you," Boromir said before he sheathed the sword at his side, finding that the sword fit perfectly.

"Farewell," Éomer said as he put his helmet back on and mounted his horse. "We ride north!" he called to his men before the horses took off at breakneck speed.

Legolas looked to Boromir and the man's head hung and his eyes were closed. Aragorn and Gimli also looked to the man. Feeling the eyes of his company on him, Boromir opened his eyes and looked at them.

"We must look for the hobbits, we must not waiver," Boromir said. Aragorn furrowed his brow but nodded his head. Legolas helped Gimli on the back of Arod before he too mounted the horse and Aragorn stepped over to Boromir.

"How are your wounds?" Aragorn asked and Boromir met his eyes.

"Fine, riding shall do them well," Boromir said. "We should ride now." Aragorn nodded, but he could see the man's thoughts were elsewhere. However, he knew not where they were for certain, but he had an idea. Boromir and Aragorn mounted their horses and the four made their way to the burning smoke to find their friends and to take the next steps of their journey.

A/N: I'm taking a leap and going against cannon other than adding a tenth walker, which I've done. I couldn't get myself to take the story to the level I was planning to take it. I just couldn't tear them apart. I dohope you all liked this chapter, and I'll do my best to update as soon as possible.