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Chapter 23: A King's Decision and Travel
Boromir had left after he had helped Ellethwen dress in the dark grey dress she was wearing to Theodred's funeral, and Ellethwen now stood with Éowyn near the tomb where Theodred would be placed. Éowyn looked at Ellethwen and Ellethwen looked at Éowyn. "It'll be alright," Ellethwen told her quietly and took her hand that held onto her black veil that she had wrapped around her hair. Éowyn gave her a small smile and nodded her head. That was then the procession began.
Theodred's body was carried by several Rohirrim guards with Theoden following behind. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, and Gimli followed behind the king and Ellethwen closed her eyes and squeezed Éowyn's hand. When she opened her eyes the procession was bring Theodred's body into his tomb. Éowyn began to sing and Ellethwen said the prayer with her, but much softer for she had only took to learning it three days before.
"Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsendedgiedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende, on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære, his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost. Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended," they said as the tomb door was closed. All said their final words to their prince. Gandalf and Theoden stayed behind while the others made their way back to the city, Ellethwen with Boromir's help.
"He will be greatly missed," Ellethwen told Boromir softly as they walked. He looked down at her and nodded.
"Aye, he was a good man," Boromir said. Ellethwen sighed and laced her fingers with his. "Are you alright?" Ellethwen nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine," Ellethwen said quietly as she looked up at him with a weak smile. Boromir nodded and once they reached the steps towards the Golden Hall, Boromir helped her up the steps. Once inside she sat down at the table closest and to the right of the dais. Boromir smiled as he looked down at her and tucked her dark hair away from her face.
The hall grew busy around them and Aragorn and the others soon joined them. Éowyn just gave Ellethwen a small smile and moved into the kitchens to make sure that lunch was cooking so her uncle and everyone else would have something warm to eat. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli walked over to where Boromir stood next to Ellethwen.
"What is to happen? Ellethwen asked the group around her. "What is to happen now that you all are here?" She looked to Boromir who looked down at her with uncertainty in his eyes. "I know you would not have been gone for as long as you had been without cause. There is something happening isn't there, something with more power than that of Saruman." Boromir sighed and looked to the others and he kneeled before her.
"It is not my place to say, Ellethwen, nor the company I keep. Yes, there is something at work, but you need not worry about it now," Boromir told her as he took her hand into his. Ellethwen frowned and looked to Aragorn as she moved her free hand to her stomach.
"Since he will not say, will you tell me what is to happen?" she asked. Aragorn shook his head.
"I know not. It is up to Theoden where our next steps will take us," Aragorn said. Ellethwen sighed and looked down at her stomach and the child that seemed to move anxiously inside of her once more. Suddenly, the doors opened quickly and Gandalf and Theoden came rushing in, carrying two small children. Ellethwen's eyes widened and she stood and as she went to go over to them, Boromir stopped her.
"I'm fine," she said quietly. "Let me help." He nodded and she walked over as the children were sat down. She took a goblet of water from one of the other maids and gave the boy a drink of the cool water. He spluttered a bit but was soon drinking the water on his own as Gandalf sat him down. Theoden sat the little girl next to him and Éowyn rushed to the kitchen to get them some warm soup. Ellethwen looked up at the made that had brought water. "They need something to eat and more water, please," she said. The girl nodded and Ellethwen looked to the other maid. "Blankets, please, two of them." The gold colored hair girl nodded and rushed away. Éowyn came from the kitchen and rushed over to help Ellethwen tend to the children. While Ellethwen moved away, nature was calling as it seemed to do more and more often, Éowyn talked to them quietly.
Theoden sat down in his throne with a frown, and Gandalf sat next to him. Ellethwen met the second maid in the corridor on her way back to the hall and took the blankets from her. "Thank you," she said quietly and the girl bowed her head. Ellethwen wanted to scream at her to stop that, but she needed to get back to the children. When she walked in, they were already eating and Éowyn smiled up at her and took one of the blankets. Éowyn draped the blanket over the girl's shoulders while Ellethwen draped it over the boy's shoulders.
"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree," Éowyn said.
"Where's mama?" the little girl asked and Éowyn put her hands on the girl's shoulders and rubbed them.
"Shh," Éowyn whispered gently.
"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight," Gandalf said and Ellethwen looked up at the wizard.
"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king," Aragorn said.
"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war," Theoden said as he stood from his throne and walked out into the hall slightly as he looked out the open doors. Aragorn lowered his arm and stepped forward slightly.
"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not," Aragorn said. Ellethwen's eyes widened slightly and she looked to Theoden who looked sharply at Aragorn.
"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan," Theoden said. Ellethwen let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
"Then what is the King's decision?" Gandalf asked as he too stood from his chair. All eyes in the hall turned to Theoden.
"The city shall empty, and we will ride to Helms Deep," Theoden said before he left the room. Hama, the King's guard, nodded and moved out into the city. Ellethwen sighed and looked at Éowyn who also frowned.
"I cannot ride that distance," Ellethwen whispered. "I know I cannot walk it." Éowyn nodded.
"You'll have to ride in one of the carts," Éowyn told her quietly. "You will have company in both myself and your husband. I must ready and so should you." Ellethwen nodded and moved to Boromir where he stood with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Gandalf.
"Boromir," she said quietly and the five looked at her. Gandalf looked at Boromir and nodded before he and the others left the hall. "I'll be riding in one of the carts, I'm going to gather my things if you should need me." Boromir looked down at her with a frown.
"The ride will be hard on you," he told her and Ellethwen shook her head.
"No harder than on any other," she told him with a smile. Boromir returned it and held her face gently. He leaned in and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, she looked up at him. "I'll have your things in my room for you to change into before the ride; your armor will be there as well as your sword." Boromir nodded his head.
"Thank you, but do not tarry too much on me. Get yourself ready," he whispered. She smiled and nodded her head.
"I will," she said softly before she moved away and hurried as quickly as she could to ready her things and put Boromir's out before they left the city in a few hours.
Ellethwen sighed as the cart she rode in along with several items for Éowyn, Theoden, and herself, as well as a toddler, Freyla, whose mother, Brengal a maid in the hall that Ellethwen had worked with, asked her to watch over her while they rode. She worried that in helping the other women with their older children, she would lose track of the tiny little girl. Freyla's head laid on Ellethwen's lap and the two year old was sound asleep. A horse trotted up next to the cart and she looked up and saw Boromir smiling down at her.
"How are you?" he asked and Ellethwen sighed again.
"I've been better," she said. "My back hurts, my bottom is asleep, and my feet are so swollen, I don't know if I'll ever be able to walk again." Boromir chuckled and shook his head.
"We stop to rest in about thirty minutes; I will help you from the cart so you may stretch your legs." Ellethwen gave him a small smile and nodded as her fingers played with the little girl's gold colored hair. Boromir looked down at the girl and then he looked back at Ellethwen with a smile. "Getting yourself accustomed?" he asked and she shrugged.
"Yes and no, it will take two years for him to get this big," she said. Boromir smiled and nodded as he looked ahead. Ellethwen looked ahead and saw Éowyn walking along side Arod where Gimli sat. The other woman was laughing, unlike Ellethwen had seen her do for the last few years. Gimli's horse suddenly breaks free of Éowyn and takes off. Gimli is thrown from the horse. Ellethwen stifled a laugh so she wouldn't wake little Freyla. "Is he alright?" Ellethwen asked softly and when Boromir's deep chuckle met her ears. She looked at him and he nodded.
"He is fine, but I think we are breaking early," he said when he saw the group was starting to slow and come to a halt. He dismounted his horse quickly and lifted the little girl's head from Ellethwen and moved her to rest on a small pillow in the cart. He then helped Ellethwen down and the woman sighed heavily and groaned when her feet hit the grass. Brengal came over to them and smiled at her daughter.
"She hasn't been too much trouble, has she Ellethwen?" Brengal asked. Ellethwen smiled at the other woman as Boromir put his arm around her to help her steady her wobbling feet.
"She has been no trouble, Brengal," Ellethwen said. Brengal nodded and scooped the little girl up.
"I shall take her now, thank you for watching over her for me. I've been helping the other women with their children and have grown to miss my own," Brengal said. Ellethwen smiled and nodded her head before Brengal walked over to the group of women that minded the children. Boromir kissed Ellethwen's temple and she sighed as he led her for a little walk.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked as he looked down at her. She looked so tired, and he worried for her.
"I am fine, Boromir," Ellethwen assured him with a nod. "The walk is helping." Boromir nodded and continued to walk with her. She looked around and took a deep breath of the crisp air. "It seems as though so much time has passed since you came to Rohan," Ellethwen said softly. Boromir looked at her again and watched her face. "However, it has only been a few days."
"In deed," Boromir said. They continued their walk for a time and then returned to the cart. They ate some bread, cheese, and shared the water from Boromir's water skin.
Soon, they were on their way again until night fell and they made camp. Ellethwen slept with Boromir on the ground. They spent a good part of the night arguing quietly over the fact that she wanted to sleep on the ground with him rather than in the cart alone. Boromir lost the fight when Ellethwen said she would not sleep knowing he was feet away from her and she could not feel his arms around her. That was what she told him, but in actuality, she was frightened to sleep alone.
She knew something was going to happen. The now dark wizard, Saruman, was planning something. She gathered that much from Théoden's talk with Gandalf and the others. Ellethwen could feel deep in her heart that a battle awaited the men of Rohan, and she wished all she loved would come out alive, that included the man that held her. Snuggling into Boromir's chest, at least as close to him as she could get thanks to her stomach, she reveled in his warmth and scent before she drifted off to the feel of his fingers running gently through her hair and his soft humming lulling her to sleep.