Hebo Estel
Chapter Fifteen: Regaining Strength
A/N: Hey y'all! Here's chapter 15! Hope you enjoy it! Chapter 16 might be awhile, sorry. Thanks to my beta and those of you who have reviewed. It means a lot to me! I wouldn't keep posting if it weren't for you guys!
The first thing Delyth saw when she woke up were Boromir's eyes. She looked around the room, and noticed no one else was present. "Where is everyone?" she asked, her voice weak.
"They're all in bed by now. It's past midnight. I'm supposed to be asleep, too, but I couldn't leave you."
Delyth smiled and nodded and leaned back into her pillow. She felt like falling asleep again, but Boromir's voice called her back. "You scared me, Delyth."
She opened her eyes and looked into his, unsure of what he meant.
"I thought…I thought I was going to lose you."
She reached over and squeezed his hand. "You aren't going to lose me anytime soon, my love. I can't bear to be without you." She laughed, but stopped when she saw Boromir's eyes welling with tears.
"Why did you come after me? You could've died, Delyth. You're so stupid!" He stood up and walked to the window, trying to hide his tears from her.
Delyth didn't know what to say. She took a deep breath and watched him. Finally, she whispered, "I love you, Boromir. What I said before- before you left- I didn't mean any of it. I- I was so shocked, and everything was happening so fast. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I was so scared, Boromir. So scared that everything would turn out wrong." By now she was crying and Boromir had moved to sit next to her on the bed.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned his head on hers. "Delyth, I promise you, everything will be okay. Don't worry about the past; that's all said and done with. What matters is right here and in our future… together."
She looked up into his eyes and was struck by the emotion she saw there. Together. He still wanted to marry her. "It wouldn't work out, Boromir. We couldn't live in Rivendell. Your father would find us there, and take you away. And I would be punished."
"Then we'll live somewhere else. Somewhere far away, where he'll never find us. We'll have a farm, and raise our children, and grow old together, without a care in the world."
Smiling, she leaned back on his chest. "And what do we do now, O mighty warrior?"
There was a pause, and then he responded, "We wait for you to recover- fully- and then... then we go on to Rivendell. I talk to Elrond, we get married, and then I go back to Gondor- alone- and tell my father the news I learned in Rivendell. Then, once the attention's off me, I'll come back to Rivendell, and you and I will go off to find a place to live. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful," she sighed. She was beginning to feel tired again. She was still so weak.
Boromir kissed her hair, but she didn't notice; she was already asleep.
"Good morning, sister!" Eirien said in low tones. "How are you feeling?"
Delyth winced as bright light intruded her eyes. "Awfully tired," she said after a moment. "And hungry."
Dera came in, carrying a tray laden with food. "This should help you feel better then," she laughed.
"Thank you!" squealed Delyth, digging in.
After she had eaten, she looked up and scanned the room. She was surprised to see it was filled with people. Eirien sat in a chair on the other side of her bed, with Beregond standing protectively behind her. Dera was sitting next to her on the bed, munching on a piece of bread, and Eowyn and her brother were standing near the door. Theodred had returned, and was standing behind Boromir's chair, where her lover still sat.
Eowyn stepped forward. "Delyth, if you are well enough, we should all like to discuss what will be done next."
Delyth wiped her mouth with a napkin and nodded.
Theodred cleared his throat and spoke. "What do you plan to happen now, Boromir?"
All eyes rested on the Gondorian. "If it is alright, I would like to stay here until Delyth regains full health. When she is well again, we will continue on to Rivendell."
"And what about us?" Dera inquired, gesturing towards herself, Eirien, and Beregond.
It was Delyth who responded. "You will go back to Gondor, where it's safe."
Dera opened her mouth to protest, but it was Eirien who spoke first. "That sounds like a good idea. Beregond has been worrying for his sons, and I miss our father and siblings." Beregond nodded in agreement.
"But," whined Dera, clutching Delyth's hand, "I don't want to go back to Gondor. Going back means going back to work, to captivity. I can't go back there, sister. You must take me with you. I long for freedom, for adventure, for open air."
"I remember you," Theodred said unexpectedly, a faint smile gracing his handsome face. "You're the girl with the fiery spirit." Dera tried to hide the blush that crept up her face.
Delyth sighed and looked over at Boromir, who shrugged. "I suppose you may come with us, Dera, although I really don't like the idea. I don't want to put you in any danger."
Dera squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around her big sister's neck. "Thank you, sister. Thank you, Delyth."
"Beregond and I will return to Gondor. That is our home," Eirien said softly.
"We will send a small company of men with you to escort you safely back to Minas Tirith," said Eomer. Beregond nodded in thanks.
"If you would, Boromir, come with me and we shall decide on a route for you to take to Rivendell," Theodred suggested, moving towards the door.
"Certainly," replied Boromir. He kissed Delyth's forehead, promised he would return to her soon, and left behind Theodred, followed by Eomer and his sister. After a moment, Beregond left, too.
"Dera, I still don't like the idea of you going to Rivendell," Eirien said, moving to sit on the bed with her sisters.
Dera groaned and flopped back on the bed, burying her face in the pillows. After a moment, she sat up and looked at Eirien. "My sister, I love you, and I love my family. But you don't understand what it has been like for me to grow up there, in the kitchens."
Eirien snorted. "Of course I know what it was like. I grew up there, too."
"But you, you were content with it. I have always longed for something more. I want to see everything, to go everywhere. I want to see the elves and taste the sea. I want to ride across plains and swim across rivers. I want to talk to the trees and sing to the sky. I want to live, Eirien. I want to live so that I know I'm truly alive."
Eirien seemed stunned into silence. The three sisters stared at each other for several long moments. Finally, Delyth spoke. "Dera, we had no idea."
Once more Dera lay back down on the soft bed and stretched out her arms. Staring at the ceiling, she replied, "Of course you had no idea. Neither of you know me very well anymore."
Eirien and Delyth said nothing, only stared guiltily at their younger sister.
Dera continued, "You've both been so busy growing up and falling in love that you haven't seemed to notice that I've grown up, too. I'm not a little girl anymore, like you both think I am. I am a woman. I am capable of making decisions myself, whether they're wrong or right. But I want you two to let me make those decisions. Let me be who I am, not who you want me to be."
"Dera, we're sorry," Delyth said in a small, barely audible voice.
"I know," Dera said. She didn't notice the tears that were streaming down her face as she hugged both her older sisters closely. Suddenly, they were all three crying and hugging and crying out strangled laughs.
A knock on the door made them pull apart and wipe their tears. "Come in,"
Eowyn entered, carrying a bouquet of flowers in a small vase. "These are for you, Delyth," she said, setting them on a small table by the door.
"Oh, they're beautiful!" exclaimed Eirien, hurrying over for a closer look.
"Who are they from?" Delyth curiously asked.
"Eothed and his daughter," Eowyn replied, a smile dancing upon her lips. "He wishes you well, and was glad to hear that you had recovered from your fever."
"But how…?" Delyth let the question trail off.
"Boromir went to see him yesterday, after you fell asleep again. He wanted to make amends, and told Eothed that you were doing well."
Delyth grinned. She was glad Boromir had realized it was not Eothed's fault that she had gotten sick. She gazed at the flowers happily. They were vivid red and yellow, and she could smell their wild perfume all the way across the room. She sighed and leaned back into her pillow. She was feeling sleepy again.
"Come, ladies," Eirien whispered. "Let us leave the sick one to recover. She has quite a long road in front of her." She planted a firm yet loving kiss on her younger sister's forehead and left the room with Eowyn and Dera.
Left alone at last, Delyth curled up on her side and nestled into her warm blankets. The soft smell of Eothed's flowers lulled her to sleep.
The next three weeks seemed a blur to Delyth. She slept through the first few days, only waking to eat. Slowly, she began to regain her energy and vigor. She spent her time talking with her sisters and Boromir. She got to know Beregond while he showed her different maps of Middle Earth, and explained the routes they would be taking. She spent time with Eowyn, learning about Rohan and its customs.
As her strength grew, Delyth became more and more anxious to move about. Boromir had taken her on a few short walks around Meduseld, but she was stronger now and wanted to go outside. She begged Eirien to let her go out for a walk in the village.
"Eirien, we leave in just a week. I need to start walking now, so that I am ready for the long journey."
Eirien sighed and gazed out the window, biting her lip.
"Please, sister? I have not been outside for three weeks. I have lain in bed for long enough, you know that. I assure you, I am quite healthy now."
"I don't know, Delyth. Who would go with you? I can't go; Beregond and I are leaving soon, and I have much work to do. And our little sister is off with Theodred again. Boromir is with Eomer. And you still look so pale."
"I am pale because I have not seen the sun in so long," Delyth said impatiently. "Please let me go? Eothed will escort me. He's wanted to see me for some time now."
Eirien nibbled on her lip for a moment longer, which seemed to Delyth to be an eternity. "Oh, all right, fine. I'll ask Eowyn and see what she thinks. Wait here."
Delyth said her thanks as her older sister left and then snuggled back into the pillows. She gazed at the bouquet of flowers sitting on the table near the door- the fourth bouquet from Eothed. Thanks to him, her room had smelled of Rohan's plains for the entire time she had been recovering. She smiled happily and closed her eyes. She supposed she would rest- just for a moment- so that she would have enough energy to go outside later.
A/N: Well, there you have it! Please review!