Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had reached Edoras before Anna, and only half comforted by that fact. They had sped there and hoped Anna was taking her time. However, their thoughts were not on Anna for awhile. Too busy revitalizing the king, revealing a snake and preparing for battle, they had not yet noticed her disappearance from the place.
When Legolas and Gimli had time to themselves, they both went looking for Anna, using her fabled name, Wanderlust. All knew about the legend but most had not idea she would be coming to Edoras and finally showing herself. The two had reached one old man who knew she was scheduled to arrive. He also knew she had run away from her hosts, heading in the direction of Isengard.
Noticing the elf's face freeze in surprise and Gimli's head drop down, he asked them what evil would befall her and what had moved her to go there. They would not answer. After an inner struggle within Gimli, he told the man to capture her if he ever saw her here and then bring her straight to the king. Through that statement, Gimli had already denounced Anna as one of the enemy; something Legolas could not withstand, nor anyone that had been her friend.
The old man would not forget the pain that emanated from the two creatures. Strange as they were, the old man had enough wits to understand a bit of what had just happened. She had not been their prisoner before.
Gandalf had already left on 'other business' by the time Anna came to Edoras. Some sort of wind flew both the horse and herself swifter in a trip that should have lasted at least a week. Not sleeping or stopping for any other reason helped her plight and she reached the capital of Rohan in time to see the citizens packing.
She left her horse with one of the citizens. He had actually come up to her as she rode the steed through the town. He had heard about the search for Wanderlust and when he saw a tattered dress hung on a girl that seemed just born and new to the world, he rushed over to help her. She looked at everything around her as a scary new thing she had not seen before. Seeing as he was an old man who grew up with the story of Wanderlust as a fact and not a fable, he easily picked her out, an odd maiden laden with paraphernalia of all cultures. He was actually the old man Legolas and Gimli had spoken to.
From him, Anna found out Legolas and Gimli were already here. He explained how an elf and a dwarf were looking for her. Finding worry in her face, he did not mention how they wanted her captured. Instead, he just told her that all strangers had to go before the king before settling into the town.
Shaking her head, she responded, 'I will not be settling into this town.' She looked around the mass of people within the streets and in front of houses. She had not seen so many people in one place since she left the Downs. 'Though, I do have business with the king. I have some information for him.'
'I will show you the way,' he offered.
'No, that's quite alright,' she said, though to the man, it felt more like a command. 'I'd rather be introduced in my own time.'
'Of course, m'lady,' he felt compelled to answer. He was wise and sensitive to many souls with all his years experience. He knew when some mystic will was too strong to fight. Maybe she was a legend. Legends always had a funny feel to them, he thought.
He let her go, deciding to tell the guards when she left. As he saw her slink into the shadows, hood over her head, he noticed the daggers at her side when an opportune wind blew her cloak up and away from her hip. He was not armed for such a fight, though he was not sure the king was either.
In her own time also meant in her own way. She did not want to meet the glittering guards at the front entrance. Though the emerald jewels on their belts were tempting, she did not go straight to the front entrance but used her years of stealth to find another way in. Windows sufficed.
She found herself in a nice sized room, mostly taken by the large bed, wardrobe and dresser. It was empty of people though it did look like someone lived there. Anna looked down at her ratty dress, which had grown more stained and torn in the few months with the new company she had taken. She could not give advice to the king like that. Pretty soon, the wardrobe doors were open and the old dress and Lorien cape were on the floor.
Lady Eowen had no idea of the intruder in her room.