A/N: From what I've read about the Mearas, they can only be ridden by the king or princes in the direct line of Eorl (Shadowfax being the exception). That said, I would assume that Firefoot was not a meara since Eomer had him long before he ascended to the kingship, and he was not originally in line to do so. Theoretically, all the sons of Eomer would be entitled and able to ride such a horse, but for my purposes, I am assuming that only Eomer and Elfwine do, though there may be instances of them riding other horses. My reason for mentioning this may be evident in this chapter, and also in another Elfwine Chronicle I have in mind to do.

The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer

Chapter 4 (August-September, 43 IV)

"Well, it is about time you came home, sister!" Fritha smiled disarmingly.

Kata narrowed her eyes in mild annoyance. "About time? I have only been gone two days, and you knew where I was. What is two days of visiting a friend in Lake-town?"

She returned to unpacking her bag as Fritha moved away from the door and pushed it closed, then took a seat, lolling across her sister's bed. With feigned casualness, she explained, "Not unusual, such a visit, but as it happens, we have our own guests here."

Kata didn't look up as she put clothes away, murmuring with only slight interest, "Guests? Who has come?"

"That young man from the south. Oh, what was his name? Theodred, I think it was..." Fritha teased, and was rewarded with her sister freezing in place.

It took several moments before Kata could squeak out, "Theodred is here?"

"Yes. They arrived yesterday afternoon. He wondered where you were..."

Kata whirled around and eyed her sister closely. "Do not torment me, Fritha."

Her sister smiled, relenting. "Well, he did ask about you, but I cannot honestly claim it was more than curiosity. Still, he is here. You can stop dreaming of him and work on gaining his favor!"

Kata made a face, retorting, "And I suppose it matters not at all to you that his handsome friend has come also? You, of course, have no interest in gaining his favor?"

Fritha shrugged. "I have never made a secret of my interest. You seem to think no one can tell how much you like Theodred. The truth is, I think he may be the only one who has not noticed."

With a sigh, Kata plunked down next to her sister and picked up her hairbrush, restlessly turning it over in her hands. "I know. He is charming and pleasant, but I do not believe he thinks of me as anything more than a friend." With hurt in her eyes, she asked, "What am I to do? I am very much taken with him, Fritha."

Her sister sat up and gave her a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Do not give up yet, Kata. Give him time to come around. After all, you have not known him very long. All told, you have spent less than a fortnight in his company, and that spread over nearly five years time. Perhaps he is just so intrigued by his traveling that he is not giving serious thought to women just now."

xxxxx

By dinnertime, Kata was clumsy with nerves at the prospect of seeing Theodred again. Fritha had explained about their arrival, their father inviting them to supper the previous evening and then insisting that they stay at the palace rather than an inn for the duration of their visit. They had felt obligated to the innkeeper to remain there the one night, but they would be transferring their belongings over later this afternoon.

They had spent the morning out riding with Gird, who was showing them the area, somewhat under duress from his father. Gird was not entirely certain he approved of these southerners, or the designs they seemed to have on certain ladies of Dale. He could not deny that both were quite affable, but he would not tolerate them callously dallying with his sisters. He knew Fritha well enough to realize that her interest in Freahelm was not serious. He was new and different, but the fact remained that the man was a soldier. His sister liked to live well, and was not likely to desire the sort of life a soldier could provide.

Kata, on the other hand, was clearly smitten with the son of Rohan's king. He had watched the two closely at Minas Tirith, but it had not appeared that the man took any serious notice of Kata, though he was unfailingly charming and polite to her. Gird was uncertain how to react to that. Kata was yet young, and very much inexperienced when it came to dealings with men, but still he did not wish for her to be hurt. If this Theodred thought to toy with her heart and then simply walk away, he would find himself answering to Kata's brother!

The three men returned from their ride just in time to stable their horses and wash for the meal. Upon their entrance into the dining hall, Fritha quickly greeted them, linked an arm through Freahelm's and guided him to a seat next to hers. Kata stood awkwardly near the door, unable to meet Theodred's eyes. Oblivious to her reaction to him, he offered his arm and suggested she seat him somewhere. With a full-blown blush embarrassing her further, she did as requested, though it took every ounce of self-control she could muster not to make a fool of herself in some fashion.

Gird seated himself next to Freahelm and across from the other couple, where he could keep an eye on them. But, while Theodred was pleasant and friendly, he did nothing that Gird could find objectionable. Still, he felt sorry for his sister, whose feelings made her uncharacteristically clumsy. He had to give Theodred credit for his reassuring manner, particularly when his sister knocked over a wine goblet, much to her horror.

Theodred merely chuckled in amusement and told them how it reminded him of his brother, Theomund, who was prone to such things. Then he launched into tales about his brother that soon had everyone forgetting about the unfortunate incident as they became wrapped up in his stories.

It was almost a relief for Kata when the meal ended, and Gird went with the two men to collect their belongings from the inn and pay their bill.

Retiring to her room, she flopped down on her back on the bed and let out a groan of frustration. Impress him indeed! Why did she have to suddenly become so bumbling now? Rising, she fretfully moved over to a small book lying on her dresser and opened it, gently touching a few dried wildflowers that were pressed between the pages.

During one of the picnics they had gone on, Theodred had collected flowers to dry and press to send home to his nieces. After selecting those that he wanted, and placing them carefully in a book he had with him, he had laughingly offered the remainder to her in a ragged bouquet. He did not see her slip them carefully into her pocket, wrapped in a napkin, and surely did not know she had bought a book straight away, to press them between the pages in order to save them as a keepsake.

At least several times a week, she would find herself opening the book and fingering the posies with a giddy smile upon her face. She tried to remember that they were not a token from him, that it had merely been a friendly gesture on his part and held no deeper meaning, but part of her longed for that to change. He was like no one she had ever before met. The men of Dale were pleasant enough, but they had never especially appealed to her. The moment she had first met Theodred, back when she was only fourteen years of age, she had been taken with him. He had not noticed her then, and she had sighed over him from a distance the entire time they were in Minas Tirith for a conference her father and grandfather were attending.

Then, to meet him again just this past spring, and have him offer to dance with her and escort her about the city had been a dream come true. She envied Fritha's ease with Freahelm, but perhaps that was only possible because Fritha did not truly fancy the young man. She enjoyed his company and his attention, she appreciated his good looks, but she would likely only marry a nobleman. It wasn't that her sister was shallow or vain, but she knew what she wanted, and she would never be happy living the humble existence she would have as Freahelm's wife. Kata only hoped her sister was considerate enough not to lead him on and make him believe her feelings were greater than they were, or that they could ever have a relationship beyond friends.

With a sigh, she closed the book on the flowers and wandered to the window of her room. Theodred had indicated they might stay for a month or more. She could only hope to find favor in his eyes during that time. Perhaps Fritha was right and she would have to wait for him to conclude his travels before he would ever seriously consider her, but this might be her only opportunity to make a lasting impression on him. As much as she loved her home here in Dale, for the first time in her life she regretted how far it was from Gondor and Rohan.

xxxxx

Kata had not expected to find anyone in the gazebo, least of all Theodred. He was studiously writing something in that book he always seemed to carry, and had not noticed her presence yet.

As she gazed at him, with his bare feet, clad only in breeches and an unlaced linen shirt that was open at the neck and revealed some of his tanned chest, and his sleep-tousled hair, she did not think she had ever before seen a man so devastatingly attractive. Even at the thought, she blushed. Surely it was improper to have such intimate thoughts about a man she barely knew.

Just as she was turning to go, deciding not to intrude on his solitude, he paused in his writing and laid his head back against a post. As he did, he caught a glimpse of her and called out cheerily, "Good morning! I see I am not the only early riser this day."

She smiled tentatively at him, not certain his greeting was an invitation to join him. Seeming oblivious to her hesitancy, he shifted position to make room on the bench, and gestured for her to sit beside him.

Willingly she did so, though nervousness kept her thoughts in disarray. Finally, she managed to stammer out, "What is that you are writing? A letter?"

"No," he grinned, "it is my journal. I have kept one most of my life. I record my thoughts, hopes, observations, experiences – that sort of thing. I have filled several books already."

He turned it so she got a glimpse of the pages, and she cocked a quizzical eyebrow. "You draw, also?"

Theodred nodded, explaining, "My brother taught me. I like to illustrate some of what I write – it makes it clearer and captures the scene from my mind's eye."

Ringing bells turned Theodred's attention and he looked up with a smile. "I love it here – the bells, the green hills, the whole merry atmosphere! Will you show us around town later today? I want to get out among the people and see life here close up."

Kata's heart leapt into her throat, and she fought to control her eager response. His request was merely that of an interested visitor; it did not indicate any particular regard for her or desire for her company. "Of course. I would be happy to do so." She paused, then added, "Those are the morning bells so breakfast will be served soon. Will you come in?"

Nodding, he closed his journal and tucked it under his arm. "Definitely! I am famished! I think this mountain air stimulates my appetite!" Offering his arm to her, he looked ruefully down at his attire and commented, "Though perhaps I need to stop by my room and make myself more presentable. I seem to have forgotten I am no longer camping in a tent with only Freahelm to see me!"

Kata refrained from telling him she thought he looked wonderful just as he was, and merely smiled in response.

When their plans were made known over the morning meal, Fritha and Freahelm elected to accompany them, and they struck out shortly after the meal. The marketplace was already bustling and Theodred eagerly moved among the stalls and shops to observe their wares. He had heard from the hobbits, who had visited his father and entertained him with many tales, that Dale was renowned for their toys. Many such wondrous items were on display, and he determined to purchase a few things for his nieces and nephews before returning home.

They came upon a puppet show and stopped to watch for a time, laughing at the antics of the characters. Slyly, Fritha announced to the two men, "You should get Kata to put on a show for you. She is quite adept with marionettes, and often entertains us in the evenings."

Kata flushed bright red at her sister's words, while both men turned to look at her. "Truly? I should very much like to see that!" Theodred exclaimed. "This is wonderful!"

Torn between embarrassment and pleasure, Kata smiled shyly and told him, "I should be happy to do so."

Now that he knew of her skill in that area, Theodred plied her with questions about the puppets and how things were done. Apparently, his curiosity was insatiable, and she was overwhelmed at his enthusiastic study of this new recreation. She promised to show him her stage and puppets when they returned to the palace.

After a leisurely dinner outside an inn, they made their way back. Theodred wasted no time in pursuing his interest in puppets, so Freahelm and Fritha spent the afternoon quietly conversing while Kata went through a thorough explanation of the art. Over the next several days, Theodred sought out Kata for more instruction, even pressing her to teach him how to work the marionettes. It took quite some time for him to begin to master the intricacy of working the various strings, but Kata could not complain about all the time needed to be spent in his company, and in close quarters.

The two visitors also whiled away their time in Dale riding through the hills and surrounding country. Gird, in spite of his initial wariness of them, had warmed considerably, at least enough to be willing to extol the virtues of his homeland and eventual kingdom.

The one thing he lamented was the poor quality of their horses. Between the dragon Smaug and the minions of Sauron, their herds had been almost totally decimated. While not so reliant on horses as Rohan, they were still a necessary commodity and being so far from the southern kingdom made it difficult to buy fresh bloodstock or arrange for breeding rights.

As a gesture of friendship between them and their countries, Theodred volunteered the services of his stallion to cover any mares that were in heat while they were there, and Freahelm readily followed suit. That alone earned them a greater portion of goodwill from their reluctant host.

Supper one night, however, almost undid the progress that had been made when Theodred asked Gird, "What did the Men of Dale do during the War of the Ring? I know the history of Gondor and Rohan, but not of your land."

Gird stiffened, his jaw tightening with offense at the possible slight. Kata recognized her brother's defensive nature kicking in and quickly stepped in, clarifying, "Theodred is very interested in history, Gird. He means no offense by his question. He is merely curious."

Theodred had not realized how his question would be taken, and hastened to assure the other man of his intent. "My apologies! I did not mean to suggest in any way that Dale had not done their part! But we do not hear much history beyond that of Gondor and Rohan, so I am not familiar with the situation you faced. I would suspect you had the Easterlings to deal with, at the very least, and I know Orcs infested the Misty Mountains farther south, so likely in the north as well."

Gird visibly relaxed and nodded. "Sauron sought information about the One Ring here, but my great-grandfather, Brand, would not answer their questions, even though he feared an attack from the east. While the Men of Gondor and Rohan were fighting Mordor at Minas Tirith and the Black Gate, the Easterlings came upon us. Brand was killed in the battle, along with Dain who led the Dwarves as our allies. Men and Dwarves took refuge in the Lonely Mountain, but when news of the victory in the South reached them, they came forth and managed to drive away their attackers. My grandfather, Bard the Second, attended the coronation of King Elessar, and we have remained an independent realm under his protection as King of the Reunited Kingdom."

Theodred mulled this over for a time, then pressed further, "Tell me more about the dragon Smaug, and I have heard that your people can understand the language of thrushes. I want to learn about that, also."

Gird grinned down at his plate. Clearly Kata was right; Theodred was interested rather than judgemental, and he could not object to that. The rest of the meal and afterwards was spent familiarizing their visitor with tales of Dale. Kata, Fritha and their father contributed information, but the bulk of the storytelling was done by Gird. Freahelm didn't appear to enjoy the evening nearly so much as his friend, but even he acknowledged that the tales were interesting, and certainly ones he had never heard before.

xxxxx

The two men of Rohan had been in Dale for nearly four weeks. Kata had volunteered to show them around Lake-town also, and having a guide was preferable to poking around on their own, so they accepted her offer. Fritha was always willing to make the trip to Esgaroth and indulge in a bit of shopping, so the small party secured passage on a boat and made their visit.

Though Kata had been immensely pleased with all the time she had been able to spend in Theodred's company, she was all too aware that the time of their departure was drawing near. He had not specified a date, but several times in conversation he had mentioned returning home before winter set in. This far north, cold came earlier than it did in the south, and likely during October they would begin to get inclement weather leading into the wintry season. Already, they were beginning to face more rainy days.

The most distressing thing, though, was that Kata could not see that she was any closer to a relationship with Theodred than she had been when he arrived. Granted, they had become very good friends and spent considerable time together. She had discovered that he usually arose early, and could be found writing in his journal in the gazebo, a spot he seemed to favor for the view of the valley and the river below. He had never given any indication that he objected to her joining him, though she tried not to put in appearance for at least a half hour after he arrived, so he would have time to write without her there. And when she did join him, he quite willingly shared passages in his journal with her, regaling her with tales of their travels, of his home and showing her pictures of various things that he had drawn.

But did he care for her? That was not so clear. In many ways, he seemed to treat her as he would a sister, and that was not at all what she desired. Yet, she did not know what to do about it. Was it only as Fritha suggested, and he was just too wrapped up in other things right now to pay close attention to settling down with a woman, or was it rather that he merely was not interested in her in particular? Now that he had seen her land, even though he clearly liked it here and was enjoying himself, she did not think she could expect him to return often, if ever.

So she plastered on a smile and tried not to let her feelings show, but his nearness was such sweet torture. She tormented herself with insecure thoughts wondering why he should ever be interested in her anyway. Surely a prince of Rohan would desire a sophisticated, worldly noblewoman of his homeland, or of Gondor. Yes, she was the daughter of a King, but Dale was far different than the South, and she was very young and…boring. She could not claim to be even remotely exotic, or fascinating or beautiful or desirable. Rather, she was just a nice-looking girl who played with puppets! What was there to interest a man in that? It might amuse him, but it was hardly the sort of talent he would seek in a wife. And, so, she vacillated between euphoria when she was with him and discouragement when they were apart.

xxxxx

Fritha had been right about one thing, however. Theodred seemed to be the only one unaware of Kata's feelings for him. Even Freahelm did not miss the way the girl looked at his friend, or the emotions that flitted over her face when they were together. At length, he thought it wise to bring the situation to Theodred's attention, since clearly he was not cognizant of it.

He found Theodred seated on the balcony of his room one afternoon, and drew up a chair nearby. They sat in silence for a time and then Freahelm ventured, "What do you intend to do about Kata when we leave?"

Theodred cocked an eyebrow at him and asked, "Do? What do you mean? What is there to do?"

Freahelm sighed and shook his head. "Are you truly so blind that you cannot see the moon-eyes the girl constantly casts at you? She is in love with you, Theodred!"

"A mere infatuation, my friend. It will pass, and she will move on to someone else. Do not be alarmed," Theodred patiently replied.

Freahelm stared at him in disbelief, then incredulously asked, "Where did you learn about women, Theodred? That is utterly ridiculous! They do not just 'get over' fancying themselves in love. They take such things very seriously, and they can be greatly hurt if you mishandle the whole matter."

"What makes you such an expert?" Theodred asked, with some annoyance.

"Clearly I am more of an expert than you! If nothing else, I have a few years on you and I have observed more women. If you have not noticed her reaction to you, then I can only assume you also have not noticed Gird watching you like a hawk whenever you are with her, or the way the men of Dale cast resentful eyes at the both of us for interloping with their princesses." He paused, then continued, "Theodred, listen to me. I am not pushing you to marry the girl, but you must acknowledge her feelings and treat her gently. At the very least, I think you like the girl and do not wish to hurt her, but your spending so much time with her in such a relaxed manner is giving her false hope that you are feeling more than you do. You need to do something about it."

Theodred considered his words, and sighed. There was no denying that Kata obviously enjoyed his company and eagerly sought to spend time with him, but he had never supposed that there was more to it than friendship. If Freahelm was right about her regard for him, then he did need to tread lightly. He would not wish to hurt her, or offend her family, in any way.

"Any suggestions?" he asked quietly.

Freahelm shrugged. "That is difficult to say. I do not know what you are feeling, or what you want to do. Unless you are madly in love with her and intend to propose before we leave, I suspect she will be hurt regardless of what you do. But I think you need to speak with her before then, and try to come to some sort of understanding about how you view things versus how she sees them, and whether or not you ever expect that to change." He rose and clasped his friend's shoulder. "You are a good man. I know you will do the right thing. Try to imagine what your mother might recommend!"

Theodred chuckled at that final bit of advice, and watched in silence as his friend left the room. He sat for some time staring out at the view, then grabbed up his journal and headed for the gazebo. He had found that was an excellent place to collect his thoughts and write them down, and usually the process of writing helped him clarify his thinking on matters. Perhaps evaluating this on paper would help him reach a decision of some kind.

He had been scribbling away for over an hour when Gird suddenly appeared. "Theodred, could you come help? We have some mares to breed, and your stallion does better if you are present. He is giving my men some trouble." Rising quickly, Theodred marked his place with his pencil and set his journal down to hurry after the other man.

A short time later, Kata wandered out to the gazebo, hoping more than expecting to find Theodred. When she spotted his journal lying on the bench, she knew he had been there and thought it odd that he had wandered off without it. Because he had never hesitated to let her read things in it, it never occurred to her not to open it to his current entry. Without turning back to see where it began, she picked up at the top of the current page:

"…I am sure Freahelm is right about Kata's feelings for me. Now that I reflect on it, I can see that she has given indication of tender thoughts and I have been too blind to notice. But what should I do about it? I do not wish to hurt her, and I fear that is what will happen. Oh, how I wish Mother was here to talk to about this! She has ever guided me aright, and she would help me do what was best now."

Tears clouded over Kata's vision, and she closed the book as she choked back a sob. What a fool she had been! He clearly did not care for her, and was merely trying to determine some way not to be cruel in telling her so. Dropping the book back on the bench, she fled inside to sob into her pillow.

xxxxx

The breeding shed had taken more time than expected, but Theodred still had almost an hour before supper to finish his journal entry, and he returned to the gazebo. Picking up where he left off, he continued:

"I cannot deny that Kata is a lovely, fascinating girl. I gave her too little credit in Minas Tirith, when I dismissed her to Freahelm as a mere child. In my time here in Dale, I have seen how charming, poised, intelligent and talented she is. She shares my passion for history and storytelling and, the truth is, she would make an appealing companion. I am not sure, however, that I am ready to consider marriage. There is still traveling that I wish to do before I settle in one place, and that life would not be possible with a wife to support. But is it fair to ask Kata to consider waiting for me? What if I were to change my mind or fall in love with some other woman along the way? What if she were to grow tired of waiting and could not get word to me about her change of affections? We live so very far apart and, if there is someday an alliance, I would be tearing her away from her family and home to live in a distant land.

So many questions, and so few answers. But perhaps I can only find answers in speaking with Kata about this. It is not a matter that I alone can decide. Her future hangs in the balance also, and she deserves the right to voice her concerns and express her desires. I must make time before I leave to have a long talk with her, and see if we can reach some agreement."

The suppertime bells were sounding throughout the city as Theodred closed his journal, and returned to his room to wash for the meal.

xxxxx

"…and then he dropped the pole and dived in the water after it! It got away anyhow, so he was both fishless and soaking wet. Amrothos was laughing so hard he nearly fell overboard as well while trying to get him back into the boat!" As he concluded his tale, to the laughter of all, Freahelm thumped the subject of his story on the back.

Theodred looked up, having been distracted with his thoughts and missing most of what was being said, but smiled weakly since it appeared to have been amusing. The meal thus far had been rather tense and subdued. Kata had appeared at supper clearly having been crying, though no one ventured to publicly ask her why. Even so, Theodred had the uneasy impression that it related to him.

When the meal finally concluded, Kata excused herself, pleading a headache, and left the others to finish their wine. From where he was seated, Theodred had a view of the hallway, and he noticed that she veered off from going up the stairs, instead slipping into the entertainment parlor.

As the group at last broke up, he was free to follow her. His entrance into the room was apparently so quiet, or she was so preoccupied, that she did not make note of it. Not wanting to startle her too much, he cleared his throat to alert her to his presence and she whirled around to face him.

It was not difficult to read her emotions at the sight of who was there. The distress was evident, and her eyes were again brimming with tears. Turning away so he would not see, she tried to surreptitiously brush them away. "Did you need something, Theodred?" she asked with unsteady voice.

Frantically he tried to think what to say to her. Something had changed, and not knowing exactly what it was made the conversation more difficult than it already was.

"Kata," he began, moving closer, "I think we need to talk. Freahelm has brought it to my attention that I am both blind and ignorant."

She moved quickly away, staying turned away from him. "You need say nothing, Theodred. I know you do not have feelings for me. I read your thoughts on the matter."

For a moment, Theodred was puzzled by her comment, and then he grasped what she meant. "You read my journal?"

"I…I did not think you would mind as you have shown me so many things from it. I did not realize…"

With a sob, she fled toward the door, but Theodred was quicker. He caught her before she could leave and, though she struggled briefly against his hold on her arm, he would not release her. "Kata, you did not read everything," he said softly.

"I…I read enough. You are very kind to be considerate of my feelings, but I know you do not–"

He cut her off. "No, you did not read enough. I was interrupted in what I was writing. All I had down on paper was the facts of the matter as I pondered what to do and how I felt. Not until I returned to the gazebo later did I add my personal feelings and intentions." Pulling her around to face him, he added, "I am very fond of you, Kata, and I apologize for not noticing the strength of your regard for me. No doubt I have caused you much pain, and that was never my intent. I…we need to discuss this. I could easily see myself asking for your hand in marriage – someday. But you are very young, and I am not yet ready for that responsibility. As much as I wish to ease your unhappiness, I believe it would do you a disservice were I to make any promises to you, or seek any in return."

At last her eyes came up to meet his, questioningly, and she murmured, "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, he elaborated, "I mean, much could change, for both or either of us, before I am ready to make a home in one place with one person. I should very much like to keep in touch with you whenever possible, and return to visit you again, but I do not think we should make any pledge beyond that just now. It could be that in time you would find someone else you prefer to marry. It could be that I would meet someone else and my heart would be drawn more strongly elsewhere. While I do not anticipate that happening for either of us, I cannot discount the possibility. Can…can you live with that?"

For several long moments, Kata stared at him. Certainly, this was not the declaration she had hoped for from him, but truly it was more than she thought would ever come after what she had read. "I could live with that if you kissed me," she whispered.

As his expression changed, she realized with horror that she had actually spoken that thought aloud. Her eyes went round in dismay, and she raised her hand to clamp over her mouth. "Theodred, I am so sorry! I did not mean to say that! Please forgive me!"

He stepped closer, pulling her up against him as he gave her a roguish grin. "I think you did mean to say that, just not where I could hear!" His lips brushed lightly over hers, then wandered lightly over her face. "I have disappointed you in so many ways, surely at least in this I may fulfill your desire."

And then his mouth closed over hers. Kata lost herself in the embrace. It was sweeter and more delicious than any imagining had been. Her arms slid around his neck, eagerly welcoming the caress of his lips, and only the need for air finally forced them apart.

As he drew back, Theodred rested his forehead against hers. "Are we agreed, then? We will continue as good friends, and see how we feel when the time is right?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I…I do not think my heart will be turned elsewhere, but I would have you desire me as much as I desire you. I will wait."

xxxxx

Theodred gave a final wave before the two men rode toward the docks. Once they had settled their mounts on the boat for the journey down the River Running to the Old Forest Road, the pair took up position along the boat's railing and watched Dale sliding away into the distance.

After a while, Theodred ventured, "How did you leave things with Fritha?"

Freahelm shrugged. "She is a pleasant girl and I enjoyed her company, but she made it clear she would not seriously consider accepting the suit of a soldier. And I cannot truthfully say that I was romantically inclined toward her. Should our paths cross again, if she is still unwed, then likely we will again spend time together, but otherwise, it is finished." He paused, then asked, "What of you and Kata?"

"We will wait and see what happens. The time is not right for firm decisions just yet."

Freahem nodded acceptingly, then commented, "We must remember to secure a supply of those wonderful honeycakes from the Beornings before we start home. I do not believe I have tasted anything quite so fine!"

The morning air was rent by Theodred's hearty laughter.

TBC

5-9-06