An- As per usual, it's been awhile. As per usual, many apologies. I swear I don't mean to take this long, and have the best intentions of updating regularly, but my life has a thousand different things coming at me, and guess what usually gets lost in the fray?

As for this part in particular, it's just a filler piece and I probably would have used it to break up the two parts of The Paths of the Dead chapter rewrite. Enjoy!

l.l..lll

They had been rising for a long time and Carla was happy for the break. Just because she had been riding since she was nine did not mean her body didn't feel stiff and achy after hours of riding hard.

The three of them were resting a fair distance away from the other riders. Eowyn was pacing, obviously too full of nervous energy to sit. Both Merry and Carla were not having that problem, and so both were sitting and eating.

"You can remove your helmet you know," Merry pointed out to Carla, "I know that you find it uncomfortable enough."

Carla had been complaining about her helmet since the moment she had put it on. It was too big and rattled around her head. It was driving her insane.

Carla sighed, "I'm a brunette in a sea of blondes. I'd be noticed immediately, and the last thing we need now is for someone to take a closer look as us," she let out another long sigh, "so no, the helmet stays on."

"Time is against us. Make ready!" Theoden's order was called out a fair distance away, but the three of them heard it.

All of the sudden, the food Carla had been eating felt like a stone in her stomach and made her discard what was left it by handing the bread over to Merry. The Hobbit took it gratefully. Carla had gone into battle before and with just as bad (if not worse) odds. That fact didn't stop her from feeling dread.

"Take heart Carla, Merry. It will soon be over," Eowyn's voice was distant, and underneath of all, scared.

Carla didn't blame her. For all that Eowyn was ready to fight and die to defeat Sauron, it didn't mean the prospect of death in battle wasn't terrifying. This was the first time that Eowyn had to deal with the pre-battle slap in the face of the reality of what you were about to do. Carla remembered the first time, and even though she still felt it, the first time was the worst.

"My lady," Merry sounded calm despite it all, and Carla wondered when he had found his inner peace, "you are fair and brave and have much to live for and many who lobe you," Merry looked over to Carla just as Eowyn looked down at him, "you both do. I know it is too late to turn aside. I know there is not much point now in hoping," Merry admitted that he was a scared as them, despite his calm and almost aloofness, "If I were a knight of Rohan capable of great deeds, but I'm not. I'm a Hobbit," Carla thought Merry was selling himself short but didn't interrupt to tell him that, "and I know I can't save Middle Earth. I just want to help my friends; Frodo, Sam, Pippin. More than anything I wish I could see them again."

Carla closed her eyes, Merry's statement hitting too close to home. Jane in a city under attack, Niori marching through a haunted mountain and Erin trudging her way through Mordor. Chances were that she'd die before seeing them again, or worse they would die instead. That prospect terrified her most of all, even more than the likelihood of her own death.

She couldn't think about it now, not when she couldn't afford distractions. So instead she addressed Eowyn as Merry had, "It's okay to be nervous Eowyn, and you're right to be scared."

Carla sounded just as calm as Merry had, and Eowyn studied her.

"Are you frightened?"

"Yes," Carla replied honestly, "I'm terrified. I'm just really good at burying it. It helps that I've done this before."

Eowyn nodded absently, as thought Carla's admission was validation to what she feeling. Before they could say anything else, Eomer's yell broke through the air, "Prepare to move out!"

The three of them looked at each other in silence before Eowyn broke it, "To battle."

"To battle," Merry repeated back to her.

Taking a deep breath, Carla did the same, "To battle."