Author's note: I am aware that my timeline and certain character locations are not accurate. I am taking some creative liberty to expose my OC to more of Middle-earth than just Rohan. Also, yeah. There's a continuity error. Maybe a couple. I'm writing this literally when I have time. Like, I should be doing midterms right now and I'm not. I'm doing this. But I forget some things sometimes. It's just for fun. It's not supposed to be perfect. Just enjoy. xoxo

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our minds to grow sharper." W.B. Yeats

Chapter 7

Impossible. That was the only word I had to describe her. Her impossible attitude, impossible courage, and, most importantly, her impossible situation. And I stood there, lost for words, as she stomped away from me, her face red with anger, the people watching her as she walked down the street.

A cough sounded behind me. It was the man whose horse she had been on. "My Lord Eomer?"

"Who are you?" I snapped, turning on the man. His squire and his armor held the sigil of Gondor, another impossible thing. Why would Gondorians be traveling through Rohan?

His posture stiffened. I knew I was being rude, but I didn't care. Who was he, this stranger, that Mallory would rather be with than me?

I immediately cursed that thought. She was not mine to be with, and I was constantly reminding myself of that these last few weeks.

"Boromir, Son of Denethor," He said, with a small bow of his head. "My party and I are passing through your lands to reach Rivendell."

"Rivendell?" I asked. "What would bring Men of the West to the Elven Kingdom?"

"That I know not but I am led there by riddles. Mayhaps we can discuss it behind thicker walls?" He nodded toward the people who stared at his party now that Mallory was gone.

"Of course," I said, knowing my expectations would be to invite this Lord into my home. With that I led his party to the Barracks and the Lord to my quarters, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. The sooner I finished with this Gondorian, the sooner I could check on Mallory.

In the study in my fortress, I poured us drinks from a flagon of ale. "You mentioned riddles, Lord Boromir. What riddles?"

"There are rumors of Isildur's Bane laying wake in Imladris."

"Isildur's Bane?" I asked. "You mean the One Ring?"

"It would make sense, would it not?" he argued. "Orcs attack Rohan in irregular pattern, or so your young maiden Mallory tells me." I tried not to flinch at the mention of her name. "The goblins have not been seen in the light of day since the years of the Dark Lord. Of Isildur himself."

"But why Rivendell?"

"There is a rumor. Rumor that a gathering of free folk is happening in the Elven kingdom."

"You travel all the way from Gondor just for rumor?"

"There are strange happenings, Lord Eomer. Happenings that have not occured sime the dark times. You cannot deny these Orc attacks are beyond ordinary. Their numbers climb. You see it every time you venture too far from the safety of your fortress's walls. Am I wrong?"

I ignored his question. A feeling grew inside me that told he he wasn't telling me quite everything he knew. "Why did you want to speak to my Lord Uncle?"

"To see if our brothers in your lands needed aid. Word of your attacks has not reached my father, the Steward of Gondor. Had it, I am certain he would send aid. I wished to ask if there was anything Gondor could offer in aid to your country and people. Orc attacks also persist on our stronghold city Osgiliath, but my brother Faramir and I have managed to hold it with little loss. There is also the matter of this meeting. Would he care to send delegates as well?"

"I'm afraid Theoden doesn't take many visitors these days," I said. "He grows more ill as the weather grows cold. My sister writes me daily. She heads his house at Meduseld, you see. She writes for me to beg my cousin to visit his father, but while the Orc attacks near my city are harsh, they are nothing compared to the blows that hit him where he is stationed as Second Marshal in the Hornburg at Helm's Deep. The Orcs come from the Gap of Rohan. When you travel there to reach Rivendell, you would do well to pass through the Gap quickly and swiftly as possible, my lord."

He nodded in agreement. "I was hoping your cousin, Prince Theodred would accompany me. If there is to be a meeting of the free peoples, Rohan should be present to represent Men as well as Gondor. But if what you say is true, I suppose he must stay here with his people."

"You flatter me, Lord Boromir. I must admit, I haven't met many Gondorians in my years, but never have I met any as inclusive as you. I appreciate your invitations."

"Perhaps you would join me, Lord Eomer?" he asked.

"Alas, I must decline. I cannot abandon my post as Third Marshal nor could I just leave my people."

"Yes I suppose there are many sweet comforts of home one would miss on a trip like this. Your Lady Mallory being one of them?"

"What?" I snapped.

"Forgive me," he said, taken aback. "I meant no disrespect. Perhaps I've assumed to much."

"Perhaps," I said, standing. "Thank you for your invitations. You and your men are welcome to find refuge in Aldburg for the night. I suppose you will be back on your journey in the morning. Rest well here, my lord."

He stood as well, giving a small cough as he did. "I do apologize, Lord Marshal. And many thanks for your hospitalities. My men and I will rest well here in Aldburg." And with a bow of his head, he showed himself out of my door, back to the barracks where his men had been left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I chugged the last of my tankard, the hops of the beer stinging my throat on the way down. It had been a long time since I had had a drink. I had been spending every waking moment at work with the men or with Mallory.

Mallory...I could not shake her from my thoughts. Every moment I was not with her was stifling. I yearned to be in her presence. Even though she said little to me, she was a comfort in these times. Things were so uncertain. What was Saruman plotting? How was my uncle's health fairing? Would I need to send riders out to Theodred once again? Mallory was the one thing I had that stayed constant these last few weeks. The way she would brush her fingertips lightly over the maps I had brought her from my study, the way her eyes would squint as she read them. How she would write little notes on parchment that she had found. There was a callus from where she rested the quill on the middle finger of her right hand. She had been writing for years. It was odd to find a commoner who could write, let alone read. Everything about her was odd.

And yet, she was gentle. Her hands did not know labor, yet her posture did not know royalty. She was inept at riding a horse, yet the animals would listen to her talk. That was, when she did speak. I caught her a few nights prior, in the stables with Firefoot. That damn beast followed her whenever she was around. She spoke to him of names I did not know. Foreign names like hers. Andy, Stephen, Jodi, MacKenzie, the list went on and on. She called them her students.

I rejected Lords of noble lands out of jealousy for her. I wanted her to talk to me like she spoke to Firefoot. I was becoming greedy and I did not care.

I marched my butt to the stables. I was so pissed off at the fact that I wasn't even allowed to be pissed off. I had no idea what was going on in this place. What was Gondor? What made it so important? What had I gotten myself into? Everything about this was so weird. Most importantly, why wasn't I allowed to know about it? I had asked, more than once, what was going on and I hadn't received any answers. It was infuriating. But I think what infuriated me most was that Eomer now seemed to think that he could control me. He told me to get out, he told me to come back in...it was ridiculous.

Firefoot was in the stables. I came down here sometimes to be alone, but truth be told, I was already so alone and I think the stallion knew that. Plus, he was an animal and an animal would never judge me.

The stallion approached me. Rohirrim didn't keep their horses in stalls. It was too confinding for them. And the horses in this stable were so well trained that they would never initiate conflict upon each other. It was nice down here with the horses roaming. Firefoot knelt his tall neck down to my hand, looking for a treat. I opened it wide. "Nothing there, my dude." Instead I rubbed his velvet soft nose. That seemed to please him well enough.

"So what's going on with you?" I said, his ears jerking in my direction, listening. "Cause your master's given me one hell of a day." And I told him. Told him all about how I felt. It felt good to tell someone, even if it was just a horse. But I knew a horse would never give me judgement.

"He is a fine beast," a voice said behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. It was Boromir, leaning against a wooden post, his arms crossed. He had removed his breastplate with the tree on it. It made him look only slightly smaller.

"Jesus Christ, you scared me."

He chuckled. "That was not my intention, Miss Mallory. I apologize." He walked over to me and Firefoot. "Is this your beast?"

"No, he's Eomer's."

"Really? You two really do baffle me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are not a couple, or so he tells me, yet you are obviously involved in some capacity, but I cannot figure it out for the life of me."

"I'm not really sure why you would care."

"I like people. I care about people, perhaps too easily. Sometimes I overstep my bounds, like right now."

"You're not bothering me." And it was true. He didn't stare at me like the people of Aldburg. He seemed like a kind person. I liked talking to him.

"You told the horse that you didn't know what was going on with this war. Is that true?"

"I don't have a clue. I've tried to ask and it seems like no one really cares. And if they do, they either don't want to tell me or worry what my reaction might be."

"I'm afraid most people probably don't know the truth about what is going on, leaving them very little to tell you."

"And you do know what's going on?" I countered, sitting down on a bench.

"I only have thoughts pieced together by dreams and rumors."

"Dreams? What, like visions or actual dreams?"

"A vision in my dreams, I suppose. Or maybe message is more appropriate."

"Please tell me. I'm not stupid. I know something is going on and I want to know what it is. If Eomer won't or can't tell me, I feel like I need to know."

He nodded. "You are a strange woman, Mallory Gilmore. And I don't mean that as an insult, more of a simple observation. I will tell you, but in return, I wish for your story. You told me just enough to intrigue me and I must admit, I will find it difficult to leave Rohan without knowing your tale."

"Deal," I said, pulling my legs up to my chest and covering them with my long skirt.

"Well, Gondor is also under attack, which I doubt you know. My father has been quite unwilling to call for aid. Not that the attacks have been so large that we would need it, but we may soon. Our stronghold, Osgiliath, fights to hold off the villains of Mordor, the likes of which haven't been seen in nearly three thousand years."

"What is Mordor?"

"You know not of the dark kingdom?" he asked.

"You'll understand why when you hear my story."

He nodded patiently. "Very well. Mordor is the home of the Dark Lord Sauron." I stared blankly. "You know not of him either?"

"Pretend I know nothing. Like, absolutely nothing."

"I see. Perhaps we should backtrack then," And he delved into a story. A story spanning thousands of years. The story told of rings, well One Ring in particular. Of a villain one only hears about in scary fantasy novels. Of Elves, Dwarves, and magic. Of a battle that raged between good and evil. Of a man named Isildur who gave into greed and temptation and then lost his life for it. And I was hooked.

"And no one knows what happened to the ring?"

"That is where the rumors and the vision come into play. My journey came upon me in a message. In the same dream, my brother Faramir and I received a message telling us the One Ring now resides in Rivendell, the Elven Kingdom. Doom is in hand for my kingdom and the answers to saving it lie in Rivendell, its fate tied with that of a Halfling."

"A what?"

"Some call them Hobbits. They are...little men, I suppose. I have never actually met one."

"Cool. And you're just...passing through?"

"In all honesty, I was looking for companionship but I can see that the leaders of Rohan must stay in Rohan for now. This country has not a fortress of the likes of Osgiliath to shield it from the evil that wages battle here."

"You asked Eomer to go with you?"

"And, alas, he has declined." He gave a small cough. "And now, Miss Mallory, I believe it is your turn to tell me your story, for I have talked too much for now."

Now that it was my turn. I didn't want to. How do you explain my story to someone who couldn't possibly have a single notion of what my world was? But I had made an agreement. And honestly, what did I have to lose?

"I guess I should start with the fact that I'm not from Middle-earth."

He looked instantly confused. "I...do not understand."

"This place," I gestured around. "My homeworld isn't like this. I mean, it was, kind of. I guess you could say, I'm from the future."

If he was going to lock me up for insanity, he wasn't making very much of a move, so I continued. "My world is like a different Earth altogether. Seven continents, six oceans, and all of it is connected through technology in some way or another that your world doesn't possess yet. Mine is further along in its ages, I guess you could say. And there is no magic. No magic Rings or Hobbits, Elves or Valar. They don't exist outside of tales and legends.

"I was a teacher. I taught in a school for young children, nine and ten year olds. I spent summers working at a campsite as a manager of the property. One day I was scouting the property for border markers. The next thing I new, I had woken up in the plains of Rohan. Eomer's group of riders found me and brought me here, where I could be safe. And since I've been here, everything had been terrible. The man who took me in died not long ago from a lightning storm. His sister will not speak to me. I've been living in these barracks, unable to leave because the people here...they don't understand. They can't understand. I don't speak their language and I think they blame me for this man's death as I had been accompanying him during the storm. Until today, I had no idea what this war you are all fighting was about. I still don't really understand it. I want to...but trying to is like you trying to comprehend that I am from another universe. It all seems impossible...yet here I am. Here we are."

We sat in silence for a moment. I waited for him to run and fetch the keeper of Rohan's insane asylum, but he didn't. He just sat there until he found words.

"I must admit, Miss Mallory, it all does seem impossible."

"You don't believe me," I muttered, defeated.

"It isn't that I don't believe you. It is simply what you have already stated. It is hard to comprehend."

"In this world, where magic exists," I said, gaining a little confidence in his words, "Do you think something like this could ever happen?"

"Well, when you tie the words together like that," he said with a small smile. "I suppose it logically cannot be impossible. The questions are simply why? Why were you brought here? And how, if magic does not exist in your realm? Surely it was for a purpose. What is that purpose?"

"I've been asking myself those questions every day since I arrived. No one here has the answers, that's for sure."

"We both seek answers, it seems." He stood and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me up beside him, keeping my hand entangled with his. "Thank you for your story, Mallory. I know it was hard to tell. And as a way to show my thanks, I will return the kindness and trust. Upon my journey to Imladris, I will try to find your answers for you as I seek the answers to my own questions. The Elves are very wise. Lord Elrond, master of Imladris is considered one of the wisest of his kind. I will try to find you solace, if you grant me permission to share your story, of course."

I smiled. "Any answer, even the smallest theory, would bring me peace, I know it."

"Then I will do my best. We all deserve some solace in these times. If I can bring it to you, then I ad this to my quest. I bid you farewell, Mallory. Until we meet again," he said, placing a small kiss on my hand.

And that was the last I ever saw of Boromir of Gondor.