Thanks for your comments and reviews everyone, it is greatly appreciated. Just wanted to restate that this story is taking place just after the battle of Helm's Deep. I'm taking creative liberties with distances, locations, and timelines but will try and stay as true to the storyline as possible. Feel free to comment and review, I love hearing new ideas.
The next morning, Aldwen begrudgingly rose earlier than she normally would to ready herself for the two days of travel that would follow on her way to Edoras. It was still dark out when she warmed a kettle of water so she could wash her face. She pulled out her normal leggings, tunic, and boots as well as a light mail shirt she liked to travel with. Her leather belt now also held a modest blade that belonged to her father. She paused before sheathing the blade, breathing out a heavy sigh. Her father and mother weighed heavily on her mind as of late. She was of the age when her mother must have neared the end of her pregnancy with her; the two blissfully married. It made Aldwen think deeply about what worth that her life held.
Would she ever have a family of her own?
Is that even what she really wanted?
Why had her mother left her alone in this world, had she given any thought to her child?
Aldwen shook her head at this last question to clear her thoughts. She never let her mind wander too far when thinking about her mother. She found that if she began thinking about such things too deeply, the dark feeling of resentment would rear its wicked head. So in keeping with what Aldwen always did when her thoughts strayed towards unpleasant things, she buried them in the deep, dark places of her heart.
Sheathing the blade, Aldwen finished packing her last few belongings into her open saddle bags and headed out to the stables to prepare Artair. He was a fine horse and it saddened Aldwen to be parted with him. She had helped foal him and marveled at his features even as a young colt; she hoped his new master would handle the Blue Roan well. His breaking was difficult, and Aldwen still had difficulties with his spirited nature. He was young, though, and knew he was destined to make a fine war horse in the capable hands of the Rohirrim. Artair could sense the change in the air around him as Aldwen calmly brushed him and picked his hooves. She spoke softly to him as she pulled her saddle blanket up towards his withers. Artair promptly reached back and pulled the blanket off his back in an obvious protest of the early morning hour.
"This is not my doing, I promise my friend," Aldwen laughed as she pulled the blanket back up. "You know I would still be beneath my sleeping furs if I could."
Artair's protest diminished as Aldwen cinched the girth of her saddle; it looked comically small on the back of this great horse. Leading Artair from his paddock, she headed back down to the house to bid her uncle farewell before she departed, the sun was just beginning to crest over the mountains in the east. Her uncle was waiting for her in the doorway wearing a small smirk on his face.
"A fine woman you have become, Aldwen. For never being a father, I must say, I would have been good at it" he mused.
"Careful uncle, lest your shoulder get sore from patting your own back." Aldwen joked as she walked up to him. Placing a kiss on the side of his check she smiled, " I have always thought of you much like a father. Thank you for affording me such opportunities in this life."
Alleth beamed with pride. "Get on the road and be mindful with that horse of ours. Write when you arrive and I will make sure a boy sends a horse for you for your journey home." He handed her a long traveling coat, a small sack of food, and her bow with a small quiver.
"You think this necessary?" Aldwen asked. Her uncle had taught her the skills she needed to defend herself, but was hesitant to call herself a warrior.
"You know as well as I do that times have grown dark. I doubt it will be needed on the road to Edoras, but please, for my sake of mind carry it with you." Alleth pleaded.
Aldwen donned her coat and shouldered her bow. With a final parting hug, she swung herself up onto Artair's back and turned him south. She was in no rush to get to Edoras, but her mount was anxious under her. She let him have his head and he lunged forward into an easy gallop. It had been a long time since Aldwen had allowed herself the luxury of galloping carefree through the grasses of Broadacres. She let her head fall back to greet the morning sun with a wide smile on her face. She couldn't contain the yelp of excitement that burst forth from her lungs as she encouraged Artair onward.
Alleth watched his niece in a full gallop on the back on the Roan until she was a mere speck in the distance. He smiled broadly as he heard the normally reserve Aldwen whoop with happiness. It had been a long while since he saw her as happy as she was thing morning; something for which he was always grateful to see. He turned back into his small house to put a pot of water on for breakfast, humming a quite tune while he prepared for the day.
The road to Edoras had more travelers that Aldwen thought it would, daily life seemed to be bustling despite the fact that bands of Orcs and Wild Men had been terrorizing the Westfold. Women were carrying baskets of produce, spices, and salves to the local market. Merchants had their carts loaded with goods to be sold. Aldwen traveled all through the day stopping shortly before the sun dipped below the horizon. She made camp near a small stream close to the town of Kingstead; she could see far into the distance for any threats during the night and was protected enough from the wind that always seemed to be blowing in Rohan. Not daring to make a fire, least she be seen, Aldwen ate a simple dinner of bread and dried fruit and turned in for the night.
The next morning Aldwen woke to the sun already above the eastern mountains. Though she was up later than she had planned, she still wanted to bathe in the nearby stream. Waking up to the sun and jumping into ice cold water had always been a favorite treat of hers. After a quick look around the land, Aldwen shed all her clothes and dove into the frigid waters. She hardly had time to scrub at her hair before the cold was too much for her. Jumping out of the stream she laid on a nearby rock to dry in the sun. She was still covered in goose-bumps when she pulled her clothes back on, happy to have gotten rid of the morning fog in her head. Artair stood unamused by her morning antics and was restless to get back on the road. Aldwen quickly gathered her belongings back into her saddle bags and readied her horse.
"I am going to miss you," Aldwen said as she stroked the great Roan's neck.
She gracefully jumped into her saddle and began the final leg of their journey to Edoras. Around mid-day Aldwen came to the Entwash, letting her know that the great valley that held Edoras was near. She paused for a moment, looking at the boiling current of the river and shuddered. She had come here before but could never bring herself to look at into its mighty waters. She forced herself to confront her fear this time and could do nothing against the onslaught of images of her mother walking into this river that appeared in her head.
"Why?" Aldwen was surprised at the sound of her own voice. She didn't think she had spoken out loud. Artair shifted under her, bringing Aldwen back from her memories. She nudged him forward, thankful for the distraction. It was not the time to dwell on such things.
Not long after, Edoras came into view. She could see the roof of the Golden Hall glimmering in the late afternoon sunshine. She took a moment here to gather herself; she looked gruff from her days of travel despite a swim in the morning. She was suddenly self-conscious of her appearance; her cloth was poor, boots dirty, and hair wild from the wind. Without being able to do anything about it, she shrugged and directed Artair towards the gates of the city. For a moment, Artair bucked wildly and displayed his annoyance at being brought back to a barn; rare for a horse. Aldwen reined the horse in, looking quickly around in embarrassment as the guards at the gate looked at her in amusement.
"I'm here to deliver this horse to King Théoden at the request of my uncle," Aldwen said perhaps a bit too seriously. The guards simply nodded as she passed through the gates.
Aldwen wound her way up towards the Golden Hall past the city's quaint cottages. It appeared the villagers were also just making it back from the journey from Helms Deep. They paid her little heed as Aldwen passed by, immersed in their own errands. She stopped at the King's Stable and handed Artair's reins to a nearby stableboy who admired the war horse with awe.
"I'll be back shortly with King Théoden, please tend to Artair diligently" she requested.
The boy was young, but almost just as tall as Aldwen. Thanking him, she attempted to dust off her clothes before the ascended the steps to the Golden Hall. A guard with vibrant yellow hair and beard to match greeted her at the gates.
"I am Aldwen, I have been summoned to the Great Hall by King Théoden on behalf of my uncle."
"Greetings, m'lady. I trust you to be a friend of our king, but in these times of war I must ask for your bow and blade," the guard said.
Aldwen handed her weapons over the the King's Guard and smiled to herself at being called a lady. It suddenly dawned on her that she had never been inside of a royal hall before and wasn't entirely sure of proper decorum. Aldwen cleared her throat awkwardly, catching the guard's attention before he opened the doors to Meduseld.
"I'm sorry I have to ask, but am I suppose to bow to anyone other than the King?" Aldwen whispered with obvious embarrassment.
The guard looked at her quizzically before roaring with laughter. Aldwen tried to hush him before anyone else noticed their exchange.
"Please sir, I will not stand here and take insult. It's not common for people of Broadacres to get a summons from the King" she said with irritation. The guard halted his laughter and looked at Aldwen sheepishly.
"I apologize my lady, I do not mean to insult. When you enter, bow to King Théoden first. His heir, Lord Éomer, will likely be with him; you should bow to him too. If the White Lady of Rohan is present, you may also bow to her too. Most others are guests of the King whom I'm sure you will be introduced to. Ready?" he asked.
Aldwen nodded and gave a small smile to the guard.
"Thank you," she whispered as he opened the doors for her.
The inside of Meduseld was a hive of activity. Men and women were busy moving tables, large casks of ale, and stoking a fire pit in the middle of the hall. Aldwen was grateful for the distraction of other people as she made her way towards a large table that was set off to the side by the King's Dais. She stopped in front of a group of men, deep in conversation. Not noticing her at first Aldwen lightly cleared her throat; suddenly all eyes were on her.
"Do you need help, lass?" asked stalky man with a gruff voice; a dwarf she noted.
"I am Aldwen, daughter of Alhelm. King Théoden summoned me with interest in purchasing my uncle's horse." Nobody said anything in reply. She looked at who she assumed was Théoden and continued in desperation. "My uncle is Alleth, from Broadacres. He wrote to you about my coming in his stead." She continued anxiously on, "he is busy with foaling season and could not leave his land."
From the confused look on the King's face Aldwen knew her uncle had never intended to write to the King about her coming.
"Forgive me, he must have gotten too busy to write you," she fibbed awkwardly. She ran her hand through her tangled hair out of nervous habit. "And I forgot to bow."
Thankfully the dwarf who had first addressed her burst out in laughter, breaking the tension. Théoden stepped around the table to face her while Aldwen attempted a small bow.
"It is nice to meet you Aldwen, daughter of Alhelm. I know your uncle well and he speaks fondly of you," Théoden said while placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I was indeed expecting Alhelm but am happy to finally meet you."
"Thank you, my King," said Aldwen, letting out a small sigh as she tried to get rid of her nerves.
"Let me introduce my companions to you," he motioned first to the dwarf. "This is Gimli son of Glóin, Aragorn son of Arathron, and my nephew and heir to the Throne of Rohan, Éomer."
"A diverse group of companions you have, Théoden King." Aldwen said greeting each man in turn.
"The horse you bring is for my nephew's second in command, Éothain," Théoden explained turning to face his nephew. "Éomer, take Éothain with you down to the stable. We are about finished here anyway."
Aldwen turned to follow the King's nephew and stopped abruptly when she noticed him glaring at her. Aldwen wondering if he taken offense to something she said during her embarrassing introduction to the King. Before she could say anything, Éomer strode quickly past her leaving Aldwen trotting through the Golden Hall to catch up with him. Éomer stopped and briefly spoke with the guard who had helped to her at the doors of Meduseld. He looked past Éomer as she walked up behind him.
"My Lady, had I known your errand I would have introduced myself properly. I am Éothain," he said while bowing deeply and planting a kiss on the back of her hand.
"I am pleased to meet the one who will take over Artair's care," she said while purposefully removing her hand from his. "Though I beg you please stop calling me My Lady, you may call me Aldwen."
She looked over at Éomer who had not said a word to her since their meeting. He was looking at Éothain with a small smirk on his face. He was a handsome man, she thought. Much taller than she was, with golden hair a bit longer than hers. She couldn't tell from this distance if his eyes were hazel or green; regardless of the color she could see they had a fire smoldering behind them. Though he still wore his armor, he looked strong and lean underneath it all. At some point Éothain had said her name which snapped her attention back from her unrealized thoughts.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I asked if we should go down to the stables." Éothain repeated. It hadn't been lost on him that she had her attention fixed on Éomer.
"Yes, of course," Aldwen said as they walked towards the King's Stables. "I'll have to warn you, Éothain, I told my uncle that I did not think Artair was ready to be bought. I would have preferred to have more time with him."
"You have been Artair's handler?" Éomer asked, somewhat surprised. They had reached the stables and Aldwen was stroking the Roan's neck.
"Of course," she replied. "Do you think I ponied him the whole way here?" Aldwen intended the comment to be a joke, but Éomer seemed to take it personally. "I'm sorry, My Lord. I have been working with my uncle's horses since I was a young girl. My father..." she trailed off, not knowing how much information she should indulge.
"Well, I'd like to take him out for a ride before we make a decision." Éothain interjected, sensing her discomfort.
"Of course, I know Artair is still eager to have his head even after our journey." Aldwen said.
"Tomorrow, Éothain," Éomer said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Tonight we toast to our dead."
"Ah, how could I forget." Éothain replied. "Aldwen, you should join us tonight for our feast."
"To be honest, I had not planned for it." Aldwen remarked, looking down at her dirty clothes.
So this is why her uncle had sent her to Edoras. She tired to hide a smirk which the two men must have seen. Aldwen had intended to start her journey back to her uncle's property. She knew he needed help and planned to not linger for long.
"Stay," Éomer almost commanded. "It's far too late to journey back to Broadacres safely today. If you wish my sister can attend to you."
"Perhaps," Aldwen replied. She was slightly taken aback by Éomer's assertiveness. She couldn't read the man and was leery of his intentions. "For now, I would simply like to spend time with my friend before we part."
Éothain and and Éomer took their leave and walked back to the Golden Hall, the Marshall casting a second look back at the girl in the stables.