A/N: Hello readers, just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who has been reviewing as I wade through my first attempt at writing. I know these first few chapters are slow, but I wanted to give my characters time to get to know each other before getting deeper into the story. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! -Lilywn
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Éomer walked into the King's Stable the next morning. His head was foggy from the feast the night before and he wanted to take the early morning to ride with Firefoot to clear his head. He was readying his horse when he noticed a small pair of boots outside of a paddock. Thinking they belonged to the stableboy, he was about to turn to leave when he saw the boots were outside of Artair's paddock. Curiously he peered over the stalls and was surprised to see Aldwen curled on her side in the corner of the horse's stall. The night had been cold and her bare feet were poking out from under her dress, but she seemed to have a sheen of sweat across her forehead. Her brow was drawn tight and her eyes moving rapidly under their lids; a bad dream perhaps. He knelt down and lightly shook her awake. She awoke with a start, slamming her head into the food trough in Artair's paddock. Éomer jumped back as she swore loudly, startling both him and the horse. Her heart was racing as she looked around in confusion seeing Éomer standing in front of her.
"Your arrangements, I see?" he asked offering her a hand up. Aldwen brought a hand to her head, rubbing the bump that was already forming.
"You didn't exactly ask where," she quipped. She closed her eyes, swaying slightly against the throbbing of her head. Éomer put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"It is nothing," Aldwen said shrugging his hand off. She was embarrassed that he had found her in the stables. "What are you doing in here?" she demanded, sitting back down by her saddlebags.
"These are in fact the King's Stable's, I was about to take Firefoot out for the morning," he said as he turned on his heel. His temper was short this morning and he did not like being questioned.
"I'm sorry, that came out wrong," Aldwen said, halting him. "I did not have a place to stay last night, nor did I want to impose. Your hospitality already far exceeds what I deserve. Last night was wonderful, I did not mean to offend you." Her honestly disarmed Éomer's temper; with the exception of his sister, there were few people who spoke so candidly to him.
"Come, I can show you our lands if you would like," he offered. He wanted to spend more time with her. He knew she had already written to her uncle to send a stable boy with her horse so she could return to Broadacres.
Aldwen slowly stood up again, grabbing her saddle blanket from the ground. "I would like that."
The morning was slowly turning into the afternoon as Éomer and Aldwen rode through the Mark. Aldwen knew most of the land that she was shown but was happy to be outside in the sunshine. It had only just turned March and the air was crisp; the snows of Emyn Muil still deep. The rivers of Rohan were beginning to swell with the spring runoff and vibrant flowers were starting to show their faces through the green grasses. Aldwen could tell the Marshal loved these lands for he beamed with pride as he told Aldwen stories of his adventures as a young man in Rohan. Presently, her attention was drawn across the grasses with concern as she saw Gandalf with one of the Hobbits she had met the night before galloping from the gates of Edoras away from them.
"Gandalf leaves with urgency," she said, dismay clearly in her voice. "I had hoped to speak with him today." She vividly remembered her conversation with the wizard from the night before. The amount of ale she had last night was the only thing that kept her thoughts from running wild. Seeing him leave in haste this morning brought her emotions from the night before back to the surface.
"He has business to attend to in Gondor, I cannot say more." They had come to the banks of the Snowbourn River on their way back towards Edoras. Aldwen stopped before they got close to the North Road and leaped from Artair's back. She casually handed the reins to Éomer as she quickly strode down to the river. Her actions were so sudden Éomer thought he had offended her somehow.
"Aldwen, what are you doing?" he called down to her as he dismounted Firefoot. She was sitting down, pulling her boots off by the river.
"My thoughts are cloudy, and I find the best way to clear one's head after a lively night is to jump in a cold river." Éomer quickly turned his back to her as Aldwen began to shrug out of her dress.
"My Lord Éomer, I believe you are blushing. Have you never beheld a woman before?" she slipped the dress over her head and removed her tunic, keeping only her undergarments on.
"I have beheld women before, usually in the privacy of my own chambers!" he shouted over the noise of the water. Aldwen jumped in, controlling the urge to breathe in at the shock of the cold water. She floated on her back for a moment before the cold started to overcome her. She quickly climbed out and lay on her stomach in the sun on the nearest flat rock. Éomer turned back around when she called his name, patting her hand by the space next to her. He secured the reins of their horses to a nearby tree and went to her.
"You're mad, you do know that," he said sitting down next to her.
"We are all only given a little spark of madness, Éomer, we must remember not to lose it."
She turned over on her back and closed her eyes. Éomer couldn't help but look at the way the wet fabric clung to her as it dried. She was so small under all that cloth; he guessed he could fit both of his hands around her waist. She was lean though, with only a small womanly softness around her belly and hips. He could make out the lines of muscle on her slender arms and shoulders as she stretched in the sunshine. Sighing, he laid on his back with his arms folded behind his head. They lay there together for a long while content in each other's company as they watched the clouds slowly roll by.
"When did you come to Edoras under the care of the King?" Aldwen asked, breaking the silence.
"When I was eleven my father was slain by Orcs in Emyn Muil; not long after my mother succumbed to illness. The King was grieved by the loss of his sister and took Éoywn and me in as his own children. When I had grown, the King appointed me the Third Marshal of the Riddermark and gave me lordship of Aldburg."
"A sad story for someone who has risen so high. Forgive me, but besides basking by the river with me, what exactly does the Third Marshal of the Riddermark do for the King?" Aldwen teased.
"Thankfully, I do not have many fixed duties; my role changes according to the needs of the King. And what of you- what keeps you toiling in the sun all day with these fickle creatures?"
Aldwen laughed. "Do you refer to men or the horses?"
"Both, I suppose," Éomer replied, laughing with her.
"Though I cannot count myself as lucky as you, I was still fortunate enough to be taken in by my uncle after my parent's death. Alleth does not have any children of his own, but he treats me like a daughter. His property has been in our family for many generations and I enjoy continuing on with our families' trade; I suppose to makes me feel closer to what I lost."
"What of your future? From the outside your craft seems to be a lonely endeavor for a woman," Éomer asked.
"If you are asking how I feel about dying a lonely, old maid surrounded by her fickle beasts I appreciate your concern!" Aldwen feigned flattery. "I'll have you know, my uncle has received plenty of offers for my hand."
"Plenty, you say?" Éomer laughed. "Yet here you are, laying in the sun in your underclothes next to a man you met yesterday."
"I did not say that he accepted. I am not some broodmare that can be traded away in exchange for coin; my uncle would never do that to me. I am not a young maid, but I would never think to accept an offer of convenience simply for the sake of not being alone. To that end, my Lord, I can lay in the sun next to any man that I please."
"Your uncle sounds like an honorable man; I would fear for anyone who would try and marry you for anything but love," he said with a smirk. They fell into an easy silence again. Éomer knew moments of peace were few as the days grew darker. Even now as they sat in the sunshine, the armies of the Enemy were gathering strength to strike against their allies. Though at that moment, he was content with the warmness of the sun upon his face and the company of a woman next to him.
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Éomer woke with a start to the sound of horses galloping by on the North Road. They had fallen asleep and the sun was now entering the western skies. Éomer looked towards the riders with obvious concern; they were men from part of his uncle's éored who had been patrolling the Mark.
"I should go to the Golden Hall, the King's riders seem to have news," he said getting up releasing the reins of their horses.
Aldwen had already donned her dress and tunic and was lacing up her boots. He waited a moment for her, then spurred Firefoot towards the gates of Edoras. Once at the stables Aldwen took Firefoot's reins as Éomer dismounted, offering to tend to both of their horses so he may depart. He turned to Aldwen before leaving, taking one of her hands in his.
"I am glad we found each other this morning; spending it with you has been a pleasant distraction." He placed a delicate kiss on the back of her hand before turning and walking out of the stables.
Aldwen was attending to Artair when he heard a restless horse whinnying from across that stables, it was Maon. She was surprised to find her mare here, she had not seen her uncle's stablehand ride in with her. She stroked the mare's neck, for Maon seemed to be anxious in the new stables. She looked around for the boy who had brought her horse but did not find him. Aldwen shrugged and started collecting her belongings into her saddlebag. She made her way to the Golden Hall, wanting return Éoywn's clothing. Her eyes were still adjusting to the dimness of the hall when she heard familiar voices coming from the dais.
"We do not have the time to send more men out in their defense," she heard King Théoden say. "We stand at the brink of war and I need our men in Edoras." Aldwen slunk around in the shadows of the hall; she knew she was intruding on something her ears were not meant to hear.
"My King, these Orcs remain unchallenged killing at will. They have already made their way through Middlemead into Broadacres burning as they go." She recognized the boy speaking was Ceorl, the stablehand who must have brought Maon. Aldwen felt the blood drain from her face as she stepped out of the shadows toward the dais.
"What did you just say?" she demanded.
"Aldwen, you are not meant to be here," the King said sternly. Before he could say anything else, she was running out of the Golden Hall as a wave of panic surged over her. She had made it down to the King's Stables and was hastily throwing her saddle blanket over Maon's back when she felt a strong hand stop her.
"Do not do this Aldwen, the hour is too late," Éomer said grimly. Saying nothing she broke free from his grasp and grabbed her saddle, trying not to panic as she continued to ready Maon. Grabbing her blade and shouldering her bow, Aldwen jumped into her saddle wheeling her horse around when Éomer suddenly grabbed the mare by her reins.
"Aldwen, do not go so willingly to your own death!" Éomer shouted. "That boy just made it out with his life; you will not make it on your own." She could not control the rage that flashed red hot at his actions. Aldwen unsheathed her blade and pointed it at Éomer's neck; he dropped the reins and took several steps backward with his hands held up in peace.
"I am not under your command!" her words were almost feral with fear. "Take your men and come with me if you wish, but do not hinder me on this errand, Éomer." He did not move to stop her again as she urged her horse into a gallop out of the stables. Éomer ran back up to the Golden Hall to plead with the King; he could not let her go to her doom.