'Why do I need his permission?' I asked Olfete, 'It's not like he is going to give it to me,' I had half a mind to throw a babe's temper tantrum right then and there, but decided against it. I needed to stay in her good graces.
'Because, child,' dang, she could see right through me, 'he is your, our, King, he has a need to know what goes on outside of Rohan, and to be quite frank I do not think he will want to send anyone else,' my head shot up at that last part. Olfete and I were wandering just outside the walls of Edoras, close enough to keep the city in our sights but far away enough to prevent any eaves of being dropped. Theoden King would not want to send anyone else?
'What makes you say that?'

'Sorrun, for the life of me I had hoped and thought you had inherited some of your mother's wisdom, or at least insight, and not just her blonde hair and green eyes,' Olfete had a way with words to always make me feel special.

'Your skill with a bow is impressive to say the least, Theoden King lets you accompany Eoreds at times because he knows you can be useful because of your… unique way of… tackling things,' there was a tone to her words I did not quite understand, was it humour? 'you usually get what you want,' definitely humour now, 'and you know people,' she ended.
'I know people?' the words were out of my mouth before I could think again about uttering them.

'Stop being so dense, you know perfectly well what I mean,' ah, yes. Sorrun the people person. We both knew I know know people, but what Olfete meant was that I have a knack for seeing through people. She proudly tells me time and again that my mother was happy to see that character trait she found so useful in her own experience, back in me. Seeing through people is not all Olfete cracks it up to be - you start to realize people are selfish and do not do a lot of things out of the good of their own heart if there is no benefit in it for themselves. She shot me an impatient look, reminding me she does not like it when I take too long to answer - something I had to work on.

'Fine. I will ask an audience with Theoden King to discuss the matter,'

/ / /

'A meeting? In Rivendell?' I knew what his next question would be, 'how do you know of this?' I had half a mind to respond with oh, a little bird told me. But I couldn't, of course. I was talking to my King. I also knew he already knew about this and that he was very interested in knowing how I knew of this. We had maintained eye-contact throughout the conversation, but I could not help looking away as I replied to the King.

'The day before yesterday there was a traveller in the tavern, talking to Theodred, Eomer, and you, my Lord King. I overheard some of the conversation. He had talked about a dream that had left him with a great uneasiness regarding the fate of Middle Earth. He set out to Rivendell, as his dream told him, to find answers at a meeting of sorts. Later on I heard the traveller say he knew others would be present at this meeting, but none from the Mark and he thought it strange that there would be no representative of us present, with Theodred Prince having to protect the Mark,' lesson one to a good lie: stick as close to the truth as you can.

In truth, I had caught the name of the traveller and it was one I knew. It was Boromir. My brother. I did not know how I felt about having been so close to him without having seen him. The King stayed quiet so long I had to look back at him, only to find him looking at me with that piercing look of his.

'I see. And you want to be the one to embody the Mark?' why did he have to put it like that?

'Well, my lord King,' his look intensified and I knew he would have none of my usual avoiding-the-directness-at-hand-remarks, so I swallowed and inhaled deeply before I answered, 'I think somebody should. What is going to be decided at that meeting is of concern to the whole of Middle Earth and the Mark is no small part in that. But I understand you cannot send Theodred Prince, he is much needed here, as are Eowyn and Eomer. As are the rest of your men. I do not wish to imply I am the only one you could send, my Lord, but I do believe I could represent you well, as I have done during the trips throughout the mark in more peaceful times,' it felt like I had said all of that in one breath, which I probably did: the King made me nervous. I was no Lady - that he knew of, I was no one noble - to his awareness, and I felt quite small standing across from him and his piercing eyes.

I inhaled again, 'my intentions would be to be present in Rivendell, hear what is going to be said, and if you would wish me to be a part of what is going to be decided, then I shall. But should you wish for me to return and act on your orders, then that is what I shall do.' I waited to feel the blush - that traitorous red colour that overwhelmed me everytime I voiced my true thoughts, to spread across my cheeks, but other than a bit of warmth I felt my appearance stayed quite the same. Thank Bema.

'I see,' he started pacing in front of me and I felt all my courage drain away, 'what would you rather do?' he then asked.

Stop being so dense Olfete's voice sounded in my head. I knew what he referred to.

'I think the dream should not be ignored, my Lord, and that the meeting has been arranged with a clear purpose in mind, my Lord King, and that is most likely to do with a mission. The conversation I overheard,' I looked away, 'was quite detailed,' I dared to look back at him again, 'and it has to do with the one Ring of power and that it has been found and needs to be destroyed. From what I have heard, I agree that it must be stopped and-'

'You think you can aid in the destruction of the One Ring?' he interrupted me.

'My Lord King, I think anyone who dares to stand against the dark forces rising, aids in the destruction of the One Ring. Some might do that from a distance, others from closer by,' my own words surprised me. Olfete would be proud of the poet inside me. He nodded and was quiet for a long time.

I looked around the King's quarters, my mind wandering. I was blessed that I had caught the King in the absence of Grima, one of the King's counsellors, for I do not know how the conversation had gone if he were present. It became rare to talk to the King without Grima present, and I thought I had to thank Olfete for that. Grima was a serpent and it was hard to see everyone realize that but the King. He was poisoning the King's mind with words that held no truth yet somehow, the King had a blind trust in him. I glanced over at the King and saw he looked tired, even more so than he had looked yesterday and the day before that. His hair - once so bright yellow as the sun, was looking grey and his eyes did not hold the same bright blue colour they once had. Being King is stressful, even in times of peace as there are always other matters at hand, and the recent growth in orks that roamed the plains of the Riddermark did not lessen his worries in the least.

'I see,' he said suddenly, abruptly ending my own thoughts, 'I agree,' he nodded, more to himself than to me, 'but it must not become apparent that I sent you there, until it is too late to retrieve you,' I furrowed my brow in confusion for half a second before I realised, relieved, that he meant to say I had to leave before Grima found out. Or at least, that is what I thought he meant. I nodded, determined. Suddenly he gave me a small smile.

'Take this night to say your farewells, you are to leave at dawn.' I blinked a couple of times in disbelief, uttered a thank you and bowed before I hastily took my leave. Once outside the Kings quarters, I felt like I could breathe normally again and then it hit me. Not goodbyes. Farewells.