It had started getting light a little while ago and as I rode on, what had taken place a couple of hours ago really dawned on me and I was glad I could escape the Mark. Eomer and I had kissed intensely without paying attention to who was watching. As he had told me before, nearly everyone in the Mark knew of our love so it would not come as a shock to them, but to be kissing like that outside of wedlock would cause quite the talk. I tried not to think about how long it would be before I saw him, or anyone else I knew, again. I felt lucky to have Hefric with me. I felt especially lucky I was not alone in the Entwood.
As I rode in, the trees grew darker and closer together and the sun was struggling to shine through. Children in the mark are told to not enter Entwood, as it is a forest many grown men had lost their way in and were never seen again. Strange things happened in this forest, strange sounds to be heard, roads changing unexplainably, no predatory animals to be seen, and sometimes it would feel like one was being watched. Theoden King advised it was best to just avoid going into the forest saying "the Entwood is not ours" and I never really was interested in it enough to ask to whom it did belong.
I sort of regretted that right now, as I felt like I was being watched and perhaps even followed. Had some orcs survived last night and followed me? It would be strange as orcs are not known to be trackers, and why would they bother following just one girl? Would there be any chance they knew where I was going? Or, another possibility, was I just being suspicious of anything and everything as this was my first journey through Entwood, knowing what I knew? Not being able to ask anyone these questions out loud made me realize how many questions I actually asked, and could understand it was fun for others to postpone the answers as long as possible. But now it was not fun for me. I felt I was getting scared and had to stop it from taking over. What would anyone advice me to do? I thought of Aldin, Ryce, Eowyn, and Eomer and they would all advice me to do a double-take and see if I was indeed being followed. Olfete would say I should push Hefric to go faster and outrun any possible stalkers. Theodred Prince would say to hide and wait and see.
The fear in me told me to listen to Olfete, but I did not want to give in to fear, not even having travelled a full day on my own yet. But I felt I was not brave enough to follow the warrior's advices of doubling back and facing any foe head-on. So I would follow Theodred's advice and decided two large trees that had grown together would do well to hide both me and Hefric - in no way was I going to dismount him as I might need to still outrun any possible opponent. As I brought Hefric to a halt behind the trees and we were moving no longer, I tried to listen intently to any sounds of movement. I heard nothing, not even birds or leaves rustling. I told myself to be patient and trust my instincts were true and not as suspicious as my mind was.
I do not know how long I waited, but when I did hear something, it did not come from where I thought it would.
"What are you doing?"