"Laughter is an instant vacation."
-Milton Berle
Despite ordering the evacuation of Edoras, Théoden informed Amelia that at least two or three hours would pass before they could get underway and in that time, she would be provided with new clothes, a cold bath and a hot meal if she wished it. She leapt at the opportunity, loudly declaring that she would be a fool not to do so, and even though the water was cold and she was forced to wear a dress, a rough, sand-colored kirtle with a dark brown bodice and a white chemise, she couldn't have been happier. She was cleaner than she had been since Lothlórien, her hair was no longer a sticky mass of something brown on her head and she had quickly tired of the taste of lembas for breakfast, lunch and dinner, even though the taste couldn't have been better, and thus, the bland stew that she was served was akind to a feast to her tastebuds. Getting on the dress correctly took longer, since she didn't have anyone to help her like she had in Rivendell and her injury screamed in pain when she attempted to lift her arm through the sleeve, but all in all, bathing, eating and pulling on her new clothes after stuffing the old ones in her backpack, which was beginning to strain a bit from the mass inside of it, only took about an hour and a half.
By then, night had truly fallen outside and she was slightly puzzled, since she remembered the evacuation as taking place in daylight, but she supposed that the sooner the better. She let her damp hair hang loose around her shoulders, it reached her armpits by then, and she hurried back towards the entrance hall, mindful of her arm still aching from the strain she had put on it.
"Amelia." Aragorn sprang up from his seat and hurried towards her as soon as she entered. "You should have let me check on you before you went about your business."
"Uh huh." Amelia dutifully sat down on the bench at the table he had been sitting at. Gimli and Boromir already sat there, caught up in a low discussion. "So, I suppose you want an update on how I'm doing, Dr. Worrywart?"
"If you're feeling up to it." Her attempt at humor seemed to ease Aragorn's mind a bit.
"Well, it's constantly sore, but that's not surprising. It hurts like hell when I try to use my arm, but hey, I did take an arrow to the shoulder."
"Your bandages need changing. You'd be dead already if you'd caught an infection, which you probably should have, wearing the same bandages for as long as you have."
"So I should be dead. That's not surprising either. By all accounts, I shouldn't even be here." Amelia's mood soured and she looked away, folding her hands on the table.
"Neither should I." Boromir commented and it occurred to Amelia that he had probably been listening in on her conversation with Aragorn. His remark made her irrationally angry.
"Yes, you should." She snapped at him, attracting the attention of Gimli, Legolas and Éowyn, who had been passing by them. At Amelia's sharp words she stopped to watch their exchange.
"Dying would have brought me redemption, penance for my actions. You said yourself that I was meant to die on the slopes of Amon Hen." Boromir argued and Amelia rolled her eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" She snarled, only focusing on Boromir and nobody else at that point. "I don't care about what should have happened. I don't care about redemption and I certainly don't care about what you tried to do back there. I care about you. So, for the most part, I'm going to do my best to keep you alive." She turned away from Boromir and ignored him before she could gauge his reaction.
"Your shoulder will mend on its own, but the weapons of Mordor leaves scars difficult to heal, even with direct treatment." Aragorn warned her after a long moment of silence.
"Since you didn't get immediate treatment when you were shot, I fear the scar may remain on your shoulder for years to come."
"Well, at least I'll have a souvenir to show off." Amelia grumbled and stood up from the bench once again, brushing past Lady Éowyn as she hurried out the front door of the hall. The city was alive with activity, peasants bustling about with baskets of supplies and pulling their horses out from their stables. The stars were covered by clouds and there was a nip in the air.
"If all goes well, we should reach Helm's Deep early in the day tomorrow." She heard a voice filled with melancholy say behind her and she turned her head as Lady Éowyn walked up to stand beside her. Amelia only managed a stiff nod to her before she turned back to look over the city. Side by side, the two women stood like statues, one in brown and one in black. Amelia assumed that Éowyn's dark choice of clothing was due to her not having had the time to change out of the outfit she had worn during her cousin's funeral.
"Yay. We're dying in a keep instead of dying in a city. Instead of fighting, he chooses to hide like a coward." Amelia then remembered who she was talking to and studied her feet, still clad in her black boots. She had kept her pants and boots on beneath her dress. "Sorry. I know he's your uncle and all."
"My king is a brave man," Éowyn stated calmly, "But my uncle has grown weary and cautious. He thinks with his head rather than his heart." Amelia snorted lightly to herself.
"You'd think he'd respect us as much as the men then, but oh no, we have to stay on the sidelines and nod and smile and say 'please'." Amelia's words only seemed to sadden Éowyn even further. She reminded Amelia of a cold winter morning, of grass covered in rime and the icy chill she had gotten when she stepped into her cold bath.
"Yet I see you carry a blade." Éowyn remarked and Amelia hummed in acknowledgement. She had tied her belt, scabbard and sword around her hips, feeling far more comfortable with them and alone rather than without and surrounded by guards willing to lay down their lives for her. "And it is said that you have fought, fought orcs and foul creatures and traveled far of your own volition." Éowyn sounded like she envied Amelia greatly, something that Amelia herself couldn't quite understand, even though she tried to.
"Éowyn, you… you were never meant to be just a… a pretty face. You have potential for a lot more than that." Amelia had to remind herself not to reveal too much, even though she wanted to, if only to see Éowyn truly smile. She was a beautiful woman, but a distant one. "Wait, what did you mean when you said that 'it is said'? Word sure does travel fast around here…"
"It does when we are desperate for news from other lands than our own, to know whether these dark times have touched them as well."
"Oh, they definitely have. I mean… you can't be alone in all this. It's just not possible." Éowyn, who had been looking out over the city as they talked, finally looked at Amelia. "And you… you might feel like you're being suffocated and I get that, I do, but you're not alone either." Éowyn didn't answer her and turned to look back out over the city. Amelia tried something, the last thing she could come up with. "So let's show the guys how it's done, yeah?" Éowyn looked at her again and raised her eyebrows slightly. When it didn't look like Amelia was going to laugh at her or take back her words, the barest hint of a smile, more like the hint of a hint, ghosted over her face and Amelia felt a small pang of satisfaction at the sight.
Amelia was startled when Gandalf suddenly rushed past them and down the steps leading up into the hall, followed closely by Aragorn.
"Helm's Deep!" She heard him exclaim loudly as she lifted her skirt and ran down the steps after him, nearly tripping and falling on the way. He said something that Amelia couldn't hear before she caught up to the two, but by then they had already entered he large stables of Edoras and were rushing down the aisle as Amelia caught up to them.
"He's doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Aragorn told Gandalf in a neutral voice.
"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he is leading them to safety, but what they will get is a massacre." Gandalf sighed as he entered a booth that held a magnificent white horse, taller than any Amelia had ever seen and she knew that it was a lord among horses. Amelia opened her mouth to protest, to tell Gandalf that they still had a chance. "No, my dear, do not tell me whether we shall have victory or not. Such an act could lead to disaster indeed." She promptly shut her mouth, getting a slightly giddy feeling at being able to talk to the wizard again, as if nothing had ever happened in the dark depths of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf turned to Aragorn once again. "Théoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan." Gandalf glanced at Amelia, who squared her jaw and let determination light her eyes. The wizard gave her a small, strained smile. "He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you." He looked them both in the eyes. "The defenses have to hold."
"They will hold." Aragorn promised.
"They will hold." Amelia echoed, feeling like a liar. Gandalf looked doubtful as he turned and stroked the neck of the horse.
"'The Grey Pilgrim'. That's what they used to call me. Three-hundred lifetimes of men have I walked this earth and now, I have no time." He effortlessly swung himself up on the steed, who scraped the ground impatiently with its hooves. Aragorn opened the gate of the booth. "With luck, my search will not be in vain."
"You're leaving?" Amelia exclaimed, but then she sighed. "Right. 'Course you are. Forget I said anything."
"Look to my coming, at first light on the second morning from this moment. At dawn, look to the east." Aragorn nodded, to show that he had both heard and understood.
"Go." His word came out close to a whisper, but Gandalf nodded gravely and set off, the white horse flying through the stable with an elegance and strength that shouldn't have been possible for a mere animal. Legolas and Gimli, who had just entered the stable, had to jump aside to avoid being trampled and Amelia caught a final glimpse of Gandalf's white robes before he disappeared into Edoras and out into the plains of Rohan.
Amelia was horrified to learn that, due to her wearing a dress, she had to ride sidesaddle, since Aragorn insisted that she had walked enough to reach Edoras and that she had earned a horse to ride on, as if it was a reward for her hard work. To Amelia, it was a punishment for her injury, a testament to her physical weakness. She felt even worse when she learned that Lady Éowyn would be walking, even though she couldn't quite say why. She got the feeling that Aragorn somehow sensed her displeasure, for he insisted that he had to ride on his horse, a tall, brown stallion called Brego, near her, to keep watch on her injuries.
For the life of her, Amelia couldn't figure out why Boromir asked to follow her as well, for he had gotten his own horse too, though that was more due to his status than his need.
The long procession left Edoras late at night, with Théoden at its head and Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli after him. Progress was slow due to the many people traveling at once and the fact that many did not have a horse to do the legwork for them. Éowyn held the reins of the horse that Gimli sat upon, as well as the reins of Amelia's steed, walking on the ground alongside the lowly peasants, and Amelia could see in their eyes the respect and love they had for the shield-maiden of Rohan. She envied her herself, for riding side-saddle was, in her humble opinion, far worse than normal riding, which she had only tried once before but taken an immediate disliking to. A gentle wind blew across the moors in the night and Amelia had to continually brush brown hair out of her eyes.
"I meant to tell you…" Aragorn called to her as he steered his horse towards her, so that their steeds could walk beside each other. "We did not find Merry and Pippin in our hunt, but…"
"I know." Amelia interrupted, tapping her temple. She grinned at him. "I know stuff, remember? It's why I'm here. Because I know stuff."
"That may be the reason you were brought here, but I doubt it is the reason you stayed." Amelia cocked an eyebrow at Aragorn.
"There you go, speaking that grand mumbo-jumbo of yours again. How you ever manage to hold a conversation around here, I'll never know." Aragorn smiled at her exasperation.
"Eh, in our lands, we don't waste time with frilly formalities!" Gimli butted in, shaking his finger at them. "We find better time to spend our words and time on."
"Like trying to figure our which dwarves are the female ones?" Amelia suggested innocently. "Aren't your people the one where both the men and women have beards?" She saw Éowyn barely restraining a smile at the sound of their banter and she felt that same satisfaction at making her smile rise again.
"Why yes, that have actually given ground to much confusion!" Gimli exclaimed merrily and shuffled in his saddle. His horse looked pretty unhappy about that. "In fact, there are rumors abound that there are no dwarf women, and that dwarves simply…" He waved his hands. "Spring out from the rock itself!" He chortled and Amelia saw Éowyn's mask finally breaking as she laughed, a beautiful, natural sound that was much more befitting than her normally cold exterior. "Which is, of course, ridiculous…" Gimli made a loud gasp as his horse lost its patience and ran forwards, forcing Éowyn to let go of its reins and making Gimli roll off and land in the grass, shouting that it was entirely intentional on his part, to make the horse do whatever it had done. Amelia laughed at the sight as Éowyn hurried to his side, laughing as well, and Amelia saw Théoden looking back at his niece with a fond expression.
"What's ridiculous is your poor attempts at riding a horse!" Amelia called to him between her laughs. "Even I'm better than that!" Her horse flicked its ears and she gave it a nervous look. "That was not a challenge." She muttered at it and Éowyn's laughter rang like a bubbling river.
"I haven't heard you laugh for a while." Boromir's voice reached her ears and she saw still smiling when she turned her head towards him.
"I haven't had reason to." She answered back as her grey mare flicked its ears at a fly and Éowyn tried to help Gimli back on his horse. "It does feel… good." To keep the conversation flowing, she looked to the south, to the mountains covered in snow rising there. "Gondor is behind those mountains, isn't it?"
"It is." Boromir nodded and Amelia smiled to herself. If she could just get Boromir back to his homeland, back to his family and back to the life he deserved, she would be content.
"No, no, it's alright…" Gimli waved his arms as Éowyn finally got him back on his horse and Amelia hesitantly clucked her tongue at her horse. It was a calm female, she had been assured, one not suited for battle or quick sprints, with a calm temper and a good amount of patience. It didn't go into a trot, but it did quicken its pace briefly to catch up to Éowyn, who took its reins again. The bumping of the quick walk made Amelia gasp and tighten her grip on her saddle, for fear of sliding off just as Gimli had done. Amelia shook her head and gently touched her shoulder, which had begun to throb at the jolts of the quickened pace, and winced when it hurt.
"Does it pain you?" Aragorn easily caught up to her with his expertly handling of his own steed and his sharp eyes did not miss the flash of pain on Amelia's face. She was about to shake her head automatically, but knew that that would only alarm Aragorn further.
"Yeah. It does. It's not too bad though. Don't worry."
"I'll refer to your judgment for now…" Aragorn hesitated and Amelia sighed.
"I'm sensing a 'but' there…"
"But I do think that, in whatever fight may come, that you should not participate." Amelia gaped at him, but then she thought it through. She narrowed her eyes, as if she was about to argue, and she could see Aragorn steeling himself for her refusal.
"It wasn't my swordarm I got injured." She reminded him instead and she could tell that he was surprised by her logical thinking.
"That might be so, but it will still hinder you." Instead of a verbal battle of will or temper, it had become one of reasoning and wits.
"Sure, but lots of people fight on with an injury and even if we make it to Helm's Deep, we're still outnumbered. Saruman has a lot of orcs, Aragorn." She put special emphasis on the words 'a lot'. She lowered her voice even further so that he had to lean against her to hear. "They're going to make boys fight. Children, Aragorn. Even with my stupid arm, I'm still more capable than a teenage boy and they're going to get sent out to fight. To stay while they went out to fight for me, in a fight that they should never have to be in… It wouldn't be right and you know it." Aragorn sighed and leaned back in his saddle.
"When did you get so reasonable?" He wondered and Amelia's mouth quirked upwards.
"Since I found out that it was more effective than yelling swears. Doesn't mean I won't stop doing that too though."
"I know you too well to assume as such." Aragorn smiled at her and she smiled back at him.
"Don't worry. If we run into trouble before we get there, I won't go running into it unless I have no choice."
"That is good to hear." Amelia caught sight of the Evenstar gleaming on his chest and her eyes rested on it for a moment longer than necessary before she turned away, content with simply absorbing the rocking feel of the walk of the horse in her hips and how the breeze made her hair dance like a flag.
A/N: This is the shortest chapter yet, but things are really starting to pick up by now! I hope you'll leave a review behind, no matter how small it is, cause it really helps me out with my motivation and just my mood in general!
Oh, and, uh...
To those of you who are worried that I'll abandon this story...
I've already written all 35 chapters
Any guesses as to what'll happen? Tell me in a PM or a review! I hope you have an amazing day and that you've eaten a cookie recently, cause ya'll deserve it!