Thanks for pointing out the issue with this chapter, Arrana. Should be fixed now...and I should so be going to class instead of this, but oh well I'll still make it in time:)
The beginning chapters are a bit on the short side, so I'm trying to get that out as fast as I can; unfortunately, I have the quintessential "bad feeling about this" that it will end up taking a lot of time between updates compared to how speedily I managed to pop them out in Exploring Darkness. My professors have turned a bit psycho/evil, and I just keep ending up with too much homework to get the amount of writing time I was used to. So apologies in advance, and I'll do my best to stay on top of this. And of course, many thanks to everyone who helped me try to come up with a name. Noldo, Avie, Narwen, Laiquendi—hugs to you:)
Chapter Two
Éowyn swallowed a smile as she watched the Prince of Mirkwood—Eryn Lasgalen, it was now called, she remembered—and the Lord of the Glittering Caves come towards her. She was used by now to the mismatched pair; her amusement stemmed instead from their restrained eagerness. To a normal observer, both Dwarf and Elf seemed to be proceeding calmly, but the Elvish spring in Legolas's step had a pronounced forward motion, and rather than subtly slowing his stride to match Gimli's shorter one as he did unconsciously when they walked together—well, the Dwarf's legs were pumping to keep up with his friend, and neither of them seemed to notice. Further, Éowyn could see that the dreamy, half-absent expression that normally filled Legolas's sharp eyes was replaced by avid anticipation, and Gimli's nigh-perpetual (and affected) scowl had vanished in eyes that shone above a bright grin. Both of them, however, were attempting to disguise their eagerness; that attempted stateliness was what had Éowyn's mouth twitching. Still, she noted, Gimli couldn't help but examine the stonework of the new hall; he nodded in approval at parts, likely picking out the pieces that he and his Dwarven friends had done.
Éowyn hurried forward to meet them (before the Dwarf ran into a pillar), for despite the high and distinguished rankings all three of them held, none of them cared to bother with the time-consuming conventions propriety called for between them. She dismissed the advisors and guards who frequented the hall, wanting privacy with her friends. One of the women indicated her disapproval with a sniff, but they all exited, leaving the three of them alone to talk.
They exchanged enthusiastic greetings. Éowyn gave both of them a kiss on the cheeks, causing Legolas's composed expression to twitch in a smile and Gimli to blush bright red to the roots of his hair and mutter something unintelligible. The other two laughed, and Legolas was treated to a fierce glare—although Éowyn instead received an embarrassed bow.
"Now," said Gimli, quickly changing the subject from Dwarven blushes and Rohirrim kisses before Legolas could say something witty, "where is that husband of yours? Hiding, I suppose, for fear that the Elf here" —Gimli jerked his head to indicate Legolas and snorted derisively— "will find some plants to wax poetic on or drag him off to study a tree?"
"Nay," cut in Legolas, laughing, "he hides for fear that contact with a Dwarf will turn his head from thoughts of noble worth to the sluggish things that fill such small minds as that of my companion." Legolas nimbly skipped away from a kick Gimli aimed at his ankles. "But come," he said, and though there was still laughter on his face and in his voice, his tone was serious, "where is Faramir, for we much desire to speak with him as well?"
"I regret to tell you, he is not here. He left some days ago on a journey for King Aragorn."
"Ai, Gimli," exclaimed Legolas, "we are too late! I did fear we tarried long!"
Gimli looked no less stricken than his friend and their reactions filled Éowyn with worry. "What fools we are, ambling along with no thought to the haste of Men!" The Dwarf beat himself on the brow.
Éowyn, hands clasped so tightly together that they were white, burst in fearfully, "what is it? What danger now plagues him? Hurry—you must tell me the evil!"
Elf and Dwarf stared at her a moment in shock, then Legolas caught her hands, which were wringing themselves painfully. "Nay, lady!" he spoke quickly, his voice soothing, "there is naught to fear. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive Gimli and myself for causing you pain, for such we would never intend to do." His bright eyes were locked on hers with an Elvish intensity, and Éowyn felt the strange rush of emotion subside and she grew quite calm. "We spoke as we did for we had planned to find Faramir here—in truth it was our intention for coming, for we had been thinking on the problems facing Ithilien and wished to share with him some ideas—but I fear that we had no thought for speed, and idled on our journey."
Gimli broke in then, his voice showing his anger with himself for giving the woman distress. "I remember now overhearing Aragorn speak of a task for which he needed Faramir, but we are such fools that we never though to hurry lest we miss him."
Legolas responded almost automatically, his tongue instinctively gibing the Dwarf while his attention remained focused on Éowyn. "You are such a fool, Master Dwarf, but I do not share in the title, for I heard no such thing or I would have hurried our steps—and so you are doubly a fool, for not only did you fail to think to speed us on, you also neglected sharing this knowledge with me. Fear not, though; I forgive you. I am afraid that it is the lot of Dwarves to be doubly fools, as that is the only explanation for them."
"Nay," Gimli snapped back out of reflex for he was also focused on Éowyn, "if I acted the fool, it is only that I have been in your company too long and Elvish folly is so powerful as to rub of on even such intelligent a being as a Dwarf."
Legolas opened his mouth to reply absently, but before he could speak Éowyn started laughing. The automatic banter, following so closely her heart-wrenching fear, was suddenly disproportionately funny, and she could not restrain her mirth. Legolas and Gimli looked at her with such alarm that she laughed even harder at the comical expressions on their faces. The Elf and Dwarf exchanged concerned looks, and somehow decided silently on a course of action. Legolas smoothly slipped a hand under her elbow and turned her around. He led her towards a chair that Gimli was dragging forward.
Éowyn's stomach ached with laughter, and she sat gratefully in the offered chair. The Elf and Dwarf stationed themselves on opposite sides of her, watching anxiously. They think I'm hysterical, she thought, bemused. Éowyn chuckled weakly as she brought herself under control. She wiped at her eyes, and smiled gratefully when Gimli offered a handkerchief—she was too out of breath to speak.
She shooed off their concern, assuring them that she had simply had a surfeit of unexpected emotions. When they pressed her, worried, she told them that it had to do with being a human woman, and happened as the moon turned. She was rewarded with some of the most fearful looks she had ever seen cross either's face, and Gimli went bright red again. A faint rose even brushed Legolas's pale cheeks, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing again. It had not been strictly accurate, although it was somewhat close to the truth, but neither of them was in any way eager to inquire closely enough to realize her innocent deception; nor, for that matter, was it likely that either of them understood enough about certain functions of the biology of human women to recognize that she had lied, even if their curiosity had not been so abruptly quenched. It was not that she wanted to deceive them; she simply wanted to inform Faramir before she told anyone else her news.
Suddenly noticing something, Éowyn looked at her friends curiously. "Why are you wet?" she asked, knowing that no rain had fallen this day.
If she had needed anything else to distract them from her emotional state, she had found it. Gimli immediately launched into a grieved tale of the woes he had encountered at the hands of the Elf on their travels, which was much interrupted by Legolas's amendments and additions to the story.
Soon the three of them were gathered around a table of refreshments and laughing like the old friends they were. It was an interesting combination of noise; the low, gravely avalanche-rumble of the Dwarf; the rich, free laughter of the horse-woman; and the soft, song-like chuckles of the Elf. Yet they mingled well, harmonizing joyfully into the sound of friendship.
……………..
Éowyn was up shortly after the sun the next day, despite retiring quite late. She ambled out on to the parapet and watched the sun play on the grass for a few moments until she noticed a tall, slim silhouette framed in the early light. Yawning away the remnants of sleep, she walked over to bid Legolas a good morning.
He turned as she approached, his Elvish senses probably having noticed her before she left the stairs. "Good morn, Lady Éowyn." His soft voice seemed a part of the morning as he bowed slightly.
"And a pleasant one to you, my friend," she replied, smiling. They walked to the wall and enjoyed the yellow sunlight in companionable silence for a few minutes.
"And where is Lord Gimli this morning?" asked Éowyn eventually.
Legolas laughed. "The great Dwarven lord, I am afraid," he explained solemnly, "has not yet graced the morning with his presence. I fear that last night's battle did prove too much for him, and he is even now regretting the conflict with the wineskins." Legolas sighed and shook his head, face sad. "He will no doubt tell you, when he finally wakes, that he received a most grievous wound—as he informed me late last night when I mentioned the severity of his snores; or, as he called them, the complaints of his injuries."
Éowyn laughed, and grinned at her friend. "Would you wish to accept, then, my offer of separate rooms this evening?" the gracious hostess asked politely.
Legolas looked at Éowyn as if she had taken leave of her wits. "Leave a Dwarf with no one to watch him? And in stone buildings, no less? I fear that without sharp eyes on his every movement, your citadel would not long remain standing."
Éowyn laughed again, and they stood watching the morning.
"Tell me, my lady," Legolas asked after a pause, "when did Faramir depart?"
"He left but three days under a week ago—two now, I suppose," she replied. "Wish you to go after him? I know their path, and can have fast horses soon prepared. I do not believe that the errand was serious, nor urgent enough to warrant hard riding. They may not yet have arrived at their destination, and at any event you are distinct enough a personage that my lord would know 'ere you entered the city to meet…"
"Nay," Legolas smiled at her, "we had no urgent errand in coming; I wished merely to confer with him regarding the reclaiming of the lands, and that can wait for his return. And then, the haste with which we would need to ride to overtake him" —his smile turned mischievous, and he raised his voice slightly— "well, you have seen yourself how taxed even our gentle journey here left my companion. I fear that the Lord Gimli could never sustain the necessary pace. It is a failing of all Dwarves, I think, but Gimli especially so—"
Legolas was interrupted by a ferocious sputtering behind them. "A failing of the Dwarves?" Gimli demanded incredulously. "Say rather it is a failing of the Elves to be hopelessly lazy. This great prince here" —he indicated Legolas with a snort— "cannot so bestir himself for the chase, and so attempts to find excuse, weak though it may be. No sensible being would ever question the strength of the Dwarves—'though whether Elves be sensible creatures is debatable."
"Dwarven strengths may well be impressive in some circles," Legolas responded in a tone that said he much doubted it, "but it deteriorates when not kept stoked with copious amounts of food, and since you did rise so late this morning, I fear that your missed breakfast will make you much lag behind."
Gimli started to reply, then stopped. "Missed breakfast?" he asked in horror, gaping at them.
Legolas looked at him pityingly. "It is already such a late hour of the morning, Master Dwarf," he said sternly, "that I suggest you conserve your energies until luncheon, which is not altogether far off." The Elf nodded to both of them to excuse himself and disappeared down the stairs.
Gimli stared after him in shock, then looked at Éowyn. His eyes narrowed when he saw the sun's position. "Why, it is not yet past eight!" he exclaimed in outrage.
Éowyn laughed. "No," she reassured the Dwarf, "nor have you missed your morning repast. Come, let us go down together. We shall, I am sure, meet Lord Legolas in the dinning hall."
Gimli grumbled something uncomplimentary about certain Elvish princes, and followed Éowyn from the parapet. Light Elven laughter echoed down the stairs in front of them as Gimli followed the Lady of Ithilien and plotted his revenge with every step.
……………..
Faramir reined in his horse and held up a fist to signal his small escort to stop. He looked at them over his shoulder; Beregond met his eyes and quirked the corner of his mouth in a wry grin. Faramir's grey eyes twinkled in humor that did not move his lips.
"You all know why King Elessar sent us, men," said Faramir, his voice low so that it would not carry in the twilight. "So I need not remind you to be on your best behavior." The Gondorians nodded, their faces solemn—but that was the common expression in Gondor, even with Aragorn on the throne and Mordor vanquished. "All right," he said more quietly. "Now, double check that you wear nothing that will mark us as Gondor."
"I fear that is a lost cause, my lord," Egalmoth said dourly. "We shall be hopelessly marked as men of Gondor whatsoever clothes we wear and sigils we hide." He waved a hand to indicate their plain garb, bereft of white trees or stars.
Faramir smiled grimly at his men. "And can not Gondor's merchants trade without the official interest of their king, providing they are willing to scout their potential partners themselves?"
The Gondorians chuckled, remembering the trouble that had been gone to in order to begin that rumor. Faramir glanced at Beregond, who grinned back at his lord. With a nod, Faramir signaled his men to ride forward, down to the city…
Will not put off homework for fanfiction, will not…okay, fine, I will. Gee, I held out against temptation really well there, don't you think? Heh. More fun than typing up psych papers or cutting out little colored squares… Anyway, I want to thank everybody who reviewed! Made me very happy! Welcome to the story:)
Reviewer Responses:
Deana – beautiful dance, really. Here, let me help you up off that floor before you roll into something painful…
Laiquendi – Yup, many thanks to you! And I'm really glad you liked the beginning. And welcome again to the craziness of the lotr forums… Have a raincoat. If we're still food-fighting, you'll need it…especially if Git keeps throwing vegemite! I'd suggest not hiding behind me (a.k.a. Tathrin) as I seem to have become a target…
Avalon – Ostad literally means "two city" just like your tadcaras, I just liked ost (walled-city) because that was shorter so it seemed more like a nickname. And yep, you pegged our lovely white lady's "secret" easily. Thanks again for your help!
Lil Pippin – glad I could please you! Hope you like the way it evolves. Keep me posted!
flowerbee1 – welcome! Hope you like. Hot chocolate while you make yourself comfortable? holds out a mug.
ForeverFaramir – thank you very much, I'm glad to hear you liked the intro. Keep reading, we get exciting soon!Jebb – Er…um, glad I could help with that mental-imaging…um…note to self: never dump Legolas in a river again, and beat Gimli over his helmeted head for doing so… Hee, no, really, I'm glad I could refresh your mental energies. But, they're the "synamic" duo now, huh? lol Gotta love fun typos… ;P
If I get the chance, I'll put up a new chapter sometime this week. Otherwise, Thursday night is the start of my week-end, so I'll definately procrastinate from homework long enough to do this first! Cheers, all!