DISCLAIMER: All Characters were created by the brilliant Prof. Tolkien
NOTES: Here goes another chapter, the next one will be more on the romance side of things.
Words and Meaning
„ Lothiriel…" The young woman lifted her head from the needle-work she had been pursuing idly for some time, without really making an effort.
"Eowyn, ...good I am in dire want of company." She sighed, sitting up straighter. She had been lounging in the alcove for quite some time and had taken up stitching a pattern of leaves onto one of her cloaks out of sheer boredom. The men had been out hunting all afternoon, and Lothiriel had suddenly found herself without anything to do.
"Forgive me for neglecting you ….there were matters I had to attend to."
Lothiriel gave a soft laugh shaking her head.
"Please, do not apologize…"
"Well, "Eowyn smiled warmly at her, sitting down opposite to her as Lothiriel sat put aside her sewing kit with another sigh of relief. They looked at each other for a moment, until Eowyn raised an eyebrow. "After ….last night, I was wondering …"
Now it was Lothiriel´s turn to raise a brow at the other woman, suddenly realizing why her friend seemed to choose her words ever so carefully. Eowyn´s eyes became a little wider than usual as she seemed to argue with herself about the right phrasing, a sight that Lothiriel had truly not beheld when it came to Eomer´s sister.
Eowyn could feel her brows drawing together and she silently chided herself for behaving in this ridiculous manner. It almost made her feel like an old matron. Though when she had mentioned this to her husband this morning, Faramir had laughed loudly and assured her in the warmest of terms, that she was indeed everything but. Lothiriel was not a child, they were both grown women and they had talked about many a thing. There was no need for apprehension or false delicacy and yet …somehow Eowyn could not believe that she was of a mind to have this conversation.
"I was just wondering whether you …had a topic you would like to discuss with me, some thing …."
Lothiriel´s eyebrows shot up in perfect unison. "Oh no!" she said, shaking her head with a mocking smile, holding one hand out as though to fend off an enemy.
"Oh Eowyn…" Lothiriel could not help but laugh. "I already feel like you truly are a sister to me and I would gladly discuss any matter that you deem necessary with you, but…"
She shook her head again. "But if the subject of this conversation is what I think you think it should be, believe me, you can hardly tell me anything that I have not heard in the past few days."
For the time of a heartbeat Eowyn looked at her in confusion, then she rolled her eyes in an irritated manner and tried to suppress a sigh.
"The ladies?" she asked with an amused expression.
Lothiriel leaned forward with a scandalized frown.
"Like you would not believe!" exclaimed Lothiriel in mock horror. She lowered her voice as Eowyn leaned forward too and they looked at each other in an almost conspiring manner.
"These women talk …a lot! And it was not as though my mother had not imparted some knowledge to me when I was old enough to hear about these things."
"Oh …" Eowyn nodded empathically. "I remember." It was not something she was bound to forget even if she lived for a thousand years. "They are all good advice and giggles…"
"You give them leave to speak freely and they really do…"
"Yes, talk they do….without end." Eowyn added and they both laughed.
"If my father knew of some of the things I heard…." Lothiriel said finally, tugging a strand of hair that had escaped her braids behind her ear. "He would find a way to delay this wedding for another ten years and lock me up in the highest tower of Dol Amroth for safekeeping!"
They both laughed again, looking at each other. By then the doors of the great hall were thrown open wide with lots of noise and Eowyn could hear her brother's booming voice cutting through the tranquillity.
"Wine and lots of it, for my good friend …." He yelled as he strolled across the hall, sending servants scrambling for the kitchen to do his bidding. "And feed the fires well, I think we'll feed on boar tonight, what say you, Elphir my friend?"
Lothiriel and Eowyn exchanged surprised glances and rose from their seats in the alcove to see what was happening.
"I think that we will feast like kings tonight, Eomer." Answered another roaring voice.
It wasn't so much the words that made the two women hasten around the corner, but the heartfelt belly laughs that suddenly rang through the hall.
"Oh ….my…." Eowyn said simply, her eyes growing wide as her gaze fell upon her brother and Elphir, standing in the middle of the hall caked in mud and dirt from head to toe, Elphir´s arm casually thrown over Eomer´s shoulders. They were toasting each other, still laughing loudly and apparently congratulating themselves for some great deed, just as the rest of the hunting party entered the hall.
Lothiriel´s eyes took in the surprising situation with slight unease, noticing the bloody scratches on her intended's face.
"What is happening?" she whispered. Eowyn arched an eyebrow at her pushing her hair back over her shoulders while her eyes wandered from the traces of blood she could see in one corner of her brother's mouth, the purplish bruise that was slowly developing on the underside of his jaw. In addition Elphir seemed to sport the remnants of a bloody nose and what seemed to be a black eye.
She motioned for Faramir, who already seemed to saunter into their direction, not quite as dirty or bloody than his friends.
"How come my brother looks like he joined a fist fight?" she asked, taking the hand he offered her.
"I was not there to see it, I have to admit." Faramir said, taking a goblet of wine from a tray that was being offered by a passing servant. "They were too far ahead of the rest of us, chasing a boar into the undergrowth. They both dismounted and apparently started arguing how best to lure the beast from its hiding place and it seems the argument got out of hand and they came to blows."
"Hardly surprising…" Lothiriel whispered, crossing her arms in front of her chest to glare at her brother from where they were standing.
Faramir afforded her a small smile and continued. "It seems that the boar found that the argument awarded him an opportunity and attacked, almost succeeding in running them to the ground, but by then they recovered and were able to kill the beast together.
Another bout of laughter rolled through the hall of Meduseld like distant thunder. Lothiriel could see her brother slapping Eomer´s back amicably."I still don't understand how this change of behaviour came about …."
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Eowyn said, giving Lothiriel a mildly amused smile. "They are men. First they bloodied each other, than they killed something together ….now they are the best of friends."
Lothiriel shook her head. "Come, let us greet them home."
"Ahhh …." Elphir said, still grinning from ear to ear as he saw them approach. He toasted towards his sister with his goblet, spilling some of the wine onto his dirty leather armour.
"My beautiful sister and my friend Faramir´s striking wife." He said, bowing from the neck downwards. Lothiriel pursed her lips, her eyes wandering from her brother to Eomer.
" I trust you had a successful outing, milord?" she inquired, keeping her face friendly and blank like a courtier, but Eomer could see the amused sparkle in her blue eyes. He pulled off his glove to take her hand. Bowing over it, he placed a chaste kiss onto the back of her fingers.
"The best, gentle lady, the best!" he exclaimed, giving her a smile.
"I'm glad." She said quietly, aware of the people watching their interaction intently.
"And you my brother…." She said turning her attention to Elphir who stood close, smirking at her. "I see this afternoon finds you in great spirits."
Her elder brother straightened a little under her clear gaze, laughing again. "Your betrothed is quiet the marksman, sister …truly a man of my heart. You should see the beast we hunted down together…."
Eowyn tried to hide a smile, arching an eyebrow at Eomer. "Will you look at yourself, brother." She chided softly, shaking her head with a smile.
The king of Rohan looked at his mud caked clothes and then at the two women in front of them in their crisp, clean dresses. He could almost smell the scent of wild flowers wafting over to him from where Lothiriel was standing close, watching him with mirth dancing in her eyes.
"You are quite right, sister." He said, nodding at her. He put his hand on Elphir´s shoulder."Off to the baths we go. Come my friend, let's leave the boar to the capable hands of the kitchen and make sure we will be fit for company."
Faramir laughed, watching them go, until Eowyn´s eyes turned to him as he was still sipping his wine. "You may not be quite as dirty as they are, husband, but if you value my company this night you will follow them this instance." She clarified while Lothiriel turned to look at a nearby pillar, biting her lip not to burst out laughing.
Faramir´s gaze held Eowyn´s for a second, his face softening while his eyes lingered on every line of her beautiful features. Then a slow smile crept across his face and he bowed low, taking her hand to kiss her palm. "As my lady bids, so shall it be done." He murmured, following his friends.
Eowyn watched him go, and then turned to the princess of Dol Amroth with a sigh.
"A feast to remember tonight, I'm sure." She said, pursing her lips. "Now that all these men are friends, eating the boar they slew with their own hands, there will be nothing but drinking and war stories all night."