When Sedryn awoke, she found Boromir lying next to her asleep, his face nuzzled into her neck and his arm resting on her chest. She smiled. She was more comfortable than she remembered feeling in a long time, but when she tried to turn to face Boromir her leg flared with pain and a whimper escaped her lips. Boromir awoke with a start, forcing his eyes open. "Sedryn?" he said, his voice thick with sleep. "All right?"

"Yeah, sorry," she said, and her voice sounded strange even to her. "Tried to turn over and my leg cramped."

"Cramped?" Boromir said, wakefulness coming to him. "Don't you remember what happened?"

"What?" she said, grimacing as her leg began to throb. "We left Gondor yesterday, didn't we?"

"We left five days ago," Boromir said slowly.

"We did?!" she said incredulously. "I feel like…I'm-I've just come from there."

Boromir nodded. "You were dreaming of it nearly all the time you've been asleep. Day before yesterday we were ambushed after making camp in an abandoned cabin. We rode our way out but you were hurt—your leg got slashed and you lost a lot of blood." Boromir continued.

"I did?" she repeated, the pain in her leg forgotten, for the moment.

"Mm-hmm." He answered, sitting up. "Yesterday we met up with a group of Rohirrim going after the Orcs. The second Fieldmarshal of Rohan was with them, Eomer, and he detailed six men to stay with us. One of them was their healer, Theo. He cleaned your wound and took care of it."

She nodded, suddenly sleepy again. "Are you all right?"

A grin flickered over his face. "Yes, now." he said. "Are you?"

"Disoriented," she admitted, still trying to figure out how she had gotten from Gondor to Rohan in the blink of an eye. "And I'm thirsty."

Boromir nodded. "I'll get—"

"Excuse me," a deep voice cut in from the other side of the tent. "May I enter?"

"Of course, Theo," Boromir said, opening the tent flap to reveal the biggest man Sedryn had ever seen, not even excepting Boromir. She blinked.

The man bowed his head and offered her a cup of water. "Lady Sedryn." He said. "I'm Theorwael, Theo for short."

She smiled. "Of course," she said hoarsely, really very thirsty and trying to ignore the throbbing in her leg. "Boromir has told me about what you've done for us, please, accept my thanks."

She watched amusedly as he blushed. "I've done nothing, Lady, but my duty." he said as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Boromir put pillows under her and smiled as she sank into them in relief. Reaching for the cup, she averted her eyes, embarrassed, as the cup shook uncontrollably in her hands. Boromir helped her lift it up and drink.

Theo smiled. "Go back to sleep, Lady." He said. "We'll feed you later."

She smiled back and nodded. "Thanks."

"You too, if I may, Lord Boromir," Theo added. "You still look rather weary."

He dipped his head. "Yes, I am." He agreed. Theo nodded and left.

Sedryn pulled some pillows from under her head and put them back where they had been when Boromir was sleeping.

Coming? Healer's orders, she sent as she yawned.

"Mm-hm." He answered aloud, and slipped in beneath the blankets with her, his arms falling into their customary place around her waist. Within moments, they were again asleep.

Later that day, Sedryn awoke much refreshed to the sound of horse hooves galloping into the encampment. Boromir wasn't in the tent anymore; she guessed he had gone to see what was going on. Her leg didn't hurt as badly anymore. Experimentally, she stretched it out. It twinged a bit, but she figured she could probably sit up on her own. Working slowly so not to get dizzy, she sat up and took a deep breath. "So far so good," she thought, and wondered if she should try to get up. But she discarded the idea rather quickly – she had always chided her warrior patients for trying too hard too soon. Turning with care, she put the pillows behind her again to use as a prop and turned to her leg, carefully undoing the bandages, cleaning the wound, and rubbing it with salve before bandaging it with fresh clothes. She waited.

Just then her stomach growled, and although there was no one with her, she blushed. She would be hungry.

Just as she was beginning to get bored, Boromir slipped in to the tent. Seeing her awake and upright, he smiled at her. "Fieldmarshal Eomer returned. The remainder of the Orcs are finished; he said that they went all the way to the cabin we stayed at and counted the carcasses." Boromir didn't mention that they had been stripped of all meat by the other Orcs. "Imagine, he counted eighteen down!"

Sedryn's eyes widened in surprise at the number. "How many total were there?" she asked.

"Some score and a half." He answered. "But here, you can speak to him yourself. He's waiting outside."

She nodded and bowed her head as Eomer came in.

"Milady," he said. "I am glad to see that you are well."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks to you and yours." She answered.

"Have you eaten?" Eomer asked. At her answer he said "I'll send Theo with some food for you."

"No need, Lord," Theo said from behind him, a tray in his hand. "I'm here."

Eomer chuckled. "I'll leave you to it, then," he said, backing out to the tent flaps so Theo could get in. "He told me that you would be ready to leave at earliest by tomorrow. We'll leave for Rohan at sunup; you are more than welcome to travel with us and to stay in Rohan until you have fully recovered. You can ride with your husband or with one of the other men, or we can carry you in a sling."

Boromir agreed. "It would indeed be best if we traveled to Rohan – it lies along our path and we intended to stop there to visit –"

I didn't know that, Sedryn interjected.

" – so we gratefully accept your hospitality." Boromir said, not skipping a beat.

Without realizing it Sedryn breathed a sigh of relief. She had known she was unable to travel yet.

Theo put the tray on her lap and said, "Once you've finished eating I would like to check your wound."

"Don't worry, Theo, I already checked it." Sedryn answered. "I'm a healer as well."

His face brightened. "Good! Do you need anything for it?"

"Thank you, no," she answered. "I used the stuff in my bag." She said, gesturing to the open bag beside her. "I cleaned and re-bandaged it; it's healing nicely."

He nodded. "Would you like to sit outside?" he asked. "It is warm enough."

"Yes, please," she answered.

Comfortably ensconced outside the tent she fell into a sleepy reverie. Although she liked these quiet, sturdy men of Rohan, she was eager to be gone, game leg notwithstanding. Hopefully tomorrow would not be too long in coming…

As Eomer had said, they left the next day at sunup. She pointedly refused a stretcher, choosing instead to be handed up to Boromir to ride in front of him. Settling into the saddle, she tried not to lean too much on Boromir and instead sit up straight. She managed to do so, although Theo had to put her foot into the stirrup for her.

It was barely two hours into their ride when Sedryn felt herself begin to tire. Cursing under her breath, she shifted in the saddle. "Lean on me," Boromir whispered into her ear.

She sent him a grateful reply and relaxed. Just then, Eomer spoke. "We'll be at Rohan by nightfall."