Ailith led her mare from her stall.
"No, child. You can't use that horse. She won't be used to the distance we have to travel or the pace we have to set," Folcred said behind her.
"Can I take anything with me?" she replied angrily. He grabbed her bandaged hand and examined it critically.
"This won't make the riding any easier for you," he said. She snatched it back.
"I'm well aware of that," she said. Her mare nuzzled her affectionately and then turned and walked back into her stall.
"We have a horse ready for you," Folcred said. She looked past him to the waiting stallion and laughed shakily.
"You expect me to ride all the way to the Wold on a horse I've never ridden before," she said incredulously. When he didn't answer, she shoved past him with her saddle and slung it over the horse's back.
"I can do it myself!" she said shrilly when he stepped up to help her. She blew out a shaky breath and tried to push violets from her mind.
She mounted the horse. He trotted away obediently when she dug her heels in his flanks.
Théoden was standing at the top of the steps of Meduseld, the court about him. Ailith glanced up at them and then looked straight ahead. She did not want them to see her cry. Their final sight of her was not going to be a tear-stained face.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her King raise a hand to Folcred. A pale figure leant against one dressed in Rider green. She tried to ignore them. She had to remain strong.
As they passed through the gates of Edoras, she slumped forward in her saddle and let the tears fall.
"When you left the Wold, you were not so tearful," Folcred noted, bringing his horse alongside hers.
"When I left the Wold, I had fewer people to say goodbye to," she replied stiffly. "When will we reach it?"
"Tomorrow evening."
She stared at him. Fresh tears sprang up, tears of anger instead of grief.
"Tomorrow evening! It took Father and I four days to make the journey before! How can we possibly do it in two!" she spluttered. He met her gaze coolly.
" The North waits for no Man. You will match our pace or we will leave you behind," was all he said. He flicked the reins of his horse and moved to the head of the party. When there, he rose in his stirrups and gave the shout meaning to increase the speed.
Ailith gritted her teeth. They wanted to test her, fine. She could keep up with them.