Chapter 14

Skyler sighed as she thought back to Mithrandir who had left them when they left Rohan for Helm's Deep. Where's that wizard when they needed him. Though, Skyler had made a promise to herself to stay positive, it was quite difficult to do so in such situations, situations where all odds seemed to be against them.

She whirled out of the hall managing to flatten herself to the side just in time to avoid colliding with Eowyn who rushed towards to the hall without seeing her.

Skyler stared after Eowyn wondering what the rush was. She shook her head; this was not the time to be wondering about that. She would need to get ready for battle. The Uru-kai would be arriving soon.

A hand touched her arm lightly and Skyler turned around rather quickly: "M…Ash?" she said at the last minute glancing at the guards walking around.

"Come, I have some armor and clothes that you may wear. I know elves commonly avoid armors and since you weren't wearing any when you arrived I assume you didn't bring one." Ashlocke said as she led Skyler towards the room she occupied.

"But what about you?"

"Don't worry, I have my own. Come let's get you suited up, I don't want to see you just to lose you again." Ashlocke said softly, so softly that Skyler almost didn't hear the last words.

Skyler patted her shoulder: "Don't worry, it'll take more than some monsters to take me down mother."

Ashlocke just gave her a wistful smile: "You've gotten so much stronger since I last saw you."

Skyler was about to refute it when she found that she just couldn't deny it. Five hundred years were enough to change anyone. She could not just sprout those bare face lies and say she hadn't change. But…

"I did change, but just having you here is enough to remedy any bad changes I may have." Skyler smiled.

Ashlocke seemed shock at the soggy drama lines Skyler sprouted. Skyler had never done that before when they were on Earth. She was thought those lines were too disgustingly cliché to say them even though she did love her mother very much.

Skyler saw her mother's shock and laughed slightly: "Five hundred years also taught me that time is too precious to spend on dodging our true emotions. That's probably why elves are so much more straightforward than humans."

Ashlocke laughed softly as she took out a large bundle from one of the closets: "Yes, I suppose we have much to learn from each other."

"I guess, oh wow…" Skyler trailed off as Ashlocke unveiled the armors, "They are beautiful…"

Ashlocke shook her head: "I know tis nothing compared to elven armor but…"

"No, they're wonderful." Skyler said as she trailed her finger along the opaque surface. The armor was light yet sturdy, and it was more feminine than the other bulking armors she had seen the man wore.

"I made them myself; I wasn't too taken with the smithies around here." Ashlocke said.

"Talented as usual, mother." Skyler laughed.

"Don't be pert, Sky." Ashlocke admonished as she took out some black clothes and handed them to Sky, "Here, hurry and change."

"Sheesh, are you actually looking forward to the battle or something? You're the one who takes an hour to get ready, not me." Skyler said rolling her eyes as she went behind a curtain to change. When she was done she came out to see her mother dressed in the exact same, and she had just finished braiding her hair into a tight French braid.

Skyler blinked and said slowly: "That was fast…"

"Practice makes perfect; come over here so I can brush your hair. It looks like a bird nested in it."

"Well, excuse me, I did just change clothes."

"Be quiet, and get over here."

"Yes mam'."

"You're being pertinent again."

Skyler laughed and shook her head: "Are you trying to make us look identical or something? You know they'll mess us up if you do that, right? Or is this one of your evil schemes?"

Ashlocke lightly smacked the head she was brushing: "Don't be ridiculous. It was a lot easier to make identical armors and clothes rather than thinking about designs. And how would I know you would go anorexic on me and lose ten pounds."

Skyler rolled her eyes again: "Look who's talking; I'm not the one who looked like a model AFTER birth."

"Funny." Ashlocke snorted, "If you didn't sit on your butt all day you wouldn't have to whine."

"School actually required sitting down back then." Skyler retorted and winced as her mother tugged especially hard on one of the knotted strands, "Oww, are you trying to skin me alive? Easy on the tangles."

"It would have been easier had you actually brush your hair often."

"Yes mother, I'll just go and pack a hairbrush right beside my scabbard." Skyler replied sarcastically.

"Don't be pert with me." Ashlocke said as she tugged hard on the hair again.

"Ow, frell, mother!" Skyler yelped.

"Suck it up." Ashlocke said with a light tug.

"Evil."

"And if I was you'd be spawn of Evil."

"Haha."

"Exactly."

Thirty minutes later Skyler's hair was braided and pulled up into a bun while the front had two thin strands of braid tucked behind her ears. Skyler took a look in the mirror and nodded approvingly.

"Like I said, talented as usual, mother."

"That's only because I care about what I look like."

"Since your future sister-in-law is right here."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I, on the other hand, have no incentives to look nice."

"Oh Sky, are you still male-phobic?"

"Mother, that's not even a word." Skyler said rolling her eyes again, "and no, not exactly. Haldir's in Lothlorien." She said blushing slightly.

"Haldir?"

"He's…the Marchwarden of Lothlorien."

"The Elven kingdom."

"Yes."

"So, he's an elf."

"Yes mother."

"I see, and how long have you known each other?"

"Well…four years….and um…I went away for the last five hundred years and we…um just met again a few months ago."

"Stop stuttering."

"Sorry mam'."

"And he waited for you for those five hundred years."

"…Yes…"

"Are you sure?"

"MOM!"

"Just asking, I can't ask about my future son-in-law?"

"Mother…."

"I know, elves only have one love for a lifetime."

"That's not my point, and how the heck do you know that anyways?"

"Who doesn't? It's one of the most popular lores around."

"Mom, don't you dare meddle."

"If you don't mine, same goes for you."

"Mother…that's two totally different things."

"Honey, I'm twenty-five, not five."

"Mother…"

"And you know Eomer is a good man."

"No I don't."

"Well, I don't about that Hal person either."

"Haldir, mother."

"Whatever."

Skyler took a deep breath and slowly let it out: "I don't know what you're trying to do mother, but if you're trying to get my mind off the war, you're doing a heck of a good job."

"Glad to be of service." Ashlocke smiled.

"Very funny mother…" Skyler trailed off as the door suddenly swung open to reveal a shocked Eowyn who was staring at the both of them. She obviously overheard the last part of the sentence.

"You're…her daughter…"

Skyler winced, oh bother: "It's very complicated."

Ashlocke sighed as she pulled Eowyn in and closed the door behind her.

"So you died," Eowyn looked at Ashlocke and then turned to Skyler, "and you fell asleep? And so now you're five hundred years old and you're twenty-five but Ash you're Sky's mother…"

"Exactly." Sky nodded with a smile while Eowyn just stared at them.

"Do you believe us?" Ashlocke asked apprehensively.

Eowyn smiled and patted her hand: "Of course, we practically grew up together. There's no way I wouldn't." Then she turned to Skyler, "And I cannot doubt your age either, because your mother and I grew up listening to stories about you."

Skyler rolled her eyes: "They always exaggerate though. Do I look like a teeth gnashing claw baring monster to you?"

Eowyn laughed: "You don't." Then suddenly she grew serious as she turned back to Ashlocke: "Are you going to tell brother about this?"

Ashlocke's face darkened and her brow furrowed: "I do not know, what should I do? I can't lie to him, but what if he does not believe me?"

"Of course he will," Skyler snorted, "he's like in way too deep to not believe you."

"I agree," Eowyn added, "and Eomer is a good person."

"Exactly." Skyler assured.

"I see." Ashlocke said chewing over her lips.

"But we should just keep our relationship secret on most parts, because most people won't understand." Skyler stated solemnly.

"True." Eowyn nodded slowly.

Suddenly Skyler turned to the windows. Years of experience had sharpened her ears, and she could dimly hear people marching towards the fort. She frowned.

Ashlocke caught that and asked worriedly: "What's wrong?"

"People are marching here."

"What?" Eowyn said standing up, "That's…to fast…Lord Aragorn said…"

Skyler pushed her head out the window and she could see a distant flutter of purple and gold flags.

She pulled back in and blinked slowly as her brain processed the information.

"What did you see?" Ashlocke asked.

"Lothlorien standards…" Skyler murmured. Ashlocke stared at her then she turned around and ran out of the room.

"Lothlorien? But that's…" Eowyn trailed off in awe.

Skyler suddenly pushed herself out of her own reverie and ran out of the room with Eowyn after her.