The Wild Westfold

By: Lauthica Green Clinkenbeard

Chapter Thirty-Three: Coming Together

It was not the sun beams that pried my eyes open that next morning. Nor was it the smell of eggs, bacon, and grains. Merry and Pippin had not come into my room for a visit either. No, my "company" was far less of friendly.

The cold water hit my face like a rock and I sat up quickly, spluttering and coughing as water wound up my nose and down my throat. I drew my dagger from under my pillow and held it up through squinting eyes and bared teeth.

"WHO GOES THERE!?" I yelled, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS INTRUSION!?"

"Intrusion indeed, humph!" said the voice. Oh no….I knew that voice.

"Woman is lazy." Said another voice. What the hell were they doing here?

"And it's a good thing I did intrude. Here we get summoned by the Istari and fly on the back of eagles with all haste to aid in the march on the black gate, and we find you snoring peacefully in bliss at near mid-day."

I returned the dagger back to its sheath under the pillow and sat up from the bed.

"Good Morning to you too, Don Vonce." I said wiping excess water and sleep from my eyes, "Rembaulk." I said nodding toward him. Rembaulk was as silent and woodsy as ever just as Don Vonce was as fluttery and overdressed as ever.

"Good morning? I think not!" Don Vonce said crossing his arms. Today his billowy shirt had beads and bells embroidered upon it and every move he made sent jingles through the air. "I woke to a farmer trailing mud into my bed chamber screaming that the eagles had come for me. He was so adamant and pushy about a letter that arrived from Gandalf that I wrinkled my good, silk night shirt leaping out of bed to read it."

I glared at him raising an eyebrow. How could a man that worries about a night shirt march upon the black gate?

"How goes things in the Westfold?" I asked. "I suppose there aren't many Ents roaming about, eh Rembaulk?"

Rembaulk said nothing and only continued to stare at me. His stare was odd as if he was partially confused and perhaps also hinting of an intestinal blockage.

"Rembaulk?" I asked again. Still, he did not answer me.

"You must pardon, my friend. As you well know, he is not of a social nature." Don Vonce said and then he gave a cruel, snide chuckle, "Nor is he accustomed to ladies of the citadel to sleep in the nude." He said gesturing down to my chest.

"Nipple," Rembaulk said as a smile spread across his face from under his massive, bushy beard.

I look down and cursed myself. What a night for me to choose to sleep nude. My left breast was completely exposed. I quickly gathered up the blankets.

"GET OUT!" I screamed as I picked up a pillow and threw it at them. Don Vonce only burst out into laughter as he coaxed Rembaulk to turn and they left the room quickly. I stood and washed up pulling my clothes over my head angrily. Those insolent, horrible bastards! If they do march with us on the gates I shall find that Gondorian in the midst of battle and I shall cut off every single one of those god forsaken bells myself! And what could possibly be going through Gandalf's head to summon such a pair in the first place? Did he fear their glory? Were watering buds and examining soil too little of a task to be assigned by an Istari?

I drew back the heavy curtains and let the sun pour into the room. Don Vonce was right. It was mid-day. Why had I not woken? Why had no one woken me? My stomach grumbled as the last hazy bits of sleep left my body. I was not overly tired last night and I could not understand why I had slept so. I couldn't even remember the last time I had slept so late.

Though my stomach did not agree with the task, I set about packing up my belonging should Aragorn choose to move me to less lavish, more appropriate, and permanent lodgings. The whole while I folded and packed it grumbled and growled at me. I finally left the queen's chambers and made my why through Aragorn's room. The door was open and the guards nodded at me as I passed.

Aragorn was not in his study or receiving room, but a young man was sitting at a small table with a plate of cheese and bread pouring over a map. It was no man I had yet met. He was not overly tall nor broad and had an oval, round face with a large clean cut nose and soft features. He had a small, groomed beard and his reddish, light brown hair fell to the tops of his shoulders. He heard my footsteps and looked up at me from the map. He smiled and stood at once bowing his head.

"My lady," he said. His dictation was regal and hinted of the higher nobility. "You must be Déorwyrdhnes. It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you in person. The tales and songs drifting from the soldiers of your being echo off every wall in the house of healing and barracks."

I rolled my eyes. Just what I needed…another flattering admirer. I bowed my head to him as well.

"Indeed it is a pleasure to meet you as well," I said and smiled briefly, "However, I must cut this meeting short. I am quite hungry and seem to have missed breakfast. Good day." I said as I began to walk past him.

"Please, my lady, I have been awaiting you." He said reaching out his hand to stop me. "I am Faramir. Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien and Captain of the White Tower. Lord Aragorn has told me of your appointment and has charged me with aiding you as you move to your own chambers down the hall as well as escorting you to the citadel armoury for your fitting."

Ah yes, the famed propriety of Gondor. Nothing but a great mess of grammar and silly, pretty words. Curse this! I wanted to eat. My smile faded fast from my face as I reached down to the table and picked up the plate of bread and cheese he was nibbling on.

"Very well, Faramir," I said as I tore off a hunk of bread, "My crates are packed and ready. Take them to my chambers. When you finish you will find me walking about the courtyard."

He looked confused for a moment and that he was about to say something, but I had already walked past him and out the main door into the halls. I tore off another chunk of bread and a large bite of the cheese.

The throne room was bustling with soldiers and servants. I felt agitated and the crowd did not help my quickly souring mood. As a servant walked passed carrying a tray of grapes I grabbed a bundle for myself. I left the throne room and walked out into the courtyard.

I slowed my pace as I passed by the sad and withered white tree. Long had its visage adorned the flags and banners of Gondor, but the twisted, dry wood before me was nothing like its glory of old.

"Deya!" someone called out. I turned around, it was Legolas. He hurried over to me. "I have just spoken with Aragorn. He said that you have given him an answer."

"Yes, I am now in the service of the King of Gondor." I said as we walked down the courtyard toward the end of the citadel platform.

"What about an answer for me?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. I had completely forgotten about his proposal.

"Legolas, please do not misinterpret me when I say that you are a valued friend, and you have been there for me in darker times. You saved my life on the Dimholt road, and we fought side by side…but I cannot marry you. It would be a lie." I said.

"You need not love me. There need not be any passion. You need not ever touch me. I just want to make sure that you are taken care of." He said.

"I do not need to be taken care of." I said. "But thank you, for everything you have ever done." I said as we reached the end of the citadel platform. I leaned against the smooth white stone and looked over to the mountain borders of Mordor where Sauron's dark atmosphere still swirled and casted the land in shadow.

Quite suddenly, my head began to spin. I blinked several times and backed away from the edge putting my hand up to my forehead.

"Deya?" Legolas asked taking my shoulders gently, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I…I don't know…" I said weakly. I looked up at him and his image was doubling before my eyes. My stomach wretched and I fell to my knees quickly and expelled its contents. The last thing I heard before everything spun into darkness was Legolas calling out for the guards of the Citadel.

The room I awoke to was foreign to me. I sat up in the bed and looked toward the window. It was now sunset, and I was still in the citadel. I glanced around the room. My crates were stacked near the wall by the door. This was my new, permanent room. I drew back the covers and stood up. My head pounded. What happened? Must have been that cheese I took from Faramir. It tasted alright to me, but maybe Gondorian cheese was made differently. I heard a slight shuffle from my drawing room just through a tall archway. Aragorn appeared.

"Thank goodness, Deya." He said, "We hoped it was just a slight dizzy spell from the height."

"I'm fine," I said, "But I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. It's strange."

"Sometimes the fatigue of battle can have that effect. I'll have the servants bring you a hearty supper." He said and he nodded toward me and left the room.

I went about unpacking my crates and clothes. Aragorn was kind enough to give me a few of the finer gowns and some other homely trinkets from the queen's chambers. This new room was larger than I would have expected. The door was in the bed chamber but there were two more rooms adjoined with it; a small drawing room with a dining table and another bed chamber.

A knock came at the door and two servants entered; a man and a woman. The woman was carrying a tray of food and the man carried a large, heavy crate. His face was covered in bandages, but I dare not ask. The food was set on the dining table and the crate was set on the floor by my bed. The one servant left but the other servant with the bandaged face stayed behind and began to tidy up the room I devoured the meal quickly. It was a hearty, beef and blood sausage stew with barely and fresh, yeast rolls with butter.

The crate was the peculiar thing. It was not one of my own. I had not ordered anything nor had I asked for anything. It was longer than it was tall and very heavy. I untied the twine on the latch and opened it pulling back the rich, navy velvet that encompassed the parcel. It was my Gondorian armour. Shoulder guards, shanks, bronze and steel chainmail, a gilded skirt of shiny steel and bronze, and underclothes all bearing the white tree of Gondor. There was no breastplate. Faramir had said something about a fitting, but I missed it on the count of my dizzy spell. They could not have guessed my proper size for a breastplate. Until then, I would have to continue to use my old one from Rohan.

"Aragorn plans to march at first light tomorrow." The bandaged servant said in a strange voice. It sounded like someone trying to hide their real voice. I looked up at him.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Nothing, mi-lady. I spoke out of turn," he said quickly and then he continued to tidy up.

"Out of turn indeed," I said as I walked over toward him, "No Gondorian servant would say 'mi-lady' and no servant anywhere would refer to Lord Aragorn as simply 'Aragorn.'" I said as I bent silently and picked up my dagger from a crate. I drew it quickly and ambushed the servant pinning him to the wall. I held the blade to his bandaged neck. "Who are you?! Who sent you?!" the servant remained silent. "SPEAK!" I yelled. Still, he said nothing and would not even look me in the eye.

It was then that I noticed his eyes. There were barely visible behind the bandages but they were eerily familiar and as my eyes took in the shape of his face my heart skipped a beat. I ran the blade gently under the bandages and cut them slowly pulling them away…to reveal Eomer.

The dagger fell from my hand to the floor and I stood up and backed away from him. My emotions were swelling up and I felt my eyes grow watery. Why had he come? WHY HAD HE COME?! I WANTED TO KILL HIM!

"GET OUT!" I yelled.

He stood up and pulled off the rest of the bandages. He held up his hand as if to offer peace, "Deya, Deya, don't scream! Please don't scream! Calm down! I can explain!"

"CALM?!" I yelled.

"I just wanted to see you…." He said as his own eyes grew water, "I had to see you one last time."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed

"Deya, I know that I have said goodbye, and I meant it. That's why I wore the bandages, I didn't want you to be confused….I.."

"CONFUSED?!" I screamed.

"Please don't scream! I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" he said as his face twisted up in emotion. He turned away from me and leaned against the wall openly weeping. "I….I…I was sitting there in bed thinking about the march….its suicide….thinking about dying….all I could see was your face….all I could hear was your voice….I had to see you…" he turned back around and stared at me. I felt my heart shatter again.

The next few moments passed as if time had been slowed. He approached me and reached out for me. His hand met my skin and caressed my cheek. Tears poured from my eyes as I reached up and placed my hand over his. I closed my eyes and took in every feeling and tingling that spread through my body.

"I love you, Deya…and I always will love you….but tomorrow may be the last sunrise we ever see….tonight may be the last moon….if this is to be our final farewell, then let's make it the most earth shattering, passionate farewell to ever strike this good earth." He said leaning down to press his forehead to mine.

"And what if this is not our last night…what if the battle is won, and the second sunrise comes. What then? Will we just part ways and pretend that none of this ever happened?" I asked in a whisper.

"If we live then nothing changes. We will have loved…and let love go…" he said.

"Nothing you say is making any bloody sense, Eomer! You love me and want me, but you don't want me forever….one the eve of your fate you can't imagine a life without me, yet you would still push me away? Put this folly behind us! I love you! I want to be with you, and not just this night."

"I banished you to exile. I cannot retract my judgment now. The court knows of us and soon the entire kingdom will know of us I'm sure." He said and then he embraced me pulling me into his chest, "But before I shatter my heart and throw it into the wind of propriety and politics I want to feel what a whole soul feels likes just one more time….one more kiss…one more night….before I continue on with my life as a half-person no better than a Nazgul."

He set a fire into my blood. I wanted him. I wanted to feel his lips across my flesh. I wanted to run my fingertips over his smooth muscles as they contracted with his powerful trusts. I wanted to grab fistfuls of his hair and scream his name in a writhing passion while the coarse hair of his beard tickled at my neck and bosom. I buried my face into the cloth of his shirt and then I gently nudged him back to look upon his face. I reached up for him and brought him to my eager and willing lips.

Instinct took us over. At once he grabbed me at the waist and pinned me to the wall as his lips traveled down to my neck sucking and nipping at the tender flesh. He lifted the hem of my frock and urged me to part my legs. I wrapped them around his waist as my hands traveled to his pants. I untied the strings of his breeches and freed his already full and throbbing member. He braced me against the wall as he reached up and tore open my bodice and chemise exposing my breasts to his mouth.

He entered me that moment and I felt a white hot passion travel from my soul straight down to my toes as never before. His urgency was beastly and drove me near to the brink and our mouths came together grunting and battling our tongues. His knees buckled as his seed spilled from him and trickled partially down my thigh. He spared a few moments to catch his breath before he spun me around away from the wall and tossed me onto the bed. He took little time in completely removing the torn and ruined frock and went about kissing and trailing his tongue and fingertips over every inch of my body. When he was ready, he took me again…and again…and again…The waves of pleasure pulsed through my very blood and the rest of the world seemed to fade away completely.

There was only him…only us…writhing in a physical ball of passion while our souls connected within us in the truest of love. His eyes devoured my own and it was as if my entire being and universe swam about within his eyes.

"Eomer, my love….Eomer, my love….." I whispered over and over between the gasps and moans of his actions upon me. When our energy was finally spent we laid intertwined within each other's bodies. As the black of sleep came over me I took comfort in the steady rise and fall of his chest under my head. He was if he himself breathed life into me. He held onto my hand with our fingers joined until dreams took me. I dreamt of him and of all the times we shared. Good...bad...funny...painful...passionate...my life was complete.

But all good things must come to an end….I awoke the next morning sore, sticky, and alone. I quickly cleaned up the mess we made and turned the linens myself. I washed thoroughly and dressed in my new Gondorian small clothes and armour. I attached my rainbow steel sword to my belt along with my dagger. I braided back my hair and pinned it around my head. Today I think I will die…but Eomer was right. There could not have been a better way to say goodbye.

I ate alone and only a small bowl of porridge. I did not want to risk another dizzy spell and miss out on the battle. As I made my way down to the throne room to find my fellowship companions I ran into two queer looking warriors. The thinner of the two men wore a complete suit of armour and looked absolutely ridiculous. His armour was black steel and fashioned to look like that black mountain panthers. His was adorned with jewels and embellishments. It did not take me long to realize that it was the Gondorian and the stocky man following behind him, walking about most uncomfortable in his common armor as if he had a wine bottle shoved up his arse was Rembaulk. I only rolled my eyes. Don Vonce would stick out like a thumb…hopefully making him an easy target for an orc….or myself.

I was so focused on the impending battle of death and doom that most of what happened next is completely lost to me. I know I spoke no words, except a few commands here and there. The combined armies of Gondor and Rohan marched from Minas Tirith passing by the still smoldering piles of debris and corpses from the Battle of Pelennor. Aragorn looked regal. He no longer wore his ranger clothes. Instead he wore the war robes of the King. His was clean and freshly shaven and even had his usually messy, shaggy hair trimmed and half-pulled back. We marched with no stops for that entire day. We rested briefly in the night by a stream, and then set off again. Just as the sun crept over the mountains and illuminated near mid-day…I saw it. It loomed in the distance and I grew wearier as it drew ever closer. The fellowship as well as Eomer and Gamling led the vanguard. I was Aragorn's banner carrier and follow him closely as we approached….and approached….ever closer it came. My heart felt a lump in my throat. I was afraid and I was most certain that I was going to die…but I'm gonna take a whole bushel of those orc bastards with me when I do. The armies halted….and we know stood upon the threshold of the black gates of Mordor.