Chapter 2

Minas Tirith, 15th March 3019

Through out the night, assault upon assault on the city, the army of Mordor took the city level by level, killing every man, woman and child in their path. The gate had been breached... Not even the presence of Mithrandir had been enough to stop such force. And when the piercing sound of the Nazgûl spread across the city, even in Lothíriel's heart, hope had faded.

But at the early hours of morning, the Men from the North had come and the tables had turned. And then there were tales of an army of old that even she was finding hard to believe.

The noise had subsided only a few hours ago. The Battle was over.

Victory was theirs. But no victory comes without a price.

So, now came the injured... Wounded all around. Familiar faces, strange ones... And still no news from her family.

Keep working... she said to herself. Keep busy and news will come. Good news, hopefully...

And suddenly, a familiar voice...

"Lothíriel!!"

"Amrothos!!!" she ran to her brother and threw herself in his arms. "You're here! Praise the Valar....Are you alright!? Elphir? And Erchirion!? And Father?! Are they alright!?"

"Yes! Be at peace sister! We are all here and all well. Just some minor scratches."

She embraced him once more, tightly, tears dancing in her eyes. Amrothos was only two years older then her. They had always been close.

She drew back and looked into his blue eyes.

"Is it over!?"

He smiled lightly and caressed her face. "Not yet, little one... But we managed to gather a great victory in the Pelennor Fields."

"Sister!!!"

She turned to see Elphir and Erchirion. She ran towards them and embraced them also.

"Oh, it's so good to have all safe with me again." Tears were now falling freely down her face. "It seems like a dream. A wonderful one. Tell me I do not dream!!"

"It is no dream, Niniach nîn..." A fourth voice said.

She turned one last time and looked upon her father.

"Ada..." her voice was finally failing her.

"My beautiful daughter..." he threw is arms around her and felt her sobs. "My beautiful family all reunited again..." he said as he opened his arms and his sons gathered close. All together they wept. "If all families could be so fortunate..."

After a moment, he said, releasing his offspring. "How fares Faramir?"

Faramir had been hurt during a second wave on Osgiliath but to prove himself to his father, he stubbornly kept trying to defend it beyond reasoning. As he was brought back to Minas Tirith, Deneathor thinking him dead, tried to burn both of them in a funeral pyre. Luckily, Mithrandir and a halfing called Peregrin Took were able to save him.

"He recovers." Lothíriel said as she wiped the tears of her face. "And I trust it will be a full recovery."

"We have to be near him, children... We are his only family now..."

Elphir added "And he will need all our help to rebuild his land and his life."

Lothíriel felt a wave of sorrow sweeping her. Her uncle was never a person to warm her heart but Boromir... Ah, Boromir... He was more than a cousin... She loved him like a brother. And despite his flaws what a good man he was... to fall in such a manner...

"Come." Her thoughts were interrupted by father. "No more lingering in memories...Let us go home."

The family made their to the great hall.

"Imharil." A man called. His voice was both soft and strong at the same time, Lothíriel could tell.

"My Lord. " Imrahil bowed to him and so did his sons. Lothíriel was struck by the sight but it took her only a few seconds to comprehend. Dol Amroth was a small dominion but still they were nobility... Her father was a Prince and so were her brothers... if they were bowing to this man then...

"Sweet Elbereth...." she whispered. Immediately she followed her family and bowed gracefully. "My Lord."

"Lord Aragorn," Imrahil said. "Let me introduce you to my daughter, Lothíriel."

Aragorn took her hand and helped her to rise. "My lady, our father speaks of nothing else!" he said making the group laugh. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

Lothíriel smiled at him as she replied. "My Lord, your arrival is the greatest of news. Minas Tirith has every reason to rejoice. You have brought us hope... Our Hope is back."

Aragorn kissed her hand and smiled at her.

"I'm only one man... We will overcome this together." Turning to Laethes, who had accompanied the family at the distance he continued "And the White Lady?"

"She rests, Milord. Her sleep was troubled..."

"Yes... it will be for some time, I believe..."

"White Lady?" Lothíriel asked Amrothos, whispering.

"Lady Éowyn of Rohan, the king's niece. She disguised herself as a Rider of the Rohirrim and joined the army in the Pelennor Fields. It was she that defeated the Witch King." Amrothos explained.

"What?!!" Lothíriel asked. "Seriously?!"

"Sister, I would never joke with such thing!!!" Amrothos pretended to be offended. Lothíriel smiled at him.

Then, she remembered the prophecy. "No man could kill him... and no man did. A woman!!" she chuckled ."Good for her!"

Amrothos turned to his sister and raised his finger to her face. "Don't be getting any ideas in that pretty head of yours, little sister!! Her brother was crushed when Ada found her..."

"Amrothos... I'm sorry... I only meant..." she sighed.

Amrothos embraced her as he said "My sister lost for words... I never thought I'd see the day!"

She pinched him on the arm.

"Hey!"

"Come. Let Father and Lord Aragorn be." Erchirion said putting one arm around their shoulders. "Let find some food!! Your brothers are famished!"

*****

In the afternoon, as her family retired to Council with the King, Lothíriel was left to resume her activities in the Houses. She strolled through the wards alone, with kind words to her patients, by now friends.

How many more must endure this...? she thought as she saw all the new and unfamiliar faces. Is there no end to this...?

She took a deep breath and with a smile reached out to a young boy in a cot, his left leg binded from foot to groin. He couldn't be more than ten years old.

"Hi there." she said softly. "My name is Lothíriel, I am a Healer in this house." Taking a seat next to him she added. "How are you felling?"

He just stood there, as in shock, looking straight at her but with empty eyes.

She touched his arm lightly.

"You are safe here. Among friends. And all we want is to help you."

A short pause. And then the boy uttered.

"Big dogs..."

Dogs!?... Wargs... A Warg attack!

"My village... My house..." Then suddenly. "Mamma..."

Oh no...

"Shhhh... Don't worry, we will find her... But right now we have to take care of you..." Motioning to one of the helpers, she asked. "We need to bathe him. Will you do that? Remove the bandages and just put him in the tub, with warm water and let the wound be soaked. It will be easier and less painful to clean it this way."

"Of course, My Lady." she girl replied.

"I will get the ointments and fresh bandages." she said and she headed towards the treatment rooms. Before leaving the ward, she turned to her helper and added "And Merieth...I told you, time and time again... My father named me Lothíriel...not My Lady!!! So stop calling me that!"

Merieth smiled and agreed with a nod. Smiling back, Lothíriel resumed her way.

She stepped into one of the treatment rooms but was surprised to see it occupied. A young woman laid in one of their beds.

Forgetting what she had come to collect, she approached the bed.

It must be the Lady Éowyn... The White Lady of Rohan...

Her head was pearled with sweat and Lothíriel realized she was feverish as she placed her hand over her forehead. She walked to the working bench to fetch a basin with fresh water and a cloth. She sat by the bed and placed the cloth where her hand had been and saw Éowyn sigh.

"This will help." she whispered. Her left arm was binded and she wondered if it was an injury sustained during her encounter with the Witch King of Angbar.

Such valor...

"What do you think you're doing?!" a thundering voice asked, which made Lothíriel jump from her seat.

"I..." she began and then stopped. By the Valar! It was him... the man she had seen in her dream.

"Leave!"

Lothíriel was struck at first but then her fury began to rise. She wasn't used to be addressed in such manner and she was not known to be very diplomatic when pushed, her father always said.

"I beg your pardon!? I'm a Healer in this House, Sir, and, in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to help!"

Éomer wasn't expecting her to respond so he was a little taken aback. Lowering his voice but in the same angered tone he replied.

"She doesn't need your help, woman." and pointing to the door he added. "Now leave!"

If a look could kill, he would have dropped dead on the marble floor in that same instant. Lothíriel had never been thus treated in her life.

"Yes, I will leave, Sir, but out of courtesy to our patient, who's in much need of rest and your shouting will certainly not help her! At all!!"

And passing by him, fury throbbing in her veins, she left, basin in hand.

"Good Day, Sir!"

She closed the door and saw several pairs of eyes looking at her, patients and fellow Healers.

Breathing heavily, she uttered. "Insufferable man!"

Ayrin, one of the of the other few female healers, approached her. "What happened in there? We could hear the shouting at the door!"

Lothíriel started to walk to the other treatment room across the hall. All the time she kept babbling only understandable from time to time.

"The nerve! Telling me to leave!"

Ayrin follow her close behind.

"But... Lothíriel... what...what was that all about!?"

All she got as a reply was more babbling from Lothíriel.

"I have never been so insulted in my life!"

These where the words that Meon heard her friend utter as they enter the treatment room.

"What!?" she asked surprised. Lothíriel passed through her holding the basin that she settled in the counter. She began tiding the small bottles of medicine in the cabinet above, while still babbling to herself.

Meon followed her, almost mesmerized.

"What in Valar sake is happening to Thíri!??" she asked Ayrin.

"She had an encounter with the White Lady's brother!"

"Huh?" was Meons' reply.

Lothíriel kept her tidings has they were talking.

"I think she was attending her when he arrived and threw her out!"

Meons' mouth dropped as she turned slowly to Ayrin "He... what?!"

"Yes... He literally threw her out!" Nodding her head to the infirmary she added. "We could hear the shouting from outside!"

"And she..."

"She shouted back of course! You know Thíri, she can be a sweet but when provoked she be just like a... how was it?"

"A true sailor of Dol Amroth!". The two friends laughed.

"Something funny?" They heard Lothíriel say.

They looked at their friend again. She had ceased her working frenzy. Her eyes where like the sea in a storming night.

"We were wondering when you would stop your ramblings!! Tell us what happened! Was that..."

"He is, without a doubt, the most rude, inconsidered, insufferable man I've ever met!"

Meon and Ayrin were out of words.

"But, Thíri... you talked to him for 5 minutes!" Ayrin tried to reason with her.

"And it was long enough!!" she started to pace the room again, hands on her hips. "I was trying to help Lady Éowyn, the poor woman was burning up! And he just came in and started shouting! Who does he thinks he is anyway!? And them he ordered me to leave! Ordered, Ayrin! ME!" she finished with. "AH!" as she threw her hands in the air.

Ayrin giggled but was silenced by one very cold look from Lothíriel. "Sorry..."

Meon reached her, gathered Lothíriels' hands in her own and said. "Calm yourself now, honey. You are letting your temper have a hold on you. This is not the way princesses act. Very unladylike! And besides, your family will be here soon and if they found you like this... you will have a lot of questions to answer!"

Lothíriel took a deep breath and touch her forehead with the palm of her hand. "You're quite right... I'll forget the entire dreadful thing ever happened."

"Good." Meon said. "Now, heads back to work, ladies." reaching for her note pad she started. "Gadvin, the soldier of the West Tower, will need his pain medicine and Muir, that farmer from Ithilien, needs a change of bandages!"

"I'll change them. " Lothíriel said. "I have to make a new dressing from a young boy anyway so I might as well continue with that task."

"You're sure you are up to this?"

"Most certainly!" Lothíriel answered. "I forgot the entire incident already!"

She gathered her tools and headed for the ward. As she was living the room, her friends could still hear her. "Insufferable man!"

"Sweet Elbereth...We will never hear the end of this..." Meon sighed.

"You know...I think this is only a matter of pride!"

Meon looked surprised at Ayrin. She loved her dear friend but it always seem to her that Ayrin was not a very perceptive girl.

"You're quite right!"

"I think he was the first to ever talk to her like that! This is her pride talking!" Ayrin sighed before she added. "She could, however, talk about how gorgeous the man is!"

"Ayrin!!" Meon said, shocked at her friends' straightforwardness.

"What?? I'm lying? Tell me you didn´t notice! The man is a God!"

"Stop that nonsense this instant!"

But the two where laughing hard all the way down the hall.