Oh my gosh! They say as they see AxM has updated.
AND IT'S A REAL CHAPTER!
Yes. Yes it is.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 30: Hope
Brown eyes opened slowly.
A tight lump squeezed in her throat, making it almost unbearably hard to breathe while molten hot tears rested against her cheekbones, a single burning droplet running down her face when she tried to blink away sleep.
The ceiling appeared out of the blurry haze, long, dark shadows running across it from the window where the golden light of sunset poured in.
Her damp hair was plastered to her forehead, not from sweat but from her earlier bath, which let Tess know she had only been asleep for an hour or two.
She did not feel rested, however, her dream had made sure of that.
Instead in waking she felt exhausted, muggy and heavy, as though lead weights were pressing down on her arms and legs.
Wearily the woman let out and sigh and turned onto her side, pulling her limbs in close in an attempt to comfort herself. Another tear escaped her eye when she blinked, the droplet catching on her lashes briefly before sliding down and dissolving into the pillow.
Another followed the same path.
Then another and another.
Her pillow quickly became sodden under her cheek but Tess found she didn't care, her thoughts drifting far back into her dream instead.
All around her there had been nothing by grey ash and charcoal rocks, the air thick with smoke and dust. The bleak landscape stretched on into forever, the horizon melting into the shadowy sky.
Yet somehow she didn't feel frightened or sad.
In fact she felt absolutely nothing at all.
It was then she noticed the vibrant grass beneath her feet, an intense green colour that could only ever be created in a dream. The blades seemed to grow taller the longer she stared, rising up between her toes until finally stopping at her ankles. Even in waking she could recall the feeling and it brought a small smile to her lips, she had not had the pleasure of simply standing in grass since Lothlòrien.
Her dream self had turned to see how far this grass stretched for, but she forgot about it almost completely when she focused on what now lay at her feet.
Two little Hobbits, both resting on their backs so as to stare up at the lifeless, grey sky.
She immediately recognized Frodo and Sam, even though the short, dark waves of the former and the sandy curls of the latter were tangled with tiny white flowers that bloomed around them. Small smiles lifted their lips into easy curves which shone with such content it took her breath away.
The dream was so beautiful and so peaceful and so different to what she knew was actually happening that tears of sorrow had started to leak from her closed eyes. She stared at their faces for what seemed like lifetimes, until finally the pain in her throat from holding back sobs dragged her back to consciousness, the heavy grief carrying over into her waking to plague her heart.
Her arms wound tighter around her chest as if she could physically hold in the chokes that desperately tried to escape her mouth.
She would not cry.
At least, not yet, not while there was still hope.
/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\
"She did what!"
The hall was silenced, Naomi's screech echoing slightly as everyone turned their heads towards where she sat at the dining table. Pippin and Merry both audibly swallowed, their throats bobbing with the movement. Faramir chose this moment to intervene, stepping up beside the Hobbits to draw Naomi's icy, blue glare.
"My lady, it was just a sparring match, Tess wished to test her skills and I fully encouraged her to-," The blonde woman's glare hardened even more, her brows falling low over her eyes whilst a pink flush rose across her cheeks, giving her an even angrier appearance.
"You encouraged this! Do you have any idea how competitive she gets! She goes in without any sense of self preservation, as long as she gets to win and-!"
"Breath, Naomi, you're going purple," a voice from a side door cut her off and the blonde did as told, taking in several sizeable breathes to try and compose herself. Tess strolled casually into the hall to join the four others at the table, although at this time only Naomi was sitting due to her leg, the dark red shirt with long floaty sleeves that she had planned on wearing early tucked neatly into her brown breeches.
"Good evening, my lady," Faramir greeted, relieved that the temperamental blonde was calming down.
"Evening Faramir, Merry, Pippin," she smiled slightly, nodding towards each male in turn, the latter two stumbling over their greetings as they tried to stop staring. The bruise on Tess' right cheek had fully blossomed into a pattern of blue, purple and black, spreading across her entire cheekbone and up the side of her eye as well as across the bridge of her nose.
"What happened to your face?" Naomi demanded with another frown, her hand reaching out to beckon the brunette closer. The woman indulged the blonde, bending over to offer a full view of the damage. The blonde let her fingertips ghost over the bruising, a look of concentration on her face.
"A spoiled brat decided he wanted to be a bad sport and clocked me in the face, don't worry though, I got him back good," Tess grinned and Naomi couldn't help but smile back.
"Better than him I hope, the punch must have been pathetic, didn't even break anything," Naomi scoffed, rolling her eyes and releasing her friend's face.
"Well, yeah, but it still hurt," Tess mumbled, her hand coming up to gently finger the swelling as she straightened her back.
"It's your own damn fault, if you didn't start these fights-," Naomi started, throwing a hand out for emphasis.
"-I wouldn't be nearly half as good as I am at combat," Tess countered as she crossed her arms over her chest, smiling when Naomi gave a 'harrumph' in disdain.
"So this be secret to the might of the Lady in Red!" A masculine voice cried out, humor laced through the tone as it echoed around the hall. The company of five turned to one of the many side doors to find a small assembly walking through. Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf the women recognized but with them were three other men that they had never before seen.
"My Lord Imrahil! It is good to see you are well!" Faramir grinned as he quickly moved forward to greet the new arrivals.
"And you, Faramir! Though for now you seem a little rough around the edges," The two men embraced briefly but tightly around the young man's healing arm. Once freed Faramir quickly greeted the two remaining men behind Imrahil before turning and ushering them towards the table.
"My friends, I wish for you to meet the Prince of Dol Amroth! He is my Uncle, Lord Imrahil and these are my two eldest cousins, Elphir and Erchirion!" Faramir smiled with barely contained excitement as the trio moved forward towards the women and Hobbits. They were tall men and each shared the same green grey eyes to mark them as family. They each had dark, almost black, hair, although Imrahil's was mostly silver and white, showing his old age.
"It is a great pleasure and honor to meet the women and Halflings that have been travelling to protect the hope of Middle-Earth," he said with a small bow as he outstretched his hand. Tess firmly grasped his forearm in what seemed to be the customary handshake in Middle-Earth, meeting his gaze with a smile.
"Thank you, although I must say the pleasure of this meeting is all ours," She spoke gently, letting go of his arm to make the introductions of their side.
"My name is Tess and this is Naomi, Merry and Pippin," Imrahil moved along to shake everyone's hands, Elphir and Erchirion swiftly following. Aragorn and Gandalf had moved to stand beside Faramir while Legolas had traversed around the entire group so that he could stand by Naomi's side, a hand resting lightly on her shoulder.
Tess felt herself smile at the sight.
"Prince Imrahil has come with forces so that he may ride out with us to the Black Gate," Aragorn explained once the introductions were made, clasping a hand firmly on the Prince's shoulder in a show of gratitude and friendship.
"I only wish I could do more, if word of the attack on Minas Tirith had reached me sooner I could have come to your aid and perhaps the death toll would not be as high," Imrahil stated grimly, his hand going to Aragorn's shoulder but his eyes going to Faramir's arm in the sling.
"Come now, let us not talk of these things until after we have had the pleasure of a meal between friends," Gandalf announced, his weathered old hand going to rest on Pippin's curly head for a moment. Immediately the two Hobbit's perked up, smiles igniting on their faces at the thought of food. Almost everyone laughed, except for Legolas who was scanning the hall.
"Where is Gimli?" His question was answer when another door from the other side of the hall opened and in walked the Dwarf followed by Éomer and Éowyn. Tess and Naomi both grinned when they saw the woman, her face was slightly flushed from the effort it took to walk from her room to the hall, but a smile was on her face and there was a little light twinkling in her eye. Éomer's arm hovered protectively around her arm as if he expected her to fall any second, it was all for nothing however as they three made it to the table in one piece.
"Well! If it isn't the nephew and niece of Théoden! You were but children the last time I visited Rohan and now you have both grown into fierce warriors," Imrahil exclaimed, moving around to clap Éomer on the shoulder. The man looked confused at first but understanding and recognition quickly replaced it.
"My Lord Prince Imrahil! Time surely has passed since our last meeting!" The horselord raised his arm also to clasp Imrahil's shoulder, a rare smile pulling up his face.
Imrahil quickly moved to Éowyn, his hands resting on either side of the woman's face as he kissed her forehead in greeting.
"My condolences to you for the loss of your Uncle and cousin, they were both good men," he said once he had moved back, although his hand stand on Éowyn's shoulder in sympathy.
"He will be missed," the shield maiden agreed sadly while her brother only nodded. The loud gurgle from a stomach drew everyone's attention to Merry and Pippin, who simultaneously pointed to each other in blame. The room filled with laughter before everyone moved forward to the table to find a seat.
Despite his protest Aragorn was placed at the head of the table, Imrahil facing the ranger from the other end. To the Prince's left was Faramir, beside whom was Tess, Éomer, Merry and Pippin, ending the side with Gandalf to the right of Aragorn. At the ranger's left hand sat Legolas, Naomi to his left followed by Éowyn, Gimli, Erchirion and finally Elphir at his father's right hand. They were barely all seated when people started bringing food out. Two trays with carved meat, a board with cheese, varies selections of fruits, a large bowl filled with rolls of bread and finally a turkey sized chicken in the middle. At least, Naomi assumed it was a chicken, she hadn't actually seen any turkeys to confirm or deny the species of bird that sat in front of her. Everyone was each given a small bowl of broth and a goblet filled with burgundy wine. They each raised their cup as Aragorn raised his and although he didn't say anything, everyone knew he was toasting to Frodo and Sam. Tess quickly took a sip to swallow the lump trying to form in her throat. Pippin and Merry dug in immediately, filling their plates as quickly as they could so that they could start eating. Imrahil and his sons looked on with awe as the Hobbits ate, the food disappearing almost completely before most had even finished filling their own plates. Those who knew the Halflings eating manner simply laughed, except Gandalf who was shaking his head and Gimli whom was eating just as quickly. Conversations broke out amongst everyone, all discussing different things at different volumes. Legolas and Aragorn were softly muttering in Elvish, Gimli was regaling most with another tale of how wonderful the Mines of Moria had been in their peak and Faramir and his Uncle quietly catching up at their end of the table. Naomi couldn't help but pause in her eating to take it all in, her breathe catching when she thought of how soon nearly everyone would be riding out against the Black Gate. Almost subconsciously her hand reached for Legolas' under the table, who grasped hers back just as tightly.
Sitting next to Faramir had its pros and cons, Tess decided. The pros were that she had successfully found out that Faramir was the eldest of his cousins at thirty-five, much older than she had assumed him to be which was surprising. Elphir was thirty-two, Erchirion was twenty-nine, the third brother, Amrothos, was twenty-five and the youngest sibling, their sister Lothíriel, was newly turned twenty. Amrothos and Lothíriel were back in their home in Dol Amroth.
"I wish to keep them as safe as I can, should things take a turn for the worst," Imrahil had explained, a protective look that only a father could achieve on his old face. Tess had also learned that Dol Amroth was on the southern coast of Gondor, right next to the ocean.
"Then you have seagulls!" She had burst out accidentally, a flush covering her good cheek when Imrahil had looked towards her and laughed.
"Yes, they are a nuisances, but we have them," he said with a smile.
"Tess used to live by the ocean, did you not?" Faramir stated more than asked but turned towards her regardless. The woman nodded with vigor, her smile lighting up at the thought of the crystal sea.
"Yes! Only a couple minutes walk away," she said wistfully as she remembered the walks she used to take in the middle of winter when the waves crashed on the shore and the salt sprayed up into the air, turning her hair into ringlets.
"When next I visit, I will be sure to bring you with me so that you may once again know the annoyance of gulls," Faramir chimed with a grin. All of a sudden it turned sly as he looked around her and Tess forced herself to close her eyes and breathe.
The cons to sitting beside Faramir were that he did not shut up. Ever.
"You should join us Éomer," He said in a devious tone.
Well.
Two could play at that game.
"Éowyn as well," Tess quickly threw in; shooting a look at Faramir to see his smirk had turned into a flushed pout. The Rohan siblings spared a glance to each other, considering the idea.
"That is an excellent idea! I'm sure the sun and the salt will help speed your recovery along nicely, Éowyn," Imrahil exclaimed, smile lighting up his face. Tess reached for her goblet, a smug smile on her face as she took a sip.
"And I am sure Lothíriel will be most happy to see you again Éomer, you know she was quite taken with you when she was a little girl,"
Tess snorted into her cup.
Attention went immediately to the brunette woman as burgundy wine dripped down the front of her face, some of it splattering against her chest and turning patches of the similarly colored tunic darker. She quickly set the goblet back down to avoid more spills but the damage had already been done and that which wasn't on her shirt was burning through the back of her throat.
"S-S…or…or…sor-!" She struggled to get her apology out around the coughs emerging from her mouth, shaking her entire frame as she tried to swallow and speak at the same time. Her eyes started watering and she started to blindly grope for her napkin to smother the noise. A large, warm hand enclosed around hers, firmly pressing the white cloth she needed into her palm and for a moment Tess' heart almost leaped out of her chest. Quickly she drew her hand back to cover her mouth and the hot flush she could feel spreading across her cheeks that had nothing to do with embarrassment. Above the sound of voiced concerns she could hear Naomi's raucous laughing and briefly the brunette managed to free her middle finger, although all it accomplished was turning the blonde woman across from her hysterical.
Finally the coughs died down, although Tess' feeling of mortification would probably stick around for the rest of the night.
"My apologies," she rasped, reaching for her broth to sooth her burning oesophagus. Finally Naomi's chuckles died down, fingers going briefly to her eyes to wipe away the tears that had formed.
"Oh, you're too much, Tessy,"
The brunette woman scowled darkly and sunk in her chair while conversation picked up again now that they were sure she wasn't going to choke.
"Are you sure you are well?"
Éomer needed more convincing apparently.
"Don't worry, the only thing hurt is my pride," she murmured back quietly so only he could hear, although from the little grin on Faramir's face she wouldn't doubt that he'd managed to catch her words too. Nothing eventful happened for the remainder of dinner, just conversations about odd topics of no real matter. It was when Naomi and Éowyn both started to suppress yawns that Gandalf called an end to dinner.
"We have much to plan tomorrow, so let us rest while we can," the white wizard said almost cryptically as they all stood from the table. Imrahil and his sons were the first to go, all three eager to sleep after their long journey to Minas Tirith. Éomer and his sister disappeared next, followed by Merry and Pippin. Gandalf and Aragorn drifted towards the hall that led to the gardens for a smoke, Gimli plodding along behind, happy that his stomach was full. Naomi and Legolas exited soon after, the Elf's hand hovering around the human woman's shoulders as she hobbled on her crutches out the door. As she watched their backs disappear Tess realized she was left alone, even the servants had finished their duties and had moved on. Softly she let out a sigh before standing and leaving the silent Grand Hall, the emptiness of the previously lively room making her restless. If she was looking for a respite elsewhere she would have been disappointed, almost every side hall she turned down was empty, save for a guard in glinting armor every now and then. Deciding she would find no peace in the halls she moved in the direction of her chambers, thinking that perhaps her walk had made her tired enough to sleep. Standing in front of the wooden door she pushed it open, but stopped before she could enter. The bed was still crumpled from where she had slept earlier and despite her best efforts she could not get the image of Frodo and Sam out of her head. The faint smell of the white flowers she didn't recognize, the feel of the too green grass in between her toes, the utter peace of just knowing they were okay hit her hard, shattering when reality smacked her in the face seconds later and told her to wake up. To remember it was all just a dream and that there was every chance the two Hobbits were out there laying dead or worse.
The air rushed out of her and she doubled over, dropping to her knees because the ache in her stomach was so bad. Immediately she knew she couldn't stay there, curled up in front of her door. Someone might see her and then there would be questions that she didn't want to have to answer. Instead she managed to pick herself up and move and the more she moved the easier it was to breathe again. She let her feet carry her, her subconscious mind taking over and leading her to the cliff-side balcony gardens. As she crashed through the undergrowth she found a familiar smell surrounding her, although in her near hysterical state she couldn't tell if it was just wishful thinking because she was so desperate or an actual flower. The lump in her throat tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. In was at the exact moment that her boot caught on a root and she crashed to the ground with a deep th-wump.
For a long moment she did not move, did not open her eyes and did not dare to breathe in fear that a sob would escape and she would never stop. It was only when she knew her face was going purple that she let herself take a gasp in, spluttering when she also inhaled dirt and a few blades of grass. Like a child she let her hands and legs fly about, muted grunts escaping her gritted teeth in place of the screams she wanted.
When at last she was finished she let herself lie still.
Let herself breathe deeply.
Vanilla and honey with lemon had to fill her lungs several times over and for a second she wondered if perhaps she'd gone to sleep again, but when she opened her eyes she knew that was not true. Groaning she picked herself up, leaning against the trunk of a tree to fully catch her breath. She ran her hands through her hair several times to remove the bits of leaves that had managed to snag there whilst she was tumbling through the garden. She winced when she caught sight of the very clear path she had carved.
'At least I won't get lost,' she thought wistfully as she let her eyes slide closed, her head leaning comfortably against the bark behind her. A soft breeze ran through the garden, playing with her clothes and dropping something in her open hands. Slowly she opened her eyes, widening them when she realized what she now held.
Sitting delicately in her palms was a white flower, the white flower. Another drifted down to rest against her thigh and she felt an indescribable feeling rise in her chest when she looked up. The tree, the whole damn tree, was filled with these white flowers. And she knew then, she knew that if these flowers were real then why not her dream too?
Frodo and Sam could be dying…or they could be alive, it just depended on which she wanted to believe.
Tess recognized the feeling in her chest then, it was hope.
It was such a wonderful, warm feeling that swelled behind her breast, the same feeling in the palm of her hands. With a watery choke of laughter she reached forward to grasp the other flower by her thigh, and another two that sat just a few centimeters away that she had not noticed in her grief. Before she knew it she was covered, the flowers piled on her legs, tucked into her hair, cupped in her hands and just surrounding her in general. Everywhere she felt warm as she curled up against the base of the flower tree, the familiar scent blanketing her entirely.
Looking back she realized she would never remember how long she lay there alone, covered in flowers.
It could have been hours or it could have only been minutes.
She did, however, remember the way her heart rate picked up when Éomer found her there and the way his smile seemed to actually reach his eyes for the first time in weeks.
"What?" She asked self-consciously, a pink flush covering her face. The horselord just shook his head before stepping forward and offering a hand down to her. With a roll of her brown eyes she took it and he pulled her up, catching her when she stumbled into his chest. The majority of the white blossoms dropped, save for a few that she had wound in her hair. For a long moment they just stood there, Éomer's arms wrapped tightly around her as if he were afraid to let her go. Very slowly he raised a hand to readjust a blossom behind her ear that was slipping.
"Magnólia növény," he murmured so low that she almost missed it.
"P-Pardon?" she squeaked, making Éomer smile.
"Magnólia növény, it is the flower you wear," His fingers brushed over the petals before sliding down to rest on her bruised cheek. Almost without her consent her eyes closed, a small tingle rolling up her spine. Just when the brunette woman thought her heart was going to burst out her chest, he dropped his hand and took a step back. Tess' eyes flew back open at the loss of contact, shivering as the cold air surrounded her, taking away the warmth the man had provided.
"Come, it is late, we must get you back to your room," the horselord rasped as he turned to walk away. Without a second of thought Tess shot forward, her hand wrapping tightly around Éomer's while her mouth opened.
"Can I stay with you?" she blurted out before she had time to filter herself. Éomer turned back, shock plastered on his face as he looked down at her. Face flushed red she pushed forward, desperate to not hear a rejection.
"We'll both keep our clothes on!"
'Oh god,'
"It'll be just like camping! Only on a bed,"
'Shut up NOW,'
"I-I just c-…can't…I don't want to be…alone," she finished weakly; one eye shut as she looked down and winced, waiting for the obvious 'no'.
'You are…an idiot,'
"Alright,"
Her head flew back up at that.
With a grin so big it looked like he was holding back chuckles Éomer nodded. Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that she probably looked like a gold fish, so she quickly closed her mouth to try and save whatever dignity she had left.
"Th-thank you,"
With a little nod the horselord turned back around, tugging on her hand to pull her forward.
They did not speak on the trip back to his room, nor when she helped him remove his armor. Only when they had both removed their boots and were curled up under the covers in the darkness did they voice their goodnights.
"Sweet dreams," Éomer told her sternly, almost like an order, as his hand closed over hers again.
"Aye aye captain," she grinned and let her eyes slide closed, drifting for the first time in days to a peaceful slumber.
XxXxXxXx
Magnólia növény = Magnolia in Hungarian :D
Thank you Google Translate…
The meaning of White Magnolias is tenacity, perseverance, nobility and love of nature. Normal Magnolias are actually quite large, but for the purpose of this story I made them smaaaaaller.
Author's Note:
WHO HAS TWO THUMBS AND IS A REALLY UNRELIABLE AUTHORESS?
That would be me….
I apologize for how long this took to get out, and I'm sorry that it really has NOTHING to do with the plot line except for introduce Prince Imrahil and his two sons.
I really just needed a chapter to jump start my writing again and I figured if I made it fluffy ya'll would forgive me for a filler? (bats eyelashes)
I think I actually suck at fluff though so we'll see how that goes…
If you think there is a way to improve the Éomer x Tess relationship for pete's sake TELL MEEEEE! Feedback does wonders to my writing ethic :D
If you suggest that they kiss I will shoot though, I'm saving that for soon but not yet
(MWUHAHAHAHAAAA)
Alright….it's 4am and my internet connection has died (I'm writing this in advanced so I can just post it when I wake up) so I will be seeing you all later!
Hope you enjoyed reading
Please know I love you all, so very very very very much
Have a good day/night 3
AxM
P.s. …..shit…I forgot what I was going to say here…..damn