Chapter 8

And to War

I did not bother to saddle Black March. It would only hinder him. I strapped a bridle over his head and sprang nimbly up.

Beside me, Merry already sat astride Riku. The russet female was deep in conversation with him. I didn't pay them much attention, as Eryn was standing on their other side. I hadn't seen Eowyn since our dawn bath, but I knew I wouldn't see her for a while. Perhaps never again.

Do not think like that!

The voice yelling in my head sounded suspiciously like a mixture of Arwen's and Ada's.

I expertly directed Black to the front of the column, Eryn and Merry beside me. Théoden looked down at Merry, "So you found a mount."

Merry grinned at him, and I said, "He deserves to fight for his home just as any of us." Eomer scowled. I put on my most pleasant smile and directed it at him.

I conveniently forgot to tell them that Eowyn was somewhere in the group. I finish fights, I don't start them.

Black's powerful muscles moved under me. I swear he was smirking.

"We ride through the night!" Théoden cried. He kicked his mount into a gallop.

With a yell, the other horses jumped their riders forward. We were on our way.

The ride to war was uneventful—to say the least. Merry brought me up to speed on his trip through Fangorn and to Isenguard. I avoided looking at Eryn whenever possible.

"You'll go back with us, right? Me and Pippin? To meet Treebeard and all the other Ents?" Merry asked me.

"Of course I will, Merry. It will be good to see old Fangorn again. I haven't seen Treebeard in about fifty years."

"You've been?"

"Merry, I've been everywhere. Not too long ago, when I was barely four hundred and fifty, I went off on my own for about thirty-seven years."

"Not too long ago? Myraneth, you know that the humans are aware of the passage of time differently than we are! You're over twenty-five thousand years old, you went on that odyssey before Gandalf even appeared on Middle Earth!"

I rounded on Eryn—well, as much as I could while straddling a stallion, "Where did you get that information?" I demanded. I felt like a teenaged human girl. I tried and failed to force back the blood rushing to my face.

This time, Lord Lasgalen's expression wasn't sheepish. He looked me straight in the eye, even though his eye level was an inch below mine. Andelage was a hand shorter than Black, though somehow she suited him as perfectly as Black suited me.

"Simplicity, it was. I merely queried your brothers. They were more than willing to give me information."

I scowled, "I am going to kill them."

Eryn sighed, "I didn't want to do this now, but time has forced my hand. A private word, My Lady?"

"ARE YOU INSANE?" I cried, "We are galloping to war, Lord Lasgalen! This is as private as we get!"

"I am in love with you, Lady Myraneth Accolte."

Oh. Valor. He did not just say what I think he just did.

Not here, not now. I can't deal with this right now! The war is almost over, but the worst is yet to come! I don't have time for this.

"Eryn, is this really the time?" I demanded.

His mare galloped on Black's flank, "We may not live through the morrow, my Lady. I see no better time. Black and Andelage were matching strides now. I posted expertly as Black went over a fallen log.

The two horse's strides were so even that Eryn and I were almost at the same level. We could easily reach over to each other and neither would be jostled.

I didn't like where this was going.

Eryn leaned towards me. How Andelage kept her balance was beyond me.

"Lady Wolf, I am going to take advantage of you now, because I may never get another chance."

He'd captured my hands in his left; his right hand turned my face towards him. Before I even knew what I was doing, my body was acting without my consent. I leaned towards him, and his lips crashed onto mine.

I lost all control and all reason. All of a sudden, my hands were in his hair. His right hand was still on my face, but his left wove its way into my braid. I kissed him hungrily, desperately. My body knew what it wanted, subconsciously or consciously.

We broke away, gasping for breath. A blush coloured my cheeks—never in my life had my subconscious taken over like that.

I'd never thought I'd get my first kiss on the back of my horse, riding into a war with only a small chance of success.

Go figure.

But I knew one thing; I liked it.

The feel of his lips on mine, his tongue snaking in between my teeth, his hands in my hair. Bliss. I loved it.

But I snapped out of whatever trance the kiss had put me in, "Later," and there was a ring of promise in my tone, even though I didn't know if there was to be a later.

I tugged lightly at Black March's reins and he broke out of the column. Riku and Merry followed, but Eryn held his position. I guided my mount around Eomer to Théoden.

"You have ruled your people well, Théoden king." I told him.

"That means much, coming from you, my Lady."

I sighed.

"Have I done something to offend—"

But I once again cut him off, "No, something as trivial as a title should not offend me. But it does. I gave up my position in my household the day my sister was born. She is the Lady of Rivendell, not I. I cannot deny, however, that I am the Lady of the Wolves, that I am in a class all my own. I cannot deny it, but that does not mean I have to like it." I remembered the tingle of Eryn's lips on mine. A phantom shadow still played across them.

"Tis your brithright, Myraneth."

I nodded, then prodded Black's sides with my heals. The white stallion was only going a fraction of the speed he could, whereas the other horses around him were at full speed.

For a while, Black and I led the column. My thoughts drifted to Estel and the rest of my family. Were they alright? Would I ever see them again? Would I be able to face them, knowing I abandoned them because of my own fear?

I would have done them no good! Moria was bad enough. I do not fear the dead, but I do fear those who abandon their oaths.

But does that mean I fear myself? I made an oath to Frodo, so many months ago. I would be with him, and protect him, until the end of all things. I am doing that. My spirit is by his side, but nothing more.

Maybe I can put another spirit beside him. Valor, why had I not thought about this afore?

Shadowdancer was beside me before I even formulated that thought.

"It is about time, my Lady," he rumbled, "I have been waiting for you to call since my son, Silverfang, died."

"I wish circumstances were different. I wish I hadn't had to ask of Shadowpaw what I did."

"You did what you had to. My daughter-in-law will understand."

I pulled Black to a stop. The rest of the column behind us rode passed, but I knew Black could outstrip them like they were butterflies.

Shadowdancer pushed his head against my hand, "You know what I ask of you, Lord."

Shadow nodded his massive head, "I will bid you goodbye now, Myraneth, for I will not return. Lead my people well. It is time for you to take over as their Lady. They already see you as such."

"Goodbye, Shadowdancer. I will do as you have bid, in return for your service."

Shadow began to disappear into the shadows of a rocky outcrop, "Myraneth? That Fairy? He is not like all the others."

I blushed.

He laughed.