The ride down the long curving road was a bit hair raising. Dodging people, wagons, the rubble that still hadn't all been cleaned up, and always this downhill slope, Eowyn led the way and I followed her. We didn't ride fast, to my frustration, she kept glancing her shoulder me as if she wanted to say something. Around, and around, and around, under the great jutting stone thing, the White City seeming a little more grey for me right now. Maybe I was already tiring of the stones.

I did notice that Eowyn, as tired as she was, looked amazing on that horse. Hair streaming, her skirts flapping behind her, back straight, and I suddenly wished I'd ...combed hair. Or something. This normally wouldn't have worried me but with Legolas coming home, Mr Perfect Hair Elf, I suddenly worried. Equally, as I nearly fell over the front of my horse again, I was worried about how I'd stay on this bloody horse for hours.

Faramir waited for us at the gate, as he said he had, or what was left of it. I hadn't come down here since the battle. The gate was gone, pieces of it carried away somewhere, leaving a massive gaping hole. This was clearly going to have to be fixed but how I had no clue. It wasn't like they could just go to a factory to whip up a new gate. I'd been around Middle Earth long enough to know that it was a big deal that it was broken.

As I gazed around, I saw that we weren't alone, women, men and children were gathering around the edges. Flowers were already flying, or being wrapped around the pillars of the few shop fronts that were still standing, white banners being lifted, voices raised in obvious excitement. The smell of food and wood fire filled the air already, food handed out, people wearing whatever their best was. Mostly, as I'd suspected, their 'best' was no longer best. After such a terrible war, they'd probably just been happy to escape with their kids, clothing was the last of their worries during evacuating.

But even in older clothing people had done their best. They looked amazing, excited, faces flushed with the first real joy I'd seen around Minas Tirith for days, kids with clean faces and from the looks of things, almost everyone had washed their hair for this. For me, who was so used to the idea of a shower with shampoo being easy, it was kind of surprising to remember that here it was a big deal for you to be able to wash your hair or body. A basin didn't hold much. It was probably enough to just stay hygienic and odour free around here. Maybe that was another reason women tended to keep their hair tied back- because it was harder to notice unwashed hair when it was tied back.

"Are you ready?" He asked, barely able to hide his own excited energy, nodding behind us. There were about six other soldiers waiting to join us. I supposed this was just in case some Orc was hiding in a hole somewhere waiting to attack the poor helpless soldier ladies.

Or maybe not. Maybe Faramir just wanted them to come with us. Maybe they had a brother or something coming back. A lover?

"We must wait here." Faramir was explaining, glancing back, his horse dancing with some obvious excitement under him. I understood the soldiers as I saw what Faramir was looking for- two horses per soldier, already saddled, ready. "Those who need horses with energy will swap with us. I wait here, to give word to the tower guard."

"We are not riding to meet them?" Eowyn, I noticed, did not look completely put off by this news. If anything she seemed to be expecting it. She and Faramir both seemed to look at me, as if anticipating my reaction, which I ignored.

"So how are we going to join them?"

"Not you. The soldiers must enter through the gates. Those loved ones and families of the soldiers will wait for them here. The tradition is that only soldiers enter. Those of us not at battle await them here. You are to be by my side for this." Faramir was dismounting now, giving his horse to one of the six soldiers. "These soldiers will guide the injured, the tired and the weary soldiers who can not continue at a fast pace. Lady Eowyn, you should rest." His eyes went over me again, and he seemed to be annoyed suddenly, stiffening, his eyes going past me to something over my shoulder. Like he wanted to say something else.

I realised only now that he hadn't mentioned me. That he hadn't looked at me. "Uh-"

"You ride with us." Gandalf answered, before I could even ask, and like he usually did, he appeared almost out of no where. Voice business like. He strode over, Sam scrambling to follow, drawing himself quickly on the back of one of the spare horses. Gandalf bent down to help Sam up in front of him. "The Fellowship return together."

"Except Frodo." Sam said quietly.

"He is slowly recovering." Gandalf's voice softened. He squeezed Sam's arm. "And the broth you cook for him is doing wonders."

I got this mental image of Sam, six in the morning, cooking us breakfast on one side of that wood stove and making Frodo a broth with the other. Leaving before it was even light, hurrying through the cold morning, clutching a little pot of fresh broth, and suddenly wanted to hug him. Poor little man.

I breathed out. Waited, as Gandalf and Faramir spoke, without listening to what was being said.

Legolas. He was close. I could feel it. Every part of my body was energised now. My leg ached, sure, but I could handle that. It wasn't like it was wounded. Even if it set the healing back a little bit that was fine. Fine. Because Leggy was coming back. And my hair looked like I'd been in a tornado. Some part of me was SURE Legolas was just metres away. Crazy feeling, maybe, but it made me self-concious.

"Wenduin, you should comb your hair." Eowyn was dismounting and moving across to me. "It is not very attractive." She stared at my hair for a good ten seconds like it was a new monster she wanted to sink her sword into. When she turned around I grasped the comb tighter in my hand, the teeth digging into my palm, the other hand reaching up to touch the tangled hair. Okay. This was going to be crazy and impossible on the back of a horse. I needed help here.

I dismounted, suddenly, to Gandalf's surprise, and headed straight for Eowyn.

"Be back in a moment!" I called. Nothing. No order to return. When I glanced back, Gandalf had raised his eyebrows, this amused smile on his face. Eowyn had turned around. Also looked amused. Okay. Why did I feel like I had just been manipulated into asking for this?

Eowyn turned as I grasped her shoulder, she was already working with some of the other women at handing out flowers. "Wenduin?"

"Can you make my hair ... you know, not crazy? During the ride?" I went red, embarrassment flooding me as she actually laughed in my face, and was half tempted to just back off and change my mind. "Quickly?"

"Of course. We can all do this. Come here." Eowyn's hand shot out, grabbed my wrist in her vice-like grip, and dragged me into the small crowd of women. "We must hurry. Gandalf is waiting."

I was made to sit there on a chair, six women as well as Eowyn, hair grabbed, twisted, fingered, combed when one was located, cringing and making faces as they tugged unmercifully at the knots that had slowly gathered in my hair over the past ten days from beds, and wind, and ... ow, ow, ow.

"Does she never comb?" This was one of the women, exasperated as she held up what looked like the makings of my first dreadlock.

"I have never seen her do it." Eowyn laughed.

"I don't, OW, get time!"

"Better make time now your husband rides home. What kind of hair is this!" Another woman was laughing as she dragged the comb through my hair. Oh yeah. Really funny. Then the same woman said, stiff, like she was repeating some bad line from a play, "Should she ride pregnant?"

Silence fell amongst all of us. Never mind that Eowyn or someone had told them about this. Maybe even had told them to bring it up. Truthfully... Oh man. I hadn't even thought about this. I had done a lot of pretty reckless stuff while apparently pregnant. Even now, I struggled to really believe it was there, because I couldn't see any sign of it. I couldn't feel any kicks or anything.

Eyes had turned to Eowyn. The woman from Rohan. The rider. She had hesitated, part of my hair in her fingers, meeting my eyes. Her response surprised me. "I don't think she should."

"What?" I'd gotten myself mentally prepared for this!

"Women have lost children riding." Eowyn lowered my hair, squared her shoulders, and headed past the other women for Gandalf. "We have more time."

"Good. Five minutes is not enough to cope with this. It needs washing!" The woman holding my dread lock dropped it, raising her hands, and heading for where one of the fires was going. "I'll bring hot water."

"I have soap for hair..." Another woman separated.

"No, it's okay. Seriously. I just wanted it out of my way. Maybe riding would be okay..." I was lifted, or rather, I was encouraged to stand, and led in some direction. Into a house. Hands grabbing at clothing. Seriously. Undressing?! "It's okay."

"No. Bath. We have all had one. Have you had one for today?" An older woman, her hair back, flowers and jewellery in her hair, rolling up her sleeves.

I was increasingly feeling like Eowyn had sacrificed me to some mad gathering of women. "Well, no, but-"

"There is bathwater. It can be refreshed with hot water." Another woman called. God. It still felt kind of like the words had been pre-planned. I wondered if Eowyn and Faramir had planned this earlier but couldn't think of why they'd even bother.

"Gandalf has decided to ride on ahead." Eowyn called as she came into the building. "He did not think of the pregnancy."

Oh, greeeaaaat. I felt my dress unlaced at the front, falling open somewhat, grasped for the edges and stood there kind of shell shocked. I'd wanted my hair to be out of my way! Not to be attacked by made horde of women! But this wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was that I was being left out again. Being told what to do. Again. Hadn't I already ridden pregnant? God. I hoped Eowyn was partly wrong. Women in Rohan rode pregnant. I knew that. I was pretty sure of it, anyway, I'd seen one woman do it at least. She was much bigger in front than me.

I didn't want to be left out of this one. This was not okay.

I was shoved into the little room with the bath, now apparently 'topped up' because it was steaming, and turned around hastily. "Um. Okay. I can bath."

What was the chances of a fresh bath, completely unused, waiting exactly when Eowyn wanted to shove me into it?

Yeah. Now I had the feeling it had been planned.

"She's shy." Eowyn laughed. "Let her. We have some time yet." She moved closer, embracing me, her lips brushing across my ear. "Move your hips with the motion of the hooves. It is less tiring and safer."

To my relief, no one tried to follow me in, and I shut the door. Breathed out in a deep relieved sigh.

But what had she meant? Riding tips? Was she telling me to ride for it? It was one hell of a confusing thing for her to say when apparently I needed 'bathing' and 'washing' and all that stuff. I had to assume this was Eowyn's way of 'ride like hell'. It confused me- why would she be acting like I had to stay but telling me to ride for the hills? Later when I wasn't in a rush I'd ponder it.

Now. How to get this dress back on. I splashed in the water with one arm, as I tried to get the other riding dress back up.

The dress itself, although I hadn't had time to see it before, wasn't as simple as I had thought it was. Dark green, with a cream lining, no patterns or anything so I'd not even looked at it. Dark green pants too. Boots. Gloves. It even had a hood.

Still, getting it re-done up wasn't so difficult, because as I fiddled with the front with one hand and splashed with the other I found that it had a good dozen tiny intricate metal hooks half concealed down the front. This had to be no small thing- in this world any tiny kinds of fine metalwork had to be seen as a fancy thing, given how difficult it would be to create. And the bodice was stiff so it held its shape. All I had to do was re-hook it, shoving boobs back inside, and the lacing part wasn't as hard as I had expected. It just held the hooks shut and reinforced it. Made my boobs a bit squishy but who could complain.

The 'dress' part split at my thighs, opening up to pants, which was probably to make riding easier. It probably looked like a dress when I stood still or was riding, given how much of that dark green fabric there was, but it was amazingly open for this kind of world. If I walked they'd see my pants! Shocking!

I only paid attention to this long enough to re-lace up the boots that they'd somehow got undone. If I had time I'd have cut off the skirt part. No time. Boots, done up, bath splash, giggles outside, and I twisted my hair back in a rough braid as best as I could.

The window was pretty easy to climb through. Outside was a tiny gap between buildings, one or two people at the most, and a few metres down. No one would notice me, a quick glance confirmed that, the crowd were facing the main courtyard area. I hoisted myself through it, into a little side street, the crowd with their backs to me. There was even a horse.

Weird. Who'd leave a horse there?

Just as I hoisted one leg out the window, nearly slipping on the swishy skirt, arms grabbed at me and pulled me backwards into the room once more, a face burying against the back of my shoulder.

My mind thought, for a brief panicked second, that it was Boromir again. Doing his usual 'get a bit too close' thing that he'd started to do again. Instinct, luckily, knew better, and instead of aiming knee for balls, I just grasped Legolas' face and guided it to mine for one hell of a kiss.

"Do you not do what you are told?" Legolas laughed, grasping my face, as I twisted around to kiss him and hit him. One of his arms had slid past me to shut the shutters and the curtains, cutting out the natural light, leaving us alone in the dark tiny room with just candles.

"When did you get here?"

"Not two hours past. The Lady Eowyn and I decided you should rest. You can not even ride yet, according to her. We have an hour alone and a bath ready." Legolas was kneeling in front of me, slowly, breathing out as he rested his head against my stomach, hands slowly unlacing the dress once more. "I stood just there waiting to see when you'd stop dressing and notice me."

"I was busy."

"Yes, I noticed." He seemed relieved. Tired, I could see the rare look in the Elf's face, but relieved. I stroked his face and wondered why I suddenly wanted to cry. Crazy. I'd known he'd come back from that battle. The Elf had things to do with that Dwarf friend of his. Draping my arms over his shoulders, I leaned against him somewhat, and tried to relax. With another deep sigh, Legolas relaxed against my stomach, leaning against me, letting the laces go once he'd undone the bow. "I am home."

"In this city?"

"In your arms."

Okay, now I really did want to cry, so I knelt in front of him and leaned against him as fingers slowly undid the dress once more. He must have not slept. The others would have had to during the ride back but Legolas? Not my magic energiser bunny Elf. He must have kept going like some stubborn thing. "Will you sleep tonight?"

"Yes." Legolas slowly unhooked the bodice, long fingers sliding under the thin shirt that protected me from the harsher fabric of the dress, his fingers sending tingles up and down my body. One touch and I was weak. "Tonight, we sleep together."

"About time. How was it?"

Legolas told me, as he slowly helped me out of my dress and pants, and then as I helped him undress. Eowyn and the women had vanished- I only heard the distant noise of the crowd now. He had been injured several times, which I did not remember happening, but then maybe it had happened and … I just hadn't seen it. Already the wounds were healing. The second we'd slid into the bath I made sure of it.

It started to rain as we sat there against each other, slipping against each other's skin, and no one came into the building. But I suddenly was worried they would. Rain wouldn't be fun. Legolas frowned when I slid backwards, out of his grasp, just before he actually got to touch me properly.

"It is locked." Legolas explained softly, as I wriggled away, self-conscious of being discovered with him. "Come here. Let me feel you." His fingers slid up my thigh once more, slowly, the other hand holding me steady in the water, kissing my collarbone slowly. "You are softer."

"I gained weight." I suddenly felt self-concious again. Oh man. Why did this feel like we hadn't done it for months? What about the scars? Now that I looked down I saw them more clearly than I had since I'd gotten out of bed. Big nasty one on my side. My leg looked yellow still. Ten days later and the bruise was still not gone!

"When I left you, you could not even rise from your bed, could not stay awake for more than a minute at a time. You looked too thin, too stiff, and I would have to touch you to make sure you still lived."

"You can hear my heart though, can't you?"

Legolas nodded, drawing me into his lap, my legs sliding around to hold onto him. "I could hear it. But I feared it was my mind creating it."

He really had issues with death. I grasped onto him, wondering if he'd ever be able to let me go, worried about what would happen to him when I started to show signs of aging. When I got older. Was he going to age with me? Or was he staying the way he was? I didn't know.

"Let's wash..." Trying to distract him, I started to wash his hair, which was clearly the right thing to do. Legolas melted under me as my fingers teased his scalp, his eyes shutting, hands tightening and relaxing against my body. His own hands slid up into my scalp, relaxing the hair better than any of the combs or women had, teasing it out with soap.

It was only when we'd washed and completely teased each other, before I was tugged out of the bath with Legolas, and pushed against a wall. Skin slipping against each other, he tugged one of my legs around his waist, kissing me hard now, his movements no longer slow and teasing but kind of rough and desperate, his legs and body shaking as he pounded me again and again, teeth grazing me with that ferocity I'd only seen in Legolas at this time, arms grasping me hard as his body grounded me. It was me that had the release first, gasping against his neck with a muffled moan, as his wet skin continued to slide against mine with rough quick movements, until Legolas froze inside me and groaned against my lips, his legs shaking as he released all the tension he must have been holding.

We slid down again, tangled in each other, both trembling, Legolas murmuring things against my ear in Elvish that I wished I could understand.

"I must go soon."

"Already?"

"To join Aragorn outside, I must." Legolas didn't let me go though, he didn't seem able or willing, he leaned against me as he kissed the skin he'd bitten, brushing my wet hair aside.

I leaned back to gaze into his face. One hour was not enough. He started to move, probably to dress or something, and I grasped at him as a slight resentment built in me. He'd said he'd been here for two hours before me. "Why hadn't you called for me earlier?"

"I could not find you fast enough." Legolas gently untangled my hands, standing slowly, reaching out for where he'd piled his and my clothing neatly. In two piles. "I found Lady Eowyn. Moving without being seen and listening for you is no small task in this city. This city is quieter than I am used to."

"Quieter?" Reluctantly I got to my feet as well, taking my clothing and dressing, Legolas brushing against me with his hand almost every chance he got. I couldn't resist touching him either, his arm, his shoulder, his neck, now seeing the bruises and injuries clearly, wishing I'd not been so wrapped up in him earlier... was I supposed to apply ointment or something?

"The stone muffles voices." Legolas reached up to touch his ear, brushing his damp hair out of his face as he did, before he bent down to tug his leggings over his damp legs. I had to admit it I may have looked a little harder at him as he did this. "Let us dress quickly."

Moving over, I helped him dress a bit faster, and stood there as Legolas helped me re-hook and re-lace and re-trap body in the dress thing.

"So I stand around and wave as you ride in?" I frowned. There it was again, the resentment again, feeling like I was being manipulated around without anyone explaining why. "Did you and Eowyn decide to keep me here?" Safe? I turned my back, reaching for my boots, only to feel Legolas' hand rest on my shoulder.

"No. You and I ride in together. That is your horse outside the window. The Lady Eowyn and Lord Faramir did speak." Legolas had come over, reaching out to run his fingers through my wet hair, and I felt him weaving it together as I leaned against his back. He kissed my shoulder as he worked quickly. "I overheard them as I found her. He wished for you to remain behind. There are fears of your pregnancy weakening you. Fears that your body would not handle the stress of such a long ride, that you had been seen struggling to walk still, and ...it was agreed to get you to remain behind."

"Oh." I supposed that made sense. I sighed. I didn't like it. Why didn't they just ask me? Except, of course, for the obvious reason of me wanting to say no and go anyway. I should have been angry but somehow I was just tired by this. I suspected Boromir had Faramir had probably already discussed it. Legolas hadn't said it but ...it was a feeling I had. And it tired me. Boromir tired me. Minas Tirith was suddenly not feeling quite so comfortable.

"Braid my hair?"

The sentence was kind of weird, from my Elf, and I chuckled softly and tried to relax. Twisting around, I twisted his damp hair into those tiny braids he seemed to like, exposing his ears, Legolas' grey eyes boring into me as I did it. "You are upset."

"People telling me what to do and how to be. And I think Boromir has something to do with it." I had to talk to Legolas about Boromir anyway. Now that Legolas was here in front of me, I kept remembering the morning Boromir had left, and just felt increasingly uncomfortable. It wasn't that I wanted Legolas to deal with it... but I needed to see his reaction. Needed to know if I was overreacting to that or not.

Eowyn hadn't tried to hold me back, I remembered, she'd told me how to ride just before. Maybe she was trying to balance pleasing Faramir and doing what she felt was right? Surely women in Rohan rode horses, even during pregnancy, because horses were such an important part of their lives. But the most important opinion wasn't hers. I fixed my eyes in Legolas eyes. "Are you worried about me riding right now?"

He didn't answer for a few long seconds, and my fingers slid through his hair, and I saw a flicker of something. Maybe he was afraid. Maybe. "I spoke to the Lady Eowyn. She told you to move your hips with the horse. To not run. That you would know when to stop. It is a short ride." He slid his hand down my stomach, over the dress, adding softer, "You have been through worse. I trust you to protect our son."

Our son. He trusted me. It was a relief to hear him say it, even though I knew Legolas did trust me, and I felt my shoulders slump. "Thank you. Where are we going?"

"We walk towards the army. Not a twenty minute walk out, I have our horses waiting, and there Gimli is camped."

"Gimli! You just left him there?"

"He would not go a step further." Legolas chuckled softly, open affection in his face, adding, "He told me to catch him something to eat and to leave him there to eat."

"You dragged him with you." Poor Gimli. He must have been buggered and, with the usual Dwarf stubbornness, had done his best to stay awake anyway. I finished Legolas other braid, stepped back, and tugged on my bots. "Well, we better join him."

"He will be glad to see you."

He would be when I brought him some food from outside, anyway, I was already picturing what to grab on our way out. As Legolas bent down to pull on his boots, I opened the door slowly, peering out into the little kitchen area.

"There is no one there." Legolas informed me, sliding his bow over his shoulder, leaning against my back as he joined me. He slipped past, hand grazing mine and fingers squeezing mine a moment, and his emotions faded away into his distant Elf mask thing. He tugged his hood over his face and ears, I did the same, and we headed for the door. "Follow me."

His fingers held onto mine right until the last second, until we were slipping out of the little house, only letting go when we were outside.

Somehow, with Legolas' help, we managed to slip through the crowd with the horse without drawing attention. Faramir and Eowyn, I noticed, barely left each other's side. I doubt they would have noticed me even if I'd shouted. I bought some of the food, much to Legolas bemusement, muttering 'For Gimli' as I slid the waxed cloth bag onto my belt and tied it there firmly. The main gate wasn't left alone- people came in and out all the time- so it didn't surprise anyone when we slipped out of it side by side.

When we were outside, I mounted awkwardly, Legolas jumping lightly on in front of me without so much as a soft exhale. Stupid Elf acrobatics. I bit his neck to make sure he knew how I felt, which made him laugh, like he could read my mind.

"Focus on riding." He called softly as he squeezed the horses sides.

We made our way from Minas Tirith, over the land that was no longer smooth grassy plains, moving around large areas that had been torn apart, around large boulders that must have been flung from Minas Tirith, or the areas where the dead had been gathered and burnt. It was hard to ever imagine that this land would ever look the same, it was so torn apart by the battle, by the horse hooves, with barely any grass remaining. It was mostly mud and dirt now. Even now I saw, sometimes, a horse that they had not yet buried or burnt. It was kind of disgusting and I had to stare into Legolas cloak covered shoulders and pretend I didn't smell it. Girly? Maybe. But I was sick of war.

It was hard to ride to, even now, but somehow I managed to hang on now. It was like I'd been energised. Legolas here? Suddenly I could ride horses, and bounce over things, and … swing swords, if I had to.

Still, it was with great relief when I smelt the smoke of a fire that wasn't related to the battle and saw a small stocky body standing there on the edge of a hill beside a cluster of trees and a familiar white horse, waving their arms, a familiar laugh echoing across to us. The second I was off the horse, Gimli had embraced me, laughing, shaking his head up at me.

"Lass, are you a sight for a sore dwarf!"

"You'll love me more with this." I untied the little sack and held it out. "I know Dwarves have more needs than Elves."

Gimli gazed down into the bag, cheeks flushing with pleasure under his beard, and grasped my hand again. "Thank you, thank you. One measly fish. One! A Dwarf needs more."

"I had to rush." Legolas was moving up the slope a little, eyes fixed on the horizon. "They are half an hour's ride away now."

"Good. I'm hungry." Gimli sat back down and started to eat from the bag, legs crossed, his helm still on the ground where he'd left it. "You look stronger, lass."

"I feel better." It was true too. I sat beside him, relaxing back, watching the sky. I was hungry as well. But I could wait. Gimli was the one who'd travelled all that way with Legolas because Legolas had wanted to rush back to me. I felt so grateful to Gimli for putting up with it. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Gimli had followed my eyes to Legolas. He seemed to understand what I was saying because he chuckled softly and shut his eyes. "I did not think of having a woman before now."

"A dwarf women?"

"Dwarves do not worry so much for marriage. There are so few daughters born, and so much desire to mine, that we are not so worried." Gimli was eating the bread, now that he'd stuffed it with the hot cheese and the other things I'd gotten for him, crumbs already all over his beard. "But to see the Elf obsess with his woman so much..."

"I do not obsess." Legolas muttered, crossing his arms, gazing out still towards where he must have seen the army.

"It makes me wonder if I want a part of that madness."

"It's a fun madness." Sort of. I smiled as I saw Legolas twist slightly in my direction, the side of his face now viewable to me, aware of his attention on me a fraction more.

"I have many other things to think about first." Gimli burped, coughing somewhat as it went the wrong way, and I patted his back as he grasped for his water bottle and drank a long drink.

"Other things?"

"Aye. Plans. Your Elf can stay with you while I get them in motion." Gimli gazed out. "I have long dreamed of creating a new city within the Glittering Caves themselves. Now, once I have seen Aragorn crowned, I will do it."

"Your own city." Wow, that was a massive dream. I stared at Gimli as he sat there. Was this how it was supposed to go? I didn't know. "Wow."

"No small task to undertake. But now, I feel I am ready." Gimli gazed at the sky. "Having seen the beauty of the caves, I can think of nothing else."

I wondered if Legolas was supposed to have been with him during that. Once again I felt guilt, guilt and confusion, Boromir springing to mind exactly now when I didn't want him to. When I wanted to be angry with him. It broke my heart to think that I was changing Legolas and Gimli, knowing how important they were to each other, but … I knew Boromir had no destiny I could ruin.

The thought made me feel sick so I shoved it away.

After a while I felt the rumble of the army approaching, the hooves, heard the clanking of armour, and stood up to stand beside Legolas to watch them. There they were.

"Did many die?" I asked softly. Professional warrior distance had resumed- neither I or Legolas touched now, we had that distance again, and it didn't bother me. Once again I was back into warrior mode. Maybe this was something in me I didn't loose, injury or not.

"A fair amount." Legolas admitted softly. "But many were saved by Frodo. I did not get time to check him. Is he-"

"He's fine."

Legolas and Gimli both sighed with relief.

"He's asleep. Gandalf said he might be for a while yet. He was very tired." I wasn't sure what else. Could destroying the ring do something to him, physically? Who knew. Gandalf was the right person for the job though.

"Do we know what happened yet?" Gimli was moving to stand on my other side now, his helm in one hand.

"Not yet." Well, I could tell them, but … it wasn't for me to do it. Not really. Was it? "I'm sure we'll find out."

No questions were asked of me, to my relief, we only stood there. Waiting.

As the army drew closer, I did see that it was pretty small, Gandalf leading the way on Shadowfax and further behind was another part of the army. They were some distance off, slower, so I had to assume they were the injured or the ones without horses. The one approaching was reasonably fast.

"We should ride down to meet them." Legolas stepped back, heading back to where Gimli had a small fire going, and started to bury it. I copied him as Gimli got both horses ready, the two of us getting the fire buried so it didn't start a fire in the dry landscape, the mad urge to wipe ash across Legolas nose too good to resist.

He twisted away, as I attempted to get ash on his perfect face, a hand grasping mine and shoving it safely onto the ground. I swore I saw the hint of a smile cracking through his mask though. Maybe.

"Don't ride fast." He instructed me, standing, brushing the ash and dirt on his pants. Amazingly I only now noticed how dirty Legolas was. The battle hadn't been kind to his usual flawless appearance. Was it crazy that I still found this hot? His tiredness? The dirt on his armour? The rip there, so obvious to me, and the way that even after a bath he still seemed to have very little control over his hair for once?

Gimli pushed reins into my hand, distracting me, and with another glance at my messy Elf, I climbed back up into the saddle. Gimli behind Legolas, Legolas checking the buried fire once more, before we were heading down the slope towards the army.

Aragorn looked amazing. I had never seen him so well dressed, even after days of battle, even when the smell of the army could be picked up from hundreds of metres away. And the smile he gave me when we finally were close enough to make eye contact just added to the effect. The armour of a King suited him so much. He rode ahead of the crowd, as I'd seen King Theodan do once, Gandalf to one side of him, the other space open. Legolas moved ahead to take it.

I rode to the side of the army somewhat, intending on staying back until they'd gone in, starting to become painfully aware of Gondor's customs. But when a horse rode past, my reins were grabbed, and Boromir more or less led my horse into the space behind Aragorn beside him without bothering to ask me. Clearly he intended on me riding in WITH them. Great. Break tradition again. What could be wrong with that?

But when I glanced back, I saw no resentful soldiers, no one seemed to care. Maybe being apart of the last battle counted for something?

I opened my mouth to snap but there was someone behind him, tired faced, beaming at me from under one of the small Gondor helms. Pippin's genuinely happy face cut my swearing off before I let it rip.

"Wendy!" Pippin called, waving, from behind Boromir. "You look great!"

"You look tired!"

He didn't look the least bit put off by my comment. Pippin grinned. Boromir seemed pretty cheerful too, moving up to ride just off Aragorn's side, Legolas somehow slowing his horse a little to join me behind them.

It seemed kind of weird. Legolas, a Prince, at the back. This was something Boromir had wanted though. Riding beside Aragorn, his helm off, the wind in his hair and his face obvious to everyone. The Captain of Gondor returning beside his King.

I rolled my eyes and concentrated on doing the 'roll hips with hooves' thing that Eowyn had told me to do. Legolas was riding at my side. Or I was riding at his side. This was probably perfect as far as he was concerned. Eomer appeared on my other side. Like it or not, I was here now, and I had to accept it.

The ride to Minas Tirth was faster on the return, I was sure of it, sure we were moving faster. Somehow I was kind of relieved about this- it made the time in the battlefield less overpowering for my poor nose. This was contrasted a little by the stink from the soldiers and horses. Ten days of this had not been kind to them. I wondered if they'd even seen water since they'd left.

It had to be one of the quickest battles away from city for a long time though. People had probably smelt worse. Up ahead was the gap where the gate had once been, the sounds of the crowd already echoing across, and the closer we all rode to it, the more smells of food overtook the smell of the battlefield. We saw kids ducking in and out of the gate, mothers chasing them, life greeting the weary soldiers who could ride ahead after Aragorn. There were banners raised all across the walls of Minas Tirith, great white banners several times larger than men, fluttering in the breeze, the rain gone and replaced by sunshine that set each white banner glowing against the grey-white stone. Petals raining down already, fluttering in the breeze, white and red petals that must have had some meaning for the people of Gondor.

Aragorn gazed up as a sound echoed suddenly, this long loud clear sound that echoed far across the plains around the White City. Horns. Not just one, but many, and I swore I saw Boromir's face damp with tears when his head followed the sounds from one side of the city to the other. My anger with him faded at the expression on his face. Joy. Pure, real joy, and relief. He'd made it home.

We came into the gate, the army behind us narrowing to join us, and to my surprise Aragorn did not stop in the courtyard. He continued to ride up the sloping twisting road, which I had to assume was normal, though I didn't get to ask. When I glanced back, I saw some soldiers had stopped, but others rode on.

Keeping my attention mostly on the 'move your hips' thing, as the ride was faster than I'd expected, I would occasionally glance back as we wound up Minas Tirith and noticed that it was always the same. Soldiers separating. I had to guess this was the tradition- that they would only leave formation when they were home. Riding right up to the doors of their families.

This may have meant any other time that I might have had to stop at the house Eowyn and myself stopped at, maybe, but there seemed to be a different rule for a group of the soldiers. We kept winding up and up, Gimli muttering about feeing sick, passing crowds of family waiting, until there was only a small group. I had to guess that for people of a certain ...rank? Privilege? ...That we got to go to the top spot, the massive flat area. The longer-than-expected ride made me crave my own home right now though. Steadily over the ride, my chest had started to hurt again, and my leg struggled to hang on, I'd more or less used up what energy I had. It was a lot less than it used to be.

My suspicions were confirmed when we reached the top. Up here was another crowd, a more well dressed group of people, and another explosion of feathers, music, the smell of food also here. But it was a lot more polished up here, the food, the music, it was less ...lively. It had this air of being much more planned.

Relieved it was over, I dismounted, nearly tripping over swishy swish skirt in the process. The smells of everyone, as much as I liked them, was starting to bug my stomach a little too much. And I was surprised how much the ride had tired me out. Maybe I was just getting old. Or getting pregnant. Either one was very likely.

I stood there, keeping normal by putting weight on the good leg and using the bad one to stay balanced, watching as soldiers were given food and embraced by their families. A little less display of emotion with this crowd as well. Almost. But …

I watched as a man embraced Boromir and Faramir alike, this dark haired man that was quite a bit older than both of them, and wondered who that was. A friend? I'd ask later.

To my surprise though, rather than head for their homes, those who'd come up here were heading into the big hall itself. "Where are they all going?"

Legolas moved closer to me, touching my elbow lightly, leaning closer to whisper softly, "You can rest a moment and let your stomach settle. All soldiers have baths ready. In their homes or, for those of higher rank, in a shared bath within the bathhouse. Then, a feast. This food is for them to take with them." He added, softer, that slightly bemused face returning, "Women also wait for those without wives."

Women. It shocked me how much I hated the idea of this. Boromir. A random prostitute. I hated it. I hated that I'd even have feelings about it, that I'd want to have a say in that, because who Boromir slept with wasn't my business.

Anyway, since when did Minas Tirith have a bathhouse? I supposed that was impressive. And since when did Legolas know at one glance how I felt? Maybe Legolas had heard my stomach getting ready to hurl. Maybe not. Maybe he'd just guessed. He was good at reading me these days.

Naturally, I wasn't expected to go to the bathhouse, and Legolas didn't bother following. Gimli did though, grunting about needing hot water, and it wasn't long before the welcoming crowd of higher ranked Gondor people vanished as well. Only now did I see Eowyn, separating from her brother with a quick hug, and Faramir with Boromir, vanishing into a doorway with him and that older dark haired man. Others were coming to take the horses, leading them off, Legolas drawing me to one side as we watched people leave. The effort of walking to the side hurt my pride- I couldn't hide the limp now, and Legolas noticed. His teeth actually clenched.

"Feast tonight then?" I asked softly, sliding my hand into his hand, not so concerned now if people saw it or not.

"Yes." Legolas responded, eyes on the crowds, his head tilting just a fraction as he listened into the others. "They are readying it now."

"You and your hearing."

Legolas smiled a little, leaning his weight against my arm a little more, hand tightening around mine. "I hear them discussing plans to ready you for it.

"Oh man." I muttered. Uh oh. At the best times I struggled to be patient with those pinchy dresses. Now? It hurt to stand. I didn't want to wear a heavy dress. "Where can we hide?"

"You need rest. Not dresses." Legolas was on my side with this then. He moved forward, a little too quickly, and slowed when he saw that my body wasn't going to move that way. "Where is your home?"

"Down a level." I was already picturing the walk and was not looking forward to it. No horses. We just had to get on with it. And stop reacting to Boromir. Nothing he did should affect me. Nothing.

Eowyn managed to catch up to us, not exactly a hard thing to do, but she didn't shove a dress at me. Instead she made me stop and list off every ache and pain to some other woman who was apparently the midwife for the city. Only when they were satisfied these pains were not pregnancy related, except for the nausea which they'd decided was, did they let me go.

The walk down to our little house was harder on Legolas than it was on me. I could see it in his body language, even if he hid his emotions under his public mask, see him stiffen, and hover, and keep his attention constnatly fixed on me. I could cope with the aches, the muscles that were too used right now to really work properly, with needing to limp. I could cope with walking slowly and resting when I needed to. This was how I'd gotten stronger to begin with- walking and figuring out when it was time to just take it easy. I'd also noticed that walking downhill was harder for me. Maybe it was because I needed to use my leg muscles more so I didn't fall flat on my face?

Legolas couldn't seem to handle it. He kept glancing over his shoulder at me when I slowed or sat down, his body would tense, and he'd ask the same questions over and over automatically. "Are you in pain?" Or he'd go with, "Should I bring a cart?" which usually had a pretty strong NO. This was an area of mortality he clearly wasn't used to dealing with yet. The fact that we hurt, we ached, and sometimes our bodies just needed time. Time wasn't a lot we had to begin with, as far as he was concerned, so maybe he'd assumed over the past ten days I'd healed.

I sat there, just thirty metres from our house, regaining some energy for the last stretch as I watched him. It'd gotten increasingly hard to walk as we made our way down the slope, like this was the final straw for my muscles, and I had barely been able to put weight on my leg.

Legolas stood against the edge of Minas Tirith, back stiff, arms beside his sides but held there. It was his 'scouting' posture, I realised, and yet there was nothing for him to see. Nothing for him to protect me from. It was just Legolas trying to cope with watching me be in pain. Pain which would take some time to heal, sure, but it would go away eventually. It wasn't like I'd just bruised my leg. I'd had a piece of metal go right through my body and had a horse step on my leg.

"You know I'll heal, right?" I said quietly. Legolas flinched just a tiny bit and didn't turn around. Oh man. He was really worried. "It's probably a torn ligament or something. It'll just take a few months."

I hoped it wasn't longer than that. A few months was clearly not what he wanted to hear. Legolas didn't even look at me, he crossed his arms, and went back to scouting.

How would he cope with the birth?

"How long have you been limping?"

"I guess since you left. That's not that long for ..." For humans? I'd kept trying to tell him that I wasn't Elf. "It's not long. The healing could take months." I figured where it was, where the horse had trod on me, somewhat glad it was THAT which was the worst thing. It was a miracle it hadn't been the sword. The bruise was just a few inches up from my kneecap and still felt swollen. It felt worse than this morning. "Maybe I should keep walking with the walking stick until it heals properly."

This was not what Legolas wanted to hear. Shoulders got more tense. He shifted on the spot. Did not even look back at me.

When I went to stand, he'd suddenly turned, and lifted me up. Just like that. Legolas stared ahead, mask still on, holding onto me.

"Show me the way. If it is that bad, then you should not walk at all."

I wasn't sure he was right. I gestured to the building and Legolas strode forward, faster than before, ignoring the stares we got as we moved through the streets from some of the kids that were outside.

Legolas moved inside, up the stairs, and when I pointed, into my room. Slowly he lowered me down, fingers sliding up to grasp the waistband of my pants, ignoring me as he drew them down.

Yeah, it had swollen pretty bad. I probably overdid it a little. Legolas went to rub it and froze when I hissed in pain and pushed him back, pain shooting up and down body. "Not helpful, Elf-boy."

"I should find a healer."

"They've been." I started to undo the dress as he stood up to pace, slowly undoing the laces, lying back down. Phew. It was a relief to be off my legs. "They come every day. I just did too much today. It'll be fine tomorrow." Or in a few days, anyway.

Legolas returned to my side, bending over me to undo the dress for me, and helped me get it off. I lay there in the under-shirt and undergarments, watching him as he idly folded up my dress and pants, sliding them onto a table. Tidying up. It was nice of him.

He looked tired though. Maybe that was the problem. Legolas was tired so he was freaking out a little.

"How long till the feast?"

"Some time yet." Legolas muttered. "Will not start until darkfall."

Darkfall. I liked that word. I opened my arms to him, which seemed to amuse him through his worry, and slowly Legolas undressed as well.

"I will not lie with you while your leg is as it is." He warned me. He eyed it, as Legolas carefully climbed into the other side of the bed, eyed it like it was something dangerous.

"Fine by me. Don't know how you'd do that without touching it anyway." I slid across, gritting my teeth as this made my leg have to move, and curled against his side. "Relax. Let's have a nap."

"A nap?"

"Means you only sleep for a little while. Get some energy back." I tugged Legolas down against my chest, running my fingers through his hair and across his back, trying to comfort him. The Elf was so damn tense. "It's okay, really."

"I don't like watching you in pain." Legolas muttered. His hand slid across my side, slowly, teasing my skin with slow gentle motions. "You look so tired."

"Get used to it, Leggy, because if I'm really pregnant then there'll be a point where that's all I am. Tired and in pain." I reached down with my free hand to touch that spot. Life. It was still so hard to tell. If I pressed my hand there, or here, I could almost ...feel it. Almost. Or wait, maybe, was that it? I wasn't sure if I was feeling where a baby was or some organ. Now that I was down I felt my body just shut down too. Sleep. Sleep sounded amazing. "We've got lots to catch up on."

"In the morning."

It wasn't long before I'd started to fall asleep, holding Legolas against me, relieved to have him home. Home. Turned out wherever he was equalled home. I was sure there was a song about that somewhere.

We missed the feast. I was sure we'd woken up at some point, Legolas as sleepy as I was, and we'd muttered something about getting up for the feast. But for once in the time I'd known him, Legolas was just too exhausted to get up, and I had to admit I agreed with him. We went back to sleep, arms aching as we refused to let go of each other, legs tangled around each other. Eowyn came in at one point and left just as fast as she'd come in. It wasn't like we'd done anything, Legolas wasn't even undressed, but I'd lifted my head as she vanished and remembered that she was probably still a virgin. Probably.

Legolas was with me in my dreams. It didn't mean much, sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't, but I was always aware of him sleeping beside me even as I slept deeply. It was this comforting energy, this warmth, and I slept feeling safer than I had for days.

When I woke, he was still asleep, curled up on his side, his hair askew and ...his thumb in his mouth. Early morning sunlight drifted in through the balcony, illuminating us and the bed, a cloud drifting past the high city.

I had to really hold in giggles when I saw that. It was only the tip of his thumb, really, but I suddenly saw what he must have been like as a boy. Blonde lashes on his cheeks, silky soft blonde hair, a faint flush in his cheeks as he dreamed. He was clearly dreaming- his eyes were fluttering like crazy under his eyelids. It was kind of cute. I ran my hand over his face, through his hair, leaning over to kiss his cheek gently.

The door opened as I kissed his smooth cheek, heart fuzzy with affection, and I ignored whoever it was.

A sharp pain ripped through my side, sudden, as Legolas' eyes snapped open. It was confusing. I stared at him, suddenly tasting something metallic, aware of how unfocused his eyes were. How I couldn't breathe properly. His fist in my side.

Boromir's muffled roar was drowned out by the roaring of blood in my own ears.

His knife buried in my side.