There are
maps
through your
bones and skin,
to the way
you've felt
and the
way you've
been.

- Skalkisham of Umbar

Chapter 25

April 65 Fourth Age, Edoras

Another day had passed as Grandmother lead Elsunn down the road of her tale. Like yesterday, the girl had listened with only few interruptions, but now that night had come again and the old woman fell silent once more, a thought came to her: someone should be writing down everything the Queen said, so that others could also hear this story.

It had swept her far away from this chamber in Meduseld, over the White Mountains and beyond the sea, all the way to the narrow streets of Umbar, and she could almost taste the air that smelled of salt and spices and dust. She imagined the vast deserts, the heat of the sun, and the fierce tribesmen with their dark eyes and curved scimitars... Elsunn had grown up hearing tales of the journey of her grandparents, but never like this. She certainly felt she had never really understood.

Grandmother was watching her quietly now. She looked tired but her gaze remained keen as ever, and seeing Elsunn had noticed her quiet regard, she smiled.

"Perhaps that is enough for the day, don't you think?" Grandmother asked gently.

"Can I ask one question at least?" Elsunn asked back carefully.

"Very well. But just one", smiled the old Queen.

"Did you really kill that horrible man called Dhaub?" she wanted to know, watching her Grandmother with wide curious eyes. Lothíriel Queen's face held something dark, and a frown had come to her features.

"Oh, I did kill him. That took some help from Éowyn of course... I do not know if I could have done it by myself. When it took place I did not know who my opponent was, but Éomer told me later, and sometimes I thought I'd rather have remained without that knowledge..." she said in a quiet voice and shook her head. She looked away and continued, "I also wondered if he should have been a better fighter than that. But then, on that moment when I took his life, I saw something in his eyes – before that it was like I was fighting a dead man, for I saw nothing in his gaze before that one last instance. And it looked like to me he was grateful somehow. I did not understand it then, and perhaps I still don't."

Grandmother looked up then, "But let us not speak more of him. He is a topic that fits better more evil stories."

Elsunn very much agreed with that. She leaned her chin on her hand and regarded the old woman before her.

"And then you turned homewards. Did Chieftain Varanat really come to escort you? Did Opash send more men after you? Why did you choose to -" Elsunn asked, but Grandmother lifted up a hand to interrupt her.

"Now, I agreed to one more question, didn't I? It is high time we both go to bed, sweetheart", she said gently.

Knowing it was of no use to argue, Elsunn got up and like the last night she kissed the brow of her old foremother. The story was everything but finished yet and the journey was long still, but she was merely happy for that. Long stories had always been her favourite kind, and this one felt special to her. This, Elsunn perceived, was because usually stories spoke of people who had already died, sometimes a very long time ago. But this story was close, because the one who was telling it was the one to whom it had happened.

She smiled at her grandmother and touched the old woman's hand gently.

"Good night, Grandmother."

Ever since her King had died, Lothíriel Queen had been dreaming of him. Not perhaps every night, but it was frequent enough for her to feel in her heart maybe Éomer was just such a large and significant part of her that her mind was trying to conjure him now that he wasn't here anymore. She had wound her life with his so deeply that she was reaching for him even beyond death, trying to glimpse him over that vast abyss which parted them.

That night she dreamt of him again, though it was more of a memory than a dream. For some reason, it was of an evening few days before he had passed away.

In the dream he was looking up at her and smiling. The years had turned his face into a web of lines, but she knew and loved every one of them... for she knew his face better than she did her own. And his eyes were the same as she knew, wise and thoughtful and warm.

"You should be resting, beloved. You look tired."

"Aye, but I'd rather stay with you. I want to remember everything."

He regarded her and seemed to understand. It was clear by now he'd not live much longer: he was ancient and tired and his life's work was fulfilled, but he was lingering because of her. She, however, was still healthy and strong. He knew she needed these last fleeting moments with him, for beyond them a parting was waiting for them, and whether he willed it or not he would take a piece of her with him when he'd go. Concern grew in his eyes and the hold of his hand, infirm and gnarled now, became tighter.

"I would not leave you, my love..." he murmured, but she brought his hand to her lips, kissing away the bitter of this sweet moment.

"I know that, Éomer. But what must be will be, and we can't fight that. And I'm not certain you will ever really leave me now", she told him softly. He sighed and leaned his cheek into her hand, closing his eyes. When he spoke, it was in a voice so quiet she almost didn't hear him.

"My dear Queen... after all these years your fire still persists. Even now you carry me, when it is me who should carry you."

When he opened his eyes and looked at her, she smiled.

"Your weight is less than you think, beloved – much less than it once was", she told him. "In the end, carrying you just means carrying myself."

He answered her smile and gently pulled at her hand. She understood and lay herself down beside him, fitting her head in that familiar place by his neck.

It was not the last night they shared, for he would live few days yet before he would close his eyes in her arms for the last time. But this was where he made the promise.

"I will be waiting for you."

The next day, Grandmother had every intention of continuing the story with Elsunn. However, as they sat down in her chambers and the old woman had finished her cup of tea, a servant came to inform them that Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm and of Ithilien was soon to arrive in Meduseld. It was not uncommon for the Elf to travel in these parts: he'd sometimes visit the old queen before continuing on his journey to meet Gimli, who dwelt in the Glittering Caves with his people. Durin's Folk had been loyal friends of Rohan after the wars had ended, and with Gimli's help Éomer King had pursued many unforeseen building projects in the Mark.

"I'm afraid we must postpone continuing the story. If Legolas is here, I would like to to hear news of him", said Grandmother. So the tale would have to wait for later, and Elsunn called a servant to help the old woman get ready for the arrival of her friend.

They were not the only ones to welcome the Elf to the capital of Rohan. Mother came to greet Legolas as well; Father was presently in the western parts of the kingdom attending to some business in the villages near Isengard. Elsunn's brother Eadric was here as well, which went for his station as the Crown Prince and the substitute of Elfwine King in his absence. Grandmother leaned on the arm of Uncle Elred and beside him she looked somehow very small, though she had been moderately tall in her youth. But beside Uncle most people seemed to diminish, and as the old woman stood there her frail body almost appeared to be drowning inside her thick fur-lined cloak.

The Elvish riders at last arrived to the courtyard, and when he had surrendered his horse to a stablehand, Legolas climbed lightly the steps up to the Golden Hall, his feet light and unburdened as always. He never really changed but then, that was the way of the Elder Kindred. If there indeed was change in them, mortal eyes were too briefly-lived to notice it.

It was Lothíriel Queen he greeted first, which came by the privilege of her age and her status as the virtual head of the family.

"What are you doing out here in the chill? You should be inside", spoke Legolas gently as he approached the royal family. He was smiling nevertheless, and his mortal friend answered the smile with equal warmth.

"I came to receive you, of course. You visit us too seldom, Legolas", she replied, reaching her arms towards the Elf. He gave her a warm, careful hug, as if he was afraid of breaking her.

"It is good to see you, mellon nîn. You look good", he said fondly. She let out a soft little laugh.

"By mannish standards I look ancient, my friend, but you're kind to say that", she replied, resting her hands on his shoulders. "I am happy that you came."

"Have I ever refrained from visiting you when I've travelled in this part of the world?" Legolas said lightly and turned then to greet the other members of the royal family. To Elsunn he gave a smile and complimented she had grown tall and fair since their last meeting, which made her blush. Not many young women of the Mark could say they knew Elves, or were friendly with them.

Mother was occupied with arranging lodgings for Legolas and his companions, but the Elf Prince himself insisted escorting the old Queen inside. As the two made way inside they were already busy exchanging tidings.

They spent much the day and evening talking, and as it was in Sindarin Elsunn quickly lost track of what was being discussed. She knew her father and uncle and aunt were all fluent in Sindarin, as Grandmother had taught them since they had been small, but Elsunn had never learned the Elven tongue beyond the basic greetings and courtesies. The tongue was not spoken in Meduseld, and her Gondorian kin always used Westron whenever their families visited each other.

One instance between the old Queen and the Elf she did take note of, and that was when the day turned into evening and the two had fallen silent. Legolas was resting a hand on Grandmother's arm, and they both looked solemn – even kind of bittersweet. Elsunn could but wonder what was the meaning of that gaze and what words had passed between them.

Grandmother retired for bed soon after that, and to Elsunn's surprise it was her Legolas approached then. She couldn't imagine what he'd find interesting about her: he had been the friend of her grandparents, and now her father, but as long as she had known him she had been but an adolescent daughter of Men. And Legolas was a legendary character himself, being one of the Nine Walkers.

"My lord", she greeted him, which brought a slight smile on the Elf's face.

"Please, call me Legolas, as you used to when you were smaller", he said, which made her cheeks heat up. But he didn't seem to notice; instead, he was watching her with thoughtful eyes. Seeing that look Elsunn wanted to ask what it was, but wasn't sure if she should. Elves could be so strange sometimes.

When he spoke again, it was in soft tones but somehow heavy.

"I see what she means. You do remind me of him, though perhaps that is odd... but then, you were born into a time of peace and prosperity, and you have not seen death in such quantities as he did", Legolas spoke softly, regarding the princess in a way that felt like drilling through her skull. At first she wasn't sure what he meant, but then it dawned to her. Her first instinct was to argue – she wasn't like the great man she had called Grandfather – but the look in the Elf's eyes had her remaining quiet.

"You really think so?" she asked, her voice faint. Again a smile came to his face.

"I do. You have his heart, his spirit. You are what could have been, and what must be", Legolas replied. Elsunn did not know what that meant, though she did take his words to her heart. Grandmother sometimes said the words of the Eldar were to be treasured, especially now that so few of their kind lingered in Middle-earth.

"What was he like? When they came back, I mean?" Elsunn asked. Legolas gave her a look she didn't really understand, and when he spoke it was in soft voice.

"It is difficult to say. Wounds become scars and scars may fade... he was many things after the south, I suppose. I would say he was wiser. Not always untroubled, and maybe not easy to deal with at times. But it is not reasonable to expect a man to live through darkness unchanged", Legolas said at length, looking away. When he turned again towards Elsunn, his eyes were gentle. "What I perceived might not be what your grandmother, or someone else saw. And I did not meet again your grandfather before..."

A shiver ran down her spine; she knew what he meant. Somehow Eorlingas always shuddered at the mention of this thing, as though even those who did not remember the events had somehow inherited the pain and grief.

"It is past, young Elsunn. And if your grandfather had ventured into the shadow, he did walk out of it as well. And it made him strong in ways few people could ever comprehend", said Legolas, touched lightly her wrist, and bid her good night.

Legolas took his leave two days later, heading for Helm's Deep and the Glittering Caves to meet his friend Gimli. Grandmother insisted on seeing him to his way and the two exchanged lengthy goodbyes on the terrace of the Golden Hall. When he went, the Elven Prince gave Elsunn a friendly parting smile.

Grandmother watched him go in silence. What moved in her mind the young princess could not tell, but she got a feeling something significant had passed between the old woman and the Elf. She wasn't left on wondering what that might be, for as Legolas and his company made downhill and disappeared from sight, Lothíriel Queen turned to look at her and there was a smile on her features.

"Now, my dear, would you perhaps escort me to my chamber? I was thinking we could continue with the story", she said, at which Elsunn grinned happily.

"I'd like that", she said, offering her arm to the old woman.

When they were in Grandmother's rooms, comfortably seated and with cups of tea in their hands, the Queen and wife of Éomer Éadig lifted up her sea-grey eyes and began to speak once more.

"When I set out from Pelargir with Éowyn and Aragorn, my mind was fixed on the moment of finding my beloved. I could not really see beyond that point, and anyway in my heart I was convinced it would not matter: I would deal with it when it became pressing. And as our travel progressed, the most I could imagine was that we would find him, and then we would go home", she started quietly, but as she talked her voice became stronger.

"What I did not understand that looking for Éomer was but one journey, and when I did find him we were facing another road – one that would be equally difficult, though in different ways perhaps. I did not understand it yet, but what I had resolved under the stars that light the deserts of Harad would come to mean so much in my quest to save the man I loved..." Grandmother said, her voice falling softer again. She sighed and looked away; for a brief moment Elsunn thought she saw tears in the old woman's eyes, but wasn't sure if they were for some old grief or just longing for her beloved King.

Be it as may, whether there were tears or not, they were gone when Grandmother again looked at Elsunn. Settling back in her chair, she smiled slightly now.

"Let us return back to that last year of the Third Age – the ending of many things, and the starting of others. We will begin with the journey home."

End of Part 2

A/N: So, we have arrived to the end of Part 2. This weekend or perhaps the next week I'll try to upload the first chapter of Part 3.

Here you can see a bit more elaboration on the matter of Dhaub the Man-eater, and also another appearance from Legolas. I tried to drop couple of hints in this chapter as to what is to come. Also, I decided to include that dream/memory bit, because I really wanted to show you, my dear readers, something with the old Lothíriel and Éomer together. Hope you liked this chapter!

We also briefly saw a bit more of the royal family. Elfwine has yet to make an official appearance, but Elred is indeed Lothíriel and Éomer's son. I believe he is one of Elfwine's lieutenants, perhaps even a Marshal. Maybe in the future we'll see more of the family.

As usual, I'm thankful for all the reviews. If you have comments on my language/grammar, or if you spot any inconsistencies, I'd love to know of it!

Mellon nîn = My friend.

Quote in the beginning originally by Christopher Poindexter.

Inspiration for the chapter: Brave - A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal / Noble Maiden Fair

The Hare and the Otter - That it will indeed be! ;)

UntilNeverDawns - You could be very right about that. :)

MairaElleth - Would it make sense to you if I said I was glad to hear I nearly made you cry? :D I suppose that's one of the oddities of being a writer, but I do get happy when I hear I've managed to cause an emotional reaction in my readers.

Thank you for your comments! It's also good to hear my narrative choices make sense and are understandable. I also thought that would be how he'd react, being subjected to all these dramatic and traumatic events in such a little while.

Katia0203 – My own reasoning for leaving Dhaub this kind of vague and distant character was because I was thinking of him as this remnant of the Shadow. I didn't give a really close look on him because I thought that would somehow break the spell of him, so to speak. In a way I was attempting for how Sauron was this ever-present and looming danger in the background, one that perhaps didn't come fully to sight but was this threat you can't grasp. Dhaub was born as one of the race of Men and his trade was torture, and why he was so feared was in good part because of his association to Sauron. I think men would perceive that Shadow lingered on him (the kind that was known to cause terror in people), and though he might be "just one man" there would be something so terrifying about him that men would fear him and Varanat would see him as a threat. Then there's that insistence he doesn't have a soul, which I think would add up to how people perceived him.

As for Éomer and Éowyn's reunion, I understand where you're coming from, but I do have a reason for how he reacts there and I intend to explore that matter in the upcoming chapters. I would elaborate more, but I'd rather let the story explain itself, so just keep reading and hopefully you'll get a sufficient explanation for that scene!

I'm glad to hear you liked the action bits! I confess I get really paranoid about stuff like that - it's one of those things I can't really regard objectively myself and tell if it's good or not. Also thanks for the compliment, I'm really happy to hear you are enjoying my story so much! :)

Talia119 - Oh, it's indeed far from being over! I'm afraid we have a long journey to travel yet, so wait and see! I know you, and probably other readers as well, would like to see some scenes where Lothíriel and Éomer are alone, but perhaps that will have to wait for a bit... hopefully the bit in this chapter is enjoyable read at least!

Michelle - Thank you for the reassurance! I'm glad to hear my doubts were in vain. :)

Also thanks for the comments! I like to hear my readers' insights to the matters at hand, and you do make good points. We will see how these events unfurl. :)

Vilwerin - Glad to hear you like the story so much! Here comes more at last. :)

Wondereye - I'm happy that you liked the chapter! I'm not sure about whether Fanara will learn the truth, but I'll try and see if I can work anything. Also I'm hoping to add some information on Rohan's current tidings in the next chapter, but I fear it might take a bit before we can get our characters home.