All in green went my love
riding on a great horse of silver
into the golden dawn
- Rohirric ballad
Chapter 47
The entire camp site was electrified, and not in a good way.
Edelric had sent most of his men to search the plains and look for the King of the Mark. Lothíriel would have gone too, but Elfhelm had effectively commanded her to sit down and wait.
"I will not have both my king and queen disappearing into the night. You stay right here where I can see you, my lady", he said sharply and she knew this was an instance she would have to listen without arguments. However, sitting down meant she could not do anything to help, and idleness was the worst thing she could imagine when her husband might be in danger.
"My lady", called Alger softly – he had been tasked with guarding her.
"Alger", she said and nodded at him.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll find him", he comforted her.
"I hope so", she said softly, pulling a blanket tighter about her shoulders. Even now she couldn't but worry Éomer would be cold out there. "I just... I don't understand how a man can vanish like that. All his things are here, and his horse..."
Unless he was captured. Had Feran's men found them after all? But if that was the case, surely they would not have left the rest of the company just so? On the other hand, if Éomer had gone somewhere willingly, why would he do so without saying a word to her and his men?
If something happened to Éomer... she couldn't have travelled all this way just to lose him into the night without as much as goodbye.
Lothíriel bowed her head and fought back her tears. Alger lay a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Please, my Queen. You can't lose hope now", he said nervously. She wiped a hand across her eyes and managed to conjure up a smile. How was she supposed to be a queen to these people if she couldn't be strong for them in a time of need? She had to be brave and keep going.
"Aye, you are right. Now is not a time for despairing", she agreed. "Thank you, Alger."
The rest of the night passed slowly. Lothíriel dozed off by the fire with Arric; the poor lad looked scared and she pulled him under her arm. Eventually he fell asleep with his head against her shoulder, and quietly she watched him sleep. He was far too young to be here with them... and yet he was.
Might I have a son like him one day...?
She turned again to stare into the fire, wishing away the aching feeling threatening to settle in her heart. After all, Eadgyd had said it wasn't hopeless... but now was not a time for those thoughts. It was a concern for future and peace.
The stone on her heart weighed about the same as a mountain when the first light of dawn came to grace the plains. Hours had passed since Éomer had vanished, and yet there was still no sign of him, and Elfhelm had no news to tell her, no matter how many times she asked. The riders Edelric had sent to look for the King of the Mark had returned exhausted and empty-handed, all bearing similar faces of dread.
"Elfhelm", Edelric called, his face deeply concerned, "we have to do something. We can't give up with the search."
"Where would you have us look? Your men have been riding up and down the plains the entire night and yet they haven't found a single footprint to point us after him", Elfhelm pointed out exasperatedly.
"Then we should sit here and twiddle our thumbs? He is our king! We can't let him just disappear!" Lothíriel put in, rising up to her feet from the place by the camp fire.
"If I could find him I would, but I am running out of ideas here", said the Marshal. His expression revealed how hard he was trying to fight despair, and how close it was he lost.
"Please", she said, reaching to touch his arm, "it can't end like this."
"My Queen..." he muttered. A deep, heavy silence fell between them.
"We will go and look for him – all of us. One more time. We have to move, because Feran's men could be searching for us right now. We can't stay here and wait for him like sitting ducks", she said, hoping he might see her desperate need to do something to find her husband. Elfhelm returned her pleading look quietly and then glanced quickly at Edelric. Then the Marshal sighed and nodded.
"Very well. We will do as you wish", he said at last. "Lads, make ready once more. We'll go and find that errant king of ours even if it's the last thing we'll do."
In grave silence the horses were prepared and the camp site cleared. Conversations were sparse and curt and Lothíriel knew they all needed something good to happen, and soon. The night had been too long and the day before it... only now was she starting to understand what pain Éomer must have felt at knowing what must have happened in Harrow when they had rode out. Was it because of that pain he was now gone? Had she evaluated his healing wrong, and the agony had pushed him over the edge?
Light of new day was growing as the company continued the search. Elfhelm and Lothíriel rode up front, and Arric shared her saddle again. Onwards they rode, each pair of eyes scanning the plains, looking for a sign of Éomer or something that might tell where he had gone. It didn't make any sense, no matter how much she mulled over it. And her heart ached, because she had not been parted from him like this ever since the south.
Then, about half an hour after the sunrise, things went from bad to worse.
Edelric rode suddenly to Elfhelm's side and his expression was tight and his eyes dark.
"Wigmund just returned from scouting. He says we've got over twenty riders after us, two and a half leagues behind", he said, making both the Marshal and the Queen sit up straighter in their saddles.
"Feran's men?" Elfhelm asked sharply.
"I don't know. But they're obviously tracking us and judging by their speed they've got fresher horses than ourselves", Edelric replied.
"What do we do?" Lothíriel asked the Marshal, hoping against hope he might have some trick up his sleeve... that he might know how to get them out of this.
But Elfhelm's face revealed it all. There were no more tricks... no more hope.
"We can make a stand. Give some time for the Queen to flee", he said at last.
"No! I'm not leaving you here. And where do you suggest I go? I don't know the way to Astdun and my food supplies are finished. I'm not familiar with these plains like you are!" she snapped quickly.
"Alger may go with you", Elfhelm said, his voice colourless.
"You need my bow. There's almost twenty of ourselves – we may have a chance against them. And who knows? Maybe they're not Feran's men", she argued.
"My lady is right", Edelric muttered.
Elfhelm sighed. Then at last he nodded, either because he agreed it was as good idea as any, or he just was too disheartened to argue about this.
"As you wish, then", he said in low tones. "We'll look for a place to make our stand, and... we'll see how it goes."
And so they made forwards again, until after a few moments Elfhelm grumbled something about them riding to the next hill – it had steep sides and would be easier to defend if it came to battle. To get there they had to cross on more dale before them, about the length of half a league.
In silence the company rode down, mindful of hidden rocks among the dead grass. It was winter still and so the plains did not yet wear the usual green coat, but even so the land lost none of its wild beauty. Yet the glory of the Mark was now mostly unseen by Lothíriel, for her thoughts were far... though she did not know where he had gone, in her mind and heart she was with the man who in many ways embodied this land.
They were half-way through the dale when the riders appeared.
Up on that hill they were, the very one Lothíriel's company had intended to take. There were ten of them, and seeing these new arrivals Elfhelm cursed under his breath. He lifted up his hand and the riders behind him and the Queen came to a halt. When they did, the ten on the hilltop started down.
"You know them?" Lothíriel asked when the group was close enough to see their faces.
"Aye. That would be the Marshal Colborn. He is the one Feran appointed the Lord of Aldburg", Elfhelm growled. He glanced quickly at her, "You must remain quiet. I don't know if he has heard news of Harrow, but there is a chance I can bluff him. We don't need him knowing about Éomer or you."
"Do what you must", she said quietly to him and held on to Arric a bit tighter. The boy sat very still and squeezed her hand.
Then Colborn reached the speaking distance.
"Lord Elfhelm! I'm rather surprised to see you here. I had heard news you were under arrest for high treason", said the man, slowing down his horse. The twitch of his expression revealed he was not quite so pleased to see Elfhelm riding free.
"The accusation for that crime was reconsidered and found in wanting. I'm a free man", Elfhelm replied. "I must beg your pardon, for I'm in haste."
"Why? What's the hurry?" asked Colborn.
"The hurry of a man going home to see if he still has a home. Lady Ceolwen my wife should not be well pleased for my long absence", Elfhelm said curtly. The man before them frowned slightly and his eyes shifted over to regard Lothíriel.
"Is that so? Who would this be, then?" he inquired.
"A sister in arms. Or have you never seen Shieldmaidens before?" Elfhelm inquired, lifting his eyebrows.
"A Shieldmaiden? I didn't know there were any in Gondor", Colborn stated, staring hard at her now. "You know Gondorians are forbidden from travelling in the realm... unless she can show some sign of the underking."
Elfhelm glared at Colborn.
"Has the underking decreed the bride of Éomer King should not travel in Rohan?" he asked sharply, at which words Colborn blinked in surprise. He looked at her again, only now taking in her appearance. She met his gaze steadily.
"What do the brides of dead kings matter?" he asked when he had regained his voice.
"Lady Lothíriel rides with me, Colborn. If you want her gone, you must go and speak of it with your precious underking", Elfhelm said stiffly.
"Aye, I will do that", Colborn said, smiling just slightly, "and you will come with me."
"Won't happen", said the Marshal beside her. "Let us agree we go our separate ways and bother each other no longer, yes? If the underking pulls his beard into a single knot for this, I will deal with the consequences."
"We will do no such thing. I won't have you running at large and doing whatever you want, because if I allow that it will only cause me trouble. Your days of free reign are over, Elfhelm, and it is high time you learned it as well. You are coming with me... and I'm rather sure those gentlemen riding down the hill behind you should agree", Colborn said victoriously.
Lothíriel turned sharply. And there they were, the twenty men who could only be those that Edelric's scout had seen. Only, now they were carrying a banner of blue-green, on which were two silver spears crossed.
A low, dangerous growl left Elfhelm's throat. He reached one hand to her, gesturing her to pull back into the middle of Edelric's riders. She already had her bow at ready, and she whispered to Arric: "Take the reins. You must guide the horse."
"Aye, milady", he replied, his voice not much more than a squeal.
"Lads, you know what to do!" Elfhelm yelled to the riders, and all of them drew swords. Thirty against seventeen...
The Marshal looked at her then, "Don't fight them back, my lady. You mustn't give them a reason to hurt you. Go with them and lay low – your lord father will hear of this and King Elessar too. They will come for you, even if they have to declare war on the Mark."
As an answer she could but glare at him. Did the man really think she cared for her own safety now? She held up her bow and placed an arrow on it, and looked at the Marshal.
"It is too late, Elfhelm. I'm the Queen now to whatever end it may take me", she told him firmly. "Even to death."
"Even to death", he echoed softly and dipped his head in respect. "Lothíriel Queen."
Then he straightened, for the men, those of Colborn's and of Feran's were making ready... and Elfhelm called: "Eorlingas! To arms!"
But on that moment, even as they stood there at the hope's end, there was a rider up on the hill. Morning's light was shining on him so that at first they could not see his features. Yet she suspected they did not need to glimpse his face to know.
For as the rider began to descend there was a strange shimmer on the pale grey coat of his stallion and the powerful grace of the horse marked him as one of extraordinary breed. The horse complimented well his rider, who came tall and proud as Eorl might ride in stories and songs, wearing as his armour something else than chain-mail. He was riding without a saddle or reins, in the Elven fashion that all Riders learned. His face was calm and confident and the movements of the man and the horse were so in tune that it was like they were one. And even Lothíriel, who had only once before seen an animal like the one carrying her beloved, knew what this was.
He was riding a stallion of mearas.
"Eorlingas!" called Éomer King, so that the very dale echoed with his powerful voice, "Lay down your weapons."
And then the hillside became alive once more, for there was a great line of riders, reaching from one end to the other. Sunlight was on them and their spears gleamed under the golden rays, and foremost was riding a Shieldmaiden: her long braids fell down her back, she was in chain-mail as any man, and she had her spear at ready. Lothíriel had no idea how he had done it but in a single night Éomer had found himself a stallion of pure mearas blood and an entire éored of riders who were loyal to him.
But Elfhelm had dropped from his saddle, and he got on his knee right there. Arric followed the example right away.
"Hail Éomer King!" he called out, regarding his liege-lord with unveiled reverence, reminding her of the site of the execution, when Éomer had at last announced himself.
And others joined in. All around, even in the company bearing the unfamiliar banner and in Colborn's group, Eorlingas got down and on their knee, and they raised their voices with Elfhelm: "Hail Éomer King! Hail Lord of the Mark!"
The dale and the hills echoed with that shout as the newly arrived éored joined it; Lothíriel lifted up her voice as well, and she did not know why but tears were on her cheeks as she regarded her husband and king.
He came riding to her and his stallion halted when he was beside her. Wasting no time Éomer reached to her, grasped her by the back of her head, and kissed her. She threw her own arms about his neck and would probably have fallen had he not supported her.
When he pulled back, though it was only few inches from her, he whispered, "I'm sorry I disappeared like that. Last night was... it was very strange and unreal. I had to let him take me where he would."
She didn't need to ask whom he meant by "him"; as though to agree, the great stallion tossed his head and let out a soft chortle.
"It's all right", Lothíriel managed. Then she found the proper force of emotion and she glared at her horselord, "but don't you ever do anything like that again, or I will have your hide."
"I won't, my Queen", he promised and tried not to smile.
Having seen her husband was quite all right, she looked about and saw that the newly arrived riders had taken control of the scene. Presently they were disarming Feran's men and those of Colborn as well. From her Éomer turned to greet Elfhelm and Edelric, but the meeting was cut short when the Shieldmaiden Lothíriel had previously spotted came galloping down the hillside. Her braids of pale gold flowed behind her and her eyes blazed bright, fixed on Elfhelm.
"Ceolwen!" he called merrily and hurried to meet her. She more or less flew from the saddle and grabbed him in a hug.
"You foolish, foolish man! Didn't I tell you to be careful!" she exclaimed.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, wife", Elfhelm muttered, holding on tight to her.
"I was all but starting a war for you, Elfhelm!" Ceolwen growled loudly. "I hope that oaf brain of yours is capable of understanding what it would have meant! And what is this lad here? Are you dragging children into war with you these days? Oh, I must have been out of my mind to think you could be allowed out alone!"
Lothíriel turned to look at her own husband. His expression was masterfully controlled, though he did give her a slight lift of his eyebrows.
"Oh dear", she murmured, and then she could not help but grin at him. "I think I'll have to ask her how she does it."
Éomer met her gaze with a wide-eyed expression; the change in him compared to last night was something truly incredible. But she did not wonder. For mearas were very much the symbol of Rohan, and she remembered what he had told her about them. Only the King of the Mark could ride mearas.
"You wouldn't be so cruel", he said, urging his stallion into moving again. Lothíriel hurried up to his side.
"We will see about that", she told him sweetly, and then they rode together to see to this new development of things... and begin another phase in this journey that would hopefully at last lead them home.
The entire morning went by in a hurry. A camp was made in a dale nearby and most of Ceolwen's éored was busy in tasks of establishing it, with camp fires and watches and tending to horses among the other things. Couple of men Éomer sent to Aldburg for food and other supplies, and as many Riders as could be spared he tasked with mustering the East-Mark to arms. He would not make again the mistake of meeting Feran unprepared. As for the men Feran had sent to look for the King, and Colborn's folk, nearly all of them had immediately sworn allegiance to Éomer, and only the captains he had sent in shackles to be prisoners in Aldburg.
As soon as the things were up and running there were tidings to be shared, as his wife, Elfhelm and Edelric were anxious to hear what had happened last night, how he had found Ceolwen, and why was she here in the first place. So they gathered around a fire to eat some breakfast. There he sat with his Queen, his Marshal and Lady Ceolwen. Edelric joined as well and so did young Arric, who was waiting on Elfhelm. Éomer knew past few days could only have been trying for him, yet the boy had endured dauntlessly. He could very well see why his friend had chosen the lad as a squire. For one so young Arric was showing great promise.
Éomer began with describing the events of last night. He had not meant to venture far from the camp, but the appearance of the stallion had utterly changed his plans. He didn't miss the looks of wonder on the faces of his companions as he explained the strange meeting and the strange compulsion that had demanded him to ride into the night. Now the stallion was grazing free near the camp, but he knew the horse would be back soon as he'd call his new friend.
"We rode through the night. It did not seem he was wearing down, and somehow it felt to me like I would have to let him take me where he would. It was not my intention to cause concern to you, my friends, but this had to be done", Éomer explained, glancing from his wife to Elfhelm and Edelric. "And it is a good thing I did, because an hour or so before the dawn I came across the site where Lady Ceolwen was camping with her éored."
He looked at the Shieldmaiden then and asked, "Ceolwen, would you like to continue?"
"Aye, Sire", she said, straightening on her seat. "The story goes as follows. When my dear idiot of a husband rode to Harrow I stayed behind in Astdun, waiting for news of him. And those did arrive at last when couple of lads I had sent with him came back, bringing me the word he had been arrested for high treason."
She frowned at the memory and went on, "Well, what does a woman do for her man when he's in trouble? I knew that traitor in Edoras hadn't arrested my husband just to amuse himself. He has spent months hoping he could somehow remove Elfhelm, and he'd find any excuse he could to condemn my husband. I had to stop that from happening. So I immediately sent riders to muster the éored of Astdun."
Lothíriel listened to the story, her respect for this woman growing in her heart. She didn't miss how Elfhelm regarded his wife – the man looked positively moonstruck.
"I had everything ready when that damned storm hit our town. We had no choice but to stand down and wait for it to pass. Then afterwards we had to wait some more, because snows had covered the plains so thickly that riding out was not an option. Our departure was so postponed I could not make it in time to Harrow", Ceolwen said and sighed. She looked at her liege-lord, "Which is why I'm so deeply grateful to my lord King. Had you not got to my husband..."
She shook her head and a dark expression passed on her face. Then she continued the tale, "We left Astdun as soon as the snow had melted enough and the last of my men had arrived. We rode hard, until last night we had to make a stop to rest for a little while. I was still hoping there might be time to get to Harrow before it was too late. At any rate a couple of hours before dawn a guard came to tell me the Lord of the Mark was requesting to see me."
Ceolwen let out a small laugh, "You can imagine how surprised I was. Elfhelm had told me our king would come back indeed, but the manner and time of his return! Who could have guessed he would arrive when I most needed him? Yet my astonishment is nothing compared to lads who were on guard duty that night and first saw him emerging from the mist... I hear those two took the King for a ghost, and I'm not sure if they still are convinced otherwise. I can understand, because the sight of him on that horse... even I was thinking it must be Eorl come again, the way he looked then."
"Even so, Lady Ceolwen was most welcoming, though I admit my arrival was rather sudden. But when I had explained my company, including Elfhelm, were unprotected on the plains, she had her éored take down the camp and start for the road. We rode to look for you, and that is how we came across you and the men surrounding you", Éomer finished the tale.
There was a brief silence as everyone mulled over the explanation. In the end, it was Elfhelm to speak up again.
"I was wondering", he said, "have you given any thought as to how to deal with Feran?"
"Not really", Éomer said, frowning at the mention of the traitor. He glanced about the people around him, "I'd first gather our strength. See how many spears we can muster. Also, I'd like to give time to the news of my return to spread. I would have people know I've come home... it could be all it takes."
This answer seemed to satisfy everyone. As soon as they had finished breakfast, they parted ways. Elfhelm and Ceolwen went to see everything was running smoothly, with Arric on the Marshal's heels. Éomer caught Edelric by the young man's shoulder.
"Would you be up for a task, my friend?" he asked.
"Of course, my lord. Anything you want", Edelric replied.
"I know it has been a hard couple of days, but I would send you on road again as soon as you have rested. Erkenbrand told me once you are an excellent rider even in our standards, and I need on this someone fast... someone I trust", said the King of Rohan solemnly.
Erkenbrand's son nodded right away.
"What is it you require of me?" he inquired.
"I would send you and a couple of your father's men scouting in the west. Find out all you can about what Feran is planning now, and what is the mood of the people. And what folks you encounter – tell them what you have seen", Éomer said. Edelric nodded again.
"Aye, Sire. I would rest until tomorrow – leave at the first light, if you allow", he replied.
"That is fine", said the older man and patted Edelric's shoulder. "Go and get some rest."
He got a chance to talk with Elfhelm only later that day as they settled down to eat some supper. Both had been busy, and after a couple of long days and rough nights he knew the moment his head hit the ground tonight, he'd be out cold.
Over the supper they talked about the past few months and things that had happened; Éomer did not give very detailed description of his captivity, as that subject remained something not easily shared even with close friends. He did, however, give an account of how he had been captured, to which Elfhelm listened attentively. In turn his friend described the events in the Mark during his absence. Both men agreed one of these days they would have to sit down with some ale and have a really long talk.
When they were half-way through their meal, his Marshal looked up, "Your queen did very well last night and today. Better than well, really. She was holding us together, even when I'd have despaired."
Éomer smiled at the mention of his wife. He glanced at her sitting some way from the two men, talking with Alger and Arric. Sometimes it was overwhelming to understand that she would love him so was the reason he was still breathing.
"She does that. How do you think I was able to come back alive and sane?" he asked and met Elfhelm's gaze briefly. Then he let out a small sigh and lowered his eyes, speaking softer now, "She still saves me every day."
When he looked up again, the expression on his friend's face was grave. Perhaps he too was silenced by the realisation what it all meant. Eventually Elfhelm reached to pat his forearm.
"If you ever want to talk about what happened... well, I'm here, and you can trust me with anything", he said solemnly – he had recognised the curtness in his friend's tone when Éomer had spoken of the south.
"Aye", Éomer replied at length, "Maybe one day."
His friend smiled then, obviously to cheer him up.
"Don't worry about a thing, laddie. We'll see all this fixed. I've got a good feeling about it now. The news will spread and people will know. And as soon as they see you and that stallion... well, you know how our people are. Béma's beard, the moment you appeared riding that horse, I was ready and eager to conquer a dragon's hoard for you if you had just asked!" Elfhelm said, and Éomer snorted as a reply.
"Remind me not to allow you go unfed and without sleep for too long in the future. You obviously become delirious", he grumbled, but his friend laughed.
"That's not going to be a problem now that my Ceolwen is here. You just wait until she takes you and your wife as well under her motherly wing", he said lightly. Then he fell quiet, but there was still a good-humoured glimmer in his eyes. "We did pretty well, my friend. We've got ourselves far more wonderful ladies than we thought we would deserve."
"Aye. We are lucky indeed", Éomer had to agree. Perhaps it was a strange thing to realise when his kingdom was in such disarray, but still... he was lucky. On the top of that, he was starting to feel like he had a reason to be hopeful as well.
It was after supper that Éomer asked her to come with him, as he wanted to show her something. With a smile, Lothíriel put her hand in his and followed him. Couple of guards trailed them; she didn't think anyone really expected he'd disappear again, but the events of last night had left Elfhelm and Edelric shaken enough to insist their king and queen did not go anywhere without a lad or two with them.
"So, what did you want to show to me?" she asked as they made way through the camp. About them were men around camp fires and resting on their bedrolls, and as they passed they received many greetings. Wonder still lingered many of the faces she saw around, but it did not surprise her. Most if not all of these men had spent months thinking their king was dead, until suddenly he had charged back into their world on a stallion of mearas. She had been with him ever since the journey south, so she sometimes forgot the marvel of it. But seeing how Ceolwen's men reacted to seeing Éomer, she remembered they had climbed a mountain to get here.
"Just be patient. You'll see soon enough", Éomer replied and gave her a faint smile.
They came at last to the edge of the camp. Guards let them pass, though Lothíriel could spot the slightly concerned look on their faces. This was understandable of course – though Éomer was returned, these men did well remember the time when they had taken him for dead, and wished not to live it again.
When they had come some way from the camp Éomer stopped. He glanced at her and gazed out to the plains that basked in moonlight. Then he whistled – a high-pitched, piercing sound.
The horse appeared only moments later. His movement and appearance was just as unreal as it had been in the morning, galloping free and his coat shimmering in moonlight. Looking at the stallion Lothíriel could fully understand the reverence Eorlingas had for mearas, and the high veneration even Elfhelm, a long-time friend of Éomer, had expressed when seeing his king riding this horse. The animal came to a halt beside her husband and he reached to rest his and on the horse's neck. No wonder mearas were the living symbol of this land.
"Even now, having heard the tale and seeing him before my very eyes, I can scarcely believe it", she said softly as she regarded the stallion.
"Aye. I never thought one day a horse like this would bear me", her husband murmured, running his hand across the strong neck of the stallion. She wondered if she had the permission to touch this extraordinary creature but decided best not to try.
"Does he have a name?" Lothíriel asked then.
"He probably has one we would not understand, but I thought to call him Silfren. It seems to me he approves", her husband answered softly. That was certainly something she did not really comprehend, but then... she didn't really need to. Her husband was a horselord, and this stallion was not something one saw every day.
"Do you think he means to stay?" she asked her beloved. It seemed to her the stallion would make such decisions as actively as any Man, which was easy to believe when one saw how intelligent his eyes were.
"I don't know. So far he doesn't seem like he's going anywhere, and I am more than glad if he decides to stay. But I have to admit I'm not sure I understand why he chose me. After what I let happen in Rohan..." he said, letting out a sigh and looking down.
Lothíriel considered his words in quiet for a moment. She remembered a conversation back in Minas Tirith... a lifetime ago now, it seemed.
"Do you remember when we met in the stables of the Citadel, back after the Great War?" she inquired. Her husband did not seem to understand why she asked him that, but replied anyway.
"I do. It was your brother who arranged it, wasn't he?" he asked.
"Aye, he did. I was quite angry with him because of it... still, you told me about mearas, and you said that the Kings of the Mark protect the wild herd that lives on these plains. You also said sometimes they reward this protection by helping Eorl's heirs when they need it", she said, glancing at the great stallion. The animal tossed his head, as though to confirm her words. "Perhaps he knew you needed him. Perhaps he wants to help out."
"Hmm. Could be you're right", Éomer muttered and reached over to kiss her brow. "I did need him, and will continue to do so in future as well. If I mean to win back my people and my land, I'll need all the help I can get."
His brow furrowed and she knew he must be thinking of something painful and sad.
"So many have died for my sake", he said quietly, his eyes downcast. "I can't let it be in vain. I can't allow those sacrifices to be meaningless. I owe it to them, to win this battle and rebuild the Riddermark greater than this land has ever been."
Gently, she lifted up his face so that she could look at him properly. She gave him an encouraging smile.
"The King will be known for his sword", she spoke the words, remembering another thing Luinion had said: words don't begin or end in just one place. "I think it means something else too, other than just being recognised for your sword. I think Eorlingas will know the king that takes his sword and fights for them, even when it's hard. You're not doing it because you think you deserve the throne. You fight because you know it's what needs to be done. If you ask me, that's why Silfren came to you."
Éomer did not speak right away. Instead he pulled her close and kissed her, long and tender. When he moved back his face was resolute and stark, but in his eyes she saw a flicker of light... the kind of light that had been gone from his gaze ever since his captivity.
"You, my dear woman, are truly a queen", he said in soft tones.
No more needed to be said. He didn't have to tell her he'd fight indeed and find a way to mend his realm. All of that was in his eyes.
In gentle silence he bid good night to Silfren. The stallion nickered softly and trotted away, and Lothíriel knew by morning he would be back. Then Éomer took her hand in his, and as they made way back to the camp, they both had peace and hope.
A/N: And here is an update! Hope you like this new chapter of ALTE. :)
In this chapter we are at last properly introduced to Silfren, who was first mentioned in Chapter 37, when old Lothíriel recites the tale to Elsunn. His appearance was quite timely, because not only does it give Éomer this powerful boost in a moment of weakness, but Rohirrim would also take it for a deeply meaningful sign. Just imagine what those guards at Ceolwen's camp must have thought when Éomer appears riding a mearas stallion! I believe they have a very special relationship with these horses, hence their reverent reactions. Even Lothíriel, a Gondorian and initially a foreigner, is affected by the sight of her husband riding this extraordinary steed.
After the unfortunate events of late Ceolwen finally arrives, and her coming is very timely as well. I'd think our characters are now very hopeful for the events to come. Even so what lays ahead may not be easy to deal with. Hopefully I will be able to write something with Lothíriel interacting with Ceolwen as well - I think the two of them should get along pretty nicely.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Quote in the beginning originally by E. E. Cummings.
Inspiration for the chapter: Steffan Michael Koch - The Legend Begins
Jo - I'm glad to hear you think so! :) And mearas surely are entertaining to write about.
MairaElleth - Yes, I figured the events of Chapter 45 would make the next one all the more difficult. The ending scene with Éomer and Silfren was very much needed to balance out all the pain and despair. We are now in a much more hopeful place, I'd think!
We'll see how and when Legolas will make his return. :)
brandibuckeye - Thanks! I thought it was the most natural way for him to come in terms with what has happened. In his core he is first and foremost a rider, so the most powerful way for him to overcome his despair is by that way, and by an extraordinary horse like one of the mearas.
Talia119 - I can't help it - I just enjoy keeping my readers on their toes! :D The situation being the kind it is, I don't think there's much of a chance for him to catch his breath. But this chapter is a bit slower at least, and Éomer is reassuming his position as a king.
Glad to hear you liked that scene! It's one of my favourites as well. :)
Anonymous - Thank you for your kind words! I am also impressed by anyone who has the patience to read through this quite massive story. Hope you continue to enjoy it!
LunarHaze - After all that had happened something uplifting was really in demand, so I'm glad to hear I managed to do that with the ending scene of last chapter. And yes, we are now indeed approaching yet another climax!
Also it's good to know those quotes are appreciated by someone else as well than just myself! As for Cumming, he just has a very special way with words. :)
Thalia - Arwen and Aragorn are indeed having happy family time, and I think they've deserved it. :)
Glad to hear you liked the scene! I love it as well, even though it's my own writing. And hopefully that song gave you as powerful sensations as it gave to me!
Starlight - Edelric is a nice young man indeed. :) Éomer and Lothíriel needed such support after the setbacks.
I will see what I can do about Éothain and his family! :)