"I'm sorry..."

Kiana could see how horrible he felt about what happened, but let him continue.

"I shouldn't have said those things..." Éomer sighed, rubbing his temples. "I shouldn't have laid hands on you..."

Kiana took a few more sips before replying. "It's alright, Éomer."

"It isn't, though," Éomer answered, leaning forward and resting his elbows upon his knees. "It was uncalled for and unfair of me to lash out at you or anyone else."

"Aside from a few minor bruises, I'm fine." Kiana lowered her mug and tilted her head to the side a bit. "It was definitely out of character for you, though. What's going on?" When he didn't answer her right away, she scooted closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Éomer, please talk to me." When he looked at her, she could see that he was fatigued. "I've never seen you this exhausted before..." She reached up to touch his cheek. "Is it the nightmares?"

Éomer sighed and nodded, giving in. "They won't end and they only seem to get worse."

"Do you think you can tell me about them?" Kiana lowered her hand when she saw his hesitation before he shifted his gaze back to the fire. "You don't have to, I won't force it nor will I press it any further if you don't want to discuss it."

Éomer rested his hand on hers before she could pull it away. "No... I think it's time..."

Kiana scooted a smidge closer to him, hoping that some more physical contact would help give him some much-needed comfort. "Whenever you're ready."

Éomer took a moment to psyche himself up, then began explaining the source of his nightmares to Kiana. He mentioned that he had been haunted by his grief and guilt in losing both Héodis and Héolaf, how he blamed himself for Héolaf taking the hit instead of him and not being able to protect Heodis when she was in danger.

"I had heard that Héodis died while tending the wounded in a neighboring village."

"The king had ordered her to go to a village recently attacked by Dunlendings and Orcs. She was a skilled healer, she had even taken on an apprenticeship in Ethring to learn more as an apothecary just so that she could be more of an asset in the field. The entire armored host that had been sent with her, however, was vastly outnumbered and wiped out within an hour of the attack." Éomer took a long draw from his mug, then continued as he poured himself more, "That same day, the king had ordered me to take my men and patrol the countryside in the opposite direction."

"And had you wanted to go with her instead, it would have meant going against the king's direct order."

"Indeed."

Kiana sighed and finished her mug as well, holding it out as Éomer offered her more mead from the bottle. "That wasn't your fault, though. No one could have predicted what would happen."

"Still, I cannot help but wonder if maybe I could have saved her if I had just gone after her the moment I sensed something amiss."

"Éomer, you were being dutiful and loyal to your king. What happened to Héodis and Héolaf was a tragedy, but it was not something within your realm of control. You shouldn't blame yourself."

Éomer looked at Kiana as she shifted into a more comfortable position before continuing.

"When my mother died, I felt completely helpless. I never knew my father, and my mother was estranged from my grandfather, so she really was the only family I had." Kiana watched the flames dancing in the hearth. "My mother was sick for a long time and I couldn't do anything to help. I taught myself how to weave and made things to sell just to pay for medicines that didn't help. It was hard for a long time to get up in the mornings without breaking down into tears. My mother met everything to me."

"What changed?"

"I realized one day that she was never coming back, but she taught me so much that I would be OK. And it wasn't just the basic survival skills, reading and writing, that sort of thing. She taught me how to recognize my own worth and how to trust my intuition, she taught me the value of hard work, the reward of interacting with people you trust, and that it's OK to be fearful or wary as long as you know that you can overcome it."

"Your mother sounds like a wise woman."

"She was great." Kiana smiled at Éomer and added, "She would have liked you."

Éomer returned her smile. "What about your grandfather?"

"I didn't know him well, but I know that he had served with the king in his younger days and remained a faithful servant to him until his last breath." Kiana thought a moment, recalling something she hadn't for a long time. "He is also the reason that I have a love of horses, which is rather silly considering they frighten me."

Éomer raised a brow and lowered his mug. "You're afraid of horses?"

Kiana blushed and tried to hide her embarrassment. "I know, it's ridiculous. A Rohirric being terrified of horses, living in the land of the horse lords."

"What exactly brought about your fear?"

"There was an accident when I was a child. I had been in the fields one day and a young stallion was being broken nearby, but something spooked him and he nearly trampled me to death." Kiana turned and pulled aside her hair a bit, revealing the very tip of a scar peeking out from the neckline. "I landed against a jagged rock and was left with a rather nasty scar on my back once it healed."

"That must have been rather traumatic for you."

Kiana sighed and nodded. "It really was... ever since then, I can't be around horses without being incredibly nervous."

"Perhaps I could help you overcome that fear," Éomer offered.

"I'd like that," Kiana replied with a smile, but it faded a bit and she looked at the young lord very worriedly. "What about you, though? You can't keep on like this, you have to get some sleep."

Éomer sighed. "I know, but what more can I do? Nothing has helped."

Kiana thought a moment. "When you wake from your nightmare, what do you feel?"

"Other than terrified?" Éomer pondered her question. "Isolated. Waking up, alone in my chambers, struggling to reconnect with reality..."

"That just adds to the fear, doesn't it?"

Éomer nodded. "It certainly doesn't help."

"Perhaps you need a companion whilst you sleep," Kiana thought aloud.

Éomer eyed her with a brow raised. "Are you offering?"

Realizing she had spoken aloud, Kiana's cheeks erupted in heat. "N-Not necessarily, it's just-"

Éomer chuckled at the sight of her being so flustered. "Relax, Kiana, I only jest." His smile grew as she groaned with embarrassment and downed the rest of her mead. 'Though it isn't as though I would mind her company.'