Hey everyone!
I know I know... I missed the second update of the month and I'm sorry for that. march was such a rough month for me and it hit me harder than I thought it would. I've also hit a stumbling block with one of my fics... which hasn't been helping so I'm hoping that, by sadly dropping that, I will be able to get more updates out for the other stories that I do have plots for (my LOTR, Fantastic Beasts and Aurora one). Hope you all had a great Easter if you celebrate.
Lots of love,
LSH xx
A Wild Heart – Part 18:
All too soon it was time to mount up again and both Aragorn and Éowyn spoke to Éomer.
"Be careful with her," Éowyn spoke, "she is only just beginning to open up about Boromir and Cardolan," she said, "do not force her."
"I won't sister," Éomer said as he rested a hand on his younger sister's shoulder, "she may be more open to me," he said before nodding at his cousin and Aragorn and headed outside Meduseld where his sister was waiting for him on Gléoda.
The two left Edoras through the Barrowfield and were soon crossing the river and onto the plains of Kingstead. The horses trotted slowly and Éomer watched Éowara as they rode. He was thinking about how to start the conversation with her and that was hard for him to do as he didn't want to push her away.
"You were restless in your sleep last night," Éomer spoke finally, "before you say anything I stayed with you as I have been watching you closely since your arrival in the Eastfold," he said, reaching for his sister's hand with Boromir's ring on.
"I wondered if you were," Éowara spoke as she looked down at her hand with the ring on, "yes it is true. Boromir asked for my hand and Lord Elrond acted as he should and gave permission," she said.
"Éowara. You should have told me… I'm your brother…"
"Tell you what? The love of my life died after we suffered so much in Cardolan? Grima was destroying Rohan, poisoned our Uncle's mind to the point his didn't know us," Éowara said, "as soon as you were able to you and uncle rode to war and Helm's Deep. There was no time. Éowyn and I had to lead the evacuation of Kingstead and Edoras…"
"You still should have told me about him. At least enough so I could understand what was happening," Éomer sighed, "I failed you Éowara. Yes, there was a war but you were suffering and heartbroken as well."
"You never failed me Éomer," Éowara sighed as she looked at her brother.
"Then why did you not speak to me? I do not know what has been going on since the end of the war with you," Éomer spoke, "I want to know everything and I want to know now."
Éowara looked at Éomer and knew it had been coming. Éowyn had raised her but Éomer had acted like her father and now he was showing it more than she would have liked.
"Aragorn said you go exploring a lot…" Éomer said, deciding to take the lead with the conversation.
"I do," came the reply, "I go between Minas Tirith and Ithilien a lot. I do go further afield as well. I don't like to remain in one place for too long. You should know that brother."
"I do and you have wandered to Mordor and the Morgul Vale," Éomer spoke before noticing his sister's eyes widening, "Aragorn told me about what you will be doing," he said.
Éowara sighed. She wondered how much Aragorn had already told her brother about his plans with her and she looked at him. She frowned slightly as she looked at her brother and watched him.
"How much has Aragorn told you?" Éowara asked as she kept her eyes on her brother.
"Enough to know that this was needed," Éomer spoke as he looked at his youngest sister, "now Aragorn said you and Boromir travelled through Cardolan on the way to Rivendell…"
"That is correct. Boromir knew the way through Cardolan and Tharbad so it seemed the safest route," Éowara spoke, "the Great North-South road wasn't known to be watched at the time so he thought we would be safe on horseback to go that route…"
"But it wasn't," Éomer spoke, "you were ambushed not once but twice," he said before watching his sister nod as she thought for a moment whether to be honest with him or not.
"Either side of Tharbad. First time we lost Gléoda and the second time we lost Boromir's horse and then we had to continue the journey to Rivendell on foot," Éowara spoke, "it was not an easy journey after that. We had to go on foot for most of the way and that was not easy as we did not fully understand when h direction we needed to wander either. We had some sort of idea but not a true one," she said as she watched her brother.
Éomer looked at his sister,
"You should have made for the nearest place of safety and then you would have seen which direction you needed to head," he said and Éowara sighed.
"We arrived in Rivendell at the correct time it seems and he sought out Lord Elrond," she spoke before pausing and thinking, "Boromir sought him out as he didn't know of Aragorn at the time and he wanted to ask someone's permission. By this point the then Lady Arwen had sought me out as I was the only other woman in Imladris at the time and she didn't want me to be alone. Boromir went to Lord Elrond as he wanted to do things properly and that meant asking someone."
"I should have been informed," Éomer spoke as he looked at his sister before he got down off his horse and Éowara did the same thing. She sighed as she looked at him before they sat down and let the horses have a drink, "I feel like I barely know you Éowara. So much has happened that I know nothing about. My youngest sister was… is… in love and I knew nothing about the betrothal. I knew you were to head to Imladris with him and the desire that you were to marry as an arrangement but not that you were betrothed to him and that you were in love with him," he said.
"Being ambushed and having to depend on each other often can make you see things in a different light," Éowara spoke as she looked out over the lake, "he seemed cold and tough but he does know love. He loved Faramir and spoke about him with a fondness… like I do you and Éowyn. He wanted to do the correct way of things and that meant seeking permission and the only person… elf… around was Lord Elrond so he did what he had to do. He protected me when he had no need to but he cared deeply about me and that is something I never knew anyone other than yourself, Éowyn and our uncle and cousin could do."
"Éowara…" Éomer sighed as he looked at his sister, "… you should have spoken to me sooner than this. I know you are in Gondor but there is so much I was not aware of and that is something I am both saddened and frustrated about. You know the truth about how Boromir died now and that is something I should have known about."
"You were with Aragorn more than I and if you'd asked of me he would have told you I am sure," Éowara spoke as she kept her eyes away from her brother.
"You have never truly known your place in this world have you?" Éomer asked as he looked at his sister, "Éowyn had her place and I had mine but you never truly knew your purpose…"
"I became a shield-maiden and learnt how to fight and assisted in evacuating Edoras and Kingstead," Éowara spoke, "that is what I was raised to do alongside Éowyn. To fight for what I believed… believe in... because of the love I have for my homeland and my family."
"You know what I mean Éowara," Éomer spoke as he looked at her, "that is why Aragorn wants you to do all that he wishes you to do in the North and the South. You are the most capable person to lead all the work because you know the lands…"
"Éomer," Éowara sighed as she looked at him, "I know what you're thinking and I have to disagree. My whole life it has felt that I was never wanted. I was always the accidental child; the one that nobody wanted and did not know what to do with. Am I even wanted now?"
"You are wanted…. By Aragorn, Queen Arwen and Éowyn, Faramir and myself Éowara," Éomer spoke. "You have always been wanted by myself and our sister," he said as he pulled Éowara close, "I know that, for my part, I have been harder on you than most but I do it out of love and concern. Éowyn always pushed boundaries and you even more so but you know the lands of the world better than most. Aragorn believes you can do it and I do too. You are no longer the unloved child. You have grown into a much-loved woman by not just your family… but many. Show us all that your exploring Middle-earth can be put to use in ways we do not know."
Éowara sighed and nodded, a million words swirling in her head as she tried to decide what was the right thing to do with her head resting on her brother's shoulder.
