Just like her brother had said it were about three days until they reached Edoras, the capital of Rohan. Gandalf stopped on a hill just before the city, warning them that they wouldn't be welcomed here and Saruman was currently poisoning the king's mind. Somehow, Lhindril still hadn't gotten used to Gandalf's new name and look, at least his voice was still familiar. Slowly, they rode on and when they reached the city's gate, a flag flew towards them, right into Fíli's face. Both she and Kíli were giggling at that, while the Dwarven king let out a string of curses

"What in Durin's name was that? I know we're not welcome but this?" the others started laughing even more until Fíli protested but only managed to make them laugh harder. Soon they realised that their laughter was about the only sounds that could be heard. Edoras seemed like a ghost town. Gimli was right with his comment that a graveyard being merrier, she found. Finally, they reached the palace and before they could enter a couple of men, guards probably approached while Fíli was helping her off the horse.

"I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Grima Wormtongue" one of them told the companions and Gandalf threw them a look and some started handing over their weapons and she looked at her husband

"Want to bet they won't find all of yours?" she whispered. And even if they didn't it still would take quite some time until they had collected the over 30 weapons.

"Don't think we would not search you because you are a woman" one of them told her and she glared at him

"And I don't think an enemy would spare me because I'm a woman, which is why I do carry weapons with me" while speaking she unsheathed her sword and also handed over the daggers. It only were nine but by the time was finished, Fíli only had given away a small part of what he carried on his person. One by one, he took out more weapons as if he had all the time in the world. At some point the man who got his weapons even had to hand them to a colleague to receive new ones. Everyone was watching them, quite amusedly. Then, finally Fíli let his arms sink and explained that were all he had but it seemed like the guard didn't believe him.

"What? Do you really think I carry more than twenty-five weapons with me? Where would I put them all?" but Lhindril knew that he probably still had some hidden somewhere, if he hadn't stowed them on the horse in the meantime.

"Take off your coat" he got told. A bit reluctantly he did so and then handed over the coat too "Search him" the guard ordered and some of the other guards surrounded her husband

"Leave him alone" she ordered, pulling two daggers from his boots "These are the last ones, I know it" at least they let go of him and she instantly clung to his arm. The leader of the guards turned to Gandalf, asking for his staff

"Oh" Gandalf sighed "You would not part an old man from his walking stick." After considering it for a while the Rohirrim agreed and told them to follow. Legolas pretended to help Gandalf walk and Lhindril had to bite back a smile at the ruse. They went inside and on the throne, Lhindril saw a man who reminded her of Radagast, the Brown Wizard. The person next to him whispered something in his ear and so the king asked why he should welcome Gandalf. The black-haired man who had been talking to the king came forward but Gandalf held his staff towards him. The stranger protested that he had explicitly told the guards to take that staff and so they came towards the party but were soon knocked down by bare hands. Just as she had thought, Fíli still had weapons, pulling out four of them and handing his brother and his wife one and keeping two to himself.

"You're not going to kill them are you?" she asked a little worried and was glad when he shook his head. Gandalf had stepped in front of the throne, explaining he would help the king.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey" he taunted and so Gandalf took off his coat, one from Lothlorien as well, and upon that the king was pushed back into his throne with a groan. By watching them she had been too distracted that one of the guards managed to grab her

"Drop your weapons" he ordered the Dwarves who complied and also Lhindril dropped hers. To her surprise and relief she was let go of and it wasn't before long that Fíli pulled her into his arms, throwing a glare at the guard who held her.

"Do you now see why I always carry that many weapons with me?" well, she thought, in the end they had to give them away anyways. "Besides, the guard said he cannot let us psst so armed. And I am now less armed than before" she chuckled and patted his chest. A blonde woman approached them, trying to get to the king but Aragorn held her back. Only when Gandalf lowered his staff and king Theoden almost collapsed did he let her go and she ran to him, while the man suddenly started to become younger and younger and looking less dead. After having taken his sword he tried to attack the black haired man who was being held by Gimli. The king dragged him outside, pushing him down the stairs and then raised his sword above him but Aragorn stopped him, telling him enough blood had been spilt because of him. He tried to help the other one up but got spat at up and after the black-haired got up, he ran off, pushing everyone he met out of the way.

"Do you remember Alfrid? From Laketown all those years ago? Somehow this man reminds me of him" Lhindril muttered to the two Dwarves.

"How could I ever forget this bastard after what he tried to do to you?" he pulled her closer, nuzzling her cheek. The people of Rohan and also Aragorn bowed to Theoden, while Lhindril wasn't too sure what to do. Fíli still held her and didn't make a move and it didn't seem like he'd bow. She didn't know what to think of it. It was a little impolite, on the other hand Fíli was a king himself.

-oOo-

A day later the funeral of Theoden's son took place who had apparently died in battle shortly before. Even though she didn't know him she still felt sad and mourned him. Theoden's niece, Éowyn, lent her a dark dress for the occasion because Lhindril's was green. The dress was a little too big for her but she didn't mind and appreciated the gesture and didn't want to refuse to wear it, making someone think she didn't care about the dead. Still, she was the only of the fellowship who had changed clothes for the funeral. After the grave had been closed almost everyone returned to the city where the king had organized them something to eat. A while later the last two people, Gandalf and the king himself returned with two children whom they offered food to. Éowyn talked to them and they learned that their town had been attacked and burnt by wild men and that they were missing their mother.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash." Gandalf explained but Theoden didn't seem impressed. Aragorn decided they had to go to war and that displeased the king of Rohan even more.

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not."

"When last I looked...Theoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan." He spat at her brother then turned to Fíli. "From king to king… if these were your people, what would you do?" Gimli looked up and a burp left his mouth. With a grin Kíli took a sip too, trying to burp even louder. Fíli hit him in the side.

"This is not the moment for such silliness" he hissed before turning to Theoden "It depends how many enemies there are and how soon we heard of the threat. If possible I would call for war, with reinforcement from the Iron Hills. Otherwise we'd be well protected in Erebor and simply defend it that no one can enter" after a while, the man nodded

"We shall seek shelter in Helm's Deep, our stronghold."

Still on the same day the order was made official that they had to get ready to leave for Helm's Deep. Gandalf had yet again left them as he had so often during the quest to Erebor and this time he wanted to look for help, promising to return in five days. Then again, he had so often promised them to be at some point at a time and then something happened that he couldn't come. During the packing, Lhindril wanted to return Éowyn her dress and when she approached the blonde woman, she hid something behind her back. But Lhindril had already seen that it was a sword. With a smile she drew her own after putting down the dress.

"It's no shame to carry a weapons as a woman" with that also the other woman presented her sword again "Would you consider showing me what you know?" soon the two of them were in a fight and Lhindril had to admit, Éowyn was really good. Maybe even better than her because suddenly her sword got knocked from her hand. But before either of them could so something another blade came against Éowyn's and even though she probably was in no danger, Lhindril pulled out a dagger and saw that it had been Aragorn who just arrived.

"You have some skill with a blade. Both of you" feeling a little embarrassed, Lhindril retrieved her sword, mumbling an excuse before she left.

The people of Edoras packed their belongings in record time and then started the little journey to their stronghold. Aragorn was given a new horse so that also Legolas got one for himself and Kíli now shared his with Gimli. But the prince wasn't too happy about, first of all because he wanted his own steed as well and would have very much preferred a pony. The other two Dwarves however didn't seem to have a problem with sharing horses and neither did Lhindril.

On their way, Gimli was telling Éowyn about Dwarf women.

"In fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance...that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men. This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground..." they laughed and Lhindril did too, herself often having mistaken female Dwarves for men. But with time she had learnt how to tell them apart. At least with the ones she knew. "...which is, of course, ridiculous" he laughed again before adding, with a little glance to his king "And let's not forget that Dwarves rarely even consort with people of other races" shaking his head Fíli tried to hit the Dwarf playfully but missed him because almost in the same moment, Gimli's horse ran off and threw him to the ground. Everyone laughed again and Éowyn tried to help him up but was dismissed when Gimli insisted he had done this on purpose.

-oOo-

The following day yells and shrieks made them all shoot up and listen. Some were asking what was going on and they only heard what it was when Lhindril's brother ran to his horse, shouting it were Wargs

"We're under attack!" Theoden immediately ordered that all women, children and whoever was unable to fight should leave and head on for Helm's Deep and ordered the able men to stay and fight. Gimli was in a hurry to get onto his horse, having a few men assist him. Fíli grabbed her, carefully putting her down on the ground

"Go with the others, little one. I don't want anything happening to you" he said before turning the horse around and riding off. In disbelief she stared after him. If he believed he could send her away that easily, he was mistaken. Drawing her sword she ran after the fighters but only reached them when the fight was already fully going on. First thing, she was looking around for her husband and brother-in-law. She spotted the younger one first, easily fighting off some Wargs and their riders. Then she saw Fíli, bent over a Warg, taking care of an Orc and didn't notice that another Warg was approaching him from behind. Without hesitation, she ran closer, taking out a dagger and throwing it at the Warg who stopped in confusion until she reached him to give him a deadly blow into the head with the sword. Almost immediately the beast fell dead, right onto her husband who let out a surprised groan when the heavy carcass landed on him. Only then he seemed to notice her "What are you doing here? I told you to go with the others"

"Seems like I am the one saving you" she replied, trying to free him from the Warg but then she noticed that Gimli was there too, also buried by a Warg. Laughing she let go of the animal she had just killed to take in the image in front of her. Gimli was on the ground, under a Warg, on top of that Warg was Fíli, also hallway buried under a Warg.

"Yes, very funny" the Dwarven king protested, trying to push the carcass off of him. Until she had freed the two Dwarves with Kíli's help, the fight was almost over already. But she still had to hear Fíli's complaint about how she could have gotten hurt and why she had come back if he told her to leave and so on.

"But do you realise that every time you try to stop me from fighting you almost get killed and I'm the one to save you?" she shouted at him in anger but immediately regretted it and apologised.

"No, you are right. But each time I did not tell you to stay in safety you actually get hurt" their discussion stopped when Gimli appeared next to them

"Where's your brother?" Fíli just pointed at Kíli, who was standing a little apart, helping up a wounded man. "I meant Aragorn" Lhindril looked around but couldn't spot him anywhere. Then she spotted Legolas who seemed to be talking to an Orc and they decided to go and ask him. They just reached him when Legolas took a necklace from the Orc's hand. It was Aragorn's.

"Where's Aragorn?" she asked but Legolas didn't pay attention to her, going to the cliffs and looking down. "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked with a very bad feeling.

"He fell" the Elf whispered "Aragorn fell down the cliff" slowly he took her hand, letting the necklace fall into it

"No. That can't be" she stumbled a few steps back, feeling how her throat constricted. She felt two arms around her and then turned around to Fíli, letting her tears fall against his chest. She had just found her brother again after all these years and now lost him forever?