Story Summary:
When Theodred's true love comes to Edoras in
mourning, Eomer must deal with his own desires towards her. As her need
for his comfort increases, she must decide what role he will play in
her future. She betrays him with a lie that will change his life
forever but he must forgive her or sacrifice his happiness.
Warning: explicit consensual sex
Chapter Four
Riding to War
The next day, Amrun was sitting at a table with Merry and Éowyn in the
great hall when she saw Aragorn run inside yelling excitedly.
“The beacons of Minas Tirith are lit. Gondor calls for aid.”
All eyes turned to King Theoden. He was quiet for few moments, leaving everyone with bated breath.
“And Rohan will answer,” Theoden-king pronounced at last.
As the men began to prepare, Éowyn reached across the table to take
Amrun’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. The next few hours were
spent getting ready for the long journey to Minas Tirith the following
day. Amrun tried to assist Éowyn in the preparations as much as she
could. Finally, Éowyn insisted that Amrun return to her room to have a
few minutes of rest. As Amrun lay on the bed, she heard a knock on the
door.
Amrun sat up and said, “Yes?”
Éomer came into the room quietly. He looked troubled so she waited to hear what was wrong.
“Are you sure it is wise for you to go to the encampment with us? Would
it not be best for you to go to Rivendell from here?” Éomer asked.
Amrun was silent a moment. Finally, she said, “Do you wish to be free of me sooner?”
Éomer chuckled. When she looked up at him, he smiled.
“Amrun, you know that is not the case, nor has it ever been the case.”
“I need to do this Éomer. I need to say goodbye to the few friends I
now have before I leave and they ride off to war. This will give me
time to do so,” Amrun explained.
Walking over to where she was seated on the bed, Éomer gently stroked
her cheek with the back of his fingers. Her breath caught in her throat
and her thoughts swirled with images of him kissing her again.
“I am sure every one will be glad to spend a few more days with you,” Éomer said quietly.
Trying to sound calm, Amrun simply asked, “And you?”
Éomer pulled back his hand and watched her. Confusion and anger coursed
through him. Did she not understand how he felt? When she cast her eyes
down, he felt ashamed for his anger for he knew she was confused as
well. Crouching down beside her, he took her hand.
“I would rather spend one hour with you than spend a lifetime with anyone else.”
The room was quiet; neither of them knew what to say.
“Éomer, I…” Amrun started.
Éomer turned his eyes to her as he put his finger over her lips.
“Do not say it. Please. I know what you would say but I cannot bear to hear the words from you again,” he whispered.
Squeezing her hand, Éomer got up and left the room quietly. Falling
back on the bed, Amrun wanted to scream. Why was this so difficult? She
never knew what to say or how to say it. Everything she did say hurt
him, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She did not know
what she wanted anymore, she thought. After a few minutes, she realized
she was lying to herself. She knew what she wanted, but if she spoke it
or thought it, it would be real. And if it were real then she would
have betrayed Theodred and invited a broken heart for loving yet
another mortal.
Rising, she finished getting prepared for the next day. She packed the
few belongings she had, all given to her from Éowyn. When she had
finished, she lay down for the night and she prayed that she would not
lose the people she had come to love.
The next day they were prepared to leave by dawn. Éowyn was preparing her horse as Aragorn and Amrun came upon her.
Amrun did not miss the low conversation shared between Aragorn and
Éowyn as they prepared to depart. Nor did she mistake the sword hilt
hidden beneath Éowyn’s saddle blanket. Amrun suspected Éowyn’s
intentions, and she thought Aragorn probably did as well.
Aragorn mounted Brego and then offered his hand to pull Amrun onto the horse so she could ride with him.
“Are you sure you want to come with us? We have a hard three days ride ahead of us,” Aragorn asked her, concerned.
“I have no other place to be.” As Amrun said it out loud, it hurt to
realize how true her statement was. Aragorn rubbed her hand
reassuringly.
Amrun looked around at all of the soldiers. Even Merry was to come with
them, riding a pony beside the King with Éowyn on Theoden’s other side.
As she looked towards the back of the men assembled, she saw a few
other women with them as well and assumed they were women of the court.
She looked for Éomer and realized he was to take his company a
different path so he could gather more men. He smiled at her, and then
held up his spear to address the men.
“Now is the hour, Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken! Now fulfill
them all. To Lord and Land," Éomer shouted, looking every bit the
fierce warrior that she knew he must be.
Amrun felt a flutter in her stomach as she watched him. She rationalized her feelings to be anticipation for the upcoming days.
They began their trip to the encampment where they would gather before
the ride to Minas Tirith. As Aragorn had warned her, it was a long hard
journey. Each night when they stopped to camp, she spent time with
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Merry, and Éowyn hearing the stories of their
recent adventures. Gimli spoke to her in reverent tones of the Lady of
the Wood and she smiled at the wistful tone of the dwarf’s usually
gruff voice. After hearing about Imladris, Mirkwood, and Lothlorien,
she decided it best to go to Imladris, home of Lord Elrond, and the
place where her mother once lived.
Once in the late hours of the night when they were alone, Aragorn told her about Arwen.
“She will come to you when the danger is over,” Amrun said, reaching over to squeeze his hand gently.
“No, she has left to go to the undying lands. Only her father and
brothers stayed behind until Sauron is defeated,” Aragorn replied
quietly.
For a moment, Amrun said nothing. She was reminded of her reluctance to
love a mortal and once again, here was sad an example of such love
turning to tragedy. Looking over at Aragorn, who looked so sad, she
felt the need to give him comfort even though she had none for herself.
“You cannot give up hope. One day, you will be together again. I feel it in my heart.”
Aragorn smiled and held out his hand to her while he stood up.
“Good night, little one. You need your rest tomorrow. We will be at the encampment soon,” Aragorn said with a smile.
They both walked to their tents. He shared his with Gimli, Merry, and
Legolas, and she shared hers with Éowyn. When she had expressed
surprise that she and Éowyn did not have to share their tent with the
other women following the warriors, Éowyn had laughed.
“No, those are not women of the court. They are here to provide, umm,
comfort at night to the men. Some men want the company of a woman
before a battle from which they might not return,” Éowyn had said.
Amrun had blushed realizing what Éowyn was saying. She had felt so
naïve and lost among all of these new people. In her whole adult life,
she had only been around her mother until she met Éomer and Theodred.
Even then she had only been with the two men, a nice farmer, and his
family still secluded from many of the ways of the world. Now she was
thrust in with this group of people who had been exposed to the world
and she was reminded of how sheltered she had been.
When she came into the tent that night, Éowyn was still awake.
“Amrun, are you well? It is late,” Éowyn asked.
“Yes, I am well. I was by the fire speaking with Aragorn and his friends. Everyone has retired now.”
“Aragorn is a honorable and caring man,” Éowyn said, then her eyes
narrowed as she looked at Amrun. “Do you feel comfortable with Legolas?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“Legolas is the only elf you have been around other than your mother.
Plus he is an elf male, which you have not known as an adult. Did you
know he is the Prince of Mirkwood?”
“No, I did not. He is quiet and does not say much. When he speaks, he
is wise and caring. Sometimes he says things to me in Elvish and it is
like we are the only ones around, for no one knows what we are saying
except Aragorn. He is a true friend to Aragorn, and I know he would die
to protect his friends.”
“As he would you. Many men watch over you now, Amrun. No harm will come to you now. You need not be afraid.”
“I am not afraid of death. I am afraid of living while those I care about die.”
Éowyn smiled with understanding, for she felt the same way. Amrun lay
down and after some time fell asleep. In the morning after they had
eaten, everyone mounted up for the ride to the encampment. When they
arrived there were many men from all parts of Rohan. Éomer came and
embraced her tightly when he saw her. It seemed so natural to be in his
arms and she felt safe. Once again, his simplest touch caused a flutter
in her stomach followed quickly by a heat burning within her. When he
smiled down at her gently, she blushed crimson, feeling guilty for so
enjoying being in his arms and for the stirrings of desire he had
caused.
Éomer left her, as Theoden was to meet with Aragorn, Éomer, and his
advisors about the upcoming days and the number of men. Amrun helped
Éowyn with the tents and getting food prepared for the men. After the
sunset, she saw Aragorn leave his tent to go into Theoden’s tent.
Curious, she was surprised when Theoden departed the tent, leaving
Aragorn inside. After a while, Aragorn came out of the tent and walked
to Amrun.
“Please come with me, Amrun. We have something to discuss.”
Aragorn took her back to Theoden’s tent, where there was a man sitting
in a cloak. She realized he was an elf as he smiled at her.
“So this is the one named for the sunrise. Amrun, Ah, you look much
like your mother, my child. I am Elrond of Imladris, and Aragorn has
asked me to take you there for safekeeping.”
Amrun studied him and felt he was very wise and honorable. Softly she
asked, “Will it ever be safe, Lord Elrond? What if the world falls into
darkness? What do you see of Aragorn’s destiny?”
“Aragorn must walk the Paths of the Dead if he is to succeed. If the
battle in Gondor goes well then the world of men will see the return of
the king. Only King Elessar can restore peace to this land. He must
become the man he was meant to be,” he said, looking over at Aragorn.
Then he smiled at Amrun, asking, “Will you accompany me to Imladris,
Lady Amrun?”
Amrun nodded quietly. She looked at Aragorn affectionately.
“Do what must be done and do not worry about me.” Amrun rose and walked
over and embraced Aragorn. “You have been a good friend. I am grateful
for all you have done. You will be a good king, and you will bring back
hope to this land at last.”
Aragorn smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
Nodding to Lord Elrond, Aragorn said, “I will leave now. Please leave
first thing in the morning and ride swiftly to Imladris. When Sauron
has finally been defeated, I will send word.”
Aragorn left the tent and went to prepare Brego. Amrun took Elrond to
Aragorn’s tent so he could sleep tonight after his long journey. She
saw the men talking by the fire and saw Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn
walking away toward the mountain. The men cried out to him asking why
he was leaving them now.
“He leaves because there is no hope,” Gamling said
“He leaves because he must,” Theoden said, walking up behind the men.
“Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor,” Gamling argued
“No, we cannot. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless.”
The riders nodded. Éomer looked at Amrun seriously as she walked to her
tent. Soon he came to her and they talked outside the tent.
“I have heard you leave for Rivendell tomorrow with Lord Elrond,” Éomer said.
“Yes,” Amrun replied unsure what to say.
“You will be safe there. When this is over, perhaps, you should come
back to Rohan or …” Éomer stopped. “No, you probably will want to stay
in Rivendell. It will be your new home. You must begin a new life and
must put this one behind you.”
Amrun said nothing, for she could not say what she wanted to say.
Éomer took her silence as her confirmation that what he said was true. Taking her in his arms in a gentle embrace, he held her.
“Be careful Amrun. I wish you nothing but the best life can bring you.”
Kissing her on the head, he whispered, “Do not forget me.” He let her
go, turned, and walked back to the men. Amrun bit back her tears and
her desire to run after him.
At some point during the night, the men began drinking before the
upcoming battle. Amrun could hear their laughter and shouts. When she
came to observe them from the opening in her tent, she saw the women
that had come from Edoras drinking with the men. Some of the women were
sitting on the laps of the riders and laughing with the men.
Amrun watched as one of the women approached Éomer, who was sitting
away from the other men. The woman sat down beside him and placed her
hand on his thigh, moving it seductively higher up. A rush of anger
swept through Amrun, which she tried to ignore. Éomer stopped the
woman’s hand as he stood up. The woman looked up as if she were
expecting him to take her to his tent. Amrun’s breath caught in her
throat and her chest felt tight at the thought of him being with that
woman. Éomer drank the rest of his ale and walked away. The woman went
back to the crowd of men by the fire.
Amrun watched Éomer walk to his tent. He did not see her nor did he
look up. Éowyn came back to the tent and Amrun could see the tears on
her cheeks, but Éowyn would not speak of it and went straight to sleep.
Amrun knew it was because of Aragorn’s departure. She had watched Éowyn
fall in love with him and could do nothing to stop the other girl from
getting hurt. Amrun knew that Aragorn’s heart belonged to another.
As she lay down on her cot, Amrun’s heart raced with fear. Fear for
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli who walked the Paths of the Dead. Fear for
the riders that must ride to battle tomorrow. Fear of what would happen
if they all failed. Fear for Éomer.
As she lay there listening to the men outside, her thoughts were mostly
of Éomer. Why had he not taken that woman to his tent with him? She was
very beautiful. He could have any women he desired. He was the future
king of Rohan and women like those women would never resist him. The
thought of him being alone before this battle was killing her. Her own
loneliness was making her heart ache as well. Tomorrow she left for
Imladris and would likely never see him again. Her thoughts were so
confused, but one thing was certain: she must go to him tonight.
Amrun jumped up, grabbing her cloak, then realized that she was only
half dressed. She remembered the look on his face the first time he saw
her walking out of the water and she smiled. Boldly, she removed the
rest of her clothes and grabbed a longer fuller cloak that hid her
completely. It had openings on the side for her arms and she wrapped
her bare arms around herself to keep the cloak closed. As she slipped
from the tent, she felt a guilt that took her breath away.
Amrun’s thoughts were tortured. What was she doing? How could she do
this to Theodred? She went back into the tent. After a moment of
indecision, she realized that while Theodred was dead, she was still
alive and had to go on living. She did not love Theodred any less.
Éomer needed her tonight, and she needed him as well. She left the tent
again and slipped through the night, avoiding the notice of others.
Amrun took a deep breath and walked quietly into Éomer’s tent. He was
standing at the table in the middle of the room looking over what
appeared to be a map. Before she could say his name, he picked up his
sword from the table and whirled around with it drawn. As he pointed it
at her, she boldly stood her ground and stared him in the eyes.
“Forgive me, Amrun. You startled me. Why are you not asleep? It is late and you will be leaving for Rivendell early tomorrow.”
“There is something I must do before I leave.”
Walking over, she reached up and put her hand on the back of his head
and pulled him down to her. She kissed him deep and explored his mouth
with her tongue, feeling a burning in her body that was almost
overwhelming. When she pulled away slightly and caught his tongue
between her lips, she sucked it lightly into her open mouth.
Éomer gently moved her away from him.
“Amrun, you know not what you do. A man cannot receive a goodbye kiss
like that and be expected to let it end there. What are you thinking?”