On the Wings of the Storm

Chapter 24

Downriver, my brother's men seemed rooted to the spot while Firefoot made straight for them, splashing through the water. The horses started milling about, neighing nervously, and that finally galvanised the men into action. I saw one of them grab for Nimphelos's halter.

Screaming a challenge, the stallion bore down on him. The man jumped aside, only just avoiding flashing hooves. The other horses scattered, but Nimphelos slewed round to meet Firefoot. With foam flying through the air, they circled each other a couple of times. Then Firefoot snaked his head forward to nip the mare on the flank and she took off across the river, the stallion a heartbeat behind her.

All around us, people exclaimed in consternation when the horses climbed the opposite bank in great bounds. A last triumphant neigh from the stallion floated across to us as they disappeared into the dusk.

I gasped. "Éomer! They've run away! What shall we do?"

He looked down at me. Somehow I had ended up with my body pressed against his side, but nobody paid us any heed. The other guests all crowded near the edge of the riverbank, talking to each other and gesticulating wildly. A strange expression crossed Éomer's face.

"Come!" He grabbed my arm and started pulling me through the crowd.

I stumbled along behind him. "Éomer, where are we going?"

He did not answer as he threaded his way towards the back of the crowd, drawing me along in his wake. A moment later we burst free of the press of people, but he gave me no chance to catch my breath and demand an explanation.

"This way."

He tightened his grip on my arm, pulling me across the clearing and into the shadow of the trees. A quick look back over his shoulder, then he dragged me further into the darkness. All I could manage to do was to avoid tripping over hidden tree roots and fallen branches. Where was he taking me? At least up ahead the forest seemed to thin out again.

Éomer stopped abruptly, and let go of my arm. Somehow we had circled round and reached the riverbank again, only further upstream from where we had been. As I caught my breath, I could hear faint voices, but they sounded very far away. From the river below, the croaking of myriads of frogs reached us. We were completely alone.

I turned to Éomer. "What are we doing here? My brother will be worried about me."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "Let him." In the darkness of the trees it was difficult to make out the expression on his face, but his voice sounded grim. "Lothíriel, I will tolerate no more interruptions. I want the truth!"

"The truth?"

He started to pace to and fro. "It is as if you were two different women. One of them has a toy horse by her bed and risks her life to rescue mongrels..."

I coloured. So he had noticed Felaróf.

"...the other," Éomer continued, "tells my sister that she had nothing but a flirtation in mind and lies to me in cold blood."

He had spoken to Éowyn about me! My heart sank as I remembered what else I had said to her. I moistened my lips, trying to frame a reply.

Éomer took a step towards me. "Which woman is real? Lothíriel, when we parted you said to me that I had no idea what happened that night in Edoras. So what did happen? Why did you lie to me?" He took another step closer. "I have to know."

I hesitated. It looked as if fate had granted me what I had wished for: an opportunity to speak to Éomer on my own. But something told me that this was my only chance - if I failed to convince him now, I would not be given a second one. Where to begin? If only he was not looming over me in such a threatening manner!