On the Wings of the Storm

Chapter 26

The next day I sought an audience with King Elessar. I expected to be given a date when to appear before him in the Great Hall where he received petitioners, but instead one of the servants ushered me into his study. It was filled with smoke. Startled, I began to cough and looked around for the source of it.

Somebody laughed. "My apologies, Princess Lothíriel. We'll open a window."

I peered through the fumes. The King and Mithrandir stood leaning over a table strewn with papers. The smoke issued from thin rods with a small bowl at the end, which they held to their lips. Pipes - I had heard of them, but never seen them. And they stank! I wrinkled my nose.

Mithrandir opened the window behind them, letting in a gust of much needed fresh air. The parchments fluttered in the draught and the King hastily placed weights on them to keep them from flying away. Just common pebbles, I noticed, nothing like the heavy, elaborate glass paperweights that my father owned.

He looked up at me. "You asked to see me, Princess?"

I coloured under his gaze, feeling as if he could read my thoughts. Quickly I launched into an explanation of the wounded Rohirrim's need for horses to practice with. My father's stable mostly held high-strung warhorses belonging to our Swan Knights, which I did not consider suitable. Also there was the question of the best place to exercise.

King Elessar frowned thoughtfully. "A very valid point, my lady. I should have thought of it myself."

He puffed on his pipe and more acrid smoke emerged. I could only hope that Éomer would not adopt his good friend's habit.

"I will instruct the stable master to find you suitable mounts," the King added. "I think that some of the injured horses that Éomer left in our care should be recovered enough by now to be ridden."

"And you could use the ring where the Tower Guard exercise," Mithrandir put in from his place on the window ledge. "It's empty most of the time."

King Elessar nodded. "A good idea. I will tell Captain Minardil to assist you."

So easy! In no time at all, they had organised all the aid I needed. When I thanked him, the King waved away my words.

"It is I who am in your debt, Lady Lothíriel, for looking after our allies."

My mission fulfilled, I took my leave. But as I opened the door, glad to escape into fresh air again, the King cleared his throat.

"By the way, a courier is scheduled to leave for Rohan tomorrow. If you wish, he can take a letter from you to Éomer."

"A letter?" I stammered.

"I thought you might want to write to him, appraising him of your plans regarding his men..."

"Oh." To my annoyance the word came out as a squeak. "Yes, I might do that."

"Very well. I will tell the courier to come and see you tomorrow morning." He looked down at his papers again, the smoke hiding the expression on his face.

Grateful for the reprieve, I escaped into the corridor.

***

I sat half the evening over a blank piece of parchment, not knowing what to write. Or rather, I knew exactly what I wanted to write: that I missed him and would not feel whole again until he held me in his arms, that I wanted him to kiss me the way he had that night in Drúadan Forest, that I needed him to chase away my bad dreams and keep me safe.

But of course I couldn't. How many hands would the letter pass through? And what if my father wanted to see what I wrote to the King of Rohan? So in the end I penned a very short and proper missive, just putting down the bare facts.