It was now the sunrise of the second day of their quest to rescue Merry and Pippin from the horde of uruk-hai. Aragorn lay quietly on the ground with his ear pressed against the solid earth, listening to the vibrations that reverberated throughout. Alannah followed Legolas as they ran to catch up to him, Gimli complaining about the lack of food and rest that they've had as he forced himself to keep the same pace as the rest of the group.
"Their pace has quickened, they must have caught our scent." Aragorn spoke aloud to himself. "Hurry!" He hollered back to everyone else.
"Come on Gimli!" Legolas called back to the dwarf. Alannah was grateful that Legolas's full attention had now shifted to the rescue of the hobbits instead of her as she thought of some way she could do more to help the halflings. The landscape was growing familiar to her the further they traveled and soon, she realized they were now approaching Rohan. Not only did Gandalf bring her to Rohan to stay in the court of King Theodon, but she remembered that this was also the same path her and Boromir had taken on their way to Rivendell. Alannah shook her head as she pushed the thought of Boromir away, unable to sort through the hurt he caused her as well as the loss of her friend.
The four hunters made their way down the side of the cliff, now entering the rolling hills and plains of Rohan. Alannah noticed tracks in the mud when something familiar caught her eye. Stomped into the ground was a Lothlorien leaf brooch that secured all of the fellowships cloaks they all received from Lady Galadriel. She picked it up and handed it to Aragorn to inspect. Legolas made his way to stand next to her as he looked intently at it, all realizing one of the hobbits must have dropped it intentionally in hopes their trail would be found, leading to their rescue.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lothlorien fall." Aragorn muttered as he shoved the brooch in his pocket, his hopes now renewed.
Legolas hopefully grasped Alannah's hand and squeezed. "They very well may be alive." He smiled softly at her, glad to see some hope return to her eyes. She returned the gesture, and let her anger soften towards him when she heard his voice in her head, much like she heard Galadriel's in Lorien.
"Forgive me, meleth nin. I spoke before I could think." Legolas's voice rang clearly in her head, even though his mouth never moved. Alannah nodded her head and accepted the small kiss he planted on her cheek before he turned to follow Aragorn up a nearby hill. She pretended to follow Legolas, but instead allowed Gimli to pass her as she turned away and quietly ran in the direction of Edoras to ask King Theoden for aid in rescuing the hobbits.
~
Alannah was cautious as she traveled through the plains of Rohan, aware that there were orcs roaming freely. She was an easy target on her own and kept her hand on her sword so she could defend herself in a moment's notice. It had been a few hours since she left on her own and she felt sadness in her heart from leaving the group without warning. She looked back to the direction she knew Legolas and her friends had traveled, and could almost feel Legolas' blue eyes scanning the distance trying to locate her.
Night had fallen once again but instead of stopping to rest, she continued on foot and ran as fast as she could, willing herself to keep going until she saw the great city on the hill. She looked in the direction that Isengard should be in, though many miles away, and reminisced on the fond memories she had years ago of her time in the gardens that surrounded the mighty fortress. Saruman would occasionally allow Gandalf to bring Alannah to dwell there for a few weeks at a time and although he was not as warm and inviting as the Grey wizard, he was friendly enough to her. The cool wind chilled her skin as she crossed the plains still trying to piece together the fragments of her life. She counted the summers she could remember and still, they never added up to her current age as if they had been erased from her mind altogether. Alannah felt the small bottle in her pocket as she ran, knowing soon all would be revealed to her.
"Alannah, why did you leave?" Legolas's voice spoke aloud in her head. Alannah stumbled as she ran, startled by the sudden intrusion. "Alannah." He persisted, his voice firm. She stood still as she heard him say her name and suddenly realized how little he had ever actually said it. Alannah longed to be near him and almost regretted leaving, but knew she had to at least try to get help from King Theodon. Alannah closed her eyes and thought of Legolas, willing he would hear her words.
"I have to try to do something to help the little ones. I'm sorry. When I know Merry and Pippin are safe I promise to find you." Alannah felt foolish as she stood in the middle of nowhere trying to communicate with Legolas miles away. The moon was the only light she had to guide her way as she began to walk again towards Edoras, expecting to arrive in a few short hours if she didn't slow her pace.
"It was foolish, Alannah!" Legolas's voice boomed in her head. "Have we not lost enough thus far and you're willing to meet the same fate yourself?" Alannah felt the heat rise in her chest as he spoke. It took her a few minutes to respond as she choked back the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks.
"I have to do this, Legolas. I am no fool.." She was interrupted as a stampede of horses surrounded her while a man grabbed her by her waist and pulled her onto his horse. She fought against her captor with all her strength only for him to hold her tighter.
"It's been years since I've seen you Alannah. It is not safe out here." The man's voice was familiar, one she had not heard since she was last in Rohan. She managed to look behind her to see Eomir as the mysterious captor that scooped her up.
"Eomir!" Alannah exclaimed as she glanced at the Rohirrim that also surrounded her. "I need help. My friends, they are in danger." Eomir ignored her as he led the charge in the direction of Edoras, her voice drowned out by the thunderous stampede of hooves in the earth. They rode for a couple hours through the Riddermark, all while Alannah continued to try and speak to Legolas in her mind.
"Legolas, I'm with friends in Rohan. I will get help. Don't be angry with me." She waited for a response from him, even an angry one, but only heard her own thoughts rattling inside her head. "Meleth nin?" She urged, visualizing her words reaching his ears. She gulped, realizing that for one reason or another that there was no longer communication between them. The sharp words he had spoken to her the last time they were together replayed over in her head as she gulped, reaching out once more to him.
"Or is it mellon nin?" She asked, her heart sinking at the realization that Legolas himself may have pulled his heart away from her.
~
Dawn would not come for a couple more hours when Eomir motioned for the Rohirrim to stop about a mile from Edoras. He quickly helped Alannah from their horse and motioned towards the direction she would need to take.
"Be not seen by anyone. My uncle is not well, and Grima, is under Saruman's command, not Theoden's. Go to Eowyn's chambers, she will help you find a bed. I must go now." Eomir charged the riders of Rohan into the darkness, leaving Alannah with more questions than answers and unable to plead for his help. Alannah took a deep breath, pushing Legolas from her mind as she began to run once more.
Finally, she peered up the hill at the home of King Theoden, a place she had always been welcome to and questioned why she would need to hide herself. Alannah quietly scaled the gate of the city and utilized the darkness to enter the palace and locate Eowyn's chambers. The interior of the palace had changed drastically from what she remembered. Its great golden halls were once warm and inviting but now it was looming with a darkness of a threat that she could not see, but instead could feel heavy in her spirit. Alannah moved silently through the halls until she reached Eowyn's bed chamber, tapping the door so lightly she was sure her old friend would not hear it.
The door opened slightly, enough for Alannah to see Eowyn's brown eyes peek out through the slit. They were rimmed red and full of sorrow and shock as they locked onto the familiar form on the other side of the door. Upon realization of who she was seeing, she quickly opened it and pulled her inside, closing and locking the door behind her.
"Alannah? How did you get here? You couldn't have heard of what has happened?" Eowyn held onto Alannah's hands tightly. Alannah shook her head confusedly.
"No, I came to ask your uncle for help. Two hobbits, my friends, they've been taken by orcs. I need your cousin, brother and the riders to help track them and rescue them." Alannah pleaded quietly. Eowyn sat on the edge of her bed and shook her head.
"I'm afraid there is no help here. Uncle's mind is fleeting, as if he's been poisoned. He is a shell of who he was." She paused to wipe tears from her face. "Theodred." She whispered before clearing her throat. "Theodred is dead. Eomir has been banished. Many of our riders have left with him, and I fear for what the future holds for Rohan."
Alannah stepped back and held onto the doorknob to steady herself. She felt as if she was going to pass out after learning of the evil that had fallen over Rohan, realizing that there was no place in Middle Earth exempt from the looming darkness. Her eyes rose to look at Eowyn, who was now sobbing quietly. Alannah knew only one person would benefit from the fall of Rohan, Saruman. She walked over to her friend and sat next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders hoping to offer some comfort. Eventually Eowyn's sobs turned to whimpers and then to a soft sigh. She grasped Alannah's hand and felt the silver ring on her finger.
"You're betrothed." Eowyn stated quietly and as cheerfully as she could muster. "To whom?"
Alannah pulled her hand back and traced her finger over the silver band, wishing nothing more than to be with Legolas under the trees in Lothlorien once again. "His name is Legolas. An elf. Prince of the realm of Mirkwood. At least, I hope he still promises himself to me." Eowyn's mouth opened slightly in shock and she shut it immediately, trying not to appear rude. Alannah recognized her confusion and realized there was a lot she needed to tell her old friend.
"I have a lot to tell you, Eowyn. I did not know until recently but yes, I am an elf as well."
Alannah began her story with her time in Gondor and traveling to Rivendell with Boromir, son of Denethor. She spoke of meeting up with Gandalf and of a quest she embarked on with them and the rest of the company. Alannah took great care not to divulge the purpose of the quest, especially anything concerning the one ring, erring on the side of caution. Her story held Eowyn's attention greatly as she described being caught by Legolas as she bathed in the river. Her blonde friend blushed at the story, stifling a small giggle as she thought of how embarrassed she would have been if it was herself in Alannah's place. Soon, Eowyn was wiping more tears from her eyes as Alannah detailed the battle in Moria, and the loss of Gandalf.
"Alannah, I'm so sorry. He was like a father to you. The two of you were so close." She reached out and clasped Alannah's hand. She smiled and accepted it, grateful that their bond was still as strong as it was when she lived there before.
"He was. I loved him dearly. But I cannot cry anymore for what I've lost, he'd be angry at me for that." Alannah smiled. She continued with her story, of their time in Lorien and Eowyn listened intently as a child would to a fairy tale.
"Legolas and I promised ourselves to each other there." She looked down and fiddled with the ring on her finger. "That's also where I learned about who I am, or at least partly. My father was from here, a man of Rohan and my mother an elf. Lady Galadriel also gave me this." Alannah pulled out the small flask and showed it to Eowyn, her puzzled look prompting an explanation to what it was.
"What is it?" She questioned as she took the bottle and turned it over in her hands.
"It will tell me everything I've always wanted to know about who I am, and where I've come from." Alannah plucked the bottle from Eowyn's hands and pushed it back into her pocket. "I'm waiting for the right time to take it, I fear for what it reveals to me." Eowyn nodded her head in understanding.
Alannah omitted the parts by the falls of Rauros, not ready to speak of the assault at the hands of Boromir and his death. If she allowed herself to ponder too much on it, the anger in his eyes and the pain and humiliation he caused overshadowed the memory of the good man and friend she truly knew he was without the influence of the ring. "Two of our companions, hobbits, were taken by orcs when we tracked them into Rohan. I came to seek help from your uncle and brother, but I now know that's impossible now.'
Eowyn nodded sadly, ashamed she could not give the much needed assistance to her friend. She quickly got up and pulled a dress over her head, motioning to the bed.
"You should sleep. Even for a couple hours, I must check on uncle. I will return for you soon." Eowyn smiled softly as she slipped out the door, its latching being the last sound Alannah remembered before she lay her head on the pillow and fell asleep.
~
Alannah woke up in Eowyn's bed alone. Eowyn felt it safe to keep her hidden for the time being as she felt Grima's eyes on her wherever she went and feared he would grow suspicious about Alannah's arrival in the middle of the night. Her eyes wandered around the room to the nearby fireplace where Eowyn had already started a fire and heated a kettle of water for Alannah to bathe in. Fresh linen sat nearby as Alannah lifted the kettle from the fire and poured it into the small tub on the other side of the room. The way the sun poured into the room, Alannah could tell it was definitely past noon. She quickly undressed and lowered herself into the tub, not caring of how scalding the water was against her skin. Alannah hadn't bathed since her time in Lorien and she still felt as if Boromir's hands were pressed into her breasts. She scrubbed her skin ferociously, days of dirt, sweat and blood washing off of her and into the clear water. Alone in the tub, she cried once more for Gandalf, Boromir, and her friends, wherever they may be, and of course Legolas. He still had not tried to speak to her as he did before and she was choosing to accept that he had withdrawn his pledge to her. She quietly slipped the ring off her finger as she stepped out of the tub, placing it in the pocket of her clothes that lay nearby, letting it clink against the small bottle her pocket also contained.