***
Théoden stood at the top of the hillside, looking over the tents, the camps of the assembled Riders. 'Too few,' Gamling's voice echoed in his head. 'Too few have come.' As usual, his reticent Marshal had nailed the situation dead on. And now with the Ranger gone, with his small entourage...
Who would have believed so many had rested so much hope on the shoulders of one ragged man?
The Rohirrim were a superstitious lot. Watching Aragorn ride into the narrow chasm had unnerved them all. Even Gamling had paled. Théoden glanced over at the Horse Lord's tent, all of the lights dimmed, save one. He had attempted earlier to go to him, to explain that if the Shards of Narsil held true, the only undefeatable army in Arda would be at the Ranger's command. However, standing at the flap, he heard the murmur of two voices, Gamling's and Aefre's; and Théoden decided perhaps a softer touch would be appreciated.
For a moment, he regretted plotting to bring his long - time Rider and friend - yes, friend, Gamling was that - someone to stand at his side, when they were going into a desperate war, and he could be killed. Then, there would be two who mourned: himself and the bereaved Aefre.
***What will be, will be. I pray to Béma, he returns to her.***
He watched as the speck that was Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, rode off into the distance. Although Théoden himself had offered the Elf his own tent, the Peredhil had declined, claiming pressing needs, concerns elsewhere.
***Run. Run and leave us. Go to your Undying Lands where-***
Théoden bit the thought off. It was wrong, rude. Elrond had sent a contingent of Elves to Helm's Deep, archers who came to their aid, when no one else would have answered. And they had died, every last one of them, giving the entrapped Riders precious time for …omer to arrive. No, Elrond Peredhil was not running away.
Théoden shook his head. Perhaps again, the Elves had come to Man's rescue. If that sword given to the Ranger was truly the reported Sword of Elendil...
He looked over the tents again, and again; too few. Each Rider knew there were not enough men and like him, were disheartened, discouraged, knowing full well they were riding into certain death.
Unless Aragorn...
Bah! Again, what will be, will be. Tonight, Théoden decided, he felt old. Truly old. He watched a young Rider, barely bearded, wrap his arm around a not much older girl and lead her off, probably to his tent. He imagined if he took a walk, his would probably hear sighs and sounds of the One Last Time. Hearing giggling behind him, he turned to see …omer, both arms wrapped around the waists of two buxom wenches, whispering first in one ear and then the other. Mentally, he made a note, to talk to Gamling. …omer would make a fine king, once he was settled. He had a good head on his shoulders and he would need a strong Marshal and advisor to guide him.
'Béma, I miss Elfhilde. I miss my wife.'
The thought came suddenly out of nowhere. His hand clenched, unconsciously reaching for the knob of a chair that sat back in his chambers in Edoras. She would have given him good advice, would have held him this night, been a source of-
"Sire?"
Théoden looked down at the woman before him. She was his age, snow-white hair braided back, framing a still youthful face.
"Yes?"
She smiled and in the dimming light, he saw her eyes shine. "I have made hot tea for you in your tent and brought stew. It is still hot."
"Thank you." She nodded her head and turned to leave. "Wait." She stopped and turned back. "I'll know the name of the one who served me when she herself has every right to be in bed."
The woman smiled and lowered her head. "My name is Eldrida."
Théoden looked at her closer. "I knew an Eldrida, long ago. In my youth..." He pulled her into the torchlight and peered closer. "I know you." Gently, he took her hands in one of his and with the other, tilted her chin up. "I remember you well. You came to the celebration that proclaimed me and several others Riders. Your brother was one."
The woman blushed harder. "I'm surprised you remember me, sire. It has been a very long time."
"Eldrida. A true Rider never forgets his first love." By now, she was smiling as well as blushing. "Ah, I remember that smile well." He pulled her closer and he whispered in her ear. "As I recall, it charmed me right out of my boots."
Eldrida smacked him playfully for that. "As I recall, you charmed me just as thoroughly."
For a moment, the two basked in a fond memory. Théoden released her chin and patted her hand. "What happened?" he asked softly. "I went on patrol. When I came back, you were gone. It took me forever to find word of you and when I did, I discovered you were married."
Eldrida's smiled drooped, just a little. "You were to be King and I am a simple Rider's daughter from the East. A farmer's daughter. I was not meant to be Queen."
"That would not have mattered to me."
Her hand covered his. "It mattered to me. I was not well versed in the handling of a huge hall, servants and a garrison of Horse Lords. You loved your wife, did you not?"
Foreheads touched and both sets of hands were clasped between them. "Aye. I loved her very much."
"Then I am glad. My Eadwin gave me five strong sons and two beautiful daughters." She moved back and nodded over the mountainside. "All five sons, both son-in-laws and eight grandsons are down there. I pray they come home safely."
"Your husband-"
"Died three years ago. I have grieved. It was a good marriage and well I remember our time together." She nodded back towards Théoden's tent. "Your stew is getting cold."
Théoden was reluctant to turn her loose. "Is there possibly enough for two?"
Eldrida's grin became bigger, her eyes crinkling at the edges. "There might be."
"Ah." Théoden smiled knowingly. "I believe I might have a skin of particularly fine-"
"Wine." she answered before him. "I believe that is the same line you used the first time you talked me into your chambers."
Théoden tipped his head back and forth, a motion reminiscent of Théodred and …omer. "Well, it worked once before..."
"And it will work again, you randy old stallion!"
Théoden winked at her. "Want to see if I should be put out to pasture?"
The upper camp echoed with Eldrida's laughter.
***
There was no sound in the tent. For about ten seconds.
"Gamling," Aefre whispered, "Stop looking at me like a starving man looks at a banquet table."
"You have no idea..."
"Gamling-"
"Shh." He kissed her once, before trailing to her ear. "I'm starving." He painstakingly took his time, making his way down her neck.
"I'm not... not...a ... meal... you...."
"You are the small course and the sweets."
Aefre's senses were reeling and her hands reached back to his leggings, unlacing and loosening. "And what are you, Just Gamling?"
The Horse Lord had kissed his way back to her breast and he pulled away from her hands. "I'm the main course." Playfully he rose up, looking down at her. "Which one was jealous?" His thumb pestered the nipple he had been nibbling on earlier. He rose above her, corralling her back into the furs.
"You horrid man," she sighed. "The one you're ignoring."
"Ah." He lowered his mouth and licked gently. "This one?"
"Yes...ah..." Gamling's mouth clamped down, his tongue tugged gently. Aefre's fingers wound through his hair, holding him in place. As he eventually settled between her legs, he continued to tease, suck at her, listening to her when she whispered calls and instructions.
... harder.... just a little...
Eventually, Gamling turned Aefre loose, kissing his way beneath the heavy mound. She had begun to undulate again, writhing as she tried to maneuver her way down under him. He cupped her beneath a firm cheek, coaxing one leg up to his waist. "And where do you think you are going?" he admonished softly.
"I'm going to get rid of your leggings."
"No." He shook his head. "Not yet." He began to kiss his way down her stomach, causing her to giggle.
"Why ... not? 'Tis unfair.... Gamling!" she squealed as he nipped her waist. "What are you doing?"
"Enjoying my small course." He continued downwards, until his nose was hovering above her damp nest of curls. He burrowed down, his hands stroking down and beneath her legs, bringing them over his shoulders. Her fingers found their way threading through his hair, as he found and kissed the soft skin at the joint at her juncture. "You smell like apples."
"I don't think I... ah..." Her fingers dug almost painfully into the roots of his hair, when he nipped her at that tender spot inside her thighs. "...Béma..."
Gamling continued to kiss, suckle actually, at that sensitive spot as his fingers stroked their way around the soft skin of her hip and leg. Finally, they found their way to that sweetsweethotwetspot, dancing, lightly stroking
"Gamling oh please please don't tease..." Aefre had begun to angle, thrusting upwards in an attempt to...
"Are you begging?" Gamling asked. He gasped when he realized her hands were still in his hair and she pulled in frustration.
"Damn you! Damn you! ... you...you..."
It crossed his mind to tease her -
Brute...
...Lummox
But truth was, at this point, he didn't have the heart for it. He nipped her again, as his fingers slid between soft, wet folds. "Tell me what you want, Aefre."
He whispered against her skin. She mumbled incoherently. Gamling propped himself up on one hand, the other continuing to bedevil her. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand..."
"Touch me!" she hissed, "Kiss me, lick me, I don't care! Get out of your leggings-"
"Ah... not yet." he whispered back. His index and middle fingers cut a deliberate path through her entrance. Calloused tips lingered at her passage and again he licked and nibbled at the inner joint of her thigh.
"Again, Aefre. What do you want?"
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of her ragged breathing. Then-
"You. I want you. Please."
At the word 'please', Gamling thrust both fingers into her core, stroking upwards. His thumb moved over her nub.
"Other side, other side, to the left.... aaah Béma.... yessssss." Aefre released his head, her hands clutching the furs beside her, knuckles white.
For one long minute, fingers and hips danced, one asking, the other answering. Aefre's breathing shortened, became more ragged. The skin at her inner thigh was pink from his attentions and he kissed it one last time, reveling in the feel of her pulse there under his tongue.
"Aefre?"
Her response was a low keening wail.
"Do you want more?"
"Yesyesyesyesohyespleasebémayes please-"
He replaced his thumb with his mouth.
Aefre jerked hard, tightening her legs around Gamling's neck, her hands back in his hair, guiding him-
"There... there..." It was a hiss. "Ah... yessssss..."
For a few moments, he allowed her to lead, to guide, to set the pace, two fingers still encased high within, probing, pressed forward, upward. She tightened her grip, fingers and legs, cutting off what little air Gamling was able to-"
"Ah, thinth yew can turn looth now, Aefref..." he whispered against her. "Pleath. Ah wohn thtop."
"Promise?" It was a sigh, a plea.
"Yeth. Promith." He breathed a sigh of relief as her hands turned loose of his hair and her legs relaxed slightly. He watched with great interest as her hands moved slowly up her body as he continued the rhythm she had set.
It was a dance of sorts, he decided, the coordinated movement of his mouth and fingers against the gentle thrust of her hips. At some point, she began to answer the questioning of his fingers, vocally, vaguely aware she was calling him by name, begging, pleading, for release. She moved harder against his mouth, his fingers pressing down.
Eventually, his free hand left the silky softness of her stomach and moved upwards, replacing her own hand at her breast, calloused pads at her nipple. Aefre was beyond any point of return, every nerve ending was on fire, begging for more.
Her movements became more insistent against his fingers and thumb and when his mouth replaced his thumb, her entire body sang.
***how long.... how longhowlong has it been oh Béma since you allowed yourself to believe any man...***
Eventually, his hand had replaced hers and she gave in - gave in to the sensation of skin on skin; gave in to her impending orgasm not brought on by her own hands; gave in to the realization that for the first time in several years, she was not in control...
This 'Rider' literally held her in the cup of his hand, at the tip of his - oh sweet Elbereth, his entire tongue, who in all Arda would believe the quiet Horse Lord could be so aaaaaah-dept with... oooooh.....
"Don't stop."
Her body had a mind of its own and she was close sooo close...
"Harder, harder, please don't.... oh... Béma... don't..."
Gamling's mouth enclosed over her completely, his tongue insistent, sucking her in, while his fingers matched, obeyed her commands. And when finally, she reached the bridge, the chasm, and completely lost all control of her body, she let him know exactly how wonderful he was.
***
Aefre lay twitching beneath him, her legs sliding limply from his shoulders.
Gamling looked up, took in the sheen of perspiration that coated her entire body. He allowed his fingers to slide from her body. As he lifted up, he started to wipe her juices from his mouth before realizing his two fingers were in worse shape. With a self-satisfied smirk, he put both in his mouth, savoring her taste before wiping his lips. Crawling to the edge of the furs, Gamling pulled his leggings off, his own body now screaming 'sinkinsinkinsinkin'. Instead, he crawled between her legs, between her thighs and staying on his knees, began to caress her sides and hips, watching her breathing settle. Finally, he leaned over her, careful to keep a slight space between his body and hers and nuzzled her at the dip in her throat, sucking the salty sweet sweat from her body. "When I told you the camp would not bother with the sounds of two people making love tonight?"
"Yesssss?"
"That," he murmured against her throat, "was before I knew what a screamer you were." He chuckled at her half-hearted attempts to smack him and rubbed against her suggestively.
"You... you... oaf... you... bore... at least let me... catch my... breath.."
"What?" he hissed back against her skin. "And give you respite?" Her fingers dug painfully into his hair. "Oh, all right, Aefre. I'll give you a minute." She turned loose and moved her hands down to grasp him. Gamling inhaled sharply at her touch, her thumb deftly weaving through the foreskin.
For all her knowledge, her experience with her husband, Aefre was in a sense, shocked when the Horse Lord dropped his head on her shoulder, his breath in a hitch.
***if you do not slow down, you will get no satisfaction this night...***
Aefre removed her hand, and in a gesture identical to what the Rider in her arms had just done, licked the salty moisture from her thumb. Running her fingers around the outer shell of his ear, she whispered, "I really need some wine. Would you like some?"
"You stopped," he sighed. "It was so sooo nice..."
"It will be nice again." She patted him reassuringly. "You did promise me a minute to catch my breath. Please let me up." Reluctantly, Gamling rolled over, allowing her to escape. "Besides," she continued as she rose from their bed, "I figure you would like to wash the taste of me from your mouth."
"I need no such thing, but if you insist, I'll take it anyway," he grumbled, grateful for her offer regardless. He pulled a dark hair that did not match his beard from the side of his mouth, before flicking it away. The remaining light was quickly dimming, but he still watched her, not too covertly, enjoying the...
***Not thin... not fat... just soft and round and curving and pleasing and oooooh Béma...***
...set of her, her span, hips that fit-
"What?" Aefre stood before him, goblet in her hand.
"Looking at you."
She stretched out her hand. "There was only enough left for one. You take it." He sat up, and taking the goblet from her, drank deeply, savoring the sweet, earthy coolness. While he drank, she climbed back on the bedding, behind him and pressed herself to him, caressing, kissing, stroking his shoulders. He felt her knees slide around his hips. "I know I'm not perfect, but I hope I'm not all that repulsive."
***Kiss my neck kiss my neck pleasepleaseplease kiss my.... ooooooh thank you...***
"Not in the least." Gamling was not regaining control of his almost out - of - control body and he handed the goblet back. "You have the rest. You were the one who wanted it."
Aefre took the goblet and swirling it once, took a sip. She was looking at him most...
Saucily?
*** uh oh***
Holding the cup in one hand, Aefre crawled around him. She straddled him, resting on his thighs. "We must do something about this rather rigid staff you're waving about." Gently, she covered his mouth with hers, the two of them savoring the wine on the other.
" Would be nice."
Using her free hand, she pushed him by the chest backwards, coaxing him to lie back down.
"Aefre. You will spill the wine and make the furs wet."
"I suspect they are already wet."
Gamling could only nod, his head hitting the pillow.
"And I have every intention of spilling the wine."
*** uh oh ***
"Wha-"
Wine drizzled down his sternum, slow moving drops of dark red liquid. Before they could roll to places best not thought about, Aefre's tongue lapped, spiraling, tickling, sucking, wasting none of the liquid she had so painstakingly poured, moving from his chest, down to his stomach, down lower, dripping more...
Wine dribbled forward, her tongue sliding into his belly, sucking, down further...
*** oh Béma I may die so happy...***
One hand went to the furs, grasping, the other went under the pillow next to him and in one swing, he pulled it over his face.
He heard her laugh before she inhaled him.
*** so very happy... Here lies Gamling, who never made it to Gondor due to death of intense pain or pleasure caused by the mouth of...***
"Aefre?" He had lifted the very bottom of the pillow.
"Hmmm?"
"There's a drop rolling down on my..."
Her tongue licked at the spot lower down, sucking in first one, then the other...
"Never mind." His voice was uncommonly high. " You got it." The pillow went back down over his face.
***I'm dying. Why is her chest jerking against me...soooo disrespectful of the dying... Laughing at the soon to be dead...***
The moment the first drop of wine trickled down on Gamling's chest, Aefre decided he had been correct - he *was* the main course. And she was going to treat him as such. With a deliberate lap, she assaulted his collarbone, making scant work of the beading droplets. She inhaled, exalted in his scent, the lingering aroma of leather and horse and her... oh, she could smell herself on him, under the wine, under the sweat. Crisp hair tickled her nose as she moved her way down his chest, following the trail she trickled before her. Down the flat planes, ridges of his stomach, again following a path of layered hair to ...
That insistent rising staff. She watched him reach for the pillow and throw it over his face just as she bent down to coax whatever she could lick from him.
***Ah... wine and male sweat and the salt of him and... hmmm wine down...***
She licked just as he noticed there was more than was supposed in places rarely explored.
Strange noises came from under the pillow as she made her way back up the ridged column under her mouth. As a youngster, she had enjoyed hiding in the pantries, the closets, hidden places, listening to the serving women in her father's house discuss the opposite sex. She had to admit, most of her education had come from these stolen moments hidden from the world. It surprised her how much some women did not enjoy the taste of a man, while others reveled in it and she had decided at a young age, it had to be an acquired taste.
This one tasted glorious.
She had him in a rather firm hand and stroking downwards, had completely exposed the head to air. He was glistening with the clear liquid that she truly preferred.
***Mustn't waste...***
She flicked the head with her tongue and blew, eliciting more strange noises from beneath the pillow. Deciding she had teased enough, she licked the top of ...
***velvethothardsweeeettasteofamanwonderful...***
... sucking in all that was there before encasing him, moving, relaxing, caressing with the back of her mouth.
More strange sounds from under the pillow.
Hmmm.
The hand that had been clenching, squeezing at the furs, found her leg, was pulling, coaxing... moving up her thigh, angling...
She turned to face away, opposing him, on her knees and his fingers invaded her core yet again, his thumb finding that spot his tongue had lavished so much attention on. Their rhythms matched and when his breathing hitched, she pulled up and away.
Gamling pulled the pillow up a hair. "You stopped..."
"There's more."
He felt her swing up and over him...
The pillow went flying.
***Yes!***
Aefre straddled him, positioning herself and began to undulate, keeping M'lord Happy everywhere but where he needed to be.
"What in Béma's name are you doing?"
***Dammit. She has an evil grin.... I think I like it... dammit... I'm sooo dooomed....***
"What do you want, Gamling?"
"Ah ha. We are going to play *that* game, are we?"
Aefre continued to move in circles, playing pelvic tease-dances. " What game? Only one you started."
He moved his hands up her thighs, her sides, to both breasts, again finding, teasing...
Aefre reached behind her, grasping him, gasping at the sensations he was causing her. "Ever... play... Ride the... Mearas?"
Gamling's jaw dropped open. It took a second to recover. With a leer, he turned her loose, one hand going to her hip to steady her, hold her still, the other reaching between her legs. He found himself, her hand and grasping both, he moved her so her sweet spot hovered just right.
"Aefre?"
"Hmmm?" She was still attempting to control the situation, not quite realizing she wasn't.
"There is an old saying."
"Oh?" She wiggled some more. "And that would be?"
"Save a horse. Ride a Rohirrim."
With that, he pushed her down, as he thrust up, impaling her, burying himself, clear to the hilt. Both of her hands flew, finally resting on his chest, his at her hips. He retreated, enough to almost lose her, only to thrust back. Aefre's eyes were wide, smile slowly spreading, as she dug her fingers in.
"Surprised, My Lady?"
She used the momentum from his hands to grind down. "No," she growled. "Are you?"
"By you? I try not to be." Gamling allowed her to move his hands, clasping them to her breasts, as she took control back.
"Relax, you. It's my turn." Bracing herself on his hands, she set an uneven rhythm, none that could be danced to, ridden to, depended on.
***She knows a man. Keeping me off-balance... prolonging the inevitable ... drawing it out for both...***
Aefre's head was down, long mahogany locks draping her shoulders, her face. She was lost in sensation, the feel of him, the ride, the sound of them together, the wet, the slide, the gasp.
"Aefre." A whisper.
"Yessss..."
"What do you want?"
"Take me."
He turned her loose, grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her down to him. His lips canvassed hers. "You're not close."
"I know." she whispered back. "Take me."
"Aefre, I-"
The dying fire echoed in her eyes. "You've seen to me. Let me see to you. Take me. Pin me to the bedding. Tell me what you want."
In a breath, a sigh, he grabbed her, flipped her on her back, still imbedded, impaled. He grasped one long leg and placed it at his shoulder, kissing the ankle.
***softsmelllikeappleapplesapplessowetandhothothothot***
He thrust full, pinning her to the bed.
"What do you want, Gamling?"
He pulled out and thrust in hard. "Tell me."
Fingers again found his chest, the scars, the puckered tender areas that shot bolts of lightning pleasure. "Tell you what?"
Pull out. Thrust in.
"Tell me what's it like? How does it feel?"
"How do you feel? To me?"
Pull out. Thrust in.
"Yessssss."
Aefre pulled her leg from his shoulder and pulling him to her, clasped and hooked her legs behind him, at his waist.
And she whispered in his ear, lurid things, heated things, things he never could imagine; how good he felt, long and heated and addictive, how he smelled, so male and of earth and wind and leather, things that made him harder and hotter and, oh Béma, the way she made them sound so dammit, dammit good and how she wanted to feel him convulse, explode, and throb, she could feel that too, like a rapid, threading pulse against outer edge of that cavern he was buried so deep within, the friction, how his hands, his mouth felt on her breasts, on the curve of her backside, how his ragged breathing made her want more, oh Béma, she wanted all of him, every inch, every scrap, every drop, buried deep within, and harder, harder, now, oh please, harder, pound me...
Somewhere he had pulled away, bringing both legs to his shoulders, bracing both hands beside her and he thrust... no, he banged her...
"Harder."
... he thrust, banged in again as hard as he could.
"Again."
Yes.
"Again."
I aim...
"Again. Again. Tell me. Tell me. Again."
...to please....
"Again. Don't. Stop. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again."
Now.
***
There were twinkling stars outside the tent the two shared. There were twinkling stars behind Gamling's eyelids as well; he could see them clearly outlined in the lids of his eyes. He had collapsed completely on Aefre, his head on her shoulder. Her legs were down, her ankles at the backs of his knees and her arms held him close. She was playing in his hair and crooning something sweet and Aefre-y.
***Kissing my ear silly witchy woman with breasts and hips and the sweethothothot oh magic please Béma letmelive to come backtothis everynight...***
"Can we move? It's-"
"Wet," he finished for her. He opened his eyes to darkness - the brazier had finally given out. He rolled, bringing her with him and with giggles and laughter, they pulled layers of the furs and coverings down, to dive in under, grabbing pillows, each other. They finally lay side - by - side, Aefre tucked protectively under his arm, hand tucked between her chin and his shoulder.
***The Elves have it wrong. The Undying Lands cannot be this wonderful; this peaceful...***
"I cannot believe how quiet you were." Aefre whispered against him.
"Oh?" It was out-rushed air.
"Yes."
"And?"
"You made me yell and I -"
"You woke up The Dead. The Ranger will not have to rattle any bones at all. You've done it for him."
"I wasn't that bad."
"Yes, you were. I, on the other hand, would have alerted Sauron to our presence and the Rohirrim's cover would have been blown. I, My Lady, have more self-control than you." Gamling smiled smugly.
He felt her bow up next to him. "Why you... you..."
"If you call me names, it will make me hard and randy, and I will be forced to make you make another wet spot in the bedding. I prefer to sleep dry tonight." Deftly, he flipped her to her side and spooning up against her, tucked her into his body and clasped her at the waist. "Please, Aefre. I've had a very long two days ride and I am surprised I lasted this long." She wriggled down to get comfortable. "Aefre..."
"I'm getting situated." His other arm was under her, cushioning her head beneath the pillow. Her hand covered his at her waist. "Goodnight, Just Gamling."
His breath ruffled her hair. "Goodnight."
There was no sound but breathing for several minutes.
"Just Gamling?"
"What?"
Silence.
"Madam-" It was gritted.
"When you said that no one would pay attention to us, because they were doing what we were doing with the ones they loved... did you mean us as well."
***thud***
When did his heart beat into his back of his throat?
***What is she asking? Is she asking what you think... hope...***
Gamling did something he had not done since a young man.
He reached into that lonely, forgotten place. Locked when he decided love was for fools and men with time on their hands. And was very surprised the answer he received from it.
"Yes."
Silence.
When she relaxed, he realized how tense she had been waiting. She rolled over, burrowing into his embrace, tucking tighter into his embrace.
"Good. I would hate to think the one I made love to did not return my feelings. Goodnight, Just Gamling."
In an act very foreign to him, he curved her into him, his hand leaving her waist and going to her head. He threw his leg over her, pinning her to him.
"Good night, Aefre."
***
TBC
***