***
…omer checked Firefoot's left rear hoof one last time before standing up. He stretched leisurely, and looked up into the rafters of the barn. Finally, he spied some cobwebs and climbing the stall door, he scooped a handful of the gooey mess. He touched Firefoot on the flank, the horse automatically lifting the hoof. Packing the cobwebs into the frog firmly, he reached for the ointment and liberally greased the hoof. "There you go." He wiped his hands on the rag laid to the side. "This should be all you need to fix that sore foot." He quickly cleaned up his mess and, giving the stallion a small handful of alfalfa, he stepped out of the stall and-
- immediately found himself pressed against the wall, his nose in a tight and familiar grip.
"Gambin! Howb farrb bu?"
"How could you do such a fool-hardy thing?"
"Gambin! Muh dooze-" the hand went from his nose to his throat. "Ah." …omer squeaked. "Good to see you in such a fine mood! And how fares the sweet Aefre?"
"Not... so... sweet," Gamling banged …omer against the wall, "considering I rudely interrupted her planned sojourn of solitude!"
"Gamling!" …omer was wiggling, trying to squirm out from under the Horse Lord's grip. "I didn't know you knew such big words!" …omer's glibness found him thumped again against the wall. "Really, Gamling! This is no way to treat your future king!" he chided humorously.
"My... *thump*... future... *thump*... king.. *thump*... wouldn't send *thump*... a Lady... *thump*... to wander!...*thump*..." Gamling turned loose of …omer and watched as the Marshal sagged at the knees. …omer glared up at the older Marshal, rubbing his throat.
"Such behavior is not respect-"
"Don't start! Respectful behavior indeed!" Gamling was glowering, hands clenched at his side. "Of all the irresponsible, immature things to do-"
"I take it your romantic tryst didn't work out as expected?" …omer's eyes were squeezed shut. Damn! The man did not know his own strength.
"Romantic tryst?" Gamling hissed. "Is that what you are calling it? You and Eowyn are damned dangerous! You should both be put back in swaddling and tied to your chairs! Did it occur to you that I'm happy alone? That Aefre is happy in her independence?"
"Are you really happy, Gamling?"
***Ah, now there's a question...***
"…omer! In less than a month, more than likely sooner, Rohan will be called to war! The chances of us returning are slim to none!" Gamling watched the words sink into …omer's mind.
"Don't you want someone to return to if we do?" …omer asked quietly.
***... and that's another question... ***
"I do not need your or Eowyn's help in securing a bed partner."
…omer was now propped up against the wall of the barn, arms crossed in front of his chest. "I was wondering. Eadignes has been asking about you at the brothel." He began to inspect his nails. "I'd say the wench... misses... your attentions."
"I'm sure you have done an excellent job reassuring her." Gamling's voice was low pitched and dangerous, the very timbre of it caused chills - and not the good kind - to crawl up …omer's spine like a spider. He realized that he had crossed the line with his old friend and mentor and his back - pedaling was almost comical to watch.
"I did not mean to offend. You have been withdrawn as of late and your friends worry." He swallowed once. "I miss Hama, too. I know the two of you were close."
"He kept me from killing you many times." Gamling responded mildly.
…omer smiled a little nervously. "I am most grateful, truly. I know he was like a brother to you."
***yes, he was like a brother...***
Gamling backed off, just a hair.
"Besides," …omer continued on, rambling now, "Uncle has called us off to leave you and the comely Aefre alone..."
***...what?...***
"...said Eowyn and I were amateurs-"
"What?"
…omer's smile became wicked. He had him now! "Ah yes. We have been told to step back and watch someone who knows -"
***... doomed! We are doooooomed...***
" - what they are doing." The younger Marshal chuckled. "You might as well plan the wedding, Gamling." …omer managed to duck around the otherwise occupied Horse Lord and slink towards the barn door. "Admit it, it could be worse. You like her. She likes you. There have been worse beginnings!"
…omer fled the barn, laughing like a loon, while Gamling was left behind, banging his head against the wall.
***
Aefre sat at the table, bread, cheese, and wine before her. It had been a busy morning. To her relief, Gamling was up and out by the time she arrived in his rooms to oversee the hanging of bed curtains and tapestries. She found a few battle scenes and banners in unused rooms and tucked away in closets and had had them cleaned the day before. Willan aided her in the setting up of the wall hangings and made sure the items in the bath area were placed properly. Before she left the room, she checked to make sure everything was in order. The Marshal would be easy to look after; he seemed to live a Spartan existence. What little he had was clean, well cared for. He didn't seem to be a collector of trophies, of odds and ends. He had found a spot for everything and, in a sense, Aefre was dismayed at the empty, unused space in the room.
Her assigned room was smaller and even though she had come with only a few small trunks, every iota of space was taken in her chamber. Things lovingly collected and treasured over the years. Family items, gifts from her husband...
"Are you going to squeeze the cheese through your fingers, Aefre?"
She looked up, startled, at the king, who sat down next to her, smiling indulgently. He pointed to her hand and she could see the small block of cheese being misshapen around her fingers.
"Oh dear." She put the cheese on her platter and smiled self- consciously. "My mind was occupied, sire. I wasn't paying attention."
"So I see." Théoden reached into the trencher and pulled out a small loaf of bread and some cheese as well. "You had a good ride, yesterday?"
Aefre was busy pulling apart her loaf and smearing the soft cheese onto the bread. "Yes. Adenydd badly needed the exercise." She smiled and shrugged. "Apparently, I did as well."
It was quiet for a moment, the sound of murmuring between people in the hall not very noticeable.
"Gamling found you easily?" Théoden asked quietly.
"Yes." She answered tersely.
The King's eyebrow raised slightly in amusement at her self-reliant attitude. She hadn't changed a bit from her young years. "I hope he wasn't too harsh or hasty in his temper?"
Visions of Gamling's lips hovering before descending on hers, flitted through her mind. "We had an interesting... afternoon."
Théoden didn't know what to make of that and decided that rather than to pursue the subject, he would just make his decree and be done with it.
"We were worried about you yesterday, Aefre." He poured himself a goblet of wine and then one for her as well. "I would ask a favor from you." He didn't wait for her to respond. "I will not ask that you do not exercise your horse. I know you too well. The Wingfoot needs to get out, as do you. Ah! Gamling!" Théoden looked up and caught the eye of the Horse Lord. "Have a seat!" He motioned to the spot on the other side of Aefre. As the Horse Lord sat down next to her, Aefre realized that every nerve in her body was on fire, animated by his proximity. As for that one, he was cooler than the winds of the Foradwaith, for all the awareness he showed her.
***hothothotmagicmouthohbémapleasewrapthatmouth...***
Gamling had straddled the bench and reaching over and across Aefre, picked up a large hard roll, slightly brushing her in the process. Somehow, he managed to look around her without looking at her. "Sire?" He caught her slight intake of breath.
***Yes!***
Théoden was not oblivious to the prickling energy being generated by the two. Ah, his niece and nephew were correct. These two just needed a nudge in the right direction. "I wanted to thank you for finding Aefre and bringing her home safely, yesterday. I am sure," the stress on the word ‘sure' was unquestionable, " she thanked you as well."
Aefre glared at her king.
Gamling saw her head whip around to Théoden in shock. Smiling snidely, he leaned back in order to cross his arms over his chest. "Aye. But she could have been a little more... grateful."
Aefre's heated stare was quickly fixed on him. "I was fine!" she hissed. "I did not need rescuing."
Théoden watched the heated exchange with amusement. This was a side of Gamling rarely seen. ‘They don't need a nudge,' he thought to himself. ‘They need a cattle stick!'
"Aefre," he continued, bringing her attention back to him, "times are dangerous and I will not have my people unprotected." She opened her mouth to protest, but Théoden held up a hand to cut her off. "I will not ask you to refrain from riding out. I know how dear Adenydd is to you and the care you give her is well noted. However, I do insist you do not take her out alone. In fact," and with this, he brought his gaze to Gamling's, "as Gamling likes to exercise his horse on a regular basis, I think it best you join him."
"But, sire-" Aefre started.
"Aefre," Although he smiled as he said it, Théoden's voice was steely and brooked no argument, "it is not a request. I will not have any of my people in danger and there is strength in numbers, even if the number only happens to be two; one of my most trusted Marshal's and my most stubborn noblewoman." He stood up from the table and looked down at his two mutinous subjects. "Say ‘Yes sire, I understand'."
"Yes, sire. I understand." Gamling was quick to intone. His head dipped in respect.
"Aefre?" Her jaw was clenched in fury. "Aefre," Théoden bent over, leaning into her ear so only she - and Gamling - could hear. "Tell me you understand. You will ride with the escort I have chosen or you'll not ride at all."
"Can I not ride with any Rider who is out?"
Théoden could hear the determination in her tone. "Gamling is the only one who is consistent. Besides, I would feel much better if you were with him." He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Do you understand?"
Her shoulders slumped in dejection. "Yes, sire."
He patted again. "Good." He nodded once to Gamling, not waiting for the return nod, and left the Hall.
Both woman and Rider watched as the King strode from their presence. Gamling leaned over and whispered in Aefre's ear, "Dooooooomed." She could feel him smiling against the sensitive rim and she nudged him away, his beard tickling her cheek.
"I do not need this. I do not wish this," she sputtered over her shoulder.
"Strange. I could have sworn you enjoyed kissing me back, yesterday."
Aefre stood up with a jerk, her fists clenched tightly. "You... you... you..."
"Man?" Gamling cocked his head, with a questioning look. "Cretin?"
"Troll!"
***ah, a new word! The list just grows and grows***
Aefre was storming from the table, heading towards the halls, when she stumbled into Eowyn and …omer. Words were exchanged back and forth between the two women, not unkindly, but surprise registering on Eowyn's face, and shock registering on …omer's. Eventually, Eowyn smiled and …omer looked green with nausea as Aefre finally took her leave from the two. Eowyn moved on in a different direction as …omer stamped over to the older Horse Lord and sat down heavily next to him.
Gamling made no move, just continued to nonchalantly eat his bread and cheese while …omer huffed and hemmed. Swallowing heavily and reaching for the pitcher of mead, Gamling snorted.
"Just tell me."
"You do not want to know."
"Tell me."
"Believe me; you do not want to know."
Gamling finished pouring the mead for himself and set the pitcher down with a solid thud. "You will sit there and make rude noises until you do, so please tell me and get it over with."
…omer rolled his eyes. "Did you know that your sweet Aefre was a Shield Maiden at one time?"
***uh oh...***
"She is not my-"
"Yes, she is!" …omer stuck his finger in Gamling's face, very reminiscent of a certain female. "She's yours and you might as well get used to it!"
"Get your finger out of my face, youngling."
…omer heard the warning in the Horse Lord's voice and quickly brought his finger down. That did not stop the unyielding edge in his voice. " Yes she is, and you have to do something to stop her!"
***oh nooooo... this does not bode well...***
"I do not *have* to do anything. What has she done to irk you into behaving like a child?" Gamling didn't look at the man; simply raised his tankard and buried his nose in as far as it would go without drowning.
"What has she done? What has she done?" The second time was louder than the first and every man - including a Ranger, Elf and Dwarf - stopped what they were doing to listen in. "Apparently, she is ‘rusty' and invited my sister to spar with her in the afternoon when the Rohirrim Horse LORDS finish their practicing!"
Gamling's eyes stared daggers at …omer, but his nose and mouth never left the tankard. "She did what?" His voice echoed eerily in the depths of the mug. He was mindful that every ear in the Great Hall was listening.
"You heard me!" …omer was damn near hysterical. "You have to stop her! She's your problem. You have to-"
Gamling slammed the tankard on the table and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "I do not have to do *anything,* …omer." He moved to stand up and leave.
…omer caught him by the sleeve and stood up behind him. "Gamling, I'm sorry. I don't want to cause a scene-"
"Too late."
"Gamling! They are ... well they're..."
"Women?"
"Yes, yes, yes... they're women! They..."
…omer's voice droned on, spiking up and down, but Gamling wasn't paying attention. Instead, Aefre's angry words had come back to haunt him, plaguing his thoughts, and suddenly they horribly, regrettably made sense.
"…omer!" The nephew of the king stopped his tirade, his jaw snapping shut. "When we are called to Gondor, who will be left behind to defend these lands?"
…omer's eyes shifted back and forth, thinking... thinking...
"Exactly." Gamling's expression softened. "Let them spar. It won't hurt. If anything, it will ease their own tension. Hopefully, they will never have to use those skills in battle." He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, we will go and watch and have a fine laugh. Agreed?"
…omer's shoulders dropped and he chuckled. "Oh, a fine laugh indeed. Women. Fighting. With swords." He nudged Gamling in the side and snickered in his ear. "Although I would much rather see them in their underclothes wrestling in the mud, what say you?"
As the two stepped out of the Hall and into the sunlight of the outdoors, they didn't see the woman standing in the shadows, linens and hangings for a certain Horse Lord's chambers in her arms.
‘Aye,' Aefre thought to herself, ‘you're coming around, just fine. But we will see just how much you laugh.'
***
For two days, Eowyn and Aefre spent the latter part of the afternoon, sparring, practicing with broadswords and rapiers. The men who came around to watch thought it great fun when the two showed up in leggings and tunics. Gamling wondered if anyone, besides himself noticed that the clothing fit the women as if it had been made for them, not like a squire's hand-me-downs. Very quickly, however, the laughter died as the two went at it. Eowyn was good, very talented; Gamling knew this for a fact, as he and Hama had been very instrumental in teaching her as a youngster. She was quick and fast and tireless.
Aefre was out of practice, but she was moving back into form quickly. Her head remembered everything she had ever learned; now, she was forcing her body to remember. She lacked the speed Eowyn had, but she had endurance. Grudgingly, Gamling had to admit that with proper training, she would be a formidable opponent.
On the third afternoon, Aefre brought her morningstar.