++++++ I do apologise for the incredible long absence but with the baby and my muse going poof...anyway...

Enjoy the chapter.

I do not own ++++++

Six

Soon enough, the entire city of Edoras was preparing to evacuate to Helms Deep. I volunteered to help pack food for the journey. Breya, although she desired to run off and find Eomer, she was resigned to the fact that her moral compass had won out and she stayed to help.

"We've an audience," Breya whispered in my ear, her arms full of food to place inside the wagon. She glanced over to where a group of children were watching from behind a couple of crates.

I rolled my eyes. "Probably here to see you or something. Since you're such a popular person around here."

One of the children came over and tugged Breya's sleeve to get her attention. "Miss Breya?" she whispered.

"Yes, dear one?" she whispered, kneeling down to her level.

"Is she really an elf?" the girl asked, pointing at me.

"I like to think I am," I smiled, kneeling down to her level. I held my hand out and a small shadow appeared taking the form of a doll. The faceless doll took shape, every small feature became that of the little Rohan girl. "Go on."

She gasped and held her hands out for the shadow doll to walk from my hands to hers. She giggled when the doll started dancing on her hands. "But…mumma's stories say that elves like nature and healing."

"Well I'm a different type of elf," I explained. "There's only one of me but I'm still an elf." The doll danced around her hands before it burst into a shower of stars and flowers. I tapped the top of my ears. "See?"

"Are you helping your mother?" Breya questioned all the children.

They shook their heads. "No, Miss Breya. They said get out of the way."

"Well," Breya smiled, "I need help. So march yourselves up into the halls and bring the food down. I need as much help as we can get. Okay my little helpers? Follow me."

I laughed as Breya walked away with a line of ten kids following her.

"I've never seen that side of you before." Legolas walked up beside me with a smile.

"What?" I laughed. "The one where I play with children? I just choose not to show it." I stood up and finished sliding a crate full of apples into the back of the wagon. "Where is Gandalf? I saw his horse ride out."

"He went to search for Eomer," Legolas replied, picking up another crate.

I took it off him and he waited until I was finished stacking it before taking my hands in his. "Legolas-"

"We haven't had a moment alone since Lothlorien," he cut me off.

"Can you two not?" Breya gagged. "We haven't had a moment alone since Lothlorien," she mimicked in elvish. "Go and do what other respectable folks do when courtin'-kiss in private."

"We are not courting," I grumbled. I pulled my hands away and stormed off. My feet carried me to the stables were Cedric was munching on some hay and Ghost lay on the ground chewing on a bone he'd probably stolen. "Oh, Ghost…" I sighed. "Here I am supposed to be this ultimate evil and I can't even figure out what I want and when I want it."

Ghost cocked his head to the side like he understood what I was saying. He wriggled over and yawned before dropping his head in my lap for me to scratch behind his ear.

"I kinda put my foot in that didn't I?" Breya inquired when she found me.

I glanced up. "You're a bitch," I told her.

Breya sighed. "Sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to…you're not…you're not actually courting are you?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "No-he hasn't asked me."

"Eomer asked me," Breya confessed. "I let him braid my hair."

I raised an eyebrow. It wasn't a human concept, but a dwarven one. For Eomer to know that he may have done some research and known my adopted daughter was raised amongst dwarves and she had strong connections to them. It wasn't until now that I saw a piece of wood braided into her hair that had the shape of a horse head. "Wow-that's big…I can't believe you didn't tell me-no wonder you want to go after him…"

Breya snorted. "Well I'll be damned-listen to us talking about girly things." She came into the stable and slumped down in the hay beside me. "I dunno-before all this-the idea of marrying Eomer was exciting. And children…we sat down and spoke about having children and where we'd live…I suppose now Eomer is next in-line…if we do get married those children will be raised here."

"This is dis-concerning," I admitted. "We do not usually have conversations about girly things." We looked at each other and laughed. I took her hand. "I don't mean to be the voice of realism but what if Frodo doesn't destroy the ring and it gets into Sauron's hands?"

"Well aren't you a buzzkill?" Breya muttered. "We can wonder wound this later-but for the moment-I came to get you-Theoden is getting ready to leave."

I stood up and whistled for Ghost to follow me as I led Cedric from the stables.

"Hey-just a thought," Breya frowned, "you should talk to Legolas about your relationship instead of assuming. Before it's too late."

I followed Breya outside into the light and we made our way to the head of the column. I mounted Cedric as Theoden approached me on his horse. "My lord?"

"I require a favour, Lady Falathiel," he replied. "You are known around these parts-you've remarkable eyesight that I require to borrow. Will you scout ahead?"

I bowed my head. "It would be my honour, my lord." Turning to Breya, I told her that I would send word back if I found anything of worth, she carefully wrapped me inside a warm breeze that would return back to her when I released it.

I leant forward and whispered to Cedric, telling him what we were doing.

Cedric shook his head and shot off through the gate.

With the wind blowing in my hair…gosh it felt good to be free.