Intersecting Paths

A/N: Well, here we are at the end. Now you can go watch the Olympics...for a little while. You've heard of the 12 Days of Christmas? Well, here come the 3 Days of Valentine's Day! I have three Elfwine Chronicles ready to go, so those will start posting tomorrow. Thanks for reading and reviewing, this and all my stories.

Chapter 6

Watching from the wall the next day as the host rode out, Módwyn could not discern what her thoughts or feelings were. All she felt was a detached numbness. But perhaps that was for the best. If she thought too much, she would likely cry and that would serve no useful purpose. Turning determinedly away, she returned to her work.

The warden had been especially grateful for the bandages and herbs she had brought along. Their supplies of both were extremely low and no one had time to acquire more of either. Everyone worked long hours, both because it was needed and because it kept them too occupied to think much of what was taking place.

Módwyn had discovered Eowyn's presence in the Houses and visited her occasionally, but the young woman seemed to take little interest in anything. Later she heard that Eowyn had demanded to see the Steward, and her room was changed to an eastward facing one. After that, the woman was a bit more animated, but there still seemed to linger about her a melancholy that would not be lifted.

The Riders of Rohan had been pleased to find some of their own women there to tend them, and help translate for the few who were not comfortable using the Common Speech.

It hardly seemed possible that they had been there a week, but so it was. The days and nights had tended to blend into one another, and steadily working most of the time kept them from noticing the passage of time. No one could be sure just how long the march to the Black Gate or the battle might take, so no one knew when to reasonably expect some sort of word or indication of the outcome.

And then the eagles came, announcing victory. There was much rejoicing and celebration, even as the work continued, and a few still died from their earlier wounds too grievous to heal.

At length, the people of Minas Tirith began to receive word back of who had survived and some loved ones were called to join them on the Field of Cormallen. Eomer had sent a letter begging Eowyn to come, but she seemed torn for some reason and would not go.

The warden approached Módwyn and requested that she take her women with her and go to attend to those needing aid on the fields, and they began gathering supplies for her. Before they departed, Módwyn sought out Eowyn. Hesitantly, she asked, "What shall I tell your brother, my lady? He will wonder at your tarrying here."

Eowyn was quiet for several minutes then resolutely said, "Tell him the Warden has not yet released me from his care." Her hand absentmindedly rubbed along the edge of the dark blue cloak she wore, and Módwyn suspected there was more going on than she was saying. Still, Eowyn seemed a bit lost even now. Perhaps she, herself, did not know all her reasons for her actions.

Nodding her understanding, Módwyn took her leave and went to join the others for the trip to the wains waiting outside the city and then on to the boats ready to carry them to Cormallen.

It was a raucous welcome that the boats were receiving upon arrival. Unsure what else to do, Módwyn was able to find someone to help her locate Eomer, thinking he would be the one she should talk to first. King Eomer! She could hardly believe the responsibility that had fallen to his shoulders. She had learned of Theoden's death the night of her arrival in Minas Tirith, but had not had an opportunity to speak with Eomer. She knew him too well to think this new mantle rested easily on his shoulders.

The young soldier was leading her through a maze of tents, and she was rather amazed that he had any clue which one belonged to any one person. Still, when he came to stop, it was in front of a much larger and grander tent. Clearly this was no mere soldier's living quarters. She recognized the guards as being her kinsmen, one of which she knew slightly, and he made her presence known to the king while she thanked the young man who had guided her.

A moment later, she was ushered into the tent, and before she could even speak, she was swept up in an embrace. Her feet were completely off the floor and Eomer was twirling her madly about the tent, roaring with laughter.

"Put me down, you great oaf!" she told him, her smile belying her annoyance.

"You would dare call your King an oaf?" he exclaimed, holding her tighter, and laughing all the harder.

"Yes! When he is acting like one!"

After a few minutes more, he finally lowered her feet to the ground, and wrapped her in a bear hug. Quietly he told her, "These past few years I never thought I would ever be happy again. But Eowyn is safe and Sauron is defeated – there is much cause for jubilation." A few moments more passed and then his mood shifted to something more pensive, "But our victories cost us dearly."

With difficulty, she tilted her head back to gaze into his face, "Because we were victorious, they did not die in vain. Even Theodred, who was not at Helm's Deep, Minas Tirith or the Black Gate, did his part to defeat the evil over our land and all of Middle Earth. They died with honor."

He squeezed her even more tightly in his embrace and rested his cheek on the top of her head, "Yes, you are right. And that is how I will remember them."

xx

Legolas slipped away from the tent unnoticed, confusion and sorrow etching his brow. He had truly thought his feelings for Módwyn were reciprocated. Apparently he was mistaken. He had asked about Gamling, but had not thought to ask if there was anyone else in her life. He should have known that there would be. And, yet, she had willingly allowed him to kiss her – had even returned the kisses. Perhaps he did not understand her kind so well as he thought.

Without realizing it, his steps had led him to Aragorn's tent. He hesitated to enter, but was saved the decision when Aragorn came out. Looking closely at the Elf, he commented, "Something troubles you, my friend. Can I help?"

"I do not know," Legolas admitted.

Aragorn waved him inside so they could talk in private. As Legolas did not seem inclined to begin the conversation, Aragorn took a stab at the problem, "I heard Módwyn has come to Cormallen."

"Yes. King Eomer must have sent for her."

"Indeed? Do they have an understanding?" he asked quietly.

"I am not aware of one, but I have just seen them together and it is possible there is," Legolas confessed.

"Have you talked to her about it? Told her your feelings?" Aragorn inquired.

The Elf shook his head. "I have not spoken to her since she arrived."

"Legolas, do not assume you know what her feelings are – for you or for Eomer. Talk to her. I do not think she will lie to you. It is the only way to know where her heart lies."

Legolas nodded, "You are right." He stood up, though the worried look was still on his face. Aragorn rose as well, and gripped his shoulder reassuringly but said nothing more. Slowly the Elf turned and left the tent.

xx

Módwyn and Eomer talked for some time before he finally asked about Eowyn. When she admitted that his sister had not joined them, he was perplexed. "Why does she not come to rejoice? The victory is partly hers to share!"

Choosing her words carefully, Módwyn answered, "She said to tell you the Warden has not yet released her." Eomer gave her a look of skepticism that a Healer could hold his sister against her will, but she continued, "Eomer, I think she is not yet ready...I cannot explain. She has her reasons, but I fear you will have to wait until you return to Minas Tirith to learn them. It is not my place to make guesses."

It was clear he did not entirely understand what she was telling him, but apparently he realized it would do little good to press her on it. Interrupting further conversation, she pointed out the reason for her own presence, and he sent for one of his soldiers to aid the ladies in getting settled in and working with the wounded.

xxxxx

The King of Gondor himself was tending to the two Ring-bearers who had been recovered from Mordor. The two of them were well enough by the day after Módwyn's arrival to attend a celebration that was held in their honor. Módwyn had been surprised that despite spending nearly an entire day at Cormallen that she had not seen Legolas. Eomer had assured her the Elf was well and probably off somewhere drinking with the Dwarf, but that explanation didn't seem sufficient. Always before, regardless of the circumstances, he had made time to seek her out. It seemed impossible that he could not know she was here, so she could only assume he was avoiding her. The thought left her more disheartened than she cared to admit.

She only left the healing tent briefly for the ceremony honoring the Ring-bearers, not intending to stay long. She had eaten something and now watched the proceedings from along the sidelines. It still seemed strange to see Eomer acting in his Uncle's stead. He would make a fine king, though. Of that she felt certain. He had always been a good man, devoted to his country and his people.

A soft voice behind her commented, "Eomer makes quite a splendid king."

She recognized Legolas' voice, and for some reason was not startled by it, though his observation seemed out of place.

"Yes. He will do well. Rohan is in good hands," she answered.

"He will need a queen to help him. There will be many who would wish to have that honor and bear his heirs. But perhaps he will favor old friends over new acquaintances in that regard."

Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? That she and Eomer might...

Before she could give the matter more thought, she found herself responding, "The mind and the eye do not always control the heart. My eyes tell me there is much reason to admire such a man, but I do not love. My mind expresses all manner of argument in favor of accepting such a man, but still I do not love. My heart, I fear, tends in another direction."

"And is it possible that other direction might be toward Mirkwood, and a prince of the woodland realm?" he asked hopefully.

"Alas, it would seem so," she said, moving away from him.

"Why does that trouble you?" he asked, following behind her.

"Because..." She had come to a stop, but did not turn toward him, and seemed to be searching for an answer with which to finish her sentence.

When she did not continue, Legolas reached out and caught her shoulder, slowly turning her to face him. She ducked her head so he would not see her tears in the darkness, but he put a hand under her chin and raised it.

"May I speak plainly," he asked softly. At her nod, he continued, "It is not often that an Elf falls in love with a mortal, but it does happen in some few cases. It is not an easy thing to build a life around since the lives of Men are so short and Elves are immortal. But where both are willing to accept that loss will come, it can work. You have seen it with your friends. I have seen it with Aragorn and Arwen. I would very much like to share with you what they have had. Would you ever consider marrying an Elf?"

Her heart had apparently climbed into her throat, for she could not manage to get any words out in response. Her eyes seemed to be searching his, trying to determine if he really meant what he was saying, and when she saw the truth reflected there a tremulous smile began to form on her face. After swallowing hard a couple of times, she finally managed to whisper, "I would definitely consider it."

With a relieved smile, Legolas bent to claim her lips. The celebration was forgotten as they wandered away to talk, and unburden themselves of their fears. And once that had been taken care of, they next talked of the future. Módwyn was a bit surprised to learn how close Legolas had become with Gimli, and that they had made plans to further explore the Glittering Caves and Fangorn Forest together.

"I must honor my agreement with Gimli before we can be together," he warned.

Módwyn considered this a moment then observed, "Perhaps that is just as well, since it will give me time to work at training a new healer for Edoras, in the event we choose not to live there. And I will speak to Eomer in your behalf about visiting the Glittering Caves. I do not think he will have any objections."

Much as they would have liked to continue being with each other, talking long into the night, Módwyn needed to return to her duties and they agreed to meet before she turned in for the night.

Over the next few weeks, they had time to finally get to know one another better as the wounded were tended and the camp slowly began to prepare for its return to Minas Tirith. There was a new king to be crowned and the excitement attending that filled the camp. Even the Rohirrim had a formal ceremony to attend to in that regard. The downfall of Sauron was a new beginning in many ways for many people, throughout Middle Earth.

The first of May brought the installment of the new King of Gondor, and a week later Eomer and Eowyn were to depart for home. As many of the Rohirric soldiers who were up to the journey were loaded on wains, and both Módwyn and the women who had accompanied her, rode along with them to tend to their needs along the way. More than one person was sorry to leave Minas Tirith. Eowyn had found love with the Steward of Gondor, and Eomer had somewhat reluctantly agreed to their courtship. They were to be trothplighted in Edoras while guests were in attendance for Theoden's funeral.

Legolas and Gimli remained in Minas Tirith to help Aragorn, now called Elessar, to get settled in and help in the rebuilding of that city. It was a sorrowful goodbye between Módwyn and Legolas, but they knew it would not be long til he came with Theoden's funeral cortege. After the funeral, he and Gimli would begin their explorations, using Edoras as a base so Legolas could spend time with Módwyn. Gimli had come to appreciate the horse lords, if for no other reason than their fondness for drinking contests, in which he was a ready participant.

Then Módwyn found herself home in Edoras, but with a life drastically altered from just a few months ago. A new king was on the throne, Eowyn would wed and move to Gondor, and Módwyn herself was facing a new future with a husband. Gamling had not been thrilled at the news, and Módwyn made certain she was present when Legolas spoke to him about the union. Though she did not actually have any living male relatives from whom he needed to ask consent, Módwyn had persuaded him to ask Gamling, since they were so close and she did not want to leave him out of it entirely. Whatever his thoughts, though, upon seeing their love for each other reflected in their faces, he grudgingly gave his consent.

xxxxx

A week after Theoden's funeral, Legolas and Gimli set forth for Fangorn Forest. Gimli grumbled mightily about wasting time 'looking at a bunch of trees', but he was true to his word on the matter.

Módwyn settled into a routine of working with the women who had most frequently helped her in tending the sick and injured. She taught them as much as she could about the uses of the various herbs, where the herbs could be found and any other bits of healing knowledge she could think to impart. Fetige proved the most interested and adept of the group, not surprising to Módwyn, and it became clear she was the prime candidate for replacing Módwyn when she left.

One afternoon, Módwyn responded to a knock at the door, and was surprised to find herself face-to-face with Eomer, the King of Rohan. Without invitation, he strode past her into the kitchen area and flung himself in a seat at the table. He looked around warily and asked, "Is anyone else here?"

"No, my lord," she responded, with a curtsy and a slight smile.

"Oh, for pity's sake, Módwyn, stop that! The last thing I need is you curtsying to me and treating me like royalty!"

"Ah, but you are royalty now, Eomer King," she pointed out. "Such position demands a certain deference in behavior from the commoners."

He crossed his arms and scowled at her, until finally she could hold it no longer and broke into gales of laughter. "You find your new rank that onerous, do you?" she asked with merriment, taking a seat across from him.

Crossly he told her, "I never expected to be king, and I never wanted to be. That was Theodred's destiny – not mine."

"But Theodred is dead, as is Theoden. It falls to you, my friend, whether you wanted it or not," she told him quietly. At his heavy sigh, she added, "Wanting it or not really doesn't matter, Eomer. You are a good leader, and you will be a good king. Rohan needs this sacrifice from you. The people already like you, and I have no doubt that in time they will come to love you as their king. You CAN do this, Eomer."

A muscle twitched in his cheek several times, but finally he seemed to unclench his teeth and it subsided. Noting this, she asked, "Would the king like some ale, or shall I send up to Meduseld for a fine wine?"

The glare was back, but she could tell he was struggling not to smile. "I thought marrying Eowyn off to Lord Faramir of Gondor would spare me some of this ribbing. Apparently, I was wrong!" Then as an afterthought, he added, "Yes, I would like some ale. How is it that you have any on hand?"

She smirked at him with devilment in her eyes, "I had a suspicion I might be entertaining a disgruntled royal, sooner or later!"

Now he did laugh, heartily and long, "You know me too well, I fear."

While she fetched the ale for him, his mood sank back to somber, "Do you really think I can do this?"

Placing the tankard in front of him, and allowing him to drink deeply before responding, she told him, "I know you can. You and Theodred were inseparable. You have seen how it is all done. Now all that is left is for you to do it. You have commanded men and you can command a country. It isn't that different. First and foremost it is required that your primary concern be for the welfare of your people, and let that guide your actions. Trust your heart, Eomer, and you will not go far wrong. You have only ever cared for Rohan, even when the ruling king was making it difficult because of his possession by Saruman."

"You speak your mind freely to your king, my lady," he commented sternly.

"True. Would my king have me do otherwise? I had thought that was why he was here."

He sighed, "It is. And I would not wish anything other than truth spoken from your lips, even when it is hard to hear."

"Give it time, Eomer. You do not have to be perfect right from the start. It will take awhile for you to settle into the task. No one expects you to know everything right at the beginning. It WILL get easier. I think I can safely promise you that."

He was scowling into the nearly drained tankard morosely, so she added, "And when it gets to be too much, I will keep a tankard of ale on hand so you have somewhere to come and catch your breath!"

He laughed again and gazed long into her eyes. "You have ever been a good friend, Módwyn. I will miss you when you marry and leave our city." Reluctantly he rose from the table, "I suppose I must be getting back. Thank you for your hospitality, my lady."

Smiling she moved around the table and slipped her arms around his waist, "My pleasure, Eomer King. Oh, and one further piece of advice, my King – a quick temper will not serve you well in your new position! That is something I will work diligently on finding a cure for!"

"Wretched woman!" he said pulling her arms from around him. "I do not know why I subject myself to such abuse and mocking!"

"Yes, you do. Because part of you will always be a young man who likes to have fun with horses and friends and ale, and you will always value your old friends even though your position and status in life elevates you above them."

After a moment, he nodded in agreement and then bent and kissed her on the forehead. "I must go. Thank you for curing my 'sour stomach', healer. If it flares up again, I will return!" Resignedly, he turned and headed out the door to the sound of her soft laughter.

xxxxx

Gradually, Módwyn's words proved true and Eomer did find himself adjusting to his new role. Less and less did he turn up on Módwyn's doorstep in need of ale and conversation. In some ways, she knew it was good that he was beginning to adjust since she was not certain how much longer she would be around for him to use as a sounding board. And perhaps his settling into the role had a bit to do with a young lady he had met first during the funeral march for Theoden and again at Eowyn's wedding in Minas Tirith. Lothiriel of Dol Amroth had apparently captivated the king and Gamling laughingly told her how often Eomer was sending her letters. It did not appear as though it would be long before Rohan had a queen.

Legolas and Gimli had finished their visit to Fangorn and had stopped in Edoras for a fortnight during late October. From there, they moved on to the Glittering Caves. Legolas had hinted that he thought they might be back before the Yule celebrations, so as that time drew near, Módwyn could not help being a bit on edge hoping to see him soon.

What she did not expect was to have the odd pair blow into Edoras during a blizzard. Somehow Legolas seemed oblivious to the adverse weather, but Gimli's hair and beard were frosted with ice crystals and he immediately sought to warm himself with several tankards of ale.

Slipping away together, Legolas told her, "At last I am free of my obligations. Let us speak to Eomer and see how soon we can be married."

Though it seemed sudden to so abruptly be getting married, Módwyn could think of no reason to prolong the wait any more. Eomer agreed to do the honors on the first day of Yule. The ceremony was conducted in the traditional Rohirric manner, but later when they were alone, they pledged themselves to one another in the Elvish way.

As Módwyn looked into Legolas' eyes after they kissed, she realized life would never be the same for her again. She now belonged to a husband who would not age and die as she would. Over time, whatever beauty she had would fade while he remained eternally youthful. Maybe that would make life more challenging for each of them, or maybe it would just make them value more the days they had together. Either way, she could not regret choosing this path, to be with someone such as Legolas for the remainder of her life.

Smiling, she pulled him to her in another kiss, and then lost herself in his embrace.

THE END

10/6/04 - 2/4/06