The white city shown like the beacon it was to its people. A single horse labored for the opening gates. The rider held tightly to the reins; a figure lay across the saddle's horn. The guards took up the horn sending a call through the city.

Aragorn and the other leaders were in the hall discussing the remaining orcs and men from the east. Their leaderless raids on any travelers or defenseless towns needed to be stemmed. "The attacks are the worst on the border between Rohan and Gondor." Faramir traced the line on the map with two gloved fingers.

"The towns are too far from Edoras or Minas Tirith to come for our protection." Eomer nodded his agreement and continued. "The messengers don't reach us until days after the raids."

This is had been a discussion for many days, but no one got a chance to grumble as the horns sounded throughout the city. "Messenger," Legolas interpreted the cause of the call. "He brings a wounded woman with him." He spoke from his position near a window.

"Can you see him?" Aragorn spoke to his friend.

The elf looked down out the window. "It's a rider of Rohan."

Eomer stood excusing himself. The meeting broke up when Aragorn followed. The rider was already in the courtyard of the white tree when the kings walked out into the sunshine.

He was still holding the woman as he bowed low. "My king." The houses of healing's warden came forward and gently lifted the woman from the rider's arms. "We were attacked by a raiding party on our way from Edoras."

"Clearly." Eomer looked over the rider, one of his countrymen. His helmet was gone; red and black blood mingled covering his armor in an almost pattern. The rider watched the woman being carried away before he turned his full attention to his captain, king. "What happened?"

The rider frowned. "We came upon a burned out camp near the boarder. A dozen or so elfin warriors dead. The camp obviously accommodated more. Elfhelm sent scouts to track the attackers. The rest of us were sent ahead. The following night we ran into the elfin travelers and the sun had barely set before the orcs attacked again." He looked off after the woman. "Elfhelm ordered me to take her and ride posthaste to Minas Tirith."

Aragorn seemed to understand the man's halting speech and breathless explanation. "When?"

"A hard day's ride." The rider steeled himself though he swayed slightly to the side. Riding all day, he had not taken time to nourish himself or rest. Eomer put a hand on his shoulder and helped him to a seat. The kings left his side to speak together. "Friends of yours?" Eomer wondered what the odds were that his riders and a group of elves could be defeated by a ban of leaderless orcs.

Aragorn nodded, "Must be, why else would an elf venture this far south?" He brought a hand to his mouth to encourage thought. "The orcs were moving south as well. We need a tracker."

"We took too much time in tackling these rabble orcs."

Aragorn contemplated. "Time is not out yet." He paused. "Faramir."

-x-

Eowyn was taking her daily walk through the gardens of the Houses of Healing. She would miss these peace filled walks when she returned to Edoras. By this time most of the palace's inhabitants knew of her habit and she had made a game of guess whose footfalls were approaching. The difficulty of today was not distinguishing the footsteps, but hearing them. Arwen had a way of walking that looked like she was floating and made about as much noise.

"May I join you, Lady Eowyn?" Arwen spoke, her emotions in her voice rather than expression. She was happy as any woman would be in the days before her wedding, but also curious.

Eowyn nodded hesitant to speak to the woman who had been her competition. In fact she felt guilty as if any pain Arwen had endured the past months had been her fault. She hoped that for no period of time did she take Aragorn's affections from his elfish bride.

"Come." Arwen touched her arm and they walked to the fountain courtyard. The elf felt her companion's distress. "Do you find my presence disruptive, lady?"

Eowyn wanted to scream the affirmative, but her peace had already fled. She might as well take this opportunity to speak with the elfish lady. "Of course not, my lady. I am just failing in speech this day."

"How is your health?" Arwen asked knowing the white lady of Rohan had been injured in the war still fresh in the minds of all men.

Eowyn smile as she realized she hadn't had such a mundane question posed to her in months. "I am perfectly healthy," she responded with a laugh after a moment to assess. That laugh broke the tension between the two. While that walk was not much longer and did not produce discussion of any importance, one might have taken the two for friends. They walked together back into the houses of healing still conversing about the plant life of their native cities.

Upon their return to the houses, the two women found a new addition. The wounded female was not near death, but her fitful sleep was a sign of distress. Arwen went to the woman's side. Touching her face, she spoke softly in elfish and slowly the woman calmed. Though she didn't understand what Arwen was saying, Eowyn took the woman's hand.

But this was no woman, the face turned toward Arwen's soft voice and her hair fell away from her face revealing pointed ears. "She's an elf," Eowyn gasped. A sudden sadness had taken over Eowyn's heart as she looked down at the beautiful, even bloodstained, face of the wounded she-elf.

"Go to the King." Arwen knew the repercussions, if the raids were attacking all travelers to Minas Tirith for the ceremony. "Tell him she hails from Rivendale."

Not one to take orders from anyone, Eowyn wondered why she was so quick to do as the elfish princess bid. She found Aragorn, her brother and Lord Faramir in the great hall, the rider sitting a stretch away. "My lord," she bowed to Aragorn. "The wounded female brought to the Houses of Healing is an elf from Rivendale."

The rider's head came up sharply. The three noble men turned toward her. Eomer seemed confused. "How do you know this?"

She scowled at him. "The lady Arwen happened upon me in the gardens. She is comforting the injured even now."

"Yes, Eomer, friends of mine." The men smiled grimly at the joke.

Faramir looked at the saddle weary rider. "The orcs have a leader and they are not hesitating to attack Rohan riders and elves." His jaw set, but his voice conveyed respect as he spoke to Aragorn. "This needs to be resolved."

-x-

Gimli was beginning to hate these long war counsels. All they ever seemed to do was argue for hours and never come up with a solution or even a good battle plan. It was now certain that the orcs were organized and attacking travelers. And yet some warriors were still grumbling about the war they had just fought. "These men are no warriors," he grumbled beneath his breath.

The elf, of course, heard him and placed a hand on his shoulder not to calm, but agree. "This is not a new fight. The battle continues."

"It's more than that everyone who is to come to the ceremony risks death." Elrond spoke in his careful, thought-filled way.

Faramir nodded, "There is one in particular that is necessary for the ceremony."

"Faramir," Prince Imrahil sighed, but Aragorn was curious about this turn of topic and urged him to continue. "The highest ranking lady of Gondor must present the queen with her position. It is a tradition that the people will demand before they recognize the Lady Arwen as queen."

"Who is the highest ranking lady?" Eomer understood tradition—Rohan had their own—and if the tradition encouraged these men to defend their people he would not object.

"The Princess of Dol Amroth," answered Elphir with a slight frown.

"Why do you look so unsure?" Gimli was finally interested in this situation.

"The lady is still in her youth. She only ranks highest due to the lady Stewardess's death and her mother's. If any of the steward's sons had married, the high lady would live with the city." Imrahil smiled. "Instead my daughter is difficult."

"Difficult? Father, you are being kind. She called the Steward an old fool to his face." Elphir smirked at the memory.

Faramir too remembered the incident. It was concerning him after all. "Now you be unkind, Elphir." He addressed the king. "Elessar, the princess is strong willed, but she has been the high lady for many years and has performed her duties without fault. Her personality cannot be foundation to ignore her presence."

It was then that Pippin, guard of the Citadel, burst into the room. "Orcs," he gasped for breath, "on the fields of Pelennor."

"This talk is useless and we miss out on the fighting." Gimli looked up at his elf friend.

But Legolas was somber. "I fear the fighting is not yet done."

-x-