Be My Voice in This Present Darkness (Legolas x OC)

~Chapter XVII~

The refugees were all talking and walking towards Helm's Deep.

"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women." Gimli was saying. "And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men."

Éowyn smiled and looked back to Aragorn.

"It's the beards." He whispered, making an invisible beard with his right hand. Éowyn shushed him from the side of her mouth to keep him quiet so Gimli didn't hear him.

"This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women!" Gimli made a wide gesture with his hands and snorted. "And that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!"

Éowyn snickered.

"Which is, of course, ridiculous." The Dwarf finished.

The horse suddenly neighed, then reared, sending Gimli flying off out of the saddle onto the ground.

Some of the refugee women jumped back a bit, so as not to be hit by the horse, and Éowyn ran to him, laughing.

"It's all right." Gimli assured everyone. "Nobody panic."

Gimli tried to get up, but Éowyn helped him up the rest of the way.

"That was deliberate." Gimli said, obviously lying. "It was deliberate."

"I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time. She was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut down by Orcs." Théoden said, smiling sadly.

Aragorn nodded. Éowyn was still laughing and brushing Gimli's back, while trying not to fall over.

"She watched her mother succumb to grief. Then she was left alone, to tend her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father." Théoden sighed.

Aragorn glanced Éowyn, who returned with a smile.

Vana scoffed. It was obvious what Éowyn was thinking. Éowyn was in love.

"Not gonna happen."

She saw Legolas looking at her.

"Be nice, Vana."

"Whatever."

********

Éowyn walked over towards Aragorn with a steaming pot.

Passing Gimli, she stopped.

"Gimli." She held out the pot so that Gimli could have a look, Gimli looked, and then backed away, shaking his hands.

"No, I couldn't." He said. "I really couldn't."

Éowyn slowed down for a few seconds and then continued to walk towards Aragorn. Éowyn looked at the Dúnedan, who was cleaning his sword. He looked up at her.

"I made some stew." She said, holding out a bowl. "It isn't much, but it's hot."

"Thank you." Aragorn said, keeping a straight face.

Aragorn took a bite, looked up at Éowyn, and scrunched up his face. He nodded at her.

"It's good." He lied.

"Really?" Éowyn's face lit up.

She turned and started to walk away, while Aragorn tried to dump the rest of it into the grass.

She started to turn around and struck up more conversation. "My uncle told me a strange thing."

Aragorn tried to stable the bowl on his knee right before Éowyn turned around.