Athëa - Queen of the Savages

The Night Before

Théoden sat in his library with Háma, discussing matters of the travels to come. Light was shining through the window, though troubling, grey clouds were covering the beams of the sun. Maps and plans were scattered carelessly on the desk, making it obvious that they had been planning throughout the night. 

A knock on the door was heard, claiming the attention of the pair as a guard stepped in the room.

"Lady Athëa wishes your audience, my lord", the guard said bowing his head.

"Very well, let her in", king Théoden said, surprised that she hadn't just barged in like her subordinates the day before.

In walked a being, more beautiful than any other the king had ever laid his eyes upon. Her clean white hair, and the rohirrim clads, made her in no way resemble the injured prisoner he had met days before. In the hall behind her stood the man he recognized to be Reignar, and his five warriors.

These warriors were not like any other he had ever before seen, not even in the east. These warriors were clad in brown and black. Tattoos of black and rings of silver adorned their hands. Their hair was both of eastern black and brown, though some bore the western hair colors of blonde and red. But the most peculiar feature of Reignar's warriors were, that they were all women.

"I apologize for my interruption, king of Rohan. But I hope that you will give my warriors a chance to give their sincerest regrets of their actions of last night", she said showing inferiority.

"There is nothing to apologize for," the king said standing from behind the desk and making his way to the elleth by the door. "The king of Rohan did not exactly welcome their queen in his lands either", he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I believe it to be me who owes you an apology."

Athëa stood as frozen, surprised by the kings kindness. His eyes had changed. They were no longer grey and hazed as they had been on her first encounter with the king of Rohan. Instead a pair of clear blue eyes sat shining in the kind wrinkles of his aging face. 

"You might have put me in shackles, my lord. But it would seem that the shackles put on your mind, were far more enabling than the ones around my wrists," she smiled at him as he looked into her eyes.

"Gandalf have informed me of the true nature of the savage army, and though we don't exactly condone their manners...," King Théoden said furrowing his brows as he looked past Athëa and sent a wry smile at the easterlings behind her. "...their hearts are true." Théoden's smile turned to show kindness and understanding, making the otherwise displeased savages smile back at him. "You are all forgiven."

Reignar put a hand to his heart and bowed his head slightly at the King's words, making the others follow his example before they took their leave. 

"Now...", Théoden said taking Athëa's arm and leading her further into the library. "A league of female warriors, this I have never before seen..."

Athëa laughed at the kings curiosity.

*****

The night drew closer, as the fellowship gathered with the others in the throne room. Legolas heart eased as he watched Athëa enter the room, the savages following right behind her. She nodded acknowledging to the others, as she walked directly to Éomer who was standing next to the king. As she reached the man, she put a hand on his shoulder.

"I see the trouble in your eyes, dear friend. But know that there is nothing to feel contrite about. You acted true to your king, nothing more," she said.

Éomer looked up into her kind eyes, and felt relief by the sincerity of her words. "You are most kind, queen Athëa. Though it might take some time for me to forgive my own lack of actuality", he said bowing his head slightly.

The elleth stepped away from the marshal, to join her kinsmen in the middle of the vast space.

"Athëa if you would please tell the others of the urgent matters you informed me with earlier today," King Théoden gestured for her to speak.

She placed herself in the middle of the meeting, all eyes on her. She looked to the fair haired ellon looking back at her with a penetrating gaze and she sighed knowing that he would not condone the information she was about to share with the others. She straightened her back and looked into the eyes of the king.

"As you all know I have lived in the shadows for many centuries, forming an army with the purpose to defeat the evils of Sauron. We have kept our presence and purpose a secret for all these years, though ten nights ago I had to open my mind to tell our story to the lady of the light," Athëa said struggling to keep her voice calm.

"But as I feared another was watching my revelations from afar. The all-seeing eye have locked its gaze on me, and though he does not know the location of the hidden city, Sauron now knows of our purpose. And he will do whatever it takes, to doom the future of men," she turned to lock eyes with the king of Rohan. "He wishes to exterminate all people of the free world. For centuries the savages have waited in the shadows for this day to come. I thought our armies were to be needed in the capital of Gondor, though now I see my people is needed here in Rohan first and foremost." 

King Théoden joined Athëa in the middle of the counsel. "The men of Rohan have for many centuries kept our enemies at bay. We will go to the forge of Helm's Deep and battle for victory over the dark armies of Mordor," he said with his head raised high.

"You know not of the power of evil vested in the black warriors," Gandalf interrupted. "They are stronger and more skilled than any army your men have before seen. You cannot win this battle alone!"

"That is why I will ride for the hidden city tonight and return with a large troupe of warriors therefrom," Athëa explained. She saw the fright in Legolas' eyes. She did not wish to leave him once again, but without the army of the hidden city, there would be no chance of victory.

Legolas stepped forward as he wished to speak his mind of the matter to Athëa. But he withheld himself, knowing of her exaggerated determination and that she would not listen to his word alone. Instead he turned to face Reignar. "You cannot let her go on a journey this long. Your queen is not yet fully healed and she needs more time to gather her strength," he said to the man pleadingly. 

Reignar looked to the ground, understanding the ellons worries cause the same was troubling his mind. He waved away his concern and looked back up at the ellon with a mischievous smile. "You ask of me to change the mind of the queen?" he said with one eyebrow raised receiving a mumbled laugh from the female warriors behind him. 

Legolas felt anger erupt in his mind. He thought not of this to be a laughing matter, and in his mind he cursed the laissez faire attitude the savages bore. "The travel is too far! You will never make it in time!" he said with urgency as he placed himself in front of Athëa, starring deep into her soul. But she only looked back at him with a sad expression on her face. 

"We have to try," she said with a sigh. "Sauron will underestimate us if we are in our full, but he will defeat the men of Rohan, if we do not retrieve my army."

"Legolas is right, dear friend", Gandalf said from across the room. "You are weary and in need of rest. My horse Shadowfax is much faster than yours and he and I can go unnoticed for the east," he laid a reassuring hand on Legolas' shoulder and pushed him away from the troubled elleth.

"Gandalf, pl...", she began but was interrupted by the protruding voice of the wizard. 

"Plus I have to restock on my eastern smoking weed. It would seem I have run out," he said winking at the elleth, letting her know that she could in no way change his mind of the matter.

Athëa smiled as she let out a sigh in surrender. "I will never understand how you are always able to persuade me to your favor, wizard," she said shaking her head. 

******
Thanks for reading and thanks for all the stars!!

I apologize for the wait, but this chapter was very hard for me to figure out. On the plus side, the next chapter is already ready to be posted tomorrow. :-D

"This is Middle Earth!"

-nindeanin