The Scars of a Loyal Traitor

Return of the Sheild Maiden

Riding Tao again felt like I was flying. His broad comfortable back carried me across the great river and into Osgiliath in a heartbeat. I felt guilty that I had not returned to Rohan but I knew now that the Dark Walkers would have a big enough army to completely wipe out Gondor. The last city standing. As I passed through the gates a wave of nostalgia hit me. I cantered through the city I remembered all the times I had with Legolas and Gimli. When I arrived at the top I was stopped by two guards.
"Who are you." They demanded but I was already staring at the statues that had been placed around the courtyard. Four Hobbits, laughing and smoking, a dwarf with his axe in the air, a man with a horn, a wizard smiling down and leaning on his staff, and two elves. One had his bow drawn in a shooting stance, the other walking forward with a sinister look in her eye holding two swords.
"I am her," I told the guards pointing to the statue.
"Elinor the great left for Valinor 60 years ago." Said the first.
"And I'm back," I argued.
"Prove it." The second demanded. I showed him the white scar on my neck. They nodded in surprise.
"Please follow me to the audience of the King." The first said. We entered the kings hall and my eyes focused on a young man sitting at the end of a table his head in his hands.
"My Lord, We have no one to fight with us." Said another man sitting next to him. "And now the enemies have grown, your father wouldn't of let this happen." Eldarion grimaced and said nothing. The guard who walked me in cleared his throat.
"My lord, this is Lady Elinor. Daughter of-"
"-Sauron." Eldarion finished. "Are you here to help us?" He said hopefully.
"I am, well, I was, my company was slain at Rohan." I said softly still unable to mourn for them properly.
"I have nothing to offer except my loyalty, I will fight alongside you until death." I said lamely holding up my sword. Eldarion smiled a smile that reminded me of Arwen. "I appreciate that, Elinor." He turned to the guard.
"See Elinor is given a room to herself with everything she needs." I could see the guard was annoyed at being treated like a maid but he gave me a grim nod and showed me to a room. The second he shut he shut the door I began crying. Crying that I couldn't help these people, crying that my friends were dead, crying that Legolas thought I hated him before he died, crying that he was right after all, crying that I killed Gildor who died thinking I was a traitor.  I wondered if the word would get out that I was a traitor and I people believed my story. At least that was something I didn't have to cry about. An hour passed when I heard a knock on my door.
"Elinor?" Said a voice from outside. "Please let me in." I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and opened the door. An old lady with grey hair tied up in a bun and leaning on a walking stick. I took me a while to recognize her face but when I did I found myself hugging her.
"Eowyn!" I yelled hugging her frail body.
"I missed you. Thank the Valar your here. Oh Eowyn." Eowyn hugged back warmly. 
"I heard about Rohan." She said softly. 
"Your nephew and his son." I said. 
"I suppose that makes my son heir to Rohan now."
"There is no Rohan. There's going to be no Gondor now."
"Don't say that." She said softly. "There's still hope."
"Really?" I asked sloppily. 
"Maybe." She said leaning on her walking stick.
"We need the Shieldmaiden of Rohan," I said. 
"We need you," Eowyn said sitting on my bed. "You're the bringer of hope."
"Maybe once. I was responsible for the fall of Rohan." Eowyn frowned.
"Don't say that." She said shocked.
"No," I told her the story and she visibly paled. "I shouldn't of left Edoras to begin with. It was a trap."
"You killed an unkillable man with a carriage shaft." She said finally. "That's unique."
 I smiled hysterically. 
"I look deranged in that statue but maybe I am," I said
"Everyone does."
The word everyone made me cry again.