Smoke & Mirrors

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Once spring arrived in earnest, Éomer found himself very busy with the breeding of his horses. For while the Keeper of the Studbook was more than capable, Éomer liked to be consulted on which stallions to breed to his mares and also to inspect the newborn foals himself. This often took him out of Edoras, though he did not spend the nights camping out at the foaling pastures like he used to, a fact that elicited some teasing comments from his men.

He did not think Lothíriel would be particularly interested in the lengthy discussions regarding each horse's finer points and anyway the actual breeding of a stallion to a mare was hardly suitable for a Gondorian lady, so he did not usually ask her to accompany him, except a few times to the pastures nearest to Edoras. In a way it was a relief to see so little of her and to have his mind occupied with other, simpler matters.

There also were a number of foaling stalls in the stables of Meduseld for the mares he took a special interest in or where they expected trouble and those he visited nearly every night. His arrangement of separate sleeping quarters now proved useful, for else he would often have woken Lothíriel.

Early one morning, he was just creeping out of his rooms, holding a lamp in one hand, his boots in the other, when the door to the corridor opened. To his surprise it was Lothíriel. She started and clutched the book she was holding to her chest, but then relaxed after a moment. "Oh, it's you!"

"What are you doing still up?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went and fetched something to read from the library," she answered and showed him the book she was carrying, a history of the Long Winter. As her eyes lingered on the boots in his hands and his clothes, old and stained with horse slobber and other unidentifiable substances, her voice went as frigid as the subject of her reading. "But it seems I am keeping you from other pursuits." She stood aside to let him pass.

Éomer blinked with bewilderment. Was she annoyed with him? It was true he had spent little time with her lately, but then he'd thought she was quite content with running the household. "I'm sorry if I have neglected you," he said impulsively. "I didn't realise."

"I'm not complaining, Éomer," she said sharply. "It's none of my business what you do when you leave me at night and indeed I couldn't care less."

Finally it dawned on him what she was accusing him of. His mouth dropped open. "Lothíriel–"

"I wouldn't dream of interfering in any way," she continued, not heeding him. "I have three brothers, so I understand that men have different needs and just can't help themselves."

"Now, listen!"

"At least some of them," she added. "Not all."

Enough was enough! "Get dressed," he commanded.

"What?"

"You heard me: you're coming with me."

But as she stood there, clutching her book and staring at him in hurt confusion, his indignation faded. "It's not as you think, Lothíriel," he said more gently. "I will show you, but you must get dressed first. It's chilly outside." When she still hesitated, he took the book from her. "Trust me. Please."

Some of the rigidity left her. "Oh, very well."

"And don't forget to wear boots," he called after her, earning him a bemused look over her shoulder.

She reappeared a short time later, dressed in a simple red gown, which threatened to slip off her shoulder however. "All my dresses lace up the back," she complained. "You'll have to help me."