éomer-king.

     IF    IT    HAD    NOT    been    for    the    shift    made    by    the    horse    she    would    have    completed    the    mount    smoothly   .    but    as    her    supposed    trusted    steed    moved    forwards    her    legs    extended    far    beyond    where    they    were    supposed    to   ,    taking    it    so    much     longer    for    her    to    actually    swing    her    leg    over    the    saddle    into    the    stirrup    on    the    other    side   .    she    lets    out    a    breathy     laugh    understanding    that    it    must ’ ve    looked    absolutely    ridiculous    to    someone    as    trained    as    him   .    as    soon    as    shes    situated    atop    the    horse    she    takes    a    hold    of    the    reins    and    gives    a    small    nod    towards    him    ‘    —-    I    DON ’ T    WANT   TO    hear    any    comments    from    you   ,    lets    just    move    on    shall    we    ?    ’

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒, 𝐍𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍.         he    promised    lessons,        though    perhaps    a    ploy    to    spend    time    with    the    other,        and    he    would    wish    to    be    considered    a    good    teacher.        THERE’S A PIECE OF HIM GIVEN HERE, THE DESIRE TO SEE GIRL AND HORSES CLOSER TOGETHER; SOME RELIC OF HIS HOME THAT BURNS IN BETWEEN HIS SKIN.        he    wants    her    by    his    side,        even    if    it    is    to    be    as    one    of    his    warriors.            ❛ consider    no    comments    made, ❜        and    none    will    fall    for    fear    of    offending    her    too    greatly.            ❛ lead    the    way. ❜

@oftorike​​  ⟹                   ❝ CAN I BORROW A KISS? I PROMISE I’LL GIVE IT BACK. ❞

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘, 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐖 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄,       holding    her    tucked    by    the    side    of    his    body    and    pulling    her    up    so    they    might    be    similar    height.        he    holds    her    there;        bodies    moving    into    one    another,        slotting    around,        little    care    for    who    might    see.        THE MARSHALL ASSESSES HER, FIRST PRESSES LIPS TO HER FOREHEAD AS A SHOW OF DEVOTION; HOW EASY HE WOULD KNEEL FOR HER.        he    is    strong    as    he    grabs    her,        still    laughing    as    lips    are    pressed    together    and    he    is    able    to    pour    words    into    the    kiss.        ❛ has    that    line    ever    worked    for    you? ❜

        shocking happiness? the mild confusion at such a thought passes over her face like the flow of water : a quick tug of the brow, the tip of a smile. for a moment her attention turns from the face of the man to that of the horse, as though the equine eyes that blink down at her will help her make sense of human words. “i grew up the youngest sister of three brothers,” she says mildly, the hint - - the merest hint - -  of playfulness in face and voice, slipping through the quiet reserve. “it may take more to shock me than you might imagine.” fingers gently stroke the horse’s nose again before she turns grey eyes again upon the man beside her. “then you have raised him from a foal?” 

𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐊𝐒, 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐒 𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒.       on    his    lips    seems    some    promise,        that    he    will    try,        even    in    all    of    this.        he    smiles    with    her    tease.        THE MEN OF HER HOME ARE STILL DIFFERENT TO THOSE OF HIS HOME, FIGHTERS BUT NOT WARRIORS; ROHAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HARSHER LAND.        he    wouldn’t    destroy    her    image    so    soon.            ❛ i’ll    have    to    keep    that    in    mind. ❜            he    keep    his    eyes    on    the    horse    and    girl    and    betrays    nothing    in    his    gaze.            ❛ almost    from    the    day    he    was    born.        i    have    a    few    younglings,        he’s    never    been    topped. ❜

@simplywalks​​  ⟹                   ❝ YOU KNOW I’D BE LOST WITHOUT YOU. ❞

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐒, 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐔𝐆, 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄,        one    hand    moves    to    clap    to    the    other’s    shoulder    marks    understanding.        these    acts    were    thankless    in    nature,        none    expected,        nor    hoped    for    upon    action.        THE MARSHALL ACTS AS PROTECTIVE INSTINCT DICTATES, UNDERSTANDS FRIENDSHIP AND WHAT IT MEANS TO PEOPLE, UNDERSTANDS LIFE AND ALL THAT IT IS.        he    smirks,        shrugs,        avoids.            ❛ aye,        and    we’ll    remember    that    one. ❜

@cwaen​  ⟹                   ❝ PLEASE DON’T GO. ❞

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌, 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.         he    had    been    clear    in    intentions,        never    wished    to    press    further    that    she    were    prepared.        perhaps    he    had    never    thought    to    be    invited    to    spend    a    night    asleep    by    her    side.        HE HAD HOPED THEY WOULD FIND FRIENDSHIP, WOULD FIND RESPECT, WOULD FIND TRUST; HAD HE CONSIDERED HE MIGHT LOVE HER TOO?        he    pauses    by    the    door,        hand    stilled    before    it    reaches    out    for    the    handle.        how    could    he    turn    from    a    voice    only    asking    him    to    be    there?        if    she    wants    him,        where    else    would    he    be?             ❛ i’m    right    here. ❜

     ‘    YOU ’ LL    HAVE    TO    SHOW    me    again    —–    ’    her    hands    smooth    themselves    over    the    coat    of   the    rather    large    horse    pressed    up    against    her    side   ,    attention    turning    to    the    marshal    behind    her    who    was    already    mounted   .    despite    growing    up    in    a   country    lead    by      horse    lords   ,    riding    was    never    something    she    particularly    excelled    at   .   but    if    she    were    to    follow    her    brothers    into    battle    against    the    evil    that    infiltrated    their    lands    she    would    have    to    learn    from    the    best   .    ‘   IS    IT    MY    LEFT    or    my    right    that    I ’ m    using    to    swing    over   .    ’

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐋, 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐀-𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄,       has  always  found  happiness  in  being  around  those  learning  to care  for  the  animals.         still,         his  expression  turns  in  amusement  as  he  watches  her  attempts  to  mount  her  horse.        THERE’S A PLEASANT SENSE IN SHARING BETWEEN THEM, ENJOYMENT TO BE TAKEN IN TIME WHEN NO OTHERS STEAL ATTENTION.          ❛ step  into  the  stirrup  with  the  left  and  swing  over  with  the  right.       it  should  be  a  fluid  motion. ❜

@daerhael​  ⟹                   ❝ WHAT ARE YOU SMILING AT? ❞

𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 - 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄,        he  understands  war.         he  is  ready  for  another  fight;          this is the life of the horse - lords.        there’s  a  desire  within  him  to  see  the  end  of  this  trouble,       to  see  his  people  freed  from  the  torment  that  comes  to  them.        THE SMILE HE WEARS IS HALF - TORMENT , HALF - GRIMACE; HE’S EXCITED WITH LUST FOR BATTLE, READY FOR THE ADRENALINE ONSLAUGHT. HE HAS LEARNT TO LOVE A GOOD WAR.          the  warrior  squares  as  he  eyes  the  hobbit  by  his  side,        hope  they  shall  see  another  dawn  together.           ❛ tomorrow  we  shall  know  the  fate  of  the  world,         and  before  then  shall  be  a  good  fight. ❜

she, who has always had softness - - - softness in abundance - - - and family just as abundant - - - how can she know the way her words cut through? when they are spoken so softly and so true? and how can she explain the way the bloom of his cheeks causes that little leap in the beat of her heart, or how his words make her long only for the next? how can she tell him that missing seemed too small a word for the way his absence had echoed? she smiles, and must duck her head to pull her gaze from his face. any longer and she fears she will….will what? her thoughts are so tangled that she has no way of knowing. 

(had he truly missed her? she longs so for it to be true! to know that she had not been the only one longing. to know that he had wished to have her near as much as she had wished for him.) 

her other hand lifts to settle over his, tracing the arcs of his knuckles, the back of his hand. “is it selfish of me to say that i am glad?” she asks, looking up through long lashes with a bashful sort of smile. “if they were better company, perhaps you would take longer to return.” 

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒, 𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆,         yet  it  is  only  with  gentleness  that  he  brings  fingertips  to  the  bottom  of  her  chin,        tilting  face  up  so  her  eyes  meet  his  gaze.        the  strength  in  his  body  is  only  used  carefully  with  her;        rock  that  learns  to  be  silk,         HOW HE SEEKS THE HONESTY IN HER GAZE, SHUDDERS AT THE THOUGHT SHE MIGHT THINK TO HIDE FROM HIM, THAT THERE ARE THINGS SHE BELIEVES SHE CANNOT SHARE.         he  would  wish  her  honesty  above  all.        cheeks  bloom  out  and  he  finds  himself  laughing  once  more.        how  could  she  think  he  would  prefer  long  nights  on  a  cold  road  to  anywhere  she  is?         ❛ i’d  be  a  fool  to  not  return  to  my  wife  in  haste,       no  matter  what  company  the  road  would  keep. ❜         he  finds  himself  bolder,         testing  the  waters  between  the  two  of  them,         finding  how  far  fondness  can  spread.