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Title: Hearts of Home (#2703)
Author: Sulriel
Chapters: 3

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: A brief meeting in the Houses of Healing. 
He rode with Aragorn to the Black Gates.  She returned home to her herds.
Sauron defeated, their lives should be restored.  
But once changed, can things remain the same?
**a drabble series written for the "We Meet Again" Challenge.

*** a 2010 MEFA Nominee
Published: 08 May 2006
Updated: 10 May 2006
Warnings: 
Type: Romance
Characters: OFC, OMC


Chapter 1 - Rociwyn

Rociwyn studied the horizon. Endless grasslands, rolling hills, distant purple mountains – as it always had been, as it always would be.  It's what they'd fought for, died for - to keep it the same.

Yet, she'd changed.  She'd returned without her heart.  Had she one before? She'd not known how empty and numb she'd been.  She'd felt the strength of it for the first time when she bathed his sweated forehead, smoothed back dark battle-grimed locks and he opened sparkling grey eyes. 

He'd ridden away beside his Captain; she'd come home to face whatever the future might hold on her own stead.


Chapter 2 - Arathran

Arathran forced his fingers to unclench.  

Always he'd done his duty, willing, but without true understanding.  Not until he'd swam up out of blackness and pain, guided by her soft voice and gentle touch, and looked into her eyes had he known why.

For this he'd faced the Black Gate – but returned to find her gone.

"Yes lord."  The healer half-stepped back.  "Left the day you rode out.  Said she'd no family left at home.  That she'd not leave the mares and foals to stand alone against the Darkness."

A fair valley, she'd said, no more.  But he'd find her.


Chapter 3 - Meeting Again

He'd ridden from the Houses of Healing, away from her; now he left them in search of a simple sod house and a maiden who'd left her mares and foals to vet riders at need.

The Captain …  King … granted him leave and so he rode the grasslands and rolling hills. 

~

She shielded the setting sun from her eyes.  A rider topped the horizon, his mount a fine, strong horse with a long, loose-flowing stride.  

Her heartbeat quickened.  A mare nickered and nudged her arm as the rider came close.

He slowed, then halted to dismount. Sparkling grey eyes met hers.


~ end ~
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