As Far As The Heart Can See

Chapter 5
“The Ride of the Rohirrim”

Completely confused, Ósle stumbled through the hallways of the burg her vision blurred by tears threatening to fall.
She knew not where she went but she knew that she wanted to see neither Alden, nor his family or Leof.
The first tears fell from her eyes as she emerged outside and started to run down the street and through the first gate. No one took any notice of her and she did not take in anything around her.
She passed the great gate and continued on, down the causeway. The tears fell ever harder until she was unable to see and stopped her flight, collapsing next to a lone dirt hill symbolizing a grave.
With a soft cry Ósle buried her face in her hands and drew up her knees. What she desperately wanted and needed was a friend. A friend like Halian. With him she could have spoken about everything that had happened but there was no one.
Oh, what could she do? And what should she do? It was all so very confusing.
Suddenly a soft, gentle voice startled her and made her look up.
“You look like you could use a friend.”

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Ósle studied the small…being. At first she thought it was a young boy. But when he sat down next to her, she saw that he had the features of a grown man. A very small grown man.
“Are you alright?” he asked. Ósle nodded then shook her head.
“I…I don’t know,” she replied quietly. “It’s just…so much happened and I…I feel…lost.”
“I know what you mean, Miss,” the small man said. “I am Merry, by the way.”
A small smile appeared on her face and she chuckled.
“It is nice to meet you, Merry. I am Ósle.”
“You look different than the other women,” he stated. Ósle blushed and averted her eyes.
“I know,” she whispered and missed the half strange, half expecting look of Merry.
They sat in silence for some time until Merry started to tell her of his friends and companions. She learned that his best friend Pippin had ridden off to Minas Tirith with Gandalf. He told her about Sam and Frodo and about Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn.
When he finished, Ósle started to tell him about her life with Halian in the village, about how she missed him and about Asthryd, Beda, Ceredig and Alden.

She did not tell him that she considered herself betrothed to Alden, nor did she say that she had let someone else kiss her. But simply talking to him took her mind of her trials and tribulations.
They sat together talking until a horn sounded from the wall of the keep. Merry sprang to his feet.
“I am sorry, Ósle but I ride with the Rohirrim to Edoras. I need to get ready. It was nice to meet you and I hope to see you again,” he said and held out his small hand. Ósle took it, a smile on her face.
“I thank you, Merry for sitting with me. And I hope to see you again, too. Be safe, little one.”
He smiled and ran off.
With a small sigh Ósle stood and brushed off her skirt as suddenly what Alden had said came back to her: ‘We ride to Edoras and then on to Gondor – to war’.
They were leaving. Alden and Ceredig were leaving soon. The first riders had already gathered before the wall in the Deeping. Her heart started to beat wildly against her ribs.

Hurrying back to the causeway, she scanned the riders already there. First of all she spotted the King talking to the dark haired man who had been in the room two days ago while she tended to the King. They were surrounded by riders of the Royal Guard and she saw the third Marshal close by. For a moment her eyes lingered on him and the tingle to her stomach returned.
But she pushed it aside. She needed to find her brothers…well, one brother and her betrothed.
Eventually she spotted Ceredig and ran over to him, hugging him tightly.
“Ósle, what are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you before you leave, Ceredig,” she said and pressed herself even closer to him.
“I am sorry, fea-an that we have to leave you again so soon,” Ceredig whispered against her hair. Ósle sighed, kissed his cheek and pulled away from him.
“Be safe, brother,” she whispered just as she felt another presence behind her.
“Ósle,” Alden said quietly. She put on a brave smile, turned to him and flung herself into his waiting arms. He ran one hand over her hair.
“My Ósle,” he muttered. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she replied very quietly, her voice almost breaking. “Please be safe, Alden.”
His hand found her chin and he lifted her face to his.
“I will,” he gave back and softly kissed her lips. “Please look after mother for us.”
She nodded as a voice – his voice – called out: “Riders of Rohan – oaths you have taken. Now fulfil them all, to lord and land.”
“We must,” Ceredig said. Alden nodded and smiled at her one last time before he too mounted his horse.

Ósle retreated several steps and watched them as they joined their Èored. Memories of their childhood together flooded her mind and despite the tears running down her cheeks, she had to smile.
At the same time she felt empty, lost. The hope which had been given her with her brothers return, was riding away again under her very nose. And she felt as if she could not go on.
Halian was gone forever and here left two people she loved with all of her heart to an uncertain fate; not knowing if she would ever see them again.
There was nothing left to hold on to, no hope, nothing.
“Ósle,” a voice behind her said. It was Asthryd. Asthryd. There was something to hold on to. She had promised Alden and Ceredig that she would look after her, be there for her. And that she would.
She turned to face the older woman, took in the tearstained face but before she could speak, Asthryd did:
“You are the only one I have left now, Ósle. Please do not leave me, too.”
Ósle’s eyes widened.
“Beda….”
“Volunteered to ride with them. There is just you…and…do not leave me alone.”
Asthryd broke out in tears, hugging…clinging to the young healer who wrapped her arms around the older woman.
“Never, Asthryd, I promise. Never. But you have to promise me, too.”
Very slowly, the older woman raised her head from Ósle’s shoulder. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face drenched in tears.
“I promise,” she said in a quivering voice and once more hugged the healer tightly.

TBC