Lothiriel, The Long Way Home

Part 3

7. The Women's Company

"One more," Biljana said as they walked up the stairs, "one that I'm not looking forward to." Lothiriel looked at her mother questioningly. "Danica," Biljana said, "the mapmaker's daughter."

"That's terrible," Lothiriel said, halfway up the stairs she remained standing. "She was married less than a week before the attack."

Biljana nodded. "War, unfortunately, makes no distinction." At the top of the stairs, they walked into the street where the mapmaker had his workshop. As after the pirates' attack, the two women visited the families of fallen soldiers. Fathers, sons, brothers, each victim caused grief and they had comforted, soothed and hugged many that day. The colorful flags that had been hung in celebration of Danica's wedding, now two months ago, still hung over the street. Mother and daughter walked underneath and knocked on the door. It was Danica herself who opened the door. She gulped as she recognized the two women.

"Shall we go inside," Biljana suggested. Danica walked ahead of them, down a dark hallway to a studio that was remarkably bright because of the large windows at the back of the house. In the studio were two large tables. On one were large sheets of paper and all sorts of strange measuring instruments; on the other were maps in various stages of completion.

"I've been expecting you," the young widow said as she pushed some chairs together. "Valentir fell at the battle of the Morannon, Captain Erchirion told me."

Biljana settled on the chair that was offered and nodded. "It was the bravest who went to the Black Gate of Mordor."

Danica looked thoughtful. "I wish now that he had been less brave, I might have seen him again." She batted her eyes down. "And at the same time, it would have embarrassed me."

"It's not abnormal to have such conflicting feelings," said Lothiriel, who had also sat down in the meantime. "My friend fell into the same battle and I wish I had stopped him."

"Was that the boy with no voice?" asked Danica.

Lothiriel nodded. "We may not have been married, but I know how it feels to lose someone you love," she said, "and to wish you could have prevented his death."

Danica looked at the two women. "I heard that women fought in the pirate raid." She hesitated for a moment and then looked at Lothiriel. "Would you teach me, too? It shames me to hide in here and leave it to others to protect me," she said. "At least Valentir was able to prove his bravery before he fell."

Lothiriel and Biljana looked at each other for a moment. "I will soon begin training a group of women," Lothiriel said. "There is still room for you, if you wish."

Lothiriel and her father looked at the women. "Will everyone who agrees to the arrangements please raise his ... her hand," prince Imrahil said. Although more than a hundred women were present, Lothiriel counted only twenty hands.

"Although twenty is not really enough for a full company," she said, some of the women laughed, "I welcome you to the first women's company of the city guard of Dol Amroth. As agreed, the first practice session will take place tomorrow after noon." A moment later, the meeting was closed and the women disappeared chatting through the large doors.

Lothiriel sighed. "It won't be easy," she said. "I hadn't considered that most women also take care of their children and have household obligations. With four half-days a week, the training will be long."

"The advantage is," Imrahil said, "that of the twenty recruits, there are eighteen who already have quite a bit of experience with bow and arrow." Lothiriel nodded. Most of the members of her new company came from the archery club. There were only two women with no experience: Danica, the young widow, and Talar, the older of the two sisters Lothiriel had found on one of the pirate ships after the battle of Dol Amroth. The girls were still staying at the lemon plantation outside the city. Not only had they made themselves useful over the past two months, but they had also gained a place in the farming family that ran the plantation. Although Lothiriel had repeated her offer to accompany them home, the girls continued to delay their return.