Esmeralda West moves into the Shire with her uncle, a few houses down from the Bagginses. As years pass, young Frodo tries to break her out of her shell. Then, Gandalf the Grey tells him about the One Ring. Esmeralda joins the quest with her friend...
The Rohan people are still walking around the lakes. Gimli rides on a horse led by Éowyn, as they talk to each other.
"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men."
Éowyn smiles and looks back at Aragorn, riding his horse.
"It's the beards." Aragorn says, gesturing to an imaginary beard on his chin. Éowyn grins, then looks back to Gimli.
"This, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women! And that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!"
Éowyn laughs and Gimli laughs too.
"Which is, of course, ridiculous." He throws his hands up and the horse suddenly gallops off, throwing Gimli to the ground.
Éowyn smiles, and then quickly runs to help him up.
"It's all right. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. It was deliberate."
Aragorn and Théoden riding side by side, grin widely. Éowyn looks back at Aragorn laughing. He laughs back, and his laugh slowly turns into a smile.
"I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time." Théoden says. "She was a girl when they brought her father back dead. Cut down by Orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief."
She looks dreamily at Aragorn smiling, the wind in her hair.
"Then she was left alone, to tend her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."
Aragorn looks down sadly.
Later, the Rohan people have stopped for a break. Éowyn walks up to Gimli and Aragorn with a cooking pot and a bowl in her hand.
"Gimli?" She asks, holding the pot out to him.
"No, I couldn't. I really couldn't." He says quickly.
She walks past him to Aragorn, who is cleaning his sword.
"I made some stew. It isn't much, but it's hot."
She fills a bowl and passes it to Aragorn.
"Thank you." He says.
He picks up a spoon, and tastes the stew. He pauses, holding in a gag. Éowyn looks concerned, as he slowly swallows it and looks up.
"It's good." Aragorn lied.
"Really?" Éowyn says, smiling.
She turns and starts to walk away, with him watching. He quickly tries to pour the stew on the ground, but stops when Éowyn turns back.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
