Chapter 2 --  Loss of Patience

            He was soon back at the palace and subsequently found the correct door and rang the bell.  By this time the moon was riding high and Ceorl was painfully aware of how early he had risen and how late it was.  His father would give him a good talking to when he got home.  He was to have been back to the barracks and checked in by now, given his report and had dinner. 

            Another look at the moon and stars told him that he should have been in bed by now.  The present circumstances did nothing to improve his mood, and the bitter night’s chill and the long wait for the door to open only made it worse. 

            He tried to hold onto his composure until he had finished with his business here and gotten home.  It wasn’t easy.

             -                       -                       -                       -

            Hirilian had ridden straight to the palace after her “aggravating encounter with that rude young man,” and had gone right in to tell her friend, Elfwyn, daughter of Prince Elfwine son of Éomer, all about it.

            They were sitting in the parlor talking when there was a ring of the bell.  Their conversation ceased and they both looked towards the door.  It came again.  Elfwyn got up smoothly.  “Who could be ringing at that door, Hirilian?  You are the only one that ever does, and yet, there you sit, so who is outside?”

            “You ask me as if I should know, Elfwyn.  Pray, go and see who it is.  The suspense is killing me.”

            Elfwyn went to the door and looked out of the small window made for just that purpose.  What she saw was the back of a tall young man.  She caught his profile in the moonlight as he turned. 

            From the description, this could be no other than the young man Hirilian met earlier that day.  She turned quickly.  “Hirilian!  It is the young man from this afternoon!  Quick now, hide behind that curtain, there.”

            Hirilian did as she bid, and Elfwyn opened the door.  “Yes?  May I help you?” she asked.

            Ceorl held his impatience, which had been building, in check and doffed his helmet.  “Yes, my Lady.  I would like to speak to Rilian.  Is she here?”

            Before Elfwyn could answer, Hirilian herself stepped out.  Her face was angry and her eyes flashed.  “Yes, I am here, young man.  Why must you follow my every move simply to pester me?  Or have you come to apologize for your impudence earlier?  If you have come to apologize, then I would suggest you use my full name.  I am Hirilian, daughter of Prince Narion of Ithilien.  Next time be more civil, and if you have an apology to make, then I would suggest you do so.  Out with it, or remove yourself from my presence.”

            She stopped with her chin high and her entire countenance angry and irritated.  Just the look of her and her words were enough to break the dam of Ceorl’s aggravation and anger.  He replied stiffly, “My lady, I knew not who you were when we met earlier this day.  At the time you were in the wrong and I in the right.  I was acting upon orders and you upon your fancy and liking.   As to that I have no more to say, for there is no more to say.

            “I did not come to apologize, indeed I never hoped to see you again.  Even if I had the wish of an apology, how would I know you to be here?  How would I know where you were, even who you were?  No.  I did not come to apologize.

            “I have been sent to deliver a command to you.  You are to go to the Houses of Healing.  At once.”

            “And who are you to give me such an order and why is it that I should go to that place?”

            “As to your first question, I am Ceorl, son of Aldor who is a Captain of the Riddermark.  Indeed I am his lieutenant, not through any deed of my father’s, but of my own.  As to your second question, your brother Belecthor is there.  I was sent by your father, Narion son of Faramir, prince of Ithilien.  Your mother too is there and your sister Morwen.  Your father it was who told me where to find you and at which door to inquire.  He said to me, ‘Just tell them that Rilian is wanted. . .if that is not enough, tell her to come to the Houses of Healing by strict order of her father.’  So you see, it is not I that command you, but your father, Prince Narion of Ithilien by your own words.  As to your name, I knew only the name that was given me.  I was sent to find Rilian and how is it that I could know your full name if it was not given me, Lady Hirilian?”

            During this speech Hirilian had grown ever darker a shade of red and at its completion she was nearly purple in the face, her hands clinched in tight fists.  When the ending taunt (for what else could it be from such an impudent and rude young commoner?) came at her she nearly exploded with rage, but she held her anger in check, knowing that this man came from her father.  “Very well, I will go.  I do not know the way and a young lady should not travel the streets alone at night, if ever in the day.  Is it far to the Houses?”

            “No, my lady,” answered Ceorl, once more in control of himself and calm.  “You may leave your horse here in safety until I am able to return it to you in the morning.  I shall escort you to the Houses safely and swiftly.  Come, where is your cloak?”

            He helped her into it and, after bidding her friend good night, Hirilian and Ceorl walked briskly into the night. 

            When they reached the Houses, after a period of time in which nothing was said and neither looked at the other, he left her at the door and turned to walk off.  When he had turned, Narion, who had been waiting by the door, grabbed his shoulder.  “Nay, lad.  Do not depart, remain here with us, for I wish to know what you can tell me that my son can not.”

            “In my turn I must say nay, my Lord Narion.  I was called to duty early this morning, before the sun rose, and it is now past midnight.  I have not had my dinner and I was to have given my report and checked in with my father six hours ago.  I hope that I may see more of you while you are in the city, and I look eagerly forward to that time. 

            “Still, I must say goodnight, or rather, good morning, to you and your daughter and take leave of you until some later date.  Lady Hirlian’s horse will be sent to your stable in the morning.”

            With that he took a step back, turned and walked away.  Narion had noticed the almost tangible hostile feeling between his daughter and the young man as they stood there talking and he had also noticed the way neither looked in the direction of the other.  He wondered at this since they had, as he thought, never seen the other before and he knew his daughter well enough to know that she was normally an out-going type and was extremely friendly.

            He looked around and saw Hirilian, trying her best not to watch the retreating figure.  Ceorl soon disappeared into the night and Narion put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders.  “He is a nice young man, is he not, Rilian?”

            “Oh, I suppose, father.”

            “Is there something the matter, dear?”

            Hirilian looked up at her father.  She led him into the Houses and they went to Belecthor’s room.  On the way, Hirilian told her father what had transpired earlier that day.  Narion lodged it away in his memory for further use at a later time.

            When they entered Belecthor’s room, he was sitting up in bed.  He smiled and held out his good arm when Hirilian entered.  “Rilian!  (Where have you been all this time?)”

            “I have been to visit the princess.  I just got the news a few minutes ago that you were back.  How are you and what happened?”

            She went quickly to his side and gave him a sisterly kiss on the forehead.  He smiled up at her and took her hand in his one good one.  “I was out riding, as you and I always seem to be doing, and I was suddenly ambushed from behind.  My beautiful horse, Aráto, was slain and I myself would have suffered the same fate but for him.  When I was jumped, by a Dunlending, another would have had me dead by the swiftness of his arrow had my horse not reared and prevented the arrow from hitting its mark.

            “When my horse fell dead, I leapt off, throwing my assailant from me and hitting the plain on my back.  My enemies, for there were three, were swift in regaining what ground they had lost by the unexpected delay.  They were soon all about me, trying to get close enough for knife work, for they had only the one arrow; they had just come from the hunt for meat, as I later found.

            “I pulled my sword with my right hand and my knife with my left.  Then, quite suddenly, all was chaos.  I laid about me on all sides with my knife, for they were by then too close for the sword. 

            “All that Prince Legolas and his Elves (may the Valar bless them) ever taught me came back to me during those few tense moments during the fight for my life.  I soon had them all wounded in some way and at lease one of them was dying.  The other two pulled back for a short time but, following your advise, father, I went in after them and soon all three lay about me, dead or dying.

            “The few small wounds you see slowed me somewhat on my return journey and I had fallen senseless into the creek when I tried to take a much needed drink.  It was there that Ceorl found me.  He was, so he told me when I was half aware, returning from his post and happened to see me.  To him I owe my life, and there is nothing I would not do for him, for I love him as a brother.”  He lay back on his pillows and drew a deep breath.  The room was silent for a time, all of them digesting what they had just heard, Hirilian most of all.

            Narion looked up to speak when he suddenly noticed that Belecthor was sleeping peacefully.  He indicated to the rest of his family that they should leave now.  They left a message with the warden telling Belecthor they would return on the morrow, but as they went outside, they noticed that it was dawn.

            Narion heaved a great yawn and they all trooped homeward.  When they reached the palace, they went straight to bed.  As she got ready, Hirilian made a resolution to be carried out just as soon as. . .