Rider of the Mark

Rider of the Mark 30

Grunt, the Mountain Man

***

"Show me." As soon as Aefre quickly escorted Eadignes from the dining hall into the guest room, Aefre kicked the door closed behind her and motioned to the girl's arms. "I saw them, as did Gamling. Show me."

"Really, ma'am," Eadignes backed up, blushing. "They aren't that bad. Truly."

The door swung open, Aelwydd poking in her head, followed by Willan, with a pot of tea and Aefre's herb bag. "Aefre," Aelwydd began, "I do not think this is wise-"

"Shh." Waving the older woman off, Aefre took the herb bag from Willan and began to sift through it. She pulled out some willow bark and handed it to the mute. "Put some of this in the hot water and pour her a cup." She turned her attention to her now bristling future mother - in - law. "I'm sorry I was so curt; however, I did promise her."

"Aefre," Aelwydd was not to be deterred, "I do not think that this is a wise course of action."

Willan handed the cup to Eadignes, the girl blushing as she took it. "What is in it?"

"Only a bit of willow bark, to dull the pain and to help relax you. I will decide what is and what is not a wise course of action." She watched as the older woman's back stiffened. "Earlier today, you gave me good advice. I listened. Please grant me the same courtesy."

Aelwydd huffed once and sat down haughtily in a chair, with her arms crossed. "This had better be good!"

Aefre turned back to the girl. "Show me."

Eadignes was blowing on the cup, steam circling around her head. With a glance at Willan, she set the cup on a low shelf and proceeded to push up her sleeves. "Really, ma'am..."

Aefre took her arm, turning her wrist back and forth. "Finger marks."

"Yes. He was... inexperienced and didn't realize how..."

"Who was it?"

"Ma'am, I -"

"Who was it?"

Eadignes closed her eyes, determined not to be pushed around by this strong-willed woman. "Wulfric dealt with him. He was not quite a man and not much more than a boy. It is taken care of."

Aefre was slowly circling her, corralling the girl into a corner. "Yet, he was enough to cause you to set your mind on this course of action."

"My mind was set some time ago!" Eadignes snapped. "This was simply the last straw!"

"Ah." Aefre turned her back and sank down in the other chair. Her fingers were steepled, her chin resting on her thumbs. "You are determined not to return?"

"Yes. I will not go back."

Aefre turned and looked over her shoulder, her chin still on her thumbs, " I must know now how certain you are of this path."

Eadignes stomped over to stand in front of Aefre, settling her hands on her hips. "I will not go back! I don't care! I'll ... work in the kitchens, clean the privies, whatever, do anything to keep from going back!"

"Do you truly wish to clean privies? Or do you have something else in mind?"

Eadignes sank to her knees, pleading with the woman in the chair in front of her. "M'lady, you know I truly wish to be a healer. You said you would help. You promised."

Aefre reached out and fondled the long curl lying on the girl's shoulder. "Yes, I did. I promised." She thought for a moment. "I must know how determined you are."

"I will not go back!"

"Eadignes, you must think hard. Starting tomorrow, you will rise early and go to bed late. You will shadow me for several days before I find a healer who will train you. They won't want to and I will have to force one to take you on. They will be waiting for you to falter, to change your mind. And if you do, no one will give you another chance, including me. I will take this risk for you but once and only this once." Aefre tilted her head, gauging the response in Eadignes' eyes. "They will be hard on you, the whispering will be fierce. There will be men you have known who will consider you free property and women who know you have bedded their sons and husbands for pay. They will talk, whisper; and you will have a difficult time making friends-"

"Are you my friend?"

Aefre was taken aback by the statement. She thought for a second. "Do you wish my friendship?"

"Aye." Eadignes voice was unwavering, strong. "You are all the friend I need."

Aefre looked at Willan, seeing the open admiration in his eyes. "I think I will not be the only friend you have." She patted her on the hand, before turning to Willan. "Please see if Gamling needs anything. I'm going to get Eadignes settled before coming up to bed. I might be very late so he should not wait up for me."

Willan nodded to her before smiling at Eadignes and leaving.

"He's very... quiet."

Aefre narrowed her eyes, seeing the strange look on Aelwydd's face. "You and I have discussed that before. You have other things to attend to first, before looking for a possible bed partner. " She tapped Eadignes on the back of the hand. "I am not joking. It will be very hard work."

Eadignes stood up slowly, pulling her sleeves down to cover the bruising on her arms. "I don't want a bed partner. I don't want anyone. I'm not afraid of hard work. Just as long as you let me cry on your shoulder, if need be."

"If need be." Aelwydd was shaking her head. "Let's get you settled and put something on your arms. I don't know if we can help the bruising, but we should be able to at least to ease the discomfort."

***

Gamling made an angry circle around the chamber.

***Dammit!***

He made another angry circle around the chamber.

***Dammitdammitdammit...***

He stopped, eyes squeezed as tight as his white- fingered hold on his ale mug.

***Who would... do that...***

For the first time in many years, Gamling wished his da, his former king, the current king..

***Wish Háma were here...***

...someone to talk to.

Despite her desperate attempt to cover them, the bruises on Eadignes' arms were visible not only to Aefre, but to him as well. Much to his and the crowd in the Hall's consternation, the now-former prostitute was whisked off between his bride - to - be and his mother to parts unknown - more than likely, the room where Aefre had hidden from him for the better part of two days.

"Dammit!" He flung the tankard he had been clutching so tightly viciously into the cold grate of the fireplace. The clay mug shattered, shards flying, ricocheting within the fireplace. Willan immediately moved around him to clean the broken bits, but Gamling stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist. "Leave it. I'll do it." The Rider waved him off, irritated at his own loss of control. "I want-" Gamling grabbed another tankard of ale, not realizing it was Willan's, "to know who did it."

Willan shrugged, clearly at a loss.

"There is no need, no reason for any man to harm a woman! Even in play! Ever!"

Willan nodded in agreement.

"You were there; you went with her. You saw it. It was bad? Was she in any pain?"

Again, Willan shrugged, clearly at a loss to communicate with the angry Rider. On a whim, the mute picked up from the mantel the frayed, worn ribband that Gamling had refused to remove from his hand until recently. The stitching was barely visible, the edges, raveling. He gestured to Gamling, holding out the narrow strip of material.

"No," Gamling snarled, "I can't talk to Aefre about it. She is my future wife... my future..." The servant gestured again. Clearly, Willan thought Gamling was underestimating Aefre.

"Willan," Gamling sank in a chair, resting his chin on a propped fist, "Eadignes is a nice girl... she's a sweet girl. She deserves some happiness in this life. I would be happy if she could find a man who could overlook what she was and love her for who she is." He lifted Willan's mug and stared into its murky depths. "I care about her, Willan. I don't love her, but I care. I worry. How do I explain that to Aefre?" There was silence as Gamling finished Willan's ale and Willan reverently put the ribband back on the mantle, where Gamling had placed it.

"Damn it, man! I've drunk your ale! Why didn't you punch me?"

Willan rolled his eyes in annoyance and waved him off. *Don't worry about it.*

"I would hurt a man who drank my ale without so much as a ‘please' or ‘thank you'! So," he toasted Willan, "thank you!" Gamling finished the tankard before continuing, "I'll buy you a bottle of Wulfric's finest if you find out who hurt Eadignes."

The mute nodded in agreement. He gestured, once. *Anything else?*

The sun had set and the moon had risen hours previously, casting a calming glow into the room. "One more thing..." Willan waited expectantly. "Where's Aefre?"

***

***This is stupid.***

Gamling stood in front of Aefre's chamber door - a faint glow visible beneath the crack.

***This is really stupid. I should not be nervous. Why am I nervous?***

With an unusual show of bravado, the Rider lifted a fist and rapped loudly on the door.

"Who is it?" Aefre's voice was open, questioning.

***as if she didn't KNOW who would be banging on her door this late at night***

Looking both up and down the hallway, ensuring no one could overhear him, Gamling leaned toward the door, "Grunt, the Mountain Man."

There was a rustling behind the door. "Is it really?" Her voice was filled with mock horror.

"Really."

"Oh, Béma, what should I do?"

Gamling was now leaning against the door, rolling his eyes in rare good humor. "I suppose you could call out for a strong Horse Lord to cork him."

"Hmm," Aefre's voice was now a whisper from the door. "On second thought, I don't think you're Grunt, the Mountain Man at all."

Gamling looked affronted. "You don't? Why not?"

"Grunt, the Mountain Man wouldn't knock."

***Ooooh. She's right. She's good!...***

Gamling again scanned the hallway, ensuring his and Aefre's privacy. He was leaning completely against the door, his cheek pressed to the wood. "Aefre, please let me in."

The door was yanked open and the Horse Lord fell in, headfirst. He regained his balance and reached out, grabbing Aefre by the wrist as she slammed the door. He pulled her into his arms, one hand cupping the curve of her backside, the other threading through her hair. Her mouth reached for his, starving, wanting, need...

"Béma!" Gamling gasped when he came up for air. "I've wanted to do that all night!" He turned her loose and began to kick off his boots.

"Gamling, what are you doing?" Aefre asked quietly.

Both boots were now off and he now sat in a chair to pull off his woolen stockings. "I'm taking off my boots." He dropped one in each boot and rose to set them by the door.

"Why?"

The question stopped him cold.

***Why?... Why not?...***

"I came," he started gently, " to escort you back to our chambers." There was an obvious stress on the word ‘our.' He set the bar on her door with a deliberate ‘plop.' "However, you are already dressed for bed," he gestured to her demure white cotton shift and nodded to the turned down bed and the cup of tea by the bedside. "It's obvious to me that we'll be sleeping here tonight."

Aefre blushed, something Gamling found to be quite amusing. Her toes curled in the rug. "Gamling, you can't stay here with me tonight."

"Why not?" He had her by the hand and was now pulling her towards the chair.

"We're getting married in a few weeks. It... it's not right. It's unseemly... improper..."

The Horse Lord rolled his eyes and sat down, pulling her into his lap. He adjusted her on his legs and proceeded to pull on the strings holding the bodice of her night shift together. "So?"

Aefre began retying what Gamling was untying. "We aren't married yet. We shouldn't be-"

"Didn't stop us before." Gamling moved her hands from her ties. "Stop tying what I'm untying."

"Gamling-"

"Aefre," he shot back playfully. He finally smirked at her glare. "Aefre, I have waited too long for you. I do not particularly care if we set the biddies' tongues wagging, I don't particularly care if anyone walks in right now and catches me fondling you." He took the opportunity to slip his hand in her gown and do precisely that, teasing the nipple to a stiff peak. "And if you continue to wiggle like that, I shall take you on the floor with your shift still on." He took advantage of her open mouth to kiss her. "We're having a baby, we're getting married in three weeks, and I refuse to sleep alone just for propriety's sake. Now," he nuzzled her neck, "are we going to finish this on the floor, or would you prefer the niceties of the bed?"

Aefre sighed with resignation. He was going to have his way and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Truth be told, her heart wasn't in it to force him back to his... their... chambers and she wasn't looking forward to sleeping alone, either. "The bed."

"Good girl. Up you go." He patted her on her upper thigh, signaling for her to rise. As he followed her up, he noticed a familiar lump under her bed. "Aefre? Is that my saddlebag under your bed?"

Aefre stopped, her nightgown gaping generously, as she peered under the bed. "You know, with everything, I had totally forgotten about it." She leaned over and pulled it out. "Haleth brought it up the morning after you arrived, but I had my hands quite full with you at the time." Gamling reached over and pulled it from her grasp. "Had I remembered, I would have had your clothes cleaned for you."

A crease of emotional pain marred his features, remembering what lay at the bottom, beneath the small flasks of perfumed oils and bolts of cloth and ribbons and his spirited mood fell. "I'm glad you didn't open it."

"Oh?"

With a mild grunt, he plopped the saddlebag on the bed.

***Cenedanthemarkthemark...***

"Is there something in there for me?" Aefre's eyes were alight with mischief and anticipation.

***ohnodoubt I have somethingforyou...***

"Aefre-" Gamling halted, clearly at a loss for words. A calloused hand slid into his.

"Just Gamling. There is something in there for me, isn't there?"

"There are... several things in there for you, curious miss." He tried to force his voice to a more jovial tone.

With considerable effort, Aefre's hand pushed the heavy saddle bag away and she climbed on the bed to sit in front him, her face peering into his. "What is wrong?"

Gamling shook his head, in effort reassure her. "Nothing."

"You are troubled."

***dammitdammitbreakmewhileyouareatit...***

His eyes were now shut, his head continuing to nod. "I have much on my mind."

"When you are troubled, who do you talk to?"

"When I'm... Aefre!" Gamling moved to pull the saddlebag into reach. "I don't talk!"

Aefre shoved the bag further away. "No, you don't, except in your sleep! You aren't getting out of this one." She pulled both of his hands into her lap. "Gamling, I sat with you for three days. The things that came from your mouth, your dreams, I can't begin to imagine. You still talk in your sleep. You are so restless, please talk to me, tell me."

*** Talktalktalksolikeawoman Da gone, Théoden gone, Éomer not here, too youngyounganyway, Cenedan, Háma-***

"-gone."

He felt pulled in, drawn in, being drawn into the safe harbor between her knees. "Who's gone?"

Gamling stared at her in horror, the weight of all of it crashing down. "I can't name all the dead..." his voice trailed off.

"I don't expect you to." Aefre's voice was soft, Gamling vaguely aware she had set it in tone as if to beguile the plants from the earth. "You have me to talk to. I will listen."

Gamling's head ticked to the side, breaking eye contact, as he sought out the saddlebag. "You talk too much to listen," he mumbled.

"I heard that and I'm not angry." She was smiling humorlessly. Aefre's grip tightened in his hand. " What bothers you?"

Gamling stared at the bag long and hard, clearly wrestling with many thoughts.

"Let's start with something small. What both-"

"Eadignes."

"What about Eadignes?"

Gamling was now staring at the heavy curtains, pulled back from the window, in order to allow a fresh breeze in. "Who hurt her?" For a time, there was no answer from the woman in front of him. He finally looked at her, his countenance hard, set. "I'll not have a man in my command who would hurt a woman."

"If he injures a woman, he would injure his horse."

"YES!" It came out hard and fast, much more explosive than he intended. Finally, Gamling shook his head, at the absurdity of it. "Aefre, this is difficult."

"I'm sure it is." A gentle squeeze. "In some ways, it is for me as well. Should I start?"

No answer, simply an answering squeeze.

There was a gentle exhalation in breath before Aefre started. "Eadignes is fine. She has mild bruising from one who she says was too young and too inexperienced. She has refused to divulge his name and I think Willan will watch her rather closely, as will I and you too, I suspect. As for you, you've bedded her, probably more than once, there are feelings you can't resolve-"

***zingingAefrearrowsoftruth***

"I do not love her!"

"Well!" Aefre's voice was quite light-hearted. "I'm glad we have that out in the open!" Again, she tightened her grip on his hands. "Would you please look at me? I hate talking to the top of your head." Gamling raised his chin, defiantly, feeling like a rather small child. "There. I have eyes." Despite Gamling's stare, Aefre was smiling. "She did me a great service, stitching you up. There was no one else. She sat with me all night, and she talked; oh, how that young woman talked. It was obvious early on that she wished to be elsewhere than where she was." Aefre pulled her hands from the Rider's grasp, and encased the outside of his fingers with hers. "She cares for you and you worry about her."

"Aefre! I don't-"

"Shh."

Gamling was now growling and shaking his head, heavy locks of hair moving restlessly. "I do not wish for you to be jealous or to think-"

"Shh." A single finger touched his lips. "I am not jealous. She brought you comfort at some time?" Aefre didn't wait for an answer, simply continued on. "I'll not deny you that. I'll not deny you softness or need of someone's touch before me. Whose bed are you seeking tonight? Ah!" She took in his amused smile. "Are you jealous of Lufian?"

***Jealous of your husband? Ridiculous silly woman...***


For a moment, Gamling's jaw flapped. "Why... why would I be jealous of Lufian? He was your husband-"

Aefre's smile enlarged. "Did you know that Lufian was fifteen years my senior?" She nudged over and pulled him down beside her on the bed. "He came to our farm when I was but sixteen summers to barter horses and saw me riding one of my father's biggest stallions. He told my father if I was not promised, he would wed me immediately." Aefre smiled at the memory. "My Da damned near strangled him."

"Good!"

Aefre was now grinning like the kitchen cat that was under the chopping block when the milk was spilt. "My Da told Lufian he didn't care that he had the largest farm in the Wold. He didn't care that he had the largest garrison and the most Riders under him in the North of the Riddermark. He didn't care that he was respected and well thought of. In the end, the choice would be mine; that whoever I decided to allow to wrap his cloak around me would be my decision and no one else's. Then he told him not to try anything because I could gullet an Orc as easily as any man. That's when he pointed out my morningstar attached to my saddle." Aefre was now engrossed in her tale, her mind far back to a bright summer day. "When he left, my father ranted for days. Told me men were evil, nasty creatures, to stay away from them. I had to remind him several times, he himself was one of those evil, nasty creatures and even in a fit of temper from his own father, who was another one of those evil, nasty creatures, had taken off to Gondor and married himself the first pretty Gondorian lady who could understand his pathetic Westron! He threatened to lock me in my room."

Gamling scooted over next to her, pulling her under his arm. "I think I would have liked your da."

"Yes, you would have," Aefre admitted. "Except, Lufian kept coming back. Every couple of weeks. A question about this horse, this and that. It was soon apparent that he was coming to see me. Took a year before he finally started talking to me, however."

"Da was angry, but I enjoyed the man's company. He knew his horses, was amused when he saw me sparring with my brother. Well," she stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts, "he was amused until the day he stepped into the yard with me to try his hand and I knocked him flat on his arse in under a minute." She wagged her finger under Gamling's nose. "He underestimated me - just like the Horse Lord I'm marrying in a few weeks did when I first met him."

Gamling shook his head in denial. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Pah!" Aefre backhanded his arm lightly. "Long story shortened somewhat, after five summers, he asked again. Only this time, he asked me and in front of my Da. After we were married, he took me to his home. It was well- founded, had a large garrison and many people, families who lived under Lufian's protection. I was over-whelmed, scared. I had handled my Da's household, but it was nothing...it was more than I expected." Aefre was swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, before sliding off. Bypassing the tea, she took a hidden bottle of wine from the shelf by the fireplace. "I was befriended by the cook - a woman some years older than myself. She was helpful to me, taught me much. I enjoyed her company." She poured a generous amount into the goblet and handed it to Gamling, before turning back to the shelf to grab another goblet. "I began to hear whispering and finally, one of the chambermaids, a rather gossipy thing, told me the cook had kept my husband's bed warm on many a cold night before my marriage. If I was a ‘proper Rohirrim,' I would throw the woman out on her ear."

"Busybody." Gamling's voice echoed in his cup.

"Exactly, but it didn't change that I was young and impressionable and the thought that my husband had been bedding another woman while wooing me did not sit well. Luckily," she took a sip, "I went to him, before I went to her." She drained the cup, almost too quickly. "That night, I learned about compassion, about a lonely man and a lonely, frightened widow with a small child. He hadn't been with her in... oh... three, four years, yet, they remained friends, had maintained their friendship after he realized he truly loved me. And rather than leave in a huff, she cherished his friendship and stayed to aid a young bride who was out of place and out of her league concerning a garrison and a large household."

Aefre smiled into her cup. "She married Scéotan, one of the Riders, a few years later, stayed on and continued to make fabulous meals out of little. In fact, she and her husband followed me when I was forced out and last I recall, she was in my grandmother's home, trying to clean the cobwebs, to make it habitable upon my return." Finally, she set the goblet down. "When all was said and done, I'll not rue the time Lufian spent in Englewynne's arms. It was before me. Why should I be jealous of Eadignes?" Deftly untying the strings on her shift, she opened it, not exposing herself, but leaving no doubt of the cleft or definition. "So," she smiled saucily, her fingers tracing the edge of her skin, the trim on the opening of her gown, "are you going to show me what's in that saddlebag for me, or do you have something else in mind?"

Gamling pulled her towards him, his respect for the woman moving between his legs renewed and growing. He put his hands to the remaining ties, deftly baring all of her to him. With seeming reverence, he stroked the smooth skin of her belly, already firm with his child. "I have much in mind, My Lady. However, the saddlebags would wait until tomorrow eve, as I would not want to rouse from such a fine place."

"In the morning-"

"No. You are an early riser and I am not." His hands slid up under the shoulders of her gown lifting it off and back. "There will be much to do and you and I will not have time to ourselves until tomorrow evening." The cotton shift fell in a heap on the floor as he pressed his hands to her backside and maneuvered her into his own still - clothed heat. Pulling her close, he trailed the tip of his nose between her breasts, reveling in her scent; apples with an underlying essence of musky desire.

Her arms stole around his head, gently trapping him within. "I don't think," she breathed huskily, "this will wait."

***ohnononoohnoitwon't...***

With one hand, Gamling pushed the saddlebag to the floor; with the other, he clasped her to him, pulling her to the bed, on top of him.

And once clothes had been divested and heaped in a haphazard pile on the floor, the room smelled of sweat and sex and the only sound were sighs of sated contentment...

... that niggling voice of Gamling's reminded him he had only put off the inevitable.

***
tbc
***

Nakhti - This Smutty chappy was harder to write than the first one. The first one, I was admittedly under the influence of a heavy duty narcotic drug that makes me rather... amorous... Okay, it makes me fucking horny, okay??? Percoset makes me HORNY!! However this second smut chapter, I was lucid as shit and I had the mental image of Bruce in the back of my mind snickering, which made writing it harder than hell!

Juliette - Gamling's da was a wise man! As for Eadignes, I rather like her and her presence is going to make interesting fodder.

Pandorag - thank you!

Crye 4 Me - No - Romance isn't Gamling's strong point. But I give the Man an "A" for effort. and that's what counts!

Thanks everyone for reading this. I continue to be amazed at the number of readers and the popularity of this piece about someone who isn't the King and isn't an Elf.