horseboykarl

Éomer: Karl leaves and I am alone in his house, for the first time in many weeks, even by the slow movement of time in Middle Earth. Ire greets me happily and we go outside to find a stick for him to chase and return to me. He will play this game for hours. Smokey Joe is in the barn and I greet him as well. It touches a part of my heart that these animals in this world remember me with fondness and reminds me that the peace I fight for in my world is the peace of their world also.

Théo will be here soon and Karl tells me that Paris has healed. I enjoyed the peaceful day that we spent together though I know that Théo chafed at the inactivity.

The sun is brightly shining, but I lift my face into the wind streaming down from the mountains in the distance. I smell the rain that will be here by mid-afternoon. I decide that today will be a good day to teach Théo a game of my own. I smile at the thought and go to sit on the small floating dock in the pond. I pole it away from the shore, ignoring Ire's frustrated barking now that I have abandoned our game. It is almost winter in the Mark and I lay back on the warm boards, enjoying the summer day.

Théo: Leelu purrs into Karl’s yard and I park her up in front of the house and turn off the engine. I look around as I pull off my helmet and there is no sign of Mer but Ire’s barking gets my attention and I unfasten my jacket as I follow the sound. The tone of his barking changes as he notices me, and he greets me with a wagging tail as I see what he was barking at.

( You look so peaceful, lying on the floating platform, soaking up the sun that I almost hate to disturb you. )

NC-17

3rd October 3018, The Third Age, nearly four years later
Meduseld, Edoras

We are summoned back to Edoras again, for what should be a celebration. Théoden, my uncle, our king, commemorates the passing of another year since the day of his birth. But the happy purpose of our gathering is overshadowed by the decline of the man we honour. I do not know how my sister bears it, to stand by him each day and watch him fall further into ruin. But we mouth empty words wishing him health and long life, and all the while it is plain that he will have neither.

The ordeal is done at last and we stand while he makes his way to his rooms, clutching the arm of the reviled Gríma. My hand tightens on my sword hilt and I wish that removing the Worm's head from his shoulders would solve our problems. But my uncle would still be falling into early decrepitude with no way of reversing the tide and the Mark would lose one of her defenders to the swift hand of justice for unlawful killing.

I do not wish to seek my bed so early, for my mind is in turmoil and would not let me rest, of this I do not doubt. But a memory of a happy time a world away intrudes . . .

Remember the hiding place I showed you . . . I left something there for you.

Théo and the last time we were together in Wellington, in Karl's world. I look around for him, no . . . not for him, but instead for Théodred, the sad and weary prince who lives here, in this time. I know the evening pained him more than it has me, for I do not see him. I am certain that he withdrew from this farce of a celebration as soon as was polite.

I make my way into the private area of Meduseld, where the royal household lives, and begin counting the elaborately carved pillars.

( If I recall, it was the seventh one on the left, nearly at the end of the passage. )

NC-17

WARNING: Angst

Éomer: When we parted after the last time Théo and I were here together, he handed me the engraved steel ring and told me to hide it somewhere at Karl's house where Karl would not find it. I was afraid that Karl would start one of his periodic house cleaning impulses, so I put it in the tack room, thinking that it could be mistaken for part of a harness. I wrapped a leather strap around it and put it at the bottom of the chest. I had just enough time to exit the barn before Karl was pushing insistently against my mind. He has rarely been eager to come back of late and I wondered what had changed. My curiosity about Théo's plans for the ring and Karl's behavior kept me speculating through the long nights of patrol in the East Mark.

But now I am back in Wellington and I am attempting to obey Théo's further instructions. Karl . . . I stop him before he disappears. I can feel his question in my head. I am to use the telephone device again to tell Théo when I arrive. Now his amusement echoes in my mind and he tells me to clean my own mess up this time. His humour surprises me and once again, I wonder at it. But he helps me dial and then he fades away as the tones of an odd-sounding bell fill my ear.

( “Théo,” I say, your husky voice sending shivers down my back as you answer. )

Hard NC-17!!!

Paekakariki Beach is not very far from Wellie, so after we finally concede that it's too fucking cold to surf anymore, it's only about an hour later that we're pulling up in front of the barn. We leave the boards in the truck for tonight, but unload the wetsuits and cooler. I hang the wetsuits in the laundry room to dry, and now all I want to do is get in the shower.

I show you the guest bath, which has no tub, but you can get a hot shower. You seem intrigued by the futon bed in my office and I guess you didn't realise that the couch converts to a bed. Hopefully, the room is far enough away from mine that if I wake up screaming it won't disturb you. I'm gonna do all I can to avoid that tonight though, because I don't know if I can bear the humiliation of one of my nightmares waking you up. I’ve discovered that beer seems to make things worse, and after the incident with Dave, I’ve quit taking any alcohol, settling instead for water or coffee.

After a quick shower, I'm feeling much warmer and I go to the kitchen, lifting the lid of the slow cooker and smelling the lamb stew. It's been simmering all day and the aroma is tempting me. I resolve to eat like I'm normal and then maybe you won't ask me any more questions. The water from the other shower is still running, and I pull out the ingredients to make a batch of biscuits. They're in the oven and baking before the shower turns off, and I guess you must be pretty clean by now. I think that's the longest shower I've ever witnessed.

( I'm putting out plates and bowls on the table when you finally reappear. )

Warning: NC-17

Éomer: The sun is well up though Théo had rousted us out of bed early, eager to get to his plans for the day, but not so much that he did not have time to wake me with his mouth on my cock. By the time I was aware of what was happening my hips were working against his mouth. I pulled him around to me, wanting to taste his own silky flesh in my mouth and his seed on my tongue. After we brought each other to shuddering completion, then I was just as ready for our day's plans.

Théo handed me a cup of the dark bitter drink that he favors and I find that I am growing accustomed to it, even starting to like it. We breakfasted on sweet bread and fruit, eating while we sat together, our legs entwined.

But now we are on the way to find a horse for Théo while we are here and he has gone, leaving you driving Karl's truck again. We are almost to the place where your friend, Mike, has his string of trail horses. You tell me that they are obtainable to rent for anyone with the coin to pay for them, and I am skeptical as to their value, knowing that a horse and rider must be matched carefully and cannot form a good partnership if it is nothing more than an economic transaction.

Nevertheless, as the small farmstead comes into view, I find that I am keen to see what kind of horses this Mike has available.

( We go to find a horse for Théo. )

Eventually NC-17

Takes place directly after Unraveling

Éomer: My hair is still damp from the bath and I shift it out of the way as we settle together on your bed. For once, I am having trouble deciding what to do with my arms.

Théo: You have been quieter than usual since we sat together on the couch, and I can feel a little distance between us, which pulls at my heart. When you do not pull me to you as we lie together on the bed, I know we have to talk. I sit cross-legged at your side, looking at you with a small smile. "Mer, tell me what is wrong? Have I done something to hurt you?"

( truth for truth )