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Eodwine did not get better, and conference with the king did not end in satisfaction. Saeryn was torn between feelings of heartbreak and those of frustration and impatience.
“Your majesty,” she said in her last meeting with the king, “It is not necessary that a man and his whole household take the place of Eodwine. He will come back. And in his absence, I will be quite capable of keeping order in the hall!”
“Lady Saeryn,” King Eomer said, “I understand that you are willing to take his place until he returns, with the hope that he will return soon, but none of us know how long his recover will take.” He paused, and Saeryn knew that he almost added something about ‘if he will recover at all.’ She swallowed, but kept her gaze steady on the king’s face. “You. . .you are not in a position to rule in his stead, and Eodwine had no steward capable of taking his place.”
“Thornden is quite capable–”
“He is a young man, and the landlords will not respect him. Nor has Eodwine set him in the place of stewardship. These are the things which will matter when issues arise, as we have seen by what happened with the lords came to your holding earlier this month. No, Lady, I am convinced that I am right. I will choose a man and send him there as quickly as can be arranged.”
Saeryn swallowed her words and her disappointment. She bowed her head and curtseyed low before him. “I thank you, my lord,” she said, and withdrew.
When she came to the house of the healer, more news met her.
“Lady Saeryn, we can do no more for him here,” the Edoras healer said. Saeryn turned her eyes to Æđel.
Æđel gently tried to explain. “We are going to take him to Gondor. . .to Minas Tirith. We hope that. . .we hope that in the Houses of Healing they will be able to s. . .he will get well.”
Saeryn looked from one face to the other and then she stepped between them into the house. She went to Eodwine. She knelt beside him and took Eodwine’s hand. He was not awake. He rarely woke now, and when he did he was so weak he scarcely spoke and took only a little nourishment. Saeryn sat for a long time, holding his hand close to her face, and rocking back and forth in silence. Suddenly her tears sprang forth flowing down her face and over his hand.
“Eodwine! Eodwine! I don’t know what to do! Please come back. Please don’t leave me!” She clung tighter to his hand and hugged it close. “Please don’t go.”
“Saeryn. . .” his voice whispered. She looked up. Through her tears she saw him looking at her. She threw herself to her knees by his side and took his head in her hands.
“Eodwine! The king is going to give your eorlship to someone else! I don’t know–”
“Saeryn,” he said again, and she fell silent. His hand gently caressed her hair. “I love you.” She couldn’t speak. She saw he was slipping away again. She didn’t want to let go. He was looking at her still, but his hand was not moving anymore and his eyes were growing distant. She bent forward to kiss him. His lips responded to her touch and then he was still.
The healers came in. Saeryn stood up and withdrew. They prepared him for his journey and then he was gently lifted into a wain. As she had weeks before, Saeryn stood at the door and watched him be born away.
When he was out of sight, she turned back into the house to pack and prepare to ride back to Scarburg. She sent a message to Balvir and Lithor, telling them when she planned to depart. At the said time, they were there with their horses, fully prepared to go back with her, and together, the three of them rode silently out of Edoras and back towards their home.
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