Title: In the Midst of Adversity 
Author: Maram68 
Rating: PG 13 still, R to come 
 
Feedback: maram@zuper.net… Please, I need to know if you like it, to 
keep on writing.  So, please, R & R . I have a tough hide, criticism is 
welcome if it helps me to improve.  Disclaimer: I do not own any of 
J.R.R. Tolkien's characters or settings, even if I love them as if they 
were my own.  The idea and Cyrene are mine, only mine.  
******************************
 

A MILLION THANKS AND ALL MY LOVE TO MY AMAZING BETA AND 
SUPPORTIVE NUT-TWIN DEBORA (DEB, YOU ABSOLUTELY ROCK!!!!) 
AND MORE LOVE TO MY MATE UNA, FOR BOUNCING, SUPPORTING AND 
HAVING TONS OF PATIENCE WITH YOURS TRULY. (For you, dear readers to 
understand the effort this two great people invested, imagine an insecure, 
pathetically hysteric, first-timer, non-English-native writer sitting in your hair every 
day for hours!!! That's me!!!)    
 
VII. 
 
Legolas tried to find his friends on the field.  He saw Aragorn on his horse, next to Eomer 
and Theoden. Gandalf and Erkenbrand were riding in pursuit of the fleeing orcs and Uruk 
Hai, hunting them inside the trees. 
 
As he turned to look for Gimli, he was gone, and he caught a glimpse of the young 
warrior leaning heavily on the dwarf, both entering the tower of the Hornburg. 
 
He took long strides toward the tower, and stopped cold in his tracks as he saw that the 
room was filled with wounded soldiers, the smell of blood and death thick in the air.   
 
Gimli had led the archer's captain to a corner, where the soldier sat down on a sack of 
grain. The dwarf was helping the young man to take his helmet off, which had been 
dented by the maze-blow received in the battle. Legolas walked over to them, but stopped 
in mid-stride again. Gimli had managed to take the helmet off, and behind a mass of 
tangled black hair and sporting a huge bruise to the side of her face, there sat the woman 
he had been watching at the last dinner in Edoras. 
 
Cyrene smiled thankfully at the dwarf, grimacing a bit because the whole left side of her 
face hurt from just smiling. Gimli bowed to her and then took her forearm in warrior 
greeting. "You were a formidable sister in arms, amazon!" 
 
She smiled again, in spite of the pain. "I can say no less about you, Master Dwarf. How 
did you recognize me for what I am?" 
 
Gimli sat next to her. "We dwarfs may not be prone to singing and tale-telling like the 
elves are, mistress, but the legends and tales of the amazons are always some of the 
favorites to be told.  I knew the moment I saw the axe and the shield you belong to the 
daughters of the moon." 
 
Legolas had approached them, silently, hearing every word exchanged by them.  By the 
Valar, this was an amazon!  That would explain the prowess with the weapons and fierce 
fighting … he had also heard the tales of the amazons, and thought them to be fantasies 
of the elders.  And by all his keen senses, he hadn't recognized the archer captain as a 
woman.  He didn't know if he should feel upset or relieved, because as his eyes took in 
the woman sitting before him, seeing her as the female she was, he recalled the sensation 
that had coursed through them as their fingers had touched. He had never before felt 
something like that for a mortal woman. 
Cyrene looked up from the dwarf to find the elf staring silently at her.  For the very first 
time in her life, she blushed. 
 
Gimli looked from Legolas to Cyrene and back, and smiled to himself. 
"Master Legolas, I have forty two orcs to my count. How many have you?" 
 
The elf tore his eyes from Cyrene, and rubbed his neck. "Forty one, Master Gimli. But I 
concede the victory with joy to you, since I am very relieved to see you well, as well as 
the captain here." 
 
Cyrene offered her hand to Legolas in greeting. "Master Legolas, my name is Cyrene, the 
amazon"  
 
Legolas also reached out to hold her forearm. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood, Mistress 
Cyrene".  As he gripped gently her forearm, they both felt the tingling again, and let each 
other arm fall quickly. 
 
"If you excuse me, I would like to see some of the archers who where under my 
command and might be injured" said Cyrene, standing up.  But she didn't get far.  After 
the adrenaline from the fight had diminished, the full extent of the injury on her head 
affected her.   
 
Her head was spinning, and she felt nausea rising up her throat. Legolas supported her, 
swept her in his arms and carried her out of the room. Outside, he knelt next to her and 
held her head while she retched.  Gimli came outside behind them, carrying a wet cloth 
and some water. 
 
When Cyrene finished retching, Gimli gave her some water to rinse her mouth and 
washed her face with the cloth, being careful not to apply pressure on the hurt side of her 
face, that was already turning black and blue.  
 
Cyrene leant back into Legolas. She didn't care if he touched her or not. She just had to 
get a grip on herself … and she was so tired…  
 
"You are very kind, my friends … I just need to lay down …" 
 
Legolas exchanged a knowing look with Gimli. "I am very sorry, Mistress Cyrene, but if 
we let you sleep now, you might never wake up.  With head injuries, you shouldn't 
sleep," said Legolas, fighting the urge to smooth her tangled hair away from the pale 
face. 
 
Gimli nodded. "We will take care of you, mistress, but you have to fight the sleep, at 
least for a couple of hours.  We will help you stay awake."  
    
Legolas didn't let go of Cyrene, and carried her to the campsite Gimli had chosen in a far 
corner of the fortress.  The Rohirrim still regarded them with mistrust and he realized that 
Cyrene was as much a stranger to the men of Rohan as they were.
………………………………….
Gimli decided to keep Cyrene awake by talking to her and making her talk.  
  
 Legolas had enveloped Cyrene in his cloak from Lothlorien, and sat her down leaning on 
a grain sack near the fire Gimli had provided. She felt uncomfortable, having been held 
and carried by him.  The tall, gentle elf inspired sensations and thoughts in her mind and 
body she had never felt before. She avoided his eyes and focused on the dwarf. 
 
Gimli sat next to her, and began telling her about the tales he had heard about the 
amazons. 
 
"Your people were among the first to handle iron and horses, the stories said.  They also 
said you were fierce and formidable in battle. We could see that today ourselves." 
 
Cyrene was flattered by the admiration shining in the dwarf's eyes. "I also heard tales of 
dwarves, men and elves at our campfires and our evening gatherings.  Even though we 
tried as less contact to the outer world as possible after we had to leave our country to 
men, I must confess I never dreamt of such amazing people being real. " 
 
A soldier approached them. He seemed shy, but stepped into the light of the fire, 
addressing Cyrene. "Mistress, I was looking for you." 
 
Cyrene looked into the face of the archer. "Dumetar, you are well! It pleases me to see 
you. You found me, what can I do for you?" She smiled to Dumetar, even though it 
clearly hurt, the huge bruise on her face looking hideous in the light of day. 
 
"We found your shield and axe, Mistress ... We thought the worst! Milord Eomer is 
looking for you." And having said this, Dumetar lay shield and axe to Cyrene's feet. 
 
"Be so kind and tell the Marshall I am well, but cannot come to see him right now.  
Thank you for your worries, my friend."  And she sat up, reaching for the archer's hand.  
She fought the dizziness that came over her, as she gripped the man's forearm, and 
waited until he was gone to let herself fall heavily into the soft cocoon of Legolas' cloak.  
She was very pale, and swallowed hard to fight the nausea. 
 
Gimli wiped again gently her brow with the wet cloth, and Legolas gave her a cup of 
fresh water, which she drank very slowly. 
 
"You tend to overexert yourself, Mistress Cyrene, you are wounded." Said Legolas 
softly. 
 
"I am a grown amazon, Master Elf. I thank you for your care but I won't take reprimands 
as if I were a naughty child." After those words had left her mouth, Cyrene regretted 
being harsh to the gentle being. This wasn't how she usually treated people around her.  
She felt confused and her head throbbing grew worse. She closed her eyes and swallowed 
again, before apologizing. "Forgive me, Master Legolas. I didn't intend to be unthankful 
towards my comrades in arms. I don't do my upbringing and people any justice. "    
  
Legolas was upset. She could be friendly to everybody and even pushed herself beyond 
her own physical well being to comfort those around her.  But she snapped at him and his 
concern for her.  She must really dislike him. He felt almost insulted at her behavior.  
And at the same time, he felt drawn to this strange female. It must be the aftermath of the 
battle; he really must be out of his mind. 
   
Gimli witnessed the exchange between both and could hardly hide his amusement.  It 
would take an amazon to make an elf uncomfortable and uneasy, while the elf provoked 
in the young woman emotions she clearly couldn't handle. His wry sense of humor 
soared about the infinite possibilities for these two beings to relate to another. This was 
going to be very entertaining. 
 
"Tell me, Mistress Cyrene, where does your people live now?" the dwarf asked, to keep 
on the conversation interrupted by the Rohirrim archer. 
 
"The amazons live on an island, a secret island protected by riffs and mist. My people 
just want to preserve its way of life, away from mankind and the outside world.  It is a 
beautiful island with olive-bushes and low hills, the sand on the beaches is almost white, 
the ocean is the deepest blue you could imagine... you may sit in front of the ocean and 
marvel at it's size and beauty, life providing depths that may also tale your own life if 
you dare it's dangers ... "  
 
Cyrene's eyes were lost in the distance, as if she was seeing everything before her.  She 
felt the longing for her home and the sorrow of knowing that she didn't belong anywhere 
else but there deep in her heart. But she had to fulfill her duty, and she had to live with 
the knowledge that she would never again set foot on Artemis Island. Never. 
One tear slid from her wide-open eyes as she came back to reality.  
Neither Legolas nor Gimli said anything.    
 
"Mistress Cyrene, are there no men on your island?" asked Legolas, trying to change 
Cyrene's thoughts' path. The hurt he had heard and seen in her voice and eyes were 
enough to tell him that she missed her people and felt herself as a stranger on Middle 
Earth. 
 
Cyrene looked to the elf. She knew where the question was leading, as she had answered 
that question many times before to the few that had actually dared to ask it.  She knew 
about the horrendous tales told among men about amazons. 
She sighed: "No, Master Legolas, there are no men living among the amazons. Our law 
forbids it." She didn't explain further, she wanted to see if the elf dared to ask what he 
wanted to know. 
 
Since the elf didn't dare, Gimli asked. "Then how do you err…well … keep your race 
alive?"  
 
 "When our sisters reach their womanhood, they are sent to the outside world to mate. 
They might go to the outside world as often as they wish." 
 
"What happens to the male children born from this ... "mating"?" Legolas knew that men 
didn't give to the physical bonding the importance elves did, but the sole word "mating" 
brought the sexual act to the level of animal reproduction.  He felt repulsed, but that 
feeling didn't tamper his attraction to Cyrene. The contradiction made him feels upset 
with him. 
 
"Male children are brought up in the outside world.... There is a village where...." started 
the amazon, but was interrupted by the outraged elf: "So those children are punished to 
grow up in exile only because they are male?" 
 
Cyrene was angry. Here she was, trying to explain to this creature the rules of the 
amazons and he dared to judge them without listening? This was too much to bear!  
"If the males turn out to be as stubborn and obnoxious as you, Master Legolas, then it's 
for the best that they don't bother the rest of the population on the island!" She had sat up 
and was glaring furiously at Legolas. 
 
Gimli felt almost like laughing. Where was the reserved, quiet Legolas he had known 
from their journey out from Rivendell? And what did happen to the friendly and soft-
spoken amazon they had met the night before? 
 
The elf fought the urge to grab the woman and pull her to him. Instead he sneered, "So 
the amazons just use the males for reproduction and pleasure, showing no respect what so 
ever for their wishes or feelings and then dispose of them?" 
 
Cyrene's eyes were slits flashing in anger, "Men just use women the same way, so why 
wouldn't we?  And how does the high and mighty elf dare to judge others? I thought that 
elves, especially male elves were creatures made up in tales to scare little babies!" 
 
At this point Gimli knew the discussion might get out of control, so he just added, joking, 
"Which babies? Male or female?" 
 
For a moment, amber and blue eyes were locked in silent battle, and Cyrene gave in to 
the relief of laughing.  Slowly, she started to giggle and as the laughter reached her eyes, 
Legolas felt like laughing too.  It was silly, but with the laughter that bubbled in the three 
friends at the campfire, tension seemed to float away into the sunlight streaming into the 
fortress bay.

VIII. 
It was already afternoon, when Gimli deemed it safe enough to let Cyrene sleep.  
Through the morning most of the archers who had fought beside them had walked to the 
place where they were camped to pay their respects to Cyrene. She had talked to each and 
every one of them, calling them by their name and smiling and making the effort to make 
them feel special. 
 
But the entire sitting up and smiling and pretending to be well had taken its toll on the 
amazon.  As she fell asleep leaning on a grain sack and still covered by Legolas' cloak, 
the dwarf walked over to her and softly pulled her down, until she was lying more 
comfortably on the floor.  
 
She had been sleeping for a short while, when a group of soldiers approached them, 
walking in the middle of them was Eomer, heir to the throne of Rohan.  
 
Legolas made a sign to Gimli to stay with Cyrene and met the group of men halfway. 
 
"Greetings, Marshall of Rohan. You fought well at a difficult battle."  
 
"Greetings Master Elf, I have heard wondrous tales about your skill on the battlefield.  I 
am here to see Cyrene." Eomer kept his tone civil but was upset to be intercepted on his 
way to see the amazon, more so as he saw her lying on the ground next to the dwarf and 
his concern for her well being grew. 
 
Legolas remembered vividly the scene between Eomer and Cyrene that he had walked 
upon in Edoras. And he understood Eomer's lack of patience for finding out if the woman 
was well, but Gimli and he had taken over the care of Cyrene, at least for the moment, 
and right now the beat up amazon needed her rest. 
 
"I am afraid Milord, you may not disturb her now. She is resting from her battle injuries 
and she was in sore need of sleep." 
 
Eomer felt anger and frustration rise. This Elf dared to stop him from seeing her! And for 
a moment he regretted having allowed her to join the army, but he also new there hadn't 
been a thing he could have done, short of locking her up in the dungeon, to keep her from 
doing what she wanted.  His newly discovered feelings for the amazon were raging inside 
of him. And there was Legolas again, intercepting him on his way to her side. Was she 
really that badly hurt?  But the archers had told him about her being well, only exhausted. 
He wanted to see for himself, his heart aching with the need to see her and making sure 
she would be fine. 
 
"What injuries are those you are referring to, Master Legolas? I lost sight from your 
group in the battle. I didn't know she was hurt." 
 
"She was hit in the head by an orc. A severe blow. But Mistress Cyrene kept on fighting 
until the end of the battle. She isn't hurting much now, but we kept her awake from dawn 
on to be sure she wouldn't fall into the "endless sleep" many men wounded in the head 
fall to.  She is resting now. " Legolas could read Eomer's thoughts in his face as clearly 
as if they were written on his forehead. And for a moment, he felt uneasy at the thought 
of the Marshall being close to Cyrene. Was it...Was it jealousy?" Legolas thought and 
shook his head almost imperceptibly at the thought. He couldn't be jealous about a 
woman he had met but days ago. He must be even more tired from the fight than he 
thought.  
"I want to see how she fares. Step aside, Master Elf."  Said Eomer. He was going to see 
her. 
 
Legolas stood his ground. He looked from Eomer to the soldiers around him and decided 
not to let them pass. 
 
"I am sorry, Marshall, but you may not." 
 
Eomer took a deep breath, as he sensed the tension growing in the men around him. Some 
even put their hands on their swords. The elf was unarmed. He knew of the Rohirrim's 
distrust of strangers, and who could be more foreign to them than the creature before him 
or the sturdy dwarf who was now standing in front of Cyrene's sleeping form?  
 
"May I come close and see her, Master Legolas? I won't disturb her sleep." 
 
Legolas turned to Gimli, whose hand was holding the grip of Cyrene's battle-axe as if 
measuring it. The dwarf nodded, imperceptibly for human eyes, but clearly for the elf's 
keen sight. 
 
Legolas turned to Eomer. "You may approach her, Milord Marshall, but please do it 
alone." 
 
Eomer turned to his entourage and made them a sign to stay behind.  
 
He stepped closer to where Cyrene lay, and Gimli gave him space to kneel next to the 
sleeping woman. 
 
She was sleeping on her right side, cuddled up in Legolas cloak. The bruise on the left 
side of her face was turning from black and blue to purple and yellow.  The rest of her 
face was pale, so much that her normally tanned skin seemed lifeless and the freckles on 
her nose stood out to the eye. There were also dark shadows under her closed eyes.  But 
she was sleeping peacefully; there was also a hint of a smile on her lips.  
Eomer fought the urge to smooth a tendril of hair from her face.  The elf and the dwarf 
were right.  She was fine now. 
But he wasn't leaving her with them.  She belonged to Eowyn, to Rohan, she belonged to 
him.  He stood up and turned to Gimli and Legolas and spoke.  
 
"She is not well and you cannot provide the proper care for her. She is a captain of the 
army of the Mark. She will be brought to the infirmary, there it will be seen to all of her 
needs." 
 
Legolas took a step toward Eomer, his hand resting on the dagger at his belt.  
 
"She only needs to rest now, Marshall, leave her alone. She has been taken care of."  
 
"You don't need to concern yourself further with Mistress Cyrene, Master Elf." 
 
"But she will remain with us until she wakes up and decides what to do." 
 
The argument was being held in loud and angry voices, both men trying to keep the 
appearance of civility but getting carried away by the each other's stubbornness.  Gimli 
put a hand on Legolas arm and motioned his head towards Cyrene, who was awake, 
trying to get up. As she accomplished it, she staggered slightly and both, Legolas and 
Eomer wanted to help her but she didn't let them close. She gained her balance and 
looked at both, fury raging in her eyes. 
"It seems that men around me have forgotten that I am my own and not some kind of 
property to be fought over.  If it pleases you both to continue your argument, do so. But 
look for another object for your quarry.  I am returning to my company of archers." 
 
She received her bow from Gimli's hands and smiled brightly at him, then turned around, 
and leaning on her bow she strode past Legolas, Eomer and Eomer's soldiers, ignoring all 
of them, headed towards the tents of the army set on the other side of the bay.     
 
 
After Eomer and his men had left, Legolas had sat down across Gimli and was glowering 
at the dwarf.  "She should have stayed here. We are her comrades in arms, we fought at 
her side and we took care of her." 
" But she has lived for a long time in Edoras, Legolas.  The Marshall thinks he has some 
rights where she is concerned" reasoned Gimli "And Eomer and you where arguing about 
her as if she were … hmmm … cattle?" 
 
Legolas blushed. Gimli was right, and assuming Cyrene was as proud as the amazons 
were told to be, he had insulted her and her independence. If he treasured her friendship, 
he had behaved like an utter fool, no matter what his intentions had been. And he still 
wasn't sure about his intentions towards Cyrene. 
 
Gimli observed his friends face, and even though he couldn't read the elf's thoughts, he 
knew that Legolas thoughts weren't far away, at least not outside the fortress walls, but 
most likely with a female archer captain. 
  
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WARNING: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE RATED R !!!!!!!