. stand at the water’s edge,” he mumbled.“Nonsense, you worked up a sweat climbing the mountain, come and cool off for a while. You don’t have...anything that I haven’t seen before.”He considered for a moment, then did as she asked, walking a short distance behind her so that she couldn’t watch and shedding his clothes. He stripped down to his loincloth, not willing to go fully nude, and quickly slipped into the water a few feet to her left. He gasped as the cold liquid touched his feet, sliding. I don't know Anne well, but she seriously loves him you know. She'll fight you if she has to, I think."Later that evening the object of these deliberations was at home, sitting in his recliner, staring at the wall, unseeing.Stan had opened up a drawer in his bedside cabinet and pulled out some papers, looking for some headache pills. What he'd found was an old photograph.Of Caron.The woman in the picture looked in impossibly good health, looking over her shoulder towards the camera as she was. Small gains, but a tremendous boost to morale.Marie had not really noticed before, but another concession had been made. A second horse had been left behind by the other warriors! It was one they had taken from the Owens homestead, one Marie was used to riding!Now it looks like I am in for a sore butt along with everything else, thought Marie, but it beats walking!They mounted and rode out, in trail. Marie understood she would get nowhere, naked and burdened with a newborn, if she tried to. .. we thank you for leading our people to safety.” She looked like she was barely holding back tears.“I’m but a fellow traveler on this road. Is there aught I can do for you?”She hesitates. There’s something she wants, yet fears, to say.“Lady Éowyn, you need not trouble ... I mean, you have so many to worry about...”“So many for whom nothing I could possibly do matters, save that there might at last come an end to this war ... and that outcome is beyond my current charge. The days will bring.