OF FIRE AND WOOD
Chapter 1 – The Approach of a Fiery Storm
A/N: So, before you proceed to reading this story, there may be a few important things to mention: I'm writing this story according to the movies, plus I've done some background "research" on things that were not mention there. However, I'm no die-hard Tolkien fan, so if you find something in here that wouldn't be quite right in the Tolkien universe, constructive critisism is highly appreciated! Also, I stick with the canon of TTT and ROTK and only added a few bits and pieces of my own – basically I tried to change as little as possible. That's about it, so now without further rambling, here comes the story!
A young woman came out of a small house on the periphery of Edoras, a washing basket full of fresh laudry under her arm. It was a day like any other; men were going about their work, mending shoes, forging iron, cutting wood. Women had their own daily duties, but many of them gladly took a break to watch their children running to and fro and playing in the fresh air. To the common folk of Edoras, life had been relatively peaceful even in the light of recent events. Still, they were scared of the dark powers of Mordor and their deadly raids and thanked Eru that they yet haven't been forced to taste their unleashed hunger for destruction.
She felt it too; in the gentle breeze that was blowing through the vast plains of Rohan, in the whisperings of trees, in the sad twittering of birds at dawn. Times were changing and a storm was coming upon them. A storm so fierce she felt a shiver run down her spine everytime she thought about it.
"Hey, Dáireann! How much more do we need?" called a young boy, approaching her house with hands full of chopped firewood.
"I think that's quite enough, Cináed. It should last for about a week." she smiled at the boy.
It has been quite some time since it was only the two of them living together. A strong man is always needed in a household, and Cináed, although he only turned ten last autumn, understood this and was ready to take that role. Dáireann appreciated this, and so both of them were able to keep their household running just like anyone else.
She watched him for a while, wondering how times could alter someone's personality. He always used to be joking, running around with the other children in town and although not forgetting his duties, he managed to have fun appropriate for his age. But since the news of a rising number of Orc attacks started to spread among the folk, the shadow that clouded their minds seemed to find its way even to his heart. He gradually grew more serious and started to behave more like an adult. He stopped going out with his friends, choosing instead to stay at home and help with whatever was needed.
Dáireann was troubled by this and tried to talk to him about it, but she always got the same answer: "These are no times to be playing in the backyard, sis." And from the look of his eyes she knew the child in him was already dead.
She was brought back from her musings when Cináed spoke again.
"Whoa, that's good to hear, I almost can't feel my arms anymore!" he gave a brief smile and turned to go inside. "I'm going to stack it next to the fireplace." he called over his shoulder.
Dáireann started to hang the laudry on a line as she noticed a small group of horse riders approaching Edoras from the plains. Her house was quite off the main road, but she managed to catch a glimpse of the strange group as they entered the city – a strange group indeed. She could swear she saw a Dwarf, and someone who very much resembled and Elf. Could it be? She has only heard of them in legends of old and never quite thought she would see them with her own eyes. As they made for the palace, Dáireann regained her concentration and began to hang the laundry once more, strange thoughts swirling in her head.
Soon the folk have got the news of King Théoden being saved from the spell Saruman had placed upon him. The joy over the return of the Rohirric king to his senses mingled with the sorrow over the loss of his only son, Théodred. Many of the townspeople readily offered their help with the upcoming funeral, out of respect for their ruler.
Even Dáireann was part of this. Occassionaly she worked as a maid in the palace, a kind of girl for everything. She was quite a skilled cook; she managed to pick up a lot since she was left to take care of Cináed alone. Now, together with some of the other maids, she was summonned to prepare the farewell dinner. They were told to keep it simple; the rumour had it that there was great danger coming over Rohan and the King couldn't afford to waste expenses, even if it was for the honor of his own kin.
The funeral itself was very simple. People cried, sobbed and lamented all around Dáireann. As Prince's body was brought to his tomb, Princess Éowyn started to sing a parting ballad. It was a beautiful song which would undoubtedly bring even Dáireann to tears, but her mind was elsewhere. She has spotted him in the crowd again, the Elf.
'So it really is an Elf.' she thought. She had imagined him quite differently. He was fair and handsome no doubt, but somehow, she thought the Elvenfolk to be nobler, striking with superiority towards mankind. Yet he seemed quite humble, human even, if it wasn't for his long fair hair and the pointed ears she so often heard about. Nevertheless, he drew a considerable amount of attention to him, being probably the first of his kind that the people of Edoras have seen in their lives.
The short ceremony and the farewell dinner with only a few invited guests went by quickly and Dáireann soon had to help with clearing away the dirty plates and other tableware. It was probably a hundredth time that she had to run up and down a long hallway leading to the dungeons where food for the royal family was stored. She carried a heavy bowl full of unused potatos back to the cold underground when she suddenly heard voices. She stopped at a backdoor leading to the main hall of Théoden King where they seemed to be coming from.
"…This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash." said a deep male voice.
Dáireann's breath stopped for a split second as she heard this statement. She had felt for a long time a growing unease inside her everytime she heard the news about Saruman's army of Orcs and their raids all over Rohan. She was no fool in thinking that Edoras would remain untouched, but she still harboured that tiny spark of hope that all of this would be solved before they had time to reach her city - and her.
"Open war is upon you, whether you risk it or not." said another man's voice.
In that exact moment, someone swiftly opened the small backdoor Dáireann was standing at and knocked the bowl with potatos out of her hands. The small round vegetables rolled on the floor in every direction. Shocked, Dáireann looked up only to see a look almost as surprised as her own, and for the first time in her life she saw an Elf so close she could easily reach him with her fingers.
Well, if you managed to come this far, I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to tell me your opinion!