The characters belong to the estate of Professor Tolkien and New-Line Cinema. No money is being made form this story.
"But why can't I go?" Éowyn wailed at her big brother.
"You're too little and you're a girl" Éomer told her, ignoring the pout his four year old sister was giving him.
"Éomer hurry up!" one of the boy's companions urged
Éomer patted his little sister on the head, "Be good" he told her before turning and hurrying out of the door.
Her brother was supposed to be looking after her. Father was away with other riders of the mark and her mother had gone to help a woman who was having a difficult birth. Éomer however had been persuaded by his friends to go out riding with them – he knew he would get into trouble but it was preferable to having his compatriots thinking he was soft – and in any case he was sure Éowyn would be alright.
Éowyn sat down, her little hands curled into fists. An angry tear rolled down her cheek. She was capable of the most spectacular tantrums but it wouldn't do any good if no-one was about to see it. She decided that she would just have to follow them, but as they were going to ride she would need to get a horse. She went to the door of the house and looked out noting the direction her brother and his friends had taken then made her way to the stables.
It had been raining hard earlier and the ground was muddy, in her haste she slipped more than once, so that by the time she got there she was covered in mud.
Most of the men were out riding or exercising their mounts so the only horse left belonged to her uncle the King. She did not know her uncle that well but Éomer had told her several gruesome stories about what a fearsome warrior he was. Éomer said uncle cut people's heads off nearly every day and that the servants were always having to scrub the floors clean of the blood.
Notwithstanding Éowyn decided she would 'borrow' her uncle's horse. Helm was a magnificent beast, his jet black coat shone and his mane and tail were long. It did not occur to Éowyn to be afraid of the animal – she had been amongst horses all of her short life but she did have to figure out how to get on to him.
She climbed up the side of his stall and reached out to him. Curious, but not at all put out by the small mud-spattered creature, Helm sniffed the proffered hand. He hardly felt her as she clambered onto his broad back, then Éowyn realised she had not opened the gate to his stall and had to climb all the way back down again to release the catch.
As soon as she done so Helm trotted out and towards the open air paying no attention to the plaintive "come back at once!" issuing from Éowyn's lips. She chased after him and caught hold of halter but she was not strong enough to stop him and was dragged along in the mud.
Once of her uncle's men saw that the horse was lose and came over to investigate. He was most surprised to see a child; at least he assumed it was a child, hanging on to the halter. Whatever it was that had been trying to steal the King's horse was covered from head to toe in mud that was drying to a dark grey brown crust.
He picked up the mud child with one hand assuming that he was holding it the right way up since the sounds of protest were coming from the top end and led Helm back to his stall then took the horse thief to see the King.
"What have you got there Hamil?" Théoden asked as the man brought in his captive.
"A horse thief, my lord" Hamil replied depositing the squirming bundle at his King's feet.
Éowyn was now very afraid that she was going to get her head cut off – stealing horses was, she knew, a very serious crime.
Théoden raise a quizzical eyebrow.
"Indeed? And is the mud a disguise of some sort do you suppose? Come here child and tell me what you were doing."
Filled with trepidation but too afraid to disobey Éowyn approached her uncle. Théoden lifted her and set her on a bench by the table and sent a servant for a cloth.
"I was only borrowing him my lord" Éowyn explained "I was going to bring him back; please don't cut my head off!"
Théoden took the wet cloth and gently wiped away the worst of the mud from her face.
"I know your face" he said amused "Éowyn, where is your mother? And why would I cut your head off?"
"Mother's with the Lady Aradhil, she's having a baby" Éowyn explained and "Éomer said you cut heads off all the time but you won't cut mine off will you?"
"Did he now, and where is Éomer?"
Éowyn opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again she didn't want to get her brother's head cut off as well.
Théoden exchanged glances with Hamil.
"Find my nephew and bring him to me" he ordered and then as Éowyn began to cry he soothed her.
"Hush child I am not going to cut anyone's head off!"
"What are you going to do?" she asked still fearful.
"First of all I am going to get you bathed" he told her "and then I think we might have something to eat don't you?"
He smiled down at her and she grinned back, her tears forgotten. He sent for one of the female servants and gave her instructions to have the child bathed and put in clean clothes and while she was away Hamil came back with a rather sorry looking Éomer.
Théoden fixed his nephew with a stern gaze.
"Well boy what have you to say for yourself?"
Éomer licked his lips nervously.
He was saved from answering by Éowyn who was being ushered in by a maidservant.
"Éomer!" she cried joyfully and ran to him, then remembering who was there she turned to the King.
"You aren't going to cut his head of are you?" she asked fearfully.
Théoden caught Hamil's eye. The man was trying rather unsuccessfully not to grin.
"Your sister seems to have the idea that I am in the habit of cutting heads of fairly regularly" he said mildly. "Have you any idea where she might have got such a notion?"
Éomer flushed, he was feeling guilty enough about abandoning Éowyn and instead of being angry she had been glad to see him. He wondered exactly how much trouble he was in and if his parents would get to hear of it. He was also fairly certain that Théoden knew exactly who it was that had told Éowyn tales of beheadings.
Théoden turned to his niece.
"If you will excuse me for a few moments my Lady I need to talk to your brother. Hamil will get you settled at the table and I will join you shortly – Come Éomer."
Éomer followed his uncle out of the hall with some trepidation – he suspected that 'the talk' was going to be painful.
"Théoden led him outside where they could overlook the land outside the settlement.
"Tell me," he said "What do you desire to be when you are older?"
"I want to be a rider of the mark like my father." Éomer replied without hesitation.
"A noble sentiment" Théoden said nodding "and what qualities do you think my riders have to possess?"
"They must be brave and strong and skilled in weapons" Éomer said not seeing where this was going and wishing his uncle would just punish him and get it over with."
"There is something even more important" his uncle told him "a rider must be noble and honourable do you agree?"
"Yes my Lord"
"And was it noble and honourable to abandon your sister when she was placed in your care?"
"No sire" Éomer admitted hanging his head in shame, a lump was forming in his throat.
Théoden reached out and put his hand under Éomer's chin gently raising the boys head till he was looking into his eyes.
"Éomer" he said "You are of Royal blood and much is expected of you. You must remember this and act accordingly. You do not have the freedoms enjoyed by your companions do you understand."
Éomer looked into his uncle's eyes and saw both compassion and understanding he nodded.
"What must I do to make amends?" he asked humbly.
"You must promise me that you will look after your sister and not see her as a burden" Théoden told him "and we will say no more about this now come let us eat!"
Éomer heaved a sigh of relief.
"I have one more thing to ask of you however" Théoden said as he led his nephew back inside.
"Yes my Lord?"
"Do not tell your sister any more gruesome stories; there is enough fear in this world without her having to be concerned over me."
Éomer grinned.
"As you wish My Lord" he said bowing respectfully.