Eofer feels the heavy weight around his waist lift suddenly and he looks down. His purse has been cut, and he curses. He raises his head and looks around the crowded market of Edoras. He sees a black robed figure darting towards an alleyway and powers after the tiny figure. Eofer shouts out and begins to shove his way through the crowd after the bandit. He knocks over a cart filled with jewelry from Gondor. His long strides mean that he gains on the thief quickly. A scared face turns towards him and the little criminal speeds up. Suddenly the light changes and he understands they are running through the alleyways. He struggles to keep the bobbing head in sight as they shoot around corners and through tiny streets. Eofer distantly registers the tiny shacks and the tall men that stand on the corner, looking at him warily. He is in the iermd- It is notorious for fighting and extreme poverty. The head suddenly vanishes and he realizes the thief has tripped. In four strides he has caught up with the small bandit and he grabs the back of the robes and grabs the purse.
'What do you think you are doing?' his deep baritone voice echoes round the dark street, as Eofer shoves his face and looking into a pair of bright purple eyes. His own green eyes widen as he sees a terrified small boy.
'What do you think you are doing?' asks another voice and Eofer whips round. Another boy is squaring up to him, his thin frame braced for a fight. A scar carves up his haggard expression. A girl stands behind him, her head bent but her eyes burn as they look at him with a mixture of fear and anger. He takes in her appearance. Her dress is torn and filthy and she wears no shoes. None of the three do. He suddenly understands as he looks at their matching features that they are siblings.
Eofer as he looks at them and he knows what to do. He throws the boy over his shoulder and begins to walk away easily deflecting the punches and shouts of the brother as he sets off for home.
XXXXX
"IT'S HOT!" howls the little boy as Eofer plunges him into the bath. He ignores the little boy and begins to scrub him with all the gentleness of an angry oliphaunt. Under the rough care the boy's true shape begins to emerge. Eofer hauls him out the bath and took a good look at him. He has the palest skin Eofer had ever seen and nut brown hair. He is painfully thin and had several scars and abrasions. Eofer grabs a bottle of Witch Hazel from the shelf and begins to rub them onto his wounds. The boy adopts a tense stance and stares into the distance but Eofer can see the tears filling his eyes. Eofer finally finishes and wrestles the child into dark breeches and a long green tunic.
"Can I go?" asks the boy, quietly.
Eofer looks at him in surprise.
"Go where?" he replies incredulously.
"Home." States the boy looking longingly at the door.
Eofer gives him a look of pure shock. Then resignation overcomes his feature.
"Look, son, you stole my purse. I caught you. You should be hanged. But I saved you from that. So you owe me a life debt."
The little boy pales.
"A-a life debt?" he stutters.
"Yes. So you will become my page and be trained to be a noble Rohir. Which, seeing what you were living in, isn't too bad."
There was a sudden crash from behind them and Eofer feels a cold blade to his side.
"Let's go." A gruff voice says. The blade is quickly slices into him and he feels the sharp pain.
The boy is tossed out of the window and a cloaked man jumps out after. The third figure reaches out to be lifted up but the window is slammed shut. The figure looks up at him in fright and Eofer looks back in shock.
The figure is a girl and she is dressed in men's clothing.