Lazy Day In Edoras
It was a lazy day in Edoras. Men groomed their horses while women swept their homes for want of anything better to do. Dogs lay sleepily in front of the houses, dozing in the sun, while children tried their best to find something entertaining to do.
"I'm bored!" young Theodred complained, swinging his legs off the edge of the porch of Meduseld.
"Me too," Eomer answered.
"Come play dollies with me!" little Eowyn pleaded, bringing one of her dolls to Eomer.
"Men don't play with dolls, Eowyn," Eomer answered.
"Why not?" Eowyn asked softly.
"Because they don't. Dolls are for girls."
"Daddy played dolls with me," Eowyn whispered.
"We could have a battle," Theodred quickly suggested, changing the subject. "Of course, you would have to be the orcs, Eomer."
"It's your turn to be the orcs! I'm always the orcs," Eomer groaned.
"I'm the prince! So I can be what I want! And besides, I've been the orcs lots of times!"
"But I want to play something too!" Eowyn interrupted. "And I don't like playing battle."
"Eowyn, isn't there something you could play by yourself?" Eomer asked, not unkindly.
"I want to play with you and Theo," she whimpered, looking at Eomer with her "puppy-dog" eyes. "But not battle!" she added quickly.
"Excuse me," Hama said, coming up behind them. "I couldn't help overhearing your problem and I think I have a solution."
"Yes, Hama?" Eomer asked.
"When I was a boy my brothers and sisters and I had a game we liked to play together. One person was chosen-"
"Can it be me?" Theodred asked quickly.
Hama chuckled. "Of course, Prince Theodred."
Eomer groaned.
" Now, this person was chosen to count."
"Count!" Theodred yelled in dismay. "All I get to do is count ?!"
Eomer laughed triumphantly at his cousin's fate, receiving a punch to the arm from Theodred.
"And while the counter closed his eyes the others would hide," Hama continued, smiling. "When the person chosen was done counting he or she would have to go find the others!"
"That sounds like fun!" Eomer said happily. "Let's do it!"
Even Theodred was warming up to the idea now. "Alright," he said. "Let's go!"
Hama smiled as the three children ran happily into Meduseld to begin their game.
"How high should I count?" Theodred asked.
"50!" Eomer exclaimed. "That way we'll have time to hide."
"50!" Theodred groaned. "It'll take forever to count to 50!"
Eowyn giggled. "Count fast," she suggested.
"Not too fast though!" Eomer added. "Ok, close your eyes and start counting!"
Theodred groaned again but he closed his eyes and began to count. "One, two, three, four..."
Eomer immediately ran to hide and Eowyn, still giggling, ran the other way. She ran down a long passageway with doors on both sides, trying all the doors, but finding each one locked, except for one. Still laughing and not paying attention she threw open the door and dashed in, but stopped immediately when she realized where she was.
Before her was a room completely empty except for one bed. On the bed was a single book, the bright sunlight shining on it from through a large window.
It was her mother's favorite room.
Eowyn slowly walked over to the bed and picked up the book. Tears slowly began to trickle down her cheeks as she hugged her mother's book to her chest. She sank to the floor under the window and cried, forgetting everything else. She cried long and hard, until she heard someone in the doorway. Looking up she gasped, for in the doorway, staring at her, was Theodred.
She could only stare back at him through her long blond hair which clung to her tear-stained face, afraid that at any moment her cousin would start laughing at her, but he never did.
In a couple long, quick strides Theodred crossed the room, kneeled down in front of Eowyn, and embraced her. He hugged her to him tightly and, relieved, she sank into his embrace and began crying again. When her crying subsided to an occasional sob Theodred whispered:
"I miss my mama too, Eowyn."
The young girl looked up at her cousin and saw, to her great surprise, that there were tears in Theodred's eyes.
"Theo, you can cry!" she exclaimed softly.
Theodred gave her a small smile. "Yes, Eowyn. I've cried a lot for my mama."
Suddenly Eowyn gasped. Theodred spun around on his heel quickly and saw, to his horror, Eomer standing in the doorway. Immediately Theodred stood up and wiped the "unmanly" tears from his eyes.
"Eomer, we just-" but he was not allowed to finish.
With tears in his own eyes Eomer walked quickly across the room and embraced Theodred. Then he took his sister's hand and pulled her into the hug as well. They stood there for many minutes until Eomer began talking softly.
"I know we all miss our mamas," he whispered, "but we can't just always be sad. They wouldn't want it, I know they wouldn't. They would want us to be happy."
"It's so hard when she's not here," Theodred whispered.
Eomer pulled out of the embrace and looked at Theodred. "I know," he answered. "But they're watching over us. And one day we'll see them again."
"Thank you," Eowyn whispered. "Both of you."
"Now, come on," Eomer said, picking up Eowyn. "We should be going. They'll all be wondering where we are." He then gently took the book from Eowyn and laid it on the bed.
"You know, I am glad that you two are here," Theodred said softly. "I've missed my mama so much, but now it doesn't seem as bad."
"I'm glad we're here too," Eomer replied.
"And me!" Eowyn said. "I'm glad we're here."
The three smiled at each other and then walked together out of the room.