Fire and Ice
The day had been crisp and cold, but unthreatening enough. Though clouds gathered, the conversation was fair. But a sudden and unexpected snowstorm had risen against us as we passed through the Gap of Rohan. Harsh winter was not uncommon in the Westfold but this was weather unheard of so far south.
As the men debated turning back or pressing forward, the White Mountains to the south of us let go a giant fall of ice and snow and an avalanche cut a small group of weary travelers off from the rest the people of Rohan. Eowyn's small group was made up of Aragorn, his dwarf companion Gimli, the elf Legolas, and the young messenger boy, Eothan. They had tried to press forward. But the horses - including Eowyn's beloved Windfola - had succumbed to the cold.
As Legolas did his gallant best to protect Eowyn and the boy from the shattering icy winds, Aragorn and Gimli had forced a path through the snow to the small shelter a mountain cave could provide. Though free from the harsh winds, they had still been stung by the freezing temperatures.
"We have no hope but that of rescue," was Gimli's grim proclamation upon their predicament. Eowyn's glare silenced any more words that would cause fear to the child's ears, but in her heart she knew he had been right. They could go no further. Aragorn and Legolas could only find enough tinder on the icy slopes to start a weak fire. Its warming power would be brief. All other small provisions for the journey had been cut off from them along with their traveling companions.
The young boy Eothan would not last the night, Eowyn knew this for sure. He had not been well when they began this journey, which is why he rode with the White Lady. His journey to Edoras had taken much of his strength and continuing on to Helm's Deep was going to be a dangerous journey for him under even the best of weather conditions. But he was determined to go to Helm's Deep...his mother had promised to find him there. The cold and snow had caused the fever to overtake his body and what little life that was left in him was fading fast. Her fears were confirmed by the look in Aragorn's eyes as he laid his healing hands on the boy's fevered brow. Her heart would not allow her to meet the Ranger's concerned gaze for a moment longer, so she busied herself with making Eothan as comfortable as possible.
Leaning back against the shelter with the boy in her arms, Eowyn allowed herself one deep breath, no more. If she gave in, she would collapse and though her freezing body ached for sleep and her mind for oblivion she could not give in to those desires, not yet - how could she seek sleep and peace when this child still suffered in her arms? She stroked Eothan's face, and tried to speak to him. He was so beautiful this child, his eyes calm even in certain death. For he was dying, she could tell, she could hear it in each laboured breath, see it in the way his eyes seemed to look through her rather than at her. Words seemed beyond her.
She did not know how long she sat with him. She kept a hand on his cheek - she told him what a brave young man he was. She told him he would have a place by the fire in the halls of their fathers, though she hardly knew if that was true. She told him the people of Rohan would remember him forever. She asked him if his mama sang him to sleep at night and his slight nod caused her to search her brain for a favorite song from her own childhood. She remembered one her mother used to sing to her, about the beauty of Rohan. Softly, her beautiful voice filled the small confines of the shelter.
Land
of bear and land of eagle We will go home We will go home, singing our
song
Land that gave us birth and
blessing
Land that pulled us ever homewards
We will go home
across the mountains
We will go home
We
will go home across the mountains
We will go home...
