Banished

By Hasufels

Hasufels@excite.com

My question? When Gandalf leads the Rohirrim into battle at Helm's Deep there is obviously more that the 105 riders who were with Éomer. So where did the other riders come from? Here I've tried to balance the numbers a little. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Me, I'm just a happy young adult who likes writing. As this is fan fiction, obviously I'm a fan. No profit is made by this so you have no reason to sue me. If you do want to sue me, you will not get anything out of me, what you will get however is a lot of unnecessary paperwork. So save the trees and don't sue.

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Banished By Hasufels Hasufels@excite.com

My company are those who are loyal to Rohan, and to its King. For that we are banished.

Éomer stared at the pinched features of Wormtongue in shock. Banished! Banished for Rohan. All around him men hurried to tack up horses. Wives and children were crying and pleading with the men.

"I will not stay and do nothing." Éomer heard Eothain say to his wife. "It is what Théodred would have bade us do."

"Théodred's dead!" Elsaria cried.

"Do you want the Orcs to attack Edoras? All the borders are unguarded, the Orcs are free to do as they please."

That silenced the distressed woman.

"Éomer is young, but he was trained by Théodred. In Théodred I trusted, and now in Éomer I trust."

The last statement cinched it. Éomer would lead the men in honor of Théodred. Éomer led Firefoot from the stables fully saddled in his war gear.

"Éomer. Éomer wait." Éomer turned to see his sister running towards him.

"Éowyn, I am banished. Forever." Éomer told her.

"I know, I saw." Éowyn said. "Here, Halén bid me to bring this to you." Éowyn pressed a bag of food into his hands.

"Thank you." Éomer secured the food to his saddle.

"Oh Éomer, what are I going to do?" Éowyn cried flinging her arms around her brother. Éomer held her tightly.

"If the worm gets too much for you, Snowstorm is corralled in the valley near the spring. Her tack is there too. Háleth is caring for her." Éomer whispered into his sister's ear. "Snowstorm will find me if the need arises."

"What is she doing there?" Éowyn asked.

"Théodred and I used her for scouting when we were forbidden to. Our own horses are to obvious to take out so we used her instead of turning her out in the Western Herds." Éomer explained.

"GO ON. GET OUT!"

Éomer and Éowyn broke apart.

"I love you Éowyn, no matter what happens." Éomer said as he swung up onto his stallion's back.

"And I you, with all my heart." Éowyn replied.

"Never forget the Storm." Éomer reminded her, moving Firefoot away.

"We ride for Théodred!" Éomer shouted leading the men out of Edoras.

"For Théodred!" The 190 men echoed Éomer's shout as they followed him out.

"Take care, Hâma." Éomer said as he passed the doorwarden, who had been good friends with Théodred. Normally Éomer relished in the pounding of near two hundred sets of hooves following his lead, but this time was different. This time they had been banished for doing the right thing.

The men who ride with him consisted of the 120 riders of his own house. The remaining 70 riders were from Théodred's own éored. There had originally been 120 but 50 had perished in the battle at the Fords of Isen alongside Théodred, crown Prince of Rohan.

After putting a few hills between themselves and Edoras, Éomer ordered the riders to halt. Elfhelm pulled his own mount up beside Firefoot. Eothain halted on Éomer's other side.

A short discussion resulted in the decision that Elfhelm would take the remaining riders from the deceased Second Marshal of the Mark's éored and patrol the herds that roamed the Mark. Éomer had pulled all the horses and people out of the East-Mark so some of the herds already had some protection but there were still thousands of horses that needed protecting in the darkening times.

At the same time, Éomer would take his full éored and patrol the boarders, as well as hunt the down the Orcs that had slain Théodred.

"Come." Éomer shouted to his men, at the same time wheeling Firefoot around. "Let us hunt some Orc!"

"Yeh." 120 men shouted as they kicked their horses into a gallop to follow the great grey stallion Firefoot.

"We ride north!"

The End.