Aelfwyn, Rider of Rohan.
Chapter1
Aelfwyn put on the armour she found in the weapons store near the front gates. It didn't fit her properly, and weighed her down, but she didn't care. The sword at her waist added to the weight, but again, she didn't care. Those still loyal to Rohan were banished from Edoras, by orders of the king. She knew better, it was Grima's doing. She was loyal to Rohan. So, she decided that she would be banished as well.
Mounting her horse, Hildstune, she rode off from Edoras, leaving her family behind. The helm on her head was low enough that no one would know that she was a woman. The only clue was her waist-length hair, but she had bound it up in plaits and tucked it in to her jerkin.
She galloped hard for a week, heading North. In the distance she saw Eomer's company, the best of the Rohirrim. Her aim was to find them and fight for her country.Finding them had been easy, to get them to accept her is what worried her. The riders had stopped to make camp. She rode up to it and dismounted.
"Hey!" Someone yelled. She froze and turned to the voice. A man in armour approached her. "What's your name?" He asked suspicious of this stranger
She hesitated, gathering up her courage. The last thing he wanted was to be sent back home in disgrace.
"Speak."
She thought a moment. "Aelfhelm," she said dropping her voice an octave.
He stared at her with a searching gaze "Take off your helm." He commanded.
Oh no, I can take off my helm, he would know that I'm a woman for sure. She thought. Slowly she reached up to take off her helm. She remembered that she had a scar going down the side of her face, that would help a bit, but not much. She pulled off her helm. She lowered her brows hoping that also would help convince him that she was a woman.
Eomer studied her, "How old are you?" he asked. She realized that he thought that she was young, not a woman.
I can't say I'm too old, but I can't be too young either, she thought to herself. "Seventeen."
"That's young. Can you fight?" Eomer asked.
She nodded. That was the only truth she was willing to tell as she took on her new identity in earnest . Her Father taught her and her sisters to fight, to protect them selves if their enimies came and no one else was around to save them.
"I suppose that you can join us," he said and walked off. "Ask one of the others if you can stay with them in their tents."
As she lead her horse to the picket lines, she sighed, That was easier than I thought it would be.