Chapter 7

"Eowyn!" I woke up with a jerk and opened my eyes. I heard hard knocks on my chamber door. "Eowyn!" I heard that it was Eomer's voice. What did he want? I was sleeping…

"Mm." I groaned and half asleep turned in the bed. The door opened and Eomer came in. Fully dressed. I glanced out the window and saw that the moon shone outside. Wasn't everybody supposed to sleep at this hour of the night? "What is it?" I asked him angry, and sleepy. He better had a good explanation of waking me!

"He's here, Eowyn!" My brother looked really happy and pulled away the quilt so I shuttered by cold in my nightgown.

I hated my brother very much under those few moments…

"Who, Eomer?" I asked as I tried to take the quilt back from him.

"Theodred of course!" He looked at me as if I was stupid. How could I know that Theodred had come home? Our cousin had been gone for weeks and weeks because of a band of orcs near our borders. But he had promised us all to be here before his father's birthday celebrations.

"Why didn't you tell me that directly?" I irritated asked my smiling brother. I quickly got out of the bed and ran out of my room. I supposed that my cousin should be in the Golden hall with my uncle, so I headed that way.

"Eowyn!" I heard my brother shout after me. Then I heard him running after me. "Wait!" He shouted. But I didn't want to wait. I wanted to hug my dear cousin and then yell at him because he hadn't come home earlier. He would get a good beating; he had been gone far to long. My nightgown's fabric flapped around my bare legs and the torchlight cast long shadows after and before me. Soon I would be in the hall! Just a little further…

I should have listened to my brother…

I ran right into the hall of Meduseld and saw my cousin in front of me. He had his back turned towards me but I recognized him because of his height. Theodred was the longest person I knew.

I ran to him as I shouted: "Theodred!" He turned around when he heard my voice and I threw myself in his arms. He laughed though he tottered for my weight and nearly fell over. I laughed out of joy. My dear cousin was finally home! And he wasn't a day early. The celebrations of his father's birthday were going to start tomorrow. Theodred smelled of horse, sweat and, to my consternation, blood. I kissed him on his cheek and then said: "You stink of horse." He laughed and then pulled me out of his arms. Then I saw that it was not just Theoden that looked amused at us.

About twenty other men watched us, me in particular, and tried to hold their laughter. I felt a blush come to my cheeks; I must look like a little child in their eyes. I looked down because of the embarrassment and then saw what I was wearing, and not wearing. I was standing there in front of twenty men, soldiers, in my nightgown, with uncombed loose hair and bare legs. And I was supposed to be a Lady.

I smiled at the men and laughed embarrassed. I thought it was better to joke it away then be prudish and run out of their sight. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around. It was Eomer. He grinned at me and then gave me the cloak that he held in his hand. I swept it around me and mumbled: "Thank you."

"If you wait in the dining hall we can talk there later." Theodred said. I nodded and walked out of the hall with all the men's gazes in my back. Before I walked down the corridor towards my goal I turned around to see if Eomer was laughing at me. If he did it would be sorry for him. But my eyes didn't found his face. They only saw one person. Lord Faramir.

I hadn't noticed him before because of the joy that Theodred was back. I only saw Faramir's face in profile but I could see that he wasn't happy. That hurt me, I didn't know why, but it hurt me to see him unpleased. I felt as if it was my fault. He glared towards Eomer and Theodred that were laughing a little. Then he turned his head towards me. When our gazes met he looked surprised, he had probably thought that I would not stand there. In his eyes I saw kindness, and to my surprise, longing. His eyes were dark with desire. I was very surprised to see that feeling be expressed so clearly in his eyes. What was he longing for? Maybe to get me out of his sight…

I turned around and headed towards the dining hall once again. I felt Faramir's gaze in my back. And it felt nice, and safe.


I smoothed out my green dress one last time and then walked towards the throne. The hall of Meduseld was full up with people. Every single person in the city seemed to be in the hall. I silently walked towards the throne and stopped when I was behind it, on the left side. Then Eomer walked to his place, on the left side of the throne, right in front of me. Then Theodred went to the right side of the throne. It was custom that the heirs to the throne stood on the right side, and other relatives on the left side.

Then Theoden walked to his seat on the throne. When the King was just about to sit down everybody in the hall said: "Hail, Theoden King!" And bowed, or curtsied. King Theoden started to talk almost directly. I sighed and tried to concentrate on what he said. But I quickly found out that I couldn't.

I watched Theodred's back. He would one day be the King of Rohan. He would one day sit on the throne where his father sat today. I was glad about it. Theodred would be a good king. I thought of what he had told us yesterday, it hadn't been just one band of orcs, Theodred and his men had rode into four parties. It was a miracle that just about half of the men had fallen, and it was amazing that Theodred hadn't got injured. He could have died. He could have died before he had become king. I suddenly realized how easy we could die. Just an arrow and then we would be buried.

I suddenly felt very unpleased. I should not think about death now! Today was my uncle's birthday. Today I would enjoy life and not think of the past!

I started to rub my hands and anxious looked at Eomer's feet. I couldn't help it, the only thoughts that were in my mind were: "He could have died. That would have been a catastrophe!" Then I looked down at the crowd. They were so calm, all of them. None of them thought of death in this happy hour. They all listened to the King's wise words. Even Eomer wasn't moving a muscle. He just listened. Calmness filled the whole hall. What was wrong with me?

I wasn't calm at all. And I couldn't listen. All I thought of was death. I tried to listen to what my uncle said, but all his words just melted together to a big word-soup. I thought of my parents, they had left Eomer and me so early.

I felt that I needed comfort. I couldn't go on like this. I wanted to hug someone. I felt that something was missing in the hall, but I didn't know what. I felt tears burn behind my eyes. I fixed my gaze on Eomer's neck and hoped that it would calm me. It didn't. His long blond hair only reminded me of my mother and father. They were dead. And they would never come back. Never.

I wanted to scream. I had never before felt so clearly that I couldn't control anything. So many people was dead, they were in the ground. People were killed right in this moment!

I looked down on the crowd. The Lords and Ladies of Rohan stood on the front rode, on my right side. They looked so lovely, like they hadn't any problems at all. And I didn't know if it was true, because I didn't know anyone of them. It was only the royal family of Rohan that lived in Edoras. The rest of the Lords and Ladies were spread out in the country.

I let my gaze wander away and suddenly caught site of Lord Faramir. He stood on the front rode, almost right in front of Eomer. He wore blue clothing, with the white tree of Gondor on the front, and a black cloak. He looked up at the king and had his hands behind his back. I watched him and suddenly felt more at ease. Then I felt a strange, and wonderful complete, feeling in my body. Why had I thought of death? I had so much to live for!

I watched Faramir as he stood there and listened, I didn't take my eyes of him. I wanted to have this wonderful feeling left in my body, and I feared that if I looked away then it would disappear. I gazed at his face. He looked interested and pleased, his kind gray eyes were fixed at my uncle and he smiled a little. Hisbrown-red hair covered a small part of his face, and it was charming. I smiled. I had never thought of him as handsome before, but he was. You could really see his muscles under his clothing's fabric. Because of that women in Gondor surely thought of him as a good match, and because he was the steward's son. He was a good match, for me also.

Then I realized what I was thinking. Me? Marry Lord Faramir? The thought almost made me laugh. I didn't feel any special feelings towards Lord Faramir. Or did I?

I suddenly noticed that Theoden had stopped talking. But he soon started again, and believe it or not, I heard what he said! "The celebrations will last under two days and nights." He said. "Today the best rider in Rohan will be rewarded with the Golden Helmet. And in the evening the bravest soldiers of Rohan and their families will be granted all the food and ale that they can get down!" Applause suddenly filled the room. Faramir also applauded and his hands seemed to move in slow motion as I watched them.

"On the next day of celebrations, tomorrow," my uncle continued, "there will be a huge bale where everybody who have been invited shall be present. That bale will last the whole day and night." More applause. Faramir started to smile and I suddenly became quite warm inside. I startled as I thought of what I felt. I had never felt like this when I had looked on a man before. It was not like me to feel like this. Maybe I liked Faramir more then I never should confess to myself. I had heard maidens talk about what they felt when they were in love. They had felt happy, excited and safe near that person. And like they could do whatever they wanted. Did I feel like that around him? "And then on the morning of the third day…"

But I didn't hear what Theoden was about to say about the morning of the third day, because I gazed right into a pair of gray eyes.

Faramir still had his smile on his face when he met my eyes with his. The smile slowly faded away and we just stood there and stared into each other's eyes. Butterflies started to fly around in my stomach. I started to smile. He started to smile as well. I stared into his smiling eyes and felt so wonderful. He always made me feel wonderful. He was wonderful. I started to blush. But I didn't care. I only cared about him. Faramir.

I was in… in… in a very strange situation!


I settled down on the bench next to my uncle. He smiled and took my hand. I smiled back at him before I looked down over the plain. It was an ocean of horses and riders down there, about a hundred riders. Soon the ultimate race would start, where the best rider in Rohan should be appointed. Everyone who wanted could be part in the race; the demand was just that you were a man, had a horse and were over sixteen years old. I had gladly been one of the riders, but I was a woman, so it wasn't possible.

The rules were simple: all the riders' rode on the same time, and their goal was to ride round the city wall of Edoras one time. It was a very long race, so I didn't thought that Eomer would win. He would surely do his usual mistake. Both he, Theodred and Faramir would be part in the race.

One funny thing about the race was that you didn't know which horse you should ride on. All the men that would ride the race left one horse each in an enormous enclosed pasture, of course some men wrote up which horse who belonged to which rider. Then, right before the race would start, the men were given one horse each. And that was the horse that they rode in the race!

I searched for familiar faces in the lump of horses and riders, but without success. I took a deep breath and waited. It was my uncle who would start the race, and he did it by hitting a bell. He should do it when he was informed that all the riders where ready, which should happen soon.

I looked around me. The sun shone and it was very warm. The tent behind us gave us shade and I was very thankful for that. The wind was as strong as usual, but I didn't thought of that as a bad thing. It was always nice with a cooling gust in your face. But the Ladies who sat a little bit beside us didn't seem to think the same.

"I wish that it wasn't so cold here. The wind is so cold and hard." They said all the time. All they talked about was the weather. They didn't even seem interested about the race, which was soon to begin. I could here some horses snort and I turned my attention to the riders again.

A single rider was galloping up the hill towards us. "All the riders are ready, King Theoden." He said when he reached us.

"Very well then." My uncle answered and rose. He walked to the bell and was given the hammer. I smiled as he drove it right on to the bell. The sound the bell produced was very high but it almost directly mingled with the sounds of snorting and neighing horses, and of course the sound of hoofs hitting the ground.

My uncle walked back to his grand chair and sat down. He directly joined me in my watching of the horses' movements. It was always so exiting to watch on a competition!

I followed the lump of horses that started to get thinner in the front. I wondered where my brother and cousin were in the race, and where Faramir was. Were they in the front line or in the middle? Or were they the three last riders? But that wasn't really likely…

I watched the horses, which had become small dots, when they started to disappear behind the other side of the city. I sighed as the last dot disappeared and waited. The riders had to ride round the whole city before we could see them again. I could here the horses' rumble still, and I knew which thought that was in every rider's head: "I will be the winner!"

The race had had many, many winners, and every single one had been given the Golden Helmet. It was a helmet with a horse head on. Of course the horse head was of gold. If it hadn't been of gold then it hadn't been called the "Golden" Helmet. It was a great honor to win the race. The winner became a Lord and was given a hero's reception, even the simplest peasant. And if the one who had won wasn't married, well then…

I believe that you can figure out what the women thought of the winner, and offered him…

The horse that had won was also praised, and it was also suddenly worth quite a bit. And if it was a stallion, which is almost always was, he suddenly got many mares to get friendly with…

In the royal stable of Rohan we had about three horses that had won the race. One of them, Windgust, had my uncle sat on when he won the race almost twenty years ago. Theoden's present horse, Snowmane, was one of Windgust's many, many offspring.

Round the whole city, people stood and cheered. They cheered at their sons, brothers, fathers and husbands. They all knew what they wanted. I wish that I knew what I wanted. The last week had not been as any other week in my whole life, and I knew that I had changed. I didn't know if it was for the better. But I knew that I had felt feelings I had never felt before.

I had spent a lot of time with a man that wasn't in the family. Faramir. He had been accompanying me at every sunrise and sunset I had watched, and on the days also. We had talked very much, I could talk about anything with him, he always understood. He always looked so kind and impressed at me; like I was someone he really adored. I got warm inside when I thought of it. No one had ever been so kind to me as he had been. He always was so kind and, well, wonderful to me. And yesterday, he had looked with desire on me…

I thought of the question I had asked myself earlier today. Did I feel like I could do anything when I am around him? Did I feel happy, excited and safe around him? Did I? Was I in love with Faramir? I had to be honest to myself.

But I didn't know, not right now. "I may only know when I am in his arms." I thought and then spent a few minutes to play up all the moments we had been alone together in my mind. But then I noticed that a few horses and riders (dots) were visible again and I pushed all thoughts of Lord Faramir and me aside.

It seemed to be a tight fight between a few riders. I hoped that Eomer was one of them. Then I could be really proud of him, and praise him like Faramir had done about his brother, Bronomir. At least I thought his name was something like that. Bronomir, that was a nice name…

I know now that his name is Boromir. I will never forget that. But the name Boromir wasn't important to me then. It is now…

I fixed my eyes at the leading dot and saw how it came closer and closer. Soon I could discern that it was a brown horse. But after it a white horse were galloping really fast… Had Eomer rode a brown or white horse? Had Theodred? I swallowed. Had Faramir? How ironic it should be if someone that wasn't living in Rohan won the race. Then our image as the best horse lords in the world should be ruined…

The white horse won and some men blew in their horns to announce that the race had a winner. The winner dismounted his horse and then started to go up the hill towards my uncle and I. The rider knew that it was the King that should give him his reward. His horse cantered behind him and as they came closer I saw that both of them was about to fall to the ground because of exhaustion.

I had never seen the rider before. But he was a man of the Rohirrim, he had long blond hair and was quite long. He smiled at my uncle and me as he kneeled before the King. Theoden rose and were given the Golden Helmet. Then my uncle started the ceremony: "What is your name, you greatest of all horse lords?"

"Georling, my King."

"And what is the fastest beast in the land called?" My uncle continued and glanced at the big white horse behind Georling.

"Shadowfaxe he is called, King Theoden."

"Georling, I now announce you as the best rider in the land by giving you the Golden Helmet." Then he put the helmet on the winner's head and then turned to the beast behind him. He patted the horse on his neck and then slightly bowed. "Shadowfaxe, I bow to the mightiest horse in the land…"

Then the ceremony was over and Georling rose. Then he and the King went to the edge of the hill. "Behold Lord Georling!" Theoden shouted as high as he could.

Everybody started to cheer and applaud: "Georling! Georling!" Everybody shouted and the winner put hisarms in the air. I cheered and applauded as well. But then I noticed that Eomer, Theodred and Faramir were walking up the hill towards us and I smiled at them instead of cheering. I could easily see that the race hadn't gone as planned for Eomer, he shook his head and didn't look too happy at all. Theodred looked pleased with his effort and I wondered as which number he had rumbled through the goal.

Faramir had a big smile on his face and I noticed that he tried to catch my gaze with his eyes. I suddenly became very nervous. I knew that I liked him, and that he liked me very much to. But I didn't know anything else then that. I didn't know if he just wanted to be my friend or if he spent his time making up scenarios where he and I kissed and rolled around on the ground. I didn't know anything!

Though that last thought suddenly seemed quite nice…

The three men bowed in front of the winner and my uncle, and then they came towards me. Faramir still tried to catch my gaze; it almost seemed like he wanted me to look at him…

"I'm embarrassed, sister!" Eomer said and took my hands in his and then stared at them. "I didn't won!" He looked in my eyes with played sadness and disappointment in his own. I tried to hold my laughter and patted him on his head.

"Maybe next time, brother, you will have more luck." I said and then sighed and hugged my smiling brother. I glanced at Faramir for a short moment and got really scared. His usual warm gray eyes were dark of jealousy and it seemed like he could kill somebody. I quickly got out of Eomer's arms and turned to my cousin. "How did it go for you, cousin?" I asked.

"Around fifth place or something like that." Theodred answered and smiled. I hugged him and laughed.

"That wasn't so bad." I said. I didn't dare to look at Faramir, I was afraid that I would see a demon, or something like that. When I pulled away from my cousin's arms he laughed and said:

"No it wasn't so bad, but Lord Faramir here won over us all." I looked surprised at Faramir and then back at Theodred. "He was about to win when that silver arrow came rumbling past him. He had that brown horse, you maybe saw it..."

I smiled at the Lord next to my cousin and couldn't hide my surprise. "I didn't thought that you such a splendid rider, my Lord!" I laughed and then wondered what I should do. Should I hug him? Of course I should hug him! I hadn't hugged him before, but I knew him good enough to kiss him, so a hug wasn't improper or anything like that.

I took a little step towards him and then let my arms embrace his shoulders. He took me in his strong arms and suddenly I was aware of that we were very, very close to each other. I felt those butterflies in my stomach again, and I felt his strong body against mine, and it was nice. He smelled sweat and, Faramir. It was a pleasant smell.

"Congratulations." I said and was about to pull out of his embrace. But he didn't let me go!

He just held me tighter and whispered in my ear:

"Thank you." To hear his soft voice in my ear almost made me faint and I felt my knees go weak. He held me in his arms a moment longer, and it seemed like it was forever. Then he released me from his embrace and I took a step back.

I looked at him and smiled. He smiled back. His smile was the same that he always smiled towards me, but now I felt more then knew that it was a smile that he had never smiled towards somebody else.