Chapter 8
Melody could understand why all of Eowyn's maids had quit, the eighteen year old was horrid. Melody finally began to understand how things in Rohan worked and could finally speak common tongue, with only her accent telling others she was foreign. If it hadn't been for Melody's fast reflexes and the fact that bugs and snakes didn't scare her-she lived in the wood for three years for Pete's sake!-then the past two months would have killed her.
During the first week in Meduseld, Melody had gone to the healers to have them look at her leg, they were stumped on how her leg was healing so fast, especially after the description of the attack given to them from Eomer. They had at first predicted that the injury would take two months to heal, but strangely it took only one month. Melody didn't really think about how it healed to fast, she was just glad she could walk normally, without pain.
Once Melody could speak common, she once again had an interview with the king. This time she got more in depth about her time in the woods, but kept her arrival to herself, and instead told the king that her family was killed by Orcs. Although the king had said she was going to be a healer, Eowyn had asked if Meoldy could remain her lady-in-waiting, and who was Melody to refuse royalty?
She walked through the halls, folded dresses in her arms. She stopped in front of a door and knocked.
"Lady Eowyn! It is time to dress, may I enter?" She waited a second for a response, but none came. She tried again. "Lady Eowyn?!"
"You may enter!"
Melody raised an eyebrow at the rushed response, but shrugged and opened the door. "I have your clothes-" She looked up as the sound of wood moving caught her attention. Her eyes widened when a bucket of unknown substance fell. She dropped the dresses and dived out of the liquids way. She stood up quickly and her eyes widened again as a large log attached to the ceiling by a rope came soaring towards her. She jumped up and grabbed the top bar of the canopy bed and swung forward and onto the top of the bed. When the log stopped swinging she jumped down and picked up the dresses she had dropped. She stood back up and turned to face the shocked Eowyn. Melody acted as if nothing happened, being used to this kind of treatment from the younger girl and spending most of her times avoiding Eowyn's pranks. She had also grown up avoiding pranks from her brother and bratty cousins.
"Lady Eowyn, I have the dresses you told me wash and placed your riding clothes in your wardrobe while you were sleeping. Your horse is saddled and you can pick up your breakfast on the way out. I will send someone to clean the spill." Melody placed the clothes on the bed and left
I wonder how she got that log in there.
"Melody!"
Melody turned. "Yes, Lady Eowyn?"
"How did you do that?" She demanded, hands fisted.
"I was in gymnastics for 18 years, and when one grows up avoiding pranks and obstacles, it tends to came in handy." She answered, face blank.
Eowyn looked confused. "What is, jim...nastecs?"
"Gymnastics." Melody corrected. "It's physical exercises designed to develop and display strength, balance, and agility."
Eowyn was silent for a second. "Show me."
Melody gave a surprised look. "Pardon, My Lady?" Why didn't I just let the water hit me, at least I'd be by myself, how I like it.
"Show me." Eowyn repeated. "I want to see what type of style this, Gymnastics, is."
Melody sighed. "Please move aside."
For once Eowyn took an order from a maid. Standing near the wall, she watched Melody intently. Melody backed up and took a deep breath, shaking her hands. She hiked up her skirt, revealing the pants she was wearing underneath, and took another breath.
"Okay, this is a front tuck." Raising her arms she jumped up and swung them backwards, grabbing her knees and doing a high front flip. She landed on her toes, knees bent and arm stretched out in front of her.
Eowyn raised a surprised eyebrow, but otherwise didn't look impressed as she did before. "That's all you can do?"
Oh God, she's worse than the girls from my high school! Melody thought, inwardly wincing. "No." She said with no emotion. She stood up straight and backed up again, rolling her shoulders and shaking her arms. She rolled her head and took a deep breath. Running forward she did a cart wheel, turning into a number of back flips and finishing with a back tuck. When she landed she continued going down until she was doing the splits.
"That was amazing." Eowyn said, eyes wide, excited smile on her face.
The 27 year old's lip twitched and she stood up slowly. Those muscles are going to hurt tomorrow, that's what I get for showing off. She nodded.
"Thank you, Lady Eowyn. Now I must depart, there are chores to be done."
As Melody walked away, singing joyfully on the inside, looking forward to sitting by the fire, reading one of the books Elfhelm had given her on the history of middle earth. Elfhelm, had become somewhat of a father figure towards Melody, and had been kind enough to help her learn to read, no matter how embarrassing it was to feel stupid for having to learn what she learned in kindergarten all over again at the age of 27.
"Melody!"
Melody felt like throwing a tantrum, the day for Melody was getting worse and worse. Turning she forced a polite smile. "Is there something else?"
Eowyn nodded, looking to be fighting herself. "Yes, I want you to teach me gymnastics."
Melody remained silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, but no."
"What?!" Eowyn said surprised. "You're refusing me? You can't do that!"
Melody gave her a sharp look. "I can't? Lady Eowyn, I may be your maid, but I'm not your slave. I do not have to teach you anything, and I don't think you can do it."
Eowyn narrowed her eyes. "Are you questioning my strength?"
Melody ignored the fearful chill that climbed up her spine at Eowyn's icy tone. Melody stood to her full height, trying copy Eowyn's stance.
"It is not your strength I am questioning. You are a very strong and beautiful woman Lady Eowyn, but do not think that you can have all you want, whenever you want it."
"I am strong, that is enough!"
"That's not enough!" Melody yelled. Eowyn took a step back as Melody suddenly got a different air about her. The blank look in her eyes had faded, replaced by a fire Eowyn had only seen in a warrior's eyes.
Glaring, Eowyn stood up straight. "Listen to me-"
"No! You Listen! You think you're strong and that you can do whatever you want, but you can't! To everyone else you are perfect, but I can see what you really are. You're a scared little girl who wants to be respected and loved by her people. What you don't realize is that you can't order people to respect you, you have to earn it. And by what I've learned about you over the past two months, you are just a spoiled child!"
Eowyn shook her head. "What would you know?! You don't know how hard it is!"
Melody grabbed Eowyn's shoulders. "You think I don't know hardships? I was ripped away from my family, thrust into a strange place, and constantly attacked. I used skills I already knew and improved them, I only fought to survive, and I will not teach you what I worked hard to gain so you can pretend to be a warrior!"
Eowyn pulled away from Melody angrily. "I don't want to pretend. I want to learn to fight to prove that I am brave and need no man's protection! I promised my mother that I would be strong like father and Eomer. I want Eomer, Theodred, and my uncle to think that I am a warrior and do not need protection! I want them to think of me as they think of you! Why should someone like you be more respected than me?!"
Melody paused and looked away. "I see, I have threatened your way of life with my presence. If I'd have known I'd be so much trouble than maybe I should have stayed in the woods and not gone with Lord Eomer." She bowed her head. "I apologize, I have spoken with much disrespect, please forgive this lowly maid...But...Lady Eowyn has misunderstood, the looks given to me are those of pity and confusion of how someone such as I could have ever survived alone for so long. Lady Eowyn should not wish for such looks to be directed towards her." Melody looked up, eyes blank.
Eowyn was frustrated. "What is wrong with you?! Do you not see the respect and gratitude the people of Rohan have for you for saving my brother? Why do you think so lowly of yourself and think your life is worth nothing? Why did you ever except to become just a maid? They know you're strong and you could easily find a better of living. Why don't you try?"
Melody shook her head. "I am a no one of importance and if I raise conflict because I may think the life of a maid isn't good enough than I wouldn't even have that life either. If you went against your uncle's ruling, you would get scolded. If I went against the king, I would be banished and my skills as a maid, warrior, or healer wouldn't matter at all." Melody smiled softly, bowing one last time. "You are still a young woman, and have much to learn. Your passion is inspiring and will gain the respect of all around you, but do not forget that your needs may not always come first." Melody turned away and walk down the hallway, turning the corner, and out of Eowyn's sight.
Eowyn stared at the spot Melody had stood, replaying her words in her mind, before finally turning and heading back to her room to change for her daily ride.
Neither of the woman had noticed the small parting of the large wooden doors at the end of the hallway.
Melody held her shawl tighter against her as the cold November wind caught her full force as she walked down the stairs of the Golden Hall, heading towards the village, to Elfhelm's house to return the books he had let her borrow.
She smiled as children ran up and down the streets, mothers shopping, fathers working. Melody sighed sadly, missing her own family, even if they didn't get along very well. She ran a hand through her short hair and continued walking.
She soon came upon a small house and smiled, knocking on the door. Elfhelm answered and smiled. "Lady Melody, what a pleasant surprise, come in."
Melody smiled and entered the house, Elfhelm closing the door behind her. "You know I don't like when you address me so formally, I'm no Lady."
Elfhelm nodded and offered her a seat at the table. Both sat down and Melody slid the books towards him. Elfhelm took them and smiled. "Did you like them?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you for letting me borrow them."
He waved a hand. "It was no trouble, I hardly read nowadays, did you have any trouble reading them?"
She nodded. "A little, but Nienna helped me until I got it. They were very interesting, but..."
He encouraged her to continue. "Yes?"
She played with her fingers. "Do...do you have any maps I can look at?"
He nodded. "Yes, I'll get them." He left through and door leading to what Melody assumed was his bedroom. While he was gone she looked around. The room was rather plain, except for the crisscrossing swords hanging above the fireplace and armor scattered around the room.
Melody looked up as Elfhelm reappeared in the doorway and held up two maps. "Found them." Melody stood up and took one, unrolling it, and looking at it closely. Tracing a finger over the paper she stopped at a large area, colored red.
"Rohan."
A spot colored black. "Mordor."
Blue. "Gondor."
Yellow. "Lothlorien"
Green. "...Rivendell."
She paused. Why does it sound familiar? "What kind of people live in Rivendell, Elfhelm?"
He looked to where she was pointed. "I believe it is one of the homes of the Elves, along with Lothlorien, where many believe is the home of an Elf witch."
"Elves? They're real?"
Elfhelm nodded. "Yes, you've never heard of Elves?"
She shook her head. "No, I've heard stories, but never believed they were real. What's that map of?" She asked referring to the one still in his hands.
"A larger view of Rohan, I assumed you wanted to see where we found you." He set it atop the first and opened it. He pointed to an area of trees near Meduseld. "There."
Melody looked at it closely. "It's so strange how I was so close to civilization and never realized it." Her eyes skimmed the map. She located all areas she had read about, but one was unfamiliar. "Isengard?"
"That is the home of the White Wizard, Saruman."
Melody gasped as the image of an old man with a white beard and staff flashed through her mind. "Saruman...that sounds familiar."
Elfhelm nodded. "He is known to many as a very powerful and respected wizard, Rohan is fortunate to have him as an ally."
"Wizard? There are wizards also."
Elfhelm nodded. "There are five. The White Wizard, Saruman, Gandalf the Grey, the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando, and Radagast the Brown."
She nodded. "What other beings are there?"
"The only other I know of are the Dwarves. You already know about the Elves, Orcs, and Wizards." He answered. "You mentioned that you were educated, but you have a vague knowledge of your own world."
Melody froze. I must sound so suspicious! Quick! Think of something! "I was never allowed to venture out of the village I lived in and wasn't taught the geography of Middle-Earth, my father was very protective." She bowed her head sadly.
Elfhelm's eyes softened and he placed a hand on Melody's shoulder. "I understand that you must miss your family very much."
She nodded and sat down. "Yes...but..."
Elfhelm sat also. "But?"
She sighed. "I know this will sound awful, but...I'm not sure how much I will miss them. My mother and father were almost never around and my brother was not very kind to me. I had a few uncles and aunts, and some cousins, but I never really felt like I belonged." Her hands fisted tightly in her lap.
Elfhelm smiled sadly. "Not all are lucky enough to find the one place they truly belong. I can't begin to imagine how lonely you must of been, but I can tell that you're strong. Not many, men or women, could survive, completely isolated, for three years, surrounded by Orcs."
Melody furrowed her eyebrows, thinking hard. "Now that I think back, the Orcs had so many chances to kill me, but didn't. If I was ever wounded, it was minor, and the ones that came rear me seemed to be trying to grab me, not kill me."
"You were lucky you got away then."
She looked at him questionably.
Elfhelm looked serious. "I have heard that some women had been...taken advantage of by Orcs while the Orcs destroyed their village."
Melody gasped. "That's horrible...those poor women." She sighed. I could have been one of those women.
She was silent for a second. "When...is the next scouting mission?" She asked, changing the subject.
"I haven't been notified yet." He said.
She nodded. A silence ensued and she once again looked around the room, looking at all the scattered clothes and armor. She smiled. "Do you need me to wash you clothes and armor?"
Elfhelm followed her gaze the the clothes, and chuckled. "I would appreciate it, if it's not too much trouble."
Melody stood and started gathering the clothes. "It's no problem, think of it as a thank you for lending me your books. So just leaves the 'women's work' to me. Do you have a wash tub and soap?"
He grabbed a bar of soap from the counter and handed it to her. "There's a tub outside and a well not too far away, I think some of the women of the village left the clothesline up."
She smiled and left the house, placing the clothes in the tub and picked it up, heading towards the well she had passed earlier. As she tried to pull the bucket of water back up by the rope a giggling child ran by her. She let out a startled scream and fell forward. Before she fell all the way, she stopped mid-fall. She blinked a couple of times as she was pulled back to safety. Turning, she gasped quietly.
"You...saved me?"
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