Chapter 10

I watched with quiet satisfaction as Grima Wormtongue tumbled down the stairs.

"Argh! I've only ever served you, my lord!" He whimpered.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" Théoden spat. He slowly approached Grima, like a predator stalking wounded prey.

"Send me not from your side," he begged as Théoden raised his sword.

"No, my lord! No, my lord. Let him go. Enough blood has been spilled on his account," Aragorn held him back. I rolled my eyes at him. He just couldn't let the filth die.

"Get out of my way!" Grima screeched as he pushed past the gathering crowd. My eyes never left him, I wanted run after him and pierce him with my blade. I took a breath. Mercy. I must remember mercy. I still wanted to behead him.

"Hail, Théoden king!" A guard shouted. The crowd bowed to it's king, as did Aragorn, to my surprise.

***
"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree," Éowyn nursed the children.

I sat opposite Gimli, beside Aragorn, stuffing my face with bread and cheese. It had been long since I ate, and a few meals wouldn't suffice.

After all that running, my body had grown thinner and I was determined to get it back to its normal state.

"Where's mama?" The girl whimpered.

"Shh..."

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent
for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children," Gandalf placed his hand on Théoden's throne. "You must fight."

"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king," Aragorn put in.

"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I
know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not."

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan."

"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf inquired.

***

"It's true you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," Gimli babbled.

Éowyn smiled at looked at Aragorn for an explanation.

"It's the beards," he whispered.

"And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women. And that dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!" Gimli continued.

Éowyn laughed brightly and I softly chuckled.

"Hehehe! Which is of course ridiculous. Whoa!" Gimli fell off his horse. Éowyn rushed to help, and glanced back at Aragorn, who was in front of me, seemed to be enchanted by her beauty.

I leaned over to whisper in Legolas' ear, "I think Gimli's attempt to seduce Éowyn isn't working, she's more into Aragorn."

Aragorn, who heard me, 'accidentally' drove his elbow into my stomach. Hissing, I hit him back. He simply elbowed me again.

***

Aragorn and Éowyn were boring me with the exchange of their love lives so I walked beside Gimli, who was on his horse, discussing important matters such as meat, stubbornness and hair.

"Most people think being stubborn is a bad thing, but it isn't really. It just means you're not going to let people push you around."

"My thoughts exactly, lassie! If it weren't for the lack of beard, you've could be a very tall dwarf woman!"

"I think my hair is thick enough, to cover for the dearth of facial hair. And I'm shorter than an average woman."

"Aye," Gimli grunted his agreement as I smiled up at the dwarf.

"A scout!" Came a scream, who's voice sounded like Legolas'. Aragorn ran ahead, to see what was happening.

"What is it? What do you see?" The king shouted.

"Wargs! We are under attack!" Aragorn ran back, waving his hands. The villagers began to panic, they screamed and ran to their lobed ones. "Get them out of here!"

"All riders to the head of the column!" The king commanded.

"Come on, get me up here, I'm a rider!" Gimli tried to mount Arod.

"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep. And make haste!" Théoden commanded Éowyn.

"I can fight!" She protested.

"No! You must do this... for me."

Éowyn gazed at him for a second before giving in. She rushed to organise the villagers.

"Dewni," he turned to me. "Go with her, keep her safe."

"But..."

"Please."

"Yes, your highness."

"Follow me! Yah!" He addressed his riders.

"Make for the lower ground! Stick together!" Éowyn took charge. She turned to look at Aragorn, I did too, but he didn't notice me. I watched the riders disappear over the hill and I tried to block out their battle cries. I tried.

***

"How much further?" I pestered Éowyn.

"We'll be there soon," she mumbled back.

"You said that two hours ago."

"Why'd he send you? Why did the king send you with us?"

"To protect the villagers," I hesitated. I didn't like lying to Éowyn but she was a strong woman and didn't appreciate the king's care. The last thing I wanted to do was start a feud between them.

"The truth, if you don't mind."

"To protect you."

"I can take care of myself! I don't need protection!"

"I know that and he does too. He's lost his son, maybe your brother too, he can't bear to lose you."

"I never thought about it that way. What about your family?"

"They're dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I don't want sympathy. It's no use."

"What happened to them, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My father. He had two wives, my mother and my half-sister's mother. They loved him, they truly did. When they found out about the affair, they couldn't bear the pain. They... they died in a fire. Our father became a drunk, he forgot about me and Lara, so we ran away, and oh, we had so many adventures. She died, so I could live. She was stupidly brave, that way."

"She sounds lovely. I wish I had a sister like that."

"Oh, she was lovely. A bit of a pest too. She made so much mischief, she was so lively. I was more of a quiet type."

"There's this air about you. You walk heavily, like one who has suffered more than deserved, but there's also a strength, a weary strength but a strength nonetheless. Like an ancient statue, tired of the world."

"And you Éowyn, you look fragile as a flower that bloomed in the early morning, but your mind is as sharp as a new blade and stubborn as the earth we walk on."

We slowed for a bit, and gave each other a side glance. Before I knew it, I was leaning on her shoulders, my chest heaved and my sides burned as I laughed myself to death. Chortling, she pushed me off her shoulder.

"I am sorry, Dewni but I must reject you. My heart is set on another."

"Oh, the heartbreak. How will I ever live without my darling love?" I dramatically sighed. "At least tell me his name."

Éowyn flushed a soft pink and turned away from my knowing glances.

***

It'd been so long. They'd been gone too long. I never should've come here, I should've been with them. I got separated from Éowyn, amid the refugees. I was in some kind of hallway with large stones, leading to wooden doors.

"Dewni," whispered a familiar voice, behind me.

"Legolas," I smiled as I turned around, but his face was downcast. "Don't tell me you're so upset because Gimli killed more orcs than you. I thought you were manlier, well elfier, than that. And is Aragorn being kissed by Éowyn, yet? I expect it to happen quite soon."

"Dewni," he repeated, softer, his face was more pained.

"Aragorn and Éowyn, it sounds quite good. I can see Éowyn as a Queen."

"Dewni. Aragorn... he's dead."