Beauty is terror
Éowyn tries to help a girl.
Caution, rape implied, but not graphic details in the story.
3016TA, Edoras
Éowyn was in the weekly market. It was one of the few things she enjoyed in her life in Edoras; the people coming from the nearby villages to sell their produce, homemade baskets, and to buy sweet pies, jewelleries and small trinkets for the house. She liked walking among the stalls and hear the chat of the women and touch the finest products Rohan had to offer.
She was browsing through some bronze brooches when she heard the call of a horn. By the second blast, she knew it was Éomer. For a moment she thought to join the crowd that headed for the road that her brother's eored would pass from. However, she knew how popular he was and that a lot of young maiden's as well as young boys would push themselves to a huge mass of people to see him pass. Instead, she turned around and made her way up the hill.
She arrived at the Royal Stables just before they did. She heard the chatter of the men; happy to be home and spend a night in warm beds, and with mead to warm them after the November chill.
"Éowyn!" her brother crushed her in a bear hug.
"You will suffocate me!" she pushed him back playfully.
"How are things in Edoras?"
Her smile faded and that was all he needed to know to understand.
"Same as always" she paused trying to forgot her uncle's sickness. "Theodred isn't back yet".
"It is a pity. I very much wished to speak to him" They were interrupted by Eothain who asked for some instructions. Éowyn looked around the stable grounds that now were emptying from people when she noticed a small frightened girl hovering at the edge of the circle. Her clothes were filthy and torn into places, her face was bruised and she tried to make herself as small as possibly; and yet Éowyn could see how beautiful she was. For a moment she fell jealous of her pretty hair and smooth skin. She had eyes that could haunt every single person she ever met. She brushed that thought away; the young girl was in pain.
"Ah, you noticed, Leofwyn" Eomer's gaze was serious. "Will you do me a favour?"
"Anything."
"Please, take her in your service. Poor girl, she lost all her family at the raid. And even worse those filthy bastards…" his voice was full of anger. "they had to take turns with her…"
She might have been a member of Eorl's line, but she wasn't overprotected like the Gondorian ladies were. She knew what her brother wanted to say. She wished she had those men in front of her. She would carve them up like pigs and serve them with tonight's stew.
"Don't worry, brother. I will take care of her" without sparing another moment to her brother, she approached the girl. Eothain was trying to convince her that it would be good for her to go up the Hall and have some hot soup. He was kind, but the huge man scared her so much she was on the verge of tears.
"I will take over, Eothain. Please go and rest, you deserve it".
"My lady, Leofwyn" he bowed a bit to both of them that made Éowyn to want to laugh.
"Hello, I am Éowyn. You must be Leofwyn".
"Yes, my lady." She seemed less tense now that she spoke with another woman, but still not relaxed.
"Éomer told me that you have lost your family and your home. He asked me to take care of you".
"Yes, my lady."
"Come, let us go up the Hall and have some food before the men eat everything up".
"The Hall?" her voice had turned even lower than before, but the fear in it was audible.
"No, not the Hall" Éowyn felt sorrow and anger, anger for those who scared her so much that she doesn't even want to be around her own people anymore. "We will go to my room. There we can eat, while we have a bath prepared for you. I will call our lady Healer to have a look at you".
"Yes, my lady".
"And please, stop calling me, lady. I am not very ladylike, as you will soon find out".
Leofwyn needed a couple of weeks before she started opening up to Eowyn. They spend a lot of time together knitting and sewing; activities traditionally done away from men. First she talked of her home; how beautiful it was in spring when all the plants she loved taking care of flowered. Then she described to Éowyn their markets. They were not as big as those in Edoras, but she could always buy fresh spinach pies. When Éowyn told her that she hated spinach, Leofwyn laughed and told her how she had tricked her young brother into eating it. On her behalf, Éowyn told her how Éomer had tricked her into eating her potatoes once. He had said there was a rabbit that ate them. Slowly, but steadily, she opened up, talking to Éowyn and other women, for poetry, gardening, knitting and pies, but never about what happened to her. And Éowyn never asked.
One night they had a small dancing gathering prepared at the Hall. It was her cousin's ideas. He hoped that the music, mead and dance would lift people's spirits that were low not only because of the long, cold nights, but also of the shadow of war. The tales of war were thick in their minds those days, and he had hoped to dispel them for at least one night. Leofwyn joined the Hall that night, and even though she refused to dance, she didn't tremble like a leaf when Eothain made polite conversation with her. Éowyn was happy that she found the courage to go on with her life, but again she was sad because she could tell that she would never be able to find joy again.
January was cold, colder than usual. Was it only the cold winds that made her feel chilly to the bones, or the silence at the hall and the frail King? Éowyn couldn't tell. She heard two blasts, an eored was back; she recognised her brother coming back to the city, but she had to finish her task of warming up the Main Hall.
"Éowyn!" he called her name silently, as everyone did those days. No one spoke in normal volumes in the Hall those days, let alone laugh. When he reached her, he hug her briefly. "How are things here?"
"The same. How were things where you went?"
"The same". He sighed. "Actually, I have another girl in my care that was treated by those dogs like Leofwyn. Do you think you could help her as well?"
"I am not sure I can help her. But I know who could help her" she answered with a sudden inspiration. Éomer raised his eyebrows, but followed her at the back of the Hall and to the servants' rooms where women prepared the midday meal and sew battle garments. "Leofwyn, please come with me".
"Éomer and his men didn't come alone back to Edoras. They brought someone who needs you".
"Me?" the beautiful girl looked confused.
"Yes. You are the only one who can help her, who can understand her. I know that you know inside you what you can do for her. Will you take care of her?"
The look in her eyes was surprised, then angry, then sober again. She looked aged; older than her 16 years. But also she looked determined and wise. "I will do my best, Éowyn".
Éowyn was certain that she would her best. If Leofwyn couldn't help her, then no one would. And she did. And both girls grew confident and happy and helped a lot of other emotionally sick people heal, and they lived a lot of long and happy years, full of laughter till the end of their lives.