Fae Bonds
Chapter 1
3000 3rd age September
Éomer looked around warily. What was this room? Never in his 9 years of life had he seen such a style. Graceful arched windows, white stone walls glittering in the darkness, and out the window…He let out a quiet gasp. As far as the eye could see, wave upon rolling wave of deep blue shimmering in the moonlight.
A small whimper recalled his attention. His eye was drawn to an alcove where a babe lay in a crib frowning in sleep. Éomer stepped over, smiling as he remembered his first time seeing Eowyn and her ferocious cries. "Your hair looks like silk, little one," he whispered as he reached out and ran one finger lightly across it. The babe sighed softly.
Éomer awoke.
3004 3rd age June
The sun beat down on the sand, it burned beneath Éomer's feet and he frowned as he looked around. "Am I dreaming?" He bent down and picked up a handful of the sand, letting the gritty feel of it drift out of his fingers as he stared out at aquamarine waves and a white sea wall. -Where is this place?- He started to walk down the beach when he spied a small figure in a shift with a mop of black hair sitting in the waves and laughing. He edged his way over slowly.
"Hello?"
The little girl looked up with a delighted grin, "Mae 'vannen, Melonin!" Grey eyes glowed at him and he felt himself answering the smile.
"Where are we?"
The girl waved her arm back towards the shore, "Home." Éomer smiled at her simplicity as he turned to look, his amusement quickly changed to wonder at the site of an airy castle rising like a dream from the cliffs. Off to the side, as the hill wound down to the sea row upon row of slate tiled houses stood in neat formation, down to the harbor where small fishing sloops bobbed and great warships were anchored.
A large wave splashed up to his knees and Éomer stumbled as the force of it hit him. He heard a coughing splutter next to him, and turned to see the girl caught by a wave frantically trying to find her feet as she was pulled out to sea. Her eyes caught his and he could see terror flickering through them. Quicker than thought he plunged in after her.
"Hold on! I've got you." Diving towards her he caught her by the stomach and got his feet set against the wave. As the suction lessened he lifted her to his shoulder and carried her back to the shore. Back on dry sand he set her down and kneeled by her as she rolled to her knees and coughed in spasms.
"Are you ok?" He asked once the paroxysm was over. Her head bobbed twice before he was surprised by her flinging herself at him, and small arms wrapping around his neck. He caught her hug awkwardly.
"Shh, shh, it's ok. You're safe now," he murmured in her ear. Eowyn flashed through his mind, the embrace reminding him of comforting her after nightmares, after a scare, after their father's and then mother's death. "It's ok. You're safe." He settled back into holding her, running one hand over her hair. Slowly she untangled herself from him, and said simply, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Éomer paused as her grey eyes caught his, "Who are you?
"Thìri. Who are you?"
"Éomer."
"É-mer." He snorted a little at her pronunciation.
"Where is-" He started to ask when a loud knocking reverberated through the air. Confused he looked around as the scene began shattering apart like glass shards and the knocking echoed in his ears louder and louder.
Éomer awoke.
3008 3rd age, May
Éomer walked through the wide white hallways quietly. Their beauty did not catch him this time, it felt cold. He shivered involuntarily as he stepped through a large arched doorway. A casket lay in state at the end of the room. Arrangements of flowers in the purest white covered it and filled the air with a nauseatingly heavy perfume. Éomer's eye fell on a slight figure in white in front of the casket, and he made his way to her. Not wanting to startle her, but unsure of how to gain her attention he knelt beside her.
"Thìri?" She turned unseeing eyes to him.
"Naneth is gone."
Her blank stare frightened him, so he took her hands in his. -So cold- chafing them gently to warm them up he said quietly, "I am sorry."
She shook her head, "She's never coming back." Her voice took on a tinge of panic and she began shivering violently. He pulled her into a hug rocking her back and forth.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured. Éomer held her there, calming her as he had years before. Slowly, her shaking stopped, her breathing evened out, and Éomer realized she had fallen asleep. Easing her off his shoulder he curled one arm behind her neck and slipped her into the crook of his arm. "I wish I could take your sorrow, little one," he whispered as he sat and held her close.
Éomer awoke.
3009 3rd age, September
Éomer strode into his room, banging the door behind him. "Idiot Eothain and his idiot jokes," he grumbled as he took his cloak off and threw it onto a chair. He turned and stopped abruptly.
"Thìri?"
The girl from his dreams stood in his bedchamber, eyes wide with surprise, one of his carvings clutched in her hand.
"Éomer?"
He grinned, "I see you can pronounce my name now. Though I'm surprised you remember it."
She shook her head, "Where are we?"
He watched her glance around the room, before grinning again, "Home."
She snorted, "And where is home?"
He stepped over to the window and swung open the screen, "The Riddermark."
She stepped up and gasped. He watched as her eyes traveled over the expansive waves of grass bending and rolling in the wind.
"Oh! It looks like a sea of green! How beautiful." He felt a swelling of pride.
"Yes. It is."
"Look! Horses!"
His gaze followed the pointing of her finger and a fierce grin split his face.
"Maeras." He breathed. She looked awed.
"I've never seen horses like this before."
"I'm surprised we're seeing them now, even if this is just a dream."
"This doesn't feel like just a dream." Thìri stated.
"No. It doesn't."
They watched as the Maeras circled around at a trot before cantering over the hill and out of sight.
Éomer took a step back as Thìri let out a sigh and turned to him, "It's my birthday today."
"Is it? I'm sorry I don't have a present for you."
She smiled up at him, "This is my present. I wanted to see you again."
He laughed, "That's a pretty easy present." He stepped easily over to his bed, "It doesn't seem enough-" He turned to sit and stopped abruptly. She was gone.
Slowly he moved back over and refastened the window, the wind blew a bit chill today. He then picked up the small carving that had fallen to the floor. Slowly he traced the lines of the Maeras he had carved before setting it back on the shelf by the others
Eomer awoke.
3009 3rd age, October
"I think I've figured it out."
Éomer started and stood from his desk, turning as he did so to see who had snuck into his room. "Thìri?"
She smiled. "Yes." She bounced excitedly on her toes.
"What have you figured out?"
"How this," she waved her arm vaguely, "works."
He grinned down at her, "Oh? And how does it work? When you want me, you call and I have to come?"
She laughed, "No. After all didn't I come to you this time?" She motioned to the room.
Éomer shook his head, "It was only at your wish though."
She frowned at that and tossed her hair back. -Like the proudest of fillies- Eomer thought with a hidden grin.
"I guess-" She started to say when she stopped and cocked her head as if a sudden thought or sound came to her. Before he could ask what it was, she was gone, and he was alone in his room.