A/N: I got called "evil" for writing a cliffhanger in the first chapter. So bwahaha. In conclusion, candy canes are good.
Ringweth gasped sharply, her grasp on Eowyn's hand tightened. Blinking, sensing that something was wrong with her friend, Eowyn leaned closer, whispering into her ear.
"What is it?"
But Ringweth's gaze was upon the door. The handle stopped turning and, for a few long moments, Ringweth thought that maybe she imagined it. But she was silent still, and it was nearly a full minute before she exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I thought I saw the door move," she whispered to Eowyn, who, by now, was looking quite concerned.
"The dim light tricks your eyes," Eowyn concluded with a slight smile. "I have thought that I've seen the same thing several times already." Nodding, Ringweth couldn't decide if that comforted her or not.
She didn't have much time to think on it. Just as the noise above them was reaching it's loudest it had ever been, another sound came from within. Baskets of food were overturned as the door, the mountain-passage, was thrust open. Startled cries erupted from the crowd of women and children, soon giving way to shouts of friend and screams of horror.
"Wild men!"
"Men of the mountains!"
Almost as one, the women and children crowded over to the other side of the cave, far away from the door as they could get. Eleven men stood in the doorway, looking from the frightened people of Rohan to each other, and grinning, wide nearly-toothless grins.
Ringweth and Eowyn stood, stunned, feet stuck in place. Then, finally, Eowyn hissed into her friend's ear.
"We must get some of our men."
"Eowyn," her friend whispered back, wide eyes locked on the mountain men. "WE could fight them."
"With bread loaves and half-rotten cheese?" Eowyn shot back, gaze ticking to Ringweth. "Be reasonable."
"No," said Ringweth, finally looking up to Eowyn. The men were trickling inside, surveying the women and children the way a warg gazes upon its prey. "Eowyn, if any of them get back to the orcs, they'll come through this way. The men won't expect it, they wouldn't be ready. They'd be finished, Eowyn. They'd DIE."
~* A/N: Okay, okay. I swear. I'll start the fighting next chapter. *~
Ringweth gasped sharply, her grasp on Eowyn's hand tightened. Blinking, sensing that something was wrong with her friend, Eowyn leaned closer, whispering into her ear.
"What is it?"
But Ringweth's gaze was upon the door. The handle stopped turning and, for a few long moments, Ringweth thought that maybe she imagined it. But she was silent still, and it was nearly a full minute before she exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I thought I saw the door move," she whispered to Eowyn, who, by now, was looking quite concerned.
"The dim light tricks your eyes," Eowyn concluded with a slight smile. "I have thought that I've seen the same thing several times already." Nodding, Ringweth couldn't decide if that comforted her or not.
She didn't have much time to think on it. Just as the noise above them was reaching it's loudest it had ever been, another sound came from within. Baskets of food were overturned as the door, the mountain-passage, was thrust open. Startled cries erupted from the crowd of women and children, soon giving way to shouts of friend and screams of horror.
"Wild men!"
"Men of the mountains!"
Almost as one, the women and children crowded over to the other side of the cave, far away from the door as they could get. Eleven men stood in the doorway, looking from the frightened people of Rohan to each other, and grinning, wide nearly-toothless grins.
Ringweth and Eowyn stood, stunned, feet stuck in place. Then, finally, Eowyn hissed into her friend's ear.
"We must get some of our men."
"Eowyn," her friend whispered back, wide eyes locked on the mountain men. "WE could fight them."
"With bread loaves and half-rotten cheese?" Eowyn shot back, gaze ticking to Ringweth. "Be reasonable."
"No," said Ringweth, finally looking up to Eowyn. The men were trickling inside, surveying the women and children the way a warg gazes upon its prey. "Eowyn, if any of them get back to the orcs, they'll come through this way. The men won't expect it, they wouldn't be ready. They'd be finished, Eowyn. They'd DIE."
~* A/N: Okay, okay. I swear. I'll start the fighting next chapter. *~