Some days later, the walkers encountered another traveller. The man was a
Ranger of Ithilien and didn't know Connor. Surprised at the wolf's
tameness, the tall, dark-haired man called in the Common Speech to Connor
to stop.
"You must be a wizard of some sort to have a wolf come tamely to you." The stranger greeted the boy.
Connor laughed. "No such thing, the only magic I have is what my father taught me of healing herbs. Nay, a starving wolf is tamed with meat, that is all. What news from the east?"
They exchanged news, Connor being careful not to mention his own identity and when they took their leave of each other, the Ranger asked, "What is the wolf's name?"
Connor told him that the wolf had no name. "Nay, a tame wolf must have a name. I shall call him Ranger's Shadow, since he remains so closely by you. Farewell, my friend."
"Farewell." Connor called after him, before looking down at the wolf and patting him. "Ranger's Shadow it shall be then, though Shadow will be the shortened version."
* * *
Passing near Edoras, the home of the Lord of Rohan, Connor and Shadow were surrounded by horsemen armed with spears. Connor stood still and asked them of their will.
"No man can pass through these lands without speaking to the Lord of Rohan." The men told him.
Saying no more, the two companions were taken to Edoras. "The wolf must remain outside." The guards of the gate said. Watchful of the spears, Connor commanded Shadow to wait outside the gate. To comfort the wolf, Connor left his pack with the animal and then went inside the gates of Edoras.
On the steps of Meduseld, the high house in Edoras, Connor was ordered to give up his weapons and leave them in the charge of the doorwardens. He laid down his quiver of arrows, his Elvish bow, his knife and Telrúnya, his sword. The doorwardens then lifted the heavy bars of the doors and slowly opened them inwards, the doors complaining on their large hinges.
Connor had visited Meduseld once before, when it was under the charge of Théoden, but that had been in the company of the wizard Gandalf, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas and his father. Now Edoras was under the charge of Éomer, sister-son of Théoden.
However the building had not changed, the long, wide, shadowy hall with its richly carved pillars. The floor was stone of many shades with runes and strange devices entwined in the stone. Woven cloths hung on the walls and Éomer sat on the same gilded chair his mother's brother had sat on, on the dais with three steps. "Who are you, stranger and where goesth thou?"
"I would speak with you in private, Lord of Rohan." Connor's clear voice rang out in the great hall. Éomer thought for a while, nodded and dismissed all servants. He stood up, as his servants left and came down the steps.
"Your name and destination, stranger?"
"Stranger? Does my father's friend not know me? Do you not remember the War of the Ring, Éomer?" Mirth could be heard in Connor's voice.
Éomer looked with wonder upon the stranger. "I know you not, boy. Who is your father?"
Tossing back the hood of his cloak, Connor smiled. "My father is the King of Gondor, Éomer. Now do you remember me?"
In awe of the King's son, Éomer knelt. "Apologies for the rough welcome, Prince."
Rising Éomer to his feet, Connor chuckled. "I fought by you in the War of the Ring, do not kneel to me."
Rapidly Connor's mood changed and he spoke seriously, "My father has sent no messenger then?"
"Nay, what of?"
Then it was that Prince Connor of Gondor told the Lord of Rohan that he had run away from his home. The Lord was shocked and enquired for the reason. Connor was honest and said that he wished to become a Ranger, but his father prevented him from doing so. "I must ask you though, Éomer, to keep my coming a secret and to tell all who are curious that I am no one but Callum a Ranger."
Remembering Callum as a small boy, Éomer smiled and nodded. "I will do so."
"I thank you and." The younger man stopped talking and looked towards the great doors. "What is that noise?"
Éomer strode to the doors and opened them, asking his doorwardens of the source of the sound. He turned back to his visitor. "It is naught but some wolves fighting outside the gates."
"Wolves?" Connor was alarmed and hastening past the Lord of Rohan, he seized his sword from the doorwardens and ran down the road through Edoras. He shoved the gates open and strode through. Éomer followed the Prince and together with his guards at the gates watched the young Prince fight with the pack of wild wolves who had attacked Shadow. As Telrúnya was swung through the air, Éomer reflected on how much Connor resembled his father in looks and fighting technique, as well as some aspects of his personality.
Shadow defended himself against the ferocious wolves and Connor heard the whistles of the arrows of Éomer's men, who had been ordered to shoot the feral wolves as they stood on the walls of Edoras.
Soon the wild wolves were all dead or had run away and Shadow and Connor were panting with exhaustion. Éomer came out of the gates and asked if they needed help. "I shall be fine, I thank you though Éomer."
"I apologise that my men did not let the wolf inside the gates. I had not realised that this would happen."
Connor smiled, though tired and bleeding from wolf bites. "It is no one's fault. Shadow and myself will survive, due to your men's arrows. Farewell Lord of Rohan." Smiling and recollecting his promise to the King's son, Éomer wished Callum the Ranger farewell.
As he gazed upon the disappearing sight of the young man and wolf, Éomer was joined by his captain. The captain spoke softly so as not to be overheard by the curious guards. "That was no ordinary Ranger, was he? He bore himself too well to be so."
"That was the son of the King of Gondor, but none must hear so." Éomer replied. His captain nodded and stared after the boy, astonished at his weatherworn appearance of so high a figure of the land.
* * *
Searching for the long-leafed plant, athelas, Connor boiled water and tossed the plant's leaves into the small kettle. The fragrance of the plant was sweet, but pungent and the steam refreshed Connor and felt his mind calmed. He bathed Shadow's wounds first and then his own. The pain lessened and he recalled the times his father had used the same antidote on him and their companions during their years of wandering together. Beside him, the wolf lay quietly and soon both of them, as the pain diminished still more, slept under the night sky.
"You must be a wizard of some sort to have a wolf come tamely to you." The stranger greeted the boy.
Connor laughed. "No such thing, the only magic I have is what my father taught me of healing herbs. Nay, a starving wolf is tamed with meat, that is all. What news from the east?"
They exchanged news, Connor being careful not to mention his own identity and when they took their leave of each other, the Ranger asked, "What is the wolf's name?"
Connor told him that the wolf had no name. "Nay, a tame wolf must have a name. I shall call him Ranger's Shadow, since he remains so closely by you. Farewell, my friend."
"Farewell." Connor called after him, before looking down at the wolf and patting him. "Ranger's Shadow it shall be then, though Shadow will be the shortened version."
* * *
Passing near Edoras, the home of the Lord of Rohan, Connor and Shadow were surrounded by horsemen armed with spears. Connor stood still and asked them of their will.
"No man can pass through these lands without speaking to the Lord of Rohan." The men told him.
Saying no more, the two companions were taken to Edoras. "The wolf must remain outside." The guards of the gate said. Watchful of the spears, Connor commanded Shadow to wait outside the gate. To comfort the wolf, Connor left his pack with the animal and then went inside the gates of Edoras.
On the steps of Meduseld, the high house in Edoras, Connor was ordered to give up his weapons and leave them in the charge of the doorwardens. He laid down his quiver of arrows, his Elvish bow, his knife and Telrúnya, his sword. The doorwardens then lifted the heavy bars of the doors and slowly opened them inwards, the doors complaining on their large hinges.
Connor had visited Meduseld once before, when it was under the charge of Théoden, but that had been in the company of the wizard Gandalf, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas and his father. Now Edoras was under the charge of Éomer, sister-son of Théoden.
However the building had not changed, the long, wide, shadowy hall with its richly carved pillars. The floor was stone of many shades with runes and strange devices entwined in the stone. Woven cloths hung on the walls and Éomer sat on the same gilded chair his mother's brother had sat on, on the dais with three steps. "Who are you, stranger and where goesth thou?"
"I would speak with you in private, Lord of Rohan." Connor's clear voice rang out in the great hall. Éomer thought for a while, nodded and dismissed all servants. He stood up, as his servants left and came down the steps.
"Your name and destination, stranger?"
"Stranger? Does my father's friend not know me? Do you not remember the War of the Ring, Éomer?" Mirth could be heard in Connor's voice.
Éomer looked with wonder upon the stranger. "I know you not, boy. Who is your father?"
Tossing back the hood of his cloak, Connor smiled. "My father is the King of Gondor, Éomer. Now do you remember me?"
In awe of the King's son, Éomer knelt. "Apologies for the rough welcome, Prince."
Rising Éomer to his feet, Connor chuckled. "I fought by you in the War of the Ring, do not kneel to me."
Rapidly Connor's mood changed and he spoke seriously, "My father has sent no messenger then?"
"Nay, what of?"
Then it was that Prince Connor of Gondor told the Lord of Rohan that he had run away from his home. The Lord was shocked and enquired for the reason. Connor was honest and said that he wished to become a Ranger, but his father prevented him from doing so. "I must ask you though, Éomer, to keep my coming a secret and to tell all who are curious that I am no one but Callum a Ranger."
Remembering Callum as a small boy, Éomer smiled and nodded. "I will do so."
"I thank you and." The younger man stopped talking and looked towards the great doors. "What is that noise?"
Éomer strode to the doors and opened them, asking his doorwardens of the source of the sound. He turned back to his visitor. "It is naught but some wolves fighting outside the gates."
"Wolves?" Connor was alarmed and hastening past the Lord of Rohan, he seized his sword from the doorwardens and ran down the road through Edoras. He shoved the gates open and strode through. Éomer followed the Prince and together with his guards at the gates watched the young Prince fight with the pack of wild wolves who had attacked Shadow. As Telrúnya was swung through the air, Éomer reflected on how much Connor resembled his father in looks and fighting technique, as well as some aspects of his personality.
Shadow defended himself against the ferocious wolves and Connor heard the whistles of the arrows of Éomer's men, who had been ordered to shoot the feral wolves as they stood on the walls of Edoras.
Soon the wild wolves were all dead or had run away and Shadow and Connor were panting with exhaustion. Éomer came out of the gates and asked if they needed help. "I shall be fine, I thank you though Éomer."
"I apologise that my men did not let the wolf inside the gates. I had not realised that this would happen."
Connor smiled, though tired and bleeding from wolf bites. "It is no one's fault. Shadow and myself will survive, due to your men's arrows. Farewell Lord of Rohan." Smiling and recollecting his promise to the King's son, Éomer wished Callum the Ranger farewell.
As he gazed upon the disappearing sight of the young man and wolf, Éomer was joined by his captain. The captain spoke softly so as not to be overheard by the curious guards. "That was no ordinary Ranger, was he? He bore himself too well to be so."
"That was the son of the King of Gondor, but none must hear so." Éomer replied. His captain nodded and stared after the boy, astonished at his weatherworn appearance of so high a figure of the land.
* * *
Searching for the long-leafed plant, athelas, Connor boiled water and tossed the plant's leaves into the small kettle. The fragrance of the plant was sweet, but pungent and the steam refreshed Connor and felt his mind calmed. He bathed Shadow's wounds first and then his own. The pain lessened and he recalled the times his father had used the same antidote on him and their companions during their years of wandering together. Beside him, the wolf lay quietly and soon both of them, as the pain diminished still more, slept under the night sky.