Chapter 4 - Someone Like Me
Outside, not far from the stables, a small child had been watching Périn and Gríma's return with immense curiosity. Her father was asleep and her mother was sewing with her back turned.
She knew that the poor man never got a single Valentine or a nice word said to him, and she herself understood exactly what that felt like, so felt deep pity and clemency towards him. She decided that she had to help him. Surely, it couldn't hurt to slip out of the house for a few minutes. Besides, she wouldn't be missed. Her mother always seemed to be hypnotised when sewing and her attention was rarely drawn to anything else.
She carefully removed a single red rose from the bunch that her parents had given to her earlier that day then quietly pushed open the door of the house and ran up towards the stables. When she reached the stables, she could faintly hear the sound of a man speaking softly to his horse. She edged round the door that had been left ajar, still clutching onto the rose. As she entered the stables, the warm smell of horse greeted her and she felt much more at ease. She wandered down the rows of stalls, following the sound of the voice, until she reached the seventh stall.
The sight that she now witnessed made her mouth drop open in surprise. Standing only a few feet away from her was Gríma. He was decidedly taller than she had first perceived him and yet it wasn't that which surprised her. He and the horse that he was grooming looked as though they were born to be together. Apart from the fact that they were both nearly all black, well.she had never in all her life seen a horse act this way before. It seemed to understand Gríma's every word to it and the bond that was so visible between them, she knew for definite, it was a rare sight. Even Lady Éowyn's horse did not behave as fondly towards her as this mare did to Gríma. Suddenly, the mare looked up and saw her. It neighed softly and Gríma span round sharply as he registered her presence.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked her, though not unkindly. "My Lord Gríma" she began "I came to give you this" and she handed him the red rose. Now it was Gríma's turn to stare open mouthed. He was gazing upon the rose as though it were a priceless treasure. Gríma looked up at the little girl, who was smiling broadly at his reaction. "I don't know what to say" he managed to splutter out "Except..well, thank you." At that moment, his face broke into the first true smile he had smiled at Edoras for a long time. After this small gesture of benevolence, Gríma found he couldn't hold it back any longer. A tear of happiness, leaked out from his eye and ran down his cheek. "I'm so glad you like it" she said. "Like it?" said Gríma in disbelief. "I shall treasure it." "Thank You again..Miss.er?" "Oh. Érika, my name is Érika" she said. She smiled at him and then turned to leave. "Before you go, Érika" Gríma called after her "I want you to know that you have made this day one of the happiest I have ever known" "It's OK, my Lord Gríma" Érika grinned at him and then disappeared out the door.
Outside, not far from the stables, a small child had been watching Périn and Gríma's return with immense curiosity. Her father was asleep and her mother was sewing with her back turned.
She knew that the poor man never got a single Valentine or a nice word said to him, and she herself understood exactly what that felt like, so felt deep pity and clemency towards him. She decided that she had to help him. Surely, it couldn't hurt to slip out of the house for a few minutes. Besides, she wouldn't be missed. Her mother always seemed to be hypnotised when sewing and her attention was rarely drawn to anything else.
She carefully removed a single red rose from the bunch that her parents had given to her earlier that day then quietly pushed open the door of the house and ran up towards the stables. When she reached the stables, she could faintly hear the sound of a man speaking softly to his horse. She edged round the door that had been left ajar, still clutching onto the rose. As she entered the stables, the warm smell of horse greeted her and she felt much more at ease. She wandered down the rows of stalls, following the sound of the voice, until she reached the seventh stall.
The sight that she now witnessed made her mouth drop open in surprise. Standing only a few feet away from her was Gríma. He was decidedly taller than she had first perceived him and yet it wasn't that which surprised her. He and the horse that he was grooming looked as though they were born to be together. Apart from the fact that they were both nearly all black, well.she had never in all her life seen a horse act this way before. It seemed to understand Gríma's every word to it and the bond that was so visible between them, she knew for definite, it was a rare sight. Even Lady Éowyn's horse did not behave as fondly towards her as this mare did to Gríma. Suddenly, the mare looked up and saw her. It neighed softly and Gríma span round sharply as he registered her presence.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked her, though not unkindly. "My Lord Gríma" she began "I came to give you this" and she handed him the red rose. Now it was Gríma's turn to stare open mouthed. He was gazing upon the rose as though it were a priceless treasure. Gríma looked up at the little girl, who was smiling broadly at his reaction. "I don't know what to say" he managed to splutter out "Except..well, thank you." At that moment, his face broke into the first true smile he had smiled at Edoras for a long time. After this small gesture of benevolence, Gríma found he couldn't hold it back any longer. A tear of happiness, leaked out from his eye and ran down his cheek. "I'm so glad you like it" she said. "Like it?" said Gríma in disbelief. "I shall treasure it." "Thank You again..Miss.er?" "Oh. Érika, my name is Érika" she said. She smiled at him and then turned to leave. "Before you go, Érika" Gríma called after her "I want you to know that you have made this day one of the happiest I have ever known" "It's OK, my Lord Gríma" Érika grinned at him and then disappeared out the door.