It was cold out, despite the warm clothing Eowyn wore around herself.
She was on Elebreth, and they had been riding for over two hours. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her white mantle blew backwards as a gust of wind blew.
"Elebreth, halt," Eowyn said, and the horse stopped. She jumped off and peered around her. She was on a plain, and the night was sinking into inky blackness.
Eowyn picked up her pack and unbridled Elebreth. Her horse sat down with her, and Eowyn was surprised, as horses rarely sat. She pulled out a red apple from her pack, and fed it to Elebreth. She picked out a little biscuit for herself.
After they had been fed and watered, Eowyn pulled out a blanket and rested with Elebreth beside her.
******** 4 hours later **********
Eowyn woke up with a jolt. She grabbed for her sword, and peered out. Elebreth was standing, apparently startled by the same thing.
A pair of yellow eyes peered out from a bush. Eowyn's heart beat faster as she heard a growl. However, an anger flowed through her like adrenaline. She pulled herself out of the cloud of scariness, and yelled.
"Oi!" She yelled, and lunged forward. The thing jumped out too, and she saw what it was. A warg. Not a full grown one, only a baby, but still as dangerous as a ravened dog.
She lunged forward, swinging her sword, and the warg jumped back. He jumped at her, and Eowyn was so full of rage that she did not feel the stinging pain from the three slashes on her cheek.
She hit it upon the head with her shield, and it yelped to the ground. She stabbed it, and it fell dead. A normal girl would have never even gone on this journey, let alone take on a tiny warg. Eowyn did not pity the mess under her feet as she stood there.
" Elebreth, we must leave! Wargs are coming," She said, and the horse trotted to her. She packed up her things and sheathed her sword. She was surprised how brave Elebreth was, and how she had not run off during her battle.
She mounted Elebreth, and they set off at a trot. After a few leagues, Eowyn's head snapped back. She had heard something. A howl. It was very far away, but her hearing was keen. Wargs.
" Faster Elebreth!" Eowyn hissed, and her horse started to gallop. After a while the howls disappeared, and Eowyn sighed. Dawn was coming, and she had no idea where she was now. She looked north, and saw a tree. A vast, green tree. On the other side she saw a helm. She trotted up, and dismounted Elebreth.
"They have been here! Alas, the fire has just died. We are close, Elebreth!" Eowyn said. Her horse shook its head and whinnied. A gust of wind blew, and Eowyn's hair shone gold as the sun rose. She looked at the remains of the campsite. She wished she was part of the company that was marching to the borders of Rohan now.
Eowyn sighed. "Let us go, Elebreth, we have to catch them!" She mounted Elbreth once again and set off.
She was tired. But she knew she must go on. She stopped only once, by a stream, for Elebreth to take a nice long drink.
Eowyn rode all day, until at twilight she saw another sign. It was a bow and quiver, and arrows were beside it, drenched with blood. She looked around and saw three bodies of orcs. She did not yelp, but she dismounted and picked up the weapons. She placed the quiver on her back, along with the bow and arrows.
She had taken archery a year ago, and had quickly caught on. She was still better at wielding a sword, but she could use all the help given. And it was a sign, since the blood was fresh.
Eowyn rode on. At last, the darkness swelled in, and she could not see nor hope to ride any longer.
She dismounted, and guided Elebreth to a nearby hollow. She was on another plain, but it had a patch of trees here and there. The grass was tall, and would hide her and Elebreth.
That night, Eowyn hardly slept. All she could think about was Theoden. She pursed her lips in the cold. She huddled next to Elebreth, who yet again was sitting. Theoden and Eomer. How could they leave her? Would they notice she was gone if she died on this journey? Of course, but no one would no why.
She sat there for a few minutes. She knew danger was coming, whether it would come then, or in a few hours or even days. She was not scared. She pulled Elebreth to the back of the large hollow along with all of her stuff.
Then, as if the warg before had not been enough, she heard far away voices. It seemed as two things were talking to each other.
She waited, and packed up Elebreth, ready to run if the danger was to high, and unsheathed her sword.
After a few minutes, two figures approached. They did not heed Eowyn if they saw her, and for this Eowyn was glad. For these were orcs, tall and dangerous. Their voices were ugly, and Eowyn scowled.
"We should leave this place! You saw the ones who died. I don't want to end like them," One growled.
"I know, Blugluk, and you are right. We should leave," The other snarled.
Blugluk paused and looked around. Eowyn held her breath.
"Guldesh, stop! I smell something," Blugluk hissed.
"What is it?" Guldesh said.
"Man-flesh. I know it! Someone may be following us," Blugluk said.
Eowyn was not scared, but she was nervous. If she had to fight them, they were older. And stronger.
" Well, let us look!" Said Guldesh, "What direction?"
Blugluck sniffed and pointed toward Eowyn's cluster of trees. "There!"
"Let's go," Guldesh said.
Before long, they had reached Eowyn's hollow. Eowyn did not let them trap her.
Eowyn looked up. She had depended on voices, and now she knew what they looked like.
They were hideous things. They had a brown color about them, and the stench was horrible. They were short, in man reckoning, and they carried no weapons, save Guldesh's tiny dagger. They had squished faces, and they had elf-like ears.
Eowyn waited. At the last moment possible, she jumped up. "Oi!" She yelled.
"A maiden?" Blugluk said. Guldesh nodded. Eowyn lifted her shield.
"Leave! Leave, or I shall cleave you!" She yelled bravely. She was scared now, but she was so stubborn that it covered her fright.
"A maiden? No, we will not leave!" Guldesh said, and pulled put his dagger.
Eowyn pulled out her bow and arrows and stuck her sword beneath her arm. She shot one at Guldesh. It was pure luck that saved her from a deep wound. As Guldesh swung his dagger, the arrow pierced through his throat, and he fell dead with a yell.
"A shield maiden killed Guldesh! Ai! You are going to pay!" Blugluk said, and was amazed that a woman killed Guldesh. A woman!
"Yes! Let this serve your rights! I am a woman, Eowyn of Rohan, and I live to cleave orcs!" She lifted her sword, and Blugluk picked up Guldesh's dagger cursing.
Eowyn swung her sword, and the bow fell from her hands. It hit Blugluk's dagger. She grunted, and swung her sword in. The sword curved in, and it sliced through Blugluk's neck. As this happened, however, Blugluk's dagger fell on Eowyn's exposed right arm. It carried no strength, as Blugluk was dead, but it still cut.
"Ah!" Eowyn yelped and looked down on her arm. A gash was in it, and pain swelled up as blood came. She paid little heed. She looked at her sword. It was in Blugluk's neck. She pulled it out, and smiled. She had killed her first orcs. She tried to sheath her sword, but her arm was bleeding too much. She sheathed it with her left arm instead.
Eowyn sat back down with Elebreth in the hollow. Elebreth had stood during it all, but being the unusually brave beast as Elebreth was, she had stayed. She unpacked a piece of cloth out of her pack and tried to clot the bleeding arm. Blood stained the cloth and pained welled up in her. She grunted, but did not cry.
She looked out at the dead bodies, and this helped herself ignore the pain. She tied the cloth around her gash. No other girl her age had killed two orcs, let alone one! She was already proving herself. She got up and picked up the dagger. She also took Blugluk's helm. She put these in her pack and smiled.
She was Eowyn, the shield-maiden. Yes that was it. Eowyn the Shield Maiden. Given to her by her first victim. She vowed silently to her self that there would be many more.
Elebreth whinnied, and Eowyn huddled closely again. All day she lingered in the hollow, and no other disturbances came. She thought of how many things had come to her. Wargs, and two orcs! She was extremely lucky. Not many girls of Rohan would have lasted a league!
Eowyn wrapped herself in her mantle, and closed her eyes.
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She was on Elebreth, and they had been riding for over two hours. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her white mantle blew backwards as a gust of wind blew.
"Elebreth, halt," Eowyn said, and the horse stopped. She jumped off and peered around her. She was on a plain, and the night was sinking into inky blackness.
Eowyn picked up her pack and unbridled Elebreth. Her horse sat down with her, and Eowyn was surprised, as horses rarely sat. She pulled out a red apple from her pack, and fed it to Elebreth. She picked out a little biscuit for herself.
After they had been fed and watered, Eowyn pulled out a blanket and rested with Elebreth beside her.
******** 4 hours later **********
Eowyn woke up with a jolt. She grabbed for her sword, and peered out. Elebreth was standing, apparently startled by the same thing.
A pair of yellow eyes peered out from a bush. Eowyn's heart beat faster as she heard a growl. However, an anger flowed through her like adrenaline. She pulled herself out of the cloud of scariness, and yelled.
"Oi!" She yelled, and lunged forward. The thing jumped out too, and she saw what it was. A warg. Not a full grown one, only a baby, but still as dangerous as a ravened dog.
She lunged forward, swinging her sword, and the warg jumped back. He jumped at her, and Eowyn was so full of rage that she did not feel the stinging pain from the three slashes on her cheek.
She hit it upon the head with her shield, and it yelped to the ground. She stabbed it, and it fell dead. A normal girl would have never even gone on this journey, let alone take on a tiny warg. Eowyn did not pity the mess under her feet as she stood there.
" Elebreth, we must leave! Wargs are coming," She said, and the horse trotted to her. She packed up her things and sheathed her sword. She was surprised how brave Elebreth was, and how she had not run off during her battle.
She mounted Elebreth, and they set off at a trot. After a few leagues, Eowyn's head snapped back. She had heard something. A howl. It was very far away, but her hearing was keen. Wargs.
" Faster Elebreth!" Eowyn hissed, and her horse started to gallop. After a while the howls disappeared, and Eowyn sighed. Dawn was coming, and she had no idea where she was now. She looked north, and saw a tree. A vast, green tree. On the other side she saw a helm. She trotted up, and dismounted Elebreth.
"They have been here! Alas, the fire has just died. We are close, Elebreth!" Eowyn said. Her horse shook its head and whinnied. A gust of wind blew, and Eowyn's hair shone gold as the sun rose. She looked at the remains of the campsite. She wished she was part of the company that was marching to the borders of Rohan now.
Eowyn sighed. "Let us go, Elebreth, we have to catch them!" She mounted Elbreth once again and set off.
She was tired. But she knew she must go on. She stopped only once, by a stream, for Elebreth to take a nice long drink.
Eowyn rode all day, until at twilight she saw another sign. It was a bow and quiver, and arrows were beside it, drenched with blood. She looked around and saw three bodies of orcs. She did not yelp, but she dismounted and picked up the weapons. She placed the quiver on her back, along with the bow and arrows.
She had taken archery a year ago, and had quickly caught on. She was still better at wielding a sword, but she could use all the help given. And it was a sign, since the blood was fresh.
Eowyn rode on. At last, the darkness swelled in, and she could not see nor hope to ride any longer.
She dismounted, and guided Elebreth to a nearby hollow. She was on another plain, but it had a patch of trees here and there. The grass was tall, and would hide her and Elebreth.
That night, Eowyn hardly slept. All she could think about was Theoden. She pursed her lips in the cold. She huddled next to Elebreth, who yet again was sitting. Theoden and Eomer. How could they leave her? Would they notice she was gone if she died on this journey? Of course, but no one would no why.
She sat there for a few minutes. She knew danger was coming, whether it would come then, or in a few hours or even days. She was not scared. She pulled Elebreth to the back of the large hollow along with all of her stuff.
Then, as if the warg before had not been enough, she heard far away voices. It seemed as two things were talking to each other.
She waited, and packed up Elebreth, ready to run if the danger was to high, and unsheathed her sword.
After a few minutes, two figures approached. They did not heed Eowyn if they saw her, and for this Eowyn was glad. For these were orcs, tall and dangerous. Their voices were ugly, and Eowyn scowled.
"We should leave this place! You saw the ones who died. I don't want to end like them," One growled.
"I know, Blugluk, and you are right. We should leave," The other snarled.
Blugluk paused and looked around. Eowyn held her breath.
"Guldesh, stop! I smell something," Blugluk hissed.
"What is it?" Guldesh said.
"Man-flesh. I know it! Someone may be following us," Blugluk said.
Eowyn was not scared, but she was nervous. If she had to fight them, they were older. And stronger.
" Well, let us look!" Said Guldesh, "What direction?"
Blugluck sniffed and pointed toward Eowyn's cluster of trees. "There!"
"Let's go," Guldesh said.
Before long, they had reached Eowyn's hollow. Eowyn did not let them trap her.
Eowyn looked up. She had depended on voices, and now she knew what they looked like.
They were hideous things. They had a brown color about them, and the stench was horrible. They were short, in man reckoning, and they carried no weapons, save Guldesh's tiny dagger. They had squished faces, and they had elf-like ears.
Eowyn waited. At the last moment possible, she jumped up. "Oi!" She yelled.
"A maiden?" Blugluk said. Guldesh nodded. Eowyn lifted her shield.
"Leave! Leave, or I shall cleave you!" She yelled bravely. She was scared now, but she was so stubborn that it covered her fright.
"A maiden? No, we will not leave!" Guldesh said, and pulled put his dagger.
Eowyn pulled out her bow and arrows and stuck her sword beneath her arm. She shot one at Guldesh. It was pure luck that saved her from a deep wound. As Guldesh swung his dagger, the arrow pierced through his throat, and he fell dead with a yell.
"A shield maiden killed Guldesh! Ai! You are going to pay!" Blugluk said, and was amazed that a woman killed Guldesh. A woman!
"Yes! Let this serve your rights! I am a woman, Eowyn of Rohan, and I live to cleave orcs!" She lifted her sword, and Blugluk picked up Guldesh's dagger cursing.
Eowyn swung her sword, and the bow fell from her hands. It hit Blugluk's dagger. She grunted, and swung her sword in. The sword curved in, and it sliced through Blugluk's neck. As this happened, however, Blugluk's dagger fell on Eowyn's exposed right arm. It carried no strength, as Blugluk was dead, but it still cut.
"Ah!" Eowyn yelped and looked down on her arm. A gash was in it, and pain swelled up as blood came. She paid little heed. She looked at her sword. It was in Blugluk's neck. She pulled it out, and smiled. She had killed her first orcs. She tried to sheath her sword, but her arm was bleeding too much. She sheathed it with her left arm instead.
Eowyn sat back down with Elebreth in the hollow. Elebreth had stood during it all, but being the unusually brave beast as Elebreth was, she had stayed. She unpacked a piece of cloth out of her pack and tried to clot the bleeding arm. Blood stained the cloth and pained welled up in her. She grunted, but did not cry.
She looked out at the dead bodies, and this helped herself ignore the pain. She tied the cloth around her gash. No other girl her age had killed two orcs, let alone one! She was already proving herself. She got up and picked up the dagger. She also took Blugluk's helm. She put these in her pack and smiled.
She was Eowyn, the shield-maiden. Yes that was it. Eowyn the Shield Maiden. Given to her by her first victim. She vowed silently to her self that there would be many more.
Elebreth whinnied, and Eowyn huddled closely again. All day she lingered in the hollow, and no other disturbances came. She thought of how many things had come to her. Wargs, and two orcs! She was extremely lucky. Not many girls of Rohan would have lasted a league!
Eowyn wrapped herself in her mantle, and closed her eyes.
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