Chapter Five: Reaching Edoras

I had never seen a more welcome sight than the wooden houses of Edoras. Eothir perceived the look of profound relief on my face and smiled.

"It is a beautiful city," he told me. "I miss living there. The life of a Rider is a hard one, even now when Rohan is at peace."

I sighed. Eothir, though obviously a kind and gentle person, was very talkative...and I had been traveling with him for three days. I had already learned the names and characters of his three sons and daughter (Freawine, Denherin, Alfwine and Freawen, respectively). His sister Deowyn, a twenty-five-year old spinster, had come to live with them after Eothir's wife had died. I had also learned much about Rohan and the lives of the Riders- invaluable information, no doubt, but he had kept up a constant stream of chatter the entire time, and the journey had not been an easy one.

I thought of the oozing saddle sores I now exhibited and winced. Eothir's travel rations consisted of a rough, thick brown bread that hurt my stomach, and bitter ale that burned my throat and made me nauseous. I felt weak and cold most of the time; the world seemed covered with a misty haze that would not go away.

The horses trotted up the steep hill that held Edoras on its top, and I was momentarily reminded of the vertical hill my house stood on. Eothir led my horse swiftly and surely, and most of the city passed by in a blur. Blond heads popped out of houses to stare at the outlander (as I most obviously was; my now-stained school clothes, dark skin and brown hair stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the sea of pale-skinned, blond-headed Rohirrim).

We soon stopped at a large wooden house. A blond woman's head appeared at a window on the second story, and soon she ran out the door to greet us.

"Eothir? Why have you come?" Her eyes lit on me. "And who is your companion?"

"Her name is Thalia, Deowyn. The troop and I found her wandering alone in the empty plains three days ride from here. She remembers aught but her name."

Deowyn- for this was she- helped me from the horse kindly, smiling sympathetically as I winced from the pain in my crotch.

"I would that you could take her on, as a maidservant perhaps," Eothir continued.

Deowyn snorted. "Tch, you men. She is welcome in my home as an honored guest."

I swayed as I stood, feeling as though I would fall over if I did not sit down. Suddenly bile flooded up into my throat, and I put a hand to my mouth hurriedly.

Deowyn saw, and led me swiftly through blurry hallways to a large, warm chamber full of the smells of cooking, which only served to make more bile rise. She held my head over a large basin. I gulped and threw up, going limp as she held me up. She smoothed back my hair, and her eyes widened as she touched my forehead.

"You burn with fever, child! Has Eothir no eyes, that he did not see this? A finer man has never lived, but he loves overmuch the sound of his own voice."

She led me to a small room with a wide bed in the center. Blackness roared in my ears, and I collapsed on the bed, asleep before another moment passed.