Growing under shadow
Chapter one
Éowyn stood watching her uncle with a gleam of wonder in her eye. This was the closest she had been to her Uncle's horse; in fact, this was the first time she had been this close to any horse, despite living in Rohan for five years.
"Do not get so close Éowyn." Said Théoden, looking concerned.
"I will not." Said Éowyn, looking at the horse with amazement. "He is so beautiful. May I ride him uncle, king, sir?"
"Uncle will do child but I am afraid you are not old enough to mount a horse by yourself." He replied.
"But I am!" Protested Éowyn stomping her foot. "I'm twice as good as Éomer with the sword yet he gets to ride with you! I will not be by myself though - I will be with you! Please Uncle!"
"Do not stamp your feet young lady it is not the way a lady behaves!" Growled Théoden. "And do not play with weapons! You could lose an eye. Éowyn, darling, understand I would take you if I thought you were ready, but I cannot take you unsupervised across the mark. Stay with Grima and I will take you out tomorrow - just you and I."
"No Éomer?" Asked Éowyn hopefully.
"No Éomer." Smiled Théoden, agreeing.
Éowyn smiled back with roses in her cheeks. Her long golden hair reflected the sunlight and she looked like the Golden Hall herself. She was so warm and loving in appearance and many referred to her as 'summer in bloom.' Just as they shared a rare alone moment Grima came crawling along and behind him was Éomer on his horse, Frama.
"Grima, my loyal friend and servant, could you please look after Éowyn when I am away?" Said the King making his question sound more like an order than an actual question.
"Or course your majesty." Bowed Grima.
Éowyn scowled, remembering the last time she was with Grima. She could remember it clearly when he struck her face with the back of his hand.
"Well Éowyn, staying behind again are you? Well I hope you find something to do, perhaps you could wash your clothes again." Mocked Éomer. Éowyn scowled again.
"Do not gloat Éomer and do not scowl Éowyn! I do not know what I am going to do with the two of you!" Joked Théoden.
"Is Théodred staying behind too, uncle?" Queried Éowyn stretching out her hand towards the King's horse's muzzle.
"To be honest with you Éowyn, I am not entirely sure. He said he was but this morning he would not come out of his room." Sighed Théoden.
"I could check to see how he is." Hinted the girl.
"Aye, that would be good. Try to get him outside; it is not healthy for a young boy to stay in his room all night. I am concerned about his behavior of late." Théoden frowned and looked towards the golden hall of Edoras.
Éowyn cast a knowing look towards her brother. "I will depart now and bid you farewell. Take care uncle, and you brother."
Éomer nodded to her.
"I will see you soon child." Said the king as he, Éomer and the rest of the horsemen rode out of the gates of Edoras into the Riddermark.
"Come along then." Sniveled Grima.
Éowyn looked at him with disgust in her face. Grima was hideous to her. His skin was pale and his lips were black and she was sure that his tongue was forked but she could not be certain. His black robes screamed treachery and she knew he was not to be trusted, yet could not understand why her uncle did trust him.
"Now!" He shouted.
Éowyn's disgust faded and was replaced with true terror. She recoiled and covered her face in a melodramatic way.
"Don't play the fool with me!" Snapped Wormtongue as he grabbed her wrist. Éowyn shrieked as he squeezed harder.
"Please, let go!" cried Éowyn. Grima, overcome with guilt, released her wrist.
"Come - now!" He said in a quieter voice. Éowyn followed him up the steps and into the Golden Hall.
Éowyn and Grima walked into the hall and what they saw did not please Grima's eyes.
Théodred sat proudly on the throne, which his father kept and he looked very regal, the perfect picture of a Rohan Prince. His golden hair fell about his strong cheekbones and his cold stare could pierce the bravest man's heart. His thin lips showed no emotion and his blue velvet attire set the picture off perfectly.
When he spotted Éowyn his cold stare melted and turned to a happy gaze and his lips curved to a smile.
Éowyn smiled back and ran up to the throne, but before she reached it she felt a tug on her hair and she flew backwards into Grima's legs.
"Unhand her fell serpent, I mean - servant!" Shouted the prince standing up. Grima laughed.
"Unhand her? How could I unhand her? I haven't even got a hold of her." He ripped his hands away from her hair and Éowyn winced, her face red and soaked with tears.
"I shall tell my father!" The prince shouted again.
"Who would he believe, hmm? Two snivelling urchins whom cannot be trusted, or me, his faithful friend who would do anything for him?" Smirked Grima.
"Oh, a friend who will inevitably bring about the fall of the golden hall!" Muttered Éowyn to herself.
Grima kicked her, having heard her, then he pulled her up by her hair as more tears fell down her warm cheeks.
"I am sorry." Whispered Grima, sincerely as he saw the pain he had caused her. "I did not mean to hurt you."
Éowyn was confused by Grima's change in attitude. She preferred it though, so said nothing. She wiped her tears on her white wool dress and moved her hair away from her face.
Théodred rushed over to her and hugged her, casting a confused look at the snake in their presence.
"Théodred, I am glad you stayed behind today, I could not bare to be alone with him again." She whispered into her cousin's ear.
"It is not any inconvenience to me." He whispered back. "Éomer can keep my father company. I will not leave you alone with him ever again. Does Éomer know?"
"Yes, he does, but I am afraid he loves the horses too much to stay behind with us two, he still loves us." Replied Éowyn.
"I know." Théodred looked at Grima who now had his back turned to the two as the shadows absorbed him and he looked out of the window. "Let us run away. Now! Find my father when you still have the marks."
"No, if he catches us he will hurt us even more!" Protested Éowyn.
"Then we can hide!" Said Théodred. "In the stables."
"He will find us." Sighed Éowyn.
"Then we will hide in the hole under the hill." Said Théodred.
Éowyn nodded and then they shot off, running out of the hall, past Grima and down the steps.
Chapter one
Éowyn stood watching her uncle with a gleam of wonder in her eye. This was the closest she had been to her Uncle's horse; in fact, this was the first time she had been this close to any horse, despite living in Rohan for five years.
"Do not get so close Éowyn." Said Théoden, looking concerned.
"I will not." Said Éowyn, looking at the horse with amazement. "He is so beautiful. May I ride him uncle, king, sir?"
"Uncle will do child but I am afraid you are not old enough to mount a horse by yourself." He replied.
"But I am!" Protested Éowyn stomping her foot. "I'm twice as good as Éomer with the sword yet he gets to ride with you! I will not be by myself though - I will be with you! Please Uncle!"
"Do not stamp your feet young lady it is not the way a lady behaves!" Growled Théoden. "And do not play with weapons! You could lose an eye. Éowyn, darling, understand I would take you if I thought you were ready, but I cannot take you unsupervised across the mark. Stay with Grima and I will take you out tomorrow - just you and I."
"No Éomer?" Asked Éowyn hopefully.
"No Éomer." Smiled Théoden, agreeing.
Éowyn smiled back with roses in her cheeks. Her long golden hair reflected the sunlight and she looked like the Golden Hall herself. She was so warm and loving in appearance and many referred to her as 'summer in bloom.' Just as they shared a rare alone moment Grima came crawling along and behind him was Éomer on his horse, Frama.
"Grima, my loyal friend and servant, could you please look after Éowyn when I am away?" Said the King making his question sound more like an order than an actual question.
"Or course your majesty." Bowed Grima.
Éowyn scowled, remembering the last time she was with Grima. She could remember it clearly when he struck her face with the back of his hand.
"Well Éowyn, staying behind again are you? Well I hope you find something to do, perhaps you could wash your clothes again." Mocked Éomer. Éowyn scowled again.
"Do not gloat Éomer and do not scowl Éowyn! I do not know what I am going to do with the two of you!" Joked Théoden.
"Is Théodred staying behind too, uncle?" Queried Éowyn stretching out her hand towards the King's horse's muzzle.
"To be honest with you Éowyn, I am not entirely sure. He said he was but this morning he would not come out of his room." Sighed Théoden.
"I could check to see how he is." Hinted the girl.
"Aye, that would be good. Try to get him outside; it is not healthy for a young boy to stay in his room all night. I am concerned about his behavior of late." Théoden frowned and looked towards the golden hall of Edoras.
Éowyn cast a knowing look towards her brother. "I will depart now and bid you farewell. Take care uncle, and you brother."
Éomer nodded to her.
"I will see you soon child." Said the king as he, Éomer and the rest of the horsemen rode out of the gates of Edoras into the Riddermark.
"Come along then." Sniveled Grima.
Éowyn looked at him with disgust in her face. Grima was hideous to her. His skin was pale and his lips were black and she was sure that his tongue was forked but she could not be certain. His black robes screamed treachery and she knew he was not to be trusted, yet could not understand why her uncle did trust him.
"Now!" He shouted.
Éowyn's disgust faded and was replaced with true terror. She recoiled and covered her face in a melodramatic way.
"Don't play the fool with me!" Snapped Wormtongue as he grabbed her wrist. Éowyn shrieked as he squeezed harder.
"Please, let go!" cried Éowyn. Grima, overcome with guilt, released her wrist.
"Come - now!" He said in a quieter voice. Éowyn followed him up the steps and into the Golden Hall.
Éowyn and Grima walked into the hall and what they saw did not please Grima's eyes.
Théodred sat proudly on the throne, which his father kept and he looked very regal, the perfect picture of a Rohan Prince. His golden hair fell about his strong cheekbones and his cold stare could pierce the bravest man's heart. His thin lips showed no emotion and his blue velvet attire set the picture off perfectly.
When he spotted Éowyn his cold stare melted and turned to a happy gaze and his lips curved to a smile.
Éowyn smiled back and ran up to the throne, but before she reached it she felt a tug on her hair and she flew backwards into Grima's legs.
"Unhand her fell serpent, I mean - servant!" Shouted the prince standing up. Grima laughed.
"Unhand her? How could I unhand her? I haven't even got a hold of her." He ripped his hands away from her hair and Éowyn winced, her face red and soaked with tears.
"I shall tell my father!" The prince shouted again.
"Who would he believe, hmm? Two snivelling urchins whom cannot be trusted, or me, his faithful friend who would do anything for him?" Smirked Grima.
"Oh, a friend who will inevitably bring about the fall of the golden hall!" Muttered Éowyn to herself.
Grima kicked her, having heard her, then he pulled her up by her hair as more tears fell down her warm cheeks.
"I am sorry." Whispered Grima, sincerely as he saw the pain he had caused her. "I did not mean to hurt you."
Éowyn was confused by Grima's change in attitude. She preferred it though, so said nothing. She wiped her tears on her white wool dress and moved her hair away from her face.
Théodred rushed over to her and hugged her, casting a confused look at the snake in their presence.
"Théodred, I am glad you stayed behind today, I could not bare to be alone with him again." She whispered into her cousin's ear.
"It is not any inconvenience to me." He whispered back. "Éomer can keep my father company. I will not leave you alone with him ever again. Does Éomer know?"
"Yes, he does, but I am afraid he loves the horses too much to stay behind with us two, he still loves us." Replied Éowyn.
"I know." Théodred looked at Grima who now had his back turned to the two as the shadows absorbed him and he looked out of the window. "Let us run away. Now! Find my father when you still have the marks."
"No, if he catches us he will hurt us even more!" Protested Éowyn.
"Then we can hide!" Said Théodred. "In the stables."
"He will find us." Sighed Éowyn.
"Then we will hide in the hole under the hill." Said Théodred.
Éowyn nodded and then they shot off, running out of the hall, past Grima and down the steps.
