Growing Under Shadow
Chapter four
Éowyn ran into her room and swung open her oak wardrobe doors. She pulled out a green velvet dress, a white wool one and a blue velvet one. It was almost over! She was going to escape from Grima! Bundled them all together and went into Théodred's room, where she took three outfits of his and then finished by taking three outfits of Éomer's. She took them to the barn and threw them in. Théodred popped his head around the door.
"Éowyn, father is leaving." Said he as they all walked out and to the gate.
Théoden sat atop his magnificent black steed, Molale. The children stared in astonishment at the king who seemed to look years younger with his pride. Grima stood fidgeting uncomfortably next to him holding Molale's reins.
"Well, look you three, all covered in hay!" Chuckled Théoden. "Now, I might be away for a while but I will return on the fifth sun from now. Éowyn, you are in charge of Meduseld. Éomer, you are in charge of the horses and Théodred, you are in charge of Edoras."
Each child had a look of purest delight on their faces showing their gratitude for the tasks they were given.
"But now I am already late for my journey, so I must depart." He dismounted from his horse and kissed each child's forehead before re-mounting and riding out of the gates.
When the king was gone and the thudding of hooves had died away the gates were shut. Grima cast a poisonous look towards the three. Éowyn began to run off towards the stables when a vice like grip took her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Grima turning her around. Éomer and Théodred scampered away.
"Just to feed the horses." Éowyn cunningly replied.
"Nice try." Smirked Grima. "But the king fed the horses before he left."
Éowyn closed her eyes briefly to curse herself and then looked up at Grima.
"Well, I shall just go to the stables to stroke the horses." Said Éowyn, trying to cover her story.
"No you will not!" Grima grabbed the young girls fragile wrist and began to drag her up through Edoras straight to Meduseld. He threw her down on the floor in front of the throne, which he then sat on. Éowyn clutched her wrist and looked desperately towards the large wooden door, which slammed shut and were bolted.
"Now, stop your crying and tell me - where are the other urchins." Snarled Grima, drinking from a goblet that lay on the table next to him.
"I do not know! Please! Let me leave! I cannot move my wrist." Cried Éowyn.
Grima stood and walked over to her and held her arm out. He moved the sleeve up. Éowyn winced and let out a yelp as Grima scowled at her.
He saw the wrist was shades of purple and red and felt a flush of adrenaline go through him, he was afraid of what the king would say. The wrist was broken; he had to think of a story and fast.
"It's fine child." Grima dropped her arm and Éowyn shrieked.
"Why does it hurt then master Grima?" mumbled Éowyn politely.
"Because you are a nosey fell and foul urchin who likes to cause trouble and look 'pretty' when she does it!" He growled shoving his face cruelly next to hers.
"I am not." Whispered Éowyn. "Éomer will get you one day. He knows things even you can't."
"Yes, well, he is a problem that I need to get rid of. He sees too much, a constant thorn in my side." Said Grima to himself almost forgetting about Éowyn on the floor. "But have you ever thought." Éowyn looked up at him with wide eyes. "Have you ever wondered if he would leave you one day? Go off on one of his rides and never return? Leave you all cold and alone? Whom would you turn to?"
"Théodred." Said Éowyn. "Éomer would never leave me anyways."
Grima laughed. "Never leave, rich." He paced back and forth except when he paused and then it was only to study her reaction. "Théodred will not be here forever!" He cackled. "And Éomer, he will not want to stay here with you weighing down his hopes and dreams and nobody will be able to marry you, for you are closed in a small cage. When was the last time you ever spoke to someone outside of the palace?" He waited for an answer. Éowyn looked to the floor giving up hope of finding one. "Éomer will leave you, Théodred will not have time for you, being a prince and finding love is what he will do. You are just the tag along. Where are they when you are here? Nay, I am the only one who will ever love you and never leave you."
"You are merely poison! You came straight from Sauron's fell beast!" Screamed Éowyn at the top of her voice.
"Sauron?" The hall fell silent. "Sauron? Sauron?" Grima laughed again like a maniac and everything seemed to go dark and all Éowyn could see was he. "Sauron! You are brave for speaking his name." He knelt next to her and pulled her hair back. "Sauron was defeated. The real fear you should have is yourself. I can feel it, something sick and wrong in your mind. You are so warm and loving, but when you come of age you shall see, you will be fair and cold, like spring hanging on to winter. Everyone you love will be in darkness, Théoden shall be merely a shadow of what he was, Théodred shall be slain and Éomer will desert you. Everyone you love will be gone, then you will have only me to love." He smelt her hair. "Only me, then I will reject you, reducing you to your knees where you will beg me to release you from Meduseld, but I won't let you go. I will turn you into a ghost of your former self. People will think you are dead, you won't step into the light ever again."
The hall returned to its former state and she could see every detail.
"Nobody shapes my future. I am beyond my years and can see what you are. I know where my brother is, and where my cousin is and you are too ignorant to ever find them." Said Éowyn, looking a lot older and sounding a lot older than she should.
Grima clenched tighter on her hair and snarled, releasing her. He twisted her broken arm to add more pain and stormed out of the hall, leaving Éowyn on the floor, her spirit and body broken into pieces.
Chapter four
Éowyn ran into her room and swung open her oak wardrobe doors. She pulled out a green velvet dress, a white wool one and a blue velvet one. It was almost over! She was going to escape from Grima! Bundled them all together and went into Théodred's room, where she took three outfits of his and then finished by taking three outfits of Éomer's. She took them to the barn and threw them in. Théodred popped his head around the door.
"Éowyn, father is leaving." Said he as they all walked out and to the gate.
Théoden sat atop his magnificent black steed, Molale. The children stared in astonishment at the king who seemed to look years younger with his pride. Grima stood fidgeting uncomfortably next to him holding Molale's reins.
"Well, look you three, all covered in hay!" Chuckled Théoden. "Now, I might be away for a while but I will return on the fifth sun from now. Éowyn, you are in charge of Meduseld. Éomer, you are in charge of the horses and Théodred, you are in charge of Edoras."
Each child had a look of purest delight on their faces showing their gratitude for the tasks they were given.
"But now I am already late for my journey, so I must depart." He dismounted from his horse and kissed each child's forehead before re-mounting and riding out of the gates.
When the king was gone and the thudding of hooves had died away the gates were shut. Grima cast a poisonous look towards the three. Éowyn began to run off towards the stables when a vice like grip took her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Grima turning her around. Éomer and Théodred scampered away.
"Just to feed the horses." Éowyn cunningly replied.
"Nice try." Smirked Grima. "But the king fed the horses before he left."
Éowyn closed her eyes briefly to curse herself and then looked up at Grima.
"Well, I shall just go to the stables to stroke the horses." Said Éowyn, trying to cover her story.
"No you will not!" Grima grabbed the young girls fragile wrist and began to drag her up through Edoras straight to Meduseld. He threw her down on the floor in front of the throne, which he then sat on. Éowyn clutched her wrist and looked desperately towards the large wooden door, which slammed shut and were bolted.
"Now, stop your crying and tell me - where are the other urchins." Snarled Grima, drinking from a goblet that lay on the table next to him.
"I do not know! Please! Let me leave! I cannot move my wrist." Cried Éowyn.
Grima stood and walked over to her and held her arm out. He moved the sleeve up. Éowyn winced and let out a yelp as Grima scowled at her.
He saw the wrist was shades of purple and red and felt a flush of adrenaline go through him, he was afraid of what the king would say. The wrist was broken; he had to think of a story and fast.
"It's fine child." Grima dropped her arm and Éowyn shrieked.
"Why does it hurt then master Grima?" mumbled Éowyn politely.
"Because you are a nosey fell and foul urchin who likes to cause trouble and look 'pretty' when she does it!" He growled shoving his face cruelly next to hers.
"I am not." Whispered Éowyn. "Éomer will get you one day. He knows things even you can't."
"Yes, well, he is a problem that I need to get rid of. He sees too much, a constant thorn in my side." Said Grima to himself almost forgetting about Éowyn on the floor. "But have you ever thought." Éowyn looked up at him with wide eyes. "Have you ever wondered if he would leave you one day? Go off on one of his rides and never return? Leave you all cold and alone? Whom would you turn to?"
"Théodred." Said Éowyn. "Éomer would never leave me anyways."
Grima laughed. "Never leave, rich." He paced back and forth except when he paused and then it was only to study her reaction. "Théodred will not be here forever!" He cackled. "And Éomer, he will not want to stay here with you weighing down his hopes and dreams and nobody will be able to marry you, for you are closed in a small cage. When was the last time you ever spoke to someone outside of the palace?" He waited for an answer. Éowyn looked to the floor giving up hope of finding one. "Éomer will leave you, Théodred will not have time for you, being a prince and finding love is what he will do. You are just the tag along. Where are they when you are here? Nay, I am the only one who will ever love you and never leave you."
"You are merely poison! You came straight from Sauron's fell beast!" Screamed Éowyn at the top of her voice.
"Sauron?" The hall fell silent. "Sauron? Sauron?" Grima laughed again like a maniac and everything seemed to go dark and all Éowyn could see was he. "Sauron! You are brave for speaking his name." He knelt next to her and pulled her hair back. "Sauron was defeated. The real fear you should have is yourself. I can feel it, something sick and wrong in your mind. You are so warm and loving, but when you come of age you shall see, you will be fair and cold, like spring hanging on to winter. Everyone you love will be in darkness, Théoden shall be merely a shadow of what he was, Théodred shall be slain and Éomer will desert you. Everyone you love will be gone, then you will have only me to love." He smelt her hair. "Only me, then I will reject you, reducing you to your knees where you will beg me to release you from Meduseld, but I won't let you go. I will turn you into a ghost of your former self. People will think you are dead, you won't step into the light ever again."
The hall returned to its former state and she could see every detail.
"Nobody shapes my future. I am beyond my years and can see what you are. I know where my brother is, and where my cousin is and you are too ignorant to ever find them." Said Éowyn, looking a lot older and sounding a lot older than she should.
Grima clenched tighter on her hair and snarled, releasing her. He twisted her broken arm to add more pain and stormed out of the hall, leaving Éowyn on the floor, her spirit and body broken into pieces.
