As the hall emptied that night I was surprised to find that 'Lady' Covren
was still there.
I rose from my chair and went to her.
"My lady." I said above her. She looked at me through tired eyes. "May I take you to
your room?" She nodded and slowly got up from her chair. We walked in silence most
of the way letting our footsteps echo throughout the empty halls and stair cases. I
watched her from the corner of my eye. Her long black hair falling down the back of
her white gown.
"What are you looking at?" She asked so quietly that at first i did not think that she
had said anything.
"You my lady." I answered honestly. "I am beginning to understand why you would
live as a boy." She smiled but still had not looked at me. We had almost reached her
room when she spoke.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."She said. I looked at her. "It was something you
did not have to do. But I thank you for it anyway." She quickly kissed my cheek and
then ran the rest of the way to her room. She opened the door and quickly
disappeared. I stood where she had left me. Shocked. I put a hand to my cheek where
her kiss still burned. Slowly I turned and headed back to my own room. Though I
doubted I would get any sleep. I would be to busy thinking about her.
Covren
I laid down on my bed and silently berated myself for kissing him.
"What has come over you?" I told myself as I crawled beneath the furs. "Kissing him
like that." I laid my head on my pillow and stared at the ceiling. The moonlight
reflected off the snow on the ground outside and shimmered on the ceiling. I smiled
and hummed slowly in the dark. The song that my mother had taught me. As I
hummed I thought about what Eomer had said to me.
' You my lady. I am beginning to understand why
you would live as a boy.'
I smiled and sighed.
"Eomer." I said to myself. " I think that I am beginning to understand you as well." I
rolled over and closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.
Eomer
A man burst through my door. I sat up and blinked a few times startled from my
sleep.
"My lord. The Barracks is on fire." The man said. I jumped from my bed and ran from
my room behind the man that had brought me the news.
"What happened?" I asked as we ran. He barely turned his head to look at me.
" We had a stove warming the middle of the room and one of men stumbled into it
when going outside to relieve himself." I heard the cries of the people outside. Shouts
of fire went up and I heard running feet and the slosh of water. The door was open and
I saw the red glow. I stopped on the top of the landing and watched for a moment then
I too ran to help with the water.
"Are there any men still in there?" I shouted. A quick no followed. Many men ran back
and forth between the wells and others still beat the flames with blankets. After a
moment I stopped and watched the fire get hire. It was hopeless. There was nothing
we could do.
"Stop." I shouted to my men." It's lost. There's nothing more we can do." I dropped
the bucket of water and turned and looked at my castle. On the landing stood Eowyn
and Feramir. Both looking struck. A little lower on the steps was Covren. She looked
at me sadly. I nodded and turned back to the flames. I watched them for a moment
then I climbed the stairs. I slowed a little as I reached Covren.
"I am sorry Eomer." She said. I nodded and noticed that she was shivering a little. I
took off my cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. I turned and with Covren by
my side I walked to Eowyn. I turned back out to the fire. The men all stood and stared
at the flames defeatedly.
"You will all sleep in the hall tonight. Keep a watch on the burning. We don't want it to
spread to other buildings." I lead my family and Covren back into the hall and all being
to excited to sleep we sat up together and talked. Covren tried to hand me back my
cloak.
" It was not cold that I shivered from but fear." She said.
"Fear of what?" I asked. She just smiled and extended the cloak to me. I shook my
head.
"Keep it." She smiled.
"Keep it now that it is smoke smelling and dirty." She said. I smiled back at her.
"Yes. That is why I wish you to have it." I told her. Eowyn smiled at us.
"I will make warm ale." She said moving to the large fire place at the side of the room.
We followed and sat in a small half circle to warm ourselves now that the heat of the
fire was not blistering our skin.
"You tried bravely." Eowyn said pouring four goblets. I accepted one and handed it to
Covren before taking one for myself.
"We did not try bravely enough." I said a bit bitterly. Covren smiled at me.
"There was nothing more that you could have done." She said. I looked at her
suddenly glad that she had come down to see what had happened.
"Thank you." I said quietly. She looked at me confused. I pretended not to notice and
sipped my brew. Eowyn sat next to Feramir with her own drink.
"This the most exciting stay that I have had here since the war of the ring." She said.
Feramir nodded. We all sat quiet for a moment then Feramir began to speak.
"You know I.. Uh.. I tried to take the ring from Frodo." He said. I looked up at him
sharply. He nodded. "Yes. I did. He convinced me of otherwise before I did but I really
was going to take it." I looked at my drink.
"I was going to kill Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli." I said. Eowyn gasped and sat
straighter. Feramir laughed.
"They are a rather suspicious looking group aren't they." He chuckled. I smiled.
"In the end I offered them the horses and sent them on their way. "I told them. "But I
was going to kill them. I am ashamed of myself to this day." Eowyn smiled guiltily.
"I was in love with Aragorn." She said with a blush. I had taken a drink when she said
this and now I was spitting it out in shock. I gave a laugh.
"What?" I said amazed. Feramir looked at her sharply.
"Yes darling. What?" He repeated. Eowyn looked up at Feramir with a smile and a
blush on her face.
"Oh Dearest please don't worry. It was nothing." She quickly explained. " I would not
have been happy with him. It is you I love now." Feramir raised an eyebrow skeptically
but excepted the explanation. We all looked at Covren.
"I have nothing that would interest you." She said.
"Come Covren. You must have something interesting. You did pretend to be a man for
a fortnight and a half." I said. She blushed a pretty pink.
"Yes Covren come on tell us something. It wouldn't be fair to us." Eowyn said leaning
back against Feramir. Covren sighed.
" When I was twelve I was enamored with a knight of my fathers personnel guard." She
began. Already a deep red blush crept over her cheeks." One night I snuck out and
went to his room. And I confessed my undying love for him." Eowyn and Feramir burst
out laughing. I nearly dropped my wine I was laughing so hard. Covren giggled and
ducked her head.
"Oh my." Eowyn said wipping the tears from her eyes. " How old are you anyway
Covren?" She asked. I looked at her.
"I am Twenty." She said. Eowyn looked at me.
"Twenty is young yet." She said looking at me. She turned back to Covren. "Eomer's
is but thirty." Covren giggled and looked at the floor again.
" I am sure Eomer has more important young maids to tend to then to take interest in
me." She said witha wide grin.
"Oh no he hasn't." Eowyn said straightening. " He has yet to find any young girl in
Rohan or Gondor. "I groaned and muttered under my breath. Covren laughed.
"Well then you better start looking Eomer." She said teasingly, poking me." You will
not live forever and before you know it all the maids in the land will be taken." I
laughed with the rest.
"You are no fresh spring flower yourself." I teased back. " and now that I think about
your age. I am beginning to wonder. "I said nothing for a moment." But is Covren your
true name." She smiled and looked guiltily at the floor.
"Aha." I said. " You lie more then you let on." She looked up quickly.
"Oh I did not lie about my name." She said. "I just did not tell it to you in the correct
sequence." I waited for a moment but she seemed as if she was not going to tell me.
"Well." I said encouragingly. "Tell us your name." She smiled.
"My name is Candervernoclieath. " She said. I stared at her for a moment and
thought.
"How is that your name in the right sequence?" I asked confused. She laughed.
"It is only part of my name backwards." She said. " The middle part. My name is
such a mouthful that I decided to shorten it. But Vernoc was, in my opinion, not a
very pretty name so I turned it around." I nodded.
"It agrees with you." Eowyn said."Much better then Candervernoclieath." Covren
laughed.
"Yes it does." She laughed. We sat in silence after that. Enjoying the fires warmth.
And the relaxing heat of the wine. Soon we heard the snores of the men sleeping in
the hall. I stood.
"I think that it is time for all of us to retire." I stretched. Covren looked up at me.
"I will never sleep again." She said. " To much excitement and laughter for sleep."
She stood also though. "I will go and dress and then look in on the children." She
turned and left. Eowyn and Feramir stayed on the floor.
"She is wonderful with them." Eowyn said. I nodded.
"Perhaps you should ask her to go back with you." I suggested. Eowyn looked up at
Feramir who shrugged.
"If you would like for her to come. I am not opposed." He said. Eowyn looked back at
me and considered.
"I will ask." She said simply. I nodded and then I left for my own room.
Covren
I dressed slowly and combed my hair the same. Tired was no way to explain me. I
was exhausted. But I knew that if I tried to sleep I would never be able to. I braided
my hair and wrapped the length of cord around my head. I stood and headed for the
baby's room. They were awake and gurgling and playing with their toes. I smiled as I
leaned over their crib.
" Good morning babies." I said. "You are awake early." I looked out the window and
saw that the sun had still not risen. I turned and stoked the fire in the hearth and thenI
went and picked up Theodin. Denethor being to involved in sucking on his toes. I sat
on a well cushioned chair and sank down into the stuffing. The warmth filled me. I
looked down at Theoden. He was asleep. His little mouth puckering. I giggled and laid
my head back. I began to hum my mothers song but drowsiness swept over me and
soon I was asleep.
I rose from my chair and went to her.
"My lady." I said above her. She looked at me through tired eyes. "May I take you to
your room?" She nodded and slowly got up from her chair. We walked in silence most
of the way letting our footsteps echo throughout the empty halls and stair cases. I
watched her from the corner of my eye. Her long black hair falling down the back of
her white gown.
"What are you looking at?" She asked so quietly that at first i did not think that she
had said anything.
"You my lady." I answered honestly. "I am beginning to understand why you would
live as a boy." She smiled but still had not looked at me. We had almost reached her
room when she spoke.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."She said. I looked at her. "It was something you
did not have to do. But I thank you for it anyway." She quickly kissed my cheek and
then ran the rest of the way to her room. She opened the door and quickly
disappeared. I stood where she had left me. Shocked. I put a hand to my cheek where
her kiss still burned. Slowly I turned and headed back to my own room. Though I
doubted I would get any sleep. I would be to busy thinking about her.
Covren
I laid down on my bed and silently berated myself for kissing him.
"What has come over you?" I told myself as I crawled beneath the furs. "Kissing him
like that." I laid my head on my pillow and stared at the ceiling. The moonlight
reflected off the snow on the ground outside and shimmered on the ceiling. I smiled
and hummed slowly in the dark. The song that my mother had taught me. As I
hummed I thought about what Eomer had said to me.
' You my lady. I am beginning to understand why
you would live as a boy.'
I smiled and sighed.
"Eomer." I said to myself. " I think that I am beginning to understand you as well." I
rolled over and closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.
Eomer
A man burst through my door. I sat up and blinked a few times startled from my
sleep.
"My lord. The Barracks is on fire." The man said. I jumped from my bed and ran from
my room behind the man that had brought me the news.
"What happened?" I asked as we ran. He barely turned his head to look at me.
" We had a stove warming the middle of the room and one of men stumbled into it
when going outside to relieve himself." I heard the cries of the people outside. Shouts
of fire went up and I heard running feet and the slosh of water. The door was open and
I saw the red glow. I stopped on the top of the landing and watched for a moment then
I too ran to help with the water.
"Are there any men still in there?" I shouted. A quick no followed. Many men ran back
and forth between the wells and others still beat the flames with blankets. After a
moment I stopped and watched the fire get hire. It was hopeless. There was nothing
we could do.
"Stop." I shouted to my men." It's lost. There's nothing more we can do." I dropped
the bucket of water and turned and looked at my castle. On the landing stood Eowyn
and Feramir. Both looking struck. A little lower on the steps was Covren. She looked
at me sadly. I nodded and turned back to the flames. I watched them for a moment
then I climbed the stairs. I slowed a little as I reached Covren.
"I am sorry Eomer." She said. I nodded and noticed that she was shivering a little. I
took off my cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. I turned and with Covren by
my side I walked to Eowyn. I turned back out to the fire. The men all stood and stared
at the flames defeatedly.
"You will all sleep in the hall tonight. Keep a watch on the burning. We don't want it to
spread to other buildings." I lead my family and Covren back into the hall and all being
to excited to sleep we sat up together and talked. Covren tried to hand me back my
cloak.
" It was not cold that I shivered from but fear." She said.
"Fear of what?" I asked. She just smiled and extended the cloak to me. I shook my
head.
"Keep it." She smiled.
"Keep it now that it is smoke smelling and dirty." She said. I smiled back at her.
"Yes. That is why I wish you to have it." I told her. Eowyn smiled at us.
"I will make warm ale." She said moving to the large fire place at the side of the room.
We followed and sat in a small half circle to warm ourselves now that the heat of the
fire was not blistering our skin.
"You tried bravely." Eowyn said pouring four goblets. I accepted one and handed it to
Covren before taking one for myself.
"We did not try bravely enough." I said a bit bitterly. Covren smiled at me.
"There was nothing more that you could have done." She said. I looked at her
suddenly glad that she had come down to see what had happened.
"Thank you." I said quietly. She looked at me confused. I pretended not to notice and
sipped my brew. Eowyn sat next to Feramir with her own drink.
"This the most exciting stay that I have had here since the war of the ring." She said.
Feramir nodded. We all sat quiet for a moment then Feramir began to speak.
"You know I.. Uh.. I tried to take the ring from Frodo." He said. I looked up at him
sharply. He nodded. "Yes. I did. He convinced me of otherwise before I did but I really
was going to take it." I looked at my drink.
"I was going to kill Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli." I said. Eowyn gasped and sat
straighter. Feramir laughed.
"They are a rather suspicious looking group aren't they." He chuckled. I smiled.
"In the end I offered them the horses and sent them on their way. "I told them. "But I
was going to kill them. I am ashamed of myself to this day." Eowyn smiled guiltily.
"I was in love with Aragorn." She said with a blush. I had taken a drink when she said
this and now I was spitting it out in shock. I gave a laugh.
"What?" I said amazed. Feramir looked at her sharply.
"Yes darling. What?" He repeated. Eowyn looked up at Feramir with a smile and a
blush on her face.
"Oh Dearest please don't worry. It was nothing." She quickly explained. " I would not
have been happy with him. It is you I love now." Feramir raised an eyebrow skeptically
but excepted the explanation. We all looked at Covren.
"I have nothing that would interest you." She said.
"Come Covren. You must have something interesting. You did pretend to be a man for
a fortnight and a half." I said. She blushed a pretty pink.
"Yes Covren come on tell us something. It wouldn't be fair to us." Eowyn said leaning
back against Feramir. Covren sighed.
" When I was twelve I was enamored with a knight of my fathers personnel guard." She
began. Already a deep red blush crept over her cheeks." One night I snuck out and
went to his room. And I confessed my undying love for him." Eowyn and Feramir burst
out laughing. I nearly dropped my wine I was laughing so hard. Covren giggled and
ducked her head.
"Oh my." Eowyn said wipping the tears from her eyes. " How old are you anyway
Covren?" She asked. I looked at her.
"I am Twenty." She said. Eowyn looked at me.
"Twenty is young yet." She said looking at me. She turned back to Covren. "Eomer's
is but thirty." Covren giggled and looked at the floor again.
" I am sure Eomer has more important young maids to tend to then to take interest in
me." She said witha wide grin.
"Oh no he hasn't." Eowyn said straightening. " He has yet to find any young girl in
Rohan or Gondor. "I groaned and muttered under my breath. Covren laughed.
"Well then you better start looking Eomer." She said teasingly, poking me." You will
not live forever and before you know it all the maids in the land will be taken." I
laughed with the rest.
"You are no fresh spring flower yourself." I teased back. " and now that I think about
your age. I am beginning to wonder. "I said nothing for a moment." But is Covren your
true name." She smiled and looked guiltily at the floor.
"Aha." I said. " You lie more then you let on." She looked up quickly.
"Oh I did not lie about my name." She said. "I just did not tell it to you in the correct
sequence." I waited for a moment but she seemed as if she was not going to tell me.
"Well." I said encouragingly. "Tell us your name." She smiled.
"My name is Candervernoclieath. " She said. I stared at her for a moment and
thought.
"How is that your name in the right sequence?" I asked confused. She laughed.
"It is only part of my name backwards." She said. " The middle part. My name is
such a mouthful that I decided to shorten it. But Vernoc was, in my opinion, not a
very pretty name so I turned it around." I nodded.
"It agrees with you." Eowyn said."Much better then Candervernoclieath." Covren
laughed.
"Yes it does." She laughed. We sat in silence after that. Enjoying the fires warmth.
And the relaxing heat of the wine. Soon we heard the snores of the men sleeping in
the hall. I stood.
"I think that it is time for all of us to retire." I stretched. Covren looked up at me.
"I will never sleep again." She said. " To much excitement and laughter for sleep."
She stood also though. "I will go and dress and then look in on the children." She
turned and left. Eowyn and Feramir stayed on the floor.
"She is wonderful with them." Eowyn said. I nodded.
"Perhaps you should ask her to go back with you." I suggested. Eowyn looked up at
Feramir who shrugged.
"If you would like for her to come. I am not opposed." He said. Eowyn looked back at
me and considered.
"I will ask." She said simply. I nodded and then I left for my own room.
Covren
I dressed slowly and combed my hair the same. Tired was no way to explain me. I
was exhausted. But I knew that if I tried to sleep I would never be able to. I braided
my hair and wrapped the length of cord around my head. I stood and headed for the
baby's room. They were awake and gurgling and playing with their toes. I smiled as I
leaned over their crib.
" Good morning babies." I said. "You are awake early." I looked out the window and
saw that the sun had still not risen. I turned and stoked the fire in the hearth and thenI
went and picked up Theodin. Denethor being to involved in sucking on his toes. I sat
on a well cushioned chair and sank down into the stuffing. The warmth filled me. I
looked down at Theoden. He was asleep. His little mouth puckering. I giggled and laid
my head back. I began to hum my mothers song but drowsiness swept over me and
soon I was asleep.