The children had never like Gríma Wormtongue, son of Galmód. The skeletal figure had always been lurking, ever-present but never a threat - as long as they could remember. Together, the trio had mocked him behind his curved back, Éomer being the worst offender. Theódred and Éowyn laughed heartily at the exaggerated impressions of Gríma that the stout Éomer executed, but none felt guilty, after all, he *was* a strange character.
They often wondered why this dark creature lived in Edoras. He was the Kings advisor, seemingly, but Theóden himself appeared to treat the man as a nuisance. Éowyn often thought to herself why would her Uncle need an advisor, what did this queer man know that her Uncle did not? She voiced this concern once to Theódred. He shrugged his doughty shoulders and vaguely said that Gríma knew about doings in the North. They both pondered this for a few moments, but then forgot.
Theódred was quieter and more thoughtful than the rash Éomer, and it was him who realised that his Father's advisor treated Éowyn differently from he and his male cousin. Theódred watched Gríma's eyes and manner towards the youngster and one day followed him into his Father's hall.
"Master..." Gríma intoned - loping over to Theóden. Theóden watched from behind a heavy curtain. Theóden was sitting on his chair, talking to a man of the court. He looked up and nodded at the man to take leave for a few minutes.
"Yes, Gríma?" Theóden turned his full attentions to Wormtongue, who slid nearer.
"My sir, I think that the Lady Éowyn would perhaps benefit from some private horse riding lessons, as I notice she isn't as adept on a horse as she could be. May I..."
Theódred strained his ears towards the conversation, as it was rather hard to hear from behind the drape. Éowyn not a good rider? Why, she was better than him, and he was many a year older! Theóden, cutting Gríma off, also took this route.
"I was sure that Éowyn is a fine rider, but I have been busy lately, I haven't seen her current progress. Should I ask a Marshal to give her and the boys some lessons?" Theoden said this offhandedly, but Grima cut in quickly -
"No Master, I don't think you would have to go through that trouble. The boys are fine riders, they need no lessons. I just think that the girl would benefit. I, in fact, am free tomorrow afternoon, that is, if you don't need me at the counsel, I could give the child some riding lessons." Theódred frowned. Gríma moved closer to the King, his hands clasped.
The King got out of his chair and stood up. He shrugged and said to Gríma. "If you wish, Gríma. Tomorrow afternoon you may be permitted to give riding lessons to Éowyn. After that, you will dine with me and tell me if she needs more lessons. You need not come to my afternoon counsel." Theóden didn't voice the thoughts in his head, the ones that said he was glad he wouldn't have to deal with Gríma until later. He was getting irritating, always lurking about. Perhaps a ride tomorrow will be all the better for his demeanour. Gríma excused himself, and Theódred followed him.
He didn't get far, as his cousins waylaid him by the door, just as Gríma had passed them. "Hullo! Where did you get to?" Éomer bellowed. Éowyn tripped towards him, speaking fast.
"Theódred, come, let's go to Frama's. The dog is about to give birth to pups!" She took his hand in her own dry, hot palm and ran with him down the steps of the Golden Hall, with Éomer following.
Dogs were plentiful in Rohan, but most were old and tired creatures, and it was very rare to see newborn pups. Theóden and Éomer watched in amusement as Éowyn hugged and kissed the puppies, getting all bloody and slimy. They pretended they didn't care about how sweet they looked, but in reality they were as childlike as Éowyn. After an hour of spending time with the pups and talking with Frama, the older girl whose dog had given birth, they left the tiny thatched cottage.
It was still late afternoon when they left Frama's, and the trio didn't want to go back to the Golden Hall as yet. Instead, they went to the stable, where they collected their three horses. Éowyn's was, predictably, the smallest, and the youngest. His name was Avamel, and he was a swift light brown horse. Éomer's horse was a dark brown stallion called Cosar, and Theódred's was of a similar kind, called Erlos. Trotting out of the stable, the children rode to a place they liked sitting. It was on the top of a grassy hill on the road to Helms Deep, higher than Edoras giving them a vantage view of it and the fields of Rohan. Dreeping off their horses, they flopped onto the long green grass, while the horses chewed it beside them.
"So, where were you when you disappeared earlier, Theódred?" Éomer enquired, lying down.
"I was spying on Wormtongue, the leech." Éomer laughed and that caught Éowyn's attention.
"What is it, brother?" Eowyn looked up, a daisy in her hand. She enjoyed making them, but her hands weren't as nimble with the fine stalks as she would have liked.
"Theódred was spying on Wormtongue. So what did you do? You were away an age."
Theódred was silent for a moment. The air was warm and the land was still before them. The silence was punctuated by Cosar snuffling. "I heard Worm saying to Father that Éowyn has to take riding lessons with him tomorrow."
"What?! I'm a better rider than that Worm!" Éowyn yelled, screwing her fists together. "What would he say that for?!"
Éomer interjected. "Because he's a slimy little rat, that's why. When you go to these lessons Éowyn -"
Éowyn stood up fiercely, her cheeks red as russety apples. "I am, in no way, going to get horse riding lessons from that man - why, he can't even ride properly himself!"
Theódred smiled wanly and said, "Éowyn, I heard my father agree, you can't break that. Not even if you dislike him. Maybe it will just be one lesson, and I'll make sure my Father watches you tomorrow night afterwards to prove to him you are able. I don't know why that Wormtongue wants you to take them... he's a strange man. I don't like him."
Éomer nodded. "You mustn't disobey Uncle, Éowyn. Just suffer the lesson and we'll see what happens." Éowyn took a deep breath and plopped down onto the grass again. She didn't partake in the light conversation that followed, nor did she hear it - as inside, she was furious.
They often wondered why this dark creature lived in Edoras. He was the Kings advisor, seemingly, but Theóden himself appeared to treat the man as a nuisance. Éowyn often thought to herself why would her Uncle need an advisor, what did this queer man know that her Uncle did not? She voiced this concern once to Theódred. He shrugged his doughty shoulders and vaguely said that Gríma knew about doings in the North. They both pondered this for a few moments, but then forgot.
Theódred was quieter and more thoughtful than the rash Éomer, and it was him who realised that his Father's advisor treated Éowyn differently from he and his male cousin. Theódred watched Gríma's eyes and manner towards the youngster and one day followed him into his Father's hall.
"Master..." Gríma intoned - loping over to Theóden. Theóden watched from behind a heavy curtain. Theóden was sitting on his chair, talking to a man of the court. He looked up and nodded at the man to take leave for a few minutes.
"Yes, Gríma?" Theóden turned his full attentions to Wormtongue, who slid nearer.
"My sir, I think that the Lady Éowyn would perhaps benefit from some private horse riding lessons, as I notice she isn't as adept on a horse as she could be. May I..."
Theódred strained his ears towards the conversation, as it was rather hard to hear from behind the drape. Éowyn not a good rider? Why, she was better than him, and he was many a year older! Theóden, cutting Gríma off, also took this route.
"I was sure that Éowyn is a fine rider, but I have been busy lately, I haven't seen her current progress. Should I ask a Marshal to give her and the boys some lessons?" Theoden said this offhandedly, but Grima cut in quickly -
"No Master, I don't think you would have to go through that trouble. The boys are fine riders, they need no lessons. I just think that the girl would benefit. I, in fact, am free tomorrow afternoon, that is, if you don't need me at the counsel, I could give the child some riding lessons." Theódred frowned. Gríma moved closer to the King, his hands clasped.
The King got out of his chair and stood up. He shrugged and said to Gríma. "If you wish, Gríma. Tomorrow afternoon you may be permitted to give riding lessons to Éowyn. After that, you will dine with me and tell me if she needs more lessons. You need not come to my afternoon counsel." Theóden didn't voice the thoughts in his head, the ones that said he was glad he wouldn't have to deal with Gríma until later. He was getting irritating, always lurking about. Perhaps a ride tomorrow will be all the better for his demeanour. Gríma excused himself, and Theódred followed him.
He didn't get far, as his cousins waylaid him by the door, just as Gríma had passed them. "Hullo! Where did you get to?" Éomer bellowed. Éowyn tripped towards him, speaking fast.
"Theódred, come, let's go to Frama's. The dog is about to give birth to pups!" She took his hand in her own dry, hot palm and ran with him down the steps of the Golden Hall, with Éomer following.
Dogs were plentiful in Rohan, but most were old and tired creatures, and it was very rare to see newborn pups. Theóden and Éomer watched in amusement as Éowyn hugged and kissed the puppies, getting all bloody and slimy. They pretended they didn't care about how sweet they looked, but in reality they were as childlike as Éowyn. After an hour of spending time with the pups and talking with Frama, the older girl whose dog had given birth, they left the tiny thatched cottage.
It was still late afternoon when they left Frama's, and the trio didn't want to go back to the Golden Hall as yet. Instead, they went to the stable, where they collected their three horses. Éowyn's was, predictably, the smallest, and the youngest. His name was Avamel, and he was a swift light brown horse. Éomer's horse was a dark brown stallion called Cosar, and Theódred's was of a similar kind, called Erlos. Trotting out of the stable, the children rode to a place they liked sitting. It was on the top of a grassy hill on the road to Helms Deep, higher than Edoras giving them a vantage view of it and the fields of Rohan. Dreeping off their horses, they flopped onto the long green grass, while the horses chewed it beside them.
"So, where were you when you disappeared earlier, Theódred?" Éomer enquired, lying down.
"I was spying on Wormtongue, the leech." Éomer laughed and that caught Éowyn's attention.
"What is it, brother?" Eowyn looked up, a daisy in her hand. She enjoyed making them, but her hands weren't as nimble with the fine stalks as she would have liked.
"Theódred was spying on Wormtongue. So what did you do? You were away an age."
Theódred was silent for a moment. The air was warm and the land was still before them. The silence was punctuated by Cosar snuffling. "I heard Worm saying to Father that Éowyn has to take riding lessons with him tomorrow."
"What?! I'm a better rider than that Worm!" Éowyn yelled, screwing her fists together. "What would he say that for?!"
Éomer interjected. "Because he's a slimy little rat, that's why. When you go to these lessons Éowyn -"
Éowyn stood up fiercely, her cheeks red as russety apples. "I am, in no way, going to get horse riding lessons from that man - why, he can't even ride properly himself!"
Theódred smiled wanly and said, "Éowyn, I heard my father agree, you can't break that. Not even if you dislike him. Maybe it will just be one lesson, and I'll make sure my Father watches you tomorrow night afterwards to prove to him you are able. I don't know why that Wormtongue wants you to take them... he's a strange man. I don't like him."
Éomer nodded. "You mustn't disobey Uncle, Éowyn. Just suffer the lesson and we'll see what happens." Éowyn took a deep breath and plopped down onto the grass again. She didn't partake in the light conversation that followed, nor did she hear it - as inside, she was furious.
