Theóden told Éowyn she must go to the horse riding lessons that night, over supper. He felt slightly ill at ease at the fact that he was using Éowyn to avoid Gríma, but didn't see another solution to the problem. Gríma always seemed to be... well, *leeching* over him, and he didn't find the experience wholly comfortable. Anyway, Éowyn would perhaps learn something new, and he wouldn't have to face Wormtongue for another few days yet.
That night Éowyn went to bed just as mad as she was earlier. When her Uncle told her she didn't have the heart to scream and kick and fuss, she was passionate, but not folly. Her brother and cousin shared a bedroom next to hers, she got Theódred's old bedroom, as it was smaller and when she and Éomer came to stay Theódred wanted to share a room with his cousin. It was late and she was wondering if she should go next door and tell Theódred and Éomer once more that she didn't want to do lessons with Gríma - but then realised that they could do nothing about it and there was no point. They would probably be sleeping anyhow.
Thoughts ran through her head like Avamel over lush grass. She didn't exactly know why Gríma annoyed her so, or why his very presence made her flesh crawl; all she knew was that she didn't like him. Somehow, her heart told her he was a bad man. If she had learned anything from her Mother, a brave woman herself, it was to trust your instincts and never doubt what your heart was trying to tell you, even if your head said otherwise. Éowyn blew out her candle and saw smoke shadows in the darkness. She turned over in bed and settled down uncomfortably, to a slumber that bore no good dreams.
Theodred and Eomer were not sleeping; both were talking quietly as not to wake Eowyn who they assumed was dead to the world.
"I still don't know why Wormtongue wants Eowyn for riding lessons," Eomer muttered. "Even if she did need lessons, couldn't a Marshal give her them?"
Theodred rolled over in his bed and yawned. "Yes, I don't know why either. Anyway, tomorrow isn't so far away now, I daresay it's the middle of the night and everyone else is sleeping." He dropped this unsubtle hint to his cousin, who had spoken about this matter all night. Theodred did care, but he also cared about his sleep!
Eomer grunted in agreement, and both nodded off.
* * *
Sunlight shaded in through the wooden slats in the shutters. Bright rays clouded over Eowyn's face as she opened her eyes, squinting a little. Dawn had passed, and the sun was almost high in the sky. She had slept late.
Eowyn didn't have anybody to dress her. Theoden originally had planned for his niece to be dressed and catered for by one of the Marshal's older daughters, or one of their wives, but Eowyn was independent and didn't care for somebody to wait on her. The seven year old was competent beyond her years and she dressed herself every morning, usually resulting in outfits that were either extremely clashing, or extremely awful. She wore trousers, almost unheard of in Rohan, but Theoden found it amusing. Eowyn loved her breeches, so much more comfortable than those ridiculous dresses with layers, frills and flounces! So annoying to wear when one was going riding. So, Eowyn dressed like her brother and cousin, and no-one thought anything of it. After all, she was hardly a fully-developed woman, but a young baby-child.
That morning was no different from any others. She dressed herself, in dark green breeches and an old shirt of Theodred's. She didn't bother putting a waistcoat or hauberk on over the top of the shirt, it seemed warm enough. After quickly washing her face in the sink in the corner, and flinching from the ice-cold water, she mooched down to the room she normally breakfasted in.
Theodred and Eomer looked up and her brother yelled at her when she came in. "Eowyn, how long have you been sleeping for? We've just finished our breakfast."
She sat down on the wooden bench opposite them, and one of the women who cooked placed down a substantial bowl of porridge in front of her. She smiled in thanks and explained to Eomer that she must have been tired.
"Not worried I hope?" Theodred said, a frown sitting on his eyebrows. "About Grima?" Eowyn shook her wavy head, her mouth full of oats.
The minutes past by in childlike chatter, with Eomer insisting that they must go and visit Frama and the pups again. "We can train them! Train them to be like hunting dogs, who can fight!"
"Yes, and I keep forgetting that dogs have hands to hold swords in, and they can sit on a horse properly without falling off," Theodred remarked drily, causing Eowyn to splutter with mirth, getting porridge all over Eomer.
All of them were laughing when Grima walked into the room. Eowyn noticed him first and closed her mouth depleting the throaty sounds of hilarity.
The flagstones echoed with the click of Grima's feet. "Ahhh… my Lady…I believe your Uncle told you about the riding lessons." He looked at Eowyns sullen face for some confirmation of this. When she didn't speak or make any move, he continued nonetheless. "Today, after lunch, you will come down to the stables and we will indulge in a little…" he gazed at Eowyn. "Riding lesson."
Still no sound uttered from Eowyn's disgruntled lips. Grima smirked and nodded as a sign of goodbye. His black shoes clicked upon the floor, and the silence of the hall was punctuated by voices coming from Theodred and Eomer.
* * *
Lunch for Eowyn was spent in the hall eating meat, and staying silent apart from her Uncles kindly short conversation with her telling her that she could have dinner with him that night, after her lesson when the sun went down. It gave her some encouragement to do well in the riding lessons - if she did well, she would not need any more. She set out to the stables with a determined frown upon her fair features.
Grima was already there, waiting. Nonplussed at Eowyn's delay (the talk with Theoden had rambled on slightly) he smiled broadly and told her to bring out her horse. Eowyn obeyed, not making eye contact. Stroking Avamel's sinewy calf, she guided the affable horse over to Grima.
He cast his beady black eye over it. "Fine horse, my Lady Eowyn. Now mount it," he commanded quietly. Eowyn began to do as her instructor said, but as she put her foot into the stirrup, Grima stopped her, leaving her balancing on one stirrup, standing on one side of Avamel.
"Eowyn, Eowyn, don't mount a horse like that. It may hurt the horse, see - you're only a girl, you musn't try and mount the horse the way the men do it. Here my Lady, let me help you." He put his hand on Eowyn's bottom and pushed her up onto the horse.
"What are you doing?!" Eowyn cried when she was fully onto the Avamel. "Touching me?"
Grima's eyes widened in innocence. "I was only pushing the Lady onto her horse, can one not train the Lady to mount a horse properly?"
She gave him a withering look and cantered out of the stable, Grima following her upon his speedy black steed.
That night Éowyn went to bed just as mad as she was earlier. When her Uncle told her she didn't have the heart to scream and kick and fuss, she was passionate, but not folly. Her brother and cousin shared a bedroom next to hers, she got Theódred's old bedroom, as it was smaller and when she and Éomer came to stay Theódred wanted to share a room with his cousin. It was late and she was wondering if she should go next door and tell Theódred and Éomer once more that she didn't want to do lessons with Gríma - but then realised that they could do nothing about it and there was no point. They would probably be sleeping anyhow.
Thoughts ran through her head like Avamel over lush grass. She didn't exactly know why Gríma annoyed her so, or why his very presence made her flesh crawl; all she knew was that she didn't like him. Somehow, her heart told her he was a bad man. If she had learned anything from her Mother, a brave woman herself, it was to trust your instincts and never doubt what your heart was trying to tell you, even if your head said otherwise. Éowyn blew out her candle and saw smoke shadows in the darkness. She turned over in bed and settled down uncomfortably, to a slumber that bore no good dreams.
Theodred and Eomer were not sleeping; both were talking quietly as not to wake Eowyn who they assumed was dead to the world.
"I still don't know why Wormtongue wants Eowyn for riding lessons," Eomer muttered. "Even if she did need lessons, couldn't a Marshal give her them?"
Theodred rolled over in his bed and yawned. "Yes, I don't know why either. Anyway, tomorrow isn't so far away now, I daresay it's the middle of the night and everyone else is sleeping." He dropped this unsubtle hint to his cousin, who had spoken about this matter all night. Theodred did care, but he also cared about his sleep!
Eomer grunted in agreement, and both nodded off.
* * *
Sunlight shaded in through the wooden slats in the shutters. Bright rays clouded over Eowyn's face as she opened her eyes, squinting a little. Dawn had passed, and the sun was almost high in the sky. She had slept late.
Eowyn didn't have anybody to dress her. Theoden originally had planned for his niece to be dressed and catered for by one of the Marshal's older daughters, or one of their wives, but Eowyn was independent and didn't care for somebody to wait on her. The seven year old was competent beyond her years and she dressed herself every morning, usually resulting in outfits that were either extremely clashing, or extremely awful. She wore trousers, almost unheard of in Rohan, but Theoden found it amusing. Eowyn loved her breeches, so much more comfortable than those ridiculous dresses with layers, frills and flounces! So annoying to wear when one was going riding. So, Eowyn dressed like her brother and cousin, and no-one thought anything of it. After all, she was hardly a fully-developed woman, but a young baby-child.
That morning was no different from any others. She dressed herself, in dark green breeches and an old shirt of Theodred's. She didn't bother putting a waistcoat or hauberk on over the top of the shirt, it seemed warm enough. After quickly washing her face in the sink in the corner, and flinching from the ice-cold water, she mooched down to the room she normally breakfasted in.
Theodred and Eomer looked up and her brother yelled at her when she came in. "Eowyn, how long have you been sleeping for? We've just finished our breakfast."
She sat down on the wooden bench opposite them, and one of the women who cooked placed down a substantial bowl of porridge in front of her. She smiled in thanks and explained to Eomer that she must have been tired.
"Not worried I hope?" Theodred said, a frown sitting on his eyebrows. "About Grima?" Eowyn shook her wavy head, her mouth full of oats.
The minutes past by in childlike chatter, with Eomer insisting that they must go and visit Frama and the pups again. "We can train them! Train them to be like hunting dogs, who can fight!"
"Yes, and I keep forgetting that dogs have hands to hold swords in, and they can sit on a horse properly without falling off," Theodred remarked drily, causing Eowyn to splutter with mirth, getting porridge all over Eomer.
All of them were laughing when Grima walked into the room. Eowyn noticed him first and closed her mouth depleting the throaty sounds of hilarity.
The flagstones echoed with the click of Grima's feet. "Ahhh… my Lady…I believe your Uncle told you about the riding lessons." He looked at Eowyns sullen face for some confirmation of this. When she didn't speak or make any move, he continued nonetheless. "Today, after lunch, you will come down to the stables and we will indulge in a little…" he gazed at Eowyn. "Riding lesson."
Still no sound uttered from Eowyn's disgruntled lips. Grima smirked and nodded as a sign of goodbye. His black shoes clicked upon the floor, and the silence of the hall was punctuated by voices coming from Theodred and Eomer.
* * *
Lunch for Eowyn was spent in the hall eating meat, and staying silent apart from her Uncles kindly short conversation with her telling her that she could have dinner with him that night, after her lesson when the sun went down. It gave her some encouragement to do well in the riding lessons - if she did well, she would not need any more. She set out to the stables with a determined frown upon her fair features.
Grima was already there, waiting. Nonplussed at Eowyn's delay (the talk with Theoden had rambled on slightly) he smiled broadly and told her to bring out her horse. Eowyn obeyed, not making eye contact. Stroking Avamel's sinewy calf, she guided the affable horse over to Grima.
He cast his beady black eye over it. "Fine horse, my Lady Eowyn. Now mount it," he commanded quietly. Eowyn began to do as her instructor said, but as she put her foot into the stirrup, Grima stopped her, leaving her balancing on one stirrup, standing on one side of Avamel.
"Eowyn, Eowyn, don't mount a horse like that. It may hurt the horse, see - you're only a girl, you musn't try and mount the horse the way the men do it. Here my Lady, let me help you." He put his hand on Eowyn's bottom and pushed her up onto the horse.
"What are you doing?!" Eowyn cried when she was fully onto the Avamel. "Touching me?"
Grima's eyes widened in innocence. "I was only pushing the Lady onto her horse, can one not train the Lady to mount a horse properly?"
She gave him a withering look and cantered out of the stable, Grima following her upon his speedy black steed.
