The cool morning breeze blew through her hair and made the skirt of
her dress ripple. A small shiver went down her spine as the cool and crisp
morning air blew on. She turned her deep brown eyes to the hill nearby on
which the Golden Hall lay in its magnificence. Inside dwelt their honest
and beloved king, Eomer. There had been may rumors of late though the Eomer
had fallen ill from some mysterious disease and no cure had so fair been
found. None of the people had seen the king about on his usual rides around
the city for days and his scared them. Many began to fear the worst that
their caring king had truly fallen gravely ill. Due to this suspicions
riders had been set out from the town to fetch Eomer's friend and great
healer Aragorn. The people hoped that he would be able to cure the king
from what ailed him.
"Arlin!" A voice cried from the nearby hut. The young woman sprung around and hurried into the hut. She then ran over to the nearby bed and knelt beside. She then gingerly took her mother's hand into her own.
"What is it mother?" Arlin implored softly looking into her mother's sad and deep blue eyes. The older woman lifted her withered and wrinkled hand from her daughter's and raised it to stroke her daughter's long brown hair.
"I was hoping that you could fetch me some water," the older woman stated in a thin and warm voice. Arlin simply nodded and then slowly rose next to the bed. She smiled kindly at her sickly mother and then headed back out of the door of the little hut that she and her mother call home. Arlin made her way to the back of the hut where the well was located. As she began to pull the bucket up from the well she thought about her mother's current condition.
She had been sick for two years now. No one was totally sure what it truly was. Many thought it to be simply old age mixed with a broken heart that had set Arlin's mother into her current condition. Four years ago Arlin's father had been hunting with a few of his friends when an accident had occurred. What the accident exactly was neither Arlin nor her mother had never learned, but the accident had left Arlin's father and one of this other friend's dead. The death of her father had greatly affected Arlin and she had found herself more distant from others. Before she would relish the trips into town to converse with and see all the other people that lived in Edoras. She loved the sights and the smells of the market. After the passing of her father though Arlin had found that these trips had brought her less joy than they had before infact she began to loath the trips in which she would have to stand before the public eye. Much of her time the past four years had been working the small garden that her family owned. Two years after her father had died though Arlin's mother had fallen gravely ill had kept mostly to her bed. Arlin had had to take all responsibilities upon herself which included caring for the garden as well as taking care of the family's only horse that had been her father's. She all had to make weekly trips to the town to buy and sell goods so that she and her mother could have what they needed to survive. With the little money they made from the garden they were able to get by.
Arlin sighed as she poured some of the water from the now fill bucket into a glass for her mother. Arlin had always dreamed of having a very different life. One filled with excitement and adventure. She wanted to make something of herself and be able to leave everything else behind. Her life though was a very different story. It was one filled with trials and loses. Her life was destined to be one brimming over with hardships not one full of exciting adventures.
"It's just as well," Arlin thought aloud as she headed back around the house with the now full glass in her hand. As she reached the front of her house she came to an abrupt halt. Just outside her door stood a man dressed in the finest clothes she had ever seen. There seemed to be a very arrogant air about him. He appeared to be waiting for someone and Arlin immediately wondered whom. She and her mother never got visitors especially ones of noble birth.
"May I help you sir?" Arlin inquired as stepped to the front of the house. The man jumped slightly startled for he had not seen or heard Arlin approaching. She turned to face her and a large smile appeared on his face.
"Well I most certainly hope that you can," the man stated a sound of annoyance almost apparent in his voice.
"Arlin!" A voice cried from the nearby hut. The young woman sprung around and hurried into the hut. She then ran over to the nearby bed and knelt beside. She then gingerly took her mother's hand into her own.
"What is it mother?" Arlin implored softly looking into her mother's sad and deep blue eyes. The older woman lifted her withered and wrinkled hand from her daughter's and raised it to stroke her daughter's long brown hair.
"I was hoping that you could fetch me some water," the older woman stated in a thin and warm voice. Arlin simply nodded and then slowly rose next to the bed. She smiled kindly at her sickly mother and then headed back out of the door of the little hut that she and her mother call home. Arlin made her way to the back of the hut where the well was located. As she began to pull the bucket up from the well she thought about her mother's current condition.
She had been sick for two years now. No one was totally sure what it truly was. Many thought it to be simply old age mixed with a broken heart that had set Arlin's mother into her current condition. Four years ago Arlin's father had been hunting with a few of his friends when an accident had occurred. What the accident exactly was neither Arlin nor her mother had never learned, but the accident had left Arlin's father and one of this other friend's dead. The death of her father had greatly affected Arlin and she had found herself more distant from others. Before she would relish the trips into town to converse with and see all the other people that lived in Edoras. She loved the sights and the smells of the market. After the passing of her father though Arlin had found that these trips had brought her less joy than they had before infact she began to loath the trips in which she would have to stand before the public eye. Much of her time the past four years had been working the small garden that her family owned. Two years after her father had died though Arlin's mother had fallen gravely ill had kept mostly to her bed. Arlin had had to take all responsibilities upon herself which included caring for the garden as well as taking care of the family's only horse that had been her father's. She all had to make weekly trips to the town to buy and sell goods so that she and her mother could have what they needed to survive. With the little money they made from the garden they were able to get by.
Arlin sighed as she poured some of the water from the now fill bucket into a glass for her mother. Arlin had always dreamed of having a very different life. One filled with excitement and adventure. She wanted to make something of herself and be able to leave everything else behind. Her life though was a very different story. It was one filled with trials and loses. Her life was destined to be one brimming over with hardships not one full of exciting adventures.
"It's just as well," Arlin thought aloud as she headed back around the house with the now full glass in her hand. As she reached the front of her house she came to an abrupt halt. Just outside her door stood a man dressed in the finest clothes she had ever seen. There seemed to be a very arrogant air about him. He appeared to be waiting for someone and Arlin immediately wondered whom. She and her mother never got visitors especially ones of noble birth.
"May I help you sir?" Arlin inquired as stepped to the front of the house. The man jumped slightly startled for he had not seen or heard Arlin approaching. She turned to face her and a large smile appeared on his face.
"Well I most certainly hope that you can," the man stated a sound of annoyance almost apparent in his voice.