Disclaimer: All characters, aside from the servant girl (who is mine, mine, mine!), are property of J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm just bending them to my will. ;)
Story Summary: The fellowship all have a reunion in Rohan after the war. What happens when Pippin meets a young servant girl and tries to explore her sealed past and well-covered emotions?
Chapter Summary: Merry and Pippin are the first to arrive in Rohan, and Pippin takes an interest in one of the king's servants.
Chapter One: Nothing I've Ever Known
The sun was dull and covered by dim clouds which barely permitted any light to shine as the hobbits Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took climbed the stone steps towards the throne room of King Eomer of Rohan in the city of Edoras. Violent gusts of wind whipped around the two, sometimes sending them backward a step or two when they meant to go forward. Their cloaks whirled and churned around their small bodies, causing more than a bit of turbulence.
"Blast this confounded weather!" Merry shouted into the wind, which in turn carried the noise right past Pippin and out onto the bumpy plains of Rohan. In response Pippin made a little grunt which was completely muffled, and continued to struggle his way up the steps. Eventually the hobbits reached the door and pushed with all their remaining strength, and burst into the hall of Eomer with loud gasps for breath and a returning BANG! from the door as it slammed shut behind them.
The throne room was lit warmly with flaming braziers and torches along the walls. Orange and golden light reflected from the walls and great pillars which stretched to the roof, and onto the slightly weary faces of Pippin and Merry. Looking around them, they saw the hall was filled with servants and that the king's throne was currently empty.
A young maiden stepped from the shadows holding in front of her a small silver platter with two pipes and a pouch of weed when the hobbits entered the hall. Donning a rather prim and feminine getup for a servant, and glowing with a grace most distinct, she seemed like an ethereal being when she glided towards Merry and Pippin.
The girl's dress of deep blue fit to her figure, though didn't reveal any more than what was appropriate, and flowed down and around her legs, moving like webs caught in a draft when she walked. "At your service, Mr. Brandybuck, and Mr. Took," the servant girl bowed her head when she spoke Pippin's name, more to hide her blush than anything. In this movement her hair, which was deep mahogany and hung freely in soft waves to her waist, streamed down in front of her face creating a thick curtain which she could hide behind.
The hobbits took their pipes, and the girl rose once again, allowing her hair to remain covering her delicate face. While staying courteous and formal, the servant girl avoided eye contact and waited to be excused.
"There's a nice favour, then! What a lovely greeting gift from dear Eomer!" Merry was quite happy at the site of a good pipe and weed. "Don't you agree, Pip?"
But while Merry was trying to be conversational with his hobbit friend, Pippin was watching the tense movements of the servant girl, who still hid her face behind her hair.
Why does the lady hide from us? Pippin thought absently. He was curious about this young specimen and, as usual, was determined to seek the answers to his questions.
"Say, what's your name?"
"What old chap? You ought to know my name by now! Fool of a Took!" Merry answered with a laugh and a snort, thinking that Pippin had addressed him.
Pippin ignored Merry's asinine remark, and turned to face the girl completely. He brought a hand up slowly and meant to move the hair out of her face, when his hand grazed her cheek lightly. The girl started back and smacked his hand away in one quick motion, then turned and fled from the hall, dress and hair flying behind her.
Pippin remained, looking after her in wonderment, surprise and annoyance all the same. Wonderment for the way her garbs flowed and flaunted, surprise for the way she reacted when he only meant to get a look at her face.
And annoyance? Well, annoyance because he only got a quick glimpse of something truly amazing of hers, and he found himself wanting to explore them more deeply than he had ever explored anything before: her eyes. Her eyes which were deep and dark like the seas, which were a perplexing blend of emotions that he couldn't quite distinguish. And unknown to Pippin, emotions that he couldn't comprehend the history of even if he did know what they were.
The maiden's slender legs worked hard to carry her down corridor after corridor. She ran blindly, paying no heed to the questioning eyes of the people she passed. Heather (for that was the maiden's name) couldn't understand why she had reacted the way she did to the hobbit. Stupid you, stupid! Why'd you do that? Now you've gone and offended a guest of the king! The king! Do you think he will not tell Eomer of your behaviour? This will not be overlooked. Heather came to a three-way passage and took a sharp left.
~*~
The king Eomer walked briskly down the halls of his home, admiring the many rich tapestries on the walls. His mind wandered and he thought of his long passed father, of his sister, and of his coming guests. And they should be arriving soon, he thought to himself, increasing his pace a bit. Don't want to be late!
~*~
Heather's eyes were beginning to well with tears at the thought of being reprimanded by Eomer. No, no, no! I don't want to go through more lectures! I try, I really do, and I always mess up somehow! Her face was hot and her ears were screaming with the air that moved by her as she ran faster with each moment. Oh, but I just couldn't help it… He makes me so nervous! Wait—why does he make me so nervous?
Heather slowed so that the sound of her footsteps were quite inconspicuous and pondered on this a moment. She had never really gotten nervous by a particular person, save Eomer, but that was only because he often berated her for her constant and somewhat instinctive blundering. What indeed was it about Pippin in particular that had made her react the way she had? She thought back to a few minutes before, when she greeted the hobbits. There was nothing really special about him. Granted, he had lovely brown tousled hair that reminded her of the sweets she loved so much, but then many men had hair like dark chocolate. And his eyes were more green and beautiful than the glimmering fields after a downpour, but then that wasn't all that special, anyway. By now Heather was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the heavy footsteps of someone just around the corner that she was about to take.
~*~
Eomer was just at the end of a long hall and just about to take a corner, when he heard light pitter-pattering footsteps. Funny, he thought to himself, the help should be at the Hall right now waiting to greet my visitors. But just as he finished that thought, the sound disappeared and he stepped up his pace one more notch and rounded the corner.
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Well, that's all for now, people. Please review and lemme know what ya think!