Chapter 1: Attack!
If you can find something to rant about in this chapter I will give you...absolutely nothing!
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Eomund sidled up to the charred remnants of a horse pen. The scout was right, it looked like the labor of orcs. Fortunately, it appeared the people of East Emnet had been left alone, for but a short mile away from where their horses were once kept, a village glowed merrily in the gathering dusk. Smoke piped out the chimneys and the windows shone with candlelight, a beacon to mariners on a sea of grass.
"We can catch them before nightfall." Eomund said.
"But the children, my lord?"
"If they couldn't take the village they must be few and weak. It will be good for my offspring to see how we deal with horse-thieves on the Riddermark!"
*****************
As the Rohirrim of the Eastfold approached Emyn Muil, they still saw no manifestation of the orcs they were tracking. They stopped. Horses neighed nervously. Eomund gave a few last instructions to his men, then he turned to his children.
"Always stay on your horse. Eomer, feel free to fire a few shots if you can do so without hitting any of our own, but your first duty is to guard your sister."
Suddenly, the orcs were upon them. The "few" orcs that had been unable to take a village seemed to multiply in the night air. Eomer and Eowyn kept their ponies at the hindquarters of their father's great horse, Felaróf II. Eomer hit a few orcs with his little arrows, but if the arrows of the Marksmen were of little avail in deterring these orcs, his were less. There was much shouting and confusion. The Rohirrim did not expect so many orcs. It appeared that the orcs were not only brawnier than most but craftier, it was clearly a trap set for Eomund because he was an orc-hunter of great prowess whom they hated above all else.
When Eomund became overwhelmed, Eowyn, scrambled from her pony to his horse and smote an orc who was about to stab her father in the back. Another orc took its place and pulled her off of the horse. When she screamed Eomund slid off his horse to grab her back, a foolish move, but he could not chance losing his daughter. Eomund found her midst many trampling feet and put her back upon Felaróf II, for her pony had been taken by orcs. Eomer was heavily pressed in as well, so Eomund instructed him to join Eowyn.
"Ride for the Entwash, take refuge with any people you find."
He hied the horse off before his children could protest. Eomer and Eowyn hadn't ridden far when they found another wave of orcs coming from the west. They turned south to cross the Entwash. It was hard going through fens, but they lost all pursuers.
"Perhaps we can find some men in Sunlending who will help our father," Eomer said, and they rode ever harder towards the Anduin.
Night turned into day, day into night, and the great horse of Eomund did not falter, but the children grew weak. Even as Eomer's grip on the reins slacked, the horse ran straight. Eomer grew delirious from lack of food and water, and lost his balance. He would have slid off the horse had not Eowyn caught him. She held him in the crook of her arm and took the reins.
As she espied a part of the river where it appeared to divide in two, she had doubts about where they were. She could not remember the Anduin ever splitting.
"Felaróf, if only you could tell me where we are, for I am certain we are lost." she cried.
She was beginning to feel quite dizzy herself, when from out of the river- spray, a bridge appeared.
Reviewers/flamers, start your engines.
Hint: What kind of psycho would take his kids on an orc hunting party?
If you can find something to rant about in this chapter I will give you...absolutely nothing!
**************
Eomund sidled up to the charred remnants of a horse pen. The scout was right, it looked like the labor of orcs. Fortunately, it appeared the people of East Emnet had been left alone, for but a short mile away from where their horses were once kept, a village glowed merrily in the gathering dusk. Smoke piped out the chimneys and the windows shone with candlelight, a beacon to mariners on a sea of grass.
"We can catch them before nightfall." Eomund said.
"But the children, my lord?"
"If they couldn't take the village they must be few and weak. It will be good for my offspring to see how we deal with horse-thieves on the Riddermark!"
*****************
As the Rohirrim of the Eastfold approached Emyn Muil, they still saw no manifestation of the orcs they were tracking. They stopped. Horses neighed nervously. Eomund gave a few last instructions to his men, then he turned to his children.
"Always stay on your horse. Eomer, feel free to fire a few shots if you can do so without hitting any of our own, but your first duty is to guard your sister."
Suddenly, the orcs were upon them. The "few" orcs that had been unable to take a village seemed to multiply in the night air. Eomer and Eowyn kept their ponies at the hindquarters of their father's great horse, Felaróf II. Eomer hit a few orcs with his little arrows, but if the arrows of the Marksmen were of little avail in deterring these orcs, his were less. There was much shouting and confusion. The Rohirrim did not expect so many orcs. It appeared that the orcs were not only brawnier than most but craftier, it was clearly a trap set for Eomund because he was an orc-hunter of great prowess whom they hated above all else.
When Eomund became overwhelmed, Eowyn, scrambled from her pony to his horse and smote an orc who was about to stab her father in the back. Another orc took its place and pulled her off of the horse. When she screamed Eomund slid off his horse to grab her back, a foolish move, but he could not chance losing his daughter. Eomund found her midst many trampling feet and put her back upon Felaróf II, for her pony had been taken by orcs. Eomer was heavily pressed in as well, so Eomund instructed him to join Eowyn.
"Ride for the Entwash, take refuge with any people you find."
He hied the horse off before his children could protest. Eomer and Eowyn hadn't ridden far when they found another wave of orcs coming from the west. They turned south to cross the Entwash. It was hard going through fens, but they lost all pursuers.
"Perhaps we can find some men in Sunlending who will help our father," Eomer said, and they rode ever harder towards the Anduin.
Night turned into day, day into night, and the great horse of Eomund did not falter, but the children grew weak. Even as Eomer's grip on the reins slacked, the horse ran straight. Eomer grew delirious from lack of food and water, and lost his balance. He would have slid off the horse had not Eowyn caught him. She held him in the crook of her arm and took the reins.
As she espied a part of the river where it appeared to divide in two, she had doubts about where they were. She could not remember the Anduin ever splitting.
"Felaróf, if only you could tell me where we are, for I am certain we are lost." she cried.
She was beginning to feel quite dizzy herself, when from out of the river- spray, a bridge appeared.
Reviewers/flamers, start your engines.
Hint: What kind of psycho would take his kids on an orc hunting party?