4: Of Horses
When nightfall came upon them they had gone some distance into the realm of the Rohirrim and Brin thought their land fair. To the west of the road the Ered Nimrais still towered tall and proud but no trees now stood between the road and their deep roots. Less than a days ride east the Entwash flowed fast and strong through field and fen. There was no shelter or any such place as Brin would usually choose for a camp so they settled for a small hollow in the land on the East of the road. The turf was springy and the grazing seemed much to Mîrran's liking, though there was little hunting for Thalion and no fresh water at hand. Brin ate only some bread, giving what little dried meat she had intended to eat to Thalion instead and then all went to rest.
Brin awoke in utter darkness, there was not a star in the sky and the ground trembled faintly beneath her. Some distance away many horses were moving and closer at hand an abominable tramp of orc feet. Brin leapt to her feet and whispered to her companions. She mounted Mîrran and the three sped off in pursuit of the orcs.
When they came upon them, some hours ride from the road, they found them already engaged in battle with armoured riders. There were perhaps thirty orcs and only twelve riders, but with bright swords and flaming brands they were making light work of the orcs. Thalion was spoiling for a fight and the part of Brin that though of every orc she met as the archer who murdered her mother would have been right there with him if she had not sensed a threat from the east. She nudged Mîrran and they turned away into the night, breaking into a run when the firelight was far enough behind. It was not long before Brin could see in the distance another party of orcs, some thirty or forty in number and moving swiftly. She had seen some of the skill of the riders but they could not hope to stand against this many without great losses. Brin readied her bow and took aim at the leading line. Each arrow she loosed found its target, but the orcs were aware of her from the first shot and she had to keep her distance. She would ride in to pick off one of their number and ride out again and any that came too close on her heels met the teeth of Thalion.
She could see the fires of the riders as she knocked her last arrow in the bow, for the orcs had ever been moving west and north even as their number dwindled. Twenty-four fell dead from her arrows and four more from the wrath of Thalion. There were little more than a dozen remaining but Brin could only kill one more. That was when the riders took notice of the approaching enemy and most of their number broke off and rode out to meet them. Brin and her companions moved swiftly out of the way so as not to be caught in the circle of light thrown by the torches and exposed. She rode back along the trail of orc carcasses, salvaging her arrows. All but one that she could reach were undamaged and the fletchings at least could be saved from the other, but almost a third of them were within the ring of light. She hovered on the edge of the light and wondered what to do for the best and Mîrran stood calm beneath her. Thalion prowled too and fro, distressed at having orc blood in her mouth and on her paws and being unable to clean it.
It was as Brin was hovering and wondering that the captain of the company of Rohirrim noticed amongst the felled orcs several pierced to the death with strange arrows, the like of which he had never seen in his lands before. He looked up from the battlefield and tried to see beyond the light cast by his men and gradually his eyes perceived a dim shape, a figure upon a horse, still as stone. He rode towards the stranger, taking a torch from one of his men, and called out, "Any man who would slay so many orcs and save the lives of my men is welcome in these lands."
The figure did not move but replied in a clear, lilting voice, "And what about a woman?"
The captain was most startled by this and made no reply but continued to move towards her. He saw first the hound at her feet, a great beast worthy of merit by the orc blood he wore, then raised his torch to see clearer. She sat upon a fine horse, unsaddled and free, and in her hand was a carved bow of the size used by his men. She was dressed only in simple greens and browns save for an old mail shirt and her cloak was travel-stained and well worn. But when he looked in her face his breath caught in his throat. She looked to him wild and strange but wondrous fair. Her skin was pale and as he looked upon her the moon sailed from behind a cloud and her brown hair, tied back in one braid which seemed unable to tame it completely, shone like silver and bronze. Starlight seemed to be reflected in the soft brown of her eyes, though there were no stars to be seen, and they were ringed with steel. He wondered first at her beauty then at her strength and he knew in that moment why two great beasts such as these would bind themselves to her. Because they loved her. At last he said, "I am Eomer, son of Eomund, third marshal of the mark."
She smiled and replied. "I am called Brin, and I am but a traveller in these lands." For that was all she could say, knowing no father and having no rank or station.
"Whither are you going? And why bother to ride to our aid at all? It is not usual for us to find such help in these dark times. It is most welcome."
He held the torch so she could not see his face, but his bearing was valiant and noble and his voice seemed unable to speak untruths and so she trusted him.
"I ride north, to the land of my kin, though I have dwelt all my life in Gondor and am a stranger to all other lands. And I would stand and slay orcs were I the only one who stood against them, for I loathe them greatly, and I would gladly aid all who would eradicate them from their lands. But grateful am I to have been of service to the brave riders of Rohan."
"Grateful are we for you service, for it seems the battle may have gone ill had their reinforcements arrived in their full force. We ride now to Edoras and the King. Will you come with us and find rest in our halls? Surely a hot meal would not go amiss."
"Surely it would not." And she spoke a few soft words in the elvish tongue to her companions and Eomer marvelled again. "We shall ride with you to Edoras."
As they spoke the sun had been creeping above the horizon and now it rose in all its blazing glory and as she had been revealed to Eomer by moonlight, so was he revealed to her by the dawn. She saw a man tall and fair as the sons of Eorl were reported to be, and handsome in his own right. For he was young and strong and stern of face but his eyes were gentle and saw much. He looked to have already done great deeds and be capable of greater still. She saw now a captain that men could follow unto death and a man worthy of love.
When nightfall came upon them they had gone some distance into the realm of the Rohirrim and Brin thought their land fair. To the west of the road the Ered Nimrais still towered tall and proud but no trees now stood between the road and their deep roots. Less than a days ride east the Entwash flowed fast and strong through field and fen. There was no shelter or any such place as Brin would usually choose for a camp so they settled for a small hollow in the land on the East of the road. The turf was springy and the grazing seemed much to Mîrran's liking, though there was little hunting for Thalion and no fresh water at hand. Brin ate only some bread, giving what little dried meat she had intended to eat to Thalion instead and then all went to rest.
Brin awoke in utter darkness, there was not a star in the sky and the ground trembled faintly beneath her. Some distance away many horses were moving and closer at hand an abominable tramp of orc feet. Brin leapt to her feet and whispered to her companions. She mounted Mîrran and the three sped off in pursuit of the orcs.
When they came upon them, some hours ride from the road, they found them already engaged in battle with armoured riders. There were perhaps thirty orcs and only twelve riders, but with bright swords and flaming brands they were making light work of the orcs. Thalion was spoiling for a fight and the part of Brin that though of every orc she met as the archer who murdered her mother would have been right there with him if she had not sensed a threat from the east. She nudged Mîrran and they turned away into the night, breaking into a run when the firelight was far enough behind. It was not long before Brin could see in the distance another party of orcs, some thirty or forty in number and moving swiftly. She had seen some of the skill of the riders but they could not hope to stand against this many without great losses. Brin readied her bow and took aim at the leading line. Each arrow she loosed found its target, but the orcs were aware of her from the first shot and she had to keep her distance. She would ride in to pick off one of their number and ride out again and any that came too close on her heels met the teeth of Thalion.
She could see the fires of the riders as she knocked her last arrow in the bow, for the orcs had ever been moving west and north even as their number dwindled. Twenty-four fell dead from her arrows and four more from the wrath of Thalion. There were little more than a dozen remaining but Brin could only kill one more. That was when the riders took notice of the approaching enemy and most of their number broke off and rode out to meet them. Brin and her companions moved swiftly out of the way so as not to be caught in the circle of light thrown by the torches and exposed. She rode back along the trail of orc carcasses, salvaging her arrows. All but one that she could reach were undamaged and the fletchings at least could be saved from the other, but almost a third of them were within the ring of light. She hovered on the edge of the light and wondered what to do for the best and Mîrran stood calm beneath her. Thalion prowled too and fro, distressed at having orc blood in her mouth and on her paws and being unable to clean it.
It was as Brin was hovering and wondering that the captain of the company of Rohirrim noticed amongst the felled orcs several pierced to the death with strange arrows, the like of which he had never seen in his lands before. He looked up from the battlefield and tried to see beyond the light cast by his men and gradually his eyes perceived a dim shape, a figure upon a horse, still as stone. He rode towards the stranger, taking a torch from one of his men, and called out, "Any man who would slay so many orcs and save the lives of my men is welcome in these lands."
The figure did not move but replied in a clear, lilting voice, "And what about a woman?"
The captain was most startled by this and made no reply but continued to move towards her. He saw first the hound at her feet, a great beast worthy of merit by the orc blood he wore, then raised his torch to see clearer. She sat upon a fine horse, unsaddled and free, and in her hand was a carved bow of the size used by his men. She was dressed only in simple greens and browns save for an old mail shirt and her cloak was travel-stained and well worn. But when he looked in her face his breath caught in his throat. She looked to him wild and strange but wondrous fair. Her skin was pale and as he looked upon her the moon sailed from behind a cloud and her brown hair, tied back in one braid which seemed unable to tame it completely, shone like silver and bronze. Starlight seemed to be reflected in the soft brown of her eyes, though there were no stars to be seen, and they were ringed with steel. He wondered first at her beauty then at her strength and he knew in that moment why two great beasts such as these would bind themselves to her. Because they loved her. At last he said, "I am Eomer, son of Eomund, third marshal of the mark."
She smiled and replied. "I am called Brin, and I am but a traveller in these lands." For that was all she could say, knowing no father and having no rank or station.
"Whither are you going? And why bother to ride to our aid at all? It is not usual for us to find such help in these dark times. It is most welcome."
He held the torch so she could not see his face, but his bearing was valiant and noble and his voice seemed unable to speak untruths and so she trusted him.
"I ride north, to the land of my kin, though I have dwelt all my life in Gondor and am a stranger to all other lands. And I would stand and slay orcs were I the only one who stood against them, for I loathe them greatly, and I would gladly aid all who would eradicate them from their lands. But grateful am I to have been of service to the brave riders of Rohan."
"Grateful are we for you service, for it seems the battle may have gone ill had their reinforcements arrived in their full force. We ride now to Edoras and the King. Will you come with us and find rest in our halls? Surely a hot meal would not go amiss."
"Surely it would not." And she spoke a few soft words in the elvish tongue to her companions and Eomer marvelled again. "We shall ride with you to Edoras."
As they spoke the sun had been creeping above the horizon and now it rose in all its blazing glory and as she had been revealed to Eomer by moonlight, so was he revealed to her by the dawn. She saw a man tall and fair as the sons of Eorl were reported to be, and handsome in his own right. For he was young and strong and stern of face but his eyes were gentle and saw much. He looked to have already done great deeds and be capable of greater still. She saw now a captain that men could follow unto death and a man worthy of love.