"Why won't you let me come along, too?" Asked six year-old Vivienne D'Arcy,
hauling a large, wooden practise sword behind her as she trotted to keep up
with 17 year-old Boromir.
"You're too little." He said shortly.
"I'm just as strong as you," She insisted, even though the point of the sword was dragging on the ground.
"Besides," He added harshly, "You're a girl."
"Yeah? Well, Éomer Eadig's sister Éowyn gets to learn sword-fighting, and she's a girl."
"That's different. Now, stop following me!"
He realised he'd gone too far when he turned around to find she had dropped the sword and was almost crying. Automatically, he felt bad, and knelt in front of her.
"You're going to be a Lady of the Court, Vivvi," He told her, a note of apology in his voice. "You should be learning things like... like... like young ladies learn."
"But not how t' defend myself," She added, petulantly, and he smiled softly. "Not how to kill. Now – go! Run down to the stables – Faramir said Nova will be there today, looking at the horses."
She smiled brightly, tears instantly forgotten in the way only a child can forget them, and she kissed his cheek before running back down the hall, sword lying forgotten on the floor.
"You're too little." He said shortly.
"I'm just as strong as you," She insisted, even though the point of the sword was dragging on the ground.
"Besides," He added harshly, "You're a girl."
"Yeah? Well, Éomer Eadig's sister Éowyn gets to learn sword-fighting, and she's a girl."
"That's different. Now, stop following me!"
He realised he'd gone too far when he turned around to find she had dropped the sword and was almost crying. Automatically, he felt bad, and knelt in front of her.
"You're going to be a Lady of the Court, Vivvi," He told her, a note of apology in his voice. "You should be learning things like... like... like young ladies learn."
"But not how t' defend myself," She added, petulantly, and he smiled softly. "Not how to kill. Now – go! Run down to the stables – Faramir said Nova will be there today, looking at the horses."
She smiled brightly, tears instantly forgotten in the way only a child can forget them, and she kissed his cheek before running back down the hall, sword lying forgotten on the floor.