Chapter 20.
As Éomer and his men rode away the next morning the pile of orcs and Uruks burned in a pile, sending the smell of ash over the country. They now returned immediately to Edoras. Éomer wished that he could say he did not care what circumstances came of his rebellion but he could not. What if the king punished all his men as well? If he was thrown in prison or killed, how could Éowyn stand up to Grima alone? How could she avoid the not so subtle intentions of the advisor for her?
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the group heard a loud call.
They turned swiftly in a fluid motion and checked the speed of their horses as they surrounded the three people who were on foot and dressed strangely in cloaks with colors that seemed to move and change. He urged his horse forward and placed his spear at the chest of the leader, a man with dark hair who looked vaguely familiar.
Éomer spoke in the common tongue to them, "Who are you, and what are you doing in this land?"
The rough looking man answered, "I am called Strider. I come out of the North. I am hunting orcs."
Strider… why did that name remind Éomer of someone? Of course, the wizard's companion, the ranger. He did not voice his recognition but dismounted and gave his spear to another man. He drew his sword and stood next to Strider, examining him and his companions.
"At first, when you called out I had thought you were orcs, but now I realize that I was wrong. Indeed you know little of orcs if you go hunting them in this fashion. They were swift and well armed, and they were many. You would have changed from hunters into prey, if you had ever overtaken them. But there is something strange about you Strider, and your companions and your clothes. How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?"
"No, only one of us is. Legolas is from the woodland realm of distant Mirkwood. But we did pass through Lothlórien and the gifts and favor of the lady go with us."
The lady? They must speak of the sorceress of the woods. When he had been younger his nurse had told him stories of the lady of the wood, who could lay you under her spell with a glance. What claims they made! "Then there is a Lady of the Golden wood, as old tales tell! Few escape her nets they say. These are strange days! But if you have her favor, then you also are net-weavers and sorcerers maybe," Éomer said, becoming quite flustered at these strange circumstances. He did not have time to discuss fairy-tales with strange people. He turned to the ranger's two companions.
"Why do you not speak silent ones?"
The dwarf humphed and gripped the handle of his axe, "Give me your name horse-master, and I will give you mine, and more besides," he finished in low tones with a threatening tones.
"As for that," replied Éomer gruffly, "the stranger should introduce himself first. Yet I am named Éomer son of Éomund, and am called the Third Marshal of Riddermark."
"Then Éomer son of Éomund, Third marshal of Riddermark, let Gimli the dwarf son of Glóin warn you against foolish words. You speak evil of that which is fair beyond the reach of your thought, and only little wit can excuse you."
The soldiers around them turned their spears farther inward and their captain's eyes blazed, "I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
The silent one suddenly bent his bow and notched an arrow far to quickly for eyes to follow, "He stands not alone," he said in a strange, melodious tone, "You would die before your stroke fell."
Éomer had enough of this, he lifted his sword, but before it fell the ranger leapt between them. "Your pardon Éomer! When you know more you will understand why you have angered my companions. We intend no evil to Rohan, or to any of its folk, neither to man nor to horse. Will you not hear our tale before you strike?"
Éomer consented and sheathed his sword; "Wanderers in the Riddermark would be wise to be less haughty in these days of doubt. First, tell me your right name."
"First tell me who you serve, are you friend of foe of Sauron, the Dark lord of Mordor?"
"I serve only the lord of the Mark, Théoden King son of Thengel," he answered, "We do not serve the Power of the Black Land far away, but neither are we yet at open war with him; and if you are fleeing from him, then you had best leave this land. There is trouble now on all our borders, and we are threatened; but we desire only to be free serving no foreign lord, good or evil. We welcomed guests kindly in better days, but in these times the unbidden stranger finds us swift and hard. Who are you? Whom do you serve and at whose command do you hunt orcs in our land?"
"I sere no man," the ranger answered with fiery eyes, "but I pursue the servants of Sauron into whatever land they go. I do not hunt them in this fashion out of choice; they took captive two of our friends. In such need a man will go without a horse and not count the heads of the enemy save with a sword. I am not weaponless," he said throwing back his magical cloak and drawing a bright shining sword from its elven sheath.
"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, the heir of Isildur. Here is the sword that was broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly," the ranger said. He no longer looked a gruff, wanderer but a king with eyes like crashing waves. Éomer found himself stepping back.
"These are indeed strange days, dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass. But tell me lord what is the reason you come here. Long ago Boromir the son of the steward went to seek an answer to a dream that had these dark words. What doom do you bring out of the North?"
"The doom of choice. You may say this to Théoden son of Thengel: open war lies before him, with Sauron or against him. None may live now as they have lived, and few shall keep what they call their own. Now I am in great need, and I ask for help, or at least for tidings. You heard that we are pursuing the orcs, what can you tell us of them?"
"The orcs are dead, we killed them in the night."
"They would be small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn said earnestly.
"We left none alive, we piled the bodies and burned them," Éomer said looking back over his shoulder at the tall signal of smoke blowing in the air. "Men, leave me a while, assemble on the path and make ready to ride to Edoras." He ordered and watched them gallop away, "Tell me of your errand, Boromir left us to seek out Rivendell."
"Yes he came there. A company of us set out on a dangerous mission of which I cannot speak of now. Legolas, Gimli and I along with Boromir and four halflings went also. Gandalf the Grey was our leader."
"Gandalf? He is known here, but I warn you his name is no longer in the king's favor. Gandalf came last summer and warned us that Saruman was preparing for war. He said he was a prisoner of the wizard and needed a horse to carry him to Rivendell. He took Shadowfax, chief of all our horses and the king is wroth. The horse returned a week ago but suffers no one to either touch nor ride him."
"Then he has returned from the north, for it was there that he and Gandalf parted. Alas, Gandalf will ride no longer. He fell into darkness in the Mines of Moria and will not come again. Boromir also fell near the gap of Rohan defending our companions who were taken."
"All your news is sad and distressing," Éomer said calling his men over, "I will give you two horses, though I doubt you will find your friends. This only I ask, when your quest is complete, or is proved vain, return with the horses to Meduseld in Edoras. That way you will prove to him that I have not misjudged you. For I am already in the ill will of the court. Do not fail me in this, and Farewell," Éomer finished as they mounted the horses and then mounted Brynefot to join his men by the path.
They watched the strange companions ride away towards the pillar of billowing smoke. Many of the soldiers thought it strange for their Marshal to do this thing, but did not question him. They came to Edoras near early evening and as soon as they had entered the gates, a group of dark-haired soldiers approached Éomer and forced him to dismount. The clouds in the sky grew thick with anxiety.
"Éomer, third Marshal of the Mark, you are accused of treason, and willful disobedience to his majesty king Théoden. Come with us," they said and he had little choice but to let them carry him away. Brynfot and his men looked around nervously unsure whether to fight or to remain calm.
A shot of lightning hit the mountainside and sent a terrifying crack through the valley that set all the horses whinnying. Háma the door warden who had known Éomer since he was a child looked at him apologetically and opened the great doors as the soldiers dragged him inside. Stifling hot air filled the hall and left everyone looking exhausted and dirty. Grima's forehead dripped with sweat as he dismissed the people in the court and sat in the throne of Théoden with a smug look. The king was doubtless resting in his own quarters.
"I told you what would happen if you left Éomer," he said gesturing for the soldiers to release him.
"You have no right to sit in that seat Grima, you poison the wood and grain of it," Éomer said spitting at his feet.
Grima rose with a smile and an odd chuckle, "But my dear boy, I alreadyhave this seat, it matters not if your uncle sits in it, I control it. And now I control you. How very foolish to do something so rash. Théodred is dead, and now I have orders to throw you in prison."
"Your orders mean nothing, you have no authority here," Éomer said calmly as the snake approached.
"Yes, but I do have this, signed by the king, which gives me the authority to imprison you. Besides what is to stop me now, with both you and your cousin gone there is only one other thing to take care of. That would be your lovely sister, as the only heir, we will marry and as we take our vows it will make me very happy to know you are dead."
With a loud, animal shout Éomer pushed Grima against a pillar and squeezed his neck tightly. The snake's pale skin slowly turned blue. Strong hands pulled him away and slammed his head against another pillar causing his nose to spurt forth blood. Thundering blows hit his sides and caused him to crumple in his captor's grip. He struggled uselessly as they dragged him out of the Hall, by some back door and brought him to the prison building which stood opposite of the stables. Many people watched as he was dragged away. Éowyn was one of them, from the stables she had heard the commotion and she rushed towards the Hall when she discovered there was no way to reach her brother.
Once inside Meduseld, she found only a few servants who did not know of his arrest. She then angrily tried to find Grima. She found him waiting for her in the king's study. He rose as she entered and took her hand gently in his own. She brushed it aside and stepped back behind a table.
"What have you done to my brother, snake?"
"My dear Éowyn, he committed treason and tried to murder me in the Hall. It has been discovered that he has many spies in this court, one of who was given orders to kill you and your uncle also. I know this pains you to hear this, but your brother was trying to claim the throne for himself," he said with lowered eyelids.
"Your words will not affect me Wormtongue, your lies have poisoned this land too long already."
Grima stepped forward quickly and took her hand in a vice like grip, his eyes were dangerous, "My lady, I would take care what you say. Your brother and cousin are gone, and your uncle would agree to anything at this point. You will take my hand in marriage, whether by free will or not," he said his grip slowly becoming less.
Éowyn nodded in supplication and he let go of her hand for a moment. Quick as lightening she used her freed hand to hit him in the face and push him back onto the floor. She ran out of the room with a thumping heart and locked herself in her own room. Weary she fell onto the bed, but did not weep. If she were forced to marry this cur then she would spill his blood on their wedding night.
When they reached the prison, the warden simply nodded as if he had been expecting them for many days. Éomer could readily believe that Grima had been planning his imprisonment since he had left to save Théodred. The man sneered with a crooked grin and in a sickeningly sweet voice he spoke.
"Make sure not to kill him men, just bruise him up a little. Let him know the consequences of disobeying the king," the warden said his two front teeth gleaming like a rat's.
They led him to a cell and threw him in against the wall. His head slammed against the corner of the barred window, and warm blood flowed freely down from the wound. He had no time to try and ascertain the wound's seriousness. Two arms lifted him up and locked his arms as a strong fist hit him in the nose. It sounded loudly with an unhealthy crack. Another blow to the stomach and his eyes blurred, his vision dying. The blows continued until they were satisfied that he was in sufficient pain. The coppery taste of blood was in his mouth. They left him to slump against the cold, rough floor, hands bound behind him.
Éowyn walked to her window and looked out bleakly at the stars. The moon was round and full and she could almost hear Éomer's voice from many years ago. "The great King Eorl looks down from the moon. You can see his outline when it is full. Do not be afraid tonight, nothing can harm you when I am a room away and our great ancestor is watching you."
She had fled to his quarters when nightmares filled her head for many weeks after their mother's death. After relocating to Edoras nothing had seemed enough to protect her from the dreams except Éomer. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, but she blinked them back and turned her back to the window.
Éomer grabbed the bars over the jail window and strained to look up at the moon. His neck still ached, and his head bled a little. He breathed the night air and watched the stars; the moon was still high in the middle of the sky out of his sight. He had failed once again. Yet another stunning defeat to add to his long record. He was almost afraid to sleep again but his strength was waning and his eyes slowly closing. He struggled to remember the comforting words he had spoken to his sister so long ago.
"But what if there is not a full moon Éomer?" she had asked earnestly. He had struggled to find an answer, "Well when there is no full moon, Eorl rests. But when he rests the stars are still out. The whole line of our people watches us from the stars. Mother and Father are both there watching us, and they will never fade in our lifetime. Go to sleep."
And he did resolutely, cold and curled up in the fetal position on the stone ground, which became wet with a few, small tears.
Note: Well that's it. I'm going to be doing a serious editing process on all my chapters to make them more readable, but that's as far as this part of the story is going to go. I hope you all enjoyed it. I will be working on my other stories before beginning part two of this story. There will be three parts total, the next will be the war of the ring to his marriage to Lothiriel. This is not set in stone, and it may turn out that I won't be able to post it for a long while. But that is the plan for right now.
This chapter was harder because I didn't know whether to go with the book or movie version, I settled on using mostly book dialogue with a couple of the movie lines. The meeting with Aragorn is strictly book based, but I have changed some of the lines, and cut some parts out to make it fit better with the way I write stories. So I hope that's not confusing, and for a full disclaimer please see the first chapter, I do not own any of the dialogue included in the lotr series of books or movies.
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! And thanks to my dad who has pretty much been my beta reader for this story.
Thanks to… isilhen, thekidmdd, Sirabella, Eokat, Angel of the night watchers, Southern son, Prince tyler briefs, harpo, dd9736, Beling, Domlando Blonaghan, diamondrose57, Mystikal, charliegirl2, kezya, Voldie on Varsity track, eowyngirl12, treebeardhugger and anyone I missed!
Special thanks to my three most consistent reviewers who have kept me writing! isilhen (yes there will be a part 2), eokat, and mystical.
Thanks so much everybody!