Far and Away
Chapter four
Rated: pg-13
Eight long years later.
Two horses with riders came bolting up the Hill and into the courtyard of the House of Eomund. The smaller figure was slightly behind the taller, older one. Golden hair flew freely in the wind as both riders pulled their horses to a halt. A young man jumped down and glanced back at the other rider. A younger girl jumped down from her horse and ran into the man's arms.
Eomer swung his little sister up into the air and hugged her. "Come. They will be sorely mad at us if we are late to our studies again."
"But Eomer, why do you think that we have to take these classes? I mean, I know that father still wishes you to take your swordplay, history and astronomy classes.but why must I take court lessons? I know how to behave in court!"
Eomer smiled at Eowyn as they walked quickly down the hall to their parent's bedroom. "They want to turn you into more of a lady so that you'll be able to find a husband."
Eowyn stopped in her tracks. Eomer turned and looked at her. "They want me to marry? Now? But.but I'm only 14!"
Eomer took Eowyn by the hand and guided her into their parent's room. "Eowyn, just calm down.maybe you can talk to mother and work something out." Eowyn nodded mutely.
Theodwyn looked up as they entered the room. She smiled. "My dear children." Their mother opened her arms to them. They took her hands and she led them to the window seat. "Your teachers tell me that you are doing very well in your classes, Eomer. Eowyn.the ladies have said that you are late to the hall or that you don't bother to show up.is there a reason?" Theodwyn looked at her youngest child.
Eowyn looked nervously at Eomer. Eomer had an amused looked on his face. Eowyn wanted to throw something at him. She looked back up at her mother. "Mama.I don't think that it is truly necessary for me to take court lessons."
Theodwyn sighed and clasp her daughter's hands. "Eowyn, I know that you don't enjoy those sort of things, but you must outgrow that stage of boyishness that you're in. Darling, you must see that what your father and I are trying to do is for the best. We know that it is important for a woman in this country to know swordplay because the women of this country- "
"Learned long ago that those who don't live by the sword can still die by it. I know, mother, but I don't want to live life like that! It like.living in a cage.you can't be free to live, you're always under the control of the man you marry. I don't want to sit by and be controlled."
Theodwyn smiled sadly at Eowyn. "I know. I felt that way, but sometimes, you have to give up youth's freedom to live."
Emma, a maid, ran into the room. "There is a company of orcs is advancing on the Hill! Eomund has ordered the House be emptied and for everyone to go to Helm's Deep and hide in the caverns!" Eomer jumped up and ran out the door. Eowyn looked at Theodwyn.
"Come, gather as much as is necessary. We must be quick." Theodwyn and Eowyn filled two baskets with blankets and clothes. Emma ran back in with two more baskets filled with food. Theodwyn stopped Emma. "I want you to take your children and flee now. Take all that you can."
Emma nodded and grabbed some baskets and left. Eowyn pulled the straps of the basket tight and looked at her mother. Theodwyn glanced up at Eowyn.
"You've never been to Helm's Deep, have you?" Eowyn shook her head. "Then go get your coat. It is fairly cold in the caverns." Theodwyn pulled on her robe, trimmed with fur. Eowyn ran to her room and found her coat. It was light beige trimmed with blue. The inside was soft lamb's wool. Eowyn ran back into her mother's room. Theodwyn grabbed Eowyn's hand and they ran down the hall and into the courtyard. Eowyn's horse was still there. Theodwyn got on as Eowyn strapped the baskets to the side of the horse. As soon as she had mounted, they speed out of the House and down the Hill.
It was only five miles to Helm's Deep but the ride there seemed forever. Servants ran before them in blind panic. Theodwyn slowed the horse and guiding, clamed them. Under Theodwyn's hand, thirty servants arrived safely at Helm's Deep. Eomund and his eored (fighting-force, like I told you earlier) sat upon their horses, looking towards the east.
As the sun finally sank over the horizon, a black mob came over the rise. Eomund summoned all his eored and they charged. That was the last time that Eowyn ever saw her father alive.
Eomer yelled as he kicked his horse as the others around him surged forward. The raid of orcs and men crashed together. The next minutes were an eternity as swords flew and death came. To Eomer, who had been on his share of orc raids, had never seen so much blood, pain, suffering, and death. He kept on fight pushing thru the sea of dark bodies. In Eomer's mind, he knew this was wrong. His father had always told him never to attack orcs until dawn, just before the sun rises. As Eomer glanced to the west, he saw the sun sink, and so did his heart.
"Father!" Eomer cried, looking thru the crowd of men and orcs. Eomer's lip split open as something sharp lashed out at him. He ignored the pain and finally found his father. The battle was starting to dwindle down as the eored victored over the raid of orcs. Eomund lay on the ground, pierced in the side with an arrow.
Eomer rushed over to Eomund's side. "Father," he whimpered.
Eomund breathed laboriously. He turned his head so that he could see his son. "Eomer.take care.of your sister. I.love you all." blood dripped out of Eomund's throat and he gasped, breathing his last.
Tears ran down Eomer's cheeks. He buried his face in his father's unmoving chest. The women and children appeared out of the caverns. Eowyn and Theodwyn rushed over to Eomer. Eowyn stood stunned as Theodwyn fell to her knees, crying. And so they stayed, all thru the night.
Theodwyn died of a broken heart the next day. Eowyn was stunned and fell into silence while she walked about with Eomer, clinging to him. From that day on, the lives of both of Eomund's children changed forever.
~*~ I know that I haven't gotten them to Edoras yet but I will in the next chapter!! ^__^ Theoden learns that his youngest sister, Theodwyn, is dead and that her two children are orphans and homeless. R/R!! ^__^ thanks everyone!
Chapter four
Rated: pg-13
Eight long years later.
Two horses with riders came bolting up the Hill and into the courtyard of the House of Eomund. The smaller figure was slightly behind the taller, older one. Golden hair flew freely in the wind as both riders pulled their horses to a halt. A young man jumped down and glanced back at the other rider. A younger girl jumped down from her horse and ran into the man's arms.
Eomer swung his little sister up into the air and hugged her. "Come. They will be sorely mad at us if we are late to our studies again."
"But Eomer, why do you think that we have to take these classes? I mean, I know that father still wishes you to take your swordplay, history and astronomy classes.but why must I take court lessons? I know how to behave in court!"
Eomer smiled at Eowyn as they walked quickly down the hall to their parent's bedroom. "They want to turn you into more of a lady so that you'll be able to find a husband."
Eowyn stopped in her tracks. Eomer turned and looked at her. "They want me to marry? Now? But.but I'm only 14!"
Eomer took Eowyn by the hand and guided her into their parent's room. "Eowyn, just calm down.maybe you can talk to mother and work something out." Eowyn nodded mutely.
Theodwyn looked up as they entered the room. She smiled. "My dear children." Their mother opened her arms to them. They took her hands and she led them to the window seat. "Your teachers tell me that you are doing very well in your classes, Eomer. Eowyn.the ladies have said that you are late to the hall or that you don't bother to show up.is there a reason?" Theodwyn looked at her youngest child.
Eowyn looked nervously at Eomer. Eomer had an amused looked on his face. Eowyn wanted to throw something at him. She looked back up at her mother. "Mama.I don't think that it is truly necessary for me to take court lessons."
Theodwyn sighed and clasp her daughter's hands. "Eowyn, I know that you don't enjoy those sort of things, but you must outgrow that stage of boyishness that you're in. Darling, you must see that what your father and I are trying to do is for the best. We know that it is important for a woman in this country to know swordplay because the women of this country- "
"Learned long ago that those who don't live by the sword can still die by it. I know, mother, but I don't want to live life like that! It like.living in a cage.you can't be free to live, you're always under the control of the man you marry. I don't want to sit by and be controlled."
Theodwyn smiled sadly at Eowyn. "I know. I felt that way, but sometimes, you have to give up youth's freedom to live."
Emma, a maid, ran into the room. "There is a company of orcs is advancing on the Hill! Eomund has ordered the House be emptied and for everyone to go to Helm's Deep and hide in the caverns!" Eomer jumped up and ran out the door. Eowyn looked at Theodwyn.
"Come, gather as much as is necessary. We must be quick." Theodwyn and Eowyn filled two baskets with blankets and clothes. Emma ran back in with two more baskets filled with food. Theodwyn stopped Emma. "I want you to take your children and flee now. Take all that you can."
Emma nodded and grabbed some baskets and left. Eowyn pulled the straps of the basket tight and looked at her mother. Theodwyn glanced up at Eowyn.
"You've never been to Helm's Deep, have you?" Eowyn shook her head. "Then go get your coat. It is fairly cold in the caverns." Theodwyn pulled on her robe, trimmed with fur. Eowyn ran to her room and found her coat. It was light beige trimmed with blue. The inside was soft lamb's wool. Eowyn ran back into her mother's room. Theodwyn grabbed Eowyn's hand and they ran down the hall and into the courtyard. Eowyn's horse was still there. Theodwyn got on as Eowyn strapped the baskets to the side of the horse. As soon as she had mounted, they speed out of the House and down the Hill.
It was only five miles to Helm's Deep but the ride there seemed forever. Servants ran before them in blind panic. Theodwyn slowed the horse and guiding, clamed them. Under Theodwyn's hand, thirty servants arrived safely at Helm's Deep. Eomund and his eored (fighting-force, like I told you earlier) sat upon their horses, looking towards the east.
As the sun finally sank over the horizon, a black mob came over the rise. Eomund summoned all his eored and they charged. That was the last time that Eowyn ever saw her father alive.
Eomer yelled as he kicked his horse as the others around him surged forward. The raid of orcs and men crashed together. The next minutes were an eternity as swords flew and death came. To Eomer, who had been on his share of orc raids, had never seen so much blood, pain, suffering, and death. He kept on fight pushing thru the sea of dark bodies. In Eomer's mind, he knew this was wrong. His father had always told him never to attack orcs until dawn, just before the sun rises. As Eomer glanced to the west, he saw the sun sink, and so did his heart.
"Father!" Eomer cried, looking thru the crowd of men and orcs. Eomer's lip split open as something sharp lashed out at him. He ignored the pain and finally found his father. The battle was starting to dwindle down as the eored victored over the raid of orcs. Eomund lay on the ground, pierced in the side with an arrow.
Eomer rushed over to Eomund's side. "Father," he whimpered.
Eomund breathed laboriously. He turned his head so that he could see his son. "Eomer.take care.of your sister. I.love you all." blood dripped out of Eomund's throat and he gasped, breathing his last.
Tears ran down Eomer's cheeks. He buried his face in his father's unmoving chest. The women and children appeared out of the caverns. Eowyn and Theodwyn rushed over to Eomer. Eowyn stood stunned as Theodwyn fell to her knees, crying. And so they stayed, all thru the night.
Theodwyn died of a broken heart the next day. Eowyn was stunned and fell into silence while she walked about with Eomer, clinging to him. From that day on, the lives of both of Eomund's children changed forever.
~*~ I know that I haven't gotten them to Edoras yet but I will in the next chapter!! ^__^ Theoden learns that his youngest sister, Theodwyn, is dead and that her two children are orphans and homeless. R/R!! ^__^ thanks everyone!