Far and Away
Chapter Twelve
Rated: pg-13
About three years later.
The beating of hooves grew strong as it drew near to the city of Edoras. Eomer and Theodred's eored's raced through the Gate. A tall muscular man dismounted his horse and lifted a young man down. He carefully cradled the younger's head and carried him up the wide stairs leading to the Golden Hall.
Hama, the door ward, opened the doors for the man. His strides were swift and he kicked open a side door. Entering the darkened room, he gently laid the adolescent on a large bed. Almost silent footsteps raced down the hall and the door was cast open.
Eowyn stood at the entrance and her eyes immediately fell on Theodred. He lay there still and pale, his chest barely rising and falling. Eowyn knelt beside her brother and turned a questioning eye toward him.
Eomer shifted uneasily. "We were ambushed by a raid of Orcs. Theodred was wounded," Eomer's voice, think with emotion, barely came above a whisper.
Eowyn tenderly lifted the edge of Theodred's shirt up and held back a gasp. An open gash dove deep into his stomach and had ripped its way up Theodred's rib cage. The makeshift bandage was soaked in blood and was seeping through the weak cloth.
Theodred opened his parched mouth and tilted his head slightly toward his cousins. His deep, cloudy gray eyes opened slowly. He drew a breath, as if to speak, but was interrupted by a racking cough that shook his body.
Eowyn grabbed Theodred's shaking hand and Eomer's eyes were full of concern. "Don't try to talk Theodred. It'll be ok, just hold on."
Eowyn wiped the thin trickle of blood that had trailed its way down out of Theodred's mouth. His eyes found her and he smiled weakly. Theodred drew a deep, cautious breath and then whispered, "I'll try to rest."
Eomer nodded and gently clasped Theodred's forearm. Eowyn leaned forward and kissed her cousin's pale, cold cheek. As Eomund's children left Theodred's room, Eowyn suddenly grew pale and stumbling, clung to Eomer's arm. He caught her and with distress thick in his voice, he asked, "Eowyn, what's the matter?"
The dark dream had flashed through her mind. Theodred was lying on that same bed, paler than he was now, dead. Eowyn slowly lifted her eyes to her brother's. "Don't leave me."
Eomer's look was pure confusion. "I would never on my own will leave you."
Eowyn wrapped her arms around her brother and laid her head on his shoulder. Her brother was always so strong. So she must be too. She felt perfectly safe in her arms. He gently eased her from their embrace and pulled her hand into his big one.
"Come. We have to talk to our Uncle."
~*~
Eowyn and Eomer stood before King Theoden. "There was a raid, my lord. Theodred, your son, was badly wounded."
"The Orcs have been invading the boundaries of Rohan. My king, we must stop this. Uruk-hai are beginning to move freely in our lands. Saruman is behind these attacks." Eomer was about to continue when he was interrupted by a cold voice.
"You lie, Saruman has forever been our friend and ally. Your mind has been clouded by great folly." Grima Wormtongue glared at Eomer.
"The Uruk-hai have been moving freely through our lands, my King, and they bear the White Hand of Saruman." Eomer removed a helmet from beneath his arm and cast it upon the floor. A White Hand was set over the blood and rust that covered the helm.
Eowyn raised her eyes in an amused glint. Grima's pale icy blue eyes widen. He stood there for a moment, with his mouth hanging open. He quickly recovered and leaning down by the King, he glared back up at Eomer.
Theoden heavily lifted his head and muttered something that sounded like, "My son. Theodred?" Eowyn heard and she smiled hopefully at her Uncle. But her hope was forgotten as soon as Grima started to hiss out cruel words to her brother.
"Why do you way these troubles on your Uncle's already troubled mind? How could you heap all of your malcontent, your war mongering?"
"War mongering?" Eomer's dark eyes flashed with anger. With silent quickness, he wrapped a hand around Grima's thin neck and threw him down the stairs. Eomer dragged the pale man behind him and then picking him up by his collar, slammed him against a thick pillar. Grima was shaken at Eomer's sudden fury.
Eomer's mind raced. It had been a stupid raid that had wounded his cousin, probably fatally. Theodred as one of the three people that he loved most in the world, and his cousin now lay in the other room dying.
Eomer fought to control his breath and he glared at Grima as he harshly said, "How long has it been since Saruman bought you? What was the given price? That once all our men were dead, that you would take a share of the treasures?"
Grima was scared of Eomer, terrified to look into his fiery eyes. The soft footsteps of Eowyn were heard and both men looked toward her. She stopped in the middle of her step, and turning briefly, saw Eomer. Her eyes wandered and she saw Grima, pinned between the oak pillar and her brother. The look he gave her was one of built-up lust for her and the horror of Eomund's grown son.
Eowyn abruptly turned away from them and swiftly left. The look Grima had given her had sent ice cold chills down her spine. A dreadful thought creep through her mind. 'What if he tries to rape me?'
After Eowyn had disappeared, Eomer leaned in toward Grima. Terror had filled every corner of his mind when he say the look the Wormtongue had given his baby sister. His strong hand tightened his grip on Grima.
"Too long have you watched my sister; too long have you haunted her steps." Eomer glared with a burning anger flashing violently in his eyes. From behind him, strong hands clasped Eomer's shoulders. Before they pulled him back, Eomer muttered so that only Grima could hear him. "You lay one hand on my sister, and I swear, I will kill you."
Eomer was jerked backwards and a fist met with his stomach. Eomer doubled over in pain. The young man struggled against the strong hands that held him. Grima leaned close to Eomer. "You know too much, Son of Eomund.(I never could quite catch what Grima says right then, other than Son of Eomund, sorry if its terribly wrong) You are banished from the land of Rohan forever, under penalty of death."
Eomer barred his teeth and lunged at Grima. But four strong hands pulled him back. He struggled, but it was no use. "NO!" Eomer cried out. He couldn't leave his baby sister with his monster. But Eowyn wasn't a baby anymore. She had proved herself time and again in her swordplay. Maybe she could, but there was always that doubt that lingered in the back of his head. Tears of anger streamed down Eomer's cheeks. As the rest of Eomer and most of Theodred's eoreds were gathered up, along with other men loyal to Rohan, Eomer glanced back toward the Golden Hall. "I won't leave you to suffer here, sister. I'll find a way to get back to you."
~*~ Eowyn ran out of the throne room and to her room. Grima followed her, trying to convenes her that Eomer really had tried to take over the throne and that he [Grima] was just protecting the Rohirrim.
Eowyn's fury was clear. She slammed her bedroom door in Grima's face and after locking it behind her, she took up her sword. Eowyn climbed through her open window. She slipped halfway down and fell flat on her back. She lay there for a second, looking up at the darkening sky. The fall hadn't hurt her, but landing on her sword had. Tenderly lifting herself up, Eowyn regained her posture and walked swiftly to the practice field for swordplay. Unsheathing her blade, she began to perform basic moves, checking herself mentally.
Block right, thrust left. Fall back, but don't get cornered. Eowyn started to viciously fight an invisible opponent. Small bags, filled with wheat, hung from the archways for the practice field that were used as targets. Eowyn pulled out a long knife from her belt and proceeded in slashing open the targets.
A fire burned in her deep gray eyes. She began to speed up her rhythm, rapidly slashing apart the sackcloth bags, wheat poured down around her like rain, pooling into mounds on the ground.
Sweat clung to her face and neck. Small gentle trickles of blood ran along her arms from where the knife or sword had caught her and dripped off her sleeves. She stood before the last bag full of grain. It swung slightly with a soft breeze that blew in over the endless miles of wild grasses.
She gripped the knife tightly and then raised her arm. With the slightest flick of her wrist, she sent the razor-sharp point of the blade into the bag. Eowyn leaned against the thick stone pillar and slid down it until she was sitting down. Her sword dropped to the ground. Eowyn held her head in her hands. Tears delicately ran down her pale, freckled cheeks.
Eomund's daughter took a shaky breath then stood to her feet, wiping away her tears. She decided that she would practice her swordplay and horseback riding everyday. And she might try to strengthen her archery skills also.
Eowyn gathered her blades together and then ran to her window. She carefully climbed up the steep wall and fell onto her floor. She slowly unlocked her door and peaked down the hall. It was empty. She gathered her rich brown skirt in her arms and ran down the hall to Theodred's room.
She quietly opened the heavy door. Eowyn knelt beside her cousin's bed. Gently she stoked his golden hair that hung limply on the pillow. She got up and from a chest, produced a long strip of cloth. Carefully pulling back Theodred's blood covered shirt, she peeled off the old bandage and dressed the wound.
Eowyn pulled the covers up to Theodred's chest. As she removed her hands, she saw that where she had touched the blanket, it was stained with blood. She looked at her hands. They were covered with sticky blood. Eowyn wiped them off the best she could on her dress.
She stood and look down sadly at the deathly pale man. The only thing that indicated that he was alive was the soft rise and fall of his chest. She kissed her index and middle fingers and placed them tenderly on her cousin's cheek. Eowyn exited the room, closing the door securely behind her.
Thirty minutes later, Theodred's chest rose and then fell forever, never to rise again.
~*~*~*~
I guess I used most of the scenes from the movie. Sorry, I'm trying to mix it but and not make Eowyn look like a wimp. Aragorn will not flirt with her at all, I promise! YAY, long chapter. Please R/R. Thanks to all you guys who have been reviewing faithfully! It means a lot to me.
Chapter Twelve
Rated: pg-13
About three years later.
The beating of hooves grew strong as it drew near to the city of Edoras. Eomer and Theodred's eored's raced through the Gate. A tall muscular man dismounted his horse and lifted a young man down. He carefully cradled the younger's head and carried him up the wide stairs leading to the Golden Hall.
Hama, the door ward, opened the doors for the man. His strides were swift and he kicked open a side door. Entering the darkened room, he gently laid the adolescent on a large bed. Almost silent footsteps raced down the hall and the door was cast open.
Eowyn stood at the entrance and her eyes immediately fell on Theodred. He lay there still and pale, his chest barely rising and falling. Eowyn knelt beside her brother and turned a questioning eye toward him.
Eomer shifted uneasily. "We were ambushed by a raid of Orcs. Theodred was wounded," Eomer's voice, think with emotion, barely came above a whisper.
Eowyn tenderly lifted the edge of Theodred's shirt up and held back a gasp. An open gash dove deep into his stomach and had ripped its way up Theodred's rib cage. The makeshift bandage was soaked in blood and was seeping through the weak cloth.
Theodred opened his parched mouth and tilted his head slightly toward his cousins. His deep, cloudy gray eyes opened slowly. He drew a breath, as if to speak, but was interrupted by a racking cough that shook his body.
Eowyn grabbed Theodred's shaking hand and Eomer's eyes were full of concern. "Don't try to talk Theodred. It'll be ok, just hold on."
Eowyn wiped the thin trickle of blood that had trailed its way down out of Theodred's mouth. His eyes found her and he smiled weakly. Theodred drew a deep, cautious breath and then whispered, "I'll try to rest."
Eomer nodded and gently clasped Theodred's forearm. Eowyn leaned forward and kissed her cousin's pale, cold cheek. As Eomund's children left Theodred's room, Eowyn suddenly grew pale and stumbling, clung to Eomer's arm. He caught her and with distress thick in his voice, he asked, "Eowyn, what's the matter?"
The dark dream had flashed through her mind. Theodred was lying on that same bed, paler than he was now, dead. Eowyn slowly lifted her eyes to her brother's. "Don't leave me."
Eomer's look was pure confusion. "I would never on my own will leave you."
Eowyn wrapped her arms around her brother and laid her head on his shoulder. Her brother was always so strong. So she must be too. She felt perfectly safe in her arms. He gently eased her from their embrace and pulled her hand into his big one.
"Come. We have to talk to our Uncle."
~*~
Eowyn and Eomer stood before King Theoden. "There was a raid, my lord. Theodred, your son, was badly wounded."
"The Orcs have been invading the boundaries of Rohan. My king, we must stop this. Uruk-hai are beginning to move freely in our lands. Saruman is behind these attacks." Eomer was about to continue when he was interrupted by a cold voice.
"You lie, Saruman has forever been our friend and ally. Your mind has been clouded by great folly." Grima Wormtongue glared at Eomer.
"The Uruk-hai have been moving freely through our lands, my King, and they bear the White Hand of Saruman." Eomer removed a helmet from beneath his arm and cast it upon the floor. A White Hand was set over the blood and rust that covered the helm.
Eowyn raised her eyes in an amused glint. Grima's pale icy blue eyes widen. He stood there for a moment, with his mouth hanging open. He quickly recovered and leaning down by the King, he glared back up at Eomer.
Theoden heavily lifted his head and muttered something that sounded like, "My son. Theodred?" Eowyn heard and she smiled hopefully at her Uncle. But her hope was forgotten as soon as Grima started to hiss out cruel words to her brother.
"Why do you way these troubles on your Uncle's already troubled mind? How could you heap all of your malcontent, your war mongering?"
"War mongering?" Eomer's dark eyes flashed with anger. With silent quickness, he wrapped a hand around Grima's thin neck and threw him down the stairs. Eomer dragged the pale man behind him and then picking him up by his collar, slammed him against a thick pillar. Grima was shaken at Eomer's sudden fury.
Eomer's mind raced. It had been a stupid raid that had wounded his cousin, probably fatally. Theodred as one of the three people that he loved most in the world, and his cousin now lay in the other room dying.
Eomer fought to control his breath and he glared at Grima as he harshly said, "How long has it been since Saruman bought you? What was the given price? That once all our men were dead, that you would take a share of the treasures?"
Grima was scared of Eomer, terrified to look into his fiery eyes. The soft footsteps of Eowyn were heard and both men looked toward her. She stopped in the middle of her step, and turning briefly, saw Eomer. Her eyes wandered and she saw Grima, pinned between the oak pillar and her brother. The look he gave her was one of built-up lust for her and the horror of Eomund's grown son.
Eowyn abruptly turned away from them and swiftly left. The look Grima had given her had sent ice cold chills down her spine. A dreadful thought creep through her mind. 'What if he tries to rape me?'
After Eowyn had disappeared, Eomer leaned in toward Grima. Terror had filled every corner of his mind when he say the look the Wormtongue had given his baby sister. His strong hand tightened his grip on Grima.
"Too long have you watched my sister; too long have you haunted her steps." Eomer glared with a burning anger flashing violently in his eyes. From behind him, strong hands clasped Eomer's shoulders. Before they pulled him back, Eomer muttered so that only Grima could hear him. "You lay one hand on my sister, and I swear, I will kill you."
Eomer was jerked backwards and a fist met with his stomach. Eomer doubled over in pain. The young man struggled against the strong hands that held him. Grima leaned close to Eomer. "You know too much, Son of Eomund.(I never could quite catch what Grima says right then, other than Son of Eomund, sorry if its terribly wrong) You are banished from the land of Rohan forever, under penalty of death."
Eomer barred his teeth and lunged at Grima. But four strong hands pulled him back. He struggled, but it was no use. "NO!" Eomer cried out. He couldn't leave his baby sister with his monster. But Eowyn wasn't a baby anymore. She had proved herself time and again in her swordplay. Maybe she could, but there was always that doubt that lingered in the back of his head. Tears of anger streamed down Eomer's cheeks. As the rest of Eomer and most of Theodred's eoreds were gathered up, along with other men loyal to Rohan, Eomer glanced back toward the Golden Hall. "I won't leave you to suffer here, sister. I'll find a way to get back to you."
~*~ Eowyn ran out of the throne room and to her room. Grima followed her, trying to convenes her that Eomer really had tried to take over the throne and that he [Grima] was just protecting the Rohirrim.
Eowyn's fury was clear. She slammed her bedroom door in Grima's face and after locking it behind her, she took up her sword. Eowyn climbed through her open window. She slipped halfway down and fell flat on her back. She lay there for a second, looking up at the darkening sky. The fall hadn't hurt her, but landing on her sword had. Tenderly lifting herself up, Eowyn regained her posture and walked swiftly to the practice field for swordplay. Unsheathing her blade, she began to perform basic moves, checking herself mentally.
Block right, thrust left. Fall back, but don't get cornered. Eowyn started to viciously fight an invisible opponent. Small bags, filled with wheat, hung from the archways for the practice field that were used as targets. Eowyn pulled out a long knife from her belt and proceeded in slashing open the targets.
A fire burned in her deep gray eyes. She began to speed up her rhythm, rapidly slashing apart the sackcloth bags, wheat poured down around her like rain, pooling into mounds on the ground.
Sweat clung to her face and neck. Small gentle trickles of blood ran along her arms from where the knife or sword had caught her and dripped off her sleeves. She stood before the last bag full of grain. It swung slightly with a soft breeze that blew in over the endless miles of wild grasses.
She gripped the knife tightly and then raised her arm. With the slightest flick of her wrist, she sent the razor-sharp point of the blade into the bag. Eowyn leaned against the thick stone pillar and slid down it until she was sitting down. Her sword dropped to the ground. Eowyn held her head in her hands. Tears delicately ran down her pale, freckled cheeks.
Eomund's daughter took a shaky breath then stood to her feet, wiping away her tears. She decided that she would practice her swordplay and horseback riding everyday. And she might try to strengthen her archery skills also.
Eowyn gathered her blades together and then ran to her window. She carefully climbed up the steep wall and fell onto her floor. She slowly unlocked her door and peaked down the hall. It was empty. She gathered her rich brown skirt in her arms and ran down the hall to Theodred's room.
She quietly opened the heavy door. Eowyn knelt beside her cousin's bed. Gently she stoked his golden hair that hung limply on the pillow. She got up and from a chest, produced a long strip of cloth. Carefully pulling back Theodred's blood covered shirt, she peeled off the old bandage and dressed the wound.
Eowyn pulled the covers up to Theodred's chest. As she removed her hands, she saw that where she had touched the blanket, it was stained with blood. She looked at her hands. They were covered with sticky blood. Eowyn wiped them off the best she could on her dress.
She stood and look down sadly at the deathly pale man. The only thing that indicated that he was alive was the soft rise and fall of his chest. She kissed her index and middle fingers and placed them tenderly on her cousin's cheek. Eowyn exited the room, closing the door securely behind her.
Thirty minutes later, Theodred's chest rose and then fell forever, never to rise again.
~*~*~*~
I guess I used most of the scenes from the movie. Sorry, I'm trying to mix it but and not make Eowyn look like a wimp. Aragorn will not flirt with her at all, I promise! YAY, long chapter. Please R/R. Thanks to all you guys who have been reviewing faithfully! It means a lot to me.