((author's note: This is the background story to my character Tolwyn that I have used in many roleplaying games and such... this was formed after only a few months of RP-ing, during the summer of 2003, and finished a year later on my own 15th birthday. I've made it have many parallels to my own life... but hope you enjoy.))

((note on this chapter: first written summer 03, not extremely good/detailed writing, but necessary. Read on :-D))

In the year 3021, the last year of the Third Age, King Eomer of Rohan was wed to Lothiriel, daughter of Imrahil of Dol Amroth. The wedding took place in the Golden Hall on a cold November day; and the King and his Lady were overjoyed, for they loved each other very much.

When two years had passed, Lothiriel gave birth to a son, Elfwine. He is the only son of the King, and thus the heir to the throne. He was born on March 1st, and grew up to be a fair-haired and strong young man, much like his father.

When Elfwine was only a lad of three, his mother bore Eomer a daughter. The girl was born on a warm and peaceful summer night, on the 25th day of June. Her shrill crying that night was said to have "awoken all the inhabitants of the Golden Hall"; thus she was jokingly named Tolwyn, an island of strife amidst an ocean of peace and joy.

These two children of Eomer lived a happy childhood together, enjoying all the privileges of a royal life. Their father was often away, for though the Dark Lord Sauron had fallen in the War, His servants had not. When Eomer was at the Golden Hall, he had a sad aura about him. Having witnessed the death of his uncle and cousin in the War of the Ring seemed to have aged him.

Therefore, Tolwyn and Elfwine were close to their mother. She nurtured them, played with them, taught them about life. For five years they lived together in bliss; Elfwine and his sister experienced an innocent childhood in Meduseld.

But when Elfwine was eight years old, his father started taking him on missions; "training" was what the King called it. Elfwine went with the Riders on Uruk-hai hunting quests. He saw more bloodshed than a boy his age should see. Lothiriel secretly disagreed with this; but she loved the King, and trusted that only the best training was being given to their son.

Tolwyn loved her brother dearly, and did not want him to go; yet he explained gently to her, "I must go, Tolwyn… I must. It might make Father happy." So go he did, though it did not seem to make the King any more joyful. When Elfwine returned after his first few days of "training", Tolwyn (then 5 years old) ran out to hug him, and tell him about her day. But he seemed lifeless, emotionless; he was wearied by the slaughter he saw. He walked right past her, his eyes unseeing, his mind in another world. She looked at his back as he walked away, her big green eyes filling up with tears… she was soon picked up and hugged by her mother, and put to bed.

From then on, Tolwyn and her mother were very close. Since Tolwyn hadn't started lessons yet, her mother would walk around Edoras with her. The townspeople would gather around, gazing at the two royal ladies: The Queen Lothiriel in her beautiful robes, walking with the solemn glory of her race; and the young Lady Tolwyn, grinning only like a little girl can, running around in a simple playdress. For the next three years Tolwyn and her mother lived at Meduseld, while Eomer and Elfwine were frequently out on missions.