When Tolwyn was eight years of age, she started taking lessons. She had to wear elegant dresses that she couldn't play in; she had to sit all day in a stuffy room, and listen to the lesson-master drone on and on in his boring voice. Eomer wanted his children to be the first Eorlingas to read and write, for the rest of Rohan sang about their history. Tolwyn didn't get along with or obey the lesson-master. Because of this, she snuck out on the first day of lessons, and played in the streets of Edoras. She eventually came home a few hours later, her beautiful dress torn and muddy. She was brought to the throne room by a royal guard. Elfwine sat silently and solemnly in his chair next to the throne; for, after three years of watching death after death, he was as stern and quiet as his father. Her father and lesson-master scolded her harshly, and thought she should be punished.
But the Queen looked lovingly upon her daughter, and smiled warmly at her. Lothiriel had a short, whispered discussion with Eomer; and, using all her womanly charm, she persuaded the reluctant King not to punish Tolwyn. This happened nearly every week for two years; Tolwyn would escape the school-room, and run about in the streets of Edoras. She would be caught, brought to Meduseld, and nearly punished. But her mother would save her from punishment.
When she was nearly 10, Tolwyn cut her hair, and put on her brother's old clothes- and when she escaped lessons she played in Edoras as a boy. That day, the guards couldn't find her for hours, until she returned to the Golden Hall by herself. Both the King and Queen frowned at her, but it made her brother laugh, something he hadn't done in awhile. She was sent to bed without supper that night, but her mother brought her a piece of bread, and comforted her, for she was crying. That summer when her cousins from Ithilien came to visit, they laughed at her short hair and teased her. But Elfwine defended her fiercely, and soon their cousins were sent to the healing rooms with bloody noses.
Despite the fact that Tolwyn was constantly running away from lessons, she learned what she needed to during those years, and was ready to learn more.