3. In Which A Rivalry Is Explained

Earenya, Urime, Year 20 of the Fourth Age

Minas Tirith, Gondor

I HATE EOMUND!

Nine minutes later. . .

Tutor read my book. AGAIN. He then told my mother. The rat. Now I'm here again, writing in a horrid book thanks to a horrid teacher. Sweet Elbereth. . .

Tutor just read over my shoulder and suggested that I explain my irrational hatred of Eomund. How is my hatred of that WEASEL irrational? He deserves every bit of hatred I feel for him!

You know why, Tutor? Because HE was the one who started our feud back in the day when we were six.

You see, I was at Emyn Arnen for the first time with Mother to visit Aunt Eowyn and see Theodwyn and the Weasel for the first time. I was dressed in blue, and Mother was wearing purple while Aunt Eowyn's dress was the same color as the fresh green grass. I could remember the smell of the air and wildflowers, the color of the brilliantly blue sky, the whinnies of the horses in the stables, the. . .

How do I remember this all if I was only a wee child? Well, er, um, I just have an excellent memory, Tutor. Some people just have EXCEPTIONAL memories, you know.

Anyway, Theodwyn was ill that day, and the Weasel had disappeared before I could meet him so I had no one to play with. I was wandering around the grounds, picking flowers and singing bits and pieces of a song I've heard:

There is a pin, a merry holed pin

beneath an holed play mill.

And there they drew an ear so round

That the Man in the Moon himself came down

one night to drink his pill.

The hoss has a ritzy cat

that says a five-ringed riddle.

The . . .

I KNOW that I completely ruined the song sung by the Ringbearer on the night he met Father at the Prancing Pony in Bree, but I was only six years old. Little ones always ruin songs. Look at Morwen, the twins, the littlest princes and princesses of Rohan and Dol Amroth, any child under the age of seven. Just yesterday I remember the youngest child of Lord Mardil singing, Earendil was a milliner that was marrying our vermin. . .

Ha! Judging from the look of absolute horror on your face, I win. Sort of. Anyway, the point of this entry is to justify my hatred of Eomund so let's get on with the story.

I was just walking around, not bothering anyone when I stumbled on a tree-lined pond in an isolated corner of the gardens. It was a hot day so I decided a swim would ease the heat. I stripped off my garments. . .

I KNOW that's improper, but I was only SIX. There was no one around so I assumed it would be fine. Anyway, I was having a good time, wading and paddling when HE showed up.

Realizing that he should not have seen me in my state, I swam as far out as I could (Which wasn't far, I admit. My swimming skills were limited, at best, and I wasn't very tall.). And the Weasel had the audacity to STARE at me.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

The Weasel just SHRUGGED. "I live here, and this is where I swim when I'm hot." He stopped for a bit. "Can you get out? I want to swim, and we both can't swim here."

Naturally, I was angry. I got there FIRST, and he just told me to get out. He didn't even say PLEASE.

"Why can't I swim here, too? I have as much right to swim in this pond as you do, er -"

"Eomund. And we both can't swim here. You're a GIRL. Girls and boys can't swim together," he said.

"Who said so?" I asked.

He scratched his head. "Everyone." Eomund then puffed himself up, making himself look like a overblown bullfrog in the process. "Anyway, who cares? Since MY father rules Emyn Arnen, that means you have to get out when I tell you to. So get out, um, -"

"Elwing." By then, I was FURIOUS. That wasn't Uncle Faramir's son. Uncle Faramir's son wouldn't be rude to a girl so he must be lying."Well, my father rules Arnor AND Gondor so that means YOU have to go away when I tell you to. So YOU get out, you blown-up toad."

His face screwed up. "You're lying. A princess of Gondor wouldn't insult anyone, especially a prince. And you're too ugly to be a princess."

I felt my cheeks heat up. I know I wasn't very pretty at the time, and I'm not very fair now but to hear it from a rude boy I didn't even know made me dislike him even more.

"Well, you're the liar. Uncle Faramir would have never had a son as horrid as you, you worthless, lying weasel!"

"If you weren't a girl, I'd go in there and punch you right now!"

"Go ahead. I bet I can punch you harder than you can."

"You, a GIRL? That makes me laugh."

"I can too. Your so-called mother is a girl, and she beat up the Witch-king of Angmar!"

'Mother is different. She's a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, and you're just a little rat-faced spider!"

I started to move toward him. "Spider? You're going to be pig-feed by the time I'm done!" That was when I realized something we had both forgotten. I had absolutely nothing on. . .

Stop smirking, Tutor. You're supposed to be on MY side. You're MY tutor, not his.

Anyway, Eomund stopped, and his eyes widened a bit, the toad. As for me, I sank into the water and wrapped my arms around my body.

"Stop staring, you little beetle!" I shouted.

All of a sudden, an odd look came into his eyes. He smirked and bowed a little. "Well, I can't help it. So forgive me, Lady Elwing. I'll be on my way now."

I stared down at the water and sighed with relief, but all of a sudden, I felt suspicion creep into my mind. He wasn't going to give up this easily, would he?

I looked back up just in time to see him reach for my clothing which had been lying neatly near the roots of a tree. "Get away from those!" I screamed.

At my words, he snatched up my clothing, gown and all, and started running. "Ha, ha, Rat-face!" he shouted back.

"Come back here, you filthy rodent!" I shrieked as loudly as I could, but he naturally didn't stop. So I ended up staying in the water, shivering and shaking, but too afraid to emerge without my clothes. I ended up staying there for HOURS.

By the time, my Mother and a manservant found me, I felt feverish and hazy. I remember Mother shaking her head and muttering about "silly, thoughtless children" while wrapping me in warm coverings and pouring something wonderfully warm down my throat, but I was too sick to understand or even care.

I spent two, whole WEEKS in bed ill with fever. Eomund had to asist with several unpleasant tasks for months (neither of which were cruel enough) besides having to apologize to me in front of most of the residents of the hall. Aunt Eowyn and Uncle Faramir also sent me a beautiful set of riding gear for my little pony and several gorgeous books to make up for their son's behavior, but I will never forgive him. I could have DIED if Mother hadn't found me in time. And that's why I hate Eomund, the so-called weasel son of Uncle Faramir.

Author's note: (peeks out) Please don't kill me for messing up the "Man in the Moon" song (pgs. 155-156, Frodo, The Fellowship of the Ring) and the first line of the "Song of Earendil" (pgs. 227-230, Bilbo, The Fellowship of the Ring) I did it in honor of all the times we have misheard a song's lyrics. After all, we all have done it at one point in time. Especially as children, right?