Chapter 5

The morning was fresh and bright and there wasn't a cloud in the sky as the sun shone down onto the courtyard. The entire population of Edoras was bustling with excitement as many guests had arrived for the coronation tomorrow. Éomer was stood at the top of the stone stairs leading up to Meduseld welcoming the guests. Morwen directed Ceorl and the others temporary stable hands as what to be done with the sudden influx of mounts to be tended to. Her face was cold and serious just as it had been all morning and her words were sharp and harsh when she spoke.

She stopped for a moment, stepping away from the busy courtyard and stables, leaning on the side wall of a house and sighing. She couldn't get the images of that dream out of her head no matter how much she banged it against the wood.

She stood alone in a plain flat field, the sky was darkening to red and there was a dark mist rolling in towards her. There was no sound and no matter how much she ran in any and all directions she found herself to be completely alone. There were weapons of all kinds strewn everywhere she cared to look stained with blood, just like the grass. The sudden roar of war raged from behind and she turned slowly to find Éomer collapsed and battered badly. The sounds got louder as she knelt down and picked him up until they deafened her and she could feel her ears bleeding. His face was deathly pale, almost blue, and as cold as mid-winter's snow.

Éomer sighed heavily as the last guest had been welcomed and entered the hall. I was hounded before, but now. I will never get any rest. He forced a smile as one of the single women of the court waved at him coyly and winked. A deep rumbling laugh woke him from his train of thought. "And what is so funny?" Gamling walked up to him with his hands held behind his back trying to control his laughter. "You can't bring you eored into the celebrations tonight."

"But I'd need the protection."

Morwen froze and listened carefully when a sudden heavy thud sounded out from the stables. She ran back out into the courtyard when she heard Ceorl shouting her. She found that the other stable hands had fled back to their homes and Ceorl was stood staring worriedly into the stables. The same heavy thudding sounded out again but louder accompanied by the splintering of wood. "The stallion… the young stallion…" stepping forward slightly, she saw the young stallion rearing and kicking at the stall door. Just at that moment the wounded door gave away and the angry colt bolted. Ceorl opened his mouth to cry out but was interrupted by Morwen tackling him to the ground, out of the path of the enraged stallion.

"What happened?" Ceorl was still shaking slightly was Gamling demanded an answer from him. Glancing over to Morwen who was tackling a horse up, Ceorl was unsure how to answer. Her face was stern and unmoving in her anger as she led the mount out and past them both. Éomer stepped in front of her and looked at her with a mix of concern and questioning. "He'd grown restless and sudden bustle of people and horses spooked him and he bolted."

"And?"

"And I'm going to fetch him back."

"Shouldn't his rider go and fetch him?"

"Yes. If they had a mount, but that mount just went galloping off into the fields without them." She looked away from him trying to remember her place compared to the towering man in her path. "That colt was my responsibility so I'm going to get him back." At that she tightened her grip on the reins and walked past him in silent rage.

As she mounted her horse rain clouds blew in from over the mountains, heavily black and ready to burst open. The first drop of rain landed on the body of the white horse on the flag that whipped round in the wind as she galloped out of the gate of Edoras after the unruly escaped animal.