Aeda tightened her hold on the reins she rode across the fields by moonlight. Not for the first time, she ached to kill her father while he slept. What he did-! She and her mother had not beenbeaten that night. Oh no, what he did had been far worse. In drunken celebration, Malevolain had boasted of his cleverness on the fields. The Rohirrim had been facing a band of five score orcs in the far reaches of East Emnet. Aedomar had gone with the vanguard, while Malevolain had been in the left flank. They had encircled the orcs at dusk, and killed all who had tried to break through. Dawn brought a bitter, kamikaze struggle from the orcs, and a dozen broke through the ring and ran. Eomer sent twenty-odd riders after them, and the rest were to tend to the wounded and bury the dead. Aedomar wanted to stay behind, as did Malevolain. Malevolain's left arm had been injured; his shield had been split. Aedomar had come up to him, smeared with thick, foul-smelling black blood, and challenged him for the family. Aedomar had intended to kill him once the party had left.

That night, Malevolain had come up to Aedomar while he was sleeping, and stabbed him in the stomach with Aedomar's own dagger. It was a painful way to die, and nothing could be done. The Rohirrim all assumed it was the orc's work, and could not believe a father would kill his only son and heir. On the second day of the ride back home, Aedomar fell off his horse into the ford where the Snowbourn feeds to the mighty Entwash. The heir to the house of Blood-Rider was washed away with the dead leaves in the long road of water stretching out to the liquid plain of the Sea.

Two hours before dawn, Malevolain laughed heartily and fell over, snoring. He'd finished his story and had completed the task of welding Aedomar's sword-arm to his shield as a prize. He'd told the rest of the company that it was the orc-leader's sword-hand, taken in victory. Aedwynn laughed softly, bitterly. "You go on, Aeda. Go get some fresh air. Gods know there won't be much chance when he wakes up. Get some playtime in while you still can, child."

"But mother, wha-"

"Go on, little one. I'll clean up here." And without another word Aedwynn bent and started picking up the dented and broken crockery around her husband's ruddy, flushed head.

"Mother, why did you marry father?" Aedwynn sighed, choosing and weighing each word carefully before answering her daughter.

"Your father was different then. And you must remember, we were young and maybe we were too…hasty. I asked my father for permission to marry the rich, handsome lad, your father asked his father's permission to wed me. I was different, too. I didn't know people were more than they may seem. And it wasn't like this…" Here, Aedwynn lowered her voice to a whisper. "In fact, it all started when he fell in with Wormtongue's company. He went out with them one night and didn't come back for weeks. And when he did, he was as he is now. But that was long ago, when you were two. He adored you, if not me and…and…your brother-" she chocked back a sob. "He doted on you until you were old enough to say 'NO' and mean it."

"Mother, why did Father never like Aedomar? Why did he like only me?"

"I'll tell you, but you must go before he wakes up. He will have a pounding headache and likely in a rage that Etheron yet lives." Aedwynn sighed. "My child, there is something you must know. Once you have heard, you must flee. You must be careful. Much depends on you." Aeda nodded, confused. Aedwynn leaned closer, lowering her voice yet more, so that Aeda strained to hear it. "Very well, the reason is this: you recall how I told you that your father was very wealthy? He spent a great deal on drink, but many families these days eat worse than our dogs. We are very well off. The reason is that his grandfather was the King's right-hand man, and was killed defending his King in a skirmish. So our family is still in good favor with the King. Or would be, if he had his wits about him. I am a woman, and therefore am not allowed to see him, but Wormtongue has done something to our King. You had met King Theoden, years ago, when your father was kinder and Wormtongue less poisonous. I knew him of old, and I know he would not allow our people or our women to be treated in such a way!"

"Yes, Mother, but why did Father hate Aedomar?"

"I'm getting to that. Anyway, when your father was born, a soothsayer was passing through and offered to read his future. Your grandparents agreed. The soothsayer got out some herbs and chanted under his breath. Suddenly, he screamed, and cried, 'The boy you see here will have all and nothing, and give much to lose it! This boy's child will see the end of our world! This boy will be a King, and killed by his dissenting court! Beware! His most dangerous enemy shall be his own flesh and blood! He will live by the sword but not die by it, he will massacre his flesh and live, then see danger double and die! Beware, my boy, beware!' and the soothsayer was dead before he hit the floor.

You see, my dear, he heard a distorted version of the prophecy and thought that by killing Aedomar, the threat would be through. He thought that Aedomar, the boy, would be more danger than you, a female. The prophecy means that you, since you're his only child now, will see the end of our world. He is a king to us, his dissenting court, and one of us would kill him. It will be you. You are his most dangerous enemy. I don't know what the last part means, but you will find out. I had your future read at your birth, in secret, and you will journey far. There was no double meaning in your future. Or so I thought. Go northeast. There are Elves there that can help you." Aedwynn eyed Malevolain as he stirred drunkenly. "Go, love. Flee. Here is some food." Aedwynn pressed a small bundle wrapped in a blanket. "It has a week's worth of bread, two flasks of water, and a pair of Elf-made daggers."

"Mother, how did you know the Elves? How do you know where they are? I thought they were just a fairy tale!" Aeda asked desperately, not comprehending. How could her mother be sending her off, with no warning?

Aedwynn smiled. "My mother ran from home once. You are the granddaughter of an Elf-friend."

Aeda ran blindly through the fields surrounding Edoras, to the small grove of trees not four hundred rods from the walls. She could not believe it. Aedwynn couldn't be dead! She was the one constant in Aeda's life…she had always been there for her. Now she was rotting with last week's dead. It should be Father out there! Aeda couldn't forget the screams, and the blood-Aeda fought down the bile rising in her throat. Aedwynn had been so loving…she gave her life for me…I can't let it be a waste…

And so it was that Etheron found her, sitting in the makeshift tree fort she and her brother had built long ago, sobbing her heart out. He was leading two horses, and moving at a quick, cautious pace. Etheron reached the tree and stopped for a moment, then gently eased Aeda up off her low perch and into the saddle of one of the horses.

In the cold, clear hour before dawn, a shadow paced the walls of Edoras and watched as two lone figures galloped away to the northeast.

Any better than the first chapter...?