Part 78 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.
A/N: I've been considering how to do this with Theodred off seeing the world. Since it happens somewhat outside the usual basis of the Elfwine Chronicles, I am creating a subset called The Adventures of Theodred. I will probably write them in a chronological order and just keep adding chapters as they come along. That seems the simplest and least confusing way of doing it. This story arc begins with the story "Partings", and then continues here.
The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer.
(April, 43 IV)
The two men crashed side by side through the underbrush, weaving around shrubs and trees. They could hear their pursuer bellowing with fury, far too close on their heels. Their breathing was ragged and their limbs heavy with exertion, but with a spurt, one managed to pull slightly ahead of his companion. Unexpectedly, they reached a steep embankment, and there was no time or room to stop. In an instant, the two plunged over the side and began tearing a painful swath to the bottom. Their pursuer was more fortunate, avoiding the tumble. Apparently he decided they weren't worth his further trouble, and with a last snort in their direction – some might have claimed there was a note of derision in it – he retreated back into the forest.
After what seemed an interminable fall, the two came to rest in a pile of leaves and debris at the bottom of the hillside, out of breath, scraped, bruised, but essentially in one piece. Realizing they were no longer in danger, they lay catching their breath, their eyes shut. After several minutes, one let out a mirthless laugh, demanding, "Promise me you will not write home about this."
"Whyever not?" his companion asked innocently, a wicked twinkle hidden behind his closed eyelids.
"One, it is embarrassing; two, our mothers will think our activities too dangerous and insist we come home; three, our fathers will assume we are incompetent at defending ourselves – they may be right – and; four, we will be a laughingstock if anyone learns we were bested by a wild boar! Do NOT write home about this, Theodred!"
The two broke into laughter, and it took some time before Theodred was able to concede, "Valid points, all, my friend. I think this will be confined to the pages of my journal and not shared!"
They lay there a bit longer, allowing their breathing to return to normal, before carefully sitting up and evaluating their injuries. Nothing too serious presented itself, though clearly they would be doing some mending tonight. Slowly they stood, grinned at one another and strode over to the nearby stream to wash off the worst of the dirt they had accumulated. Slightly cleaner, definitely wetter, they struck off around the hill looking for an easier path back up, so they could retrieve their weapons and return to their horses.
xxxxx
Freahelm stirred his stew as he stared pensively into the campfire. Nearby, Theodred was busily recording the events of the day in his journal, just putting the finishing touches on a sketch of them tumbling down the hill while the angry boar snarled triumphantly at them from the top.
"What day is this?" Freahelm suddenly queried.
"The twentieth of April. Why?" Theodred didn't look up from what he was doing.
"That dance is in two days. Do you wish to return to Mundburg for it? I rather fancy those wonderful baths in the Steward's house...and some female company. You are a fine friend, but you have your limitations!"
Theodred chuckled as he set aside the journal and pencil. "Likewise!" He sat silently for several moments, then nodded. "We could do that. And then I was thinking we might head for Dol Amroth. Have you ever seen the sea?"
Freahelm shook his head. "I have always wanted to do so, but never had the chance."
"I was thinking of having my uncle Amrothos teach us to sail. He says there are numerous small islands not too far offshore that we could explore. And you really must try some seafood." He rolled his eyes with pleasure at the thought. "Crab, lobster, scallops, clams! You are in for a treat. We could base there for a while and see what there is to be seen. Maybe even venture into Linhir to visit with Caranhir and Morwen. What say you?"
His friend nodded agreeably. "Sounds good. Me, a sailor! Now there is something I will write home about!"
Theodred stiffly leaned forward and stirred the fire, then gave a wide yawn. Freahelm grinned and reached for Theodred's plate, plunging them into the leather bucket of water nearby. Once they were rinsed reasonably clean, they stoked the fire and crawled into their tent for the night.
In the darkness, Theodred lay on his back, his arms crossed behind his head, and thought of home. He hadn't expected to miss his family so much as he did. He had been away from home before, for longer periods than this, but perhaps the difference was that then he had known he would soon be returning to Meduseld. Now his return was open-ended, and it might be quite some time before he saw them again. Perhaps seeing the family at Dol Amroth and his sister in Linhir would ease the ache in his heart somewhat.
Still, he knew nothing would quite ease his longing to see his parents again. He adored them, and it had been more difficult than he let on to choose this course. Both had been a steadying influence all his years, as well as shining examples of what he wanted his life and his marriage to be. He gave a soft sigh. First, though, he had to find his life...and his wife...before either was possible. Things had never been so clear cut for him as for his siblings. Both Elfwine and Theomund had always known what they wanted to do with themselves, or in Elfwine's case, what he must do.
But Theodred had never found his interest completely held by any particular endeavor. He had soldiered, and did reasonably well at it, but he was not eager to make it a lifelong pursuit. He did not have any special talents and skills as Theomund had from which to make a living. He supposed he could allow himself to be made an ambassador for the king, but socializing with puffed up nobles and listening to interminable windbags had never appealed to him. Politics in general had never appealed to him. No, that likely wasn't a direction he would wish to go.
He gave another sigh and turned on his side. Perhaps something would strike his fancy during his travels. For now, there was nothing he could do to change his circumstances. If all else failed, he would return home and be a soldier. It wasn't preferable, but at least he knew he could do it if he had to. Forcing the turmoiled thoughts from his mind, he finally drifted to sleep.
xxxxx
"Well, well," Theodred murmured, and Freahelm turned to look at him.
Following his friend's gaze to a party of nobles, he asked, "What?"
"We have not often had representatives from Dale join us at these gatherings. It has been some four years since I last recall their presence. I traveled with my parents to Minas Tirith for a conference, and Bard the Second was present. If I am not mistaken, the two younger women are his granddaughters and the older man their father. I never met his grandson, Gird."
After studying them a moment, Freahelm grinned. "It would seem they have attractive women in Dale, my friend! Perhaps we ought to consider a visit!"
With a chuckle, Theodred nodded. "It is on my list, though not for the women! That is merely a side benefit!"
Freahelm gave him a gentle shove, saying, "Well, do not just stand there. Go and ask one of them to dance. I have not the status to approach them, but you do, and I may meet them through you! I knew sooner or later you would come in handy!"
"All right, all right!" Theodred laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "I will go, but only to please you!"
"I am sure that is your only reason!" Freahelm smirked knowingly.
The two women and their father were standing talking to Gondor's Steward, who looked up as his nephew approached. "Theodred, come meet our guests from Dale. This is Lord Darf, and his two daughters, Fritha and Kata. This is my nephew, Theodred of Rohan, son of King Eomer."
Theodred acknowledged the group with a slight bow. As he recalled, the girls were near his age, one being slightly older and the other a few years younger. The last time they had met, the younger, Kata, had barely spoken ten words in his company. Her sister was the more outgoing of the pair, and Theodred had found it rather refreshing that Dale seemed a far more relaxed place even than Rohan. Neither the royals nor the nobles he had met from that land were nearly so pretentious as in his own homeland, and certainly far less than those in Gondor.
After a few moments of cordial conversation, Theodred invited, "If the ladies would care to dance, my friend and I would be happy to partner them."
Apparently the politics being discussed by her father were of little interest to Fritha, for she eagerly accepted the invitation. Though blushing pink, Kata nodded her agreement as well and Theodred led the way back to Freahelm and made introductions. It was immediately clear which of them Fritha wished to dance with, her eyes clearly being well pleased with Freahelm's looks, and he took the hint to offer his hand to lead her onto the floor. Still blushing, Kata took the arm Theodred extended to her and they followed.
The movements of the dance kept them from conversing much at first, but finally they came into closer quarters and Theodred tried to initiate something by asking, "What brings Dale to Minas Tirith? We do not often see you here."
Hesitantly, Kata responded, "I am not certain of my father's business here, but my sister, brother and I were eager to visit and so we begged permission to join him."
They fell silent again until Kata attempted more. "I have not seen your family. Are they not here also?"
He shook his head. "No, just me and Freahelm. We are traveling, exploring Middle-earth together, and have stopped for a time in Minas Tirith. We will leave soon for Dol Amroth and my kin there."
She looked mildly disappointed at the answer, but then brightened and suggested tentatively, "Then perhaps we will see one another again before you depart."
Grinning, he told her, "If you like, I could show you around the city. I have been here often enough to be fairly well acquainted with it. Your brother and sister also, if they wish."
Her face beamed at the offer, though his inclusion of her siblings seemed to dampen her enthusiasm. "Thank you, my lord. You are very kind," she murmured softly.
His eyebrows quirked at her sudden decorum, then brushed it aside and told her, "Please, call me Theodred. We need not be so formal unless the situation demands it."
She appeared to perk up again at this suggestion, and smiled warmly in response. "As you wish, Theodred."
Since Fritha seemed quite taken with Freahelm, hardly surprising since he had his father's build and rugged good looks, the two men spent most of the remainder of the evening with the ladies from Dale. Theodred did manage a few dances with others, but Kata looked eager to have his company and he did not want to disappoint her. She was pleasant enough and a good dancer, so the festivities passed quickly.
xxxxx
As promised, the pair from Rohan squired the women about town the following day, and spent the rest of the week enjoying various activities – riding, picnicing and so forth. Their brother was occupied in meetings with their father, and so did not join them on their outings.
There was no mistaking Fritha's regard for Freahelm, and he seemed readily agreeable to spending time with her. That left Theodred and Kata thrown together. It wasn't that Theodred disliked the girl; indeed, she was an affable companion and he enjoyed talking to her. But she seemed so very young and inexperienced with life that he found himself holding back, lest he take advantage of her ingenuousness. So they did a great deal of talking. He told her of life in Rohan, of their travels thus far and of the places he hoped to visit during this journey.
Most of the time she sat transfixed, listening to him speak, but occasionally she volunteered a question or comment. It took some doing, but he was even able to get her to tell him more of Dale and their trip to Minas Tirith. During a lapse in his narrative, she looked admiringly at him and remarked, "You are a fine storyteller, Theodred. When you tell your tales, I feel as though I am there with you, sharing them." For some reason, her observation made her blush, and he grinned with pleasure as he thanked her and plunged into his next story.
At last it came time for the party to return to Dale, and the duo joined the family at the docks before starting on their own journey south to Dol Amroth.
While the baggage was being loaded, Kata managed to find a few minutes with Theodred when no one else was near. "I do hope you will visit us in Dale, Theodred. I am sure my father would welcome the opportunity to extend his hospitality to you." He couldn't quite fathom why she blushed at the offer.
Smiling at her in his usual sociable manner, he replied, "And I look forward to seeing your home. I do not know how long it will be before we make our way north. Perhaps after we have seen all we wish to in the south, we will make use of the Anduin for the journey."
"I...I hope you enjoy your travels. If you...I should be very pleased to hear from you on what you encounter. It all sounds very exciting."
Theodred's eyebrows twitched at her comment; then he realized she was hinting for him to write to her. He shrugged. "I do not know how easily I may send letters, but perhaps I can find a way to send one. If not, I will tell you about my travels in person when I come."
That seemed to satisfy her and she looked quite happy with the situation, even though her father was calling to her to board the boat.
Final farewells were said and Theodred watched as the boarding planks were removed, lines cast off and the boat moved away. With a last wave from Theodred and Freahelm, the two returned to their horses. They were quickly mounted and on their way. They had been riding some time before Freahelm broke the silence. "So, do I detect an interest in Kata?"
Theodred chuckled. "She is a sweet child, my friend. Nothing more."
"Child? Theodred, the girl has just entered her eighteenth year – that means she is only two years younger than you! She is no child!"
"She is very young for her age. I grant you she is charming and friendly, and very lovely, but she is still a child. I think there is a greater chance of something between you and Fritha than between me and her sister!"
Freahelm gave a snort. "I am the son of a soldier, and a soldier myself. I do not think it likely she is looking to be courted by such. And even if she is, her father is not apt to desire it."
"Freahelm, they are less rigid in Dale. Surely you saw that. Do not underestimate your chances. If you like the girl, make some effort in wooing her."
"Yes, I shall do that – from Dol Amroth..." Freahelm commented sarcastically.
"All right!" Theodred laughed. "You make a valid point. Woo her when we go to visit, then."
After a moment, Freahelm encouraged, "And you ought to give her sister greater consideration. I think there is more there than you presently acknowledge. And judging by the way she looks at you, I doubt very much she would object to your attentions."
"Perhaps. I will keep it in mind when next I see her."
TBC
4-23-06
Explanatory Note: Overland it is about 50 miles from Minas Tirith to Cair Andros. A person on horseback can probably cover 30-40 miles/day so it would take about 2 days. However, if there are wagons and such, the speed drops to about 15 miles per day, meaning it would take 3-4 days. I have assumed that since it is more than 40 years after the War, once the danger was past of nasties of Mordor, a road was built from Ithilien to Dale along the east side of Mirkwood (Eryn Lasgalen). It followed the North Road until that road split off to the east toward Mordor. A new road was built continuing on North and that is the route the Dale visitors are taking. Since it is a very long overland journey, they are sparing their horses that extra 50 miles. When they arrived, they left their wagons and such in a new port established at Cair Andros and sailed to Minas Tirith from there. They are returning to Cair Andros via the Anduin to pick up their wagons and continue on home.
In a later chapter, when Theodred and Freahelm go to Dale, they do not take that road, which would have been the easiest, most direct route. Instead, they elect to follow the western shore of the Anduin since they are interested in visiting historical sites along the way. From my examination of everything I could find about the Anduin, I am convinced that the Anduin is not particularly "boatable" from about Cair Andros to the Falls of Rauros. Then farther north, the Undeeps make it difficult boating as well, except perhaps for smaller craft. Thus, when Theodred and Freahelm return home, they sail down the Anduin til they reach the Limlight River and then strike overland across Rohan. The Undeeps begin near that point.
Wasn't sure how to name the folks from Dale, but in checking Thain's Book online I found that the known names seem to be Old Norse. I tracked down a website that gives Old Norse names and tried to come up with some that sounded like they fit in Middle-earth. (My apologies to Tolkien and anyone else who knows more about this than I do.)
from Old Norse: Gird - meaning is uncertain; Fritha - "beloved"; Kata - "cheerful"; Darf - "bold, brave"
End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.