A/N: Just a reminder for any of you who are new to my Elfwine Chronicles series and may not have read all the previous stories – yes, Eomer and Eowyn had a cousin named Theodred, son of Theoden. In my series, Eomer named his youngest son after his cousin. Thus, I specifically put "son of Eomer" so you would know these stories are about Eomer's son, NOT his cousin. Hope that clears things up. If you're thinking this is Eomer's cousin, it won't make sense.
This chapter references the story "Restive". You should probably read that first.
Also, if you are a Faramir fan, go check out the stories by Nesta. They are wonderful, and she has a series of one-shots about his children that are excellent. Even if you aren't a Faramir fan, go read them just because they are so well written...and because I said so! Firiel is amazing! Be sure to start at the bottom of the list so you get the earlier stories first and read them in sequence. Like the Elfwine Chronicles, they build on previous ones and reading the later stories first will cause you to "miss" a bit of it.
The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer.
Chapter 2
Theodred drew rein at the sight before them, and Freahelm followed suit. For a moment, they sat and watched as an old man earnestly urged a rather skinny, decrepit horse to pull. A rope affixed to a harness on the horse was tied around a large tree stump and, apparently, the man was trying to uproot it.
"No offense, good sir," Theodred announced, "but I fear your horse is unequal to the task you set before him."
The old man noticed them for the first time, and paused in his efforts to wipe at the sweat on his brow. "Do you think me so foolish that I do not know this, young master?" he snapped. "The work must be done and he is all I have. We will manage without the likes of you making pointless comments!"
Theodred grinned at the man's feistiness, then asked, "So, does that mean you do not wish us to help you?"
The man had turned back to his task, but now levelled his gaze upon them and their mounts. Finally he observed, "Those are fine animals you ride. It is not likely they are used to this kind of work."
Freahelm chuckled and replied, "On the contrary, sir! These are war horses, and well acquainted with hard work. We do not breed weak animals in Rohan."
"Rohan, eh?" the man asked, rubbing his grizzled chin thoughtfully. At the responding nod, he shrugged and told them, "I could use the help, and surely old Fen here would appreciate it. He has seen too many winters for this kind of work. But why would you want to help me? I cannot pay you."
Theodred laughed as he dismounted. "We are not looking for payment, but perhaps if you have a barn, you will allow us to sleep there tonight. It looks like it might rain again."
An agreement reached, Theodred and Freahelm set to work loosening the ground around the stump by driving pointed sticks into the dirt to break it up. Then, tying ropes to their saddles, they set their horses to the task. The rain that had fallen rather steadily the past two days had softened the ground enough that their efforts soon yielded the desired result; the stump pulled free from its present location. After dragging it to where the old man indicated he wanted it, they used his axe to chop it into firewood and loaded it into a wagon parked nearby. Once Fen was reharnessed to the wagon, they followed the man, whose name was given as Dorgil, back to his small farm and helped him get things put away and the remaining chores done.
Just as they finished, the skies opened up again. By now, he had warmed to the two men and invited them for supper, which they gladly accepted. Then they talked long into the evening, Dorgil seeming to enjoy the unexpected company. He told them of his life, the death of his wife, and his two sons who lived elsewhere. When they decided to turn in, he let them spread their bedrolls by the fire rather than retiring to the barn, and they were grateful to be warm and dry through the night.
Come morning, they again helped with chores, and Dorgil provided a breakfast before they resumed their journey. By noon, they had ridden into Linhir and set about locating Morwen's home.
At the sight of her brother, Morwen let out a squeal and flung herself into his arms. "Theodred! It is so good to see you again, but we were not expecting you back so soon."
He grinned as he held her at arm's length, and answered, "We are on our way to Dol Amroth, but decided to visit you and Caranhir while we are in the neighborhood."
"Not Caranhir – not unless you stay a few days. He is away on business. I am not sure when he will return home. Oh, I am pleased to see you – both of you."
She beamed at them briefly until they were interrupted by a loud squeal and running feet. "Unca The'd'ed! Unca The'd'ed!" His barely-three-year-old niece, Mirlas, launched herself at his knees and, just in time, he caught her before she knocked him down. Swinging her up and hugging her close, he asked, "How is my little 'treasure'?" He burrowed his face into her neck, causing her to laugh with glee.
"I fine," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a very wet kiss on his cheek. Noticing Freahelm grinning nearby, she shyly hid her face against Theodred's shoulder.
Laughing, Theodred tickled her to make the child look up and told her, "This is my friend, Freahelm. Will you say hello to him?"
"Hello," she said, so softly she almost could not be heard.
Freahelm bowed and caught her hand, giving it a kiss and causing her to giggle with delight.
Morwen waved them to follow her to the library and as they did, Theodred took a good look at his sister for the first time. "Oh ho, what is this?" he demanded.
Turning to cast a questioning look over her shoulder, he nodded toward her obviously bulging middle. "This is new since I was last here!"
She blushed pink and smiled happily. "Yes, I have written Mother about it, but likely you were already gone by the time my letter arrived and perhaps she has not mentioned it to you, or her letter has not caught up to you yet."
"That is possible. I only got one letter in Minas Tirith. I had mentioned spending time in Dol Amroth, but then we stayed longer than expected in the north. I suspect I will have several letters waiting when I get to the castle."
The three whiled away the afternoon catching up on all the news either of them had to share. Mirlas had gradually warmed up to Freahelm and was soon climbing all over him as much as her uncle.
They had no fixed plans for their visit here, but Morwen was so delighted at their presence that Theodred thought he would stay at least several days, and perhaps catch Caranhir's return before they continued on.
As it happened, two days later Caranhir suddenly put in appearance, pleased to see them and learn of their adventures. Theodred observed Caranhir's return home with amusement. He seemed to drop his belongings wherever he happened to be at any given moment, and Morwen scurried along behind, picking them up as quickly as he deposited them. Clearly she had lost little of her fastidiousness, even six years into their marriage. While her face obviously expressed her exasperation with his inattention to tidiness, it was equally apparent that she adored her husband, and she fussed over him, welcoming him home, for the duration of that day.
When finally the two travelers set out once more on their journey, Freahelm noted, "Caranhir and your sister seem an unlikely match, and yet they fit together rather well."
"Aye. He has been good for Morwen. She is much more relaxed now than she was," – Freahelm gave a snort of amusement – "though she still clings to protocol and propriety. Give him time – he will soften Morwen despite her best efforts at resistance!"
It made for a long day of riding, but they reached the castle of Elphir before nightfall. Given a choice, Theodred's preference was to stay with his Uncle Amrothos, who remained young at heart despite his years. Uncle Elphir was a little too staid for his preference, but Amrothos lived in a modest home and would find it more difficult to accommodate the two of them.
It was too late upon their arrival to summon the other family members, so supper was just Elphir's family, with Alphros, his wife and two sons.
Interacting with this branch of the family was more stiff and formal than Theodred preferred, but he did not mind the effort. They were good people despite their rigid attitudes about life.
When the two men retired for the evening, Freahelm grinned gleefully at his friend before saying goodnight. "Ah, tomorrow we can have another excellent bath!"
Theodred laughed and retorted, "I fear you are becoming spoiled, Freahelm! At this rate, you will not want to leave the city and sleep in a tent. That will make traveling difficult…"
The other man chuckled, then confessed, "I do like Gondor's baths, I will admit, but I do not wish to become so soft that I turn into one of those puffy, pale nobles. If you must, drag me back into the wild and force me to rough it. A man needs to be able to fend for himself out in the bushes. Life is not always spent in fine houses."
"Well spoken," Theodred acknowledged. "And I must agree – Gondor's baths are especially fine!"
The two bid each other good night and separated.
Over the next few months, most of their time was spent with Amrothos, though his son Adrahir joined them when his business would allow. Amrothos had always enjoyed sailing and was delighted to thoroughly train the two in the ways of the sea and boating, even accompanying them on some of their outings to the nearby islands. He taught them to dig for clams and how to cook them over a campfire, and the three lazily spent long hours fishing or exploring the shoreline, coves and islands around Dol Amroth.
After so much time in the sun, both young men were bronzed of skin and bleached of hair. Theodred may have inherited his mother's dark hair, but the sun had made him look much more like his father. Freahelm's hair had been a dark gold, but now it was bleached out to almost a white.
As had been expected, there were several letters from home awaiting the two when they arrived in Dol Amroth, but in mid-June Theodred received an unexpected missive from his mother.
12 June, 43 IV
Edoras
Dearest Theodred,
I hope this letter finds you well, and enjoying your adventures. It would seem this decision you have made for yourself had a profound influence on your father, for he is severely feeling the restrictions of his office. We have decided to follow your example and take two months (at least) to set off wherever Eomer wishes to wander. We will travel with a minimal escort and not fly the king's banner. Elfwine will be designated as Underking in our absence and handle the running of the kingdom.
I know this all may be a bit shocking to you, but I think perhaps this unrest has been brewing for some time. Only the contentment of his family life has made the stifling environment of king bearable to a man such as your father. He is one who wants to be out of doors, in the sun and weather, riding freely over the plains and hills. I did not find his discontent at all unexpected.
Our age is, of course, a hindrance to this endeavor, but I am sure we will manage well enough. When we announced it at the council meeting, as you might expect, it was met with great opposition, but we stood our ground on the matter. Should anything happen to Father, Elfwine is perfectly capable of assuming the kingship in full, though naturally none of us wish that to be necessary.
Not surprisingly, Freawine has volunteered to accompany us in this venture. Kialmar is needed to remain at Edoras, both for protection of the city and the Underking, so it was reasonable for his Second to do this. While Theodwyn will miss him, she did not hesitate to approve the decision as it will make her rest easier knowing he is watching over us. Their children are old enough for him to be gone that length of time, and Dariel will be there to assist her if necessary.
Elfwine has mixed emotions about all of this. He finds taking on the full role of king a bit daunting, but it will be good experience for him in preparing for the future we all know will one day come. Given a choice, I think he would prefer to be the one to accompany us and make sure we were safe and well, but that is not possible. If it cannot be him, he finds it reassuring to have his brother and most trusted friend doing the honors instead.
The grandchildren are uncertain about our departure, assuring us they will miss us terribly, but I am confident they will adjust quickly. The council has continued to grumble and complain ever since we announced it, but there is little they can do about our decision. Some of the people in town who have heard the news have been quite supportive, making a point to come forward and wish us well. And, rather to our amusement, even Theomund has assured us he will help Elfwine all he can in our absence. Since you know as well as we do how little interested Theomund is in political matters, his aid might prove more of an amusement than an actual help to his brother. Still, it is good of him to make the effort.
Well, dearest, there is no other real news from these parts. Likely you have heard that Theomund and Fele were married on June first, so we will soon set out. At the present, our plan is to depart on the twentieth of the month. I have left it to your father to determine our path, and he is considering the possibilities. He has not specifically said so, but I very much suspect that our plans will include a visit to the Hobbits. He has long wished to see his friends again, and now may be his only opportunity.
Clearly, we will be more restricted in our ability to communicate with you while we are traveling, as you well know. Therefore, do not be alarmed if this is the last letter you receive from me for a while. I am sure your brother will continue to keep in contact with you, and want to know what you are up to and where you are. Once we have returned, I will find out where you currently are residing and send word if it is possible to reach you.
Do be careful, dearest. You and Freahelm are always in my heart, and I constantly ask the Valar to watch over you and keep you safe. Should you find yourself in the vicinity, do not hesitate to stop at home and visit for a time, if you should be so inclined. We would love to see you before you are off on your next adventure, and look forward to hearing your tales in person.
Love,
Mother
After reading the letter, he folded it thoughtfully and stared out to sea. Freahelm, sitting next to him, was still engrossed in letters from his parents, but when he finished and looked up, he noticed Theodred's pensive mood.
"Is something the matter?" he asked curiously.
Theodred sighed, then handed the letter to his friend to read. When he returned it a few moments later, Theodred observed, "I did not expect to have such an impact on my family by my activities. I confess I am concerned about them traveling about at their ages, but I am glad Freawine will go with them. He will not let anything happen to them."
Freahelm was silent for several minutes, then commented, "I can understand it, though. Even the few years I have spent in an eored, living outdoors and surviving off the land, I have come to appreciate the freedom it affords. Your father lived like that for much longer, and to a much greater extent, and I cannot imagine it was easy for him to give it up and sit behind a desk all these years."
"Aye," Theodred commented softly. "Mother has always been good at easing his frustration when it became too much, but even she was limited. He is lucky to have a wife who understands him so well, and accepts who he is. Not all women would be willing to hop on a horse and head off into parts unknown in their later years, giving up the comforts of home."
xxxxx
The two did not talk much after that about the matter, but their conversation seemed to linger in the back of their minds all the same and a subtle seriousness seemed to have taken over them both. They continued sailing, fishing and taking life easy, but each seemed to realize that they needed to find a direction and purpose in their lives and not simply while away their time eternally.
As June drifted into July, by unspoken agreement, they seemed to decide it was time to move on to their next destination. Returning from a tavern in town one night, Theodred suggested, "What do you say to our making that promised journey to Dale? If we wait much longer, winter will set in and it will be too cold. We can travel north some of the way on the Anduin before going overland the remainder of the way. And we can get a glimpse of Eryn Lasgalen on the way."
Freahelm shivered and glanced askance at his companion. "Eryn Lasgalen – home of the giant spiders! I wish to make that a very short visit, my friend! I can tolerate the small spiders we have in Rohan, but I do not wish to see giant ones!"
"Very well," Theodred laughed. "We will pass quickly through on the Old Forest Road over to River Running. We can follow that north into Dale. We will leave in two days."
TBC
5-2-06
FYI: Dorgil: dor - land; gil - star
Amrothos is 69, Danwen is 67 (Imrahil was 64 in the war); Amrothos' son is Adrahir who is now 33 – their only child
Elphir is 76, Erchirion is 73, Alphros is 46
Morwen is 29, Caranhir is 33; Mirlas is 3 ("joyful treasure" from mir - treasure, las - joy) – Morwen pregnant with 2nd child, born in 43 IV
Mirkwood was renamed Eryn Lasgalen after the War