We chatted over tea for a while (eventually the tea just lay forgotten on the table) until Eowyn was pulled out for princessy duties and I was taken back for medical inspection (Hayaden gave me a break for the royal intervention days). I was invited back for the next day as we were discussing the matters of the war, without the nosy Wormtongue, that is.
When I arrive at the gates of the Golden Hall, Hama stops me. "The princess is not in any state to talk to anyone." He says dutifully.
"Is she alright?" I ask.
"That is none of your business." Hama told me.
I started to grow impatient, "Listen here, I didn't put on this corset to be denied from seeing the princess, furthermore, if the princess is upset, I'd like to know why and perhaps comfort her!"
Now, Hama had two options. Option one was to deny access to me once more and face the wrath of a madwoman from modern times, or option two was to grant me access and keep his genitals.
"I am sorry," Hama said, "The princess does not wish to be disturbed."
Just as I was about to do unspeakable things, I heard a voice. "Hama!" It was Eowyn, her hair was rather a mess and her eyes red and swollen, she'd been crying. "I said let no suitor who wishes to see me in! You were to grant this lady access."
"Yes, my lady." Hama sighed. I maturely stuck my tongue out at him and walked towards the princess.
"Thank you," I told her as we walked inside. "And what is wrong?"
"My cousin, Theodred, has passed on." Eowyn sniffed. I knew that would happen, of course, but poor Eowyn's voice was full of so much sorrow that I could feel her pain.
"Then I shall be sorry he cannot live a longer life," I told her. I don't know about her, but when people go up apologizing to me about my loss, I get annoyed. It wasn't me who lost a life, it was the dead person they were talking to me about.
Eowyn led me to what must have been her sleeping chamber, for there was a bed, desk, vanity and bath (blocked by a translucent, lavender curtain) in it. "I will have to tell uncle, and that is torture enough." Eowyn sobbed. "Because I don't know how he'll react." I remembered the curse and how Grima's words made the thing Theoden is. "He could be sent to madness and rash actions, or he could be cold and uncaring."
"How about you tell him, I watch." I said. "If anything bad happens, blame it on me."
"I would never blame you!" Eowyn said. "And even so, there is nothing of your fault."
You don't know Eowyn, "Well, I'll go along anyways. Come on now, it's time."
We walk into the great Golden Hall and I watched as Eowyn knelt, took the king's wrinkled and fragile hand, and said, "My lord, your son...he is dead." We watched closely to see if any reaction comes from the king, no emotion crosses his face. "My lord? Uncle? Will you not go to him? Will you do nothing?" We waited, and nothing.
I followed Eowyn back to Edoras where she knelt and cried at the bedside of her lost cousin. I stayed in the shadows, in case anything happened but not to interfere. Suddenly Wormtongue arrived at the door and I knew I made the right choice by staying where nobody could see me, but I could help Eowyn at any moment.
"Oh, he must have died sometime in the night. What a tragedy for the king...to lose his only son and heir." Wormtongue said, from his tone of voice I could have guessed he poisoned Theodred, if I did not know better. He sat on the bed and put on a hand on Eowyn's shoulder. "I understand. His passing is hard to accept. Especially now that your brother has deserted you."
I was about to jump on that pathetic little worm when Eowyn jumped up and cried, "Leave me alone, snake!"
"Oh," Wormtongue said. "But you are alone. Who knows what you've spoken to the darkness…" He got up and walked to her, I silently drew my throwing knife and dagger. "In the bitter watches of the night… when all your life seems to shrink. The walls of your bower closing in about you. A hutch to trammel some wild thing on." As he puts his hand on her cheek I see Eowyn flinch and close her eyes, like a child trying to escape a bad nightmare. He runs his hand down her throat. "So fair, so cold. Like a morning of pale spring… still clinging to winter's chill."
"Your words are poison," Eowyn spat. She tried to run but Grima caught her arm and shoved her to the floor. I took this as my cue to beat him senseless. I threw my throwing knife a centimeter away from his head and watched as it embedded itself into the wall behind him. Not bad for a warning shot.
"Stay away from her!" I yelled.
"Or what?" Wormtongue asked. I threw my dagger and watched as it scraped against his cheek. Wormtongue released Eowyn and placed his hand onto his cheek, looking in horror at his red-stained fingertips.
"You bitch!" He shouted, Eowyn and I ran like hell. We ran to the front of the Golden Hall and saw three horses riding towards us. IT MUST BE THE GUYS (Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn)! Aragorn looks up to see me and Eowyn, he smiles and the horses ride a little faster.
"Come on!" I tell Eowyn, I know that we need to be quick if we'll get there on time (and escape the guards that Wormtongue sent after me). We run in and see Theoden thrown back to his chair. While Eowyn runs forward to be caught by Aragorn, I lean back into the shadows once more.
"If I go, Theoden dies." I knew it was Saruman's voice, though I don't believe I've ever heard it other than the movie version.
Gandalf advances, "You did not kill me… you will not kill him." He says.
"Rohan is mine," Theoden hisses.
"Be gone," Gandalf says. Theoden leaps from his throne in an attempt to attack Gandalf, but Gandalf takes his staff and drives Theoden back. Theoden slumped forward in his throne and Eowyn, no longer held by Aragorn's restraint, rushes to her uncle and stops him falling.
It was like a wormhole scene in some cheesy space movie, what happened next. His hair and beard shorten, gaining back its blonde color. The wrinkles of age and despair disappeared leaving only a few wrinkles of happiness and loss. His eyes clear from their murky state to ones that had been filled with many things seen and done. He looks, quizzically at Eowyn.
"I know your face," He said. Eowyn smiled at her uncle. "Eowyn. Eowyn." She cried with happiness and then Theoden takes in those around him, "Gandalf?"
"Breathe the free air again, my friend." Gandalf smiled.
"Dark have been my dreams of late," Theoden says as he inspects his hands, stroking them.
"Your fingers would remember their old strength better…" Gandalf said, "If they grasped your sword."
Hama steps forward and offers Theoden his sword. The king takes it and lifts it up in front of him. He looks at it wonderingly, like a child, and everyone else smiles. Then Theoden seems to remember something, or rather some repulsive worm, and turns his gaze to Wormtongue who is being held on the floor by Gimli. They throw Wormtongue out of the hall and he falls down the stairs. Theoden and the rest walk down after him, nobody notices me hiding being a pillar.
"I've only ever served you my lord!" Wormtongue begs, crawling on his hands and knees away from Theoden.
Theodon advances, saying. "Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!"
"Send me not from your sight!" Wormtongue cries. Theoden raised his sword, perhaps to kill the monstrosity, but Aragorn rushes in and holds his hands out to stop him.
"No! My lord, let him go. Enough blood had been spilt on his account." Aragorn reaches out to offer Wormtongue a hand. Wormtongue, the ungrateful wretch, spits on it and runs off.
"Hail, Theoden King!" Hama shouts. We all kneel for the king.
"Where is Theodred?" Theoden asks, "Where is my son?" Eowyn, the guards and I remain silent, for we know that the truth about Theodred is that he is dead.
After clearing up with the guards that no, I am not a criminal, we all decide to hold a funeral for him that afternoon, but preparations are quick and everyone is rushing around. I suppose that is a good thing, for I try to avoid the other members of the Fellowship as long as I can. I don't know why I do, but I feel as if it wouldn't be a good time to catch up.
I write a song in English while Eowyn translates the lyrics into Rohirric, also proofing it as she does. When it's over, we go to present it to the king. In the Golden Hall is those whom I've taken to avoid. They run over to me and begin asking many questions, Eowyn looks at me funny, like she's asking, "You know them?" But then she smiles at me and shows that she can handle the song.
"Where have you been?" Legolas asked.
"Around the castle, preparing."
"What's happened?" Gimli said.
"Met some friends, I'm being trained by my nurse's son!"
"How's your injury?" Aragorn asked.
I seemed to freeze, "How did you know I had an injury?"
Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli all stare at Aragorn giving him a, "Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" look.
"Lady Galadriel saw it," Gandalf said. "She said at my rebirth, "Ruth is injured, but she will be found and brought to Rohan, where the king needs you," And I told your companions."
I looked at them skeptically before figuring that I didn't want to know whatever answer they were hiding. "That's the Lady, always ruining fun surprises." I sighed.
"I saw you earlier," Aragorn said. "I thought I was hallucinating."
"Well, you weren't." I grinned.
"Welcome back." Legolas said.
The funeral itself went by in a blur, because even though I didn't know Theodred, mostly everyone else there did.
"Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended
giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende
on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære
his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost.
Bealo…" Eowyn sang
Which, since I wrote the lyrics, in English was:
An evil death has set forth the noble warrior
A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels
in Meduseld that he is no more,
to his lord dearest and kinsmen most belover.
An evil death…
Taking note that Rohirric songs did not rhyme, Theoden's body was then passed into a tomb, and the doors were shut.
We gather in the Golden Hall to make the decision, fight or flee. Freda and her brother sit there, eating ravenously. Eowyn explained the attack and Gandalf told Theoden what he must do.
Aragorn spoke up, "You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak. Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."
Theoden rises from his seat, "They will be 300 leagues from here by now. Eomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me...but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."
"Open war is upon you," Aragorn said. "Whether you would risk it or not."
Theoden scowled, "When last I looked, Theoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan."
"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asks in an impatient manner.
I followed Hama out of the Golden Hall as he announced the king's choice.
"By order of the king…" Hama said to all the people gathered. "The city must empty. We make refuge for Helm's Deep."
Whispers broke out immediately, then people began to scatter. Packing what they could, or rushing to tell their family, but the city of Rohan became chaos in a matter of seconds.
"Tell me, Hama." I say to him as we walk back. "How much of this do you agree with?"
"For me and my son, Haleth, and my wife to flee this city I have called home for all of my lifetime? To perhaps never return to what is the Golden Hall by day, and Silver by night? Where after years of serving the king's most dire needs, the chance of never serving him again presents itself?" Hama said to me. "I think that no matter how unfair, brutal or sorrowful it is, it must be done. For the protection of our great city. I agree with his want to protect our people, but there is this part of me that does not agree with his method."
"Preach," I said, smiling grimly.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY lotrharrypotter3 Have a wonderful 16th!
I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Ps. If your birthday's close, tell me.
~Olympic Gold Penguin