He had ridden upon Edoras early in the morning, leading his men home to help with the oncoming attack that had been rumored of the mountain people. As the reached the top of a grassy knole outside of the city he and his men kicked their horses into gear.
His eyes met an alarming sight. Smoke, and ash filled the air above the Golden Hall. All of his men's families and homes were under attack already, Éomer screamed a long battle cry as they rushed into the city. They leapt off their horses as the entered the city, an uncommon thing for Rohirrim to do, but the thought of their families in danger was too much for most of his men.
All together the men seemed to pause, as if struck back by something. There were corpses in the streets, but they were not of their people. Corpses of Mountain Warriors lay strewn across the city, and the people of Rohan carried water towards their homes and the Golden Hall. Everything was calm. Éomer and his men couldn't believe it. His warriors looked to him in the obvious approval to go see their families, and he nodded in acceptance. They all ran off, and Éomer followed the steps up to the Golden Hall.
"Éomer!" His uncle's voice rang out as he entered the throne room.
His uncle sat at a table, eating some stew along with several other of the city guards. Some of which were injured, but looked as if their injuries had been taken care of. "Uncle," Éomer spoke, walking to the comfortable man, "What happened here?"
"The Mountain people attacked, my Lord," one of the young guards that had a head wound, spoke. "But we stopped them." He grinned childishly.
"Indeed we did, Gerrick." A rushed voice spoke behind them, "But aren't you supposed to be in the healing room? Erinelle has started her shift."
The boy looked wide eyed at the soldier behind them, then looked to the King, "May I be excused, My Lord?"
"Oh, Of course." Théoden smiled amusedly, and waved to boy as he clambered away.
The new comer sat down, where the boy had left off, and turned to the King, "And you my King, Are you not supposed to be in bed as well?"
"Oh Hanna, you have taken well enough care of the whole city this day. Relax, drink some ale, have some stew."
"Hanna?" Éomer spoke, sitting across the table from the girl.
"Éomer, lovely for you to show up…finally." she dry panned, pulling off her helm and letting her locks free. She quickly, however pulled them back with a leather band, swept her hand across her forehead. "It wasn't a long battle, many of our men however were extremely unprepared to fight such wild men. We were outnumbered, but we had the advantage of being in our home, not their's."
"You fought?" Éomer asked, taking his uncle's spot beside her, as the older man left to get more food.
"Of course. It's my job to protect the King at all costs." She pulled off her leather armor, leaving a tunic and pants clothing her. "I'll admit I may have taken more charge than I should have."
"Oh, but My Dear, that is what saved the day." His uncle sat across from them, "You're looking at the Sword Maiden of Rohan, Éomer. She saved our home this day."
The battle had been long, and strenuous, but Éomer knew that his Rohirrim's battles were not half as terrible as those of the villagers inside Helm's Deep. His men were seasoned for battle. The people inside Helm's Deep were elders, children, and women.
Not that all women were helpless, no. Éomer knew that fact all to well. His love, for that is what he thought her as, was a far better warrior than some of his own men. And his sister was gaining closely to them.
He'd never forgiven himself for not being there when his home needed him. When Éowyn and Hanna needed him. Part of him knew that even if Gandalf had not come for aid, he would have brought his men to assist in the battle. They were almost too late. If they had been any later, he didn't know what he would think of himself. But, as he looked at the faces of the crowds rushing through Helm's Deep, he couldn't help but breath easier.
"Éomer!" A happy voice yelled from behind the warrior.
The blonde ripped off his helmet, and darted towards the woman who had yelled, "Éowyn!" He hugged her closely. He looked her up and down, "Oh, I've missed you sister!" They both shared an identical tinkling of laughter at the delight of seeing each other after even such a short time away from each other.
"Are you well?" Éowyn asked tentatively, while taking him aside by his arm.
They walked a little farther through the immense amount of people filling the layers of Helm's Deep, and Éowyn didn't receive an answer. Éomer wasn't ignoring her, but was focused on finding another face among the hustle in the enclosure.
"Éomer?" Éowyn asked, tugging his arm towards her.
He blinked his eyes widely, giving her his attention once more. "Hmm?"
"I asked if you were well?"
"Oh," His fingers worked the rim of his golden helmet, and he licked his lips, "Yes, I'm fine." He looked desirably into the crowds of people again. "Éowyn, Where-"
"My Lord, Éomer." A timid voice spoke from behind the siblings.
Éomer turned from his question, and looked, expecting a soldier. He found a small boy in too large of armor. "Yes?" He asked softly.
"Théoden King wishes to speak with you, my Lord."
Éomer let out a long breath, "Of course, lead the way…?"
"Éothain, my Lord."
"Éothain has been very brave for his mother and sister." Éowyn spoke proudly, placing a slim hand on the boys shoulder. "He fought when they could not." He beamed at her shyly. "Éothain, when you have finished delivering my brother to the King, please tell him that I have asked that you be allowed to return to your sister and mother again."
"Thank you Miss."
"Ah Éomer, we have much to discuss." His uncle spoke, drawing him into the chambers where the main leaders of the battle sat. His uncle drew him to the table, then went to sit at the head seat, completely ignoring Éothain.
Éomer turned back to the boy, "Thank you Lord Éothain," He spoke grandly, "It was an honor to have you lead me. Please feel free to return to your family." Éothain's eyes widened happily, and he ran in the opposite direction of where they had ended. Éomer turned back to the room, receiving a stern look from his uncle, and amused looks from the other men present.
"Down to business..." His uncle began.
Normally, Éomer was an extremely attentive and astute member of these meetings, but the lack of a certain face in the welcoming committee that morning incased his thoughts. She'd never missed any of his comings home before. He had to ponder what had happened to his companion.
"Éomer! Éomer!" Two voices yelled over the crowd of people. The young man looked up and laughed at the hands becoming visible over the large crowd of people. As soon as Éowyn finished her henpecking over him and had moved to their cousin, he walked his horse through the crowds of people there, towards the stables. He wasn't jealous that all the people were there for their husbands, fathers or brothers or sons, but he knew he had at least one person was still waiting for him. Wherever she had snuck off to.
He set his horse into the stables, and latched the gate. He took off his gloves, and was abruptly attacked by a glob of blonde curls. The two forms fell forwards, and Éomer's face landed on the ground. "Hanna, get off me!" He laughed, as she still hugged him tightly.
"Did I scare you?"
"Not in the slightest." He groaned, "Though I think you may have caused me more damage than I received on tour."
"Was it amazing? Leading your own men, I mean?" He turned himself over, still on the ground, and she straddled him waiting for an answer. "Well?"
"Well they were hardly my 'own' men. They were Theodred's men, I was just…borrowing them." Hanna giggled, and slipped off of him. She flopped herself onto a bushel of hay, and looked at him happily. "Did anything exciting happen while I was away?" Éomer asked, tugging on his chain mail, wishing to be free of it. He had no such luck.
She stood up, and walked to him. Hanna's hands slapped his away, and started at the hooks on the side of his uniform, and helped him pull it off while saying, "Well, I married while you were away." The chain mail fell out of Éomer's hands, and landed solidly on his feet. He didn't notice the weight. "And, good news," Hanna spoke again, "I'm expecting soon." Éomer's jaw joined his chain mail on the floor. Hanna turned back to face him, from what she had busied herself with. Her face was set in an unbelieving look, "Oh please, Éomer! Like I would do that when my brothers are in town!" Éomer let out a dry chuckle of relief. "And I suppose I wouldn't do that to you." Her arms went around his middle, and she laid her head in his chest, "I missed you Éomer."
"I missed you too Hanna."
"A sound plan, don't you agree Éomer?"
"Wha-?" He looked up, blinking away his day dream.
"Hama has suggested we leave the celebrations till we arrive back at Edoras, don't you agree?" His uncle asked, amused at the look on his sister-son's face. Théoden obviously knew it was a common sense plan.
"Of course, of course." He cracked the knuckles in his hands, and stroke a pensive pose, "My Lord, would you mind terribly, if I retired for the day? It seems my weariness has finally caught up with me."
"Oh, I suppose so." Théoden smiled and waved for him to leave while continuing on with the meeting.
Éomer jumped up, and jogged out of the chamber. He ran through the first shell of Helm's Deep, then farther into the second on his search for his sister.
"Éowyn!" He spotted her handed out salves to men laid around the walls. "Éowyn!"
She looked up at him and smiled, "Uncle has finished early?"
"I asked for a release."
"Oh," She looked at him inquisitively. That was unlike her brother, but then she realized what the longing in the back of his eyes was. "Anything I can help you with, brother?"
He swallowed roughly, and looked down at his feet. "Where is she, Éowyn? I have seen, no hide nor tail of her since I arrived. She has never missed-Oh Éowyn, tell me she wasn't slain in the battle." He looked scared into his younger sister's eyes.
She looked at him empathically, "Éomer, my brother…There's something you must see."
His whole body stopped at her tone and his breath baited.
"My lord Éomer," The boy looked up from his sword play.
"Yes?" The herald smiled at the young man, but his smile faltered when he saw the uneasy look on his face. The man fiddled with his sweaty hands, as if unhappy to be the messenger, "Éomer…There's something you must see. Come." The young man straightened his posture, and looked firmly at the boy.
"My lord?" Éomer asked walking forward slowly.
The messenger let out a ragged breath, and his voice became high and unhappy. "Éomer, it's your sister."
Éomer looked at him in horror, then pushed past him and started running down the hall towards his little sister's chambers. He pushed the half open door, and looked inside.
It was dark, and on the bed lay the tiny body of his little sister. She was pale, and her blonde hair held the signs of sweat in it. "Éowyn?" He wined, unbelieving of the sight before him.
The adult inhabitants of the room looked up alarmed at the sound he had made.
"Éomer." His uncle approached him, but Éomer just pushed past him.
"What happened to her? What's wrong?"
"Éomer, she's not well." The kind voice of the nurse whispered to him, running a hand across his arm. In front of them lay the unfortunate girl to have picked up the illness spreading through Rohan that winter. "She may not make it." The voice added in a last low tone. Éomer looked at her fiercely, and pushed her hand away.
"No. She has to make it. She's all I have left!" He sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the pale hand laying above the sheets. "Come on, please…Éowyn." Tears escaped his beautiful eyes, and one of his youth filled hands wiped them away.
He heard his uncle asking the nurse to leave and let Éomer have time with his sister, before he too left. The door didn't catch, and a sliver of light made Éowyn's small face glow. Éomer, grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips.
"Oh Éowyn, please…please." He begged the unconscious little girl.
He stayed weeping at her bedside for quite awhile, before he felt a light hand on his shoulder. He didn't look back, as he didn't really care what adult was there to tell him to leave.
"Éomer?" The voice was small, too small for the nurse, so Éomer looked back.
At the relief of seeing someone her knew in his time of worry, he lay Éowyn's hand down and dove into a warm hug with the girl in front of him. "Hanna," He wept, as the girl rubbed his head, "It's Éowyn-S-She's sick."
"I know," She kissed the top of his head, "I know." She gazed at the little girl, "Éomer, she'll be alright, have faith. Your sister is a fighter. Remember that." He looked up at her serene face, "Besides," She smiled lightly, "You haven't even had to threaten her suitors yet." They chuckled sadly, and smiled at the little girl.
Éomer repeated Hanna's words, "She'll be alright."
"Hanna!"
The girl opened her eyes, and was happened upon by the dazzling light of the sun. She lifted a hand to her eyes to shade her sight, and became aware of something very odd. Her hand was, for lack of a better description, young. It seemed juvenile. She looked down at her body, and found her body to be that of her 10 year old self, clad in a light blue dress. She lifted the cloth in her hands, it was positively flowing and agile, just about right for riding. She raised a hand to her tresses, and sure enough it was short and clumped at her shoulders just like it used to. Her feet were bare, and very pale in comparison with the dark, clean earth beneath them. Her body felt so unfamiliar to her, yet she knew it was her own. She had forgotten how her body used to be like a simple shell and coating for her soul and spirit, it didn't have the aches and pains of growing older. She felt very light.
"Hanna! Come on!" She heard the voice again. It was so familiar. "Hanna!"
She scanned around but found no one to be around in the field scene she appeared to be in. "Where am I?"
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A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long to add onto this story. School started, and everyone knows how that is :]
I know this chapter is half the length of the other chapter, but I felt this was a good place to end this chapter... Hopefully I'll be inspired enough to get an excellent third chapter written ;] Thank you all for the lovely reviews :]
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