"Why can't Eowyn practice outside with me momma?"
Theodwyn jumps at the sudden voice so very near her head. She nearly lets out a sigh of exasperation, but holds it in. Once this never would have happened to her; before having a third person to always be worrying about she had been constantly alert and prepared for anything. But now sitting in Eomund's study, having a quiet moment to herself is such a blessing that she had actually fallen asleep reading on the soft couch beside the fire.
"Because, Eomer," she begins, fighting down the urge to snap at him for asking the same question over and over again; he was only five after all, "Your sister is barely a year old, she is still learning to walk on her own. She can't go running in the fields, she'd get lost!" Really, she'd explained this so many times before, but he seemed resolute to be allowed to take his sister outside to play with him. Or, as he put it, to "practice" swordsmanship with sticks.
"I'd watch out for her, I promise!" Eomer pleads, a desperate look on his face, attempting to use all of his cuteness in the hopes it would help his cause.
Theodwyn raises an eyebrow. "Like you 'watched out' for her during Yule at Meduseld last winter?"
Eomer looks at his feet sheepishly, "It was an accident. Theodred asked me to hold his pony for a minute, I didn't know she would try to go down the stairs." Theodwyn sighs and runs a hand over her face. She is so tired. Orcs had been gathering more and more on the edges of Eastfold and seemed to be getting braver, going farther into the fields and villages of Eastfold, which meant Eomund was spending more time away from home and in danger, which did nothing for Theodwyn's nerves and left her on her own to watch out for both adventurous children.
"I know." she says gently to her embarrassed and apologetic son, giving him a smile and pulling him up beside her on the couch, "But accidents happen and they are even more dangerous for one so small as Eowyn. And the wind is turning cold, we must make sure she does not get sick. Do you remember when you were sick last year?" Eomer nods his head solemnly, and Theodwyn gives him a significant look, "Do you want Eowyn to go through that?"
Eomer shakes his head vehemently. "No!" he cries out.
"Good." Theodwyn is glad that, at least, has made an impression. For Eowyn to get sick so young would be devastating, and most likely fatal. "Then you shall have to be patient. When she is older Eowyn will get sick and hurt less easily and she will be able to run and play with you, but until then you're either going to have to be content playing by yourself or you'll have to play somewhere safer with your sister."
Eomer sighs, obviously not liking his two options. "Yes, mother." he hops off the couch and the floor squeaks beneath him as he walk out the door. Theodwyn lets out a breathe of air, praying that would be the end of the subject for a while and turns back to her book. Not a moment later Eomer sticks his head back through the door.
"Are the stables safer?" he asks honestly.
"No Eomer!" Theodwyn snaps finally and Eomer scampers out of the room, racing down the hall until she can no longer hear his feet on the creaking floors. She is halfway out of her seat, considering whether or not to go after him. She would soon have to oversee the preparation of dinner and the chances of Eomer doing something he was specifically told not to so soon were slim to none.
Theodwyn settles back down on her couch and openes her book. She understands Eomer's loneliness; most of the other children in in their home were only a few years older than him, but enough that it made him too small to join their games, and being so closely related to the king made yet another barrier between Eomer and the other children, one he did not yet understand. But soon enough Eomer would begin his training to become a Rider of Rohan and that would take up enough of his time that he would no longer worry about playing Eowyn. And though Theodwyn knows that something could easily go very wrong during Eomer's games with his sister, she also knows that it is important for them to bond while they can.
Yes, she thinks to herself, let them have a little time together before the world pushes them apart. And she cannot help but think about all the times she had never spent with her own brother before he had become too busy with kingly studies and she with the studies of court ladies. She would never wish that fate on her own children, but she knows that it is inevitable and she sighs, hoping they will retain some of their closeness as they grow older and that Eomer would always be so concerned with his sister's safety.
It is several hours before Theodwyn goes searching for her son, a hint of worry beginning to form in the back of her mind and growing quickly. Eomer was never late for dinner. He missed lessons and bedtimes, but never meals. The bell had rung nearly half an hour ago, but Eomer has yet to appear in the meal hall. The older children he usually followed around have not seen him all afternoon and neither have any of his instructors. He is not in the fields or the main hall; his usual play spots.
Theodwyn rushed past halls filled with elaborate tapestries depicting her husband's family history, not sparing them a glance, filled only with the thought of getting to her son's room, praying to all the gods she could think of that he was sitting in his room, just playing, with nothing horribly wrong.
She sees Brenna, Eowyn's nurse, a young lady and a blessing to Theodwyn in these hard times, down the hall and calls out to the maiden.
"Brenna, have you seen Eomer?" her voice is slightly breathless and rather undignified, but worry is slowly taking over her mind. Brenna seems to take no mind of Theodwyn's sorry state and smiles brightly.
"Oh! My lady, I was just coming to find you. You must see this. It is simply the most precious thing!" Brenna is so happy and bubbly and utterly unaware of Theodwyn's plight that Theodwyn is momentarily confused. And as Brenna walks back the way towards the bed chambers, Theodwyn takes a moment to catch her breath and stare in wonder at the bright spirited girl before her, who has yet to realize her mistress is not following her.
"Brenna!" This stops her, finally, "Have you seen Eomer?" Theodwyn asks slowly, pointedly, and Brenna finally takes notice of the worry on the older woman's face.
"Apologies, my lady!" Brenna cries out in utter horror at her inconsiderate chatter, "I hadn't meant to frighten you. I was just talking about him, you simply have to see them together, it's just adorable." This catches Theodwyn's curiosity and now they are both walking towards what Theodwyn is sure is Eomer's bed chamber. Brenna rambles on, "He just came up to me and was begging to be allowed to play with Eowyn, and I know you said not to let them play together, but he promised that he had a safe spot all made up and he sounded rather sure of himself, so I let him show me and it was just perfect, really so sweet, I mean, you just have to see it!"
Theodwyn shakes her head, the girl talks so fast it is hard to keep up. "Brenna, are you telling me that both of my children are safe?"
Brenna looks surprised, "Of course ma'am, but" she pauses and opens what Theodwyn just now recognizes as the door to Eomer's bed chamber, "Just look for yourself."
Theodwyn hears them before she sees them. Eomer is talking animatedly to his sister about something he has seen earlier today and Eowyn is giggling happily. Both sound excited and, more importantly, safe.
"They were both poised, ready for the fight, when Hama struck, like a snake!" Eomer's small voice dances through the air, filled with exhilaration in telling the story. Theodwyn peaks her head farther into the room and sees what is possibly the most comforting and adorable scene she has ever laid eyes on.
In the middle of the floor of Eomer's bed chamber is a large nest made of blankets and pillows in a neat circle. The cushioning has been stacked a good two feet high around the edges, more than enough to keep a baby from crawling out, creating a perfect enclosure. It is close to five or six feet in diameter and the floor is lined with a carpeting of thick winter blankets. Eowyn is sitting on a small bed made of a pillow and her favorite baby blanket, intently watching her brother perform, laughing and clapping at his antics while he acts out whatever he had seen on the training grounds earlier.
Eomer himself takes up most of the nest as he enthusiastically acts out the scene, every inch of him is swept up in the telling of the story and he does not notice his mother behind him. "He swung his sword in a killing blow, but the other man blocked it just in time!" Eomer acts out both of these, his arms moving in swift motions, waving a stick that Theodwyn assumes he is using as a sword, to depict the actions of men he saw.
Theodwyn bites back a small laugh, not wanting to interrupt the tale. It really is, as Brenna had claimed, the sweetest thing she has seen in a long time. Theodwyn smiles and leans against the doorframe, enjoying the show. She knows she will have to scold Eomer for taking what looked like every blanket that could be found in the hall and possibly even the stables, as well as for being in the training grounds when he should have been at lessons, but she can't bring herself to break this perfect moment, only desiring to watch. She cannot believe the lengths Eomer has gone to be able to play with his sister and allows herself to hope, just for a moment, that perhaps the loving bond between Eomer and Eowyn will carry through adolescence and survive long into adulthood, unlike the bond between Theoden and Theodwyn which had faded 'ere it began.
Well, Theodwyn thinks to herself, I suppose it never hurt anyone to have a little hope.
There you have it. I always meant to add more to this, but inspiration just never came. Thankfully having your wisdom teeth out gives you LOTS of time to find inspiration and the need for better excuses to procrastinate on your homework. Leave me a review and let me know how this one matches up with the other one, I would like to add a couple more of them when the kids are a bit older, but I want the writing to match up. Thanks for reading!
~BBear