+++++++++++++++++++Interlude+++++++++++++++++++
Taking Place Between and During the Recovery of the Nameless Child
Eowyn & Eomer
Eomer knelt beside his cousin as Theodred knelt before his father, the King, and felt his heart leap into his throat. It had been almost two months since Eomer and Eothain had returned from their failed attempt to find Deorwyn, and almost two months since Eowyn had left, following their trail it seemed, and then disappearing into the wilds of the plains of Rohan.
Now his lord uncle had summoned him and his uncle's own son, Prince Theodred, before him to speak about Eowyn.
"I've had a missive from the outpost of Eorlingas on the borders of Fangorn, near Isengard," Théoden rumbled in his deep voice, his face solemn. Theodred rose to his feet, but Eomer stayed kneeling. He swallowed thickly as his eyes burned. Was his sister dead, then? Shadows of the Enemy came from Isengard. Had they taken his sister, too, after they'd already taken his father and mother? He felt ice flood his veins and his body went cold. He was alone… his father, his mother, and his sister were dead. His family was dead….
"Eowyn is there?" Theodred asked softly, eyes closed against what he thought was the inevitable. Eomer sucked in an agonized breath.
"No," the King replied, just as softly. Eomer felt a tear roll down his cheek and hit the flagstones. He bit his tongue against the swimming tears in his eyes, forbidding them to fall. She was dead, then. The King went on to say, "She's here."
"She's here?!" Theodred yelped.
Eomer said nothing, merely swallowed and surreptitiously wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. Then he rose to his feet and whispered, "Lord uncle, may I see my sister?"
"I'm right here."
Eomer turned towards his sister, and felt his throat tighten. His eyes burned for a moment, then he walked over and threw his arms around her. "Eowyn!"
"Eomer…." She murmured, and he soundly thumped her on the head. "Ow! You wretch!" Their cousin grinned, his heart swelling with relief. Things would get back to normal… eventually.
"How bad was it?" Eomer asked later as his sister laid out upon her bed on her stomach. "Did Uncle thrash you?
"He said I'm confined to my room for six months," she muttered sullenly, and hit her pillow a few times. "Which means I'm going to miss Theodred's hunting party."
"It also means you're going to grow mold," he teased gently, and she hit him with her pillow. Then she whispered, "She's alive, brother. Deorwyn, she's alive. She has to be. There were rumors among the outlying villages, I could hear some of the people talking about a girl who walked with the trees, and had eyes like the forest."
"Who'd you hear it from?"
"Other children."
"They were probably making up stories," the Prince replied, and threw himself down on the bed beside her. "Don't believe a word of it."
The Princess of Rohan looked at her brother surreptitiously from the corner of her eye, and realized that Eomer couldn't believe Deorwyn was still alive- because to believe, and then find her dead, would break him. After all, Eomer had never seen a dead child before, much less one he cared for.
-----------------------
Feel free to leave a review or comment! What you liked, what you didn't like, something particularly you enjoyed, a description, a suggestion, a criticism, anything at all! I accept all forms of critique.