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Report to ModeratorsAldburg, Rohan, 3002 TA
Héo naefre wacode dægréd
Tó bisig mid dægeweorcum
Ac oft héo wacode sunnanwanung
Ðonne nihtciele créap geond móras
And on ðaere hwile
Héo dréag ðá losinga
Earla ðinga ðe héo forléas.
Héo swá oft dréag hire sáwle sincende
Héo ne cúðe hire heortan lust.
~***~
Éomund's eyes filled with fire and he turned around in an instant the minute he heard the news that was brought before him. His hand crept to the hilt of his blade and grasped it firmly. All muscles in his body grew taut and his face gained a stern yet also angry expression. He looked at the man in front of him, who had come to Aldburg with news.
"Orcs, you say?"
Quickly the scout nodded his head and rose to his feet in front of the Chief Marshal of the Riddermark. He looked tired and sweaty, a helmet clutched in the crook of his arm and his shoulders were heavy under the weight of his round shield with Rohan's emblem. 'Yes, my Lord. We spotted them during the night. A band of Orcs have come down from the Misty Mountains and raided several villages in the Wold. They are heading towards the Emyn Muil.'
Éomund's eyes slid across the people in his home in Aldburg and they turned quickly to the left when he heard a door open. His eyes softened a bit when he saw a dark blond woman clad in a midnight blue dress entering the hall.
~***~
Théodwyn had rushed quickly towards the hall when she received the news of the scout arriving in Aldburg. The minute she heard it a dark feeling had crept over her heart and she had not known how quickly to get to her husband, leaving the children to play. As soon as she lay eyes upon her husband a warmth filled her heart, for he was still the man she had fallen in love with when they met. He was still proud and strong, a true Marshal of the Riddermark. But when she saw the look in his eyes and the looks of the scout those dark feelings she felt before returned. It was as she feared. Another raid on the fields of Rohan. And she knew that Éomund would not hesitate to ride against the Orcs and slay them, for that was his way and he had always done so. Her hands grew cold and her blood froze when she heard him speak.
'Summon my éored and sound the horns. We shall ride against the Orcs and make safe our fields again."
She watched as his men nodded and left the hall to prepare the horses and the éored. She watched as Éomund walked towards their bedroom to get into his armour and to get his weaponry. Quickly she picked up her dress and walked after him with quick light steps. He stood right in front of his armour's standard. Théodwyn's bottom lip trembled as she walked up behind him. She pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms firmly around him. A content sigh escaped her lips when she felt his hands on her arms.
'Théodwyn...' She heard him say. His voice sounded stern as always, but she could tell a slight soft undertone in it. It was always like that when he said her name.
Théodwyn looked up at him from behind. 'Must you really go?"
'You know that I must. It is my duty to Rohan." He let go of her arms and started to put his vambraces on. Théodwyn sighed and helped him into his chain skirt and mailshirt. While she adjusted the hauberk she sighed. 'You have a duty here also to me and our children."
Éomund turned around and took her hands in his, looking deeply into her eyes. 'That is why I must go also. If I do not those Orcs might come hither and attack Aldburg. I would not have you or our children in peril." He placed a soft kiss on her brow. 'What troubles you, Théodwyn?"
Her bottom lip trembled once more. 'I do not know. Fear stirred in my heart when I heard the news of the raid. I fear for you."
His eyes became grim once more and his face was stern. Éomund placed his helmet onto his head and took his spear into his hand. 'There is no need to fear. I have fought many Orcs and none have bested me yet." Then he left the bedroom and made his way out of the house.
Théodwyn lowered her head. 'What has not been before, may come yet. That is what troubles me." She followed her husband after a while to bid him farewell as she always did when he went on a mission.
~***~
Thus Théodwyn stood in front of the éored and her husband, still as a figure carved out of stone, her hands clenched at her sides. Éomund was about to climb onto his horse when two voices reached his ears. He looked up and saw his children come running out of the house towards him.
'Father!!'
Éomer, being the elder, reached his father first. He resembled his father a lot, being both tall and proud, stern and hotheaded also. Already had he developped a taste for battle and his eyes sparkled in the sunlight when he looked up his father. 'Are you leaving to battle again, father?"
Éomund smiled at his firstborn and ran a hand through the thick blond manes of the boy. One day his son would grow to be a good man and a great warrior. Mayhap he would become a Marshal of the Mark also, follow in his footsteps. 'Yes, my son. There are Orcs about."
'I wish I could come with you to fight." Éomer looked feisty and his hands were made into fists. The men laughed when they saw their Marshal's son standing there. Éomund shook his head. 'One day you will, and that may come sooner than you like." The young boy nodded, slightly disappointed. But he obeyed his father nonetheless and went to stand next to his mother.
Then Éomund reached out towards his daughter and took her into his arms. She too had made her hands into fists and pounded with them on her father's back. 'Don't leave, papa. Don't go.' Tears ran down her cheeks. The Marshal softly wiped her face dry and kisses her brow lovingly. 'Do not weep, Éowyn. I will have returned before you know it.' She took one of his fingers into her small hands and squeezed it. 'Promise?'
With a determined tone in his voice he answered her. 'Promise.' Éomund lowered Éowyn to the ground and turned to his beloved. She had not moved while he said his goodbyes to the children. As gentle as he could he touched her face and kissed her, before all the men. 'Fear not the darkness, Théodwyn. I will return.'
A faint smile appeared on her face and she nodded, though her eyes were still sad. 'I will wait for you.'
Éomund climbed onto his horse and was given his spear by his esquire. He himself sounded the chase on his great dark brown horn. As one man the éored came into motion and rode towards the gates of the village. Théodwyn stood silently in front of the house and watched as her husband left to chase the Orc raiding party. The sun shone brightly on her face, and she stood still, her blue gown moved like a banner in the wind. She watched them leave until they faded from sight, riding like the wind over the plains of Rohan.
There she stood long, long after her children had gone inside. And she stood there still when the sun started to sink behind the horizon in the west and the wind increased. All she did was staring at the gate and the plains for any sign of her beloved.
Seconds...
Minutes...
Hours...
They all seemed to pass like an eternity. Evening fell and the stars of Elbereth lit up the dark sky above. Though somehow it seemed they didn't shine as brightly as usual. They faintly illuminated Théodwyn's features as she stood upon the lookout for her husband. Her gaze was distant. The more time passed the more worried her heart became. She could not bring herself to move. It was cold outside, but she could not feel it. As long as her beloved was not safely at her side she would not be at ease.
Éowyn snuck out of the house when it was about time for her to go to bed. She saw her mother standing at the exact same place she left her in that afternoon and walked up to her. Théodwyn did not even notice. Softly the young girl tugged at her mother's dress. 'Mama?"
No response.
'Mama?'
It only after three times asking that Théodwyn looked down at her daughter. Her eyes looked as if she was not really there. 'What is it, my little one?' Éowyn took her mother's hand and tried to pull her along back inside.'You have not eaten yet mama, and you need to bring me to bed.'
Théodwyn looked into the north-east, longing for the sight of a familiar banner, the sound of a familar horn. When that did not happen she sighed and followed her daughter to the house. Before she disappeared she threw another long glance across her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with fear and longing.
'Éomund!' Her mind screamed, but not for the last time that night.
~***~
Morning came over the base of the Chief Marshal of the Mark. It was a grey morning and the clouds were dark. They shielded the blue sky and kept the sun from shining through. Grey was the mood of Théodwyn, sister of the King and wife of the Chief Marshal. Again she stood in front of her house and looked across the village and the fields in front of it. Long hours had passed since her beloved had left with his éored to eliminate a threat of Orcs. She had not slept during the night and had walked through the house like a ghost.
Now she stood once more at the place she said goodbye to Éomund the day before and where she had stood for hours already. Her hair was caught in the air like a banner and from far off it seemed like she appeared to be a beacon of some sorts. It wasn't her intention, but yes she was a beacon to signal her husband a way home.
A few more hours passed when she saw a group of Riders returning from the north east. Théodwyn blinked a few times to make sure she was not mistaken and her heart skipped beat, even though she was not sure yet what to expect. And they were too far off to distinguish any faces.
The horn that was sounded to open the gate had a different sound than her husband's. She could tell that right away. It was a bad sign, but she did not stir or make an attempt to run down the stairs that led to her house. Instead she stood as still as a pillar and waited for the Riders to come closer. Her eyes quickly searched over the éored as they came closer and closer. But there was no tall blond man with a helmet and white crest. Théodwyn's blood froze and her face grew pale.
'Éomund," she whispered softly.
Once they reached the house the warriors of Rohan that fought under Éomund's banner dismounted and Théodwyn could see they were carrying something or someone along in the back. The men removed their helmets and judging by the looks on their faces something was terribly wrong. For long minutes nothing was spoken. A bitter taste developped in the mouth of the princess.
Then a group of men came forward. They carried a carrier made of branches and leaves and on it lay a man. His helmet lay at his feet and in his hands he held a sword. His head rested on his helmet. Théodwyn started to shake her head in disbelief. She recognized that man. She recognized him all too well. Her heart stopped beating for what seemed like several minutes.
"Éomund!!!!"
With a loud cry she hurried down the steps of the house and fell on her knees besides the carrier. She took her husband's face between her hands and looked at it while tears poured down her cheeks. He was already cold and his eyes were closed. His face was pale and judging from his torn armour and the blood she could see where he had been hit and how severe it had been.
What she had feared had happened. She had felt it the minute Éomund had been called to stop the Orcs. She had felt she would not see her husband alive again and now he lay here before her, lifeless and cold. Théodwyn caressed Éomund's hair and held him tightly, as if she didn't want to let him go. Her crying cut through everyone like a knife and it could be heard for miles and miles.
The men that belonged to Éomund's éored lowered their heads and took off their helmets. They did not know what to say to their lady, for all knew how much Théodwyn had loved her husband and how much Éomund had loved her in return. Words would bring her no comfort now. Words would not bring her husband back. And so they all stood there in silence.
Loud children's voices emerged from the house and the doors to the house opened. The warriors looked up and saw how the young daughter of the house came rushing towards them.
"Father! Father!"
Éowyn had a joyful expression at her face when she came out of the house and looked around among the soldiers to find her father. But she stopped when she saw the looks on their faces and saw her mother kneeling near a carrier.
"Mama?"
She walked down the steps and tried to get to her mother. But one of the warriors walked towards her and blocked her view. Éowyn tried to look at who lay at the carrier, but she couldn't quite see it. She blinked a few times and looked at the warrior in front of her. "Why is mama crying?"
The little girl received no answer from anyone.
Éomer stepped forward before any of the warriors could act. He froze on the spot. A glimpse was all he could get. That glimpse was more than enough. He grabbed his younger sister's sleeve.
Seeing the look on the face of Éomund's son one of the soldiers snapped back to reality. He placed his body between the children and the body of his lord. They had already seen enough he deemed. With a stern voice he started to give orders. It was obvious the lady Théodwyn was not capable of taking control of the situation at this moment and something needed to be done. The children needed to be taken inside. Théoden King needed to be filled in on the death his First Marshal. Éomund's body needed to be taken care of for the funeral.
Éomer and Éowyn both struggled as one of the men brought them back inside the house. They cried for their mother and father.
Théodwyn was not aware of the events happening around her. All she was aware of was that her husband was dead. Her tears poured endlessly out of her eyes like to Anduin flowing through Middle Earth. She didn't hear the words spoken to her as the soldier who took over command placed his arm around her shoulder to take her away.
Éomund was dead.
He was gone.
~****~
'She never watched the morning rising,
Too busy with the day's first chores,
But oft she would watch the sun's fading,
As the cold of night crept across the moors.
And in that moment
She felt the loss
Of everything that had been missed.
So used to feeling the spirit sink,
She had not felt her own heart's wish.'
~ The Missing, by Howard Shore, featured in Helm’s Deep of the TTT Soundtrack
Note:
This story was written for and winner of the Parma Eruseen's 16th fanfic challenge.
