Post by Admin on Dec 31, 2020 23:43:22 GMT
Author: Carawyn
Ranking: 2nd place
Summary: Sending a loved one off to war is never easy.
Characters: Eothain, OC. Mention of Theodred and Éomer
Rating: G
No Warnings
Orders had come down the night before that the éored be saddled and ready to ride at dawn, as Théodred had received word orcs had crossed the Isen. In the dim light of the early morning the courtyard seemed chaotic, with men and horses milling about, and the sounds of hooves and voices filling the air.
Edwyn darted among them, her anxiety growing with each passing moment. She ducked around men and dodged wagons, and startled more than one packhorse as she wove past them, but she had yet to catch a glimpse of him.
At last, defeated, she stumbled to a stop. Perhaps she was being foolish. There was no real reason she had to see him, after all, as they had said their farewells the previous evening when he walked her home. But she could not deny the nagging urge to find him, to tell him, as if it might be a talisman that would bring him back to her.
But her shoulders slumped as she sighed deeply in defeat. Éothain was a rider when she met him, and was only serving in Théodred’s eored for two or maybe three years while he and Éomer finished their training. She had known this day would come, when his duties to the Mark and its people would take him away from her. That was the purpose of the training he was receiving, to become a leader of the few men who would ride out to protect all of the Eorlingas from danger. But knowing this, reminding herself of this, was little comfort.
What difference could a few words truly make when he would be fighting orcs and Uruk-hai, wargs and who knew what else? Her heart had urged her to seek him out, but now that impetuous notion was fading away, and she began to feel foolish for being here. Especially since she had accomplished little other than getting in the way. She should let him focus on preparing. That would do far more towards ensuring his safety, and what she could wait until he returned to speak to him.
If he returned...
Pushing that thought quickly away, she turned to go back, to go join her mother and the other women gathered to see the men off, but a rider blocked her path, leading his warhorse beside him. Now she was a little calmer, she waited patiently for them to pass rather than dash around them, though she twisted her fingers together as she did. At last the horse passed her, with a final flick of its tail. Looking up, she started to take a step towards the edge of the square.
And there he was, laughing with another young man, who she knew must be Éomer, as he tightened the straps securing a bedroll to the back of his saddle.
Was there anything more wonderful than the sight of him laughing, as he did so often? There was far too much noise in the enclosed square to make it possible, but she could almost believe she heard the sound as she watched him. The thought lifted her heart, and gave her feet wings as she ran towards him.
As if he could sense her coming, he turned his head and saw her just in time to catch her in his arms. Rising to her toes, she embraced him as tightly as she could through his mail and leather armor.
“Edwyn! What…”
She turned her head slightly, pressing against him until her lips brushed his ear as she spoke quickly and low. “I love you, Éothain.” She tightened her arms still more. “Come back to me!”
After a moment she dropped back onto her heels, and did her best to offer him a smile as she started to step back and leave him to finish getting ready, only to find herself pulled back onto her toes and into his arms. As she had done, he spoke against her ear, so even she could barely hear him over the general din. “And I love you, Edwyn.”
With a small sob she threw her arms around him again, tightened them until they hurt. Only the sound of Éomer clearing his throat brought them back to where they were.
Taking a tiny step back, though she kept her hands on his arms, she looked up at him with wide eyes sparkling with hope. “Truly?”
He answered with the slightly crooked grin she found even more endearing than his laugh, and a small nod. “Aye.” He glanced down for a moment then back at her, and his expression turned a little sheepish. “I wanted to tell you last night, but…”
She laughed and tightened her hold on his arms. “As did I! Then I thought maybe it would be best to wait...” With a laugh she beamed up at him. “But I could not.”
“I am glad you did not.” He reached up to brush a leather-clad thumb lightly over her cheek as he smiled. “Now I have more incentive to fight hard so we can return quickly.”
A trumpet rang through the square, and Éothain dropped his head to rest his forehead against hers for the briefest of moments, “I must go.”
She nodded, “Aye, I know. You must protect us all from these vile creatures.” Dropping her hands to his, she gripped them tightly. “But come back to me.”
He brought her hand up to press a quick kiss to her knuckles, earning another smile from her, and a few chuckles, even a whistle, from the riders about them. “I will.”
Releasing her, he picked up his stallion’s reins and swung up into his saddle just as the trumpet sounded again and the first ranks of Riders started to move towards the gates.
Quickly now she darted to the closest alley, to be out of the way, and made her way through the streets to stand high on the walls, where she could watch the riders form into neat columns as they passed through the dike then started across the Deeping Coomb. When she could no longer see even the smallest glint of light, or the thinnest wisp of dust to indicate where they were, she reluctantly turned to the steps with the hope that perhaps if she took on extra chores for her mother, or maybe pushed herself to get a head start on their small vegetable garden, the time until he came home would pass quickly.
Ranking: 2nd place
Summary: Sending a loved one off to war is never easy.
Characters: Eothain, OC. Mention of Theodred and Éomer
Rating: G
No Warnings
Orders had come down the night before that the éored be saddled and ready to ride at dawn, as Théodred had received word orcs had crossed the Isen. In the dim light of the early morning the courtyard seemed chaotic, with men and horses milling about, and the sounds of hooves and voices filling the air.
Edwyn darted among them, her anxiety growing with each passing moment. She ducked around men and dodged wagons, and startled more than one packhorse as she wove past them, but she had yet to catch a glimpse of him.
At last, defeated, she stumbled to a stop. Perhaps she was being foolish. There was no real reason she had to see him, after all, as they had said their farewells the previous evening when he walked her home. But she could not deny the nagging urge to find him, to tell him, as if it might be a talisman that would bring him back to her.
But her shoulders slumped as she sighed deeply in defeat. Éothain was a rider when she met him, and was only serving in Théodred’s eored for two or maybe three years while he and Éomer finished their training. She had known this day would come, when his duties to the Mark and its people would take him away from her. That was the purpose of the training he was receiving, to become a leader of the few men who would ride out to protect all of the Eorlingas from danger. But knowing this, reminding herself of this, was little comfort.
What difference could a few words truly make when he would be fighting orcs and Uruk-hai, wargs and who knew what else? Her heart had urged her to seek him out, but now that impetuous notion was fading away, and she began to feel foolish for being here. Especially since she had accomplished little other than getting in the way. She should let him focus on preparing. That would do far more towards ensuring his safety, and what she could wait until he returned to speak to him.
If he returned...
Pushing that thought quickly away, she turned to go back, to go join her mother and the other women gathered to see the men off, but a rider blocked her path, leading his warhorse beside him. Now she was a little calmer, she waited patiently for them to pass rather than dash around them, though she twisted her fingers together as she did. At last the horse passed her, with a final flick of its tail. Looking up, she started to take a step towards the edge of the square.
And there he was, laughing with another young man, who she knew must be Éomer, as he tightened the straps securing a bedroll to the back of his saddle.
Was there anything more wonderful than the sight of him laughing, as he did so often? There was far too much noise in the enclosed square to make it possible, but she could almost believe she heard the sound as she watched him. The thought lifted her heart, and gave her feet wings as she ran towards him.
As if he could sense her coming, he turned his head and saw her just in time to catch her in his arms. Rising to her toes, she embraced him as tightly as she could through his mail and leather armor.
“Edwyn! What…”
She turned her head slightly, pressing against him until her lips brushed his ear as she spoke quickly and low. “I love you, Éothain.” She tightened her arms still more. “Come back to me!”
After a moment she dropped back onto her heels, and did her best to offer him a smile as she started to step back and leave him to finish getting ready, only to find herself pulled back onto her toes and into his arms. As she had done, he spoke against her ear, so even she could barely hear him over the general din. “And I love you, Edwyn.”
With a small sob she threw her arms around him again, tightened them until they hurt. Only the sound of Éomer clearing his throat brought them back to where they were.
Taking a tiny step back, though she kept her hands on his arms, she looked up at him with wide eyes sparkling with hope. “Truly?”
He answered with the slightly crooked grin she found even more endearing than his laugh, and a small nod. “Aye.” He glanced down for a moment then back at her, and his expression turned a little sheepish. “I wanted to tell you last night, but…”
She laughed and tightened her hold on his arms. “As did I! Then I thought maybe it would be best to wait...” With a laugh she beamed up at him. “But I could not.”
“I am glad you did not.” He reached up to brush a leather-clad thumb lightly over her cheek as he smiled. “Now I have more incentive to fight hard so we can return quickly.”
A trumpet rang through the square, and Éothain dropped his head to rest his forehead against hers for the briefest of moments, “I must go.”
She nodded, “Aye, I know. You must protect us all from these vile creatures.” Dropping her hands to his, she gripped them tightly. “But come back to me.”
He brought her hand up to press a quick kiss to her knuckles, earning another smile from her, and a few chuckles, even a whistle, from the riders about them. “I will.”
Releasing her, he picked up his stallion’s reins and swung up into his saddle just as the trumpet sounded again and the first ranks of Riders started to move towards the gates.
Quickly now she darted to the closest alley, to be out of the way, and made her way through the streets to stand high on the walls, where she could watch the riders form into neat columns as they passed through the dike then started across the Deeping Coomb. When she could no longer see even the smallest glint of light, or the thinnest wisp of dust to indicate where they were, she reluctantly turned to the steps with the hope that perhaps if she took on extra chores for her mother, or maybe pushed herself to get a head start on their small vegetable garden, the time until he came home would pass quickly.