Pov narrator

ÉOTHAIN and FREDA sit at a table in the Great Hall, ravenous to eat. Eowyn stands and looks to Theoden...who sits on his throne with Gandalf at his side...his head buried in his hand in deep thought. you sit at the table with Aragorn and Gimli, arms crossed over your chest. "They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the Wild Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go." Eowyn informs her uncle. you and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli look at each other, concerned. "Rick, cot and tree." Eowyn continues, and then the little girl, Freda, asks softly, "Where's mama?" Eowyn turns to comfort her, and Gandalf turns to Theoden.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent, for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head-on." the white wizard leans forward and puts a hand on Theoden's chair. Theoden looks at him warily. "Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight." Gandalf ends. "You have 2000 good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king." Aragorn says, and you nod in agreement. Theoden gets out of his chair walks to the center of his Hall. "They will be 300 leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us," he says. Gandalf moves forward to speak, but Theoden halts him.

"I know what it is that you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war." you sigh and roll your eyes. Aragorn then speaks up. "Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." you look at Aragorn and Theoden. Theoden then turns to Aragorn. "When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan," he says indignant, and your fangs glints in the dim light as you lift your lip in a silent sneer. Aragorn moves his hand to yours, and you look at him, taking his hands in yours. He looks at you, and in his eyes, you see that he ask you to calm down. There's nothing for getting angry at the king now.

you sigh and speak up. "Then what is the king's decision?" Theoden turns away from you and your friends, concern etched in his face.

Hama stands amid the city delivering the king's decision. "By order of the king, the city must empty. We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourself with treasures. Take only what provisions you need." he says. the people of Edoras gather their things together... you, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, and Gandalf walk among them. "Helm's Deep. They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight." Gimli murmurs. you enter a Rohirrim stable and continue walking past the horses of Rohan. "Who will defend them if not their king?" Gimli says again. "He's only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past," you say softly, not taking part in the discussion.

You and Aragorn and Gandalf approach the stable of Shadowfax. the white stallion neighs at you and your smile. "There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre." Gandalf says, not pratciullery talking to you but the others. he then turns to you and Aragorn, speaking first to you. "Théoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. they will need you and your power, Daeyners." he then turns to Aragorn. "He will also need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold." you and Aragorn look at each other, nodding. "They will hold," Aragorn says to Gandalf.

Gandalf turns to Shadowfax and away from you two. Gently, he strokes the mighty horse's coat. "The Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of Men I've walked this earth, and now I have no time." he muses. Aragorn opens the stall door... Gandalf mounts Shadowfax, and you go to the side. "With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. Then, at dawn, look to the east." Gandalf says, and Aragorn nods. "Go," he says. Legolas and Gimli jump out of the way as Gandalf blasts out of the stable at top speed. he rides across the open plains as fast as Shadowfax can carry him.

Two soldiers attempt to subdue a mighty brown stallion, called brego, with little success... you turn to them watching from your spot with Eowyn. Aragorn enters carrying his saddle...he turns to the struggle...he puts down his saddle and walks to them. "That horse is half-mad, my lord. There's nothing you can do. Leave him." a soldier tells him, but Aragorn continues to approach the horse. brego rears and whinnies as Aragorn come closer. "Fæste, stille nú...fæste...*" he mutters and signals one of the soldiers to go. "...stille nú. Lac is drefed, gefrægon.**" he continues. he slowly reaches brego...he caresses the beast's coat...carefully, he removes the ropes detaining brego...he hands them to the other soldier...eowyin watches with wonder. You only smile a little, meeting Aragorn's eyes.

"Hwæt nemnað ðe? Hm? Hwæt nemnað ðe?***" you say as you walk suddenly up top them; Brego neighs softly and inclines closer to you, to which you chukles and strokes his coat. Aragorn smiles at you. "His name is Brego," Eowyn says as she comes up to you two. both you and Aragorn snap around to look at her. "He was my cousin's horse," she says, and you turn again to face the stallion, smiling. Aragorn does the same. "Brego." he mutters, and your ad "Ðin nama is cynglic—****"—brego snickers. Eowyn moves slowly to you two as you speak, transfixed. "Man le trasta, Brego? Man cenich?*****" Aragorn ask the horse in elvish. "I have heard of the magic of Elves, but I did not look for it in a Ranger from the North. You speak as one of their own," Eowyn says, making you turn to her, then to Aragorn. he nods and smiles a little. You move away from Brego, him neighing softly after you.

"I was raised in Rivendell ... for a time. Turn this fellow free. He's seen enough of war." Aragorn says and pats brego. He then leaves brego with Eowyn and goes after you. he retrieves his saddle and leaves.

CAVERNS OF ISENGARD - NIGHT

The industrial mechanics of the orcs have taken the place of the once beautiful trees marring the landscape around Orthanc. The orcs work non-stop to their ends in the background. In his chamber, saumroan paces the room mulling over his loss to Gandalf. "Gandalf the White. Gandalf the Fool! Does he seek to humble me with his newfound righteousness?" he pits. Suddenly wormtounge enters slowly and moves to saumroan, who stands suddenly still, a look of disgust crossing his face. "There were four who followed the wizard. An Elf, a Dwarf, and a Man, along with a woman," he says. sauraom sniffs in the air. "You stink of horse," he states, and wormtougne shrinks back and walks away... "The Man..." sauroman says and turns to Wormtongue. "...was he from Gondor?" Grima shakes his head. "No, from the North. One of the Dúnedain Rangers, I thought he was," he says. Sauroman suddenly shows much interest.

"His cloth was poor. And yet he bore a strange ring—two serpents with emerald eyes. One devouring, the other crowned with golden flowers." Grima continues to explain Aragorn. A book opens to a page showing a picture of the varying wormtounge described. Sauroman sits back in his chair... wormtounge stands behind him at the door. "The Ring of Barahir. So Gandalf Greyhame thinks he has found Isildur's heir. The lost king of Gondor. He is a fool. The line was broken years ago." sauroman says and closes his book and pushes it aside. He then turns to Grima, a new and sinister look in his eyes. "and the woman?" he says. "she was white-haired, bearing northern clothes. Her eyes were purple. None who has walked this earth ever looked like her," Girma says. Sauroman raises a brow.

"that must be the woman Sauron has talked about. the one he wants for the war...." saurman trails off, looking away. Wormtounge looks at him with selfish interest. "what's her power so strong the dark lord would want her?" Grima says. sauroman looks back at him. "she is one of the lines of dragons. Her raze believed  dead. she bears much power."

The Rohirrim begin to pour out of their city by the hundreds, carrying what they can...A solid line of people stretches across the Plains of Rohan. in Theoden's room, in mesueld, Theoden prepares himself...Gamling stands ready behind him. "I am ready, Gamling. Bring my horse." the king says. Gamling bows and walks to the door, silently, shoulders slumped... "This is not a defeat," Theoden says and turns to gamling, who has stopped. "We will return—gamling bows to him and exits. "We will return," Theoden mutters to himself. The Rohirrim gather things from the Great Hall and carry them out. Eowyn N opens a chest and pulls out a sheathed sword...she unsheathes it and holds it before her, running her hand down the flat side of the blade, smiling...deliberately, she practices her swing.

Someone approaches from behind...she swings it behind her. Aragorn meets her swing with his dagger. You are behind him. Eowyn's face does not soften at his gaze. "You have some skill with a blade," he says. With a swift move, Eowyn swings her sword, throwing Aragorn's arm and knife to one side, rendering him vulnerable and gaining the upper hand... you chukles. The heir lowers his weapon...Eowyn does likewise and steps away. "Women of this country learned long ago: those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain." Eowyn says and re-sheathes the sword...she replaces it in the chest. you then step forward, so you're beside Aragorn. "What do you fear, my lady?" you say, and Eowyn freezes for a moment...she turns to you. 

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them. And all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire." she says gravely, and your eyes fill with shock, and Aragorn speaks up. "You're a daughter of kings, a shieldmaiden of Rohan," he says, his voice filled with wonder. he then sheathes his knife...you, and he continues to look at her. "I do not think that will be your fate," you say, having calmed from your shock. "Eowyn gazes at you, unable to respond. You and Aragorn bow and exit. 

Theoden, Aragorn, Gimli, and you ride at the forefront of the people leaving. Gimli is with you. Theoden pauses atop the first rise to gaze back upon his city. The Rohirrim walk single file out of their city, following him, carrying only what they need. 

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chapters up:)

-Saph