Part 18, "Chance Encounter"
Feb. 19th, 2005 09:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerEowyn's memories continue...
Éowyn had flopped on her bed, overwhelmed with the unfairness of it all. She had not *meant* to break her resolution to do what she was supposed to; she had not *meant* to end up sparring unarmored with her cousin; she had not *meant* to get them both in trouble. Why did these things always happen to *her*?
She was too angry to cry, but she was not certain who she was angry at--herself, for going down there in the first place? Her cousin, for being so annoying that she just *had* to challenge him? Her aunt, for catching them out--and just when they were having such a splendid workout, too!
Just then, the door opened, and her Aunt Leofgifu came in, followed by a maidservant bearing a basin of water and some towels. Éowyn sat up warily. What now?
“Éowyn, get out of that dress. I want to check you over. I fear that you will be black and blue.”
Flushing, she did as she was told, sitting back down in her shift and wincing as she did so.
Leofgifu nodded knowingly, and touched the large purple bruise beginning to form on Éowyn’s upper left shoulder.
“Let us have a look at that left leg. I can tell by the way you are sitting that it is paining you.”
Sure enough there was also a large bruise nearly two hand spans in size on the outer side of her thigh and hip. Her aunt wet a cloth in the basin that the maidservant was holding, and began to wash the bruised areas, as well as the scrapes on her shins. Éowyn flinched, but did not cry out as her aunt cleaned the sore places. She could smell the witch hazel in the water.
“Now, that’s better. It is fortunate indeed that neither of you took head blows!”
Éowyn looked horrified. How stupid did her aunt think she was? “We did not have helms!” she exclaimed.
“I see. Well, I suppose I should be grateful that the two of you had at least that much sense. You know, Éowyn, if you had said something, I would have arranged for you to have some time on the training grounds. You did not have to slip out behind my back like that.”
“Oh.”
“I will speak to Danhelm. If he is agreeable, you may join my son while you are here. But not until after your punishment is over. And that does not mean you get out of the other tasks that are expected of you.”
“Oh.”
Her aunt rose to leave. “I suggest you try to rest. It is a long time until breakfast.”
Biting her lip, Éowyn nodded. Leofgifu and the maidservant left, and Éowyn lay back down on the bed. This was really unfair. How was she to know that Aunt Leofgifu was so much more reasonable than Aunt Éormangilda? Just then her stomach growled. It was going to be a long time until breakfast.
_________________________________________
She had finally fallen asleep, was sleeping rather hard in fact, when she heard a rapping at the door. She sat up blearily, wondering who it could be at this hour.
“Éowyn!” hissed the voice outside her door in a loud whisper.
It was Éothain.
“What do you want?” she hissed back, dragging on a dressing gown quickly and moving toward the door.
“Let me in.”
She opened the door, and he came in, carrying a bundle wrapped in what looked like a large napkin.
“I brought you something to eat. I slipped down to the kitchens. I have some bread and some apples.”
Éowyn wanted to scorn the gesture, and honorably take her punishment, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly in protest. “Well, come on in then.”
He came in and they shut the door. They went over and sat in the window, and he unwrapped the bundle. He looked at her, and flushed. “I am sorry that I got you into trouble,” he mumbled.
She giggled, and he looked up sharply, offended. “No, do not be angry, I am not mocking your apology. But I have been thinking all afternoon that I should apologize for getting *you* into trouble.”
He grinned. “Well, perhaps it is that we are both at fault. I should not have doubted you.”
“And I should not have challenged you.” She grinned back. “It was good though, was it not?”
“Yes it was. I have a bruise on my ribs the size of a melon.”
“I have some bruises as well.”
They ate silently for a few moments, until both bread and fruit were gone.
Éothain sighed. “Danhelm is going to really make me miserable tomorrow. And I am sure you will have great fun scrubbing pots all day. But I really hate that we will miss hearing the bard. We do not get bards here at Aldburg so very often that we can afford to miss hearing them.”
Éowyn nodded. “I am sorry. But I know what you mean. We do have a bard in residence at Meduseld, but he is old, and I have heard all his songs so many times…” She sighed. “I would not have minded hearing a new one for a change.”
Her cousin nodded. “Well, I am going to return to my own chambers now. Mother told me that when our punishment is over, you may train with me some, while you are here. I look forward to sparring *properly* with you.”
She smiled. “Thank you, cousin. And thank you for the snack.”
He got up, peered out the door, and then slipped away.
Éowyn went back to bed. Morning, and all those pots, would be coming all too soon.
Just a little more with Eowyn and her cousin, and then we will get back to our hobbits and Menelcar...
Éowyn had flopped on her bed, overwhelmed with the unfairness of it all. She had not *meant* to break her resolution to do what she was supposed to; she had not *meant* to end up sparring unarmored with her cousin; she had not *meant* to get them both in trouble. Why did these things always happen to *her*?
She was too angry to cry, but she was not certain who she was angry at--herself, for going down there in the first place? Her cousin, for being so annoying that she just *had* to challenge him? Her aunt, for catching them out--and just when they were having such a splendid workout, too!
Just then, the door opened, and her Aunt Leofgifu came in, followed by a maidservant bearing a basin of water and some towels. Éowyn sat up warily. What now?
“Éowyn, get out of that dress. I want to check you over. I fear that you will be black and blue.”
Flushing, she did as she was told, sitting back down in her shift and wincing as she did so.
Leofgifu nodded knowingly, and touched the large purple bruise beginning to form on Éowyn’s upper left shoulder.
“Let us have a look at that left leg. I can tell by the way you are sitting that it is paining you.”
Sure enough there was also a large bruise nearly two hand spans in size on the outer side of her thigh and hip. Her aunt wet a cloth in the basin that the maidservant was holding, and began to wash the bruised areas, as well as the scrapes on her shins. Éowyn flinched, but did not cry out as her aunt cleaned the sore places. She could smell the witch hazel in the water.
“Now, that’s better. It is fortunate indeed that neither of you took head blows!”
Éowyn looked horrified. How stupid did her aunt think she was? “We did not have helms!” she exclaimed.
“I see. Well, I suppose I should be grateful that the two of you had at least that much sense. You know, Éowyn, if you had said something, I would have arranged for you to have some time on the training grounds. You did not have to slip out behind my back like that.”
“Oh.”
“I will speak to Danhelm. If he is agreeable, you may join my son while you are here. But not until after your punishment is over. And that does not mean you get out of the other tasks that are expected of you.”
“Oh.”
Her aunt rose to leave. “I suggest you try to rest. It is a long time until breakfast.”
Biting her lip, Éowyn nodded. Leofgifu and the maidservant left, and Éowyn lay back down on the bed. This was really unfair. How was she to know that Aunt Leofgifu was so much more reasonable than Aunt Éormangilda? Just then her stomach growled. It was going to be a long time until breakfast.
_________________________________________
She had finally fallen asleep, was sleeping rather hard in fact, when she heard a rapping at the door. She sat up blearily, wondering who it could be at this hour.
“Éowyn!” hissed the voice outside her door in a loud whisper.
It was Éothain.
“What do you want?” she hissed back, dragging on a dressing gown quickly and moving toward the door.
“Let me in.”
She opened the door, and he came in, carrying a bundle wrapped in what looked like a large napkin.
“I brought you something to eat. I slipped down to the kitchens. I have some bread and some apples.”
Éowyn wanted to scorn the gesture, and honorably take her punishment, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly in protest. “Well, come on in then.”
He came in and they shut the door. They went over and sat in the window, and he unwrapped the bundle. He looked at her, and flushed. “I am sorry that I got you into trouble,” he mumbled.
She giggled, and he looked up sharply, offended. “No, do not be angry, I am not mocking your apology. But I have been thinking all afternoon that I should apologize for getting *you* into trouble.”
He grinned. “Well, perhaps it is that we are both at fault. I should not have doubted you.”
“And I should not have challenged you.” She grinned back. “It was good though, was it not?”
“Yes it was. I have a bruise on my ribs the size of a melon.”
“I have some bruises as well.”
They ate silently for a few moments, until both bread and fruit were gone.
Éothain sighed. “Danhelm is going to really make me miserable tomorrow. And I am sure you will have great fun scrubbing pots all day. But I really hate that we will miss hearing the bard. We do not get bards here at Aldburg so very often that we can afford to miss hearing them.”
Éowyn nodded. “I am sorry. But I know what you mean. We do have a bard in residence at Meduseld, but he is old, and I have heard all his songs so many times…” She sighed. “I would not have minded hearing a new one for a change.”
Her cousin nodded. “Well, I am going to return to my own chambers now. Mother told me that when our punishment is over, you may train with me some, while you are here. I look forward to sparring *properly* with you.”
She smiled. “Thank you, cousin. And thank you for the snack.”
He got up, peered out the door, and then slipped away.
Éowyn went back to bed. Morning, and all those pots, would be coming all too soon.
Just a little more with Eowyn and her cousin, and then we will get back to our hobbits and Menelcar...