shieldmaiden_rohan

Debut

It had been a pleasant day, for all that it had been spent moving as quickly as possible towards Helm’s Deep. The weather was good, the caravan traveled well, and she’d had another conversation with Gimli about his people. He was far friendlier than any of the other dwarves she’d met as they moved through Rohan, but then most of those Dwarves had been traveling smiths. It was a hard life for anyone, even without the legendary unfriendliness of Dwarves. Gimli was more like the Rohirrim. He was certainly no horseman, but he was good-natured, fierce, and steadfast. She would be pleased to fight alongside him, if given the chance. She would be pleased to fight alongside any of the four riders, if given the chance. She had secret hopes for standing alongside Aragorn in other ways as well, though she spoke of it to no one.

Of course pleasant times could not last, not with the Riddermark in danger from all sides, and she started as the sounds of fighting came over the hill where the outriders had gone ahead. The next few moments were a blur as the Rohirrim separated from the caravan and she felt her heart beating faster. Perhaps now she would be permitted to fight. Everyone able to hold a sword would be needed to keep the caravan safe. Surely Theoden King would see that, and she looked up as he whirled Snowmane back towards her.

“You must lead the people to Helm’s Deep and make haste,” Theoden ordered her.

“I can fight,” she argued, feeling the cage close around her again. Once more she was not permitted to serve in the way she had trained.

“No!” he said. “You must do this. For me.”

She could not countermand a direct order from her king, nor from her uncle, and she turned away so he would not see the anger on her face. She would lead her people. She would take them to Helm’s Deep.

“Make for the lower road!” she called to the caravan. “Stay together!”

The caravan started moving even more quickly, urged along by the caravan-guards, and she glanced up to see Aragorn whirling away on Hasufel. Some fear entered her heart, some fear that she could not name, and she stared at him until he was gone over the ridge.

When she turned back to the caravan, it was not there. She was not there. She didn’t recognize the trees or the mountains, nor the sounds of the animals around her. What had happened? What magic was this? What wizardry? Where were her people?

She might have stood there forever, trying to understand what had happened, if she had not heard a terrible sound, a low growling that filled her with dread and then with steel. There was a Warg somewhere near, and she had no sword. She had her boot-knife, though, and she would fight it as a shieldmaiden of Rohan should. She stripped her surcoat off, dropped her hair under her dress, then pulled out her knife. One boot-knife against a Warg would do almost nothing, but she would at least slow the Warg down and give the caravan more of a chance. She would keep her people safe.

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With an arrow already set to string, Kili charged through the jungle after his prey. It was only a little thing, scrawny even for the belly of a dwarf, but the bird was the first Kili had seen in long moments, and he could not remain idle for long.

"Here!" he cried over his shoulder, alerting Fili of the chase, but he did not wait for his brother. Kili leapt, landing on both feet in the clearing, but the only trace of the bird was a single feather...

...disappearing into the maw of a beast Kili had not seen in ages. Beyond the warg stood a woman, armed with a blade that was surely no match for the monster before them. There was no time to hesitate. Squaring his feet, Kili loosed the arrow from his bow, already notching another when the beast reared back in rage.

"Fili!" Kili cried with new urgency. "Wargs!"

One day, they were going to discuss the fact that Kili too often ran straight into the mouth of trouble when it presented itself. He hefted up one of his swords and took quick pursuit, drawing the second as he sprinted to join Kili's side. When he arrived, his eyes widened to see that Kili was not jesting and there was, indeed, great wargs standing before them. "Kili, be careful," Fili shouted, immediately drifting to his side to ensure they did not part.

Panic settled in his blood, as it did now after discovering that they were dead in Middle Earth. After all, what would happen to them here?

"Where did they come from?" he wondered.

Some things, a dwarf learned in the cradle. Among them was the sound of a warg, snarling and shoving, dangerous to home and family.

Orcrist was in his hand in but a moment and he charged toward the sound. "Fili! Kili!" he shouted. "I am coming!"

Mahal and Yavanna, first a cave troll and now this.

First a Warg and now three or more Dwarves? And she still did not know where she was or how she got there. That was something she could ask the Dwarves if she survived this encounter, though. Until then it was not a concern.

The darker-haired dwarf's arrow had made the Warg rear and its rider had fallen off. She could not kill the Warg, but the rider was a possibility. She had never actually killed an orc, but she had seen them killed and had been taught how to fight them if needed.

She offered a rare, brief prayer to Bema and thrust her knife deep into the belly of the rider, pulling it out with a twist that Theodred and Eomer had made her practice for hours upon hours.

Though he knew not a one of them would thank him for it, privately Kili felt a thrill at rejoining his brother and uncle in combat. He felt his lungs would burst if he did not shout when the Warg rounded on him, but he was grinning as he fired a second arrow, all the moreso when he saw the ruthlessness with which the woman dispatched its fallen rider.

"As spirited as one of our own dear ladies!" he cried to Fili and Thorin.

Fili saw the golden hair first. It was a rare thing to meet other dwarves with the same colour as his hair and he had often felt an outcast within his own family. This woman held no reservations, had no compulsion to shy away from the fight and Fili strode forward with both knives drawn, charging for one of the other wargs to slice at its legs and bring it to the ground. "Thorin!" he shouted. "Dispatch the rider!"

Thorin nodded, sparing no words. They could praise the lady and her battle strength after the enemies were gone. For now, he rushed to Fili's side, stabbing the rider in the throat and then looking hurriedly around in case reinforcements were coming.

There had been more resistance than she'd expected from the orc's body and it ran up her arm to land painfully in her shoulder, but she didn't hesitate to follow her first thrust with a slice to the orc's throat. That didn't land quite as well as the first blow, but it was sufficient to slit its throat and spatter black blood on her hands.

Once she was sure the rider she'd stabbed was either dead or nearly so, she turned her attention towards the other wargs and the dwarves. The dwarves had appeared at the same time the wargs had, and though she'd never heard dwarves to fight with the shadows, she could not help but be suspicious.

The older dwarf and fair-haired dwarf seemed to have one warg and rider well in hand, which left the young dark-haired dwarf on his own with a warg. She moved quickly but carefully around the dwarf and back-handedly stabbed the warg at the joint of its hip. Eomer had taught her that there was a weak spot there, and though it would not kill the warg, it would at least make it difficult for it to get up again.

It was a fine hit, and Kili's mouth was open to say so, but unfortunately the creature had other legs with which to spring. As if sensing its imminent demise, the Warg thrust up with its three remaining legs and launched from the ground, determined to claim at least one life before the end. It was a clumsy leap, but more than enough to topple Kili when it caught him beneath its weight.

Suddenly pinned, Kili craned his head away from snapping teeth and, with a shout of alarm, shoved his bow lengthwise into the putrid maw to stay it.

Fili's attention immediately split when he saw Kili pinned by the warg, his head spinning with panic before the white heat of action kicked in. He abandoned the warg he had been fighting, stumbling clumsily in Kili's direction while shouting his name sharply, both swords at the ready. When he was close enough, he leapt forward to take the rider's place, lifting both hands to drive the swords down into the beast's head with force, trying to use the reigns to force it to crumple downwards away from Kili.

He slit the warg's throat for good measure, falling to his knees at Kili's side to ensure he was not gravely injured. His eyes were off the battle and the remainder of the wargs and their riders and he hoped that Thorin and the strange woman would allow them a moment's pause. "You're okay," he confirmed, for his own benefit as much as Kili's, extending a hand out to him to encourage him to his feet.

"Fili!" he cried. "Kili!" On another, less confused day, he would have called Fili hence, told him that the best tending he could give his brother was to remove the threat. Today was a different day that sent Thorin hurrying up to the woman's side.

"How many left."

So the younger dark-haired dwarf was Fili and the fair-haired was Kili, or possibly the reverse. And the older dwarf was Thorin, perhaps. In the melee of the fight, she had paid less attention to their words and more attention to their actions.

There was something in the older dwarf's manner that reminded her of Theoden King. It was an expectation of being obeyed, and she responded to it automatically.

"I do not know, my lord," she replied, looking around to see two dead riders and two dead or dying wargs, but no further threats at the moment. "There were many, before, but I am not there and they may not be here."

Taking Fili's hand, Kili allowed himself to be dragged to his feet, hands hastily straightening his leathers before he looked down at his bow in dismay.

"I just finished this one," he grunted and tossed the ruin aside, then transferred his dismay to Fili. "You've got muck all over you," he said of the blood, touching Fili's cheek in brief reassurance. They were both alright.

Looking over his shoulder, Kili could spy no further threats, only Thorin and the woman. "Did you only just arrive, then?" he asked. "With Wargs!"

Fili tipped his head to one side, biting back a chiding laugh. "It is only a bit of dirt and blood, it will wash away," he promised. "And I will carve you a new bow," he promised, for it seemed they could take it in turns. He cleared his throat and his mind, looking to their new company. "Are there any more alive?" he asked Thorin, just to be sure.

"None that I see, but there may yet be outliers," Thorin said, keeping his eyes and ears open for snarls and hunting cries.

"You," he called to the lady. "Are you newly come? Did they follow you?"

Eowyn did not particularly appreciate being referred to as "you" as if she were one of the housecarls of Edoras and her chin went up a small amount. Formal introductions had not been made, though, so perhaps the older dwarf had not meant to be rude.

"I am newly arrived here, though I do not know where 'here' is. And they did follow me, I fear, though I do not know how they could have done such a thing either," she said, answering the questions of the older and the younger dwarf at the same time as she cleaned the black blood off her knife and her hands. It dirtied the linen of her overdress, but better it dirty the linen than the silk of the underdress. And perhaps it would just get dirty again if the threat was not gone, but she would clean it again if needed. A warrior always cared for her weapons.

Once the knife was cleaned, she bowed her head in respect and thanks to all three dwarves in turn. They had fought well and without hesitation with very little warning and in assistance to one unknown to them. "I thank you all for your assistance, my lords. I could not have fought them alone."

To the young dark-haired one, she added, "I am sorry it cost you your bow."

Kili lifted his eyes from her hair - so fair and golden, the like of which he'd rarely seen save for his own brother and the elves - and smiled. "It is of no matter," he assured her. "We will make another. I could thank you, instead, for the excitement. We have never seen wargs before on these shores."

Remembering himself, Kili gave a small bow. "I am Kili."

Fili was occupied cleaning the blood from his own weapons, but he stepped up in order to bow in tandem with Kili, a practice they had been doing since they were very young. "And I am Fili, at your service," he spoke, wiping at the last of the blood before he began to sheathe his weapons back in their multiple hidden holsters. "We have seen a troll," he said, eyeing the woman with mild suspicion. "Did you bring these creatures down upon us?"

"And I am Thorin Oakenshield," he finished, coming closer to his nephews. He kept a wary ear open in case of stragglers, looking at the corpses. "We should burn them, lest their blood foul the earth or water."

Then he looked to the woman. "You fight with much spirit for a human woman. We did not know they hid such strength among their ranks."

The tandem bow was charming, and the affront she had felt at Thorin's earlier manner of address faded at his acknowledgment of her strength. He qualified it, but she took no offense at that. She had seen Gimli spar with Aragorn and knew the strength and fierceness of dwarves to be far beyond that of humans. She bent down to place her now clean knife back into her boot, then straightened.

"Well-met, my lords. I am Eowyn, daughter of Eomund, shieldmaiden of Rohan and sister-daughter of Theoden King," she said to them in general. "I was trained to fight alongside my brother and my cousin. Not all women are trained so, but Rohan knows its vulnerabilities. There may come a time when any hand that can wield a sword will be needed."

As for Fili's concern, she turned to him seriously. They had not offered their lineages, but anyone who fought as they did had earned the title of Lord in her eyes and she would address them as such.

"I did not bring them intentionally, Lord Fili. There was an attack on a caravan and I found myself here."

"No more intentionally than any of us arrive, then," said Kili, with a smack to his brother's chest for emphasis. This Rohan stuck in his memory, though Kili could not remember much, and indeed, had never been as hard at his studies as he might have been. But how much could he care for other lands when their uncle spoke only of Erebor?

"Your Rohan sounds a smarter place than most," he continued. "Why cut one's warriors numbers in half?"

Fili grimaced at Kili's gesture, though he captured his hand lightly and lowered it by force. "I am no Lord, my lady," he says, watching her with her weapons with curiosity. "I have heard of Rohan," he says, straining to think of the lessons of Balin. "Thengal is king," he recites, looking to Thorin for confirmation. "Is he not?"

"He was, the last I heard when I passed that way," Thorin said, holding himself with all the bearing of a king. "My nephews speak with too great of a humility. They are princes of Erebor."

So the brothers, for surely they were or close enough to be, did not prefer to mention their status, but their uncle had no such feelings. It reminded her strongly of herself in comparison to Theoden King. Had she not mentioned her relationship to her uncle after her status as a shieldmaiden?

"My grandfather has not ruled Rohan for many years, Lord Thorin," she replied. "He sleeps with his kin and mine under the simbelmyne. But ... Erebor? That is the mountain Lord Gimli hails from. He has spoken of it, though not in any great detail."

All knew that dwarves were quite secretive, and she did not wish to bring trouble to Gimli, even if he was not here in this strange warm, humid place. She rather wished he was. She wished any of the four riders were. Now that the flush of the battle was fading, she was very confused.

Kili laughed aloud. "Gimli? The lad has only just grown past my knee!" And at that he stood a little straighter. He was no boy, but in dwarvish years Kili was still very young, and in truth there were not so many years between himself and Gimli. Still, Kili had been allowed to quest, and Gimli had not.

It was sobering to realize that even so, it was Gimli, not Kili, who lived to see Erebor returned to its rightful lineage. Suddenly heavy of heart, Kili looked to Thorin. "Erebor. It was not all in vain, then."

Fili was occupying his looks with a faintly displeased glare in Thorin's direction, for he did not want to be a prince here. He was happy to simply settle into trade. He cast a look to Kili, dropping his brother's hand when he realized he still held it to calm him. "The line of Durin need only end for victory," he quietly spoke, his bitterness still heavy on such a subject.

Thorin gave Fili a long, quiet look. One that asked for pride in who they were and all that they had been and worked toward.

"Those who arrive here from Middle Earth seem, largely, to come from either side of a period of eighty years."

If Kili thought Gimli to be a wee child and Thorin thought Thengel to be king, then she had indeed been drawn from a much later time. It was yet another detail that made no sense to her. But she was a shieldmaiden of Rohan and she would conduct herself as such.

"It is 3019 of the Third Age by the reckoning of the Rohirrim," she confirmed, moving to the edge of the clearing to gather her surcoat and put it on, though she did not fasten it. "Though I believe the holbytla have a different calendar and perhaps dwarves do as well."

"We may well ask," said Kili, cheerful in the face of Fili and Thorin's somberness, though he had to work at it. Left to stew too long in thoughts of what awaited them at home, Fili would be in a sour mood for hours, and Kili clapped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed, his smile bright.

"We have a hobbit, here. The best hobbit, too, by my reckoning," he told Eowyn. "He's a burglar!"

Fili leaned into Kili's touch, as though such a thing could remind him not to speak sharply in Thorin and Eowyn's presence. "He is a fine hobbit who was pushed into being a burglar," Fili calmly corrected. "His name is Bilbo."

"Bilbo Baggins," Thorin agreed. Though he had met no other hobbits in his lifetime, he would agree without reservation that Bilbo was the among the bravest of his kind.

"We had best alert him that there has been battle, but that it has brought another from our world."

"There is one of the holbytla here?" Eowyn asked interestedly but politely. "I have never met one, though I have heard good things about them. Lord Gimli spoke very highly of their courage and their determination. He seemed quite fond of them. But forgive me, my lords, you are right. We should deal with these carcasses ere they begin to stink."

Edited 2014-02-20 02:28 (UTC)

"A wise plan indeed," agreed Kili, smiling again, this time in honest - if no less nefarious - pleasure. "But wiser still to divide our labour. Fili and I will deal with the wargs and their riders, while Thorin escorts you to our hobbit. Is that plan not amenable, uncle?"

Fili glanced up at Kili over his shoulder, privately grateful that he wished to stay at his side. He was also glad that he would be removed from Thorin while the emotions ran heated. "Perhaps it would be best if you were to meet him away from this carnage," he agreed. "We will dispose of the fallen."

"If the lady agrees," Thorin said, looking to the woman. She seemed to be as spirited as any of their own ladies and, if his sister were any indication, she would not be moved until she wished it.

"Have a care with the fire and I will see you tonight."

For a moment, she thought disappointedly that the dwarves might be no better than the men of the Mark, moving her aside when there was work to be done because they thought she could not stomach the burning of carcasses, but Lord Thorin's words belied that. He still gave her own choice as to whether to work here or to move on to meet Mr. Baggins. The name was familiar and she thought it might be the same name as one of the four holbytla that had been a part of the four riders' Fellowship. In truth, part of her was excited to finally be able to meet one of the holbytla.

"If you are quite certain you do not need assistance, I will go with Lord Thorin," she said to Kili and Fili as she pulled her hair out of her dress so it would not be quite so warm against her neck. She would need to plait it if the weather here was always so warm and humid.

"But I hope we will speak again soon and I thank you once more for your assistance."

"It was gladly rendered," replied Kili with another bow. He did not relish the thought of burning the bodies, but the act would be well worth it to see Eowyn and Thorin to Bilbo. No doubt the little fellow longed for more from his home, even if they were not fellow hobbits.

"Come, Fili," he said, dragging at his brother's elbow. "To work!"

Fili allowed himself to be malleable in Kili's arms, dragged with ease as he did not give much resistance. It was only when Thorin and Eowyn seemed upon the horizon that Fili's tense shoulders dropped. "I do not like being labelled a prince on these shores," he said to Kili and though his tone was quiet, it was no less heated. "Nor the reminder that to some, a title and its crown is worth more than a simple life."

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Debut

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