Misc. One Shots and Short Stories

Lord of the Rings - Eomer Part One

My body ached, my mind was foggy, but I still had enough sense to realize I was hanging across the back of an orc. My arms were tied, and it felt like my ankles might have been bound as well; I could hardly keep my eyes open as my head continued to bounce against the armor-covered back of the orc carrying me. I could no longer control the need to close my eyes, darkness falling over me. I felt like I was floating, bouncing along the waves, moving with the ebb and flow of the water. I couldn't tell if I was alive, dead, or somewhere in between. I wasn't even sure if there was an in-between, but if there was, I think that's where I was. All I could think about was the fear on Merry and Pippin's faces before nothing. Something had hit me in the head, and then it was darkness. I couldn't even be sure they were alive. I had tried my best and fought my hardest, but we had gotten overrun quickly, and there were only so many orcs I could kill on my own. If I wasn't dead, I hoped it would happen quickly whenever the orcs got me where we were going. I couldn't imagine being held hostage with these things for long or being tortured like Gandalf had said they did to Gollum. If they didn't kill me, I'd figure out a way to do it myself. If I had a worst fear, it was being tormented, tortured, and mutated and becoming one of them. I groaned as I felt my body slam against a rock in the waves, except as the haze over my mind lifted and my eyes fluttered open, I realized it wasn't a rock in the waves at all. It was the hard ground of a trampled field. 

I groaned quietly, hoping I could gather my bearings and figure out what was going on without drawing any attention to myself. I couldn't get far, my legs and arms still bound, but I could move enough to see I had been dropped on the edge of where the orcs were starting fires. They were arguing about not having meat, about only taking a bit of something or someone. I didn't wait any longer to find out if I was the unlucky someone, rolling onto my stomach and trying to crawl as fast as I could towards the forest at my back. I didn't get far before the whiny of horses and screeches of orcs sounded, rolling just in time to miss the horse hooves that almost trampled me. I couldn't stop the startled scream that pushed through my lips as I raised my arms in an attempt to fend off the dirt and grass being flung my way. "Quiet!" a gruff voice shouted in the distance, the area around me silent. "Is someone here?" it called; just as I was about to open my mouth to call out, an orc loomed over me with a menacing look, my scream being cut off by a fist coming at my temple, the darkness taking over me again. 

When I woke this time, the moon was high in the sky, and the familiar feeling of a horse was beneath me. Whimpering, I tried to shift in the saddle, a hand reaching back and steadying me. "Easy, little one." a gruff voice sounded. "You took quite a spill the last time you tried to shift," the male before me continued, "and you look like you've been beaten pretty good," he added. "What is your name?" the voice asked, "Nienna," I coughed out, "you are from Rohan," I commented, finally looking around, recognizing the banners they carried with them. "Yes, my name is Eomer. I am the captain of the Roherrium. What were you doing with a legion of orcs?" he questioned, slowing to a stop and dismounting his horse. "They looked like such a cheerful group to travel with," I shrugged, hissing as the movement made my shoulder scream in pain. "Well, I'm sorry to say they must not have felt the same about you, my Lady Nienna," he returned as he removed his helmet, smirking. He was one of the most handsome men I had ever met, his eyes a deep brown that I could almost get lost in. "I was traveling with my company; we got attacked and separated," I answered truthfully, nearly collapsing as he helped me to the ground. "There were too many of them; I got overrun," I admitted, letting him lead me to the small fire his men had started. "You are lucky to be alive," he whispered, offering me a cup of water and a small chunk of meat. "Luck," I whispered, unsure if that was the case, as the last moments of the fight played over and over in my head. The arrows struck Boromir as he shoved me out of the way. 

"I wish I knew if the others were." I sighed, thoughts of my fellowship circling through my head. Did Frodo survive? Did they make it away from the orcs? So many questions and no answers. "I cannot give you that answer," the male murmured, resting a war-roughened hand on my knee. "I can bring you somewhere if you know where you want to go," he offered; I had nowhere to go. I had left everything I knew behind to join the fellowship, and even if I asked to go back to Rivendell, I'm sure by now it was empty.

Lord Elrond would not have waited long before they left for the Gray Haven's. It made me wonder if Arwen had gone with them, if they had left all their things and only taken clothes. "My lady?" Eomer called, garnering my attention once more. "I have nowhere to return to," I whispered. "Where do you go? Back to Rohan?" I asked softly, staring into the firelight. "Wherever the wind shall take us, I suppose. We've been banished from Rohan, so we simply move through the Riddemark, killing any orcs we come across," he spoke, a sadness filling his voice. "The darkness has filled the minds of many, including the King of Rohan," he whispered, the sorrow and fear in his voice making my heart ache. "I wish I could tell you it gets better, but I've come from the far lands of the North, and the minds of those are filling with darkness as well," I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder. "The shadows have covered the whole of Middle Earth; there is nothing but waiting for death to take us," I murmured, having little hope of much more life. "Perhaps I'll ride with you if that's alright," I whispered, silence falling over us as we both became consumed by our thoughts. 

"Lady Nienna, wake up. We must move on," Eomer's voice sounded, rousing me from my unintentional slumber. "It is early," I sighed, letting him help me to my feet, my entire body screaming in pain. "Yes, but we must keep moving," he nodded, whistling softly, a grey-white horse trotting forward. "This is Arod; you're welcome to ride him," he offered, giving me a hand to mount the horse. "After you, my Lord," I nodded, waiting for the man to mount his horse before I followed after him and his men. "You watch me as if I am a ghost that will disappear should you look away for too long," Eomer commented as we cut across the plains. "I'm sorry, my Lord, I am still not sure this isn't a dream. I fear I will wake in captivity, and this is my mind's last hope at peace," I apologized, focusing instead on the land before us. "I promise you, my lady, I am no dream," he spoke, and I could see the grin on his lips from the corner of my eye. I remained silent after that, so deep in my thoughts that I almost missed the man whistling and the men turning back the way we had come. I fell to the rear, not knowing what had made the man turn so suddenly, and I was in no condition to fight unless necessary. However, as soon as I heard the voice that sounded, I slipped from my horse and pushed through the men, launching myself at the man in the center.

"Aragorn," I cried, hugging the male tightly. "Nienna, we thought you dead," Gimli shouted as I pulled back from the male and turned to his other two companions. "She almost was," Eomer sounded, a hand settling on my lower back. "We found her, a hostage of an orc legion not but a half a day from here," he explained. "Eomer and his men saved me." I nodded, looking up at the blonde with a small smile. "What of Merry and Pippen? Were they still alive?" Legolas asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Were they not with you?" I asked, looking between the three men.

"No, they were taken by the same legion as you." Aragorn murmured, "I never saw them," I whispered, wondering if I had tried harder if I could have found and saved the two halflings. "We found her on the outskirts of their encampment half dead; everything else we piled up and burned." Eomer whispered, "I'm sorry I could not give you better news," he added before whistling, Arod and another horse trotting forward. "May these horses treat you better than their previous owners." he sighed, passing the reigns to Aragorn before looking down at me. "I believe this is where your dream ends, my Lady," he smirked, gently brushing his hand down my cheek. "Will I see you again?" I asked softly, my hand falling to his armor-plated chest, almost wishing it had not been Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli that we had come upon—my time with the horse rider far too short for my liking. "In my dreams," he nodded, leaning down and kissing my forehead. "One day, we may cross paths. And I will dream of that day from this moment on," he whispered, a blush burning my cheeks at his words. "Take care, Lady Nienna," he murmured, stepping back. "Until we meet again, Lord Eomer," I whispered, stepping as tall as I could to gently press my lips to his cheek before I fell back, watching as he mounted his horse and his riders followed him out of sight. "Come, Nienna, let us go search for our friends," Aragorn murmured, offering me a hand from the brown horse he had been lent. "Let us pray they made it out unscathed," I whispered, letting him pull me up, my thoughts with the blonde-haired horse rider going off into the mid-day sun.