Silverhelm: A Tale of Two Enemies

Legolas And I Drink the Rohirrim Out Of Beer

As soon as I had taken care of Daelen, I headed towards Meduseld with the others, where preparations for a celebration were taking place. Eowyn, who was standing at the top of the steps, immediately whisked my away to her room to 'get me cleaned up'.

"I heard you held the gates on your own," she said excitedly as she helped me patch up the few small cuts I had.

"I did, but I had help from Aragorn and Gimli. Ahh!" I winced as she dabbed at a cut above my eye with a cloth soaked in water.

"Hold still," she ordered me. "Oh, why do you have to be so reckless and get yourself nearly killed? Why can you not use a bow like Lord Legolas instead of charging in like Aragorn, not knowing if you're going to live or not?"

"The bow is a safer - ooh - weapon, but with the sword, you never run out of blades. It is an extension of your arm. Ouch! Could you not do that?" We conversed in this manner, Eowyn lecturing me (why is everyone lecturing me?) and me crying out. Since I had no major wounds, just some cuts and scratches (especially from when I fell off the cliff), Eowyn just basically stopped the bleeding.

She ordered me to sit still, then rummaged in her wardrobe and brought out a dress, silver with interlacing green vines. The dress was short, about knee-length, and looked more like a tunic worn by an elf.  Eowyn also brought out leggings in a matching color and design. Holding the dress against me, she studied me with a careful eye.

"These were a gift to me from the Prince of Dol Amroth," she said, picking open the ties at the back with her fingernails. "I think they'll suit you."

"But Eowyn-" I protested.

"No buts," she interrupted. "You're wearing the dress." I smiled. She already had the commanding voice that all royals had. Eowyn turned around to search for something for her to wear, leaving me to change. I pulled on the clothes she had set aside for me and set my old clothes on the floor, folded. Eowyn emerged clutching a long dress with trailing sleeves. It was white in color and had elegant embroidery along the bodice.

Seeing me wearing the dress, Eowyn smiled. Carefully setting down her dress on the bed, she walked over to me and tied the back of the dress. She stepped back, narrowed her eyes, and retrieved a sturdy belt with the same designs as the dress and tied it on for me, in a bow with the long ends trailing down the back. She motioned for me to tie Nahtar on. I did so, and Eowyn said, "You look beautiful! Like a real legend. Can you help me with this?"

I helped her into the long white dress and tied the back of the bodice. It had an open back with just the ties stretching across. Stunning.

"Sit," I told her. She obligingly sat in a wooden chair. I brushed her beautiful golden hair out and braided it back in elf-fashion, so some of it was tied and the rest was loose. When I was done, I led her to the tall mirror. She gasped.

"It's beautiful, Lyrasael!" she said. I smiled. "Now, let's do something about your hair."

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary-" I said, a hand straying to my tangled hair.

"Nonsense." And with that, she made me sit. She carefully undid my hair from its once-tight, now-messy, long braid. Combing out the dust and whatnot, she brushed my hair until it was straight and shining. I didn't have wavy hair like her, or Galadriel, or Arwen; despite hundreds of years of tight braids, my hair remained stubbornly straight.

Eowyn, praise her skill, managed to arrange it, unbraided, so it fell past my shoulders elegantly. I thanked her many times, but she waved it away, saying that that's what friends do. "Come on," she said. "It's almost time." We hurried to the main hall where Riders were assembling.