Jail Break

A/N: I got some requests for some more stories LotR characters when they were young, so I decided to do one focusing mainly on Éowyn. It’s a different one, looking more at them as bickering siblings, then the close siblings they are in the movie and book. Just so you don’t get confused, their parents are not there, they’re out somewhere, just not at Edoras, so they’re staying with Théoden. Enjoy the story.

***************************************************************************

A young Éowyn peeked around the corner before proceeding across the Golden Hall. She was supposed to be taking a nap, but she had snuck out of her room, knowing that Melinda, her nurse, was out doing whatever she wanted while Éowyn was “sleeping”.

She was so busy looking to her sides, making sure no one saw her that she ran right into someone in front if her. “I’m sorry,” she said, backing up and seeing that she had run into Grìma, the son of her uncle’s advisor.

Grìma put out an arm to steady her. “Are you all right, Lady Éowyn?”

“I’m okay. I didn’t mean to run into you, Grìma. I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”

He smiled. For some reason, Éowyn didn’t like Grìma very much. Though he was thirteen to her six years, he was very friendly towards her. To her, that didn’t seem right. Her cousin and brother were a lot less friendly with her, but that was mostly when she wanted to tag along with them, and Théodred was only five years older than her, and Éomer only four. Also, Grìma did not look like most boys his age. His skin was slightly pale from all the hours he spent reading inside, and his jet black hair vastly contrasted with the blond hair most common in most of the Rohirrim.

“I’m all right. Why were you running across the hall?”

“I’m supposed to be taking my nap, but I snuck out. I don’t want Melinda or Uncle to catch me.”

“Well, I promise I won’t tell anyone,” Grìma told her, “Go on, run along.”

Éowyn did as he said, and exited the Golden Hall, jumping along the path as she ran down the hill. By a small stone wall, she saw Éomer and Théodred play-fighting with some other boys. She ran over to them and sat on the wall.

“Whatcha doin’, Éomer?” she asked, “Can I play with you?”

“No, go away,” he told her, “Aren’t you supposed to be taking your nap?”

“I snuck out, booger-head,” she shot back, sticking out her tongue. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“I don’t have to do anything. It’s not my fault if you get in trouble. Now go away.”

“Why don’t you leave?” Éowyn retorted, “You’re the one who doesn’t want to be around me!”

“We were here first; you leave. You’re not ever supposed to be here!”

“No! I’m staying right here,” she told her brother, folding her arms over her chest defiantly.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Uh-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Uh-huh!”

Their argument was cut short because, at that moment, Éowyn’s nurse spotted her arguing with her brother and marched over to them. “Éowyn, what do you think you are doing?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

Éowyn looked up at Melinda guiltily. She knew she’d been caught.

“But… but I wasn’t tired,” she whined, “I don’t need a nap!”

“I don’t care. You march up to your room this instant and go to sleep, young lady!” Melinda ordered.

“But I’m not tired!”

“It doesn’t matter what you want, Éowyn. Your parents have instructed that you are to take a nap every day after lunch, and I intend on seeing that you do,” Melinda told her, taking Éowyn’s hand and pulling her down from the wall. “Let’s go.”

As she was being pulled back up the hill to Meduseld, Éowyn saw Éomer laugh and stick his tongue out at her.