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Rider of the Mark	By : ZeDrippyVessel Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Het - Male/Female Views: 22789 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Rider of the Mark 45

The Horror of the Wold

Yule was upon Middle Earth. The weather turned crisper; there was more snow, much to the children of Edoras’s delight. Snowmen were built, snow battles were fought; so much more joy than the previous Yule’s. Even the adults joined in the fun. It was whispered Éomer was like a small child himself, enjoying the snow and laughter that hadn’t rung through the town in some years. The ovens in Meduseld were baking around the clock, all day and deep into the night. There would be feasting and joy and almost all looked forward to it.

The Yule log was dragged into Meduseld, one from a fallen tree from the east. No Winter’s Night tree was raised – there were simply no trees, which in the back of Éomer and Gamling’s mind was cause for concern. Lumber was being donated from several forests, seedlings due in the spring for the future, but there would be no Winternight trees for some years.

Or hanging trees. No gallows.

No one paid attention to the prisoner who was imprisoned in the stockade beneath the barn. He was fed three times a day, his chamber pot exchanged daily. No one spoke to him and he spoke to no one. If he planned, he kept it to himself. But it was if the entire town knew his life was forfeit. The king was simply waiting.

Waiting for his Riders to return with Aefre’s sister-in-law.

***

“Make her sit down!” Aelwydd had her hands on her hips. “Better yet, put her to bed with her feet up! She has no ankles!”

“Mother,” Aefre was scurrying about with unusual energy, her arms loaded with folded linens, “I am fine.”

Gamling leaned against the wall in their chambers, watching his wife move about. Granted, it wasn’t with her normal, usual efficiency, but still, considering how limp she’d been recently…

“Aefre, lift your skirts.”

Aefre looked at her husband with a side-glance. “Really, all I’m doing is putting things away.”

“Aefre-”

She lifted her skirts quickly before dropping them. “There. I have feet.”

“You’re wearing my woolens and no shoes!”

“Mine don’t fit!”

Aelwydd shrugged. “I told you.”

Gamling sighed and pushed himself off the wall. “That’s it. You are done for the day.”

“It’s not even noon!”

“Tell you what,” Gamling took the linens from her and set them on the table, “I’ll send for Beornia and tell her to bring Fyren’s little ones. They are making ornaments and decorations for Yule. They can sit on the bed with you and you can help.” Aefre rolled her eyes. “Come on, up with you!” He maneuvered Aefre backwards into the bed.

“I can’t just lay around-”

“Yes, you can.” Aefre found herself up and scooting back on the bed. Gamling pulled the pillows in a wad behind her save two and those he put under her feet. “Now stay put! I’m getting lunch and bringing… distractions.” He left. Aelwydd left. No one was left in the room, but her.

Aefre screamed in frustration at the top of her lungs.

***

Gamling heard her venting as he went down the hall. “This babe is late!” he growled at his mother. “I would take her horseback riding if I could get her up on the horse!”

“I would help if I could.” Aelwydd scurried to keep up. “Eadignes and Hildegard say she is close, everything is progressing. I would suspect this show of energy is her last burst before labor. Come to think of it, I believe she is in the stages of early labor.”

Gamling stopped in mid-stride and grabbed his mother by the forearm. “I am worried. The babe has been rock hard for a day and this morning, Aefre complained of a stringy discharge this morning.”

Aelwydd hissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she tapped her lip in thought. “I need to tell Eadignes and Hildegard and make sure we have plenty of birthing linens ready. You should stockpile wood for your fireplace and oil for the lamps in your rooms. The birthing stool has already been brought up to Eadignes’s room…” Aelwydd’s voice trailed off in thought. “Why are you doing standing there?” she finally snapped. “Go get Beornia! Aefre needs distraction!” She watched as her son darted down the hallway before whispering, “I hope you are ready to become a father.”

***

Eadlyn of the Wold was a beautiful woman.

Éomer made note of that immediately. She was tall, lithe, finely made, with the long, golden hair of the Rohirrim people and hazel eyes. However, despite the ride in the brisk weather, she was pale, wan beneath wind-reddened cheeks and she fidgeted nervously. She held a young boy by the hand, a lad of about five summers. He too looked as if he never saw the sunshine and he looked about nervously.

“Do you know why you are here?”

Eadlyn stood proudly. “No sir. I simply know a group of Riders carrying what the captain of my garrison claimed was the King’s Mark with orders to present myself in Edoras immediately to discuss an important matter.” She swallowed self-consciously. “I am but a widow. I have no idea what the King of Rohan would want with me.”

Éomer looked at her son. “What is your name?”

The little boy looked at his mother, who motioned him to answer. “Glædscipe.” He clutched a small wooden horse to his chest. “Do you have horses here-”

Eadlyn shushed him, but Éomer ignored her. “Have you eaten?”

Great brown eyes that Gamling would have recognized stared at the king. “No.”

Éomer smiled and motioned for a servant girl. “Feed young Glædscipe here and when he is full, find Beornia’s sons to take him to the barn. Tell them to make sure he stays out of the riders and Cynn’s way.” He looked pointedly at the boy. “If you wrap up warmly, I am sure there is enough snow down the hill to build a snow-orc.” Glædscipe grinned broadly and happily followed the buxom serving girl.

Eadlyn look was of pure terror. “Sir, my son-”

“I am Éomer, King of Rohan.” That stopped her and she snapped her mouth shut. “What we need to discuss is not for the ears of small children. Besides, he looks as if he could stand some friendship and dirt.” He inclined his head slightly. “As well as outdoor air. He will be safe.” He nodded to the rider who brought the woman and her child in. “Éothain, we are going to the King’s council chambers. Please find and send Willan, as well as Marshal Gamling, his lady, and my sister, Lady Éowyn.” He purposely didn’t mention Aefre’s name; he wanted to see Eadlyn’s reaction when she realized who the Marshal’s lady was.

She followed him meekly down the halls of Meduseld, before he opened the door to the king’s council chambers – part of the rooms that had been King Théoden’s apartments. Éomer refused to move into them, staying in his own room in Meduseld for reasons only known to him. He instructed her to make herself comfortable, while he waited in the open doorway.

Éowyn arrived first, introducing herself and attempted to make the woman at ease. Gamling arrived soon after.

“Your wife is coming?” Éomer entered the room and brought the door to a close.

“She moves slowly these days.” He leaned inwards, so Eadlyn could not hear. “My mother and Eadignes say I should be a father in the next day or two. She is showing signs.” He grabbed the king by the arm. “She needs not to be upset or angered unduly.”

“I suspect your wife will get more out of her than we will. Look at her. She looks hunted. Her son looks as if he never sees the daylight. She was terrified to allow him out of her sight.”

“Where is he?”

With this, Éomer smiled. “Hopefully, in the down fields, making snow orcs and getting dirty!” He moved into the room. “Eadlyn. You have met my sister Éowyn, and this is one of my Marshal’s; Gamling.” They nodded. “I am redoing some of the ways of our Riders and Gamling will be overseeing the Wold.” With this, she paled. “That is part of the reason why we called you here.”

“You have questions.” Her voice was breathy. “You should have sent for my captain. I do not oversee our garrison, which is quite small.”

Gamling did not sit down. Instead he leaned, bracing his hands on the armrests of her chair, effectively pinning her with his gaze. “I am more interested in the garrison at Woldenfeld.”

Her breath caught before she stiffened up. “The garrison at Woldenfeld is overseen by Gifre. You should ask him-”

“But I am asking you.”

“I know nothing of the garrison in the Woldenfeld.”

Gamling pushed off the chair and moved closer to the hearth. The fire was high and it glowed, throwing his shadow grotesquely on the wall. “I find that hard to believe. Your sister-in-law was married to the previous captain and came to your home when Gifre lied of being related to her husband.”

Eadlyn lifted her nose, brashly. “Gifre was Lufian’s cousin; therefore it was his right to claim the garrison and home. Aefre had no business trying to take over my home.” She did not hear the door open.

“Do you know where Aefre is now?”

“No!” she jeered irritably. “Knowing her, she landed on her feet somewhere, ingratiating herself and taking over someone’s household.” Eadlyn relaxed slightly in the chair. “She is more than a capable chatelaine.”

“Yes.” Éomer agreed. “She is.” Eadlyn jerked upright. “Éowyn? Would you say Aefre ingratiated herself when she arrived?”

“No.” Éowyn shook her head. “If anything, she was humble.” Gamling snorted at that. “But you are right, Eadlyn. She is more than a capable chatelaine.”

Éomer situated himself in front of Eadlyn, blocking the light from the fire. “Shall we go back to Gifre-”

“I don’t know anything about Gifre! I don’t like him, truth be told! He’s a perverted bastard! The last dealings I had with him were in the spring when the muster was called!”

Gamling and Éomer looked at each other.

*Now, we’re getting somewhere-*

“You saw him?” Éomer was cautious.

“So, he knew the muster was called?” Gamling was not so cautious.

“Yes, he knew! My captain at the time went to Gifre’s garrison and told him before the men of our garrison left!” Eadlyn was becoming quite agitated.

“Your captain would be able to testify to this?”

“Yes!” She spat. “Cræft was one of the few who returned!” Her anxiety was escalating. “You should have called him down for questioning, rather than me!”

Éomer was not the bit relenting. He took in her body language, her white knuckles. “But I wanted to talk to you.”

She shot up from the chair. “I said all I know. He knew the muster was called!” A heavy hand pressed her back down in the chair. She turned to see Willan, very stern, forcing her down in the seat.

“Shall we try again, Eadlyn?”

“What is Dwáslíht doing here?”

Éomer’s smile did not reach his eye. “His name is Willan and he has been a faithful retainer to my uncle’s and my house for many, many years. He was sent to the Wold for a purpose and I suggest you speak up-”

Eadlyn sneered. “Who would believe a dumb mute?”

“Anyone in Edoras.”

Eadlyn shot up again, staring at the woman in the shadows. “Aefre!”

Aefre’s eyes closed, willing herself to ignore the pain shooting through her back. So far in the shadows, no one notice her knuckles or lip that was turning white. “Gifre is your brother. We know that.”

Eadlyn sank in the chair, dawning on her features. “You wouldn’t understand-”

“No I don’t and I don’t know if I really want to understand, as much as I would prefer to slap the piss-fire out of you.” Aefre stepped into the light. “I do know this looks very bad for you.”

Immediately, Eadlyn was cajoling. “Aefre, please, surely, as a woman-”

“As a woman?” Her voice was a hiss. “Do not tell me how to be a woman!” As she came around the chair, her advanced pregnancy was very evident. Her lips were white, as were her knuckles.

Eadlyn’s eyes narrowed. “I see you have done very well for yourself. Who is the father?”

Aefre’s hand shot out, slapping the woman hard and knocking her back into the chair. “BICCE! You bitch!” She took a deep breath; her nostrils pinched and held it for several seconds before continuing. “You knew! You sent him! Was my father’s holdings not enough, you had to have mine as well?”

Eadlyn bolted from the chair, scrambling before Willan could catch her. Aefre backed up, Gamling and Éowyn moving between the two battling women. “You would think that! How dare you!”

“It is pretty obvious to me,” Éomer spoke quietly, inspecting his fingernails. “Gifre is your brother, you perpetrated a lie for him to take control of large garrison that did not belong to him. You have your holdings through death.”

“IT WAS HIS IDEA!!!” she screamed. “IT WAS HIS IDEA TO KILL THEM!!!”

The air rushed from Aefre’s lungs and she bent over. Her water broke at that instant, flooding the floor and Gamling’s boots and her contraction took her breath. There was noise, rushing wind surrounding her; Aefre could see Gamling’s mouth moving, Éomer’s mouth, silently shouting orders, Eadlyn’s fists pumping up and down in anger in slow motion. Éowyn was pointing…

There was no sound. None.

*the pain…*

Willan scooped her up, Gamling grabbing the door. Once they entered the hallway, it was if they were in a long tunnel, voices echoing…

*Get Eadignes, Hildegard, get my mother, Beornia. Send them to our rooms…*

They reached Gamling and Aefre’s chambers, Willan kicking the door open before Gamling could get to it. As he set her down, the contraction began to ease, but the next was already building.

“Aefre-”

“Don’t leave me.” The next contraction started and she grabbed Gamling’s hands, squeezing as it built. “Please don’t leave me. I think I’m going to have a baby.”

***
tbc
***
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Rider of the Mark