(no subject)
Title: Seventh Song
Rating: G
Characters: Eomer, Theodred
Disclaimer: Not mine. They are J.R.R. Tolkien's. And I only dream of getting paid for this.
Notes: Yup, this is an ordinary day for these two. Thusly, it was written for the ordinary day challenge. Feedback = :D :D <3!
Eomer watched Theodred as he worked with the big, temperamental mare. She was a prized horse, beautiful, good lines and strong legs. She could mother the finest of foals, when matched with the right stallion. But as it was right now, she wouldn’t have any of it. Theodred stood in the field, watching the mare. He moved slowly and smoothly, not making any sudden movements. Despite all this, he could not get within ten feet of her.
As Eomer looked on, the man and horse waltzed across the field, first Theodred’s move, then the mare’s counter; and he marveled at Theodred’s patience. He had been out in the field since early morning, picking where he had left off the day before, when the mare bolted from the care of the young stable-boy and took off onto the plains. Theodred went after her, allowing no one to follow, save Eomer. “It will be a good lesson for you,” he had said. So far, Eomer had only learned that the mare was beginning to favor one of her forelegs, but neither of them could get close enough to see if anything was truly wrong.
The mare shied off once more stopping several yards away from where Theodred stood. He stopped advancing, then dropped to the ground and sat, contemplating. Eomer thought for a moment that his cousin had given up and bowed out of the dance and was just about to go over to him and suggest they use the horses they brought with them to cut off and corner the stubborn animal, when Theodred began to sing. Eomer stopped mid-movement, surprised. The song was soft at first, but gradually increased in volume. Eomer listened, transfixed, to his cousin’s mellow baritone sing a lullaby from their childhood. When he finished the first song, he instantly began another, never taking his eyes off the mare.
The songs were no magic spell, and neither were they particularly special, but the mare seemed to calm under the constant sound. By the time Theodred had finished his second song the horse had stopped bucking and twisting wildly as he tried to draw near, and by the fifth song she stood completely still. The seventh song, a lovelorn ballad, had Theodred close enough to check for any sign of injury and gently place a guiding rope over the top of the mare’s neck. Singing steadily, Theodred ran his hands soothingly over the horse, coaxing her into moving with him back towards the stables. The song finished, and this time Theodred did not begin another, but rather murmured quietly to the mare, encouraging her home.
As the pair drew nearer to Eomer, he noticed the exhaustion on Theodred’s face and the slight limp of the mare as she favored her left foreleg. He led the two other horses, looking to Theodred with his questions written plainly on his face. Was she well? How did it happen? It would be a pity to lose such a fine animal, proud as she was.
Theodred saw his concern but merely grinned tiredly, silently assuring him that everything would be fine in the end. As they walked toward home, Theodred picked up the ballad once more. Eomer hesitantly joined him, buoyed by Theodred’s good spirits.
And singing, they walked on.
Crossposted in my journal and ringprov
Rating: G
Characters: Eomer, Theodred
Disclaimer: Not mine. They are J.R.R. Tolkien's. And I only dream of getting paid for this.
Notes: Yup, this is an ordinary day for these two. Thusly, it was written for the ordinary day challenge. Feedback = :D :D <3!
Eomer watched Theodred as he worked with the big, temperamental mare. She was a prized horse, beautiful, good lines and strong legs. She could mother the finest of foals, when matched with the right stallion. But as it was right now, she wouldn’t have any of it. Theodred stood in the field, watching the mare. He moved slowly and smoothly, not making any sudden movements. Despite all this, he could not get within ten feet of her.
As Eomer looked on, the man and horse waltzed across the field, first Theodred’s move, then the mare’s counter; and he marveled at Theodred’s patience. He had been out in the field since early morning, picking where he had left off the day before, when the mare bolted from the care of the young stable-boy and took off onto the plains. Theodred went after her, allowing no one to follow, save Eomer. “It will be a good lesson for you,” he had said. So far, Eomer had only learned that the mare was beginning to favor one of her forelegs, but neither of them could get close enough to see if anything was truly wrong.
The mare shied off once more stopping several yards away from where Theodred stood. He stopped advancing, then dropped to the ground and sat, contemplating. Eomer thought for a moment that his cousin had given up and bowed out of the dance and was just about to go over to him and suggest they use the horses they brought with them to cut off and corner the stubborn animal, when Theodred began to sing. Eomer stopped mid-movement, surprised. The song was soft at first, but gradually increased in volume. Eomer listened, transfixed, to his cousin’s mellow baritone sing a lullaby from their childhood. When he finished the first song, he instantly began another, never taking his eyes off the mare.
The songs were no magic spell, and neither were they particularly special, but the mare seemed to calm under the constant sound. By the time Theodred had finished his second song the horse had stopped bucking and twisting wildly as he tried to draw near, and by the fifth song she stood completely still. The seventh song, a lovelorn ballad, had Theodred close enough to check for any sign of injury and gently place a guiding rope over the top of the mare’s neck. Singing steadily, Theodred ran his hands soothingly over the horse, coaxing her into moving with him back towards the stables. The song finished, and this time Theodred did not begin another, but rather murmured quietly to the mare, encouraging her home.
As the pair drew nearer to Eomer, he noticed the exhaustion on Theodred’s face and the slight limp of the mare as she favored her left foreleg. He led the two other horses, looking to Theodred with his questions written plainly on his face. Was she well? How did it happen? It would be a pity to lose such a fine animal, proud as she was.
Theodred saw his concern but merely grinned tiredly, silently assuring him that everything would be fine in the end. As they walked toward home, Theodred picked up the ballad once more. Eomer hesitantly joined him, buoyed by Theodred’s good spirits.
And singing, they walked on.
Crossposted in my journal and ringprov