~Adventures in Sheildmaidenry~

[Rilda]

((This is my first chaptered fanfic, and I am still writing it, so please bear with me. All comments are heartily accepted! ;D Part 2 - I don't know why I'm calling them parts instead of chapters - should be up sometime next week.))

Disclaimer : All places and some of the characters in this story belong to Tolkien. Any Elvish also belongs to him.

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Adventures in Shieldmaidenry

Part 1

"Excuse me," I said. "Am I being kidnapped?"
"Shut your mouth," said a rough voice.
I tried to shift my bound limbs among the sacks in the cart - without success. "I though so. May I point out that this is most inconvenient."
A face rougher than its voice appeared over the side of the cart. "Shut your mouth or we shut it for you," he said, brandishing a whip. I wondered what a whip had to do with shutting my mouth. I decided it prudent not to ask. However, no being in an amiable mood, I sighed loudly.
The face sneered at me and disappeared. I suppose his day wasn't marvelous, either. After all, he'd probably had to help carry me while I was sleeping. And, well, what with helping to mind my younger brothers and sisters, and the horse-riding and swordplay I've learned...suffice it to say that muscles are heavier than fat.
Of course you are wondering who I am. And of course I will tell you.
I am called Melgwaith and am the second child in my family, and the eldest girl-child. My father is Faramir son of Denthor, and holds the title of Steward of Gondor and Prince of Ithilien, and is favorable in the eyes of the king. My mother is the Lady Eowyn of Rohan, and the sister of the King of the Mark. I suppose you've heard of them.
Thalion, my elder brother, is seventeen years of age, and is being trained, of course, as the eldest and the eldest boy. He shall be Steward one day. So, he has been taught a great deal of lore, and has nearly learned Elvish. One of he king's sons himself is teaching him, for the queen herself is and Elf, and Father knows hardly any Elvish.
Next in the order of things is myself. I am fifteen. I am being trained - of course - to have a household of my own one day. I must say, though, that I prefer the outdoor lessons to the indoor ones. But I know both are good for me, and I try not to grouse.
Ria and Riadin are next : they're twins. However, they have different birthdays, for Ria was born on sunset of one day, and Riadin on sunrise of the next. (I have a vague memory - I was two at the time - of being taken care of by friends in another part of the City. I remember I didn't understand what was going on.) The twins are thirteen ; Ria is being trained in much the same way as myself, and Riadin much the same as Thalion. Both are on the quiet side.
Mirlom comes after them ; she's ten and such a joy. Her face is nearly always crinkled into a grin, and I must say that her public hugs are sometimes embarassing. But she is, after all, my sister. She has begun her training but three weeks past.
Culfin is eight. A more eight child I have never seen.
Jerold, Forold and Korold are five. Yes ; triplets. They were born in the aforesaid order. Jerold, as the oldest, is the ringleader. They get into a deal of trouble.
Fin is the youngest (thus far). When Mother first saw him (having seen enough names to make her sick) she said, "He has hair. Let's name him Fin." Fin, of course, being the Elvish word for hair, as I learned from Thalion. Fin is two and calls me "Me'gwah'."
Those are all of them ; nine kids besides me. But Mother is still fit and can beat me at a practice sword fight, and fight Thalion to a draw. Father can still beat Mother, though.
But of course, as soon as you found out who I was, you wanted to get back to the kidnapping. Perhaps you've even skipped ahead. It's your own fault if you don't remember anything about my family ; but it is time to get back to the main point.
Which was that I was being smuggled to somewhere among sacks of grain in a cart, and it was very uncomfortable.


((Edit : Forgot disclaimer. ))

[LilPippin]

lol that's okay. You fixed it. Looks like your OCs are off to a good start! Eagerly waiting for the next chapter.

[Faramir_is_my_guy]

It's great, Rilda!!

[Rilda]

Thank you! (And thanks for reviewig, too. )
Sorry it took so long to type it up. I type slowly.

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Adventures in Shieldmaidenry

Part 2

~Where is that girl? Eowyn wondered as the family sat down to breakfast. ~She's hardly ever this late.
"Culfin, go up and look for Melgwaith, and when you find her tell her it's time for breakfast, please," Eowyn said.
Both Melgwaith and Culfin missed the moment of silence as the family faced towards the west, and when still neither appeared, Faramir sent Thalion up to "see what in Middle-earth they're up to." Thalion came down soon after, with his hand on Culfin's shoulder.
"She isn't there," he reported, looking rather troubled. "Culfin looked. I looked. But there aren't that many places to hide -"
"And she likely has no reason to hide, anyway," finished his father. (Melgwaith was rarely in trouble.) "So where can she be?"
A short silence followed as all considered this. Korold, the youngest and most thoughtful of the triplets, was first to speak. "Maybe she was kidnapped."
This thought had been in the minds of all ; but, as it was out, Mirlom asked, "But why? Wouldn't a prince or princess have been better, if it was for ransom, I mean?" Another pause before Ria spoke.
"But the royal family is under guard." Ria spoke first of the twins in almost every situation, and Riadin was always quicker than anyone to see what she was saying.
"But Mellie knows swordplay," protested Culfin.
"Of course," replied Riadin,"but they could have carried her out while she was asleep. They could have even gotten herbs into our food to make us sleep extra-soundly last night." He glanced around the table. "I know I did."
There was a general round of agreement, even from Forold, whose mouth was full, and Fin, who was, for whatever reason, under the table.
The family sat for a moment in silent shock.
"Fin, get up and sit down," said Eowyn.
Silence reigned awhile longer as the younger children realized that something was going on.
~ ~ ~ *~ ~ ~
I knew I would have to try to escape sooner or later. It was, doubtless, expected of me. If I didn't, the kidnappers would probably think I was up to something.
I got the perfect chance that evening when the cart stopped at the Anduin ; the perfect chance to show them I wasn't up to anything. They were apparently getting on a waiting boat, me with them, of course. But when the rough-faced man untied my legs, I jumped over the side of the cart and ran - as well as anyone can run who has been kidnapped and tied up all day, which is not very well.
I didn't stop when he said to, because, of course, that is how things are : the kidnapper tells you to stop, and if you're the kidnappee and escaping, you don't stop. It's tradition.
To get my face out of the dirt, I rolled over. "May I point out to you," I said tartly as the kidnappers came running up, " that your methods are extremely unconventional?"
"Get up," said the rough-faced man, and he and the cart-driver yanked me up by my bound arms. I allowed them to drag me, as is only proper for an escapee who is caught. Then they put me on the boat (a sleazy-looking, unreliable thing), and the cart-driver said, "Sit down."
I sat.
"Get up, sit down, shut up, shut down... the service is most unsatisfactory in these parts," I said, tossing my hair back from my face. Then I glowered. "No-one even lets me braid my hair back."
Face looked at Cart. Cart looked at Face. "It's going to be a long journey," they said in unison.
They didn't know the half of it. They'd made me sit among the fishing tackle, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I was sitting on a packet of fishhooks. As the journey continued I became sure of it.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Thalion was, of course, the one to go on the journey, and his mother and father had rather been hoping that he might be able to go on a quest as he entered manhood ; however, the parental two did barricade themselves in the study for a quiet debate, for there were some questions about it. Was he too young? Ought someone to go with him? Who? Faramir? But if Faramir went, who would fulfill the office of Steward?
They had no idea that they were a great deal more concerned about their daughter than their daughter was about herself. (Perhaps Melgwaith, though, should have been a bit more concerned about herself, as you will see when you see.)
But, finally, every question had been answered, though Faramir and Eowyn were still uneasy, and spoke a little while longer.
"And what will we do if - the worst - happens?" asked Eowyn.
"O my wife," said Faramir. "I know that by 'the worst' you mean death, but we know that there are fates worse than death, which, as Eru wills, none of our children will have to face." Indeed, they had seen many things during the War of the Ring that were worse than death.
Eowyn reached for his hand and they stood a moment in silence,
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Thalion rode the horse he had been given on the twelfth anniversary of his birth. It had been presented to him by King Uncle (as the children called their Uncle Eomer) and Aunt Finelena, his gentle wife. The name of the steed was Curoch, which means 'Skillful Horse'. Indeed, though Thalion could already ride when he received him, the horse was so well-trained that Thalion had had to take special lessons before riding him.
Thalion' sword was girded around his waist ; it was not jeweled or gilded ; but it had been made by Dwarves, so of course it was a good blade. It's name was Maeg.
Thalion also carried Melgwaith's short sword, Mantir, which she would undoubtedly want as soon as he found her.
He was ready. They'd taken his sister, and now he would take her back.
Or Else.