A/N: Not mine. Written as part of Tolkien's Realm's Twenty Drabbles Challenge, this one for "fear." It's still open, for those who would like to get involved on LJ.

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Fear, Eomer eventually realized, was something that a man never really conquered. He might overcome one aspect of it, such as the dark nights when his sister cried and their mother could not come to comfort her, but then another emerged, like riding pell-mell behind his cousin, aiming the lance like so and bracing in the stirrups like this… and then tumbling to the ground, grasping frantically for his sword because this wasn't a game, wasn't a drill anymore and he didn't have to be afraid of Theodred thrashing him soundly… Then Theodred wasn't there anymore, and Eomer wouldn't be able to comfort Eowyn, either. Eomer doubted that his uncle would step in to do so, and he had never been more afraid in his life.