Eowyn smirked an diabolical grin as she watched her brother Eomer from afar.

He was galloping madly on his horse, nearing ever closer to his prey, and poor, miserable Fastred was playing the prey.

Fastred, being one of Eomer's men, and a great friend to him as well, looked as if he would rather be out on the real battlefiel than be Eomer's opponent in the game they played now.

The game had no name, nor rules. There would simply be two riders on horseback, and would they would duel with their foils until the opponent fell from his mount, hence, the object was to stay on the steed as long as you might.

This was game often played by Eowyn and Eomer when they had naught else to do in Theoden's court, and often led to injury. Fastred's horse was trying in vain to escape from Eomer's clutches, but a smirk that curled around Eomer's lips proved ill fated for the poor lad.

Ever so elegantly, Eomer's horse countered Fastred's spooked old beast, and both the opponents unsheathed their swords prominently, while remaining at break-neck speed.

After that, several clings and clangs could be heard from the two riders; Eomer thrust and spun his sword, while Fastred could only guard himself and do no harm to his opponent.

Then Eomer did something that poor Fastred did not intend. With one swift fluid motion, Eomer brought up his leg and kicked
Fastred in the gut with all his might. Eowyn instinctively laughed, and then nudged her horse, Endelaith, forward to meet the
defeat and the champion.

"Hmm..." she said, looking at Fastred, sprawled out on the ground and gasping for breath. "I do believe," started Eowyn, her
eyes shifting over to her brother, proudly beaming down on his fallen opponent. "Eomer is the winner of this round."

Fastred propped himself up on his arms and squinted at Eowyn. "I beg thee pardon, my lady, but do you claim your brother's side for the sake of your own?"

Eowyn laughed. "Dear Fastred, Eomer could not scathe me, even if he tried." she said, looking at Eomer with a mocking glance.

Eomer cocked an eyebrow at her, and then shrugged.

"Do you think so?" all though he knew in his heart, Eomer would rather die a thousand deaths before he hurt Eowyn.

Eowyn gave a tilt of her head. "I know so, brother."

"A duel then."

Fastred looked up sharply. "Eomer-" he started in a motherly tone. But Eomer held his hand up to him, smirking at Eowyn.

"Only I will change the rules."

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "What has it been now brother, six years? seven? Since the day I was eleven years of birth, I have
played as many tactical games as-"

"You didn't let me finish. Why, on earth do you think I would change the rules of this game for your benefit?" Eowyn pulled out
her sword, Erendis and held it up proudly.

"You would then, change them because I am involved, would you not?" she asked quietly.

Eomer turned his head slightly. "Can you blame me? For I enjoy a challenge as much as the next man."

Eowyn was touched, but she knew better than to let it show. There was a fierce pause between the siblings, finally Eowyn lowered her sword. "What would you change?" she asked flatly. Eomer shrugged.

"This and that." Eowyn raised her sword again, and Eomer raised his palms up in mock surrender. "Aye, I would grant you a duel between you, I and Fastred."

Fastred suddenly arose from the ground, his face beguiled with torment. "Say not so, lord!"

Eomer laughed. "Oh yes, for only together can you and I be worthy opponents for Eowyn."

That was overdoing it.

Inside, Eowyn snarled with rage.

Eomer was humoring her. He would pay for that. Dearly.

With a sharp sling, Eowyn set her gaze and pulled out Erendis again.

"We will see who is worthy." she snarled. Eomer drew back considerably, for it was then he realized that his younger sister was taking this quite seriously.

There was another silence. And then Eomer spoke. "Fastred." he began in a grave tone. "Get up."

Eowyn gave him a cock of the eyebrow, before she nudged Endelaith around to take her place at the opposing side of the field.
Endelaith pranced as proudly as Eowyn felt now, for only Eomer's blood sister could show him what a child he was to think
Eowyn incapable.

Endelaith turned around so that her rider was facing Eomer and Fastred about a half a mile away in the distance. There was an eerie silence circling the threesome, and Fastred was positively convulsing with fright, but Eomer sat unwavering on his horse, as if waiting for a real life foe to come hurtling at him on from all sides. The distance between them seemed altogether too vast and uncomprehendable for her to grasp. But Eowyn knew how to win this game.

"Don't let us down, Dela." Eowyn murmured to her horse, like a mother cooing her sad child.

Endelaith gave a snort and a rear of her head, in a signal that she would not, and Eowyn's throat should be slit for even dreaming her horse was not capable of defending her.

They stood there for another moment or so, Endelaith prancing impatiently, and Eowyn trying to sharpen her nerves. After what seemed decades later, Eowyn decided that she was going to have to begin this duel, and it was now or never.

With one little nudge with her knee onto her horse's upper shoulder, they were bounding off and charging towards her opponents. Eomer and Fastred quickly caught on as well, and proceeded to meet Eowyn in a blind rush. The wind was beating harshly against Eowyn's face, but she took no bother of it and kept her eyes always on Eomer.

Closer, and closer Endelaith charged. If she wasn't mistaken, Eowyn could have sworn the horse was just as annoyed as she was.

Fastred and Eomer were only about a yard or so away. Eowyn fumbled around blindly for her girdle, and then found the hilt of her sword.

Now they were only a few feet away from her, and the looks on their faces were clear cut as stone. Eomer, had his square jaw firmly set and looked like he was about to slay a herd of orc, and Eowyn couldn't tell if Fastred was afraid of hurting or being hurt.

A sharp clang indicated the duo had pulled their weapon of choice from their scabbard, but as for defense, Eowyn had beaten them there, for her sword was faithfully at her side, and then her golden moment came.

As swift as a swarm of bees, Eomer and Fastred unintentionally made a narrow path between their horses for Eowyn. Speeding
between them, she took advantage of the opening and in the process, scored a harsh point on Fastred by bumping him harshly
in the gut with the hilt of her sword.

They were behind her, and Endelaith didn't waste anytime turning back around and charging once again at them.

This time it was Eomer who made the first move, he brought up his sword high above his head and swung it down by Eowyn's
crown, she ducked impulsively and the blade caught a lock of golden hair from Eowyn's head.

She gave a grunt.

Too close.

Endelaith gave a snort of outrage at the foreplay, and charged out of Eomer's position so that they could charge at the duo with more precision.

Endelaith galloped a good few feet, and then whipped around. Eowyn had a strategy now.

Take out Fastred first, and then go for Eomer. When they turned around, Eomer was hurtling toward them aggressively.

Apparently, he wasn't going to make any exceptions for his younger sibling. Eowyn had to get rid of him temporarily, so she feigned a move on his shield arm, and just when he had raised his sword to clash with hers, Eowyn slit the buckle on Eomer's saddle and he slid lopsidedly to the left of his saddle. A few feet to her right, Eowyn heard Fastred giggle with content on his fellow player's disposition.

Eowyn turned her head sharply toward him and brought up her sword with a sly grin. Fastred's mocking grin suddenly fell, and
his horse cantered backwards oddly.

"No. . . no, spare me Lady!" he cried out in a shrill voice.

Endelaith made for him, and Fastred forced his steed to flee. Eowyn instantly sprang after him viciously, and concluded that this would be a brief confrontation for Fastred's horse was as slow as a mule, and Endelaith's speed was inferior to none.

She quickly gained on him. And gave him an irreverent grin as she pulled her sword from her scabbard.

"Tell me," cried Eowyn above the violent hoof beats against the long twigs and weeds of the field.

"Have you ever claimed feat to a woman of Rohan?"

Fastred did not reply, he was in too much haste to get out of her grasp.

"Any woman at all then?" laughed Eowyn, knowing she wouldn't get a reply from him so long as he was running.

Playing with the whip of the wind, Eowyn took Erendis from her side, and with one swift fluid motion, slapped Fastred in the ribs with the flat of it. He was caught off guard, and fell immediately.

With a dull thump and a handful of cursing, Fastred landed, and his horse stopped immediately. Eowyn took the cursings of her young friend as signal that he was unspoiled, and immediately took off for Eomer.

He was waiting for her. An eerie chill ran down Eowyn's spine as she saw he had removed the saddle, and was riding bareback. Eomer seemed to have a stern face abiding her, and daring her to make the first move. But Endelaith stood as still as a rock.

She did not know how long they were there, but she kept her guard up the whole time. For the second Eowyn let herself grow
bored, Eomer would charge. And charge he did, but at great length. Endelaith needed no nudging to get moving, she was faster than most of Eowyn's nerves and jumped the moment Eomer did, causing Eowyn a small gasp of surprise.

She tucked Erendis under her arm but protruding enough to fool Eomer into thinking it had a will of its own. She noticed Eomer's sword was no where to be seen, and wondered if it were a small trick.

Only when he came within inches of her, did Eowyn realize what his plans were, and she was powerless to stop them. He did not even have to force the sword out of her hands, for Eowyn was too shocked at how lightly and gently he did so. She growled with annoyance, and Endelaith turned back around so that Eomer's smug look of pride was crystal clear to her.

Eowyn made for Eomer once again, this time intent on just strangling the sword out of his grip. Eomer did not budge, but she didn't care, for it made it look like he was a sitting duck, and when Eowyn got within two inches of her brother, he calmly brought out the sword and smote her on the chest with an action too swift for words. Before she hit the ground, Eowyn was cursing.

However, when she did hit the ground, she could not bring herself to open her eyes, she was much to shamed of her blindness of vanity. Fool! she hissed at herself. Eomer always plays that trick on all his enemies on the play field and battlefield. Eowyn's long train of thoughtful cursings were interrupted by her being shaken.

"An excellent strategy, Eomer!" spat Fastred, dripping in sarcasm yet obviously panicking.

"Now we will have to explain to King Theoden why we have brought his niece in half than soiled conditions!"

"It was her idea!" interjected Eomer.

"Oh yes! We will have quite a time reasoning your uncle out of putting us both to stable cleaning! 'Begging your pardon, majesty
but I just couldn't deny Eomund's daughter a challenge!' "

"Oh do shut that ever moving hole in your face!" groaned Eowyn, stirring and opening her eyes.

"Sister! You're all right, I thought I'd hit you too hard-"

"Nonsense," said Eowyn, sitting up. "But just hard enough to teach a foolish maiden a thing or two."

Eomer smiled. "I commend you for knocking Fastred off his mount. Though, I must say, it does not take more than a child with a dog's strength to do so." he laughed, and then offered Eowyn his hand and pulled her up.

"Well," he said, looking her over and brushing off her shoulders. "Better than yesterday, wouldn't you think Fastred?"

Fastred gave an annoyed sigh, and Eomer laughed. "Anything broken?"

Eowyn had a long cut along her cheek, her shield arm was badly bruised and she couldn't help but feeling her ribs were not all
intact, but she played it rough and shook her head."With the exception of my pride."

Eomer and Fastred both laughed this time.

"Well, perhaps tomorrow, eh Lady?" said Eomer with a smile.

His smile was infectious, and she couldn't help but do the same. "You can count on it."

And they made their way back to Theoden's court, armed with plentiful yet exaggerated excuses for their bumps, bruises, and
cuts.