rohan

-Clang- -Clang- -Clang- The hammer fell down rhythmically, at regular intervals. -Clang- Jonn stood before an anvil, with multiple forges glowing in the background. -Clang- In his right hand he held the hammer, while his left held a pair of long-handled tongs gripping a piece of red-hot metal. -Clang- With every strike of the hammer, the metal slowly took shape. -Clang- He rotated the tongs, and the glowing metal became rounded. -Clang- The crude form of a helmet became apparent. -Clang- Out of the crest, the head and front legs of a horse rose, giving evidence of Rohirric design.

Time seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time. The urgency of the moment had now increased ten-fold as the half-naked man's most fearsome foe was no longer the fire passively devouring everything it happened to touch, but rather an armed brute intent on one thing, killing the man in front of him. Yet, as the heartbeat in his ears overpowered the roar of the flames, Jonn became aware of every muscle in his body, everything he could and could not do at this moment.

Awoken from an uneasy sleep, Jonn blinked an eye open to look blearily around the room. Light from the flames danced upon the far wall. Old, wooden timbers held up the second story above his head. A couple of small rooms led off from the common room where he lied. He idly stroked his fingers through the course fur of the bear-skin rug upon which he slept.

Death!

Gæded's heart raced as she stood before the closed gate. It was coming. These men, these soldiers, would fight for their home. So would she.

Death!

She felt slightly afraid, but she did not let it show. She was one of the eorlingas. She had to be brave.

Death!

She looked around her, at the men. Their golden hair glinted in the sunlight and their eyes sparkled with fear, excitement and determination. She felt those feelings too - she was not alone.

Death!

It was like the moments before the start of an upcoming fight, Gæded thought. The tension, the waiting, the feeling of holding your breath until the moment comes – it was all the same, though Gæded didn’t initially think that waiting for the Huntsmaster  to wake up would feel like this.