The sound of orcs could be heard, it was the Eowyn's first sign they were getting closer. A rumble of hundreds, thousands of them snarling and hissing at each other in a ceaseless argument, together with the crash of metal as they pounded the dents out of their cheap armour and scraped their even cheaper swords at whetstones. Then the smell, dank and dreary, mouldy and dirty, as if none of them had washed since coming out of their caves; overlaid with the ordure of the camp and the sweet, disgusting smell of rotten meat. Eowyn wrinkled her nose, glancing round at the others as she did. Grimbold and the other captains remained impassive, their faces as unmoving as statues. Theoden King barely seemed to notice, but he noticed little these days, he wasn't even riding, but was slumped in a litter covered in warm blankets. Only Wormtongue seemed to notice the smell, his face creasing in disgust, before straightening it as he saw Eowyn looking at him. He gave her a sickly smile and she gave him a glare back. It didn't seem to effect him and if she'd been hoping he'd fall of his horse with the weight of her hatred she was disappointed. He looked like he was going to, but he always did -- for a man of Rohirrim he was no rider.
Soon they crested the rise and saw the orcish encampment, or rather encampments, as there were more than one tribe. There were thousands of them, Goblins, Uruk-Hai, Hobgoblins, the descendents of tortured elves, as well creatures which were neither man nor orc, but a terrible interbreeding of the two. There were men amongst them as well, evil Dunlending tribesmen allied to Saruman and his Master, and captured prisoners, enslaved by the cruel invaders. Each camp was ringed with wooden stakes, sharp enough to stop a charging horse and the stubs of trees around the valley showed there had once been woods here. In each camp there were lean toos and tents, so poorly constructed they looked like they were about to collapse and almost certainly would do if the wind moved above a stiff breeze. She could see why they smelt, there were no latrine pits away from the camp, instead the orcs shitted where they wanted and if they were lucky it wasn't near the food or in one of the shelters. A few of the enslaved prisoners seemed to be trying to clean up, but weren't having much success. More were cooking the food, boiling and braising over open fire, before serving to hungry orcs sitting at ramshackle tables. Yet more were in a pen, all young women, all sobbing as every few minutes an orc would come up and roughly grab one by the arm to drag them away for a bit of fun -- for the orc anyway. The final two slaves were nailed to a post, blood dripping down them as they were whipped by a laughing orc.
And above it all -- the White Hand of Saruman.
The White Wizard was striding towards them, leaning on his staff, though he no way needed it. Behind him came a muscular looking orc, a few strides behind the Wizard, but only few - enough to show he was a servant, but not enough to suggest subservience. The Riders dismounted, most of them gracefully, Wormtongue less so. He went to help Eowyn dismount, as the Captains went to their King to help him to his feet. Eowyn spurned Wormtongue's hand, smiling at his hurt look and then shivering as he gave an evil smile, "No matter Lady Eowyn, I was just being friendly, I thought you might need friends." He gave a cackle and walked over to the King, allowing the feeble old man to lean on him as he led him forward towards the Wizard, "Careful my King, you don't want to overtax yourself, slowly, slowly, lower yourself in a bow."
Eowyn blushed as she watched her uncle and King abase himself before the Wizard. She could almost hear the creak of the bones as he bowed deeply, even though in theory he was the superior and the Wizard just a trespasser on his lands. The Captains looked away, she knew they too felt her shame, but like her they were loyal to the Theoden King, and if he said it was peace with the orcs and the Wizard peace it was -- her brother had thought differently, now he was dead and in a traitor's grave.
Saruman let Theoden bend for long moments, before he said with no hint of irony, "You do not need to bow before me Theoden, we are all friends are we not." His voice was a mellifluous and honeyed as it ever was, making even the most harsh words sound soft and darkest lies like the deepest truths. If Eowyn had not known he'd led the orcs into their lands she would have believed he was the closest friend her uncle had. In fact he sounded so reasonable, that for a moment, she almost doubted that he had led them and it was only the sign of his flag flying over their camps which made her jolt her head back and regard the Wizard with hatred.
"Peace..." her Uncle's voice was soft, but it wasn't the softness of the Wizards, but age and infirmity as if every word was a struggle.
"Peace is what we shall have," Grima Wormtongue spoke for Saruman even though he was her uncle's servant, "Now you have rid your halls of false counsellors and traitors who wanted to war against our friend and ally."
"Peace is what we all desire -- a small tribute to be paid to me each year, some lands you no longer need, " Saruman said and whilst the tribute was not small and the lands were a third of the kingdom it sounded so reasonable. He didn't mention the prisoners and slaves that the orcs would be keeping nor the right of passage for his armies or the conscription of Rohirrim for war against Gondor, but if he had Eowyn was sure the honeyed words would coat those as fluently.
She was behind her uncle now, just feet away from Saruman and she saw him looked at her -- it was only close up she could see the cruelty and malice in his face, showing that all his words were lies and deception. He was no friend of Rohan, but it's end, the Kingdom would fall, in reality it had already fallen with a whimper. She wanted to scream that out, cry to the Captains to take up their swords and in one final charge write a song to be remembered. But she couldn't, loyalty to Theoden, as a king and kinsman was too deep in her. The White Wizard smiled thinly as if he was reading her mind. He stepped forward and reached out to stroke her face and she tried not to recoil. His smile never left his face, but nor did any warmth come to it as he turned again to the King. "And of course the final thing, to symbolise our deep friendships a union between Eowyn and one of my orc chieftans."
Eowyn closed her eyes briefly in despair, no matter how often she heard the words she still hoped it was a nightmare. She was a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, she'd learnt to hate orcs with her mother's milk and now she was going to have to marry one. She wished there was a way out, but there wasn't one, her King commanded and she obeyed, even as the Kingdom and all it had stood for slid into ruin. She was so lost in her fate that she almost didn't hear the Wizard, "Gwarsh, come forward, meet your new bride."
Quickly Eowyn opened her eyes as the orc stepped forward and for the first time she looked at the orc who was going to be her husband. Like all orcs he was muscular, his biceps like hills and with legs like hardened trunks and a rippling chest. He was uglier than most as well, his face seeming permanently screwed up with a large nose that was almost a snout and fangs protruding up from his lower teeth, squeezing at his lips and making them seem thin and cruel. He was bald, his head scarred, with the skin tightover his skull. At least his finger nails were short, though by biting rather than clipping, as many orcs had them so long they were claws. His leather jerkin was half undone so she could see the scars on his chest and tattoos of his tribe on his arms, the leather was stained with old food and dried blood -- reddish and black. The sword at his belt was jagged and sawed, with spots of rust and dirt and yet more blood on it. He was looking at her and apprising her as she looked at him.
She had made an effort, even if she hadn't wanted too, she was loyal to the King and she didn't want to be the reason the peace failed. Before she had left she had her maids plat her long blonde hair and place it carefully on top of her head, so only one pony tail descended down her back. The dress was expensive, of imported silks and dyes, with a leather bodice holding it together, but not so tightly that her cleavage wasn't on display. Dangling down the gap was a ruby necklace, the chain gold and the stone itself reputedly from Moira before it fell. The orc's lips curled in either a snarl or a smile, Eowyn wasn't sure which one would be worse and for a moment she froze.
The orc strode towards her, covering the ground in a few bone-crunching sides. He grasped her face, squeezing it with one hand and for a moment Gamling the Old's hand touched his sword before Grima glared at him. Eowyn couldn't see if any of the others moved as they were out of her eyesight and Gwarsh was holding her face roughly, forcing open her mouth. His face came closer and she could smell his rancid breath, rotten meat and decaying teeth, as he gazed into her mouth. "Urrggh," she managed to gasp as he shoved a finger in, running his hand over her molars and gums, leaving a trail of dirt and grease over them so she felt nauseous.