return

1106 the return of the king
beast; but for Snowmane they dug a grave and set up a stone
upon which was carved in the tongues of Gondor and the
Mark:
Faithful servant yet master’s bane,
Lightfoot’s foal, swift Snowmane.
Green and long grew the grass on Snowmane’s Howe, but
ever black and bare was the ground where the beast was
burned.
Now slowly and sadly Merry walked beside the bearers,
and he gave no more heed to the battle. He was weary
and full of pain, and his limbs trembled as with a chill. A
great rain came out of the Sea, and it seemed that all
things wept for Théoden and Éowyn, quenching the fires
in the City with grey tears. It was through a mist that presently
he saw the van of the men of Gondor approaching.
Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth, rode up and drew rein before
them.
‘What burden do you bear, Men of Rohan?’ he cried.
‘Théoden King,’ they answered. ‘He is dead. But Éomer
King now rides in the battle: he with the white crest in the
wind.’
Then the prince went from his horse, and knelt by the bier
in honour of the king and his great onset; and he wept. And
rising he looked then on Éowyn and was amazed. ‘Surely,
here is a woman?’ he said. ‘Have even the women of the
Rohirrim come to war in our need?’
‘Nay! One only,’ they answered. ‘The Lady Éowyn is she,
sister of Éomer; and we knew naught of her riding until this
hour, and greatly we rue it.’
Then the prince seeing her beauty, though her face was
pale and cold, touched her hand as he bent to look more
closely on her. ‘Men of Rohan!’ he cried. ‘Are there no leeches
among you? She is hurt, to the death maybe, but I deem that
she yet lives.’ And he held the bright-burnished vambrace