Waking up one brisk morning, I could feel something was wrong.
Faramir had gone on another hunting party trip to stamp out the rest of the foul beings that still existed, meaning that he wouldn't be back for a few days.
I got up from my warm bed and changed for a normal day of household duties. Working swiftly but thoroughly, I cleaned the house from top to bottom before noon and so I saddled my horse and went for a ride.
I rode for hours through the countryside until dusk was upon me, my cue to return home.
When I got home there was a messenger from Minas Tirith waiting for me.
With barely-disguised desperation, he bowed. 'Lady Eowyn, You must come back with me to the White City! It is of utmost importance! Lord Faramir has been gravely injured!'
My heart stopped beating, my breath hitching in my lungs, I could not move. 'Is he okay? Is he breathing? Is he moving?' This was all I could say to this poor man.
I packed quickly, only grabbing things I would absolutely need before instructing the housekeeper to keep the house running while I was absent.
I rode as fast as my horse would allow me. My poor husband, injured again, for the sake of peace. Peace. My beloved Faramir.
We rode hard through the night and were soon racing through the cobbled streets of Minas Tirith towards the Houses of Healing, the fear of my Faramir drawing his last breath in my absence driving my desperation.
My heart lurched once more as I flew into the room at breakneck speed to see my husband laying there on a bed covered in bandages and blood.
My Faramir! My Love!
I froze at the door for just a moment before I flew into action.
'What happened? Tell me what happened to my husband! Tell me now! If you do not tell me this moment you shall regret your very first breath!'
I was in a fury, how could someone let this happen? How could they?
'Lady Eowyn, We were ambushed with no obvious escape. Lord Faramir ordered us to flee and he would follow, he tried to distract them but they succeeded in landing deep wounds to his leg and stomach. We journeyed back to our brave captain after he did not catch up with us. On our return, our group was forced to slay the remaining beasts. We lost two good men, but we won that small skirmish, and your husband lives. Be grateful, he could have died, yet he did not. So calm yourself, he will need your strength when he awakens.'
'Sorry Anborn, I did not mean to snap at you.'
Faramir groaned in pain as he tried to move in his sleep but he could not, his strength diminished. I held his cold hand to comfort my husband as best I could, deeply hoping that my beloved would feel my presence through this small action.
He stopped moving and the healers look to me in confusion, I blushed a deep shade of scarlet ' It's something I do when he has a nightmare; It calms him knowing he is not alone.'
Everyone in the room was dumbfounded, yet moved, by the bond we shared.
As time passed, I started to blink more frequently and for longer durations of time before slowly drifting into sleep holding Faramir's hand.
I woke feeling stiff and sore as I had slept in an uncomfortable wooden chair but we were alone, and Faramir was awake.
'I hope you did not rush to see me, my love. I am not that important.'
'Faramir! You're alive! You're well! You're breathing! Oh I love you so much! You cannot ever leave my sight! How I feared for you, my love!'
'Eowyn, Eowyn please, calm down. I am alive, well, and breathing. And I love you too. You need not fear. I am fine'
'You could have died! You could have been gravely injured! You could have left me alone in this world! You will never do that to me again, ever! My love, you worry me so.' Faramir patted my hand and attempted to sit up ' No my love. You must lie still.'
'Eowyn, please, I am not so terribly wounded. I am fine. Let me sit up and stretch. I have been laying still for a long while now.'
'Fine. But only for a short moment.' Faramir smiled my favourite smile and I couldn't resist. 'Would you like a drink my dear?'
'Yes, please. I am parched. Thank you' I left the room to get him some cool water. But as soon as I left, the same dreading feeling came over me again, driving me to check on my beloved husband.
What I saw when I entered the room again was terrifying. Faramir was unconscious and crimson blood had soaked through both his tunic and the coverlet. 'HELP! Someone?' I grabbed some bandages and started to press on the bleeding wound. It soaked through fast. Too fast. He had already lost a lot of blood...
'Faramir, My love, I need you to wake up for me. It's Eowyn. Please My love, wake!'
A young healer came up behind me then scurried off again quickly. Shocked by the healer's lack of assistance, I worked hard, determined that I would not let my husband die. I worked desperately until the healers came and took me, screaming, away from him.
'I can help! Please! Let me do something.'
In a separate area, an apprentice healer came and treated me for shock and comforted my tears.
'My love, my life, my husband. Please he cannot die. He cannot! For it would be the death of me.' I sobbed as she rubbed my back and spoke soft words to me.
'It is alright Lady Eowyn, he will not die. Old Ioreth would not let him perish, my Lady. She is too old and stubborn to let her Steward die.'
As I sat and wept in fear for my Faramir, she went and got something to eat. 'Just something small, but enough to replenish the strength that had been stolen away' she had said.
Finally, Old Ioreth hobbled out, smiled and said 'He asks for you, Lady.'
The joy was immense. I ran into the room that kept my Faramir captive and was greeted with a sly 'I knew I should not have stretched, my Love. The stretch reopened my stomach and leg wounds. Again Eowyn, you were right.' He chuckled.
'My love I am always right, you more than most should know that by now. And need I say again Faramir, do not scare me like that again. I thought I'd lost you! You had me weeping in fear. You know how much it takes for Eowyn, Sheildmaiden of Rohan to fear. Faramir, I love you but if you do this to me again. I will kill you!'
'My love, your bark is much worse than your bite and thus I need not fear. Come and lay with me. I am weary and need a comfortable sleep.'
'Of course, my love. But you must promise not to bleed on me more than you already have!'
He smiled my favourite eye-crinkling smile, where his grey eyes glow as the moon does on a clear night. His face lights up and the remaining ice around my heart melts. I crawl into the large bed which they graciously gave to Faramir to aid in his recovery. He laid one arm over me, so I could be fully embraced. With my head on his chest, my hand in his, and his arm held firmly around my waist, he whispered ' I love you my Eowyn.'