Disclaimer:

To Emradiril:

"Do I own Lord of the Rings?"

"No, but you definitely own me!"

"Yeah, great shakes. I prefer non-orc-like creatures, thanks very much."

*Emradril walks off mumbling about how everyone likes his brother better.*

A/N: Yay! I own someone….feel free to take him from me. Sure, he might kick and scream at first, but he's easily subdued. Just make sure to ask! ;-)

The Shadow of Death

Shadows in the Darkness

Every muscle in her body ached, her head was pounding, her eyelids felt as if they weighed as much as a mountain. Yet she could not sleep. She lay awake on the stone floor that was growing ever colder, staring at the ceiling, listening to the random creaking of the old fort. She had one blanket covering her, but that was not enough against the fierce arctic winds. She sighed and sat up, stretching her arms, feeling her entire body throb with exhaustion.

Sleep will just have to take its time in arriving, she thought, fairly disappointed.

She looked over to the right where the once warming bon fire stood. It was now drastically reduced in size, and there was one chair directly in front of the fire. In that chair was Aragorn.

She got up and walked over towards him, listening to her footsteps echoing against the chamber, their sound seemingly magnified against the dense silence of the fort around her. At first she figured he was asleep, for his breathing was in a rhythmic manner, and he did not move. His hood was covering his entire face, and she could only see his mouth and his chin. Turning to leave, glad at least one of them was getting rest, her suspicions were subdued when he spoke.

"My Lady, why are you awake?" Aragorn looked up from underneath his hood. His eyes were reflecting the warm fire he sat in front of, yet he looked ill at ease.

"I could not sleep, but I noticed you were awake. I wanted to make sure everything was…alright…with you." Eowyn walked closer at sat down in a chair next to him. He turned to look at her, and she felt her heart flutter again. His understanding eyes seemed to look right into her soul. She was comforted with the slight smile he was able to muster.

"You are very observant."

"As a woman of these times, I need to be." It was freezing in the chamber, and despite herself she shivered.

"You do not feel well protected?" Aragorn asked, removing his cloak.

"I must be able to fend for myself," Eowyn responded as Aragorn draped his cloak over her shoulders. His cloak was warm and soothing; she was eternally grateful for it.

Aragorn nodded. "That is an important thing one must be able to do. Luckily, I was raised and trained by the elves. They are masters at defense and the art of war." He said this, his voice basking in nostalgia, his eyes unblinking, staring into the fire that burned brightly and crackled before them.

Eowyn looked perplexed. "I was told elves loathe war."

Aragorn once again smiled. "You are well learned also, I see. Yes, they do hate war. Yet they feel that it is sometimes a necessary evil."

Nodding, Eowyn pulled Aragorn's cloak around herself. It was warm and comforting…as was Aragorn. From the moment she first met him, she had been intrigued by his regality, his poise. He was a Ranger, yet there was something truly dignified about him. Eowyn was sure her feelings for him were neutral, yet when Gimli had told her Aragorn had fallen, she felt beside herself with grief. Her head became light, her chest felt hollow, and she had trouble breathing. It was then that she realized what she longed for. She longed for Aragorn to hold her in his arms

Yet she knew his heart belonged to another.

She had heard Gimli speak of her to Aragorn before the battle. Eowyn assumed this was the woman whom Aragorn's talisman was from. He wore it around his neck, and often times found him holding onto it, looking at it, or touching it.

Before she could stop herself, Eowyn heard herself ask, "Who is Arwen?"

Immediately after she asked the question, Eowyn wished she hadn't. Aragorn's eyes grew painstakingly distressed, his shoulders slouched, his whole demeanor seemed to collapse into depression.

"I, I'm sorry, I should not have asked. This is no business of mine," Eowyn whispered, feeling guilty for putting such distress upon him. She felt her cheeks burn and her head start to ache.

What am I thinking?

Aragorn sat in silence for what seemed for eternity to Eowyn. Then, suddenly, he spoke. "Arwen is gone."

Gone…

"Gone?"

"Yes. She is an elf. She sailed to the Undying Lands to be with her family and to forever live in peace."

"And she left you behind?" Eowyn felt sadness in her heart for the Ranger. Yet, to her surprise, he smiled. But his smile was not one of joy, but of regret.

"No, my Lady. It was I who left her behind." Painfully stated, tragically said. She could tell thinking about her brought him both pain and comfort. She lowered her eyes to the floor, not wanting to be intrusive, but curiously intrigued by Arwen…

He loves her, doesn't he?

"Yet you love her, do you not?" Eowyn asked, dreading the answer. She knew her voice sounded hollow, eager. Yet she did not care. She cautiously raised her eyes from the dank stone floor and looked to Aragorn.

Aragorn returned her gaze, his eyes brimming with tears. He seemed to be overcome with joy and despair, eagerness and regret, anger and calm at the same time. Yet he answered in a wavering voice.

 "More than life itself."

And that was when Eowyn knew Aragorn would never hold her in his arms.