a/n: we have a slight tw in this chapter for implied assault. nothing graphic at all.

Among all the warriors of Rohan preparing for war, Éowyn stood and longed for a mount of her own. The desire to see battle and cause its glory coursed through her heated blood and set her jaw in envy against the men that surrounded her.

Nearby, Éomer stood readying his mare. The news of Boromir's loss had come to him from his sister's mouth, and he was much perplexed by what he heard. "How can it be that a mighty man such as Boromir of Gondor should be the bearer of such a grievous wound," he pondered aloud.

"The mightiest of men may give much more than arms to the pay the price of valor," answered Éowyn. "His hour of strength is finished now."

With a quirk of his brow, Éomer said, "So it may be. Yet, do not count his strength gone so hastily. There may yet be a turn to all of his despair. And yours." This said, he swung himself onto his beast. "Do not wait by the gates of the city for me, my sister. I shall return in the twinkling of an eye." Saying no more, he road out to meet his King.

Éowyn stood where she was, watching the path her brother had taken until at length she turned again to the sight of the men that remained still in the stable. Aragorn was among them, and this she noted with some strange gladness that stirred from her heart. As she gazed, his eye met hers, and the look there overcame her. Abruptly, she turned away and returned swiftly to the House of Healing where Boromir still was.

That morning, she had seen the Lord of Gondor and learned his fate. Strange, she had found the sight of him, armless and pale. Yet, still, did Hildwynn make her certain that he was well.

All was silent as she entered the house, and Éowyn received no answer as she called the names of her friends. Boromir and Hildwynn alone would be left, and Dernhelm called to war.

Deeper she ventured into the house, searching as she went until at length she came upon the door of Hildwynn and Dernhelm's quarters. On opening it, she found those that she sought, Dernhelm among them. His eyes and Hildwynn's were reddened in the corners, and his face was wet with tears.

Boromir looked upon Éowyn, and she found sympathy in his face as he laid a hand of comfort upon Dernhelm's back.

"Lady Éowyn," Hildwynn said. "I beg of you, tell no one where my son is. They shall come to take him away and have him killed."

Éowyn could not answer. Long did she stare at the boy, and rage brewed in her stomach. It seemed as though clear to her that he thought little of duty and nothing of honor. "Is it not your duty to fight when the king calls?" she questioned. For Boromir's sake she quelled the anger in her voice.

"Please, my lady," Dernhelm pleaded as he collapsed on his knees before Éowyn. "I will do no service for my king as a warrior. I am neither strong of arm nor heart, and both will faint in the heat of battle. My mother needs me more than an army needs another man."

Hildwynn joined her son on her knees. "It is true, my lady. His father is already lost to me through the needlessness of war. Should I lose my son, I should not find the desire to live another day upon the earth. And King Théoden needs a healer more than he needs another dead boy."

Éowyn looked upon Boromir and found that his face was fearful like unto the lady and her son. He gazed at her with a hesitancy she could attribute only to uncertainty.

"I shall not be the cause of your discovery, Dernhelm," she promised quietly.

"Thank you," Dernhelm sobbed. "Thank you, my lady."

Éowyn interrupted him. "I cannot promise, however, that some other person will not find you. Hide well if you truly believe you must."

With a nod of his head, Dernhelm stood, his mother behind him.

With nothing more that she desired to say, Éowyn turned on her heel and left the chamber.

"Lady Éowyn, wait," Boromir called after her. She did not slow her step, yet he followed her nonetheless, even unto Meduseld's Hall. "Will you listen to nothing I have to say to you?"

With a glance over her shoulder, Éowyn answered with a sharpness in her voice. "I find I am in no spirit to exchange friendly words, Lord Boromir."

"Then give me none. Give me your cold words and your turned back if you so desire, but I would that you hear me speak!"

At these words did Éowyn halt her march and turn unto Boromir. "Speak then. I long to hear what a brave man has to say in the defense of cowardice."

"Only that I, too, am a coward. Willingly would I have joined the ride to battle with your kinsmen and died. Yet, the thought of my brother put a fear of death into me, and I could not do it. Young Dernhelm's only thought is for his mother, who would indeed be put soon into her grave without him. His cowardice is of a noble kind. He thinks not of himself."

Éowyn opened her mouth as though to answer, but no answer came. She turned her eyes from him but did not stir.

At length, a servant of the Golden Hall approached them with due reverence. "My lady Éowyn," said she. "We have found a trunk once in possession of Grima Wormtongue. It has passed the mind of all the servants that you may wish to be the one to find its contents."

A look of fear passed over Éowyn's face as she shook her head. "I do not wish to see anything belonging to that man if he was a man indeed. Take it away, open it, but I beseech you, do not show me that case."

The servant paused but a moment, and said, "My lady, it is suspected that there are many things therein that have long been missed."

Almost did she turn away again and think of it no more. Yet, as she turned, she caught Boromir in her eye; and he looked on her with great sorrow as one who saw a friend in pain.

Abhorring pity and hardening her face, she turned again to the maidservant. "I will see the trunk," she said. "Bring it to me."

Ere long, the trunk was delivered to Éowyn's chamber where she and the Lord Boromir waited. Her eyes stayed upon the trunk, and she heard not a thing as Boromir spake to her. Her blood rushed into her head, and the only sound she heard was the rapid beating of her own heart and the intake of her shallow breaths.

At length Boromir took hold of her arm and said, "Éowyn, you need not do this." And this did Éowyn hear at last.

As she pulled her arm free of his grasp, she said unto Boromir. "Yes, I must. Who knows what manner of evil was inflicted upon my people by that wretched creature? I could not heal you, my lord, but I may yet heal my people's spirit." And so, gathering what strength of will she possessed, Éowyn seized the trunk. Yet, she stayed her hands upon the lid of it and did not make any move to open it. She trembled so that she fell on her knees before the trunk, powerless to overcome her fear of it.

"I cannot do this," she whispered, meaning only herself to hear.

Yet, Boromir heard and brought her away from the trunk trembling still. "Think of it no more, my lady, I beg of you. I have not seen you in such a state, and it brings me grief. For my own comfort, think of it no more."

Then did Éowyn weep, for never before had she found herself so afraid of the memory of one who could vex her no longer. She felt Boromir's hand upon her back as she cried and found that it comforted her as if it had been her own brother in his stead.

"Pray, my lady," Boromir whispered when tears had left her. "What evil befell you at Wormtongue's hand? I have never seen one put in such despair by the thought of a man."

For a while still Éowyn held her tongue. Rarely had she spoken of the things that had been done under Wormtongue's rule save to her brother. Yet, a brother Boromir had become unto her. Thus, at length, she breathed deeply and told Boromir with a trembling voice all that Wormtongue had done unto her.

a/n: *spongebob narrator voice* two years later... honestly yall i do apologize that it has taken me this long to update. i assure you that this story is constantly on my mind but i kind of started uni almost immediately after the last update so life has been hectic. tyvm for your patience.