Arin Elen (Morning Star)
Chapter 6:
Night in the Tower
Eowyn woke up and blinked her eyes against the evening sunlight streaming in from the window over her makeshift bed. She looked over and saw Aragorn lying next to her, asleep. She gently reached out a hand to touch his face.
He stirred and she recoiled her hand as he opened his eyes and also blinked against the brightness of the sun.
They lay there and just looked into each other's eyes for a long while.
"I told you I'd be back as soon as I could." Aragorn whispered.
"I didn't mean to wake you, my Lord." Eowyn whispered back.
Aragorn remembered his dream and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the things that were new. Arwen was clothed. She had said something about it all being a dream, and how Aragorn was right. He remembered how he could reach Eowyn and hold her other hand. He remembered the morning star still being there.
But what did it all mean?
Arwen and Eowyn were as different as day and night, yet somehow he could be in love with both.
He opened his eyes and once again met Eowyn's.
"Is something wrong Aragorn?" Eowyn asked, concerned by the look in his eyes.
"No. I'm fine Eowyn."
"You don't look it."
"I'm fine Eowyn." He said with more force as he sat up. Eowyn sat up next to him and placed her hand on top of his. He smiled at her. "Don't worry about me."
Eowyn looked up at the sky. "We must have slept all day, the sun is going down." They sat there looking out the window when Eowyn suddenly felt the need to go to her tower. She hadn't gotten to see the sunrise that morning.
She slid up the wall on her good foot and Aragorn stood up to help her.
"Where are you going? You cannot walk without your crutches." Aragorn grabbed her arm to balance her. Eowyn looked at her crutches now and sighed.
"I'm not using those, I'm going to watch the sunset from Helm's tower." Aragorn picked her up.
"May I come with you milady?"
"Only if you put me down."
"How will you get to your tower if I put you down?" She scowled playfully up at him and then wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the hall.
He carried her down the corridor and up the winding steps to the tower. When they got to the tower Aragorn gently put Eowyn down on the spot in the middle where Helm's Horn was. He sat down next to her and they sat in silence watching the sunset together.
"Aragorn?"
"Hmm?"
"What's the elvish word for sunset?"
Aragorn thought for a moment.
"Andunë"
Eowyn repeated it. Aragorn nodded.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering, I always loved to watch the sunrise and sunset each day from my balcony at home or whenever we have needed to come here. It makes me feel so small and reminds me of how big the world really is."
"Sunrise. anaròrë"
"Elvish is such a beautiful language." Eowyn whispered.
Aragorn smiled and Eowyn shivered as the sky turned slowly from light pink to a dark purple. A gust of wind blew from the East.
"Rohan owes you so much, Aragorn."
"Rohan owes me nothing."
"You brought hope back to our country, you brought victory against the Uruk- Hai."
"I did none of that alone."
"Aragorn you need not be so modest when it is I who is speaking with you."
Aragorn turned and gazed into Eowyn's eyes, why was her presence so calming yet so. nerve racking? He moved his hand to her face and she closed her eyes, leaning into the warmth of his hand.
At long while she opened her eyes and whispered, "If Rohan owes you nothing then at least I do."
"Eowyn I." She cut him off.
"You saved my life, not only in the battle, but just by coming into my life. You saved me from a life without love. Even if you leave and never look back or think about me again, I will have known what love is for just once in my life." She ended in a whisper.
Aragorn was taken aback. He knew she felt this way, but. he didn't know how strongly she felt. She truly thought he had saved her. She slowly reached a trembling hand up to the one on her cheek and gently pulled it off, lacing her fingers through his. He stared at their joined hands and realized what the dreams meant.
He was losing Arwen.
He had fallen for Eowyn.
The scary thing was. He wasn't fighting it.
He looked once again into her eyes and saw the unshed tears in them. She was so beautiful in the starlight. Her glistening blue eyes went on forever as they sat there with joined hands under the moon.
Suddenly Aragorn broke their hands and gathered Eowyn into his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her tightly to him, breathing in her scent.
"You saved me too, Eowyn." He whispered into her ear. "You saved me from myself."
Eowyn smiled and let her tears fall. This was all she wanted. She just wanted to love him, and to know he loved her too was what she had been waiting for. They sat there holding each other with a new understanding between them and for the first time, both felt an emptiness deep within them fill up and disappear.
They back away from each other. Aragorn leaned forward and kissed Eowyn's forehead, then stood and picked her up. He brought her to the ground and laid her between his legs. She rested her head on his chest and he brought his hands down and wrapped them around her waist. She moved her hands on top of his and looked up at him. He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead once more.
They spent the rest of the night lying there in the tower underneath a blanket of stars. Neither one of them spoke. They didn't need to speak anymore. They knew they loved each other, and for this night, that was enough. *****
As the stars began to fade, just as in Aragorn's dream, the morning star remained.
"Eowyn" he whispered gently. She turned looked up at him. "See that star?" He removed one hand from her waist and pointed to the one bright star remaining in the sky.
Eowyn nodded against his chest.
"That's you."
"What?"
"Arin elennya." He whispered
"What does that mean?"
"My morning star."
Eowyn smiled and looked up at Aragorn.
"You are so beautiful..." Aragorn whispered.
Eowyn blushed and looked down.
"Would anyone notice if we stayed here like this forever Aragorn?"
"What's the fun in that when there are so many other places to be?"
"I never want this moment to end."
Aragorn hoisted Eowyn up so her head was next to his. They watched the sunrise together, each person knowing that the moment would have to come to an end sometime. neither one wanting it to. *****
Okay that was a really tough chapter to write! Thanks to all who reviewed chapter 5 I appreciate it!
Chasingmaybe: In one of my earlier chapters, I think it was two, Eowyn said she didn't like her hair and kept it long for everyone else. The battle finally gave her an excuse to cut it off. I liked the idea but I knew some others might not. I think Eowyn would look fine in curly hair.
Emily Hart: I thought of Mulan too when I was writing that part. except I had just gotten done baby sitting a seven year old who had made me watch the movie 3 times in one day. So I really couldn't laugh. And regarding your chapter 4 review, Liv Tyler was good in other movies, but not as Arwen.
Thanks Elbereth, Mistress Kioko, and Coolgirlchic too!
Now every writer's nightmare come true. writer's block! I don't really know what to do next. well I have two ideas. Review and tell me which one you'd like (even though I think I might already have chosen one.)
1 End the story here and move on to the sequel.
2 Have a few more chapters in which they go back to Edoras and if I do that I don't want to give anything else away.
Either way this story is almost over. The sequel will be after the war of the ring, when Aragorn is King of Gondor. and guess who his queen will be. that one will be tougher to write, but longer (and probably more time between each chapter)
So please review and tell me how you liked this chapter and what you think I should do next!
Thanks a lot! -Cerasi
Eowyn woke up and blinked her eyes against the evening sunlight streaming in from the window over her makeshift bed. She looked over and saw Aragorn lying next to her, asleep. She gently reached out a hand to touch his face.
He stirred and she recoiled her hand as he opened his eyes and also blinked against the brightness of the sun.
They lay there and just looked into each other's eyes for a long while.
"I told you I'd be back as soon as I could." Aragorn whispered.
"I didn't mean to wake you, my Lord." Eowyn whispered back.
Aragorn remembered his dream and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the things that were new. Arwen was clothed. She had said something about it all being a dream, and how Aragorn was right. He remembered how he could reach Eowyn and hold her other hand. He remembered the morning star still being there.
But what did it all mean?
Arwen and Eowyn were as different as day and night, yet somehow he could be in love with both.
He opened his eyes and once again met Eowyn's.
"Is something wrong Aragorn?" Eowyn asked, concerned by the look in his eyes.
"No. I'm fine Eowyn."
"You don't look it."
"I'm fine Eowyn." He said with more force as he sat up. Eowyn sat up next to him and placed her hand on top of his. He smiled at her. "Don't worry about me."
Eowyn looked up at the sky. "We must have slept all day, the sun is going down." They sat there looking out the window when Eowyn suddenly felt the need to go to her tower. She hadn't gotten to see the sunrise that morning.
She slid up the wall on her good foot and Aragorn stood up to help her.
"Where are you going? You cannot walk without your crutches." Aragorn grabbed her arm to balance her. Eowyn looked at her crutches now and sighed.
"I'm not using those, I'm going to watch the sunset from Helm's tower." Aragorn picked her up.
"May I come with you milady?"
"Only if you put me down."
"How will you get to your tower if I put you down?" She scowled playfully up at him and then wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the hall.
He carried her down the corridor and up the winding steps to the tower. When they got to the tower Aragorn gently put Eowyn down on the spot in the middle where Helm's Horn was. He sat down next to her and they sat in silence watching the sunset together.
"Aragorn?"
"Hmm?"
"What's the elvish word for sunset?"
Aragorn thought for a moment.
"Andunë"
Eowyn repeated it. Aragorn nodded.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering, I always loved to watch the sunrise and sunset each day from my balcony at home or whenever we have needed to come here. It makes me feel so small and reminds me of how big the world really is."
"Sunrise. anaròrë"
"Elvish is such a beautiful language." Eowyn whispered.
Aragorn smiled and Eowyn shivered as the sky turned slowly from light pink to a dark purple. A gust of wind blew from the East.
"Rohan owes you so much, Aragorn."
"Rohan owes me nothing."
"You brought hope back to our country, you brought victory against the Uruk- Hai."
"I did none of that alone."
"Aragorn you need not be so modest when it is I who is speaking with you."
Aragorn turned and gazed into Eowyn's eyes, why was her presence so calming yet so. nerve racking? He moved his hand to her face and she closed her eyes, leaning into the warmth of his hand.
At long while she opened her eyes and whispered, "If Rohan owes you nothing then at least I do."
"Eowyn I." She cut him off.
"You saved my life, not only in the battle, but just by coming into my life. You saved me from a life without love. Even if you leave and never look back or think about me again, I will have known what love is for just once in my life." She ended in a whisper.
Aragorn was taken aback. He knew she felt this way, but. he didn't know how strongly she felt. She truly thought he had saved her. She slowly reached a trembling hand up to the one on her cheek and gently pulled it off, lacing her fingers through his. He stared at their joined hands and realized what the dreams meant.
He was losing Arwen.
He had fallen for Eowyn.
The scary thing was. He wasn't fighting it.
He looked once again into her eyes and saw the unshed tears in them. She was so beautiful in the starlight. Her glistening blue eyes went on forever as they sat there with joined hands under the moon.
Suddenly Aragorn broke their hands and gathered Eowyn into his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her tightly to him, breathing in her scent.
"You saved me too, Eowyn." He whispered into her ear. "You saved me from myself."
Eowyn smiled and let her tears fall. This was all she wanted. She just wanted to love him, and to know he loved her too was what she had been waiting for. They sat there holding each other with a new understanding between them and for the first time, both felt an emptiness deep within them fill up and disappear.
They back away from each other. Aragorn leaned forward and kissed Eowyn's forehead, then stood and picked her up. He brought her to the ground and laid her between his legs. She rested her head on his chest and he brought his hands down and wrapped them around her waist. She moved her hands on top of his and looked up at him. He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead once more.
They spent the rest of the night lying there in the tower underneath a blanket of stars. Neither one of them spoke. They didn't need to speak anymore. They knew they loved each other, and for this night, that was enough. *****
As the stars began to fade, just as in Aragorn's dream, the morning star remained.
"Eowyn" he whispered gently. She turned looked up at him. "See that star?" He removed one hand from her waist and pointed to the one bright star remaining in the sky.
Eowyn nodded against his chest.
"That's you."
"What?"
"Arin elennya." He whispered
"What does that mean?"
"My morning star."
Eowyn smiled and looked up at Aragorn.
"You are so beautiful..." Aragorn whispered.
Eowyn blushed and looked down.
"Would anyone notice if we stayed here like this forever Aragorn?"
"What's the fun in that when there are so many other places to be?"
"I never want this moment to end."
Aragorn hoisted Eowyn up so her head was next to his. They watched the sunrise together, each person knowing that the moment would have to come to an end sometime. neither one wanting it to. *****
Okay that was a really tough chapter to write! Thanks to all who reviewed chapter 5 I appreciate it!
Chasingmaybe: In one of my earlier chapters, I think it was two, Eowyn said she didn't like her hair and kept it long for everyone else. The battle finally gave her an excuse to cut it off. I liked the idea but I knew some others might not. I think Eowyn would look fine in curly hair.
Emily Hart: I thought of Mulan too when I was writing that part. except I had just gotten done baby sitting a seven year old who had made me watch the movie 3 times in one day. So I really couldn't laugh. And regarding your chapter 4 review, Liv Tyler was good in other movies, but not as Arwen.
Thanks Elbereth, Mistress Kioko, and Coolgirlchic too!
Now every writer's nightmare come true. writer's block! I don't really know what to do next. well I have two ideas. Review and tell me which one you'd like (even though I think I might already have chosen one.)
1 End the story here and move on to the sequel.
2 Have a few more chapters in which they go back to Edoras and if I do that I don't want to give anything else away.
Either way this story is almost over. The sequel will be after the war of the ring, when Aragorn is King of Gondor. and guess who his queen will be. that one will be tougher to write, but longer (and probably more time between each chapter)
So please review and tell me how you liked this chapter and what you think I should do next!
Thanks a lot! -Cerasi