Two
For almost two weeks, Erin lay in the Houses of Healing drifting between life and death. It was said that the shock of Boromir's death had been too much for her, and that her heart was breaking. The healers could do nothing for her, save watch and hope…
One of the healers came to Aragorn as he and Gandalf took their leave of the Warden.
"Forgive me, my lord and king," he said, bowing low, "but there is one other in the House who lies sick at heart, and none as yet have been able to bring her back."
"I did not know of this," Aragorn said with a frown. "There was another woman in battle?"
"Nay, my lord, she has been here a fortnight," the man replied. "She is Erin, foster-daughter of Lord Denethor, and she was much loved by his sons; Boromir who was killed these past few weeks and Faramir who rode with you. The news of the death of her foster-brother was too great for her; since she was told, she has lain thus in these halls."
"T'is true," the Warden said gravely. "She knows nothing of these battles, nor of the death of her foster-father, nor that Faramir, her dearest friend, lies in these halls. She is aware of nothing, seemingly, yet her dreams trouble her. We have done all we can, but…"
Gandalf nodded.
"The lady has had a very great shock," he agreed. "She was raised by Denethor as his own, much as you were by Elrond, for her father was a great man of the city and his close friend, and her mother died in childbed. As a sister she was to his sons; they were raised together from children, and Boromir's death was hard for her to bear. I had quite forgotten it until now."
Aragorn nodded, understanding.
"You must take me to her," he commanded. "I shall do what I can."
The Warden led the two men to the room that Erin lay in. On their way, Eomer joined them, having left his sister to sleep. He looked deeply troubled as Aragorn explained things to him, and thought how ill these times were, that even young women should be touched by the evils of Mordor.
The two men and the wizard entered the chamber. Erin lay between the white sheets, her red-gold hair spread out around her on the pillow, tossing and turning in her fever. Aragorn laid a hand to her forehead.
"She is greatly grieved," he murmured almost distractedly, for the maiden was as fair as any mortal woman he had yet seen. "Is there any more athelas here?"
The Warden handed two of the delicate leaves to him, and, as he had done for those others he had healed, placed the leaves into a bowl of hot water and held it to her face. All watched and waited, the men and women of Gondor most of all, to see if the child (for thus they still saw her, though she was a grown woman come of age) would wake.
Erin stopped tossing and turning and was still. Aragorn began murmuring to her, words that others could not hear, although Eomer thought he heard him tell her of Faramir. After what seemed like eternity, Erin opened her eyes.
"Wh…where am I?" she murmured, and the Warden stepped forward.
"In the Houses of Healing, Lady Erin," he told her softly. "This man has healed you and made you whole, and the whole of Gondor shall rejoice in it."
Erin slowly sat up, looking around her. She recognised the healers and their servants, who all busied themselves around her, and she recognised at once Mithrandir, but here were two men she did not know. Puzzled, she turned her attentions to the man the Warden had pointed to as being her healer.
"Then I must thank you, sir, for your pains," she replied courteously. "How long have I lain here? There is much that ought to be done…"
"All is well, my lady," Aragorn said gently. "I cannot yet tell you all, but know only this; Faramir your foster-brother is safe and lying here in these halls, and Gondor is saved from Mordor and its evil."
"Faramir?" Erin asked, her eyes widening. "He…he took hurt? I don't understand…"
"There was a battle, lady," Eomer spoke up, coming to stand beside Aragorn. "But Gondor is saved, and your brother does well. He fought bravely, and will live."
"Then there is light in the darkness after all," Erin murmured as one of her women fussed round her. "Though I fear there may be more darkness to come before light is let back in."
"Your words may prove true," Aragorn told her gently. "But Gondor shall not fall. Such was the promise I made to your brother Boromir, and I now make the same vow to you, Lady Erin. Whilst there is strength left in me, I shall protect the Gondor and its people."
"And not alone," Eomer promised.
"This is Eomer son of Eomund, Third Marshall of the Mark," Gandalf added. "The men of Rohan fought bravely for your city."
"Then I thank you, Eomer son of Eomund, and your people for what you have done and what you have vowed to do," Erin replied. "Gondor and Rohan have ever been allies, now we may perhaps be friends as well?"
"I would like nothing more," Eomer answered.
Aragorn smiled.
"We shall leave you to rest, lady," he said. "In a few days you will be well enough to get up, and then we shall tell you all you wish to know. Till then, sleep well, Lady of Gondor!"
As the group withdrew, Erin lay back down on her bed and soon passed into a deep sleep, where her dreams were pleasant and troubled her no more.
For almost two weeks, Erin lay in the Houses of Healing drifting between life and death. It was said that the shock of Boromir's death had been too much for her, and that her heart was breaking. The healers could do nothing for her, save watch and hope…
One of the healers came to Aragorn as he and Gandalf took their leave of the Warden.
"Forgive me, my lord and king," he said, bowing low, "but there is one other in the House who lies sick at heart, and none as yet have been able to bring her back."
"I did not know of this," Aragorn said with a frown. "There was another woman in battle?"
"Nay, my lord, she has been here a fortnight," the man replied. "She is Erin, foster-daughter of Lord Denethor, and she was much loved by his sons; Boromir who was killed these past few weeks and Faramir who rode with you. The news of the death of her foster-brother was too great for her; since she was told, she has lain thus in these halls."
"T'is true," the Warden said gravely. "She knows nothing of these battles, nor of the death of her foster-father, nor that Faramir, her dearest friend, lies in these halls. She is aware of nothing, seemingly, yet her dreams trouble her. We have done all we can, but…"
Gandalf nodded.
"The lady has had a very great shock," he agreed. "She was raised by Denethor as his own, much as you were by Elrond, for her father was a great man of the city and his close friend, and her mother died in childbed. As a sister she was to his sons; they were raised together from children, and Boromir's death was hard for her to bear. I had quite forgotten it until now."
Aragorn nodded, understanding.
"You must take me to her," he commanded. "I shall do what I can."
The Warden led the two men to the room that Erin lay in. On their way, Eomer joined them, having left his sister to sleep. He looked deeply troubled as Aragorn explained things to him, and thought how ill these times were, that even young women should be touched by the evils of Mordor.
The two men and the wizard entered the chamber. Erin lay between the white sheets, her red-gold hair spread out around her on the pillow, tossing and turning in her fever. Aragorn laid a hand to her forehead.
"She is greatly grieved," he murmured almost distractedly, for the maiden was as fair as any mortal woman he had yet seen. "Is there any more athelas here?"
The Warden handed two of the delicate leaves to him, and, as he had done for those others he had healed, placed the leaves into a bowl of hot water and held it to her face. All watched and waited, the men and women of Gondor most of all, to see if the child (for thus they still saw her, though she was a grown woman come of age) would wake.
Erin stopped tossing and turning and was still. Aragorn began murmuring to her, words that others could not hear, although Eomer thought he heard him tell her of Faramir. After what seemed like eternity, Erin opened her eyes.
"Wh…where am I?" she murmured, and the Warden stepped forward.
"In the Houses of Healing, Lady Erin," he told her softly. "This man has healed you and made you whole, and the whole of Gondor shall rejoice in it."
Erin slowly sat up, looking around her. She recognised the healers and their servants, who all busied themselves around her, and she recognised at once Mithrandir, but here were two men she did not know. Puzzled, she turned her attentions to the man the Warden had pointed to as being her healer.
"Then I must thank you, sir, for your pains," she replied courteously. "How long have I lain here? There is much that ought to be done…"
"All is well, my lady," Aragorn said gently. "I cannot yet tell you all, but know only this; Faramir your foster-brother is safe and lying here in these halls, and Gondor is saved from Mordor and its evil."
"Faramir?" Erin asked, her eyes widening. "He…he took hurt? I don't understand…"
"There was a battle, lady," Eomer spoke up, coming to stand beside Aragorn. "But Gondor is saved, and your brother does well. He fought bravely, and will live."
"Then there is light in the darkness after all," Erin murmured as one of her women fussed round her. "Though I fear there may be more darkness to come before light is let back in."
"Your words may prove true," Aragorn told her gently. "But Gondor shall not fall. Such was the promise I made to your brother Boromir, and I now make the same vow to you, Lady Erin. Whilst there is strength left in me, I shall protect the Gondor and its people."
"And not alone," Eomer promised.
"This is Eomer son of Eomund, Third Marshall of the Mark," Gandalf added. "The men of Rohan fought bravely for your city."
"Then I thank you, Eomer son of Eomund, and your people for what you have done and what you have vowed to do," Erin replied. "Gondor and Rohan have ever been allies, now we may perhaps be friends as well?"
"I would like nothing more," Eomer answered.
Aragorn smiled.
"We shall leave you to rest, lady," he said. "In a few days you will be well enough to get up, and then we shall tell you all you wish to know. Till then, sleep well, Lady of Gondor!"
As the group withdrew, Erin lay back down on her bed and soon passed into a deep sleep, where her dreams were pleasant and troubled her no more.