* *Ah-HA!! An update at last!! Once again, I own nothing in this except
Erin and her life story, and once again I take liberties with the plot. So
call this an AU fic, if you want to. I don't mind. Now, since the muse
has descended (about blimmin' time, too, Molith me lad!) on with fiction!*
*
Four
With the Host gone from Minas Tirith, it fell to Erin to watch over the city and its people. She left the Houses of Healing after a week, returning to the home she had been brought up in, and set about trying to undo the hurts that the siege had caused the citizens of Minas Tirith. Every day, she met with the remaining guards, who reported to her regularly about what they were doing to mend the defences, and then she would venture out into the streets, talking with the people of Minas Tirith, hearing their grievances and doing whatever she could to comfort them, much as Denethor would have done.
It still pained her to think of her foster-father. He had raised her from a very small child, and she had loved him almost as much as she had done her real father. She still had not entered the throne room of the citadel, where Denethor has sat at the foot of the dais on his black chair, receiving visitors whenever they came. She had ventured past it several times, but could not bring herself to go inside. The first person to enter must be Faramir, she had decided, and he would not yet make the journey.
So the days and weeks passed, and Erin found herself thinking more and more of the brave Host that had set out to ride to the very gates of Barad-dur to assail the Lord of Mordor. She spent many hours talking of his friends with the Hobbit, Merry, who had remained behind, and felt her thoughts turning often to the Marshall of the Mark, who had pledged Rohan's allegiance to Gondor, and of his smile when they had spoken. She remembered the feeling of her hand in his as he made his vow, and felt a warm glow inside her. Eomer of Rohan was very handsome, she thought to herself, a slight flush staining her cheeks, and truly kind. She felt that his friendship was worth more to her than anything she might possess, and would see both Gondor AND Rohan well throughout the years to come.
Fully three weeks had passed since the Host had departed, and Faramir was deemed well enough recovered to hear of his father's passing. It was with a heavy heart that Erin set out to tell him.
None who live in the great white city know what passed between the new steward and his foster sister that day, not even the White Lady of Rohan, who had spent the past week walking and talking with Faramir in the hope that it would heal her hurt. Erin left the small room in which their speech had taken place, white and shaken, but a fierce light in her eyes, her duty almost discharged. Faramir soon followed, but he did not join his foster-sister at the citadel, preferring instead to return to the walls of the city, joined by the lady Eowyn.
They were still standing on the walls, silent after some discussion between them, when the Eagle flew from out of the East, telling of the fall of Sauron, the bravery of the Lords of the West and of the coming of the King. And all who heard those words rejoiced, and there was much singing and merrymaking throughout the city.
In the days that followed, there was much to do to prepare for the return of the great Host and the King, and under the temporary Stewardship of Faramir, things were done quickly and well. Erin assisted him as best she could, and when he came to her but a few days later and told her that he was going to marry Eowyn of Rohan, her heart sang and her eyes shone.
"Ever has Rohan been friend to us," she exclaimed in delight, "and ever has its people come to our aid when we have been in need! Ah, Faramir, my heart is glad for you!" And she kissed Eowyn then and called her sister, and the people of the city rejoiced in the news.
A week later, Faramir again sent for his foster-sister. When she came, he studied her shrewdly, not knowing what it was he looked for, yet seeking it all the same. At last, he seemed to see what it was he wanted, and he smiled.
"I have received word that the King and his host are camped outside the walls of the city," he told her, his eyes bright. "Tomorrow, they shall enter the city, and Aragorn shall be crowned at last."
"Then all is come to an end," Erin replied. "And I am glad of it."
"Erin," Faramir said gently, "there is one thing I would speak of with you."
"What?" she asked curiously. "What would you have us discuss?"
"Eomer of the Mark."
Erin felt a blush creep into her face, her entire body warming at the mention of his name.
"Eomer?" she asked, pretending to be puzzled. "What would you have me say of him? Surely it is you who must speak with him, if you mean to tell him of your love for his sister?"
"All this shall come in good time, dearest Erin," Faramir assured her. "But it is not to my happiness I am referring."
"I don't understand."
Faramir looked at Erin and began to laugh. She gazed at him, fearing he had gone mad and would try to repeat Denethor's actions. When he at last calmed down, he spoke again.
"Forgive me, Erin," he entreated, still spluttering with laughter. "I did not mean to offend you."
"I am not offended," she returned. "But you surprise me with your laughter."
"Erin," Faramir said seriously," I have known you for my entire life and you are as good as sister to me. I know you almost as well as I know myself, and you know me better than anyone save Boromir. As my father, your guardian, is dead; I must stand in his place. Now speak truly! How do you stand?"
"He is truly a valiant warrior," Erin managed to say, willing her heart to lessen its pace. "And.he was kind to me."
Faramir crossed the floor and took Erin's hands in his own.
"I do not mean to tease or upset you, Erin," he told her. "In my own happiness, I wish only the same joy for you. Whenever we have spoken of him, you blush, or smile, or get a strange look in your eyes. I have seen it, and know full well what it means."
"In truth I know not WHERE I stand," she admitted, lowering her eyes. "All these things you say are true, and yet I know not how my heart lies. I barely know him."
"But yet you love him?" Faramir persisted gently.
"I don't know," Erin whispered. "Almost everyone I love goes away. I don't know."
* * Aww, poor Erin! But clever ole Faramir, sussing it out before she does!! Things aren't exactly moving at the moment, but next chapter, Eomer enters the city again with Aragorn and the rest. Things could get in-ter- est-ing.* *
Four
With the Host gone from Minas Tirith, it fell to Erin to watch over the city and its people. She left the Houses of Healing after a week, returning to the home she had been brought up in, and set about trying to undo the hurts that the siege had caused the citizens of Minas Tirith. Every day, she met with the remaining guards, who reported to her regularly about what they were doing to mend the defences, and then she would venture out into the streets, talking with the people of Minas Tirith, hearing their grievances and doing whatever she could to comfort them, much as Denethor would have done.
It still pained her to think of her foster-father. He had raised her from a very small child, and she had loved him almost as much as she had done her real father. She still had not entered the throne room of the citadel, where Denethor has sat at the foot of the dais on his black chair, receiving visitors whenever they came. She had ventured past it several times, but could not bring herself to go inside. The first person to enter must be Faramir, she had decided, and he would not yet make the journey.
So the days and weeks passed, and Erin found herself thinking more and more of the brave Host that had set out to ride to the very gates of Barad-dur to assail the Lord of Mordor. She spent many hours talking of his friends with the Hobbit, Merry, who had remained behind, and felt her thoughts turning often to the Marshall of the Mark, who had pledged Rohan's allegiance to Gondor, and of his smile when they had spoken. She remembered the feeling of her hand in his as he made his vow, and felt a warm glow inside her. Eomer of Rohan was very handsome, she thought to herself, a slight flush staining her cheeks, and truly kind. She felt that his friendship was worth more to her than anything she might possess, and would see both Gondor AND Rohan well throughout the years to come.
Fully three weeks had passed since the Host had departed, and Faramir was deemed well enough recovered to hear of his father's passing. It was with a heavy heart that Erin set out to tell him.
None who live in the great white city know what passed between the new steward and his foster sister that day, not even the White Lady of Rohan, who had spent the past week walking and talking with Faramir in the hope that it would heal her hurt. Erin left the small room in which their speech had taken place, white and shaken, but a fierce light in her eyes, her duty almost discharged. Faramir soon followed, but he did not join his foster-sister at the citadel, preferring instead to return to the walls of the city, joined by the lady Eowyn.
They were still standing on the walls, silent after some discussion between them, when the Eagle flew from out of the East, telling of the fall of Sauron, the bravery of the Lords of the West and of the coming of the King. And all who heard those words rejoiced, and there was much singing and merrymaking throughout the city.
In the days that followed, there was much to do to prepare for the return of the great Host and the King, and under the temporary Stewardship of Faramir, things were done quickly and well. Erin assisted him as best she could, and when he came to her but a few days later and told her that he was going to marry Eowyn of Rohan, her heart sang and her eyes shone.
"Ever has Rohan been friend to us," she exclaimed in delight, "and ever has its people come to our aid when we have been in need! Ah, Faramir, my heart is glad for you!" And she kissed Eowyn then and called her sister, and the people of the city rejoiced in the news.
A week later, Faramir again sent for his foster-sister. When she came, he studied her shrewdly, not knowing what it was he looked for, yet seeking it all the same. At last, he seemed to see what it was he wanted, and he smiled.
"I have received word that the King and his host are camped outside the walls of the city," he told her, his eyes bright. "Tomorrow, they shall enter the city, and Aragorn shall be crowned at last."
"Then all is come to an end," Erin replied. "And I am glad of it."
"Erin," Faramir said gently, "there is one thing I would speak of with you."
"What?" she asked curiously. "What would you have us discuss?"
"Eomer of the Mark."
Erin felt a blush creep into her face, her entire body warming at the mention of his name.
"Eomer?" she asked, pretending to be puzzled. "What would you have me say of him? Surely it is you who must speak with him, if you mean to tell him of your love for his sister?"
"All this shall come in good time, dearest Erin," Faramir assured her. "But it is not to my happiness I am referring."
"I don't understand."
Faramir looked at Erin and began to laugh. She gazed at him, fearing he had gone mad and would try to repeat Denethor's actions. When he at last calmed down, he spoke again.
"Forgive me, Erin," he entreated, still spluttering with laughter. "I did not mean to offend you."
"I am not offended," she returned. "But you surprise me with your laughter."
"Erin," Faramir said seriously," I have known you for my entire life and you are as good as sister to me. I know you almost as well as I know myself, and you know me better than anyone save Boromir. As my father, your guardian, is dead; I must stand in his place. Now speak truly! How do you stand?"
"He is truly a valiant warrior," Erin managed to say, willing her heart to lessen its pace. "And.he was kind to me."
Faramir crossed the floor and took Erin's hands in his own.
"I do not mean to tease or upset you, Erin," he told her. "In my own happiness, I wish only the same joy for you. Whenever we have spoken of him, you blush, or smile, or get a strange look in your eyes. I have seen it, and know full well what it means."
"In truth I know not WHERE I stand," she admitted, lowering her eyes. "All these things you say are true, and yet I know not how my heart lies. I barely know him."
"But yet you love him?" Faramir persisted gently.
"I don't know," Erin whispered. "Almost everyone I love goes away. I don't know."
* * Aww, poor Erin! But clever ole Faramir, sussing it out before she does!! Things aren't exactly moving at the moment, but next chapter, Eomer enters the city again with Aragorn and the rest. Things could get in-ter- est-ing.* *