((Author's note:  this is the last chapter you'll be seeing until Monday, as I am out of town until Sunday night.  I hope you enjoy this installment, it was probably the hardest to write so far, I have no idea why either. Owell, it's life.  I wish I  had time to respond to all of your reviews, but it's 12:15 am PST and I hafta get  up at 5 am tomorrow…um…today.  Anywayz, you all rock royally!!!

Disclaimer:  I am borrowing these characters.

Opened Eyes

The moon was high in the night sky.  Its white rays were falling down on the barren landscape, bathing it in a silver light.  The stars twinkled brightly in the black velvet expanse.  But it all looked cold to Eowyn. Cold and dead.  If only her emotions would leave her alone for a brief moment so she could find comfort in the solitude.

"Oh but you are alone…"  Grima's voice rang in her ear, the slimy tones filling her brain like rushing water.  "So fair, so cold. Like a morning in  pale spring, still clinging to winter's chill…"  "Your words are poison…"

A sob choked past her lips as she stared up at the silent stars. 

"You are alone…"

"So cold…"

"What do you fear?"

"A cage…"

"So cold…"

"Stop it," she gasped out, raising her hands to her ears as if she block out the inner-voices that way.  "Leave me be, you demons."  Tears leaked from her eyes and she brushed them aside.  Legolas' serene face flashed through her mind and a fresh onslaught of tears burst forth.

"Why must I hate him?"

She turned her eyes toward the pale moon, watching as the tears made it waver back and forth before her.

"A cage…"

Wrapping her arms around her trembling body, she rocked back and forth while the stars cried down on her.  Her blonde hair gently blew in the breeze in wispy strands across her shoulders.   Then in a soft, tear-strained voice, she began to sing.

"There once was an angel that flew in the heavens

Until her wings were cut and she fell to the ground

There once was a song that wove in the clouds

Until it was torn apart and thrown about

There once was a flower that bloomed in the spring

Until the winter came and she was crushed and buried

There once was a butterfly that love to fly

Until pain and old age kept her from the sky

All good things must come to an end

Everything must die sometime

One who fights must know the pain of death

So I stand…I stand to fall…"

Her song ended with a hoarse sob and the last note trailed forgotten into the vast countryside around her.

Aragorn's eyes appeared before her, the same sad and caring eyes that held her and comforted her while she cried. "No…" she murmured and the eyes vanished into the sky. 

Her eyes trailed to the left, where she could see the small lighted window that led to Legolas and Eomer's sick room.  Aragorn would be there as always, caring for them.  She should be there, helping him, but she was not.  She feared if she spent another moment in that room, her feelings would take hold and she would be forced to face what her heart feared most.

"Why?" she murmured to the night wind.  "Why must I feel this way for him? When my entire mind cries out for me to love another?"  She sank to the floor, leaning against the dark, stone wall. "I am in a cage…" she murmured, her voice broken, "but it is not a cage of another's hands. I have forged this cage for myself.  It is a cage for my emotions."  A sob tore past her lips. "And I cannot escape…"

"So cold…"

Tears continued to trickle down her pale cheeks long after her eyes had closed in sleep.

"You are alone…"

Aragorn sang quietly in elvish to himself as he gently laid the cloth on Eomer's fevered brow. His eyes were tired and strained from the hours he had spent caring for the two warriors.  He drew one hand over his own sweaty brow.

The Rohirrim warrior was finally resting quietly.  Only a few minutes before, he had been in the throes of delirium, crying out in anger one moment and sobbing brokenly the next.

A moan from the other bed caught the Ranger's attention and Aragorn wearily arose to see to Legolas.

The elven prince was sleeping restlessly. His eyes were closed in the healing sleep of the elves. But beneath the lids, his eyes roved to and fro as if searching for something he could not find.

Pulling a chair up to the bed, Aragorn lowered himself down slowly and felt Legolas' forehead.  Then he jerked his hand back in surprise. While Eomer's forehead was warm, still bearing the lingering traces of the fever, Legolas was ice cold, almost like marble.

"Legolas?" he whispered, replacing his hand on the cold forehead.  "Will you wake up?"

There was no response.

Sighing heavily, Aragorn gently lifted the soft blanket to once again look at the grievous wound on Legolas stomach.  The clean, white bandages he had just placed there a few hours before already looked like they had been dipped in red blood.

Aragorn stood and walked across the room the cupboard and retrieved some more bandages and some water. Sitting down beside Legolas again, he began to gently remove the blood-crusted wrappings, washing the pale skin off as he went.

Legolas let out a small groan at the discomfort, his hands flailing wildly in his sleep. Aragorn grabbed the hands, holding them down while he gently shushed him into a peaceful sleep once again.

When the last bandage game off, Aragorn could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.  The blood around the wound was finally beginning to clot and infection was not setting in.

Crumbling some herbs into the water, he washed some of the blood away and began wrapping the new and clean bandages around the wound.  When his task was done, Aragorn disposed of the dirty bandages and then sat back down beside Legolas, feeling the weariness taking hold of him against his will. It had been a long 48 hours.

Keeping  his eyes on Legolas' still face, he lowered his head onto the soft mattress, resting it there.  Before he knew it, his eyes were slipping shut on their own free will and despite his best efforts to stay awake, he was soon fast asleep.

Legolas awoke when the morning sunlight first touched his face.  His blue eyes snapped open, taking in the surrounding area in an instant.  For a moment he was disoriented at the unfamiliar room and then it all came back to him in a flash.  The sword being driven into Eomer's chest and then the warrior's eyes closing for the last time. Along with the rememberance came an unbearable pain from his belly, making him gasp and arch slightly. Then, for the first time, he became aware of the body sitting beside him.

Raising  his head slightly, he took in the dark hair, tense shoulders, and the face lined with worry.  He managed a small smile at the dedication the son of Arathorn showed to his friends.  He lifted one arm and dropped his hand gently on the dark hair, stroking it with his thumb.

Aragorn jerked upwards in surprise.  One hand came up to rub the sleep from his eyes and the other came automatically to the hilt of his sword. His eyes widened when he saw Legolas looking at him.  "You have awakened!" he whispered, still mindful of the sleeping Eomer.

Legolas nodded, trying to keep the pain off his face.

Aragorn, however, could not be fooled. "Let me get you something for the pain that I know you are in, but tying to hide from me."  He stood and walked across the room.

Letting out a pain-filled chuckle, Legolas did his best to relax his body into the pillows.

Returning with a small cup filled with a sweet-smelling liquid, Aragorn helped prop Legolas up so he could drink the draught.  When he was finished, Aragorn returned him to the bed, pulling the covers up to  his chin.  "Now just rest a little, I need to go check on Eomer."

Legolas stared up at him. "Eomer lives?" he asked, disbelief in his voice.

"He lives," Aragorn confirmed. "Now rest."

((wow…no cliff-hanger, I must be slacking slightly. or something. lol.  Like I said in my first note, I'm gonna be gone for the weekend so do not expect anything until Monday or so.  HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND!!!))