Authors Note: Sorry it took me so long to get up the next chapter! I'll make it up to you, I promise! Anyway, this is my next chapter. Largely dealing with Eowyn and Arwen's thoughts. Don't worry about Eowyns character, though. I love her too, and I'm just trying to get a feel for how the characters would react in these situations. Eowyn will get herself a little something too, it just won't be Aragorn!!! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! And I see some of my fellow muses are in there too! Thanks guys! I'll try to have chapter 6 up by either tonight or tomorrow night, but there won't be another week long wait.
Eowyn stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do next. The figure was very close to her now, and there wasn't much she could do at this point, at least not for her part. Taking a deep breath, she called out. "Halt! What figure is this that comes before me? Who is it that tries to enter the fortress?"
Once it was only a few yards away from the door of the gate, the figure slowed and stopped. The light from around the figure was still too bright for Eowyn to see it clearly, but she expected it to be of elvish origin. An elf of high regard and standard, most likely. It slid off the horse that it was riding. Slid off with such grace, it appeared to be descending from the clouds. Then it spoke. Not with a simple, direct tone, but with a thousand voices. It came from all around her, as if the wind and earth were speaking with its voice as well. Soft, and beautiful, the sounds it made was enchanting to Eowyn, but the words were filled with angst that Eowyn had never before felt.
"My warmest greetings to you, Eowyn, daughter of Eomund. I regret that we have to meet in such a manner, but I must be brief with you, for time is quickly running out. I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. Right now I seek a word with the King."
This made Eowyn slightly suspicious of the woman. Aragorn and his company had set out from Rivendell, under the orders of Elrond, but the reason was still unknown to her. She hoped to get some information from Arwen before she let her into the fortress.
"What business have you with Theoden?"
"With me, I bear a great gift to your King, and your war, for that matter. It first set out with you to Helms Deep, but was lost along the way. I have come to return that gift, as well as to offer my services, wherever they may be of use." The light around Arwen was now fading, and Eowyn saw, for the first time, the remarkable beauty of the elf-maiden, for never before had she seen anything so fair. Arwen smiled, and motioned to her great horse, where something else stirred. Arwen stepped back to help him down from the horse's back. "He fell a great length, and is still weak. But he has within him the strength of Kings, and given time, he will fully recover." The man stood up straight, holding onto Arwen's arm. Eowyn saw his face at that moment, and was stunned. Aragorn lived! Stopping for a moment to recover her breath from the shock, Eowyn was overcome with emotion. Had there not been a gate between them, she would have ran and clung to him.
"Will you please now open the gate? There is much to be done." Arwen asked her again. This time, Eowyn obeyed, and opened the gate. But as she got a closer look at them, she noticed something. Something that through her suspicion and excitement, she had not noticed before. The look in Aragorn's eyes, the way he touched her arm. The sadness in Arwen's expression, and the way her hand gently stroked his arm. Was this the woman who had given him the glowing jewel? The woman who had sailed to the undying lands, with all that was left of her kin? It had pained him so when she had tried to bring it up with him. Had she so suddenly come back into his life? Was Eowyn so suddenly pushed out of his life?
Aragorn stumbled slightly as he approached her. He smiled warmly. "Eowyn. Yours is a face that I never thought I would see again." He bowed slightly, and she hugged him in return. As she did this, Eowyn watched Arwen's expression. But no signs of jealously ever crossed her face. Eowyn wondered for a moment if elves were capable of jealousy, or maybe they were above such things. Knowing they were the fairest and most graceful of all creatures would certainly eliminate the need for such emotions. She continued to ponder this as Aragorn returned to Arwen's arm, and they climbed back up onto her horse. They galloped towards the fortress doors, as Eowyn closed the gates and headed up after them.
As they rode towards the doorway, Arwen wondered about Eowyn. She had felt the love that Eowyn had for Aragorn almost immediately. It did not bother her, as she herself had never been capable of being jealous or feeling animosity towards women of any sort. Eowyn was no exception. Arwen had no reason to feel threatened by this woman's feelings. She knew where Aragorns heart lay. But Arwen did feel pity for Eowyn. She had not led an easy life, and these last months had been very tiring and troubling for the young maiden of Rohan. It wasn't hard to understand why Eowyn would be attracted to someone like Aragorn. There was hope yet for Eowyn, and Arwen sensed that she would find love in her life, it just wasn't with Aragorn.
Aragorn reached out and gently touched Arwen's elf-ears. He had always loved the feel of those ears, the smoothness and softness of them. They were back in the world of war now, and there was no escape. Before the ascended into the darkness, he wanted to feel the strength of their love, and the light that Arwen brought into his life. Arwen seemed to be reading his thoughts, for she smiled and spoke softly. "We are in this together Estel, until the end. No matter what happens from this moment on, know that I love you, and as long as we hold true to each other, we will endure."
"Until the end, Arwen. I will be with you until the end, no matter how short a time that may be. Know that I love you." He kissed her both tenderly and passionately, and for a moment, they were back in that world. That world where no one else existed but the two lovers, and nothing else would ever matter. But that world swiftly changed back into reality, as footsteps sounded around them, and the doors were opened.
News quickly sounded across Helms Deep. The Lord Aragorn had returned, and with him came a new goodness that would aid them in this war.
Eowyn stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do next. The figure was very close to her now, and there wasn't much she could do at this point, at least not for her part. Taking a deep breath, she called out. "Halt! What figure is this that comes before me? Who is it that tries to enter the fortress?"
Once it was only a few yards away from the door of the gate, the figure slowed and stopped. The light from around the figure was still too bright for Eowyn to see it clearly, but she expected it to be of elvish origin. An elf of high regard and standard, most likely. It slid off the horse that it was riding. Slid off with such grace, it appeared to be descending from the clouds. Then it spoke. Not with a simple, direct tone, but with a thousand voices. It came from all around her, as if the wind and earth were speaking with its voice as well. Soft, and beautiful, the sounds it made was enchanting to Eowyn, but the words were filled with angst that Eowyn had never before felt.
"My warmest greetings to you, Eowyn, daughter of Eomund. I regret that we have to meet in such a manner, but I must be brief with you, for time is quickly running out. I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. Right now I seek a word with the King."
This made Eowyn slightly suspicious of the woman. Aragorn and his company had set out from Rivendell, under the orders of Elrond, but the reason was still unknown to her. She hoped to get some information from Arwen before she let her into the fortress.
"What business have you with Theoden?"
"With me, I bear a great gift to your King, and your war, for that matter. It first set out with you to Helms Deep, but was lost along the way. I have come to return that gift, as well as to offer my services, wherever they may be of use." The light around Arwen was now fading, and Eowyn saw, for the first time, the remarkable beauty of the elf-maiden, for never before had she seen anything so fair. Arwen smiled, and motioned to her great horse, where something else stirred. Arwen stepped back to help him down from the horse's back. "He fell a great length, and is still weak. But he has within him the strength of Kings, and given time, he will fully recover." The man stood up straight, holding onto Arwen's arm. Eowyn saw his face at that moment, and was stunned. Aragorn lived! Stopping for a moment to recover her breath from the shock, Eowyn was overcome with emotion. Had there not been a gate between them, she would have ran and clung to him.
"Will you please now open the gate? There is much to be done." Arwen asked her again. This time, Eowyn obeyed, and opened the gate. But as she got a closer look at them, she noticed something. Something that through her suspicion and excitement, she had not noticed before. The look in Aragorn's eyes, the way he touched her arm. The sadness in Arwen's expression, and the way her hand gently stroked his arm. Was this the woman who had given him the glowing jewel? The woman who had sailed to the undying lands, with all that was left of her kin? It had pained him so when she had tried to bring it up with him. Had she so suddenly come back into his life? Was Eowyn so suddenly pushed out of his life?
Aragorn stumbled slightly as he approached her. He smiled warmly. "Eowyn. Yours is a face that I never thought I would see again." He bowed slightly, and she hugged him in return. As she did this, Eowyn watched Arwen's expression. But no signs of jealously ever crossed her face. Eowyn wondered for a moment if elves were capable of jealousy, or maybe they were above such things. Knowing they were the fairest and most graceful of all creatures would certainly eliminate the need for such emotions. She continued to ponder this as Aragorn returned to Arwen's arm, and they climbed back up onto her horse. They galloped towards the fortress doors, as Eowyn closed the gates and headed up after them.
As they rode towards the doorway, Arwen wondered about Eowyn. She had felt the love that Eowyn had for Aragorn almost immediately. It did not bother her, as she herself had never been capable of being jealous or feeling animosity towards women of any sort. Eowyn was no exception. Arwen had no reason to feel threatened by this woman's feelings. She knew where Aragorns heart lay. But Arwen did feel pity for Eowyn. She had not led an easy life, and these last months had been very tiring and troubling for the young maiden of Rohan. It wasn't hard to understand why Eowyn would be attracted to someone like Aragorn. There was hope yet for Eowyn, and Arwen sensed that she would find love in her life, it just wasn't with Aragorn.
Aragorn reached out and gently touched Arwen's elf-ears. He had always loved the feel of those ears, the smoothness and softness of them. They were back in the world of war now, and there was no escape. Before the ascended into the darkness, he wanted to feel the strength of their love, and the light that Arwen brought into his life. Arwen seemed to be reading his thoughts, for she smiled and spoke softly. "We are in this together Estel, until the end. No matter what happens from this moment on, know that I love you, and as long as we hold true to each other, we will endure."
"Until the end, Arwen. I will be with you until the end, no matter how short a time that may be. Know that I love you." He kissed her both tenderly and passionately, and for a moment, they were back in that world. That world where no one else existed but the two lovers, and nothing else would ever matter. But that world swiftly changed back into reality, as footsteps sounded around them, and the doors were opened.
News quickly sounded across Helms Deep. The Lord Aragorn had returned, and with him came a new goodness that would aid them in this war.
