Dedicated: To mousie2, who is to blame for this extra chapter and is a wonderful Aragorn/Eowyn writer.

Chapter 10: Fall of a Shieldmaiden

Legolas leans against the stone wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. The worried frown on his face settled there many minutes ago. He flicks his gaze to the closed door in front of him. He can clearly hear the movements of the people moving about in the room.

Legolas rests his head against the wall, closes his eyes, and remembers how he ended up standing outside the Lady Eowyn's room… waiting…

He had not seen her at first when he started down the stairs of the Keep. When he did see her, it was impossible to avoid hitting her. When they hit, the blow had been light. But the Lady Eowyn had swayed, close to falling, as though they had run into each other with more force than they had. Legolas had immediately reached out to steady her. He had been slightly surprised by her sway. Lady Eowyn had struck him as being strong and unwavering, like a queen. There was a coldness and fire about her. She had become strong from the many sorrows she had witnessed. She was a leader and a fighter. Her reaction to his bumping her was totally a surprise to him.

When she raised her head at his voice, he saw clearly the pain she was trying to hide in her eyes. Her expression was one of great grief. She looked so tired and weary. He guessed she had been helping the healers tend to the wounded. How many had she tried to save only to see them take their last breath? he wondered. Had she gotten any rest since emerging from the caves with the women and children? Or had she been working nonstop? All that she had seen since returning from the ground must be what had caused her such grief and exhaustion. However, it was when his eyes fell on her hand holding her side that he wondered if his assumptions were totally correct.

She then suddenly collapsed. Legolas managed to catch her and not fall down the stairs. His concern then gave way to deep worry when he saw the red staining through her dress. He started up the steps as fast as he dared. Questions started whirling through his mind. What had happened? How did she get hurt? She had not been in battle. Had she gotten a healer to tend to it? When he reached the top of the stairs, he rushed to her room and called for a healer.

Legolas purses his lips together. When he first brought Eowyn to her room, there had been one healer. Now there are several behind the closed door. No word has been said yet of her condition. Legolas opens his eyes and regards the two men pacing back and forth in front of the door.

Théoden and Eomer have been pacing ever since the two women left who told about the battle that took place in the caves. Both have worried expressions on their faces. Legolas studies them. They both escaped injury during the battle. It must be unsettling to think that Eowyn, who was supposedly in a safe location, is in worse condition than the two of them, Legolas ponders. What will they do if anything happens to her? Eomer has already lost his parents; he probably refuses even to consider the possibility of his sister dying right now.

Théoden was completely silent as he listened to what had happened in the caves from the two women; he has yet to speak. He just paces, his mind racing in circles. This should not have happened. Eowyn was supposed to have been safe, not leading a battle, he thinks bitterly to himself.

The door opens, causing the men and elf to snap out of their thoughts and turn their attention to the woman standing in the doorway. Her face is grave and a little uncertain. She glances at the three motionless figures in the hallway.

"How is she? Eowyn?" Théoden demands, the worried look on his face growing.

The woman takes a deep breath. "She…she is still unconscious." There is a long pause. "We fear she may not last for long."

Eomer staggers against his uncle. "No…" his anguished whisper trails off. His knees buckle. Théoden grabs him by wrapping his arm around his shoulders to keep him upright.

"If you wish to see —"

Théoden nods curtly. He and Eomer slowly make their way into the crowed room. Legolas takes a step toward the door and pauses. Instead he turns and walks down the hallway. Now is a good time to find Aragorn, he decides firmly.

Aragorn and Gimli stand on part of the Deeping wall that remains standing. Both puff softly on their pipes and look at the view. The ground in front of the fortress is littered with the bodies of dead orcs and of men who fell in battle. Aragorn lifts his gaze to the sky. Black clouds roll over each other. But for a brief moment, there is a break in the clouds, and the stars twinkle down on the earth for a few minutes before they are blocked out by the dark sky.

Aragorn feels himself relax. This is the first time he has been so still and quiet. The last three days he was always moving and sitting in on discussions. To have a small smoke and time to think is refreshing. And he has more time to privately grieve for those who lost their lives. He has seen war before, but it is not always easy facing so much death. He wonders about those who died and what family had they left behind. How many women discovered they had lost a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a friend when they came out of the caves?

Thinking of the women causes Aragorn's thoughts to turn to the Lady Eowyn. He has not seen her since she went into the caves with the other women. He knew she was angry at her staying with the women. She wanted to fight. Her devotion to her people touched him. But he was relieved when the doors closed behind Eowyn. He could not fight and worry about her safety during the battle.

He had wanted to go to the caves as soon as the battle was over, Eowyn's well-being being foremost in his mind at the moment. Other matters called to him, and he delayed in going to the entrance of the caves. When he finally made his way there, the doors were closed. A man nearby said the women and children had come out a few minutes ago.

Gimli grunts, "Here is the crazy elf."

Aragorn is drawn out of his thoughts by Gimli's voice. He looks at Gimli and then in the direction of the dwarf's sweeping hand. The tall elf strides purposefully toward them. He wonders what his friend has been doing; it has been several hours since he saw Legolas briefly before he ran off.

Aragorn and Gimli regard the silent elf when he reaches them. There is a sadness in his eyes that is different from the sadness he has expressed over those who had fallen. He looks troubled

"So you finally appear?" the dwarf growls, "I was starting to wonder if you would come out of hiding."

Legolas does not even smile at the jesting, his expression becomes grave. "I was waiting with the king and Eomer outside Lady Eowyn's room."

Lady Eowyn's room? Aragorn tries to make sense of the elf's statement.

"Why were you there?" Gimli asks curiously before Aragorn can voice the same question.

Legolas takes a deep breath and then speaks. "The women started to go to the mountains after it seemed like the fortress would not hold. They met a group of orcs who had come from the mountains. A battle broke out. Only a handful of the women had daggers to use against the beasts. The orcs were all killed. But some of the women were also killed, including two who had fought against the enemy. Eowyn was also wounded… It is uncertain how long she will last," Legolas finishes, his eyes resting on Aragorn.

Aragorn feels his stomach twist in knots. Thoughts spin numbly in his head. Eowyn…wounded. It is uncertain if she will live. It seems impossible to believe. But a glance at Legolas tells him what he has heard is very true. Eowyn is supposed to be safe, not possibly dying. The thought chills him to the bone. He had thought her safe while he had been fighting to protect the fortress. Unbeknownst to him and many others, she had been fighting a battle to save her life and the lives of others.

He then wonders what she had done since she and women came from the caves. Did she get any rest? Did she have her wound tended to, or did she come from witnessing death in battle to seeing those whose wounds were most severe die? How did she find the will and strength to go on?

"Where is Lady Eowyn's room?" Aragorn asks. He needs to see for himself what condition she is in. She is one person he does not wish to see pass from this world. She is young, so strong and brave. He does not want this shieldmaiden to fall.

Legolas gives directions without hesitation. Aragorn nods his thanks and then leaves in a brisk walk. No, he does not desire to help bury another person who is important to him.

Author's Note: This chapter was a complete surprise to me. I wrote this after receiving a review that asked about Aragorn finding out about Eowyn. So I decided to find out what would happen. I hope this chapter was alright. I had a little hard time writing it and liking how it came out. If you all don't really like it I may redo it. But I want to know what you think. The next update will be the epilogue – unless something less comes up. But you all should be happy for this surprise chapter since some of you are sad that this will be ending soon!