A/N:  Ok!  Here is another chappie to my not so great fanfic.  Thanks to everyone who has reviewed.  I enjoy all the reviews people have given along with their suggestions; KEEP 'EM COMING!  As always… I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS!!  ONLY TINIONIEL!!  ONLY SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER HEARD OF LORD OF THE RINGS (and who hasn't?)  WOULD ACTUALLY THINK THAT I HAD SUCH GENIUS TO MAKE SUCH UNBELIEVABLY GREAT CHARACTERS! *breathes*  whee!  Now that all that is out of the way… ON WITH STORY!

********~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~~*********

Eomer thought about Gandalf's words to him that day. 

        "You can not go near her.  If you do, then she will die.  Stay away from her."  His words were smeared from their clarity, but they held the same burden as they had the first time he heard them.  Eomer would have to stay away from Tinioniel to save her. 

        "It is worth it I suppose.  If she is safe,"  Eomer's words weakened.  "What am I saying?  Love is for fools.  Fools who have nothing else better to do then to love.  Love is pointless.  Love ends up only hurting people.  It is worthless."  Eomer absentmindedly grabbed on to Tinioniel's ring that dangled from his chain.  A faint smile grew on his face.  He could not help but smile when thoughts of their first meeting filled his mind.

- ~ * ~ -

        Legolas walked through the hallways with an emotionless face.  His head was hung low with his mind filled with thoughts, questions, and hatred.  Aragorn saw the forlorn elf walking, soaked in thought.  He stood in the path of Legolas, waiting for him to notice his presence.  Legolas did not observe Aragorn until he walked directly into him. 

        "Well, that is a first.  You ran into me?"  The lack of response from Legolas confirmed his suspicions that something was wrong.  "What troubles you?"  Aragorn asked. 

        "I am not the one to tell you.  Go see Gandalf.  He is in Tinioniel's room.  I have something to do, and there is no way to avoid it."  Legolas left Aragorn in his wake and continued to look for Eomer.  Aragorn was bemused by Legolas' answer, but decided to do as he said.  Aragorn made his way through the corridors, and passed by many rooms until finally reaching Tinioniel's.  Aragorn knocked gently, and with no reaction, he entered.  Gandalf sat near Tinioniel's bed with his head buried in his old hands.  Tinioniel rested peacefully under the white linens of the bed with her eyes open, looking in Gandalf's direction.

        "What is the matter?"  He asked softly, not noticing Tinioniel's motionless form. 

        "Tinioniel is,"  Gandalf paused as if waiting for the right moment.  Under these circumstances however, there was no right moment.  "dead."  The information did not register in Aragorn's mind until he faced the girl, life not showing their splendid traces on her.  He walked toward her, then kneeling at her bedside.  Her unfocused eyes did not have the exuberance that they carried in her waking hours; no sweet air passed by her lips; no movement was given by her silky, fair limbs.  Death's frosty kiss lay upon her slightly parted lips, and yet even in death, her cheeks were blush. 

        "How can this be?"  Aragorn inquired almost inaudibly.

        "It is not certain."  The room was filled with the familiar silence, except this time corrupted by the tinge of her passing. 

        "I do not understand how this could have happened."  Aragorn confessed, breaking the miserable calm.

        "Neither do I.  Neither do I." 

- ~ * ~ -

        Legolas halted in front of Eomer's door, afraid to go inside.  He was a bearer of loathsome news, but it had to be told.  If Legolas did not tell Eomer, then it would only hurt more later on.  Legolas raised his hand to knock on the door when it suddenly opened, revealing a man on guard with his sword withdrawn.  Legolas did not seem startled from Eomer's unexpected appearance as Eomer lowered his blade.

        "Legolas?  What brings you here?  Is everything alright?"  Legolas started to panic.  In just a few moments, Eomer's world would crumble and his heart would shatter. 

        "No.  I am afraid it is not."  Legolas spoke softly, dreading the sentences that would soon discharge from his mouth.  Eomer perceived his troubled mind, and realized that it had to do with Tinioniel. 

        "What has taken place?  What has happened?"  Legolas' eyes were cast to the floor in despondency as he answered Eomer's question.

        "It is Tinioniel."

        "What about her?"  Eomer asked eagerly, fearing that she was ill.

        "She…"  Legolas paused before continuing with the painful statement.  "Eomer, Tinioniel is dead."

- ~ * ~ -

        "My Lord."  Sauruman looked into the palantiri at the eye of Sauron.  "I have tried various ways of getting the Silmaril from the girl, but past attempts have been failures.  However, Lord Sauron, I have placed a spell on her, different from the ones before.  This spell is fed by her emotions.  She is in love with the Captain of the Rohirrim, which I used to my advantage.  The illusion of death will be placed upon her, and yet she will still live.  They will bury her alive, and then I shall retrieve the jewel.  The Silmaril will only add to your power, Lord Sauron, and it is within our grasps.  No potion known to man can wake her from this slumber.  This spells only weakness is love, but, her love can not get close to her.  The ironic cycle of death, life, and love.  She will live and then die in the coffin that condemned her to the earth's arms.  By the time the Rohirrim, especially Eomer, find out what they have done, then attack will be easy, and the Silmaril will be ours."

        "For your sake, Sauruman, I hope you are right.  Do not fail me again."

        "Yes, my Lord."

- ~ * ~ -

        Eomer ran through the corridors, Legolas in close pursuit.  'This can not be.  She can not be dead.  It is not possible.'  Eomer tried to convince himself that the words Legolas said were false, hoping that she was fine, and just sick.  'Please just be sick.  Sickness if anything is the cause, not death.  He seemed impatient to reach her room, but as he reached for the handle of her door, he was filled with trepidation.  His hand rested on the doorknob but did not turn it.  Legolas walked up behind him, and rested his own hand on Eomer's.  Legolas helped Eomer turn it, knowing that with each turn, it pained Eomer even more.  The door glided open, revealing Gandalf, Aragorn, and Tinioniel.  Gandalf's head was still buried in his hands, Aragorn was still knelt beside her bed, and Tinioniel was still motionless.  Eomer took in her form on the bed, not believing that it was real.  Apprehensively, Eomer took as few steps forward, making his way to Tinioniel.  A blinding light appeared yet again, throwing everyone to the ground, almost casting Aragorn out of a nearby window.  Eomer scrambled backwards, fearing that the light would materialize again.  The men in the room looked towards Eomer, who still sat on the floor. 

        "Even in death I can not come near her?"  Eomer asked angrily, standing up and throwing a chair across the room.  Aragorn ducked calmly, missing the chair by only a few inches.  'Elbereth, save her.  Please, bring her back to me.'

- ~ * ~ -

        The white snow froze her into place, as a light came around her.  Tinioniel wanted to scream out in pain, but she could neither move nor speak.  The light faded and Tinioniel was left alone with only the cold, heartless moon above her. 

- ~ * ~ -

        Eomer insisted that a proper burial was arranged.  A coffin was made for her, leaving a glass window open to see her face one last time.  Eomer himself went out and collected flowers for her, the only thing that could show his love to her besides actually talking to her.  He could not even get near her, so flowers were the only thing he could think of.  He searched far beyond the Deep, but living things were meager.  He did however, find something spectacular.  A single white rose.  It sprung up from the muddy ground and yet it was not blemished by its muddy surroundings.  A desolate rose was very odd, considering that plants were rarely found, especially a rose.  Eomer walked over to the rose, but debated if he should uproot it, causing the beautiful flower to die.  However, the rose seemed to sing and its petals secreted a pale glow.  Eomer's finger wrapped around its fragile stem, and released it from the holdings of earth.  The noise of the roots separating from the flower's stem, sounding like that of a harp being plucked played as Eomer cradled the fascinating blossom in his hands.  Eomer could not help but let a faint smile cross his face when he saw where the flower had grown.  The steep hill overlooked Helm's Deep, and the small flower was perched at the top; the place where he and Tinioniel rode together for the first time.

- ~ * ~ -

        Tinioniel laid in the cold snow, barely able to see the other side of the strange abyss.  The affectionate warmth of the opposing side taunted her as her body trembled from cold. 

        "Where is everyone?  Please, someone, answer me.  Help me."  Tinioniel struggled to stay awake, frightened at what might happen if she fell asleep.  She could not do this for long, Tinioniel knew that.  "Please.  Someone.  Hear me." 

- ~ * ~ -

        Her body lay in the casket of wood and glass as it was lowered into the earth.  The glass exposed her face to the surrounding people.  Eomer dared to get close to her, hoping that the light would not reappear.  Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Eowyn, and a few others passed by her, taking their last look upon her.  Eomer walked behind them, trying to stay a safe distance away.  'The rose I send with you is my heart.  I will bury it here with you, for my heart is yours.  I will never love anyone else the way I have loved you.  Elbereth keep you safe on your journey.  We will meet again.'  He kissed the ashen rose and let it fall, as it landed gracefully on the glass right below her eyes.  The rose tapped against the glass on contact, and at the noise, Tinioniel's eyes quivered slightly open.  She did not move or breathe, but her eyes were slit open.  Legolas looked down at the treasury holding Tinioniel and saw that right above the rose, her eyes were modestly opened. 

        "Wait!"  He cried out.  Legolas jumped into the hole, grabbing the rose and throwing open the casket. 
        "Legolas!  Get out of there!  Let her be!"  Gimili cried out to him, others looking on with confusion and shock.  Eomer was upset at Legolas' outburst and felt like killing him for disrupting Tinioniel.  His hand balled up into a fist as he clenched his teeth. 

        "Come on.  Wake up.  Come on. I know you are still alive."  Legolas called out to her.  He laced the rose into her fingers as they limply held it. 

        "Legolas!  Put her back."  Aragorn tried to convince his friend, but he would not listen.  Their protests stopped however, when their gaze fell upon the rose.  Its pallid petals had now turned to a dark, lustrous crimson. 

A/N:  I hope that is a good cliffhanger.  Possibly not, but oh well!  I hope you all liked it, if not… then tell me what I am doing wrong and show me what I can do to make this story great!  Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!  You all helped a lot!  Much love!

~Lady Alatariel