I awakened, quickly becoming aware of Éowyn's body pressed against
mine, and I was doubly relieved that it had been no dream, that I was safe,
and she was indeed with me. She must have only been dozing, though, for
she awakened almost immediately, and though she started to sit up to fetch
me some water, I quietly asked her to stay where she was, so I might take
more comfort in the warmth of her nearness. She complied most willingly,
holding my hand beneath the furs, keeping me company through the morning,
telling me of all that she had done while we were parted.
I was initially confused somewhat as to where we were, since never would I have expected to see Lothíriel in Southern Ithilien, but Éowyn quietly explained to me that I had been found in South Gondor thanks to Madach, whose name brought back many memories, most of them unpleasant and unwelcome. Then she told me that I had been brought back across the river by Aragorn to this camp that had been raised by his troops near where the rangers' outpost had originally stood.
"He brought a thousand men from Minas Tirith to search for me?" I asked, feeling very embarrassed by all of the effort made upon my behalf.
She chuckled. "And three hundred from Pelargir also." Patting my hand, she kissed my brow. "Those who did the searching were far fewer, dear. Most of the troops have been chasing Haradrim since they arrived."
My heart skipped a beat. "Are there yet many Haradrim nearby?"
"A few, though the king has sent much of his force southward to keep them at bay." She squeezed my hand. "Peace, Faramir. We are safe for now."
"I would not have that change." I knew what I must say now would probably make her wroth with me. "Éowyn, you must leave here at once. You and Lothíriel should hie back to Minas Tirith as fast as you rode here in the first place."
She sat up quickly and looked down at me, worry touching her features, before she said in a voice as cold and hard as a stone wall, "Faramir, I would not leave this place again without you, and you are not well enough to travel yet, so I am staying." I began to argue, but she covered my mouth with her fingers and added, her voice much softer, "Do not deny me, love. My place is beside you now, and I will hear no more about it."
As she rose to fetch some water, I found that my emotions were at odds. It was of great concern to me that my wife and my cousin might be unsafe so close to the River Poros and the Southrons, yet I was cheered that she wished not to part from me. My thoughts of her that had brought me through much of my ordeal, and thinking further upon it, had it not been for her, I would most probably have slipped back into the river, allowing the water to close over me one final time, never to be seen alive again.
She returned to my side with a cup of water and a draught for the familiar pain in my chest. I quickly drank the refreshing water with her aid, but I told her that I did not need the potion, for the pain was bearable. But, as usual, she did not heed me, and she patiently waited for me to relent, and I drank it. I slept then and dreamed of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anborn entered the tent hesitantly, but I bade him come closer, though Faramir was sleeping, and I greeted him as an old friend, with a hug and a kiss upon his cheek. He blushed at me and smiled, and then I invited him to have a seat. Finally he did sit, though he seemed reluctant to, glancing every so often at Faramir's still form, his eyes filled with an odd mixture of relief and fear.
"He has already gained much strength, Lieutenant. Fear not for your captain. It shall not be long before he is upon his feet and going about as if nothing has happened."
Anborn nodded. "Aye, my lady, and I am so pleased to hear it, for when we found him . . . " His voice trailed off as he relived the horrific memory. I squeezed his shoulder, gently reminding him that Faramir was safe now and that he owed his life to Anborn and Aragorn.
"And to you, my lady," he said, obviously feeling a little self- conscious about his role in the entire affair. I smiled as he added, "I am so happy that I was able to do something for him after all that he has done for me." He seemed to remember something then and reached his fingers into his pocket, before offering his open palm to me. There sat Faramir's betrothal rings.
"Forgive me for not returning these sooner, but with all that had happened, I had forgotten them."
Reaching out a shaky hand, I took them, clenching them tightly in my fingers. "I was told that the king was in possession of these," I murmured.
"He held them for a time but gave them to me when he went south. I know Captain will be happy to have them back."
I nodded and thanked the ranger before I pocketed the rings. "Please, Anborn, should Faramir ask about his rings, only tell him that you do not have them, for I have a surprise that I do not wish ruined, and if you tell him that I am in possession of his jewelry, he shall discover it."
He smiled slightly and nodded his agreement, though from his expression, he must have thought it odd. Then, he turned the conversation toward Mablung and Damrod, wondering how they were faring. I had just told him of Damrod's recovery from his arrow wound, when Imrahil and Lothíriel came to call upon Fara, as Lothíriel calls her cousin, and so Anborn took his leave, but I was glad to see him smiling as he departed the tent.
Imrahil wasted no time in settling down next to Faramir, watching his nephew's face with a contented expression upon his own, and I heard him murmur, "Dear boy," more than once as I rose, speaking to Lothíriel about Faramir's concern that we should leave this camp as soon as possible.
"Is it that dangerous here, Daddy?" she asked Imrahil as he stroked Faramir's face, unable to help himself. I smiled to see such tenderness from such a fierce warrior.
"Indeed it grows more dangerous every day, Thíri," he said, turning his attention upon his daughter. "Our forces in South Gondor should hold, but there is always the chance that some of the Southrons might break through or avoid our defenses altogether. I would have you all out of danger if possible," he said, gesturing at Faramir, Lothíriel and me.
"If we could fetch a wain from the city, I would take Faramir away from this place, for he is too weak to stand yet, to say naught of riding a horse," I said.
The prince nodded, but Lothíriel said, "Fara would never allow us to take him away in a wain. He would not be able to stand the embarrassment of showing his weakness like that."
Imrahil spoke then to his daughter. "Remember that time when young Faramir fell out of the window?" I listened with great interest.
"I was too young yet, but I remember the story. Chir always swore that Elph pushed Fara!"
Imrahil's brow furrowed a bit. "Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Yes, your oldest brother pushed his cousin out of the window, and poor Faramir landed on his head. And though he was bleeding enough to scare your mother near out of her wits, he would not allow me to carry him inside, instead only barely leaning on Boromir for support, stating that it was not befitting a son of the Steward of Gondor to be seen showing weakness even before family."
Lothíriel nodded. "He has never outgrown that sentiment," she muttered, shaking her head. "It shall be nearly impossible to convince him to agree to ride home in a cart like an invalid, Éowyn."
"I thought it might, though I will not leave him here again, so unless we can strike a bargain with him, we have to wait for him to regain his strength." I sat again next to my husband, taking up his hand and caressing his cheek once. "I do not suppose that he would ever forgive me if I were to have him carried out in this condition," I said absently.
"I do not see how he could not, since he knows that ever you have only his well-being in your heart," said Lothíriel.
"Thíri, we should not cause him any more discomfort than necessary," Imrahil scolded. "If he was to learn that he was carried out of camp the same way that he was carried in, he would be mortified. Though I will send for a wain. Perhaps when it arrives, he will not have need of it."
I nodded my thanks to him and hoped that he was right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though I was very relieved that Faramir had awakened and was finally recovering from his misadventure, the situation here was growing more dangerous by the moment. Solasgil had daily been sending messengers from his position approximately three leagues south of the river, and it was apparent that Harad was gathering its forces together for some sort of offensive, as daily there were more Haradrim patrols, and there had even been some exchanges of arrows between the forces of Gondor and the Haradrim. And even worse, our force had found a few farmsteads where the occupants had been murdered, any belongings of worth stolen, and the remainder burned to the ground.
I gathered my advisors together that afternoon in my pavilion, after having received one such message, so we might determine what should be done on behalf of the people of South Gondor. It was soon clear, however, that without the steadying force of Faramir's quiet strength, we would arrive at no firm conclusions, though Prince Imrahil did his best to be diplomatic in his nephew's stead, futilely attempting to keep the peace between the men with differing views.
There were two main opinions expressed amongst us. The first was that we should simply abandon South Gondor to Harad, leaving the people who dwelt there to their fate. This was not as cruel as it might sound, for many of the residents had sided with the Haradrim during the War of the Ring and, indeed, in many other skirmishes before that. The farmers and peasants tended to support whomever was in the position of greatest power. And for the past two years, it had been a lawless land for the most part.
The other main opinion was that we should send the whole of our force into South Gondor, working our way to the very borders of Near Harad, and reclaim the land as Gondor's own, though it should spread our forces quite thin. I was uncertain that we should ever be able to reclaim the entire land, nor if we would even wholly wish to, since the interior of the country was quite arid and hot, and there was very little that could be grown there, nor were there any people who would attempt to permanently settle there for that reason, though there were some bands of nomadic people who traveled through the desert, camping in a different place every few days.
However, the coastal areas were quite populated, and the fertile land that lay near the River Poros and the River Harnen was some of the best crop land known. But again, there resided the people that most worried me, for none knew where their loyalties lay. I admit that I used Faramir's predicament as an example, citing how the woman with whom he had at last found shelter, had sold him to the Haradrim for one gold coin because her family was starving.
This brought silence to the group, and our meeting was temporarily diverted from the main argument as I was asked how the steward was faring. "He shall recover," I proclaimed, and there was an audible sigh of relief from them before our attentions returned to the matter at hand.
Colonel Vëantor mentioned that the settlements along the western shore of South Gondor could perhaps be best conquered by the navy, who could sail unimpeded and easily distribute troops from the beaches. I thought that the word 'conquer' was a bit extreme, as it was not truly the people of South Gondor with whom we had our quarrel. And then Prince Imrahil pointed out that as the only member of the Navy of Gondor in attendance at our meeting, he could not comment one way or the other upon the subject without discussing it amongst his men first.
We debated for several hours and arrived at no firm conclusions, save that we would have to reconvene soon and resume our discussion. The Prince of Dol Amroth drew me aside afterwards, wishing to speak in private with me, and after all of the others had departed, I poured us some wine and listened to him.
"King Elessar, I wish to thank you for saving my nephew's life."
"His wife's sharp eyes saved him, Imrahil. I wish that I could have done more for him, though I am glad to have been of some help."
"My king," he said, reaching his point, "I request that I might be allowed to take my daughter, my nephew and his lady wife back to Minas Tirith, for Éowyn is in no condition to be so close to a war zone, and indeed, neither is Faramir at the moment."
I took a deep breath. "Indeed, it is becoming a more dangerous state of affairs here, but Faramir grows stronger by the minute, and if he wishes it, I would not have him far from here, for many important decisions need to be made very soon, and I would have his input."
Imrahil seemed shocked. "Aragorn, you cannot mean to part them again. Éowyn was absolutely beside herself with worry for her husband. You cannot expect her to simply leave him behind now that they have been reunited."
I tried to keep my face impassive. "I do not think that it shall be simple in the least, but yes, she must go, and I would prefer for him to stay."
His voice rose with anger, a very rare occurrence for the prince. "Think of their babe, Aragorn! Do you feel it is wise for Éowyn to have to bear the heavy weight of fear for Faramir's safety at such a time?"
I am not a callous person, but I am a practical one, and it is necessary to be pragmatic as a king. The Steward of Gondor is a brilliant strategist and a well-practiced diplomat, the most important of all of my advisors. Though, it is not impossible for me to manage without him, if I did not have to, I would not. But I found that it is necessary to be fair as a king as well, so I made a quick decision.
"Imrahil," I said, my voice rising as well, "I am thinking of the babe. That is why Éowyn must go. If I could see any other way to satisfy all, I would do it." I calmed myself a bit. "I will discuss it with Faramir to see what he thinks is best. As you said before, he is a man grown, so I shall leave the final decision to him."
"He shall support you, of course, for he would not oppose the wishes of his king, no matter how dangerous the mission or foolish the reasons for him to obey!" His voice finally quieted. "I only ask this for their sake. Even now they cling to one another as if they fear merely to be away from one another's sight. And I doubt that Faramir's recovery should continue at so rapid a pace if he is separated from Éowyn yet again."
"As I said, I will put the question to him, and he shall decide."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faramir physically improved by degrees over the next couple of days until he was remaining awake for hours at a time, and he actually asked Aragorn if he had any work that he might have for him to do. I would have been wroth with him, but I was just so relieved to see him sitting up, awake and alive, that I chose to hold my tongue even when I thought that he might be doing too much. But I did take this time to watch him and simply to be with him. Sitting in a camp chair in the corner of the tent, I would pretend to sew or knit, or some other feminine nonsense that I care nothing for, just to have an excuse to remain in the same place with him. And when he napped in the afternoons, I would draw close to his side so that I might simply look at him and satisfy myself that he was truly on the mend.
Occasionally he would fall into a coughing fit or a twinge of pain would temporarily mar his features as he attempted to make himself more comfortable amongst the furs. I would resist the urge to run to him, trying to help him in his difficulty. I remembered that when I had been confined to the Houses of Healing, I had disliked it when the healers had hovered about me. It had made me feel weak and useless. But often he would catch me staring at him while he sat reading report after report, and he would softly chastise me for worrying too much. But then he would call me to his side and suffer me to fuss over him for a while, making us both feel better in the process.
"Éowyn," he said on one such morning, his head resting in my lap, my fingers softly combing through his unruly hair, "I have a confession to make."
"What is it, love?"
"I have misplaced my betrothal rings." My fingers paused a moment before he continued, "Forgive me, love, for I know that I should never have taken them off, but they are not where I left them." So I knew that Madach must have visited recently when I was out.
I now realize that I should have told him that I was in possession of his betrothal rings, and so ease his heart somewhat, but instead I merely shrugged. "I am happy enough just to have you back, Faramir. Do not worry about your rings."
He reached up and pulled one of my hands to his lips with a sad smile. "But I do, for they came from you, and remind me of your love when we are parted."
"We are not apart now, my dear," I observed. "Fear not, your rings shall be found."
He nodded, though he looked doubtful.
Someone outside of the doorway cleared his throat, and then Aragorn entered the tent. At once, Faramir sat up, unconsciously smoothing his hair away from his face, as he greeted his king with a nod.
"Faramir, how are you feeling today?"
"I am much improved, my king. Thank you."
"I have some business to discuss with you, Lord Steward," said Aragorn, pointedly looking at me. And I knew then that he meant to discuss my leaving the camp before the words were even spoken.
"Aragorn, I will not leave him," I murmured, standing and crossing to the other side of the tent to busy myself with a pile of clothing that needed to be sorted and packed away.
The king seemed to know that he would not receive more privacy from me than this, and so he spoke, "Faramir, your lady wife needs to depart these premises on the morrow. I would not have her here if the Southrons should attack the camp." Faramir started to speak, but Aragorn raised his hand to still him and then continued. "Your uncle has expressed his wish to escort Lady Éowyn, Lady Lothíriel and you to Minas Tirith. I have come to tell you that I wish for you to stay here and help to lead the army to a victory over these Haradrim. It is my wish, however, that you decide for yourself what you wish to do, as I would not order you to do something that you cannot or will not do."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faramir's face sank, and he seemed to be closely examining a frayed thread at the edge of the sling that held his left arm. "My lord," he finally said, in a voice so quiet that I had to kneel next to him to hear it, "I would have Éowyn away from this place as well, but she has stated more than once that she will not be parted from me again." He looked at me then, and his eyes were filled with pain. "Though you know that I would never deny anything that you asked of me, my king." He sighed. "I had hoped that I might be spared this decision yet a while longer."
I nodded and glanced sideways at Éowyn who stood as still as a marble statue, her back to us, waiting to hear what Faramir would say. "I know it is not an easy decision for you, but I would not make it for you, Lord Steward."
He sounded sorrowful as he spoke. "I must stay if you need me, and obviously Éowyn must go." He sighed. "She shall be in good hands with Thíri, I am certain. And with any luck, we shall be done here before the babe is born, so that I might be by her side."
I nodded. Imrahil had been right about Faramir's sense of duty, of course, and I had known it and had used it to my advantage. But I truly had not expected him to be quite so downhearted at the prospect of being parted again from his lady wife. "Would you like more time to decide?" I asked him.
He shook his head, but did not look me in the eye, as he said, "No. The decision is made. It is as I said. I will remain, and Éowyn and Lothíriel shall go."
Éowyn whirled to face us then. "My lords," she said in an icy tone. "Since I have become an adult, I have been able to make my own decisions. I would have you know, Lord Faramir," and he winced at the coldness of her voice as she spoke, "that I do not need you to send me from you, for I depart of my own accord, and I shall never return here again. In fact, I know not why I ever came here at all!" And she whirled and ran from the tent without another sound.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Éowyn's words hurt me more than all of the injuries and sickness I had been forced to endure over these past days. I glanced up at the king and noted that he looked contrite, and I thought that he might go after her, but instead he stood and said, "It is a good decision, Faramir. She shall see the right of it before she departs."
I nodded, but I knew that Éowyn's stubborn streak would not allow her to take back her words. She had said that she would go, and she would. She had said that she would not return, and she would not. And I felt so cursedly weak, I doubted that I could follow her and beg her to listen to me, though in reality, I had no idea what effect yet more of my idiotic words would have upon her mood.
But I did not wish to part from her again with this argument between us. Never have I had a disagreement with friend or family without settling any differences that we had between us before we departed one another's company. And I had no intention of leaving any anger between my wife and myself before she departed.
"Shall I fetch her back for you?" asked the king, seeing my expression.
Determinedly, I replied, "Nay, I wish to go to her. Bring me my clothing, please."
Aragorn looked surprised but said naught as he brought me my ranger's garb and helped me dress as a mere manservant might have. By the time I was sufficiently clothed to be seen in public, I was exhausted, but I struggled to reach my feet.
"Faramir," warned Aragorn, though he held his hand out to me. I took it without a word, and with his aid, I stood shakily. Despite the lightheadedness that I was feeling, I took a step and another, leaning heavily upon the king's arm. As we stepped outside of the tent into the bright, clear day, Uncle, who I assume had already been on his way to see me, appeared at my side, my name a whispered scold upon his lips as he slipped his arm around my back, using the waistband of my trousers to help hold me up.
"What is the meaning of this?" he hissed at Aragorn.
"I . . . must . . . find . . . Éowyn," I said, panting heavily. It was becoming difficult to see, the blackness beginning to creep in at the edge of my vision.
I heard Aragorn command Beregond to fetch Éowyn at once, and I heard the armored guard move hastily away from us, even as my legs failed me, and the ground rushed up at me despite the helpful hands that tried to keep me upright. And then I was gazing up at Aragorn's surprisingly calm face, which was half-lost in the sun, but though he was speaking to me, I could not hear his words for the loud buzzing in my ears.
My uncle thoughtfully blocked the sun from my face with his cloak as I lay there, embarrassed by my own weakness and my own stupidity, surrounded by men who pitied my helplessness. I closed my eyes, trying to gather enough strength to make it back to my bed, willing to stay there until the end of time if it meant that I never had to experience any of this again.
"Faramir, Éowyn approaches," said the king, and I sighed, opening my eyes, before I tried to sit up, so I might somewhat properly receive her, but both he and my uncle held me fast, though both with soothing words upon their lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had marched straight to Lothíriel's tent from Faramir's intending to inform her of my decision to depart the camp and return to Minas Tirith at once, but she was not inside, so I sat, hoping that she would appear soon, for I needed to speak with someone.
How could my husband send me from his side when he knew my greatest wish was to stay with him? I knew that it was not an easy decision for him to make despite how quickly he made it, but I had still been very angry with him. I lost my temper, and I said words to him that were meant to wound, and from the look upon his face, it was plain that I had done a very thorough job of it. And now I could not decide how to gracefully apologize to my husband before we parted for the third time.
I had not sat there long when I heard Beregond bellowing my name. I rose quickly and exited the tent, wondering what the matter was. As soon as I saw his face, I knew it was Faramir. Without waiting for an explanation, I hurried back the direction I had come from.
I saw that there was a crowd of men standing in a circle in front of my husband's tent. I gasped, worried, and I thought about my harsh words again and regretted them even more. The crowd of soldiers parted for me as I approached, and there upon the ground was Faramir, breathless, his face as pale as the linen shirt he was wearing. He was struggling to rise as the king and the prince both held him down. But when he spied me there, he stopped battling against them and lay still, closing his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.
Aragorn and Imrahil both stood and began to call for the men to disperse, and I knelt next to Faramir, uncertain of what to do.
"My lady," he began, his voice a mere whisper. I called for some water, and a waterskin was brought to me immediately. After helping my husband to drink some of it, I took a swig myself, and then before he could speak again, I began.
"What do you think you are doing, Faramir?" I berated him.
"I tried to follow you, for I would not have you wroth with me when we part, my lady."
"I would not be wroth with you if we were not parting, my lord. You know my wishes on this subject, yet you choose to ignore them!"
"There is nothing that I can do to make all happy, Éowyn."
"Then, by the Valar, at least make yourself happy, Faramir! I think that you have not done that small thing for yourself since the day that we were married! Ever are you thinking of everyone else at the constant denial of your own wishes. If I thought that it would make you happy that I go, I would go and I would do it gladly."
"But it would not. Nor would it make me happy to stay here with you," I admitted. "There is nothing more that I have wished to do since the ambush here, than to take you home with me to Emyn Arnen and spend the rest of my days loving you and our children. I am so weary." His eyes closed, and I thought that he might have lost consciousness.
I stood quickly, his admission bringing tears to my eyes. "Eru's tears, Aragorn, are you listening to this?" I asked, glancing at him.
He nodded solemnly. "Forgive me, Éowyn. Obviously I tried to push him into a decision much too quickly, a decision that did not need to be made at all, for it is plain what his wishes are now." He looked over to the prince. "Imrahil, I give you my permission to take your daughter, your nephew and his wife back to Minas Tirith at your leisure, though when I arrive there myself, I expect Faramir to be fully recovered."
Imrahil bowed. "Thank you, King Elessar. It will be done on the morrow."
"I think our young steward has had more than enough for one day," said Aragorn, and I turned my attention back upon my husband, who was gazing up at me, his eyes weary but at peace, despite the fact that he was lying flat upon his back in the midst of a camp filled with soldiers who seemed to have nothing better to do than stare curiously at him. The king and the prince helped him back into his tent, and he sank down into the furs without another word. As they departed, I held my husband close, and I apologized to him for my harsh words, though he assured me that no apology was required before he fell asleep, my tears of relief dampening his dark hair.
I was initially confused somewhat as to where we were, since never would I have expected to see Lothíriel in Southern Ithilien, but Éowyn quietly explained to me that I had been found in South Gondor thanks to Madach, whose name brought back many memories, most of them unpleasant and unwelcome. Then she told me that I had been brought back across the river by Aragorn to this camp that had been raised by his troops near where the rangers' outpost had originally stood.
"He brought a thousand men from Minas Tirith to search for me?" I asked, feeling very embarrassed by all of the effort made upon my behalf.
She chuckled. "And three hundred from Pelargir also." Patting my hand, she kissed my brow. "Those who did the searching were far fewer, dear. Most of the troops have been chasing Haradrim since they arrived."
My heart skipped a beat. "Are there yet many Haradrim nearby?"
"A few, though the king has sent much of his force southward to keep them at bay." She squeezed my hand. "Peace, Faramir. We are safe for now."
"I would not have that change." I knew what I must say now would probably make her wroth with me. "Éowyn, you must leave here at once. You and Lothíriel should hie back to Minas Tirith as fast as you rode here in the first place."
She sat up quickly and looked down at me, worry touching her features, before she said in a voice as cold and hard as a stone wall, "Faramir, I would not leave this place again without you, and you are not well enough to travel yet, so I am staying." I began to argue, but she covered my mouth with her fingers and added, her voice much softer, "Do not deny me, love. My place is beside you now, and I will hear no more about it."
As she rose to fetch some water, I found that my emotions were at odds. It was of great concern to me that my wife and my cousin might be unsafe so close to the River Poros and the Southrons, yet I was cheered that she wished not to part from me. My thoughts of her that had brought me through much of my ordeal, and thinking further upon it, had it not been for her, I would most probably have slipped back into the river, allowing the water to close over me one final time, never to be seen alive again.
She returned to my side with a cup of water and a draught for the familiar pain in my chest. I quickly drank the refreshing water with her aid, but I told her that I did not need the potion, for the pain was bearable. But, as usual, she did not heed me, and she patiently waited for me to relent, and I drank it. I slept then and dreamed of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anborn entered the tent hesitantly, but I bade him come closer, though Faramir was sleeping, and I greeted him as an old friend, with a hug and a kiss upon his cheek. He blushed at me and smiled, and then I invited him to have a seat. Finally he did sit, though he seemed reluctant to, glancing every so often at Faramir's still form, his eyes filled with an odd mixture of relief and fear.
"He has already gained much strength, Lieutenant. Fear not for your captain. It shall not be long before he is upon his feet and going about as if nothing has happened."
Anborn nodded. "Aye, my lady, and I am so pleased to hear it, for when we found him . . . " His voice trailed off as he relived the horrific memory. I squeezed his shoulder, gently reminding him that Faramir was safe now and that he owed his life to Anborn and Aragorn.
"And to you, my lady," he said, obviously feeling a little self- conscious about his role in the entire affair. I smiled as he added, "I am so happy that I was able to do something for him after all that he has done for me." He seemed to remember something then and reached his fingers into his pocket, before offering his open palm to me. There sat Faramir's betrothal rings.
"Forgive me for not returning these sooner, but with all that had happened, I had forgotten them."
Reaching out a shaky hand, I took them, clenching them tightly in my fingers. "I was told that the king was in possession of these," I murmured.
"He held them for a time but gave them to me when he went south. I know Captain will be happy to have them back."
I nodded and thanked the ranger before I pocketed the rings. "Please, Anborn, should Faramir ask about his rings, only tell him that you do not have them, for I have a surprise that I do not wish ruined, and if you tell him that I am in possession of his jewelry, he shall discover it."
He smiled slightly and nodded his agreement, though from his expression, he must have thought it odd. Then, he turned the conversation toward Mablung and Damrod, wondering how they were faring. I had just told him of Damrod's recovery from his arrow wound, when Imrahil and Lothíriel came to call upon Fara, as Lothíriel calls her cousin, and so Anborn took his leave, but I was glad to see him smiling as he departed the tent.
Imrahil wasted no time in settling down next to Faramir, watching his nephew's face with a contented expression upon his own, and I heard him murmur, "Dear boy," more than once as I rose, speaking to Lothíriel about Faramir's concern that we should leave this camp as soon as possible.
"Is it that dangerous here, Daddy?" she asked Imrahil as he stroked Faramir's face, unable to help himself. I smiled to see such tenderness from such a fierce warrior.
"Indeed it grows more dangerous every day, Thíri," he said, turning his attention upon his daughter. "Our forces in South Gondor should hold, but there is always the chance that some of the Southrons might break through or avoid our defenses altogether. I would have you all out of danger if possible," he said, gesturing at Faramir, Lothíriel and me.
"If we could fetch a wain from the city, I would take Faramir away from this place, for he is too weak to stand yet, to say naught of riding a horse," I said.
The prince nodded, but Lothíriel said, "Fara would never allow us to take him away in a wain. He would not be able to stand the embarrassment of showing his weakness like that."
Imrahil spoke then to his daughter. "Remember that time when young Faramir fell out of the window?" I listened with great interest.
"I was too young yet, but I remember the story. Chir always swore that Elph pushed Fara!"
Imrahil's brow furrowed a bit. "Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Yes, your oldest brother pushed his cousin out of the window, and poor Faramir landed on his head. And though he was bleeding enough to scare your mother near out of her wits, he would not allow me to carry him inside, instead only barely leaning on Boromir for support, stating that it was not befitting a son of the Steward of Gondor to be seen showing weakness even before family."
Lothíriel nodded. "He has never outgrown that sentiment," she muttered, shaking her head. "It shall be nearly impossible to convince him to agree to ride home in a cart like an invalid, Éowyn."
"I thought it might, though I will not leave him here again, so unless we can strike a bargain with him, we have to wait for him to regain his strength." I sat again next to my husband, taking up his hand and caressing his cheek once. "I do not suppose that he would ever forgive me if I were to have him carried out in this condition," I said absently.
"I do not see how he could not, since he knows that ever you have only his well-being in your heart," said Lothíriel.
"Thíri, we should not cause him any more discomfort than necessary," Imrahil scolded. "If he was to learn that he was carried out of camp the same way that he was carried in, he would be mortified. Though I will send for a wain. Perhaps when it arrives, he will not have need of it."
I nodded my thanks to him and hoped that he was right.
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Though I was very relieved that Faramir had awakened and was finally recovering from his misadventure, the situation here was growing more dangerous by the moment. Solasgil had daily been sending messengers from his position approximately three leagues south of the river, and it was apparent that Harad was gathering its forces together for some sort of offensive, as daily there were more Haradrim patrols, and there had even been some exchanges of arrows between the forces of Gondor and the Haradrim. And even worse, our force had found a few farmsteads where the occupants had been murdered, any belongings of worth stolen, and the remainder burned to the ground.
I gathered my advisors together that afternoon in my pavilion, after having received one such message, so we might determine what should be done on behalf of the people of South Gondor. It was soon clear, however, that without the steadying force of Faramir's quiet strength, we would arrive at no firm conclusions, though Prince Imrahil did his best to be diplomatic in his nephew's stead, futilely attempting to keep the peace between the men with differing views.
There were two main opinions expressed amongst us. The first was that we should simply abandon South Gondor to Harad, leaving the people who dwelt there to their fate. This was not as cruel as it might sound, for many of the residents had sided with the Haradrim during the War of the Ring and, indeed, in many other skirmishes before that. The farmers and peasants tended to support whomever was in the position of greatest power. And for the past two years, it had been a lawless land for the most part.
The other main opinion was that we should send the whole of our force into South Gondor, working our way to the very borders of Near Harad, and reclaim the land as Gondor's own, though it should spread our forces quite thin. I was uncertain that we should ever be able to reclaim the entire land, nor if we would even wholly wish to, since the interior of the country was quite arid and hot, and there was very little that could be grown there, nor were there any people who would attempt to permanently settle there for that reason, though there were some bands of nomadic people who traveled through the desert, camping in a different place every few days.
However, the coastal areas were quite populated, and the fertile land that lay near the River Poros and the River Harnen was some of the best crop land known. But again, there resided the people that most worried me, for none knew where their loyalties lay. I admit that I used Faramir's predicament as an example, citing how the woman with whom he had at last found shelter, had sold him to the Haradrim for one gold coin because her family was starving.
This brought silence to the group, and our meeting was temporarily diverted from the main argument as I was asked how the steward was faring. "He shall recover," I proclaimed, and there was an audible sigh of relief from them before our attentions returned to the matter at hand.
Colonel Vëantor mentioned that the settlements along the western shore of South Gondor could perhaps be best conquered by the navy, who could sail unimpeded and easily distribute troops from the beaches. I thought that the word 'conquer' was a bit extreme, as it was not truly the people of South Gondor with whom we had our quarrel. And then Prince Imrahil pointed out that as the only member of the Navy of Gondor in attendance at our meeting, he could not comment one way or the other upon the subject without discussing it amongst his men first.
We debated for several hours and arrived at no firm conclusions, save that we would have to reconvene soon and resume our discussion. The Prince of Dol Amroth drew me aside afterwards, wishing to speak in private with me, and after all of the others had departed, I poured us some wine and listened to him.
"King Elessar, I wish to thank you for saving my nephew's life."
"His wife's sharp eyes saved him, Imrahil. I wish that I could have done more for him, though I am glad to have been of some help."
"My king," he said, reaching his point, "I request that I might be allowed to take my daughter, my nephew and his lady wife back to Minas Tirith, for Éowyn is in no condition to be so close to a war zone, and indeed, neither is Faramir at the moment."
I took a deep breath. "Indeed, it is becoming a more dangerous state of affairs here, but Faramir grows stronger by the minute, and if he wishes it, I would not have him far from here, for many important decisions need to be made very soon, and I would have his input."
Imrahil seemed shocked. "Aragorn, you cannot mean to part them again. Éowyn was absolutely beside herself with worry for her husband. You cannot expect her to simply leave him behind now that they have been reunited."
I tried to keep my face impassive. "I do not think that it shall be simple in the least, but yes, she must go, and I would prefer for him to stay."
His voice rose with anger, a very rare occurrence for the prince. "Think of their babe, Aragorn! Do you feel it is wise for Éowyn to have to bear the heavy weight of fear for Faramir's safety at such a time?"
I am not a callous person, but I am a practical one, and it is necessary to be pragmatic as a king. The Steward of Gondor is a brilliant strategist and a well-practiced diplomat, the most important of all of my advisors. Though, it is not impossible for me to manage without him, if I did not have to, I would not. But I found that it is necessary to be fair as a king as well, so I made a quick decision.
"Imrahil," I said, my voice rising as well, "I am thinking of the babe. That is why Éowyn must go. If I could see any other way to satisfy all, I would do it." I calmed myself a bit. "I will discuss it with Faramir to see what he thinks is best. As you said before, he is a man grown, so I shall leave the final decision to him."
"He shall support you, of course, for he would not oppose the wishes of his king, no matter how dangerous the mission or foolish the reasons for him to obey!" His voice finally quieted. "I only ask this for their sake. Even now they cling to one another as if they fear merely to be away from one another's sight. And I doubt that Faramir's recovery should continue at so rapid a pace if he is separated from Éowyn yet again."
"As I said, I will put the question to him, and he shall decide."
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Faramir physically improved by degrees over the next couple of days until he was remaining awake for hours at a time, and he actually asked Aragorn if he had any work that he might have for him to do. I would have been wroth with him, but I was just so relieved to see him sitting up, awake and alive, that I chose to hold my tongue even when I thought that he might be doing too much. But I did take this time to watch him and simply to be with him. Sitting in a camp chair in the corner of the tent, I would pretend to sew or knit, or some other feminine nonsense that I care nothing for, just to have an excuse to remain in the same place with him. And when he napped in the afternoons, I would draw close to his side so that I might simply look at him and satisfy myself that he was truly on the mend.
Occasionally he would fall into a coughing fit or a twinge of pain would temporarily mar his features as he attempted to make himself more comfortable amongst the furs. I would resist the urge to run to him, trying to help him in his difficulty. I remembered that when I had been confined to the Houses of Healing, I had disliked it when the healers had hovered about me. It had made me feel weak and useless. But often he would catch me staring at him while he sat reading report after report, and he would softly chastise me for worrying too much. But then he would call me to his side and suffer me to fuss over him for a while, making us both feel better in the process.
"Éowyn," he said on one such morning, his head resting in my lap, my fingers softly combing through his unruly hair, "I have a confession to make."
"What is it, love?"
"I have misplaced my betrothal rings." My fingers paused a moment before he continued, "Forgive me, love, for I know that I should never have taken them off, but they are not where I left them." So I knew that Madach must have visited recently when I was out.
I now realize that I should have told him that I was in possession of his betrothal rings, and so ease his heart somewhat, but instead I merely shrugged. "I am happy enough just to have you back, Faramir. Do not worry about your rings."
He reached up and pulled one of my hands to his lips with a sad smile. "But I do, for they came from you, and remind me of your love when we are parted."
"We are not apart now, my dear," I observed. "Fear not, your rings shall be found."
He nodded, though he looked doubtful.
Someone outside of the doorway cleared his throat, and then Aragorn entered the tent. At once, Faramir sat up, unconsciously smoothing his hair away from his face, as he greeted his king with a nod.
"Faramir, how are you feeling today?"
"I am much improved, my king. Thank you."
"I have some business to discuss with you, Lord Steward," said Aragorn, pointedly looking at me. And I knew then that he meant to discuss my leaving the camp before the words were even spoken.
"Aragorn, I will not leave him," I murmured, standing and crossing to the other side of the tent to busy myself with a pile of clothing that needed to be sorted and packed away.
The king seemed to know that he would not receive more privacy from me than this, and so he spoke, "Faramir, your lady wife needs to depart these premises on the morrow. I would not have her here if the Southrons should attack the camp." Faramir started to speak, but Aragorn raised his hand to still him and then continued. "Your uncle has expressed his wish to escort Lady Éowyn, Lady Lothíriel and you to Minas Tirith. I have come to tell you that I wish for you to stay here and help to lead the army to a victory over these Haradrim. It is my wish, however, that you decide for yourself what you wish to do, as I would not order you to do something that you cannot or will not do."
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Faramir's face sank, and he seemed to be closely examining a frayed thread at the edge of the sling that held his left arm. "My lord," he finally said, in a voice so quiet that I had to kneel next to him to hear it, "I would have Éowyn away from this place as well, but she has stated more than once that she will not be parted from me again." He looked at me then, and his eyes were filled with pain. "Though you know that I would never deny anything that you asked of me, my king." He sighed. "I had hoped that I might be spared this decision yet a while longer."
I nodded and glanced sideways at Éowyn who stood as still as a marble statue, her back to us, waiting to hear what Faramir would say. "I know it is not an easy decision for you, but I would not make it for you, Lord Steward."
He sounded sorrowful as he spoke. "I must stay if you need me, and obviously Éowyn must go." He sighed. "She shall be in good hands with Thíri, I am certain. And with any luck, we shall be done here before the babe is born, so that I might be by her side."
I nodded. Imrahil had been right about Faramir's sense of duty, of course, and I had known it and had used it to my advantage. But I truly had not expected him to be quite so downhearted at the prospect of being parted again from his lady wife. "Would you like more time to decide?" I asked him.
He shook his head, but did not look me in the eye, as he said, "No. The decision is made. It is as I said. I will remain, and Éowyn and Lothíriel shall go."
Éowyn whirled to face us then. "My lords," she said in an icy tone. "Since I have become an adult, I have been able to make my own decisions. I would have you know, Lord Faramir," and he winced at the coldness of her voice as she spoke, "that I do not need you to send me from you, for I depart of my own accord, and I shall never return here again. In fact, I know not why I ever came here at all!" And she whirled and ran from the tent without another sound.
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Éowyn's words hurt me more than all of the injuries and sickness I had been forced to endure over these past days. I glanced up at the king and noted that he looked contrite, and I thought that he might go after her, but instead he stood and said, "It is a good decision, Faramir. She shall see the right of it before she departs."
I nodded, but I knew that Éowyn's stubborn streak would not allow her to take back her words. She had said that she would go, and she would. She had said that she would not return, and she would not. And I felt so cursedly weak, I doubted that I could follow her and beg her to listen to me, though in reality, I had no idea what effect yet more of my idiotic words would have upon her mood.
But I did not wish to part from her again with this argument between us. Never have I had a disagreement with friend or family without settling any differences that we had between us before we departed one another's company. And I had no intention of leaving any anger between my wife and myself before she departed.
"Shall I fetch her back for you?" asked the king, seeing my expression.
Determinedly, I replied, "Nay, I wish to go to her. Bring me my clothing, please."
Aragorn looked surprised but said naught as he brought me my ranger's garb and helped me dress as a mere manservant might have. By the time I was sufficiently clothed to be seen in public, I was exhausted, but I struggled to reach my feet.
"Faramir," warned Aragorn, though he held his hand out to me. I took it without a word, and with his aid, I stood shakily. Despite the lightheadedness that I was feeling, I took a step and another, leaning heavily upon the king's arm. As we stepped outside of the tent into the bright, clear day, Uncle, who I assume had already been on his way to see me, appeared at my side, my name a whispered scold upon his lips as he slipped his arm around my back, using the waistband of my trousers to help hold me up.
"What is the meaning of this?" he hissed at Aragorn.
"I . . . must . . . find . . . Éowyn," I said, panting heavily. It was becoming difficult to see, the blackness beginning to creep in at the edge of my vision.
I heard Aragorn command Beregond to fetch Éowyn at once, and I heard the armored guard move hastily away from us, even as my legs failed me, and the ground rushed up at me despite the helpful hands that tried to keep me upright. And then I was gazing up at Aragorn's surprisingly calm face, which was half-lost in the sun, but though he was speaking to me, I could not hear his words for the loud buzzing in my ears.
My uncle thoughtfully blocked the sun from my face with his cloak as I lay there, embarrassed by my own weakness and my own stupidity, surrounded by men who pitied my helplessness. I closed my eyes, trying to gather enough strength to make it back to my bed, willing to stay there until the end of time if it meant that I never had to experience any of this again.
"Faramir, Éowyn approaches," said the king, and I sighed, opening my eyes, before I tried to sit up, so I might somewhat properly receive her, but both he and my uncle held me fast, though both with soothing words upon their lips.
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I had marched straight to Lothíriel's tent from Faramir's intending to inform her of my decision to depart the camp and return to Minas Tirith at once, but she was not inside, so I sat, hoping that she would appear soon, for I needed to speak with someone.
How could my husband send me from his side when he knew my greatest wish was to stay with him? I knew that it was not an easy decision for him to make despite how quickly he made it, but I had still been very angry with him. I lost my temper, and I said words to him that were meant to wound, and from the look upon his face, it was plain that I had done a very thorough job of it. And now I could not decide how to gracefully apologize to my husband before we parted for the third time.
I had not sat there long when I heard Beregond bellowing my name. I rose quickly and exited the tent, wondering what the matter was. As soon as I saw his face, I knew it was Faramir. Without waiting for an explanation, I hurried back the direction I had come from.
I saw that there was a crowd of men standing in a circle in front of my husband's tent. I gasped, worried, and I thought about my harsh words again and regretted them even more. The crowd of soldiers parted for me as I approached, and there upon the ground was Faramir, breathless, his face as pale as the linen shirt he was wearing. He was struggling to rise as the king and the prince both held him down. But when he spied me there, he stopped battling against them and lay still, closing his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.
Aragorn and Imrahil both stood and began to call for the men to disperse, and I knelt next to Faramir, uncertain of what to do.
"My lady," he began, his voice a mere whisper. I called for some water, and a waterskin was brought to me immediately. After helping my husband to drink some of it, I took a swig myself, and then before he could speak again, I began.
"What do you think you are doing, Faramir?" I berated him.
"I tried to follow you, for I would not have you wroth with me when we part, my lady."
"I would not be wroth with you if we were not parting, my lord. You know my wishes on this subject, yet you choose to ignore them!"
"There is nothing that I can do to make all happy, Éowyn."
"Then, by the Valar, at least make yourself happy, Faramir! I think that you have not done that small thing for yourself since the day that we were married! Ever are you thinking of everyone else at the constant denial of your own wishes. If I thought that it would make you happy that I go, I would go and I would do it gladly."
"But it would not. Nor would it make me happy to stay here with you," I admitted. "There is nothing more that I have wished to do since the ambush here, than to take you home with me to Emyn Arnen and spend the rest of my days loving you and our children. I am so weary." His eyes closed, and I thought that he might have lost consciousness.
I stood quickly, his admission bringing tears to my eyes. "Eru's tears, Aragorn, are you listening to this?" I asked, glancing at him.
He nodded solemnly. "Forgive me, Éowyn. Obviously I tried to push him into a decision much too quickly, a decision that did not need to be made at all, for it is plain what his wishes are now." He looked over to the prince. "Imrahil, I give you my permission to take your daughter, your nephew and his wife back to Minas Tirith at your leisure, though when I arrive there myself, I expect Faramir to be fully recovered."
Imrahil bowed. "Thank you, King Elessar. It will be done on the morrow."
"I think our young steward has had more than enough for one day," said Aragorn, and I turned my attention back upon my husband, who was gazing up at me, his eyes weary but at peace, despite the fact that he was lying flat upon his back in the midst of a camp filled with soldiers who seemed to have nothing better to do than stare curiously at him. The king and the prince helped him back into his tent, and he sank down into the furs without another word. As they departed, I held my husband close, and I apologized to him for my harsh words, though he assured me that no apology was required before he fell asleep, my tears of relief dampening his dark hair.