~@-/Pains in the Heart\-@~
I don't own the characters, just the plot. Inspired by Egleriel's excellent 'Éowyn Nimbeinaith' so kudos Egleriel! Please write a sequel! (I'm saying that so he/she doesn't sue...)
===================
"Éowyn!" Faramir caught her as she swooned. "Someone help!"
--+-- The Houses of Healing --+--
"I have seen nothing like this before," said the Warden in a low voice. "We need the King, or an elf for this sort of healing."
"What is wrong with her?" said Faramir desperately. "Head, legs, back - where does she ail?"
The Warden looked down at his patient. "Nowhere."
"How can that be?"
"Her body still lives," said the Warden carefully, "indeed it is almost healed. But her mind... her mind has abandoned her. She is but an empty shell."
--+--8--+--
Faramir sat by her bedside for two days. Éowyn had begun to grow cold; cold as the breeze, she was, when Faramir had first lifted her. Now a light frost crisped her skin, and her hair froze into a single golden pane. Faramir was only vaguely aware of a great commotion in the City below.
"Tidings have come!" cried the Warden. "The battle is won! The Dark Lord has fled!"
"Where is Aragorn?" said Faramir levelly, his eyes not leaving Éowyn. "Summon him at once."
"I cannot, my lord," said the Warden, slumping. "He remains in the North."
"Why has he not come?" snapped Faramir.
"'twas only a messenger," said the Warden. "Aragorn-"
"-rejoices in his glorious victory," Faramir sneered.
"No, my lord!" said the Warden, shocked. "He is gravely wounded."
"What?" Faramir rose from his seat. "What has befallen him?"
"A sword-wound, my lord," said the Warden. "Straight through his side. He stabbed the man who did it, just before he fell."
"Will he live?"
"I know not, my lord. No-one does."
--+-- Cormallen --+--
Aragorn opened his eyes. His senses surged back. Memory is always the first to come.
Bright white light... galloping hooves... horns blaring... filthy ground passing beneath his feet... a wedged arrow... dust... an evil grin... a sword.
Aragorn sat up, and was met by a searing pain, as though someone had driven a hot poker into his side.
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
Éowyn sat bolt upright. "He is alive," she gasped.
--+-- Cormallen --+--
Aragorn fell back onto the bed.
"Aran Elessar na ekhui!" [King Elessar is wakening] cried a voice outside the marquee. The canvas of the tent muffled the sound of footsteps outside. Aragorn's fuzzy vision made Gandalf flicker in and out of focus.
"It's good to see you awake," smiled the wizard. "We thought you might not make it."
"Wh-what happened?" said Aragorn. The words scratched his throat.
"You were almost killed," said Gandalf. "And a good job you recovered. Can you imagine the chaos if you hadn't? The last of Elendil's line comes in the night, only to die a week later!" Gandalf laughed.
"What of Éowyn?" croaked Aragorn. Gandalf's smile faded slightly.
"She is improving," he said. "But it would appear that something very odd has happened."
"What is it?" said Aragorn, suddenly alert.
"A messenger arrived this morning," said Gandalf. "At the moment you were stabbed, Éowyn collapsed. She has been lying in Minas Tirith as though dead."
"Dead?" Aragorn's voice was hollow. "How can this be?"
Gandalf's expression softened. "She has bound herself to you," he said with a wan smile. "I will not press you to speak of this further, but it would appear that she has taken some of the hurt that should have killed you."
"Will she be all right?"
"Of course," smiled Gandalf. "In fact, I would not be surprised if she, too, has awoken now. Lie down. You need your rest."
--+--8--+--
"I have never heard of such a thing before," muttered Gandalf. "Never in two who were not married."
"What are you trying to suggest?" cried Éomer, rising angrily from his seat. "Aragorn is a man of honour, and my sister is no girlish virgin!"
"I meant it not that way," snapped Gandalf. "They are joined in spirit, son of Éomund, and you would do well not to jump to such conclusions!"
"What is it?" asked Legolas. "I have never heard of such a connection."
"It occurs in two kindred spirits," said Gandalf, "who are already joined by a bond of love so strong that it unites their souls. I have never come across a couple joined thus in many years, and this is the first time the pair were not Elvish."
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
"Who is alive?" asked Faramir sharply. "Who has done this to you?"
Éowyn ran her hand along her side, feeling the lack of wound. "Aragorn."
===================
I don't own the characters, just the plot. Inspired by Egleriel's excellent 'Éowyn Nimbeinaith' so kudos Egleriel! Please write a sequel! (I'm saying that so he/she doesn't sue...)
===================
"Éowyn!" Faramir caught her as she swooned. "Someone help!"
--+-- The Houses of Healing --+--
"I have seen nothing like this before," said the Warden in a low voice. "We need the King, or an elf for this sort of healing."
"What is wrong with her?" said Faramir desperately. "Head, legs, back - where does she ail?"
The Warden looked down at his patient. "Nowhere."
"How can that be?"
"Her body still lives," said the Warden carefully, "indeed it is almost healed. But her mind... her mind has abandoned her. She is but an empty shell."
--+--8--+--
Faramir sat by her bedside for two days. Éowyn had begun to grow cold; cold as the breeze, she was, when Faramir had first lifted her. Now a light frost crisped her skin, and her hair froze into a single golden pane. Faramir was only vaguely aware of a great commotion in the City below.
"Tidings have come!" cried the Warden. "The battle is won! The Dark Lord has fled!"
"Where is Aragorn?" said Faramir levelly, his eyes not leaving Éowyn. "Summon him at once."
"I cannot, my lord," said the Warden, slumping. "He remains in the North."
"Why has he not come?" snapped Faramir.
"'twas only a messenger," said the Warden. "Aragorn-"
"-rejoices in his glorious victory," Faramir sneered.
"No, my lord!" said the Warden, shocked. "He is gravely wounded."
"What?" Faramir rose from his seat. "What has befallen him?"
"A sword-wound, my lord," said the Warden. "Straight through his side. He stabbed the man who did it, just before he fell."
"Will he live?"
"I know not, my lord. No-one does."
--+-- Cormallen --+--
Aragorn opened his eyes. His senses surged back. Memory is always the first to come.
Bright white light... galloping hooves... horns blaring... filthy ground passing beneath his feet... a wedged arrow... dust... an evil grin... a sword.
Aragorn sat up, and was met by a searing pain, as though someone had driven a hot poker into his side.
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
Éowyn sat bolt upright. "He is alive," she gasped.
--+-- Cormallen --+--
Aragorn fell back onto the bed.
"Aran Elessar na ekhui!" [King Elessar is wakening] cried a voice outside the marquee. The canvas of the tent muffled the sound of footsteps outside. Aragorn's fuzzy vision made Gandalf flicker in and out of focus.
"It's good to see you awake," smiled the wizard. "We thought you might not make it."
"Wh-what happened?" said Aragorn. The words scratched his throat.
"You were almost killed," said Gandalf. "And a good job you recovered. Can you imagine the chaos if you hadn't? The last of Elendil's line comes in the night, only to die a week later!" Gandalf laughed.
"What of Éowyn?" croaked Aragorn. Gandalf's smile faded slightly.
"She is improving," he said. "But it would appear that something very odd has happened."
"What is it?" said Aragorn, suddenly alert.
"A messenger arrived this morning," said Gandalf. "At the moment you were stabbed, Éowyn collapsed. She has been lying in Minas Tirith as though dead."
"Dead?" Aragorn's voice was hollow. "How can this be?"
Gandalf's expression softened. "She has bound herself to you," he said with a wan smile. "I will not press you to speak of this further, but it would appear that she has taken some of the hurt that should have killed you."
"Will she be all right?"
"Of course," smiled Gandalf. "In fact, I would not be surprised if she, too, has awoken now. Lie down. You need your rest."
--+--8--+--
"I have never heard of such a thing before," muttered Gandalf. "Never in two who were not married."
"What are you trying to suggest?" cried Éomer, rising angrily from his seat. "Aragorn is a man of honour, and my sister is no girlish virgin!"
"I meant it not that way," snapped Gandalf. "They are joined in spirit, son of Éomund, and you would do well not to jump to such conclusions!"
"What is it?" asked Legolas. "I have never heard of such a connection."
"It occurs in two kindred spirits," said Gandalf, "who are already joined by a bond of love so strong that it unites their souls. I have never come across a couple joined thus in many years, and this is the first time the pair were not Elvish."
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
"Who is alive?" asked Faramir sharply. "Who has done this to you?"
Éowyn ran her hand along her side, feeling the lack of wound. "Aragorn."
===================