Faintly Faramir heard the soft steps of someone coming toward the door to
his room. The sun had just arisen and the pale golden light of dawn was
streaming into the room, the door to the bedchamber creaked open and an
exhausted young man stumbled in. Faramir didn't notice, his gaze was
riveted on the pale and still form of the beautiful woman lying next to
him. He slowly lifted his hand from her lips and brushed a strand of her
soft silky hair away from her face. Suddenly a hoarse scream made Faramir's
gaze move towards the doorway. He was astonished to see a man standing
there, the man looked as if he was about to drop from exhaustion, Faramir
was amazed that he was still standing. Even as Faramir was wondering who
the stranger was he noticed that the man had drawn his sword.
"Get your hands off of my sister or I'll cut them off myself. Who are you
and what are you doing in my sister's bed? How dare you prey on her as she
lies defenseless and dying? Get out before I kill you myself. Get out!"
The stranger's voice had started in a low murmur and grown to an angry
shout as he continued with his impassioned speech. Faramir was at a loss;
he felt the weakness in his legs and knew that he would not be able to
stand. He racked his brain in search for something to say to calm the man
down.
"Steady there. I mean your sister no harm. I woke and she was here, that
was the way of it. Do not fear, I have no evil in mind. I am Faramir, son
of Denethor. If I may be so bold, who are you?" Faramir's voice was harsh
with disuse and sickness.
The man at the door calmed visibly and lowered his sword. "I am Eomer son
of Eomund and brother to the woman that lies there. Now answer me this
Faramir, what are you doing in Eowyn's bed?"
"I do not know. As I said, I woke and she was here. What ails your sister
Eomer? What is the cause that brings one so beautiful to this place filled
with so much pain?"
At Faramir's words Eomer's composure broke. He slid to the floor and his
muscular form wracked with the force of his sobs. Faramir watched, his
large eyes filled with sympathy for the pain that Eomer must have been
going through. Through Eomer's cries he was able to distinguish a few
garbled words. "It's the black breath. She defeated the witch king of
Angmar and in doing so gave her life. The healers say that she will not
recover. All hope is lost!" Eomer gave into his weeping and Faramir sank
back against the pillows. He turned to look at Eowyn and one small tear
slipped down his cheek. Eowyn's condition remained unaltered; her ragged
gasps rent the air and matched the sobs of her despairing brother. Unable
to bear it Faramir closed his eyes and prayed that sleep would take him.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Aragorn son of Arathorn and King of Gondor sat quietly in a chair next to the bed where Eowyn and Faramir lay. He reached out and lifted Faramir's hand. "Arise Steward of Gondor, your King wills it so." At Aragorn's words, Faramir awoke. He found himself looking up at the kind and weathered face of his king. "Your Majesty. I live to do your bidding. What is it that you command of me." Aragorn smiled, "I wish that you rest and recuperate, Faramir. For I think that I will greatly need your help in the days that come. Now sleep my friend. Sleep and recover." Faramir smiled and closed his eyes, even though he had never met the king before, he knew without a doubt that Aragorn was a good, kind man who would rule wisely and well. He closed his eyes and slipped into slumber. The dream came back. It always came back. Faramir was trapped in the horrors of his personal nightmare, unable to escape and unable to change anything, he was left completely powerless. Faramir gasped and tossed in vain, the dream took hold and all Faramir knew was the horror. The endless and unending horror of his memories.
"Faramir!" the cry was piercing and anguished. Faramir stopped and spun around, looking for the person that was calling. "Help me! Help me! No please no! Stop! I have a wife and a child, please I'll do anything! Anything! Just let me live! No! FARAMIR!" Faramir ran, looking everywhere for his friend, everywhere he turned he heard the pain filled voice crying out his name. He was frantic, his blood surged with anger, anger that he had led his men into this slaughter, anger that he was unable to win his father's love, anger that he wasn't there for his friend, all Faramir felt was the anger. Suddenly the screams stopped, there was an eerie silence and Faramir could hear the faint sounds of the battle in the distance. Faramir ran and ran searching everywhere, fearing that behind every pile of rocks he would find the body of his friend torn and bleeding. Dreading that he would be too late. He turned and stumbled over a pile of stones, the force of his fall sent him skidding across the broken ground. Faramir rolled and climbed to his feet, his hands were torn and bleeding but he didn't care. All he saw was the body of his friend, he was lying on his back and his face was turned toward Faramir. A maze of cuts and what looked like bite marks covered the man's face, his eyes were filled with unimaginable pain. He saw Faramir and Faramir's name escaped his torn and bleeding lips in a small whisper. Faramir's eyes glazed with rage and he ran screaming towards the orc that lay crouched over his friend's broken and bleeding body. With a vicious shout, Faramir ran his sword through the orc's back. The orc looked up and turned his beady gaze towards Faramir, he snarled and blood dripped from his mouth. Then he keeled over, and Faramir withdrew his sword. He pushed the orc away and knelt at his friend's side. He looked down in horror at his friends stomach, it was ripped open and his intestines lay strewn out on the ground, with a sudden flash of realization Faramir realized that the orc had been eating his friend. Faramir turned and glanced away, trying to hold back the wave of nausea that consumed him. He looked at his friend and gazed into his pain filled eyes. The man smiled weakly then began to gasp, "Faramir, tell Mira, tell her that I love her. Tell her that I fought to stay. That I will always love my best girl. Tell her. Raise Baran right Faramir, raise him to be strong like you. Tell them that I love them, now and forever. Tell them, Faramir. Tell them." Then he gasped once more and lay silent. The pain faded from his eyes and the cloud of death covered them. Faramir sobbed. He knelt there and he sobbed. In the background the sounds of the battle grew faint. Faramir arose and a look of steely determination entered his eyes. He turned and ran, he ran towards the battle, towards the fight. And as he ran he vowed that he would slay as many orcs as possible or die trying. As he ran the tortured screams of his friend haunted him, they echoed through his mind, but Faramir kept on running, all he could do was keep running.
Aragorn ran into the room, he had heard Faramir's screams from the hall below. He stopped short and looked into the room, fearing what he would see. Faramir was lying on the bed, his eyes open and his face frozen in horror, his hands pressed on his belly and he was shouting. "No don't die! I command you not to die! Please stay with me! I cannot lose you too! NOOOOO!" Aragorn tentatively entered the room, afraid to wake the man he had come to think of as a friend, even though they had only met that afternoon. He moved to the edge of the bed and shook Faramir's shoulder. Faramir turned and his eyes welled up with tears. He was still trapped in the nightmare. Aragorn shook his shoulder and slowly Faramir's eyes began to change.
Faramir was pulled back into consciousness by a rough hand on his arm, then he was looking into the weary and rough face of his king. Faramir said nothing, he could feel his eyes well up with tears and he could feel the tears spill out and course down his cheeks. He silently sobbed, staring at the king's face.
Aragorn smiled and gently laid his hand on Faramir's forehead. "Shhh... it's all right. All will be well. Trust me. All will be well." Upon hearing Aragorn's words, the tears began to flow with more force. Faramir closed his eyes and turned away. Aragorn stood and listened to the mans muffled sobs. He closed his eyes and a wave of weariness hit him. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around the room. He noticed a chair in the corner and dragged it over to the side of the bed. Then he sat, preparing to wait out the night and keep Faramir's monsters at bay.
Faramir heard the chair move across the floor and he heard Aragorn sit. He opened his eyes and looked at the pale face of the woman lying next to him. Her harsh breaths ripped the stillness of the air. The pale light of the moon seeped in through the window and illuminated her beautiful skin. Faramir watched and prayed that she would open her eyes and look at him. He prayed it with all his heart, but still she lay there in a deadly sleep. The only sign of life was her harsh and ragged breathing. A tear slipped out of the corner of Faramir's eye, followed by another, until soon he was crying in earnest. The night slipped away, Aragorn stood watch over the two lying in bed, Faramir silently sobbed and Eowyn gasped for air. As the night passed into day, Faramir's prayer went unanswered.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Aragorn son of Arathorn and King of Gondor sat quietly in a chair next to the bed where Eowyn and Faramir lay. He reached out and lifted Faramir's hand. "Arise Steward of Gondor, your King wills it so." At Aragorn's words, Faramir awoke. He found himself looking up at the kind and weathered face of his king. "Your Majesty. I live to do your bidding. What is it that you command of me." Aragorn smiled, "I wish that you rest and recuperate, Faramir. For I think that I will greatly need your help in the days that come. Now sleep my friend. Sleep and recover." Faramir smiled and closed his eyes, even though he had never met the king before, he knew without a doubt that Aragorn was a good, kind man who would rule wisely and well. He closed his eyes and slipped into slumber. The dream came back. It always came back. Faramir was trapped in the horrors of his personal nightmare, unable to escape and unable to change anything, he was left completely powerless. Faramir gasped and tossed in vain, the dream took hold and all Faramir knew was the horror. The endless and unending horror of his memories.
"Faramir!" the cry was piercing and anguished. Faramir stopped and spun around, looking for the person that was calling. "Help me! Help me! No please no! Stop! I have a wife and a child, please I'll do anything! Anything! Just let me live! No! FARAMIR!" Faramir ran, looking everywhere for his friend, everywhere he turned he heard the pain filled voice crying out his name. He was frantic, his blood surged with anger, anger that he had led his men into this slaughter, anger that he was unable to win his father's love, anger that he wasn't there for his friend, all Faramir felt was the anger. Suddenly the screams stopped, there was an eerie silence and Faramir could hear the faint sounds of the battle in the distance. Faramir ran and ran searching everywhere, fearing that behind every pile of rocks he would find the body of his friend torn and bleeding. Dreading that he would be too late. He turned and stumbled over a pile of stones, the force of his fall sent him skidding across the broken ground. Faramir rolled and climbed to his feet, his hands were torn and bleeding but he didn't care. All he saw was the body of his friend, he was lying on his back and his face was turned toward Faramir. A maze of cuts and what looked like bite marks covered the man's face, his eyes were filled with unimaginable pain. He saw Faramir and Faramir's name escaped his torn and bleeding lips in a small whisper. Faramir's eyes glazed with rage and he ran screaming towards the orc that lay crouched over his friend's broken and bleeding body. With a vicious shout, Faramir ran his sword through the orc's back. The orc looked up and turned his beady gaze towards Faramir, he snarled and blood dripped from his mouth. Then he keeled over, and Faramir withdrew his sword. He pushed the orc away and knelt at his friend's side. He looked down in horror at his friends stomach, it was ripped open and his intestines lay strewn out on the ground, with a sudden flash of realization Faramir realized that the orc had been eating his friend. Faramir turned and glanced away, trying to hold back the wave of nausea that consumed him. He looked at his friend and gazed into his pain filled eyes. The man smiled weakly then began to gasp, "Faramir, tell Mira, tell her that I love her. Tell her that I fought to stay. That I will always love my best girl. Tell her. Raise Baran right Faramir, raise him to be strong like you. Tell them that I love them, now and forever. Tell them, Faramir. Tell them." Then he gasped once more and lay silent. The pain faded from his eyes and the cloud of death covered them. Faramir sobbed. He knelt there and he sobbed. In the background the sounds of the battle grew faint. Faramir arose and a look of steely determination entered his eyes. He turned and ran, he ran towards the battle, towards the fight. And as he ran he vowed that he would slay as many orcs as possible or die trying. As he ran the tortured screams of his friend haunted him, they echoed through his mind, but Faramir kept on running, all he could do was keep running.
Aragorn ran into the room, he had heard Faramir's screams from the hall below. He stopped short and looked into the room, fearing what he would see. Faramir was lying on the bed, his eyes open and his face frozen in horror, his hands pressed on his belly and he was shouting. "No don't die! I command you not to die! Please stay with me! I cannot lose you too! NOOOOO!" Aragorn tentatively entered the room, afraid to wake the man he had come to think of as a friend, even though they had only met that afternoon. He moved to the edge of the bed and shook Faramir's shoulder. Faramir turned and his eyes welled up with tears. He was still trapped in the nightmare. Aragorn shook his shoulder and slowly Faramir's eyes began to change.
Faramir was pulled back into consciousness by a rough hand on his arm, then he was looking into the weary and rough face of his king. Faramir said nothing, he could feel his eyes well up with tears and he could feel the tears spill out and course down his cheeks. He silently sobbed, staring at the king's face.
Aragorn smiled and gently laid his hand on Faramir's forehead. "Shhh... it's all right. All will be well. Trust me. All will be well." Upon hearing Aragorn's words, the tears began to flow with more force. Faramir closed his eyes and turned away. Aragorn stood and listened to the mans muffled sobs. He closed his eyes and a wave of weariness hit him. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around the room. He noticed a chair in the corner and dragged it over to the side of the bed. Then he sat, preparing to wait out the night and keep Faramir's monsters at bay.
Faramir heard the chair move across the floor and he heard Aragorn sit. He opened his eyes and looked at the pale face of the woman lying next to him. Her harsh breaths ripped the stillness of the air. The pale light of the moon seeped in through the window and illuminated her beautiful skin. Faramir watched and prayed that she would open her eyes and look at him. He prayed it with all his heart, but still she lay there in a deadly sleep. The only sign of life was her harsh and ragged breathing. A tear slipped out of the corner of Faramir's eye, followed by another, until soon he was crying in earnest. The night slipped away, Aragorn stood watch over the two lying in bed, Faramir silently sobbed and Eowyn gasped for air. As the night passed into day, Faramir's prayer went unanswered.