Major Disclaimor: Ok, I just thought it would be fair to let you all in on a little secret. Ok? Come closer now...ready? I have no idea where this story is going! Ok, so maybe I have a liiiitle idea, but from the start I've just been writing whatever comes into my head and not really paying attention to the direction. Just thought I'd let you know so that you're not mad at me if this story is crap or anything.
Anyway, whatever I'm doing, you seem to like it, so I'll keep doing it.
With a cry, she dropped her sword and fell to her knees. Faramir knelt in the grass, gasping for breath. Blood poured from a wound on his arm, and though he wore black Eowyn could see the blood seeping into his shirt. He turned his face towards her and reached a hand up. "Eowyn," he choked out, "What happened?"
Eowyn was aware of Faramir's sword lying at least six feet away in the grass. Sweet Eru, she had disarmed him in her bloodlust and sliced his arm. "Faramir! I--I---"
"You were back, Wyn. Back on the Pelannor." He nodded weakly. "I have dreamed about it, many times."
Eowyn began to sob. "I hurt you!"
"You thought I was the Witch-King," Faramir went on, ignoring her. "You wanted to kill me."
"No!" Eowyn cried, smacking the side of her head. "What was I doing?"
Faramir grabbed her hand before it made contact again. "I have seen it happen before, Wyn. Many times. To soldiers who have had too much of battle." He shook his head. "I should not have brought you out here."
Eowyn began to tremble and she looked down to find her hands grasping his. "It felt so---so---"
"Real?" he asked. Eowyn looked up and was startled by the brightness of the eyes across from her.
"Yes," she breathed. "Yes. I wanted to die again. I felt just exactly the same way I had felt before!"
Faramir nodded and pulled her to himself with one arm. "I know. I cannot tell you the many times I have thought I heard the Nazgul's cry above me and felt the pain of an arrow entering me. It happens."
Eowyn pulled apart quickly. "Did I hurt you much, my love?"
"No," Faramir gasped. "It is just a little cut."
"All the same, I would like to take a look at it," she sniffed. She touched his arm tenderly and he jerked back.
"I'm-I'm fine Eowyn," he said warningly.
"I just want to help you. I have injured you by my idiocy and I want to see it," Eowyn snapped. A pounding headache was beginning, and it was as if all she could see was her husbands blood. It had to be stanched.
Faramir hesitated for a moment and then, with a sigh, surrendered his arm to Eowyn. She gently ripped the material off and looked at the wound.
It was deep and red, spewing forth blood. Eowyn almost gagged at the sight. She, who had tended more warrior's wounds than she could count, was revolted by the sight of this one. Perhaps it was because this was of her own making?
A sick feeling began to knot itself in the pit of her stomach and join the headache. Her hands began to shake as she ripped a length of skirt from the discarded dress and bound up her husband's wound. If only the bleeding would stop!
Blinded by tears, she pressed harder, willing the fabric to make the blood slow. How could she have done this? How could she have hurt her Faramir?
How my love consumes my heart...
She glanced up to look at his face. It was calm and still, his eyes tightly shut. Why? She asked herself. Why can't I do anything without harming another?
But every time without fail...
"I am a shieldmaiden," she muttered to herself, quietly so as not to let him hear. "I cannot heal. I can only fight, always fight! Did you ever even stop to think about how he felt about this?"
And when I try to tell you
We end up with hurt and blame.
Eowyn stopped and looked at her husband. "Faramir?" she asked gently.
"Yes?" he murmured without opening his eyes.
"Is that better, my love?" Eowyn asked timidly. The blood had finally seemed to be slowing. Faramir nodded.
"I'm sorry, Wyn," he whispered.
"Sorry?!? For what?"
"For bringing you out here. I am tired now. May I sleep?" he asked.
Eowyn nodded and gathered his head in her arms. She sat on the ground, holding him in her arms as he slept. He must have lost a lot of blood, she mused, for him to be so weak. Suddenly, she cursed herself out loud.
"Is this how it was supposed to end?" she yelled. "Is this the way it should be? Why can't we just have some peace??"
She lowered her head in defeat, asking herself again how this had happened. They had come out on a simple pleasure ride, to have a duel that was completely in jest. She had been keeping her strength and skill up with the sword...why when she was actually pitted against someone would she snap? And did she have to injure her husband? WHY?
"You tell me what to do," she asked of a robin who happened to be hopping by. "Is he strong enough to mount a horse?" The robin ignored her and spread its wings, flying up to the top of an oak tree. Eowyn bowed her head and stroked her husband's cheek. "I wish I knew what you were dreaming, mela. Is it sweeter in that world?"
Faramir was searching through the huge estate, walking--no running--through endless rooms and chambers. He was searching for something, or someone, and he couldn't find them for the life of him. He pressed on and on. His feet began to complain, and his head began to throb. He vaguely remembered having light when he started, but now there was nothing but blackness and shadows in the mansion. Nothing looked familiar, and yet at the same time...
Had he passed that bookcase before? And that lamp seemed so familiar!
But no, no this odd chair he KNEW he had not seen before. He looked closer at the engraving on it and gasped.
Lle kena, Faramir utinu Denethor, nan lle il hanya.
(You see, Faramir son of Denethor, but you never understand.)
As plain as day, he could read the words. He blinked in confusion, and when he looked again the words were gone. With a muffled sound he stumbled back and hit something hard.
It was a door.
He turned fearfully and faced the massive door. It was solid and black, all except for the gleaming handle that read in the common tongue: "Enter under your own free will and suffer the consequences, or wonder forever what would have happened if you had." What did an inscription like that mean? Faramir's curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the door very, very slowly.
It was complete blackness. He waved his hand in front of his face---touched it even, but it was no good. He could see nothing. He felt behind him for the door, but it was gone.
Vanished.
He was standing in an empty hall, with no idea where he was. Suddenly, he heard the scurrying of something. He could not see it, but he knew it was there. What was it?
"Who are you?" he called.
Who are you?
Who are you?
The echo came back to him tenfold, and he shivered. It was deathly cold in here...like a tomb. A tomb! Was that what this was?
Suddenly, he wanted to go back. He turned and ran, wildly searching for a door. Nothing came to him, though he ran as hard and as fast as ever he had before. There was nothing around, for miles maybe.
Or maybe there was nothing at all.
He stopped, breathless, and stood panting in the utter and complete blackness. How could he get out of here? How?
The sound came again. Closer than ever before, and he felt something brush past his face. He whipped around, searching futilely for it.
"Who's there?" he called again. No answer this time, not even an echo. The words were swallowed up in a silence like utter death.
Then, somewhere, a low rumbling chuckle started. It did not grow, but stayed the same quiet sound. Faramir's legs gave way and he fell upon the ground. With shaking hands, he reached up to cover his eyes. "What are you?" he whispered.
"You know what I am," a voice said, unlike anything Faramir could ever describe. "And you know what I want."
"What?!?" Faramir screamed. "What do you want???"
Something unbelievably cold touched his spine, sending uncontrollable shivers all over him.
"I want Eowyn."
A/N: Oh, I forgot...the little song/poem/lyrical thing in the middle is my own invention---awful, huh? So no, you may not take it (unless you ask me), and you won't find the lyrics on a CD (heaven forbid!)
Hmm...so let's see how many reviews I can get this time...lol;-)