Eowyn pushed open the sturdy door and stepped out into the cool night air. She walked past a support pillar and stepped up to the edge of the stone walkway that surrounded that Golden Hall. She dangled her feet over the edge and sat there content, for she could hear the sound of horses stamping in the stable before her and it left her at peace.

She sat there for she did not know how long. Time flew when you were lost in thought. Eowyn was then startled by a soft voice behind her.

"May I join you my lady?"

Eowyn turned to see the younger son of Gondor standing behind her. "You are supposed to call me Eowyn." She said to him. "But yes, you can sit with me Faramir."

Faramir laughed. "My mistake." He came and sat beside the little girl and looked out over Edoras. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I should ask you the same thing. Don't you like to dance and talk with the other grown ups?" Eowyn questioned.

He shook his head. "Not especially no, I find it all very crowded and quite noisy." He turned to Eowyn with a smile on his face. "And to be completely honest, I'm terrified of dancing."

Eowyn tilted her head to the side. "You're what?"

"Dancing." Faramir repeated. "I am utterly terrified of it, I always step on my partners feet."

Eowyn giggled. "That is silly."

He turned to her with soft eyes. "Is there not anything that frightens you Eowyn?"

Grima instantly appeared in Eowyn's' mind. She grit her teeth and forced the image of his pale face away. "No." she said quickly. "I am going to be a shield maiden, I cannot be scared of anything."

Faramir laughed. "I am sure you will be the best shield maiden in Middle Earth, but you are still a child. There must be something that scares you?"

Eowyn shook her head quickly, wishing that the son of the steward would change the subject.

She got her wish for a time as they sat and stared at the fields surrounding Edoras for a time. Eowyn turned to face Faramir as she watched him look around the city. She smiled slightly. He was rather handsome, but she knew that she would never admit it to anyone. Slowly his blue eyes moved up to the stars.

"Beautiful are they not?"

She looked up and nodded. "They remind me of winking eyes, the way that they twinkle"

Faramir laughed. "I have never looked at them that way." He stared at them a little more. "However I can certainly see where you are coming from."

"I love the stars." Eowyn sighed leaning back on her hands so she could look at them easier. "The quilt that is in my room is covered in them." Her voice got a little quieter before she added. "My mother made it for me -- before she died."

Faramir turned soft eyes on the girl beside her, who had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "My mother died too." He said quietly. "She was very sick."

Eowyn nodded slowly. "The same for my mother. She missed my father too much."

Faramir desperately searched his mind for something that would take her out of this mood. He did not want to see her cry, seeing any child cry was painful enough. There was something about Eowyn though, that drew him to her. Her spunky, cheerful attitude was something so different from any of the other children he had known. He did not want to see her upset. A smile split his face as he got an idea.

"You like stars, you say?" Eowyn turned to him and nodded.

"Well, when you are older, and become the beautiful maiden that I know that you shall be." He smiled as he saw her blush a little. "Then you will have to come to Minas Tirith."

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Because my mother had a mantle that she often wore. It was a beautiful blue, and it was covered in stars. It is too big for you now, but I assure you when you grow, you may have it."

Eowyns' eyes lit up. She felt so privileged to receive a present from her new friend. Especially one that had belonged to his mother. "Really?"

Faramir nodded. "I will be sure to put it in safe keeping until you are grown." Just as he finished his sentence, he was jolted to the side as Eowyn threw herself at him.

"Thank you Faramir! Thank you!" she cried. "I cannot wait until I am grown up like you!"

Faramir looked down at her and smiled, carefully returning the embrace. his smile quickly faded when he saw the dark circle around her eye. He had thought that the hasty fall from the windowsill had caused more than just a scream. "Eowyn." He asked carefully. "How did you get that bruise on your face?" Faramir hated to play dumb when he truly knew the answer, but he felt that there was more to that dark man than just what was seen in the hall.

Eowyn open her mouth to say she got it when she was fighting Eomer, but she stopped. She did not want to lie to Faramir; he had just offered her the starry mantle that his late mother had worn. She did not want to take advantage of his friendship. "I-"she stuttered, "I-I fell." After all, it was partly truthful. "From the windowsill on my way to dinner."

"The one that looks over the sparring field?"

Eowyn nodded. "The one."

Faramir turned gentle eyes to her, not wanting to make her upset. "Are you sure it was from the fall?"

"Yes!" Eowyn spoke, exasperated, standing to her feet. "It does not even hurt! Why does everyone keep asking me?"

Faramir turned the other way. "I am sorry Eowyn. I was just concerned."

"Well I am fine!" she retorted. "It is just a bruise! And it never would have happened if Worm wasn't bothering me!" she clapped her hand to her mouth, furious that she had just told Faramir what she had so desperately been trying to hide from everyone else. "I mean—"

"Nay Eowyn. Do not try to retell the tale. I heard you the first time." Faramir spoke.

Eowyn's hands fell from her face. "Faramir—do not tell anyone what I have said."

He turned to her, more concerned than he was before. "Why should I tell no one Eowyn? He was harassing you, there are things that adults like myself know that should not be occurring when someone is simply 'bothering' you."

"Faramir." Eowyn pleaded, she felt her hear pounding in her chest, thumbing loudly. Was it because she was scared that Worm would find out, was it that she did not want anyone else to know, or was it because Faramir was genially worried about her? She watched him as he pondered over what to do.

dun dun DUN!!!!!