Lost Without You

By Adri

Category Romance/Angst/Alternate Universe

Pairing Faramir/Eowyn

Summary When Eowyn is captured by Sauron, only the One Ring can save her. So was there another motive for Faramir holding Frodo at Osgiliath?

Disclaimer Please refer to previous chapters, standard disclaimer applies

Notes/Questions Once again I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm still here! Thank you everyone for reviewing and being patient with me! =D And also special thanks to Arahiril and Telhyandowen for their comments especially. Plot pointers are always welcome (Arahiril) and in fact they help me a great deal when I get writer's block and thanks to her I actually could write this chapter. So you may thank her =D! And thank you for an actual piece of constructive criticism because you're right; Frodo shouldn't be so nonchalant when he sends his best friend away. I had wondered about that myself, so I think I will change that section later. So thank you very much =D Also note this chapter is very AU in places. And I have put up three chapters and if you review, please review them all so I know if I need to change things or not. Thanks!

Chapter 4

*Orc Chatter, in Minas Morgul*

"So what are we going to do with her?" a random Orc asked.

"Just leave her. She don't got long to live anyway. She got hit by a Nazgul poison arrow. No one has survived a Nazgul's poison. There's no point in her surviving anyway after the war's started."

Eowyn opened her eyes slightly, barely being able to do so. Her head was pulsing with pain and her vision was blurry. She strained to listen to the chatter around her.

The other Orc laughed. "Minas Tirith will fall and the time of the Orc will begin."

Fear gripped Eowyn. As soon as she'd heard 'Minas Tirith' she immediately thought of Faramir. And she knew being a man and the Steward's son he'd be called to the battle and most likely killed. A tear slid down her cheek and despair flooded her. The Orc was right- there was no point in her living.

Suddenly a large intimidating Orc burst into the chamber carrying a small…human? No- it couldn't be a human. She noticed pointed ears and hairy feet and if it was human, its size would've meant it was a child. A halfling? In Mordor?

The Orc laid Frodo next to Eowyn and began searching his belongings. She couldn't see what happened next, and she began to lose consciousness. Being unable to stay awake, she slipped back into the darkness where her worst fears claimed her in nightmares.

*Minas Tirith, the throne room*

Faramir stood in front of his father listening to him absentmindedly. After all, why would he want to actually listen to him, when every word out of his father's mouth was belittling him for losing the ring and running away to Mordor? He didn't need to hear them, he was miserable enough.

Instead, he focused on the halfling standing near his father. A sudden guilt gripped Faramir. How was Frodo doing? Was he…dead? He never should've left him with that…miserable thing no matter how mad Frodo was at him. And what of Eowyn? The guilt that welled up within him was almost too much. He felt like he'd abandoned her. Tears finally found themselves in his eyes. And suddenly his father's words snared his attention.

"I do not think we should abandon the outer defenses so lightly."

Faramir tried to bring some sense to his father. "My lord, Osgiliath is overrun. And not only that he can better afford to lose a host than we can to lose a company."

Denethor's face was unmoved. "Much must be risked in war. I will not yield the river and Pelennor unfought- Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"

Faramir stood stunned, as if struck. "I know now…you wish that I had died and Boromir had lived."

Denethor wouldn't look at his son. "Yes…I wish that."

If Faramir had any will left to live, his father just killed it. Eowyn was gone, his father hated him, and his country was going to be destroyed. What did he have to live for now? "Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead. But if I should return father…think better of me."

"That all depends on the manner of your return."

Faramir shook his head sadly, and rapidly left the throne room, being unable to bare any more. Arriving at the armory, he tried to turn back into the confident captain that his men knew and loved. If they saw him in his state, their morale would take a sharp dive downward and that was no way to win an impossible war. As soon as his troops went away to get ready, he hung his head sadly and sought his own armor.

*Later that day*

Faramir took a deep breath and mounted his horse and signaled for his troops to move out.

"Faramir!"

Faramir turned around quickly. It was Sam.

"Captain Faramir!" Sam panted.

"What are doing here Sam? A war is no place for a halfling."

"Sir, what are you doing? Eowyn needs you! You can't just leave her! If you go, you'll be killed and she'll die!"

Faramir shook his head sadly. "War will make corpses of us all Master Gamgee. I'm sorry." Faramir turned his horse toward the gate.

Sam began to cry. "Wait please! You can't just leave her…"

Faramir tried hard not to listen lest he lose his mind and not be able to fight. "I'm sorry Sam…Eowyn…" He whispered.

"Faramir!" Another voice cried. It was Gandalf.

"Your father's will has turned to madness. Don't throw away your life so rationally. You will be needed for things other than war."

"Where does my allegiance lie if not here?" Faramir sped ahead and out the gate, not being able to bear hearing any more.

"Your father loves you Faramir…he will remember it before the end."

But Faramir was already gone. As he and his company sped toward the Orc ridden Osgiliath, Faramir got into his war mindset. "For Gondor…and for Eowyn."

The Orcs took aim.

"For Middle Earth."

And fired. And all breath left Faramir's body…and he fell to the ground, stricken by arrows.