It was the dawning of the fifth day since the King's party had left the city and all was running very smoothly. Though Erestor had briefly feared that the situation would turn like it had the last time both King and Steward were gone, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was able to get more done for Faramir than ever before. Arwen was still in the city, and thus the people accepted Erestor filling in for Faramir in all but title, and better still, Glorfindel had gone too. Though the advisor knew he would start to miss him after a couple of weeks, at the moment he enjoyed having the whole bed all to himself. Lately he had begun to think he liked the Balrog-slayer better when he hated him.

That afternoon found some sunlight and warmth returning to winter-leaguered city, prompting Éowyn to take a ride with her brother while Lothiriel and Arwen looked after the twins. She felt she could not spend one more hour in that city without getting away for a while.

Éomer insisted that he join her, though he did not tell her that his motive was to keep an eye on her. He was convinced that after she was so angry that he was not asked to ride south that she might well try to sneak away to join them herself. In fact, Éomer was very impressed that she had not already done so and wondered if living in Minas Tirith with a husband and two children had done the impossible: namely, tame his wild sibling. By all accounts, she had not even mentioned wanting to be asked to join them.

"How is the Golden Hall since last i saw it, Éomer?" his sister asked suddenly out of the quietness that they had been riding in. Éomer noted the longing in her tone.

"Nothing has changed yet, Éowyn. Why do you ask?" Éomer said carefully.

"There was so much freedom there. I understand now why Eorl founded Rohan. No one was ever better than anyone else there. Yes, there was rank and respect for rank, but there was not such ceremony as this place. Here i can not leave my own chambers without having my hair braided correctly for the occasion," she said, tugging at the ribbon in her hair and throwing it to the ground, letting her hair flow free in the wind.

Her pitch was steadily raising with every sentence. "Everything here has to be perfect. Especially Faramir. At times he can seem so realistic, but more often than not when i see him it is as though every movement of his is carefully composed just so. Even worse than his actions are his words. He never says what he is thinking, i can tell. Every word i have heard from his is framed to sound truthful, yet pleasing, and he speaks so with others too. Sometimes his manner of speech reminds me of that worm," she said with utter disgust. "Though when he acts so it does not seem that he would bend others to his will, but that he would bend to others' wills. It infuriates me that he will not just say what he feels! I do not want my children to grow up this way!"

Éomer took a deep breath and disregarded the thought of his sister being tamed. "Eowyn... dear," he said carefully, "have you ever discussed this with Faramir? Your husband and i have not always gotten along well, but he may have his reasons for how he acts. I am very sure that he wants your children to grow up happy. From all that i have heard from his cousin he did not have a joyful childhood as we had."

"As we had? Perhaps you do not remember mother and father dying!" Éowyn shouted.

Éomer looked grave. "I remember and i still grieve to this day, i shall never stop grieving. But we were joyful too, Éowyn. Do you not remember all the time we spent with Theodred? He taught you everything you know about swordplay, and i daresay he was rather sorry he did, for he never won against you after that. We always had each other, as a family we were closer than any i have met since. Faramir rarely saw his cousin and uncle and when he did it was not usually on glad occasion. Surely you must realize, too, that it is going on two years since Faramir last saw his brother alive and over a year since his death. I know how i would feel if i lost you."

"You shan't lose me, Éomer!" Éowyn cried as Éomer drew his horse beside hers and held his sister. "And you must promise me that i shan't lose you," she said, slowly drawing back.

Éomer smiled sadly. "That is a promise that none can make and expect to keep, my sister. But i can promise you that i shall at least try not to be overly hasty."

"That is a quite a promise, coming from you!" she taunted him with a slightly less sad smile of her own.

"Aye, i suppose it is," Éomer conceded. "But come, one thing they do right in this stone city is serve a feast, and i grow hungry out here!"

Éowyn laughed. "The cooks fear your coming, Éomer. They say it is worse than when the Halflings were here."

"You go too far, sister!" Éomer said in mock rage, chasing her back across the Pelennor, their laughter echoing.

They slowed to a trot and let laughter subside as they neared the North Gate and noticed a couple of men riding in, seemingly from toward the river. As they drew closer Éomer was able to identify them as men from the south and he bid Éowyn to go inside the city.

"I will not," she said defiantly. "If they mean to have a fight, we shall give them one - together," she said, drawing a short sword from under her cloak with a smirk.

---

Finally able to post again! If i am in a writing mood tomorrow next chapter may be up tomorrow night. If not, it might be a few days before we see what happenswith the brother and sister.

linda: Faramir and Eowyn are beginning to understand each other a little better. They definitely did not understand one another at first and for two people who have gone through a lot of difficulties to not really understand each other... it just doesn't spell a good situation.

liz: Children of Hurin is definitely a good one to read if you are feeling overly happy. In fact, the Silmarillion in general is just downright unhappy, but in a wisdom-producing sort of way, if you get my meaning.

Anyway... Fara' would never drop Eowyn down a well, no he would never do that. Though sometimes he may wish he could dive into the well himself, Faramir would never drop her down a well. Nope, he wouldn't. Ahem....

If you really like my Erestor, i encourage you to have a look at Ripples of Chaos. Erestor comes over very well in that, if i do say so.