Though sleep did come to the three who rested in the King of Gondor's pavilion, it had no intention of staying very long. Just about the time each of them was just dropping into a deeper sleep, a scream coming from Éomer's pavilion pierced the night.

Faramir jumped up from where he lay, mindful of his son who was now also crying. "Father, take him to Berethil," Faramir said, his heart pounding in his chest. "That was my cousin." Faramir rushed out of the tent just in time to catch Lothíriel coming toward theirs in a panic. He held her tightly to calm not only her but himself. He knew his cousin and it could have been nothing more than a little field mouse that sparked her panic. But then again, after 36 years of living in Mordor's shadow, Faramir was still slightly suspicious of every twig-snap.

"What happened, 'Thíri?" Faramir asked gently.

His cousin still trembled and clutched to him. "Someone tried... tried to... one of the guards, i thought, but then he...." Lothíriel could not find the words to tell her cousin that there was a man in her bed. She knew that her husband had risen from his sleep some time during the night, she heard him leave their tent, though their beds were separated by a curtain across the middle of the tent.

Faramir, however, sensed what she was getting at and bid her stay where she was as he fetched his sword and went cautiously into the Rohan pavilion. "Come, show yourself, brigand!" he shouted.

"And what is your argument with me now, brother-by-law?" Éomer said wearily from his bed.

"Where is he? Lothíriel said there was a strange man in here," Faramir said, quiet unhappy that Éomer would have done nothing about his wife's screams.

"Strange man? Some may think me so, certainly i did doubt it of my own wife, however," Éomer said beginning to rise. For some reason Faramir had not lowered his steel and Éomer did not feel like being slain in his own bed. "And tell me, why does your cousin react so to my touch?"

"Your touch?" Faramir said incredulously. "She took you for a stranger, Éomer. Next time you might warn her!" he said, thrusting his sword into the ground and going back out to Lothíriel.

"I can see why she would take me for a stranger," Éomer continued, following Faramir out. "She refuses to even share my quarters for a night," he said as though his wife was not standing right there.

"Éomer, if you have some quarrel with me, i would appreciate you telling me myself and not my cousin," she said heatedly.

Éomer bowed sarcastically as if thrilled that she would speak directly to him. "I would, my lady, except that i thought to find a liaison for discourse with you. Perhaps i should also find a liaison for inter-"

Before he could finish his words Faramir had a handful of his shirt and was mere inches from his face. "Guard your tongue in the presence of a lady!" he hissed.

Éomer hit his hand away and hissed back, "I need no one to tell me how to acquit myself, Lord Faramir. You, however, would do well to keep your hands from me from here on out, lest i cry treason. Mayhap you forget that it was you who threw the first punch last time?"

"I do not take threats, Éomer King," Faramir spat and turned to walk away.

"I had rather thought that i was marrying for love, Lothíriel," Éomer said bitterly. "Or, at least that was the impression you gave me. I did not think that our union was solely to be advantageous to our two kingdoms," he said pointedly, plainly directing his words to Faramir instead of his wife.

Faramir did not miss the intention and turned abruptly to face down Éomer again. "I never married Éowyn for political reasons," he said flatly, trying not to allow his brother-in-law to incite his anger again.

Éomer, however, no longer cared what he said. "No, quite right, you married her because she would be disgraced otherwise. At least you had that decency, even if it was your fault that she would have been disgraced in the first place. Likely you were more concerned with protecting yourself than her, as it was."

Faramir was dangerously close to boiling over again, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Even through his anger he was able to understand that this was the result of what Éomer was going through and he took pity on him. "I married Éowyn because i loved her, Éomer," he said calmly, trying to bring back peace.

"Are you sure?" Éomer questioned. "I know for a fact that you were not at the time. No one was ever sure what your next action might be and some of us thought you might be going a little mad. It is nothing to be ashamed of, a common trait among Stewards of Gondor."

It was Aragorn's hand on his son's shoulder that kept Faramir from returning that comment. The King of Gondor walked passed Faramir and took a good grip of Éomer's shoulders. They were friends and allies, yes, but every so often Aragorn felt the need to make things clear to his younger colleague. "You know well what influence my son faced," Aragorn said in a low voice.

"What? This 'Morgoth' character?" Éomer rejoined, not actually buying that excuse for Faramir's strange behaviors the year before.

At that it was Gandalf's turn to get involved, fearing that Aragorn's temper was much less controllable than his son's. "Éomer, you refused my counsel once this night. You would be wise to accept it this time."

Aragorn let go of Éomer and turned to Gandalf. "You know what happened to him?" he said surprised.

"Of course i do, Aragorn. The evil of Morgoth might never be vanquished from Middle-earth entirely, and at that time it seemed to gather itself as the snake does to strike your house, but you rejected it," Gandalf said, speaking to both Aragorn and Faramir. "That is another proof of your right, Aragorn. You are both more than strong enough to endure -"

Éomer interrupted Gandalf... never a good idea. "What little i know of this Morgoth is that the Powers removed him and cast him into the Void. Would you tell me now that the Void has been breached and this terror loosed upon us? We might just as well have given ourselves to Sauron if that be the case!"

"Speak not of what you do not know, Éomer, son of Éomund!" Gandalf thundered. "Listen, rather, to my counsel, that you may understand," he said more gently. Gandalf proceeded to explain to Éomer just how the evil influences that were still a part of Middle-earth managed to gain temporary and sporadic sway over Faramir's innermost thoughts.

It might be said that Éomer still did not entirely understand the matter, but that would have taken a year's worth of covering the history of Arda, from the first note of the Song on through all the tales that the Elves still tell. It was enough for all involved to simply agree to lay their disputes and tensions aside and to conduct this funeral in something that at least resembled a decorous manner.

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AM: Glad to hear from you again! Insightful or not, your comments are always welcome. That goes for everyone else too :)

linda: Yes, they are all getting in some Academy Award winning scenes here. Poor Eomer is having such a hard time coping, and, i think, when he sees that this is easier on Faramir because Faramir has listened to Gandalf's description of the continuing journey beyond death, it makes him angry and bitter. Aragorn is having a hard time keeping everybody peaceful and comforted and is sparing nothing for himself, as usual. Glad you are enjoying the story!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and here's to a great new year.