The arrival of the five lost companions at Helm's Deep brought joy to such a sorrowful place. King Theoden, whose worry for his niece seemed to have aged him many years in only a few days, gathered the Lady Eowyn into his arms and held her tightly before whisking her away to a room inside the Keep. She went almost willingly, which surprised both her brother and the King. Eothan was taken to another room and the healers were summoned, along with his fearful mother and young sister. The upcoming battle seemed to be disregarded as the people of Rohan rallied around their own and sought to bring them comfort.

Aragorn had not been able to speak with Eowyn since their rescue, but plainly sensed her torment. His face was marked with sorrow; it was rigid with it. Though the King of Rohan had made them comfortable in the shelter of Helm's Deep, Legolas could sense his disquiet. Knowing that they had a dark and difficult task ahead of them, he thought to ease his friend's sorrow, and so he approached and sat next to him in front of the fire.

Aragorn was loath to speak, and so Legolas opened the conversation. "I must confess, my friend, that my heart is troubled for the Lady Éowyn." Legolas noticed that Aragorn's grip onhis mug of alehad tightened. He said nothing, however, and so the elf continued, "I know, my friend, that you have a share of fear in this, though you will not betray it."

Aragorn looked at him in surprise, and said in a low tone, "I ought not to have attempted to conceal it from you. My heart forebodes that some great evil shall befall her." He paused, "Some greater evil than those she has already seen. And yet it must not be seen that I have too much care for this." Legolas knew then that they had reached the root of the matter. Arwen and his promise to her. The comfort he had offered to the Lady Eowyn had been a betrayal of that. But was it also a betrayal of his own heart? Or did his feelings for the White Lady run deeper than mere concern?

Aragorn spoke suddenly, "And yet, you too saw her last night, my friend. I know you were not sleeping as soundly as you claimed to be." Legolas smiled as his friend continued, "Such desperation screaming from her face, such fear. It was as if she feared death, yet welcomed it at the same time." His voice trailed off. Legolas saw pain in his friend's face, and waited for him to continue. Taking a deep breath, Aragorn said, "She is a woman brave and fair. Indeed she is the fairest mortal ever I have seen. I could not bear to see the pain that twisted her face. I tried to bring her some comfort, and my feelings betrayed me..."

"You are yet a man, Elessar." Legolas reminded him gently, not offering the scolding that Aragorn believed he so richly deserved. He had seen the way his Lord and the White Lady had looked at each other. Some, who did not know Aragorn as well as Legolas, would mistake his feelings for pity. But the elf knew that something more intrigued him about the fair shieldmaiden. It was not pity that kept drawing him into her fair company.

"I should have let her grieve in peace. Alone in silence, as she wished. But to have done other than I did was impossible. She has spent too much of her life alone with her pain. I know too well how that can shatter a spirit." Aragorn shook his head and looked down at the floor.

Legolas spoke; he hoped in comfort, "You did not create her despair, Aragorn. What ails her began long before this day."

"You have the right of it, my friend, loss and grief and too early and intimate a knowledge of men's evil has done that." Aragorn's eyes darkened again as he thought upon the tragedies of her young life. "And yet of whom did she remind you last night, Legolas?"

"Boromir. She reminded me of Boromir." Legolas was quick to answer. Almost too quick.

Aragorn nodded. "That is why I fear for her, Legolas. We know what despair drove Boromir to do - what could it do to her, who has walked a lonelier and colder road than he. And there can be no doubt in my mind that I have helped her along that road as much as any other."

Legolas looked at his friend, deciding whether this was the correct time to confront his feelings for Eowyn. "And it doesn't help that you are falling in love with her."

Aragorn's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed as he regarded the elf. "My heart does not stray." he hissed at him, before standing up and moving to look out the window.

Taking a deep breath, Legolas continued. "I have known Arwen since we were both children. I know of her love for you, and the feelings you have for her. But her father has sent her to the Undying Lands. And she did not disobey." Aragorn's hand came up to touch the Evenstar that hung around his neck. It shimmered in the light of the moon, but no longer shed any light of it's own. "The light has gone out, my friend. She is gone."

"I know." Aragorn said, dropping his hand from the pendant and turning back to the window. "I told her to go."

"She does not do anything that she doesn't wish to do, Aragorn." Legolas allowed his words to sink into his friends troubled mind. "She has the gift of foresight. She saw something that made it to difficult for her to stay." Your love for the Lady Eowyn was how that sentence should have ended, but Legolas knew he did not have to utter the words. Quietly he said. "She followed her heart, my friend. I think it is time that you followed yours."

Only silence and the crackle of the fire remained in the room between the two friends. Legolas tried his question again. "Do you not love her, Elessar?"

Aragorn sighed and turned back to his friend. "Yes, I do love her " He paused, removing the Evenstar from around his neck. As he lifted his head, the sight of torches in the distance caught his gaze. And the sound of the orc horn rang in his ears. Moving quickly, Aragorn said, "But I would not allow that to keep me from protecting her, for she deserves better than she has been given. There is much work to be done before we can speak again of love."