AN:- Whew!! Thanks for ALL the reviews from every single person who was
gracious to take the time off to type their words of appreciation. A
special thanks to these individuals:
Leah - gracias for your kind comments on my fiction and your insightfulness in your response to Diamond's review and thanks for sticking up for all fan fiction writers out there. It's people like you, who motivates us to continue with our toils.
Eowyn 006- yay!! Thanks a lot I'll try to keep them coming as fast as possible.
Jessica- my faithful reviewer who has stuck with me from the beginning of this crazy tale for some unknown reason but I thank you a million.
Flipperjlw- hehe so u like Lady Mateje that's really cool. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Diamond- Last but not least my favourite flamer. Thank you very much for your comments. I apologize for the spelling errors and I shall fix them in the course of the fiction. However, if you read the synopsis you'll see that's it's an Alternative Universe fiction, so it's not book cannon i.e. it does not follow the novels in certain events. However I would like to say that I am quite familiar with the trilogy and I try to use the information as correctly as possible. If you are familiar with the novel History of the People of Middle Earth you would see that Prof. Tolkien's original intentions were indeed to pair Aragorn and Eowyn together so I've used bits and pieces from there as well as the LOTR novels. But you are entitled to your opinions and I thank you for them however I intend on continuing with this long haul of mine.
It was a peaceful night in Edoras. Yet sleep was but that for Èowyn. She tossed and turned fitfully in her chambers. Her mind tortured by images which haunted her every step since her battle with the Witch King of Angmar. She awoke panicked and bathed in perspiration. Her eyes wide with fear remembering the bloody days of battle. Seeing her uncle great King Theoden on the ground motionless and the heinous Nazgul Lord hovering above him, while the fields of Plennor littered with the blood of men and Uruk Hai mingled onto the greenery.
Sighing she rose from her bed, dawn would be upon them soon, bright and cold. She walked into the hallways, her willowy dress blowing softly in the dark, velvety night. She made her way out to the entrance of the hall, the cold stone floors harsh against her feet but it seemed she did not feel. So occupied was she with her innermost thoughts. Standing before Medusled, she felt insignificant. Nothing more than a speck in the world of men.
She had been confident earlier, showing no signs of fear in her acceptance of this quest, yet she did. It was there rumbling about in her deepest places. No one knew of her secret fears of failure. All that was spoken of her was her great prowess in the battle with the Witch King. Yet, little did they know. Her strongest fuel in that fight was the fear of failure against the creature, against Rohan, her uncle and Aragorn. She fought not only to prove herself but to overcome that phobia.
Yet it did not come with dire consequences. There were many nights in The House of Healing, she woke up bathed in cold sweat and with tears in her eyes, dark dreams of failure in the war and in herself haunted her for numerous days and months ahead. No one could alleviate it. For she told not a soul. She could not bear anyone regarding her as meek. She was Èowyn Shield Maiden of Rohan the source and pride of her people. Faramir had been to restore some part of her but she could not reveal her being to the noble man.
Now as she prepared for another journey, one just as perilous as before, there was the niggling feeling, gnawing at her again. The Èowyn of old would have craved for nothing more than to be on a journey of importance and to be free from her cage. Yet having tasted the bitter sweet feel of victory she had matured and moved with much caution unlike, her younger days. Yet she could not fail Eomer or the people of Middle Earth. She was needed in this and even though it meant facing her fears once more she would have no choice. It was as simple as that... but her mind screamed another thing.
"My Lady are you all right?" Mateje's voice asked her gently from behind.
She turned and smiled at the dark haired elf, hiding all the emotion from her voice and eyes. Mustering all the strength she had, she forced herself to look the woman in the eye and was surprised to see the pain reflecting back at her.
"I am slightly nervous Lady Mateje." She replied. "It has been a very long time since I have endured such a journey. The last one, cost me dearly and I hope with all my heart that we shall not suffer the fate of those loved ones lost." She said truthfully.
"Lady Èowyn, do not doubt yourself and your courage for it is renowned. As for the rest of us, no one can reverse what Fate has in store for us. All we can do it make the choices we believe is right and if your heart says this is the correct decision, you must follow it. Trust your heart my Lady for it shall never deceive you." She replied soothingly.
"Yet I do believe there is something hidden, which troubles you Èowyn. Forgive me for being presumptuous but I sense it has nothing at all to do with King Elessar." She said, a repressed half smile curving her lips slightly.
"Am I that obvious?" she replied with distress. This elf maiden was one of the select few able to decipher her emotions.
Mateje nodded slowly and led her to one of the small benches. "Tell me what truly bothers you Èowyn. I simply wish to alleviate your agony and be your friend." She replied her green eyes darkening with emotion.
"I do not fear the journey, my Lady. I once told someone that I feared neither death nor pain. Yet I fear for my loved ones. I have been surrounded by so much pain in my life that it has become numbing to my emotions." She said softly as they sat in the cold morning air. "My greatest fear has been failure. I've always prided myself on being a ferocious warrior a true Shield maiden like my family before me. Yet there is always that overwhelming feeling that one day I shall fail. I shall dishonour my loved ones." Èowyn ended softly.
Mateje looked at the blonde woman with a worried look upon her fair face. It was obvious the Lady of Rohan was no common woman, her destiny foretold by the stars was a great one. Yet here she was, lamenting about her fear of failing. No this would not do, Èowyn had to be cured of this in order for her to fulfil her fate and she would be the one to instigate the plot.
"Èowyn what you feel is normal. We all live our lives in constant worry about our failures. Yet meldiramin this is nothing new to us all. There are occasions where we do not succeed; the question which remains is your response to your failure. You have proved your courage time and time again where you have proven to everyone your unwillingness to accept failure. You are the strongest mortal I have heard of. Legolas spoke constantly of your battle with The Witch King and your struggle in the aftermath. Yet Èowyn, you have succeeded. You have won. Cast away all thoughts of failure from your mind. For you do not belong to that class." She replied evenly unwilling to look away from the woman.
Èowyn smiled and rose to her full height into the breaking sunlight. She was dazzling to look at in her white gown flowing in the crisp morning air. Her blue eyes, no longer held the confused look as before. To Mateje, she looked every inch a great queen, the queens of the olden time timeless and enchanting to look at.
"You have eased my mind my lady. I feel as though a great burden has been lifted from my heart. It is with a clean slate I shall leave Rohan. No longer shall my past haunt my steps. I thank you." She replied softly and closed her eyes feeling the warm sunshine fully upon her fair face. "I shall grieve for Rohan when I am gone though. This has always been my refuge."
"I miss Evanrone very much also. Yet it is an image which has been imprinted in my heart and I take consolation in the fact that I shall soon return together with my meleth nín." The elf replied smiling brightly. "Though you shall be far away, Lady your heart and being shall always remain here in Medusled and Rohan among your people."
She nodded and walked back to her. The sun burned bright in the cold morning air.It was going to be a glorious day. She knew within her innermost core this was the morning, the beginning to something magnificent.
"Shall we return to our chambers my Lady?" She asked the elf who had joined her observing the quiet atmosphere of the village. "We have much to prepare before we leave and I am certain the King shall be eager to be off."
"Yes I agree. I must speak to Legolas as well." She replied and they retreated into the dark hall arms linked and smiles of understanding upon their fair faces.
Leah - gracias for your kind comments on my fiction and your insightfulness in your response to Diamond's review and thanks for sticking up for all fan fiction writers out there. It's people like you, who motivates us to continue with our toils.
Eowyn 006- yay!! Thanks a lot I'll try to keep them coming as fast as possible.
Jessica- my faithful reviewer who has stuck with me from the beginning of this crazy tale for some unknown reason but I thank you a million.
Flipperjlw- hehe so u like Lady Mateje that's really cool. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Diamond- Last but not least my favourite flamer. Thank you very much for your comments. I apologize for the spelling errors and I shall fix them in the course of the fiction. However, if you read the synopsis you'll see that's it's an Alternative Universe fiction, so it's not book cannon i.e. it does not follow the novels in certain events. However I would like to say that I am quite familiar with the trilogy and I try to use the information as correctly as possible. If you are familiar with the novel History of the People of Middle Earth you would see that Prof. Tolkien's original intentions were indeed to pair Aragorn and Eowyn together so I've used bits and pieces from there as well as the LOTR novels. But you are entitled to your opinions and I thank you for them however I intend on continuing with this long haul of mine.
It was a peaceful night in Edoras. Yet sleep was but that for Èowyn. She tossed and turned fitfully in her chambers. Her mind tortured by images which haunted her every step since her battle with the Witch King of Angmar. She awoke panicked and bathed in perspiration. Her eyes wide with fear remembering the bloody days of battle. Seeing her uncle great King Theoden on the ground motionless and the heinous Nazgul Lord hovering above him, while the fields of Plennor littered with the blood of men and Uruk Hai mingled onto the greenery.
Sighing she rose from her bed, dawn would be upon them soon, bright and cold. She walked into the hallways, her willowy dress blowing softly in the dark, velvety night. She made her way out to the entrance of the hall, the cold stone floors harsh against her feet but it seemed she did not feel. So occupied was she with her innermost thoughts. Standing before Medusled, she felt insignificant. Nothing more than a speck in the world of men.
She had been confident earlier, showing no signs of fear in her acceptance of this quest, yet she did. It was there rumbling about in her deepest places. No one knew of her secret fears of failure. All that was spoken of her was her great prowess in the battle with the Witch King. Yet, little did they know. Her strongest fuel in that fight was the fear of failure against the creature, against Rohan, her uncle and Aragorn. She fought not only to prove herself but to overcome that phobia.
Yet it did not come with dire consequences. There were many nights in The House of Healing, she woke up bathed in cold sweat and with tears in her eyes, dark dreams of failure in the war and in herself haunted her for numerous days and months ahead. No one could alleviate it. For she told not a soul. She could not bear anyone regarding her as meek. She was Èowyn Shield Maiden of Rohan the source and pride of her people. Faramir had been to restore some part of her but she could not reveal her being to the noble man.
Now as she prepared for another journey, one just as perilous as before, there was the niggling feeling, gnawing at her again. The Èowyn of old would have craved for nothing more than to be on a journey of importance and to be free from her cage. Yet having tasted the bitter sweet feel of victory she had matured and moved with much caution unlike, her younger days. Yet she could not fail Eomer or the people of Middle Earth. She was needed in this and even though it meant facing her fears once more she would have no choice. It was as simple as that... but her mind screamed another thing.
"My Lady are you all right?" Mateje's voice asked her gently from behind.
She turned and smiled at the dark haired elf, hiding all the emotion from her voice and eyes. Mustering all the strength she had, she forced herself to look the woman in the eye and was surprised to see the pain reflecting back at her.
"I am slightly nervous Lady Mateje." She replied. "It has been a very long time since I have endured such a journey. The last one, cost me dearly and I hope with all my heart that we shall not suffer the fate of those loved ones lost." She said truthfully.
"Lady Èowyn, do not doubt yourself and your courage for it is renowned. As for the rest of us, no one can reverse what Fate has in store for us. All we can do it make the choices we believe is right and if your heart says this is the correct decision, you must follow it. Trust your heart my Lady for it shall never deceive you." She replied soothingly.
"Yet I do believe there is something hidden, which troubles you Èowyn. Forgive me for being presumptuous but I sense it has nothing at all to do with King Elessar." She said, a repressed half smile curving her lips slightly.
"Am I that obvious?" she replied with distress. This elf maiden was one of the select few able to decipher her emotions.
Mateje nodded slowly and led her to one of the small benches. "Tell me what truly bothers you Èowyn. I simply wish to alleviate your agony and be your friend." She replied her green eyes darkening with emotion.
"I do not fear the journey, my Lady. I once told someone that I feared neither death nor pain. Yet I fear for my loved ones. I have been surrounded by so much pain in my life that it has become numbing to my emotions." She said softly as they sat in the cold morning air. "My greatest fear has been failure. I've always prided myself on being a ferocious warrior a true Shield maiden like my family before me. Yet there is always that overwhelming feeling that one day I shall fail. I shall dishonour my loved ones." Èowyn ended softly.
Mateje looked at the blonde woman with a worried look upon her fair face. It was obvious the Lady of Rohan was no common woman, her destiny foretold by the stars was a great one. Yet here she was, lamenting about her fear of failing. No this would not do, Èowyn had to be cured of this in order for her to fulfil her fate and she would be the one to instigate the plot.
"Èowyn what you feel is normal. We all live our lives in constant worry about our failures. Yet meldiramin this is nothing new to us all. There are occasions where we do not succeed; the question which remains is your response to your failure. You have proved your courage time and time again where you have proven to everyone your unwillingness to accept failure. You are the strongest mortal I have heard of. Legolas spoke constantly of your battle with The Witch King and your struggle in the aftermath. Yet Èowyn, you have succeeded. You have won. Cast away all thoughts of failure from your mind. For you do not belong to that class." She replied evenly unwilling to look away from the woman.
Èowyn smiled and rose to her full height into the breaking sunlight. She was dazzling to look at in her white gown flowing in the crisp morning air. Her blue eyes, no longer held the confused look as before. To Mateje, she looked every inch a great queen, the queens of the olden time timeless and enchanting to look at.
"You have eased my mind my lady. I feel as though a great burden has been lifted from my heart. It is with a clean slate I shall leave Rohan. No longer shall my past haunt my steps. I thank you." She replied softly and closed her eyes feeling the warm sunshine fully upon her fair face. "I shall grieve for Rohan when I am gone though. This has always been my refuge."
"I miss Evanrone very much also. Yet it is an image which has been imprinted in my heart and I take consolation in the fact that I shall soon return together with my meleth nín." The elf replied smiling brightly. "Though you shall be far away, Lady your heart and being shall always remain here in Medusled and Rohan among your people."
She nodded and walked back to her. The sun burned bright in the cold morning air.It was going to be a glorious day. She knew within her innermost core this was the morning, the beginning to something magnificent.
"Shall we return to our chambers my Lady?" She asked the elf who had joined her observing the quiet atmosphere of the village. "We have much to prepare before we leave and I am certain the King shall be eager to be off."
"Yes I agree. I must speak to Legolas as well." She replied and they retreated into the dark hall arms linked and smiles of understanding upon their fair faces.