They progressed steadily during the weeks pushing their mounts to the
limit, stopping only for some refreshment and rest and were rewarded by
arriving at the River Entwash much earlier than anticipated. Matejé had
withdrawn herself from Èowyn's company for the mortal had become more
distant as the days went by. She had spoken to them only when necessary and
had managed to skilfully avoid Aragorn's presence. This troubled the elves
and especially Matejé for she knew Èowyn was making a grave mistake. Yet
under the same circumstances, she may have reacted in the same manner.
Legolas had given up in his attempts to salvage some information from her
about the Rohirrim's behaviour and was content on waiting for Matejé to
divulge in her own time. He worried about Èowyn and knew Aragorn was as
well.
"Look to the West. In the horizon you can see Fangorn forest." Legolas pointed to Mateje as they halted by the bank.
"Yes I see the trees." She replied as she made the faint outline of the green forestry in the darkening haze of the evening. "It seems forbidding even at this distance." She remarked and her lover nodded thoughtfully.
"How are we to cross my Lord?" Èowyn questioned as she rode up to the party. The rough waters swirled dangerously before them, foam sprayed high into the air splashing onto them.
"We shall ride upstream, I recall a certain area where passage is possible." He replied as they set off.
"Ah..... here it is." Aragorn said pointing to a shallow area where the water seemed not deep and was calm. "I shall go first." He said leading Brego carefully into the clear water. The others watched carefully as the horse skilfully waded across the water and followed suit. Mafusa needed no guidance however and was plunging into the river bed before Brego.
"Èowyn be careful!" Aragorn hollered at the woman and the horse but they paid him no heed and continued their reckless journey across the river "There are depressions in the river bed." He shouted.
"I do not need your guidance Aragorn! Mafusa knows the way across the river." She replied angrily and journeyed on.
Then suddenly the river gave way and both woman and horse went down into the clear waters, disappearing for moments, until they both surfaced, sputtering and staggering their way across to the bank. Èowyn holding on to the horse, looking worse for wear yet the expression on her face was one of more embarrassment and hurt pride rather than anger.
"Èowyn!" Aragorn cried out alarmingly and made his way carefully where the two were lying on the bank exhausted and breathing heavily. Sliding off Brego he ran to where she was lying, and helped her up. She was not hurt just annoyed with herself.
"Are you insane? You could have been killed!" he bellowed "What has happened to you?" he screamed while Mateje and Legolas wisely rode away to give them their space to vent.
"Do not speak to me as though I am a child!" She replied shrilly "You are not my father!" she said half coughing and screaming.
"You have been acting like a spoiled child for the past week and you tell me not to say it?" he replied incredulously as they both sprung to their feet, glaring at each other. Fires smouldering in their eyes, blue locked on grey. She faced him defiantly unwilling to let him win this battle.
You are behaving like the love sick child I meet two years ago. I thought we were over this. I shall never love you Èowyn" he said rashly instantly regretting the words as they left his mouth yet he remained in his defiant stance.
"Then leave me be Aragorn. I never wished you to be part of my life as well." She replied keeping her ice maiden stare level at him yet inside she was filled with remorse.
"As you wish my Lady after our journey is completed. I shall be gone from your life." He replied slowly searching her eyes for some emotion.
"And so shall I King Elessar." She replied so coldly his blood turned into ice.
"We shall camp here tonight and you need to change into warmer clothing." He said simply and left her side in search of the others. Èowyn watched him disappear into the darkening day with angry tears in her eyes.
Night grew fast upon the silent group. The only sounds were the crackling of the soft fire and the horses' whinnies. Èowyn sat silently before the fire wrapped in Matejé's cloak her food lay untouched before her. She stared vacantly into the warm light her mind far away and her body numb from her earlier emotional battle. She was lost in the haze wondering what Èomer would have said had he witnessed the cruel duel. She knew Aragorn was right but she refused to let him or anyone to know she cared deeply about them all. Those words he said had sliced her to the heart yet she remained with that dastardly apathetic stance. They had both reacted on impulse in their annoyance with each other and she wondered if it was justifiable. The others had shied away from them for the entire evening leaving them to their own machinations.
The sound of approaching footsteps, alerted her from her trance. It was none other than Aragorn. She watched with a mild look of annoyance as he sat directly opposite her facing her over the blaze between them. Gone was the look of fury which had contorted his handsome features earlier, replaced by a look of melancholy and regret. They sat silently each lost in their own world until he broke the tense stillness.
"Èowyn....." he said softly forcing her to look at him. "I have come to ask for forgiveness for my harsh words earlier. What I said was an act of impulse, heated words in an intense dispute." He said bowing his head. "I made a pledge to Èomer I would protect you. If anything happened to you I would not dare face him or myself after." He replied humbly and glanced at her expression.
She looked at him unsure of her reaction to his apology. Half of her desired nothing more than hearing his words of contrition and the other wished to tear that smile of his face. Yet she allowed good intellect to prevail. She sat quietly contemplating the sincerity of his apology and knew instinctively she need not question it. Yet that obstinate Rohhirric pride refused to acknowledge his regret instantly. She drew him into her gaze watching his face carefully, unflinching in her observation of his disposition and slowly she nodded unable to say or admit anything to him.
"My Lady tell me what is the predicament? It pains to see you confused." He said softly moving closer to her. "Have I done something terrible, for it seems your anger is directed at me?" He said wisely and she glanced quickly at him yet kept her silence.
"No my Lord it is not you. I am angry at myself for allowing my weakness to break free of its shackles." she said quietly gazing into the dark night.
"You are surely mistaken Èowyn, you are the most determined woman I have ever met. Weakness is not an option to you." He said hoping to alleviate her discomfort.
"That is a sore misconception my lord. For I am only mortal and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Do not mistake my penchant for duty, to be misconstrued as strength." she replied calmly.
"Frailty thy name is woman. Do not be confused by that axiom Èowyn. I have never believed that of you or any of the women I met in my years." He said earnestly staring at her huddled form before him and touched her gently but she jerked away from him leaving him more perplexed.
"I told you once, what I feared was a cage and you said understood me above all I ever met or desired to know. Yet Aragorn you do not see me for who I am." She admitted. "To you and the people of Middle Earth I am, Lady of the Shield Arm, slayer of the Nazgul Lord and yet.... yet I feel incomplete. I am more than a legend Aragorn, I only desire to be treated as one of the many, not some ice maiden capable of wielding swords to battle." She said intensely meeting his eyes with a fierce determination.
"Do not think for even for a mere thought you are insignificant. You are a great source of hope to all, whether as a Shieldmaiden or as healer to the people of Rohan. It is not Dernhelm or the Shieldmaiden the people of Middle Earth have come to admire; they are mere aspects of you Èowyn. They embody you, whatever your actions." He said softly and reached to touch her pale cheek gently eyes shining brightly in the dark night and grateful she did not flinch.
"They see you as you truly are Èowyn, their burning source of hope in a place crying out for redemption and they are not alone. For I see not your aliases but you in your purest form of love my Lady and it is that I have come to admire and love." He said softly beside her, tracing her cheek softly with his calloused yet gentle fingers.
He moved in closer, mere inches away from her red lips, inhaling her intoxicating scent of innocence and love and closed his eyes in anticipation of joining with her for the first time. It felt right to him, Arwen seemed a phantom figure of his past, only to be replaced by this visage of beauty in front of him.
"I am truly sorry Aragorn I cannot return what you have said." Èowyn replied evenly breaking the cosmic bond between them. "I am truly sorry my Liege. Forgive me I must retire for the night." She said rising abruptly leaving him with one hand in the air caressing where her fair face was mere moments ago and the other pressing the Ring of Barahir tightly into his palm, contemplating what had just transpired between them.
"Look to the West. In the horizon you can see Fangorn forest." Legolas pointed to Mateje as they halted by the bank.
"Yes I see the trees." She replied as she made the faint outline of the green forestry in the darkening haze of the evening. "It seems forbidding even at this distance." She remarked and her lover nodded thoughtfully.
"How are we to cross my Lord?" Èowyn questioned as she rode up to the party. The rough waters swirled dangerously before them, foam sprayed high into the air splashing onto them.
"We shall ride upstream, I recall a certain area where passage is possible." He replied as they set off.
"Ah..... here it is." Aragorn said pointing to a shallow area where the water seemed not deep and was calm. "I shall go first." He said leading Brego carefully into the clear water. The others watched carefully as the horse skilfully waded across the water and followed suit. Mafusa needed no guidance however and was plunging into the river bed before Brego.
"Èowyn be careful!" Aragorn hollered at the woman and the horse but they paid him no heed and continued their reckless journey across the river "There are depressions in the river bed." He shouted.
"I do not need your guidance Aragorn! Mafusa knows the way across the river." She replied angrily and journeyed on.
Then suddenly the river gave way and both woman and horse went down into the clear waters, disappearing for moments, until they both surfaced, sputtering and staggering their way across to the bank. Èowyn holding on to the horse, looking worse for wear yet the expression on her face was one of more embarrassment and hurt pride rather than anger.
"Èowyn!" Aragorn cried out alarmingly and made his way carefully where the two were lying on the bank exhausted and breathing heavily. Sliding off Brego he ran to where she was lying, and helped her up. She was not hurt just annoyed with herself.
"Are you insane? You could have been killed!" he bellowed "What has happened to you?" he screamed while Mateje and Legolas wisely rode away to give them their space to vent.
"Do not speak to me as though I am a child!" She replied shrilly "You are not my father!" she said half coughing and screaming.
"You have been acting like a spoiled child for the past week and you tell me not to say it?" he replied incredulously as they both sprung to their feet, glaring at each other. Fires smouldering in their eyes, blue locked on grey. She faced him defiantly unwilling to let him win this battle.
You are behaving like the love sick child I meet two years ago. I thought we were over this. I shall never love you Èowyn" he said rashly instantly regretting the words as they left his mouth yet he remained in his defiant stance.
"Then leave me be Aragorn. I never wished you to be part of my life as well." She replied keeping her ice maiden stare level at him yet inside she was filled with remorse.
"As you wish my Lady after our journey is completed. I shall be gone from your life." He replied slowly searching her eyes for some emotion.
"And so shall I King Elessar." She replied so coldly his blood turned into ice.
"We shall camp here tonight and you need to change into warmer clothing." He said simply and left her side in search of the others. Èowyn watched him disappear into the darkening day with angry tears in her eyes.
Night grew fast upon the silent group. The only sounds were the crackling of the soft fire and the horses' whinnies. Èowyn sat silently before the fire wrapped in Matejé's cloak her food lay untouched before her. She stared vacantly into the warm light her mind far away and her body numb from her earlier emotional battle. She was lost in the haze wondering what Èomer would have said had he witnessed the cruel duel. She knew Aragorn was right but she refused to let him or anyone to know she cared deeply about them all. Those words he said had sliced her to the heart yet she remained with that dastardly apathetic stance. They had both reacted on impulse in their annoyance with each other and she wondered if it was justifiable. The others had shied away from them for the entire evening leaving them to their own machinations.
The sound of approaching footsteps, alerted her from her trance. It was none other than Aragorn. She watched with a mild look of annoyance as he sat directly opposite her facing her over the blaze between them. Gone was the look of fury which had contorted his handsome features earlier, replaced by a look of melancholy and regret. They sat silently each lost in their own world until he broke the tense stillness.
"Èowyn....." he said softly forcing her to look at him. "I have come to ask for forgiveness for my harsh words earlier. What I said was an act of impulse, heated words in an intense dispute." He said bowing his head. "I made a pledge to Èomer I would protect you. If anything happened to you I would not dare face him or myself after." He replied humbly and glanced at her expression.
She looked at him unsure of her reaction to his apology. Half of her desired nothing more than hearing his words of contrition and the other wished to tear that smile of his face. Yet she allowed good intellect to prevail. She sat quietly contemplating the sincerity of his apology and knew instinctively she need not question it. Yet that obstinate Rohhirric pride refused to acknowledge his regret instantly. She drew him into her gaze watching his face carefully, unflinching in her observation of his disposition and slowly she nodded unable to say or admit anything to him.
"My Lady tell me what is the predicament? It pains to see you confused." He said softly moving closer to her. "Have I done something terrible, for it seems your anger is directed at me?" He said wisely and she glanced quickly at him yet kept her silence.
"No my Lord it is not you. I am angry at myself for allowing my weakness to break free of its shackles." she said quietly gazing into the dark night.
"You are surely mistaken Èowyn, you are the most determined woman I have ever met. Weakness is not an option to you." He said hoping to alleviate her discomfort.
"That is a sore misconception my lord. For I am only mortal and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Do not mistake my penchant for duty, to be misconstrued as strength." she replied calmly.
"Frailty thy name is woman. Do not be confused by that axiom Èowyn. I have never believed that of you or any of the women I met in my years." He said earnestly staring at her huddled form before him and touched her gently but she jerked away from him leaving him more perplexed.
"I told you once, what I feared was a cage and you said understood me above all I ever met or desired to know. Yet Aragorn you do not see me for who I am." She admitted. "To you and the people of Middle Earth I am, Lady of the Shield Arm, slayer of the Nazgul Lord and yet.... yet I feel incomplete. I am more than a legend Aragorn, I only desire to be treated as one of the many, not some ice maiden capable of wielding swords to battle." She said intensely meeting his eyes with a fierce determination.
"Do not think for even for a mere thought you are insignificant. You are a great source of hope to all, whether as a Shieldmaiden or as healer to the people of Rohan. It is not Dernhelm or the Shieldmaiden the people of Middle Earth have come to admire; they are mere aspects of you Èowyn. They embody you, whatever your actions." He said softly and reached to touch her pale cheek gently eyes shining brightly in the dark night and grateful she did not flinch.
"They see you as you truly are Èowyn, their burning source of hope in a place crying out for redemption and they are not alone. For I see not your aliases but you in your purest form of love my Lady and it is that I have come to admire and love." He said softly beside her, tracing her cheek softly with his calloused yet gentle fingers.
He moved in closer, mere inches away from her red lips, inhaling her intoxicating scent of innocence and love and closed his eyes in anticipation of joining with her for the first time. It felt right to him, Arwen seemed a phantom figure of his past, only to be replaced by this visage of beauty in front of him.
"I am truly sorry Aragorn I cannot return what you have said." Èowyn replied evenly breaking the cosmic bond between them. "I am truly sorry my Liege. Forgive me I must retire for the night." She said rising abruptly leaving him with one hand in the air caressing where her fair face was mere moments ago and the other pressing the Ring of Barahir tightly into his palm, contemplating what had just transpired between them.