A/N: Finally! Part two! As Éothain will say: Praise be to Iluvatar! Please review! If you ask me, PJ doesn't show the true extent of athelas. Okay, I had better say HAPPY NEW YEAR because I deem we all shall be too busy for the New Year to update stories. The final chapter is on the way.

Disclaimer: I know we all love these characters; but sadly, none of us own them.

To lindahoyland, who wanted to see Bergil bring athelas

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

(Part 2--the House of Healing)

I was grateful for the few minutes of sleep I got. I rested my weary joints and my strained muscles. So much death! My sword was blackened with blood and my armor was sooty with smoke and dust. So much pain, so much death.

Someone shook me. "Sir, sir."

I opened my eyes and saw that a Gondorian soldier who looked no older than me standing before me. He bowed in their fashion--head bowed, hand upon breast--and said, "Sir, the Lord Éomer has arrived. He bid me tell you to meet him in the Hall of the Tower."

Reluctantly, I got out of the chair. I followed the man to the Hall of the Tower, where the Steward would be sitting. He was not there. Éomer King and the Prince Imrahil was there. They looked upon the bed of state where Theoden of Rohan lay before the dais. I saw twelve guards, knights both of Rohan and Gondor, stood about the bed. I stepped forward, and Éomer acknowleged my presence.

At length, Imrahil said: "Where is the Steward? And where also is Mithrandir?"

One of the guards answered: "The Steward of Gondor is in the Houses of Healing."

But Éomer said: "Where is the Lady Éowyn, my sister; for surely she should be lying beside the king, and in no less honor? Where have the bestowed her?"

Imrahil glanced at me and replied: "But the Lady Éowyn was yet living when they bore her hither. Did you not know?"

Hope sprang to Éomer's face and he turned and went swiftly from the hall, the Prince and I at his heels. It was evening when we came forth and many stars hung in the sky. And there came Gandalf on foot and with him one cloaked in grey; and we met before the doors of the Houses of Healing. And we greeted Gandalf. Éomer said: "We seek the Steward, and men say that he is in this House. Has any hurt befallen him? And the Lady Éowyn, where is she?"

Gandalf answered: "She lies within and is not dead, but is near death. But the Lord Faramir was wounded by an evil dart, as you have heard, and he is now the Steward; for Denethor has departed, and his house is in ashes." Grief and wonder filled my heart as Gandalf spoke the tale; I would very much like to meet this Lord Faramir.

But Imrahil said gravely: "So victory is shorn of gladness, and it is bitter bought, if both Gondor and Rohan are in one day bereft of their lords. Éomer rules the Rohirrim. Who shall rule the City meanwhile? Shall we not send now for the Lord Aragorn?"

I wanted to say the Lord Aragorn walked the Paths of the Dead and is most likely dead; but lo! the cloaked man spoke and said: "He is come." And we saw as he stepped into the light of the lantern by the door that it was Aragorn, wrapped in a grey cloak. "I have come because Gandalf begs me to do so," he said. "But for the present I am but the Captain of the Dunedain of Arnor; and the Lord of Dol Amroth shall rule the City until Faramir awakes." He sighed and added humbly, "But it is my counsel that Gandalf should rule us all in the days that follow and in our dealings with the Enemy." Prince Imrahil and Éomer of Rohan and Gandalf agreed on that.

Then Gandalf said: "Let us not stay at the door, for the time is urgent. Let us enter! For it is only in the coming of Aragorn that any hope remains for the sick that lie in the House. Thus spake Ioreth, wise-woman of Gondor: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known."

And with that, Aragorn entered first while we followed. At the door were two guards in the livery of the Citadel: one tall, but the other scarce the height of a boy; and when he sawus he cried aloud in surprise and joy.

"Strider! How splendid! Do you know, I guessed it was you in the black ships. But they were all shouting corsairs and wouldn't lis--"

I did not hear what the halfling said for I entered the House to where the Lady Éowyn lay. I lay my hand upon her forehead and found it cold to touch. I sighed and went outside again. An old man, his hair salted grey, was speaking with the Lord Aragorn.

"--athelas in the noble tongue, or to those who know somewhat of the Valinorean..."

"I do so," said Aragorn, " and I care not whether you say now asea aranion or kingsfoil, so long as you have some."

I found my chair. A wounded man sat on it. His right hand was swathed in bloody bandages. I heaved a weary sigh. I found an urn of water and with the dipper scooped some up. I handed it to the wounded man. He accepted it and drank. After he had drunk his fill, I drunk and dropped the dipper back into the urn.

The oldman was saying: "Ioreth still repeat without understanding.

When the black break blows

and death's shadow grows

and all lights pass,

come athelas! come athelas!

Life to the dying

In the king's hand lying!"

The wounded man motioned for more water. I obliged and scooped him some. He drank four dipperfuls and said, "Thank ye, lord." His eyes were hollow and look shocked, as if he could not believe he had witnessed a battle that very day. I must admit that I have seen my first full-scale battle and I did not find it pleasing.

Aragorn now knelt beside a man that looked older than me but much younger than he. Aragorn placed a hand upon the sick man's brow. Just watching him made me feel that some great struggle was going on. For Aragorn's face grew grey with weariness; and ever and anon he called the name of Faramir (So this was Faramir! I thought to myself), but each time more faintly to our hearing, as if Aragorn himself was removed from them, and walked afar in some dark vale, calling for one that was lost.

A young boy of about ten ran into the House. His face was flushed and he seemed out of breath. He bore six long leaves in a cloth. "It is kingsfoil, Sir," he said; "but not fresh, I fear. It must have been culled two weeks ago at the least. I hope it will serve, sir?" Then he saw Faramir and burst into tears. I looked in wonder at Faramir, thinking, Surely this is a man who is well loved by his people and is capable of great deeds!

Aragorn smiled. "It will serve," he said. "The worst is over. Stay and be comforted!" He took two of the leaves and laid them on his hand and breathed on them. He crushed them and straightaway a living freshness filled the room, as if the air itself awoke and tingled, sparkling with joy. And he cast the leaves into the bowls of steaming water that an older woman brought to him. My heart lightened and I breathed a deep sigh. I felt refreshed. Aragorn stood up and his eyes smiled as he held a bowl before Faramir's dreaming face.

"Well now! Who would have believed it?" said the woman who brought Aragorn the bowls of water. "The weed is better than I thought. It reminds me of the roses of Imloth Melui when I was a lass, and no king could ask for better."

Faramir stirred, and he opened his eyes, and he looked on Aragorn who bent over him; and a light of knowlege and love was kindled in his eyes, and he spoke softly. "My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?"

"Walk no more in the shadows, but awake!" said Aragorn, smiling. "You are weary. Rest a while, and take food, and be ready when I return."

"I will, lord," said Faramir. "For who would lie idle when the king has returned?"

"Farewell then for a while!" said Aragorn, still smiling. "I must go to others who need me."

Lady Éowyn! my heart cried. I followed them to where the lady lay, pale as death. Éomer bit his lip and his face struggled against emotions. I placed a hand on his shoulder and to my surprise, he did not object. He sighed and I could see he was trying to relax.

"Here there is a grievous hurt and a heavy blow. The arm that was broken has been tended with due skill, and it will mend in time, if she has the strength to live. It is the shield-arm that is maimed," said Aragorn; "but the chief evil comes through the sword-arm. In that there now seems no life, although it is unbroken." Aragorn spoke more but I cared not to listen. I could hear rejoicing from where Faramir lay. Would there be rejoicing among the Rohirrim too? if the Lord Aragorn can heal our lady?

Éomer was silent, and he looked on his sister, as if pondering anew all the days of their past life together. I took my arm off his shoulder. My mind wandered to the days when I knew them as young children in Edoras. Éomer was a year older than me, Éowyn younger. Éomer seldom played with other children and Éowyn never talked to anyone, as she was shy. I often saw them in the streets but never cared to greet them.

Aragorn stooped and looked in her face, and it was indeed white as a lily, cold as frost, and hard as graven stone. But he bent and kissed her on the brow, and called her softly, saying:

"Éowyn Éomund's daughter, awake! For your enemy has passed away!"

She did not stir, but now she began to breathe deeply. Her breast rose and fell beneath the white linen of the sheet. Once more Aragorn bruised two leaves of athelas and cast them into steaming water; and he laved her brow with it, and her right arm lying cold and nerveless on the coverlet.

"Awake, Éowyn, Lady of Rohan!" said Aragorn sagain, and he took her right hand in his. "Awake! The shadow is gone and all darkness is washed clean!" He laid her hand in Éomer's and stepped away. "Call her!" he said and passed silently from the chamber. I did not follow.

"Éowyn, Éowyn!" cried Éomer amid his tears. But she opened her eyes and said: "Éomer! What joy is this? For they said that you were slain. Nay, but that was only the dark voices in my dream. How long have I been dreaming?"

"Not long, my sister," Éomer replied. "But think no more of it!"

Éowyn caught sight of me and Gandalf; and I bowed. She gave a slight nod and turned back to Éomer. "I am strangely weary," she said. I am, too, I thought. "I must rest a little. But tell me, what of the Lord of the Mark? Alas! Do not tell me that that was a dream; for I know it was not. He is dead as he foresaw."

"He is dead," I replied gravely.

Éomer nodded. "He is dead," he said, "but he bade me say farewell to Éowyn, dearer than daughter. He lies now in great honor in the Citadel of Gondor."

"That is grievous," she said. "And yet it is good beyond all that I dared hope in the dark days, when it seemed that the House of Eorl was sunk in honor less than any shepherd's cot. And what of the king's esquire, the Halfling? Éomer, you shall make him a knight of the Riddermark, for he is valiant!"

Gandalf said, "He lies nearby in this House, and I will go to him. Éomer shall stay here for a while. But do not speak yet of war or woe, until you are made whole again. Great gladness it is to see you awake again to health and hope, so valiant a lady!"

A frown darkened Éowyn's face. She sighed and said, "To health? It may be so. At least while there is an empty saddle of some fallen Rider that I can fill, and there are deeds to do. But to hope? I do not know."

I felt myself sigh and I went to a window. The window faced East, East to the land of Mordor. Above the craggy tips of the black mountains, a red fire reigned. Evil was stirring there. How long more will this war last? And when will we be defeated? I clenched my fist and turned away. Only time can tell.

To my surprise, I felt a shudder of tears. And a swift stroke of fear. For the first time in years, I began to cry.