A/N To all of you that reviewed the last two chapters, thank you. I hope you enjoyed them. And as promised, here is the next segment in the saga of Eowyn.

The Fair Lady of Rohan

Chapter 3

The Steward of Gondor

Faramir paced the length of the garden restlessly. Every once in a while, he would stop and look out to the east, towards the sheer black rock that encompassed Mordor. Then he would begin his pacing again, restlessly awaiting news of any kind.

He stopped his pacing and walked towards the pillars that supported great white arches that were the barrier between him and a balcony that looked over the city. Leaning against one of the strong white pillars, he let his gaze rest on the fuming Mount Doom. He shuddered as he imagined Sam and Frodo in there, carrying the ring to the volcano where it was made. He knew that both Sam and Frodo had made it into Mordor because Aragorn had set out with the remains of the armies of both Gondor and Rohan to divert Sauran's attention from what was going on inside Mordor. The mountain still fumed like it had always had and the cloak of evil still rested there. They must not have destroyed the Ring yet.

Faramir turned away with a sigh, and meet the gaze of the Warden. With him was a lady dressed in a dress of soft blue with long golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight. Gray eyes like the sea raked over him as if sizing him up for a battle. Her left arm was in a sling.

"Lord Faramir," the Warden said, "Lady Eowyn of Rohan wished to speak with you."

"Ah," Faramir said in recognition, "the fair lady who defeated the Lord of the Nazgul."

"That is I," Eowyn said with a hint of steel in her voice. She held her head high as if daring him to contradict her.

"She wished to speak with you because she isn't content," the Warden said.

"Don't get me wrong," she said, "I have never seen a house more beautiful, but I cannot lie in bed like a lazy fool with nothing to do in the world."

Faramir was amused with the way she put it. Obviously she was not a woman used to being caged in stone walls. He felt a strange kinship with her. He didn't want to be stuck in here either, but Aragorn had ordered him to stay put. He knew how it felt to be cadged in stone and not be able to walk freely.

"I will take my leave, Lord Faramir," the Warden said with a bow and he departed, leaving Eowyn with Faramir.

Faramir took a seat on a white stone bench and motioned Eowyn to join him. Eowyn moved stiffly and sat down, as far away as she could be from him without falling off the bench.

"I don't bite," Faramir said at her wariness.

Eowyn snorted and sent a scorching glare at him.

Faramir choked down a laugh. It was obvious what she thought of him. She thought him an upstart lord with no backbone. But she was wrong there.

"Tell me," Faramir asked, "why would a lady as fair as you ride into battle? Why did you ride to your probable death?"

Eowyn was silent for a moment, and then said curtly, "I wished for my death."

"But you are not dead," Faramir pointed out.

"No, I have not, but the battle still goes on, though not here," Eowyn said with a shrug.

Faramir sighed, then said, "What would you have me do?" Then he added with a hint of humor, "I am also a prisoner of the healers and their warden."

She gave him a pleading glance, revealing a hint of a woman wracked by grief. Faramir's heart swelled with tenderness towards her. To ride into battle against thousands of Orcs was a brave thing, but he saw that she had been driven to die. But she had not the heart to still her own heart, so she rode into battle with the fact that she would most likely not make it back to Rohan alive. Someone must have hurt her real bad if she wanted to commit suicide.

Still, Eowyn was silent.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, running a frustrated hand through his raven locks.

"I would like it if you tell the stuffy Warden to let me go. That man is worse than a general!" Eowyn exclaimed.

Faramir chuckled. Both of them knew how strict the Warden was. He made the Commander of the Citadel look like a young boy when he gave orders.

"That wasn't supposed to be funny," Eowyn snapped.

Faramir laughed harder.

Eowyn cast him a look. "Are you sure you didn't get knocked in the head with a halberd?"

Faramir finally got his laughter under control and cleared his throat.

"If I remember correctly, I was knocked off my horse. I don't remember anyone hitting me over the head with an axe," he said with a smile.

"Then what did the Warden give you?" Eowyn asked.

"As far as I know, only healing herbs," Faramir said truthfully. Growing serious again, he asked, "Tell me what you want me to do to solve your problem."

"I wish to be free so that I may ride into battle with my brother, Eomer and fight at his side," Eowyn said with a sigh.

"I can't let you do that," Faramir said with a stern voice. "You aren't fully healed yet, and--"

"Don't you get it!" Eowyn exploded. "I am healed! It is only my left arm that hinders me, but I can still fight!"

"They are already two days away," Faramir said after Eowyn had calmed. "Even if you were able to ride I would not let you because you don't have you strength back."

Then, after a moment, he added, "Why is it that you want to die?"

Eowyn was silent. Then she said, "My window does not face east."

It took a moment for Faramir to figure out what she was saying, but he figured that she was telling him how to solve her dilemma.

"I can do that," Faramir said. "I will have your things moved to a chamber that faces east. I will also command the Warden to let you walk here each day so that you may regain your strength." Then, he added, "It would also please me that while you are here that you would come and speak with me."

Eowyn met his gaze with a puzzled look on her face. "Why do you want me to speak with you? You have enough men you can talk to. Why do you want to speak to a woman who no longer has the will to live?"

"You want the truth?"

"That would be better than a lie."

Faramir smiled at her dry humor. If anything, he would enjoy talking to her for her wit. It was rare to find a woman of her standing with a tongue sharp enough to match any of his men's.

"Then, my lady, the reason I wish for your company is plainly because I think you the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Looking to the east he continued, "A great darkness is waiting, and we may have but a few days left to live our lives. I hope to be strong when that darkness comes, if it does. Your presence would give me comfort, because we have both passed under the Shadow and we were both healed by the same hand."

"I am not free of the shadow yet, but I will walk with you, if only for company," Eowyn said grimly. She stood and curtsied and left Faramir in the garden, brooding over what had caused such a woman to become shadowed with a grief so great.