Chapter 5-Wait and Hope

Disclaimer: Grrr…I only own Raewyn. Can I trade her for Boromir? (not that it's a fair trade at ALL…I'm greedy) And this is a short chapter. (adds sloth to list of vices)

P.S. "wait and hope" is one of my favorite phrases…extended quote—"All human wisdom is contained in these words: Wait and hope!" Bonus points for anyone who knows what it's from…

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"She is awake," Legolas whispered to Eowyn, who was standing just outside the room.

"May I come in?" she asked.

He nodded. "I will leave," he said, and silently padded out of the chamber.

Eowyn entered and quietly seated herself by Raewyn's side. "How do you feel?"

Eowyn asked, putting the back of her hand to Raewyn's damp forehead.

"The pain is quite tolerable, actually," she responded. "Numb, in fact. I can hardly feel anything."

Eowyn glanced at her charge. True to her word, no sign of hurt marked the elleth's grey eyes—but there was something else that gleamed beneath the glistening orbs. Fatigue? Sorrow? Eowyn racked her mind with the possibilities, but could not place the expression that haunted Raewyn's eyes.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, hoping to leave the room to clear her mind for a moment.

Raewyn nodded. "A bit," she answered. "I do not believe I can handle any food at the moment, though."

"I think that you will be fine. Is there anything in particular that you want?" Eowyn asked. She stood up, ready to take to the kitchens.

"I only want to live," Raewyn responded curtly.

Eowyn stopped. "What was that?"

"I apologize for my forwardness, my lady," Raewyn added, rather stiffly. "But you may as well tell me now. Just—please. Tell me, how much time do I have left? Hours? Days?" Desperation wracked her voice, and Eowyn realized what it was she had seen in Raewyn's eyes—fear.

"You are not going to die," Eowyn said, after a moment of tense hesitation. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You need not lie," Raewyn whispered. "I already know of the infections."

"How did you find out?" Eowyn asked, shocked.

"I heard Lord Aragorn speaking of it to his companions. The one thing my injuries did not do was to affect my hearing."

"I suppose I should have known from the beginning," she added bitterly, "Ever since I left my home, my heart has been dead. And now my body follows. So tell me, Lady Eowyn. What time do I have? Are a few additional days of life worth the pain and struggle of grappling with death?"

Eowyn slowly released her breath. "I am sorry, Raewyn. Three days. That is all I can give my word for at the moment."

"Very well. I thank you for your honesty." Raewyn smiled sadly and closed her eyes. "I accept my fate."

"But—" Eowyn suddenly added, "There is…a slight glimmer of hope—a minute chance that you might heal. There is nothing I can guarantee—all we can do is wait and hope."

Raewyn shook her head. "No," she murmured. "Please, I would like to be alone." Eowyn nodded and did as she requested.

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Raewyn slept—a fitful, restless slumber. Choking gasps and sobs escaped from her lips, even as she struggled to hold them in. She awoke in a cold sweat, panting and shaking. She stayed like that for what seemed an eternity, until a soft voice interrupted her from her half-unconscious state.

"Raewyn? Are you all right?" Aragorn asked, entering the room and grasping her hand.

"No," she breathed, clenching his hand tightly. "I am so afraid. I do not want to go where I know I cannot turn back." Raewyn looked up at him. "You do not fear death, do you?"

He hesitated. Without waiting for a response, she continued. "You are not afraid, because you know in your heart that there is nothing in your past that will haunt you. I fear what lies ahead because of what I have left behind me. That child whose life I ended—"

"You have more than repaid your debts, Raewyn. You have nothing to fear," he said softly.

"You say this only to ease my passing," she whispered, as tears streamed down her face. "I still do not want to let go."

"Then you shall not," he said, "for Eowyn spoke true. You still have a chance at life. However small and difficult it is, it is still a chance. Will you take it?"

Raewyn blinked away silvery tears and smiled. "I shall."

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(A/N: Hello, hello, hello! Summer is almost over GRRRR...which means that I will soon be hacking my way through the battlefields of AP Chem, Physics, Euro, AND Pre-calculus. Oh, and Spanish III. Hurray. (blatant sarcasm alert) That, added to my laziness, means that I will probably update more! I know, it doesn't make any sense, right? Solution: In lieu of struggling with hw, I'll write stuff. I like this way of thinking...don't you?) please review

(P.S. I REALLLY REALLY want those limited edition LOTR dvds! Even though I already have the extended ones! I'm so GREEDY!) please review

(P.P.S.S. I hate The Red Badge of Courage. A lot. And I absolutely REFUSE to write "Level Three" questions about it. Phew! Glad to get that out of my system.) please review

(PPPS This is a really long author's note, so I'm going to shut up now. Happy reading, and can I stress this enough? PLEASE REVIEW!)