Golden Autumn Day
It was a hot day for the beginning of autumn and, if it hadn't been for the dryness of the air and a golden quality to the light, it could just as well be summer as far as Eowyn of Ithilien, late of Rohan, was concerned. Oh, she had gloried in the summer and days of working and riding in the sun had bleacher her hair to silver-blonde and turned her skin tawny. No so her beloved.
She watched Faramir from horseback. He was leading a group of men in rebuilding one of the riverside city's many destroyed public buildings. His face was quite red and he looked uncharacteristically grumpy. It was peculiar, she thought, that, although his hair was so dark, his skin was even fairer than hers and burned and peeled but never tanned.
Her lips quirked in a smile and she raised one golden eyebrow and said, "You look overheated, my lord. Where is the hat I gave you?"
My, he really was turning a remarkable shade of crimson now. Eowyn knew he hated the broad-brimmed hat, even if it did protect his face from the sun.
"Eowyn," he said with exasperation, "I am very busy right now…"
"Well, my lord," she laughed, "Unless you really wish to turn into a tomato, I suggest you either put on the hat or go someplace a bit cooler, at least during the heat of the day."
Faramir looked at the sweaty, tired men. It had been many days since they took any kind of break. He decided they could take the rest of the day off without any pangs of guilt.
He turned to his wife and, in a more cheerful voice, asked, "What shady spot did you have in mind, my lady?"
She smiled slyly and said, "You'll see. I suggest you find your horse."
They rode into the forest, following a small river that flowed into the Aunduin. It flowed clear over a bottom of white sand and was heavily shaded by trees. Flowers in every shade of yellow and orange bloomed in every clearing and shafts of golden light filtered through the canopy above. The only sounds were birdsong, the gurgling of the river, and the crunch of dried leaves under the horse's hooves.
Faramir was beginning to wonder just how far there were going to ride from the city when Eowyn halted by a bend in the stream where the water pooled deep enough to swim.
Her grin was suggestive when she turned to him and asked, "Care for a swim, my lord?"
It had been cooler under the trees but still quite warm. They took off their clothes and Eowyn, laughing, pulled him into the chilly water. They splashed and floated until Eowyn's lips began to turn purple and Faramir noticed goose bumps on his own arms. It was a curious thing, he thought, that his hardy wife, bred to the northern plains of Rohan, felt cold more keenly than himself.
"You look cold, my love," he said, "Perhaps it is time to get out of the water?"
"Cold? I'll show you cold," she said and playfully swiped some clay she found in the river onto his nose, then smeared it onto his chest and highlighted his cheekbones with it. He squawked at first but let her do it. "Hmmmm…could you suggest an alternate method for warming me up, my lord?"
He said, "Now that you mention it…" and gave a little growl as he swum toward her. He proceeded to kiss the pink back into her lips and ran his hands over her wet flesh. Neither of them noticed the cold for some time. Even Eowyn felt as though the water was being warmed by the heat coming off her body.
They finally left the river and lay drying on the bank in the dying light of the afternoon, eating the cheese and bread Eowyn had stowed in her saddlebag. They held each other until the fireflies came out to dance under the trees and moonlight, not sun, was streaming through the leaves overhead.
They both road Faramir's horse back so they could rest against each other while they led Eowyn's horse behind. With Eowyn's body leaning against his and the stars coming out overhead, Faramir was more content than he could ever remember being.
He kissed her clean, damp hair and asked, "Lady, do I tell you I love you enough?"
She snuggled into him and teasingly answered, "Never, my lord. Tell me some more," so he did.
Fall would always be Faramir's favorite season, even to the end of his days.