Chapter 6 or 7
Eowyn sat alone in the library a lone book open in her lap. It was the dead of night. Her eyes roamed the pages reading every word.
Here lies the account of the slaying of the Witch King as told by the hobbit Lord Meriadoc Brandybuck. The lines were beginning to fail, it looked as though all other hope was lost, the King Theoden lay on the ground, trapped beneath his horse, when out of the chaos came a man wielding his sword.
"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"
"Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
The man drew his sword. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."
"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"
The man laughed and tore off his helmet sending a golden mane of hair loose.
"But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."
In one swift stroke Eowyn cleaved off the head of the foul beast causing the Witch King to fall to the earth.
Eowyn stopped and began to cry. Long had she tried to forget her memories of that day, when she had given up all hope and turned to death in battle, something that .
"Fear not Eowyn," Faramir said coming out of the shadows and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "For this story has a happy ending,"
Eowyn leapt into her husbands arms.
"Those memories make our present life all the brighter Eowyn," Faramir whispered into her ear.
"May we never forget," Eowyn agreed pulling back and stroking his face lovingly, his words always brought her comfort, even in the House of the Healing long ago. "The shadow is still with us, it lives in us, and it shall never leave,"
"Yes," Faramir said taking her hand and kissing it. "But it no longer controls our lives or strikes fear into our hearts as it once did,"
"I do fear the past," Eowyn said in a low whisper.
"What do you fear?" Faramir asked.
"I cannot tell you, you shall think me silly,"
"Silly it most certainly is not, not when it plagues my beloved's dreams. I have guessed correctly have I not?"
Eowyn could not meet his eyes; this must be the one secret she kept to herself. She would never vex Faramir with her haunted past in the Meduseld. And although it was long ago she would never stop shuddering at the thought.
"Eowyn, why will you not tell me?"
"There is no reason to tell, it was long ago."
Faramir remained silent as he studied his wife. He knew there were untold secrets about her, he knew of them because of the thrashing and sweat that overtook her during the night as she slept. The other night when she slapped him spoke volumes of the severity of torment she had suffered. He wanted to take it all away; if possible he would take the burden of her memories upon himself.
"I am not a book," Eowyn said becoming uncomfortable under her husband's gaze.
"No you are not," He agreed. "A book reveals something to the reader, you Eowyn are a rock, you admit to nothing to no one."
Eowyn found his analogy cruel and hurtful but said nothing because he was justified in saying so.
"Forgive me,"
"There is nothing to forgive Faramir," Eowyn said brushing his dark hair away from his face.
"Then let us forget it Eowyn, let us live now not in the past," Faramir said taking her face in his hands.
"I love you," Eowyn said just as his lips touched hers.
"As I love you,"
Their kiss sparked tears to trickle down each of their cheeks, mingling together at their lips.
Eowyn scarcely dared to breath as did Faramir. Both were afraid they were dreaming and would at any moment awake to the horrors of their pasts.
"Eowyn," Faramir said finally taking a deep breath. "I do not know much, but I know this, as long as I live you shall never suffer at the hands of any man."
Another tear fell from Eowyn's face and she kissed him again. 'Oh I do not deserve him,' She thought. 'What grace the Valor has on me to grant me Faramir,'
Faramir drew back once more and rested his head on her shoulder, kissing her neck. Eowyn cradled his head; it had been too long since they had been given a moment alone.
"Father?" A small voice called out sleepily. Eowyn and Faramir turned to the door to find Finnola standing in her nightdress looking up at them. "What are you doing to mother?"