Summary: Everyone is tense as the Uruk-hai army approaches. Rated K+ by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)

March 3, 3019

(Words in bold type are spoken Elvish)

"Eowyn!" Legolas called, pushing his way through the crowd of people, watching as she stood frozen, terror in her eyes as she scanned the crowd not finding Aragorn. Eowyn's eyes found Legolas' through the bodies of men all around them, tears already cutting tracks down her face. He pushed the last of the way to her, desperate to comfort her.

"Where is he?" she asked, her voice breaking as she began to shake. "Why isn't he with you?"

Legolas wrapped an arm around Eowyn and pulled her to him, his other hand pressing her face to his chest. "He fell," he said quietly. "He was pulled by a warg over the cliffs and into the river," he said, stroking her hair and wishing with all his might that he could take away even a little of the pain she felt. He felt tears slip from his own eyes.

Eowyn screamed, taking fistfuls of his clothes; her eyes squeezed shut, her mouth open with sobs that wracked her whole body. Suddenly she pulled away from him and bolted, her long hair streaming behind her.

"Eowyn!" Legolas yelled, reaching out after her but she was already across the crowd, throwing herself onto the back of a horse and charging for the gates. Men threw themselves out of her path. Legolas ran toward the wall, watching her ride down the steep ramp and into the long grass, not slowing for anything.

..::..

Aragorn lay in the shallow river, feeling the cool water rush around him. His entire arm and shoulder had gone completely numb, blood oozing slowly from the open would in the blue water. He lay in the water, drifting in and out of consciousness, too weak to move. He thought of Arwen and Elrond standing over him as they had down when he was a child.

Arwen leaned over him, wiping sweat from his forehead. The tiny bow looked up into her eyes. "I love you, Arwen," he said, his voice small and weak.

The Elf leaning over him smiled like an angel and leaned farther down to brush her lips on his forehead. "Sleep now, little Estel," she said.

The dream ended, both Aragorn and the little boy slipped into darkness.

..::..

Eowyn pushed her horse onward, over the banks of the river, looking for anything that could lead her to Aragorn or his body, she didn't know what she would find. Hours had gone by and she had looked everywhere along the banks where the warg had been. She felt tears slipping down her face as she heard Legolas' voice in her mind, over and over again say, "He fell". She swung her leg over the horse's back and slipped down into the cool shallow water, landing with a splash, tears trailing down her face into the river. She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, her body starting to shake with sobs as she sunk to her knees, cold water rushing around her. She screamed, tilting her head back, her voice choked and raw. Her hands balled into fists, the blue sky stretched out above her, merciless and cloudless.

..::..

Aragorn woke with a start, pulled from his dreamed and the darkness that clouded his sight into the blinding brightness of midday. He had heard something in his dream, a scream, a voice he knew as well as his own. "Eowyn," he breathed. His eyes blinked against the sunlight, he rolled slowly onto his stomach, water rushing into his mouth. He choked, pushing himself up out of the flow. Pain stabbed his shoulder and with a cry he pulled himself out of the water and fell backwards down onto the rocks. Everything around him faded into nothing.

"Aragorn!" a voice yelled and footsteps sounded on the loose stone, half falling and half running toward him. His head spun and he felt himself slipping closer and closer to the end. Cool fingers touched his face and his eyes opened, a face hovering over his. "Aragorn," Eowyn said through her tears, leaning down and wrapping him in her arms. She shook as she held onto him. "I thought I had lost you," she sobbed into his ear, rocking back and forth. His arms moved inches, taking all of his strength to touch her arm, his long fingers wrapping around her elbow and holding tightly. Eowyn felt his touch and moved her arm so her fingers laced around his. "Legolas," she said, moving to look at his face. "He told me you were dead." She leaned down and kissed him. "I believed him." Her breath brushed his lips.

Aragorn's hand moved to her neck, pulling her down to his lips, feeling his strength slowly return to him. "I told you I would never leave you," he said with a smile.

Eowyn sat up and looked around for her horse, she whistled sharply and a few moments later the horse came trotting beside her, Aragorn's own horse, Brego, beside it. A smile spread across Eowyn's face and she commanded the horse in Rohirrim. Slowly, the horse knelt beside Aragorn then lay down. Aragorn's fingers wrapped around Brego's mane and he pulled himself onto the animals back. Eowyn was left kneeling on the ground as Brego stood, Aragorn haunced on his back. Then she stood to climb her own mount.

Together they rode over plains, the sun beating down on them. "Look," Aragorn said, pulling his horse to a stop, staring at the dark mass moving towards Helm's Deep.

"The army assembles," Eowyn said, coming to a halt beside him. "They'll be there by nightfall." Aragorn nodded, a wind blowing on them both, black storm clouds blowing in.

..::..

Legolas stood by the wall, scanning the horizon for any sign of Eowyn. His eyes finding the army, too far away for human eyes to see. He hung his head and breathed deep, if Eowyn found herself anywhere near that army the Uruk-hai would slaughter her and carry her body in front of them to battle on a spike.

He tried to worry for her, to curse her for her stupidity and rashness but all he could think of was Arwen and his children. He wondered how big the twins had become, if they spoke the common tongue yet, and if they even remembered him. He heard footsteps behind him and a grunt that could only be Gimli.

"What's the matter, laddie," he said, clapping Legolas on the back.

Legolas winced, their height difference making it look as if Gimli had just walked up and smacked his backside. He looked down and smiled at his friend. "Nothing," he said, pushing Eowyn, and Arwen and the twins out of his mind. "Only the fate of Middle Earth."

Gimli grunted. "Aren't we all," he said and walked away.

Legolas looked back over the fields of Rohan until he saw two horses riding side by side. "It's not possible," he said to himself before running to the gate. "You look terrible," he said looking over Aragorn as he stood leaning on Eowyn.

Aragorn grinned. "And you look as good as ever."

Legolas smirked. "Get some rest," he said, growing solemn. "We have a war to fight."

Aragorn nodded and walked away with Eowyn. "Or a war to die in," he said under his breath.

Eowyn walked through the winding pathways until she found a room with a bed. The women had children were already being moved into the farthest caves, making Helm's Deep feel like a ghost town. Aragorn lay down on the bed, his eyes already drifting shut. Eowyn leaned him and kissed him lovingly then turned to leave.

Aragorn grabbed her hand gently. "Lay with me," he said.

..::..

Eowyn walked along the paths and hallways of the keep, searching for fresh air and the wide expanses of sky. When she finally reached the walls she stood and leaned on the stone, breathing in the air. Her eyes scanned the horizon searching for the Uruk-hai even though she knew they were too far away for human eyes. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Legolas standing beside her. Eowyn took a shaky breath and sank down to the ground, letting head fall back against the wall. "We're all going to die," she said. Legolas sat down beside her, looking up at the dark clouds crawling over the sky. They sat there for a long time in silence. Legolas ran his thumb over her knuckles, she looked up and smiled. "I'm tired," Eowyn said. "Tired of this life, tired of fighting for our lives every day."

Legolas nodded. "It will be over soon, it can't last forever," he said.

Eowyn turned away from his slightly. "It will end one way or another," she said.

Legolas grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. "Do not lose hope, Eowyn," he said. "Then the enemy has won." Eowyn stared into his fierce blue eyes then nodded and walked away. Hope, he was only fooling himself, there were too many Uruk-hai coming. But Arwen and the twins were safe and that was all that mattered. Legolas took a last look over the battlefield. He couldn't tell if his heart beating so fast that he couldn't feel it or if it just wasn't beating at all.

..::..

Aragorn woke slowly, his eyes sliding open. The room was dark but he knew it couldn't be night already. He looked down to where Eowyn had been lying beside him but she was gone. He looked around the room but instead of finding her he saw armor waiting for him. He rose from the bed and started dressing. He stood just above to pull a fresh shirt over his bare chest when Eowyn slipped into the room. She walked to the bed and sat on the edge. Aragorn turned and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, the muscles in his back twisting with the movement.

Eowyn looked up at him through dark eyelashes and a cloud of blond hair. "I am to stay in the caves with the women and children," she said, her voice sounding tired, sad and almost betrayed. "I can fight," she said, looking down again. "I'm not a child."

Aragorn walked to her and lifted her from her feet and into his arms and kissed her gently. "But you are a woman, are you not?" he said under his breath.

Eowyn looked up at him, a spark lighting in her eyes. "I can hold a sword better than half the men standing on those walls."

Aragorn bowed his head, still holding onto her waist. "I have no doubt," he said. "But the women in those caves are frightened and weak."

The spark lit into flames in Eowyn's eyes at his words. "Exactly why I don't belong with them. Aragorn, don't you see that?" She threw her hands in the air.

Aragorn took her hands in his and kissed her again. "That's why they need you, Eowyn, not all wars on fought on battlefields.

Eowyn looked down at her feet then wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Don't leave me," she said desperately. Aragorn held her small body close to his resting his face on her shoulder and breathing in the smell of her hair. "Promise me," she said, trying to hold him tighter. Aragorn nodded into her neck, breathing deep. Eowyn let go and sunk back down off her tip toes and walked towards the door. "They are sealing off the caves, I'll be with you after the battle," she said, opening it a crack and slipping through. At the last second she stopped and looked back at him. "Say the words."

Aragorn looked up at her, his grey shining. "I won't leave you."