Summary: Foreshadowing dreams plague Eowyn's nights and she thinks Arwen's spirit is telling her to visit her children in Imladris. Rated M by Savannah (Eowyn and Aragorn)

Year 10

Aragorn walked into his bedroom, the sun had just set, casting the room into purple shadows. He had expected to find Eowyn there but the room was empty. He crossed the room and opened the door to the children's room. Awena lay sprawled on her stomach, fast asleep, the blankets tangled around her waist. Aragorn couldn't help but smile at his little girl. Her face looked even more innocent in her sleep and the way she slept reminded him of her mother. He crossed the room and pulled the blanket from around her waist and tucked her small body int it's warm soft fabric. He ran his hands over her dark hair, once wisps like feathers. It had changed as she grew into thick dark curls that grew to her waist. As his hand ran over her soft hair, his mind drifted to her namesake. He felt an icy cold grip his heart, wishing his daughter could have known her.

Looking up, Aragorn saw Eldarion sitting curled in an armchair close to the fire, reading by its light. "Eldarion," he said softly, sitting himself on the arm of the chair to look over Eldarion's shoulder at the book he was reading.

Eldarion leaned back so that he rested his head against Aragorn's side. "I'm reading about your forefathers," he said quietly. "Beren and Luthien."

Aragorn leaned to kiss the top of the boy's golden head, glowing in the firelight. "Your forefathers too. Where is your mother?" he asked.

"She's walking in the garden," Eldarion answered without looking up from the words on the page.

Aragorn smiled and headed for the door but paused in its frame. "Eldarion," he called, drawing the boy's blue eyes up into his own. "Don't read all night."

Eldarion smirked and nodded, turning back to his pages.

..::..

Aragorn walked down the spiral stairs that lead to the lower part of their chambers and into the garden he had built for Eowyn. As soon a he walked through the stone archway into the soft grass, he saw her. The moon had broken the horizon, turning her skin to ivory and her hair white, a sharp contrast with the black dress that she wore. She stood looking into the waters of the fountain at the center of the garden, its surface rippling in the breeze. Aragorn walked soundlessly up behind her, wondering why she was out here alone in the night.

"Eowyn," he breathed, not wanting to break her focus, but even with the softness of his voice, she jumped. Aragorn came up behind her, placing his hands on her arms. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, pressing his lips to the top of her head, then resting his cheek on her soft hair. In the growing darkness, the black dress seemed impossibly dark, swallowing any light that lingered on the horizon. Eowyn didn't often wear black, Aragorn thought to himself.

"How long has it been since we left the city?" Eowyn asked.

Aragorn smiled. "You want to leave, don't you?"

Eowyn chuckled and tucked her head into his chest, letting his rest his chin on her head again. "Yes," she said. "I miss the open air and the road in front of me."

Aragorn nodded. "You have a restless soul," he said, holding onto her. "Like a bird without a home."

Eowyn shook her head, looking up at him. "No, home just isn't a place," she said. "My home is wherever I'm with you."

Aragorn smiled and sat down in the grass. Eowyn followed him, sitting across from him in the growing dark. "I miss it too," he said. "Most of my life was spent moving from place to place, even long before I met you."

Eowyn nodded, pulling a piece of grass to twirl around in her fingers. "The White City is beautiful, but when I turn, all I see is stone. I miss the feeling of earth under me and trees around me. I miss riding all day and sleeping next to a fire. I miss the feeling of holding my sword." She smirked down at he ground. "I even miss fighting, hearing my heartbeat in my ears, the fire inside me. I miss our friends." She looked up at the sky, flicking the piece of grass away and breathed a heavy sigh. "Sometimes I feel like she's calling me back, not into the past." Eowyn looked up at the night sky, trying to find the right words to tell Aragorn her dreams and the deep pull she felt in her chest. She wished she could tell him everything without worrying him. "Perhaps back to her home, to her children. It's been so long since we've seen them, they won't even be children for much longer." When she looked back at Aragorn, his eyes were on hers and she laughed a little. "Do you think I'm crazy?" She asked. "Wanting to go back to the fighting, to the running."

Aragorn leaned forward and took her hand, running his thumb over the scars on her arms from where the black death had touched her. "No," he said after a little while. "I miss that time too. But I do not miss tending to all your injuries." Eowyn scoffed, but he only laughed and pulled her into his arms. "I do not miss watching you suffer," he explained, kissing the top of her head. "How many times have I wrapped you in bandages?" he laughed, his lips moving down her neck playfully. The short hairs on his chin tickling her.

Eowyn tried to move away but his arms pinned her to his chest. "Aragorn!" Eowyn laughed, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. "Aragorn!" She screamed, finally ducking out of his arms and pushing him back into the grass.

Aragorn smirked up at her, his eyes growing feral. His name on her lips rang in his ears. Eowyn smiled down at him resting her hands on his chest then leaned down and connected their mouths. Aragorn's hands roamed her back then found their way under the hem of her skirt, tracing her muscular legs.

Eowyn's hands trailed up, brushing over Aragorn's neck, then his jaw and into his hair. She brushed her thumbs over his temples lovingly, her kisses growing slower and deeper. Tears slipped out form under her closed eyes and fell onto Aragorn's cheeks.

At the wetness on his cheek, Aragorn's eyes slid slowly open, his chest heaving in air. He looked up at Eowyn's face, hovering just above his. A hand slipped out from under her dress and touched her wet cheek then tucked her hair behind her ear. "Eowyn," he said quietly, his eyes communicating the question behind his words.

Eowyn shook her head, wiping her tears off Aragorn's cheek. A lump grew in her throat and despair's familiar hands gripped at the base of her spine. She glanced at the tree line as if the deep sense of dread was a shadow seeping in closer and closer to her. She tried to find the words to tell Aragorn, but they were blocked. So instead, she dipped her chin down, resting her head on his chest and whispered, "Take me to bed." The simple words hiding the tremble in her voice.

In one swift move, Aragorn lifted his back off the grass and was on his feet, taking Eowyn with him. His arms snaking around her back, holding her body close for a second then letting go, lacing his dingers with hers as he crossed the grass. Aragorn's brow knit together as he walked, he had heard the tremor in Eowyn's voice, seen her glances and felt her tears on his cheek. He held her hand tightly, every bond he had with her felt like it was pulsing, knowing something was wrong. In his mind's eye he saw her laying on their bed, sprawled out, tear tracks cutting lines on her porcelain cheeks. Remembering his pain made his heart ache. Then another image played in his mind, one he hated even more. She was laid out this time, not sprawled or crying, but perfectly still, the image from his dreams.

As they reached the door to their bedroom, Aragorn shuddered and pulled her hand in closer, reaching it up to his lips. He leaned back against the hard wood of the door and looked down at Eowyn. "Never leave me," he said the words as a question, as they had said to one another so many times before.

Eowyn smiled up at him, leaning her body into his and touched his cheek with her free hand. She stood up on her tiptoes to brush their lips together.

All of Aragorn's fears erupted into passion. He pulled Eowyn to him as tightly as he could, then up into his arms, sucking and tugging on her lips. He needed to be close to her, feel her warm skin on his, hear her heartbeat thudding in time with his own. He needed to make them one. Hold on and never let go, he thought to himself as his hand found the latch and they fell into the room together.

Aragorn found their bed and he dropped Eowyn down on it, her body bouncing on the soft mattress. He ripped his shirt over his head, throwing it to the floor, not caring where it landed. His hands found the strings at Eowyn's neck and ripped them out of their holes as she groaned his name, her hands gripping fistfuls of the sheets. He pushed the shoulder of dress down, wanting the black cloth gone. He groaned at the pressure building inside him, unable to wait for her take the dress off completely. He caressed the soft skin of her nipple with his thumb then took her exposed breast in his hand, gripping tightly to her flesh. His other hand found the fastenings of his pants and he managed to open them.

Eowyn's head tipped back, moaning out his name. Her hands moved to her skirts, pulling them up around her waist, wanting him inside her so badly, wanting the completeness only his body in hers could bring. Aragorn fell into her. Eowyn gasped as his body crushed hers.

Aragorn bent down, his face buried in her neck, breathing in the smell of her skin as he thrust his hips into hers. Bones grinding on bones, her warm wetness welcoming him. Eowyn's hands found his shoulder blades, holding on tight as he crashed against her. Her legs bent, lacing around his hips, moving with his movements. "Aragorn!" she cried out, his mouth trailing over her neck. She shuddered and came, her nails digging red lines into his back.

Aragorn growled at the sting and found her nipple, sucking it into his mouth. He continued his word at her hips, felt the slick sheen of sweat on her skin. He heard her cries in his ears and with every thrust his mind only thought one thing: protect, protect, protect. He pounded into her, wanting to consume all of her so he could hold her inside himself, safe forever. Aragorn lifted himself up onto his arms, looking down at the wet line of red marks he had made on her white chest. He glanced up at her face, her eyes were shut tight and her teeth dug a hard line in her bottom lip. He felt her legs slipping form their place around his waist and her fingers trailing down his arms, finding the contours of his biceps. "Eowyn," he called through ragged breaths and her blue eyes slid open. Aragorn lost himself in their oceans, he dropped to his elbows, tangling his fingers in her hair. He connected their mouths as he came with a rush inside her, collapsing into her body, trying to cover every inch of her skin with his.

Eowyn's head swam, but she felt her arms move instinctively to hold Aragorn's broad back, his body moving as he sucked in air, his head facedown on the sheets next to hers. "Eowyn," he breathed, rolling off her small body, unable to find any other words to express his feelings. Eowyn slowly sat up, leaning over him. He rolled onto his side, reaching for the neckline of her open dress. "Take this off, I want to see you."

Eowyn smiled and slipped the dress off her shoulders, pulling her arms out of the sleeves and pulling out the remaining bindings. She shifted onto her knees, opening the dress completely, exposing her chest and stomach. She slipped out of it, letting it fall off the edge of the bed without a thought.

Aragorn's hand started at the back of her neck, his fingers barely touching her skin, as if in reverence of her body. He traced her skin down her sternum between her breasts and down, following the line cut by her defined abdomen until he reached where her thighs touched as she knelt before him. He watched her chest rising and falling with each deep breath. He found her hand and pulled her down next to him, tucking her body into his. He closed his eyes, brushing his hand over head lovingly and felt sleep tugging at him. Aragorn felt her move slightly, pulling a blanket from the foot of the bed to drape over their bodies, soft fibers on bare their skin. Nothing felt as good as Eowyn's warm, soft skin pressed into his. Aragorn sighed and let sleep overtake him.

..::..

Eowyn felt something wet touch her face, a small drop of water hitting her cheek and then her neck and forehead. Her eyes slowly opened to a canopy of green above her, water dripping down onto her face. She blinked a few times then sat up, the thick moss below he as comfortable as any bed. She looked around the forest and tried to decide if it was night or day. It was bright, but the light seemed white like the moon's and it seemed to glow from everything around her, not just one source. She heard running water and stood, following the sound, drawn by a string in her chest pulling her forward. She stepped over the lush grass littered with white flowers and saw that there hadn't been water dripping on her at all, but white petals falling all around her, clinging to her hair.

When she reached the water, she saw a woman standing by its banks, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. "Arwen?" she said softly. But as the woman turned to meet Eowyn's eyes her hair changed to firelight and her features changed to a face Eowyn knew vaguely.

"My mark on this word."

Eowyn heard Arwen's voice say the words in her mind and she saw Alida before her.

"Who are you?" Alida asked, looking deeply into Eowyn's blue eyes.

Eowyn tried to take a breath, but no air filled her lungs and pain ripped through her left side. She choked and fell to her knees gasping for air, but nothing came. She looked down at her clothing, expecting to see the wet marks the petals had left, but instead it was flecked in deep red. As she looked, they began to bloom like red roses over her, the blood seeping through the white cloth then dripping down onto the grass around her.

Eowyn's eyes snapped back to Alida but she was gone. She felt herself tip and hit the soft ground, she closed her eyes, blackness rushing in around her.

Eowyn gasped, flying up in the dark of her room. She sucked in air, her hands pressing to her middle as if to stop the bleeding from her dream. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the dark and her breathing slowed. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees, breathing deeply. Her dream left her feeling as if a stone lay in the pit of stomach, a metallic taste in her mouth.

Sleepily, Aragorn's hand ran over her back, coaxing her into his arms. "Bad dreams?" he asked.

Eowyn nodded as she turned to him, draping her body over the hard expanse of his chest, tucking her face into his neck. Aragorn folded her into his arms. "I was dreaming about Alida," Eowyn whispered, wiping her tears away before they could drip onto his chest. "She didn't know me," she said, her voice breaking despite her efforts. She left out the part of the dream where she bled to death from so many wounds.

"She will not forget you," Aragorn said, running his hand over her hair. "It's just a long journey, otherwise they would visit here and we would visit there often."

Eowyn nodded and sighed. She didn't want to push Aragorn; she knew his word as king took all of his time and most of his energy. They could not just pack up and move from place to place as their lives had once been. She held Aragorn tightly, trying to let the rise and fall of his chest rock her back to sleep. Her eyes were just beginning to drift shut when he spoke.

"If you wish to go to Rivendell," he whispered, leaning his head into hers. "Then we will go to Rivendell. I would go to the ends of the world if you wished it."

Eowyn smiled and pressed her lips into his neck, letting the warmth of his body seem into her, pulling it down into sleep.

..::..

Eowyn sat on the edge of Awena's bed, leaning back on her elbows to watch her daughter pull clothes out of her closet excitedly. "We're leaving today," Awena said, shoving clothes into a pack.

Eowyn nodded.

"I can't believe I will finally see where Papa grew up." Awena rummaged through a basket looking for a doll. "And we'll see Alida and Leonid?" She asked, looking back at her mother.

Eowyn nodded, a tight sensation in her chest at the thought of her dreams. Awena looked down at her doll for a moment then put it back in the basket, turning back to her clothing. The small gesture felt like it might break Eowyn's heart, that her little girl was already too old to bring her dolls with her. How is it that children grow so quickly, she thought to herself.

As if prompted by her thought, Eldarion walked through the door dressed in riding clothes. His shoulders were beginning to broaden and at only ten he was almost as tall as Eowyn. She smiled brightly at him as he walked towards her, sitting down beside him, working at tying back half of his hair. Eowyn watched as he struggled to tie the small piece of leather into a knot before she reached over to help him. Maybe her son hadn't turned into a man overnight after all.

"Hurry, Awena. Father and Faramir will be ready for us," Eldarion said with a thankful grin. "Besides, there are already wagons filled with clothing for us. The people are gathering on the streets."

Eowyn groaned. "I don't understand why our leaving has turned into a spectacle," she said, standing from the bed and stretching.

Eldarion knelt to help Awena push down her clothing so she could pull tight the strings of her overflowing bag. "We'll be gone for months, mother," he said, his voice strained with the work of holding down the clothes trying to spring free. "It is customary for the people to wish their king safe travels."

Eowyn smiled down at her children, they were so different; for Eldarion's solemness, Awena was carefree. For Eldarion's thoughtfulness, Awena was light and full of laughter. Eldarion seemed so much older than just ten years old like a grown man trapped in a boy's body. Awena was the opposite, she looked at the world with wide eyes, not aware that anything could hurt her. She was open and happy, willing to give her heart to everyone who smiled at her. Innocence hung on her like mist in the early morning. She was even small for her age, taking after Eowyn, making her seem even younger than she was. Eldarion was always taking care of Awena, moving obstacles before she even knew they were in her path. Only making Eldarion more responsible and Awena more serene. They were good for each other, Eowyn thought to herself as she watched them work. Eldarion would keep Awena safe from harm and Awena would bring joy to her brother.

When they had finally managed to close the bag they started towards the doors, headed for the throne room Eowyn paused, Awena had been right behind her. She watched as Awena darted back, quickly grabbing her doll and tucking it into the folds of her cloak.

..::..

In the throne room, Aragorn stood looking at a crowd of lords and city officials, all gathered to watch as Aragorn passed the rule of the city onto his steward.

"Daddy!" A voice called from behind him. Aragorn turned and saw Awena running to meet him, Eowyn and Eldarion walking close behind.

Aragorn scooped his daughter up, pressing their foreheads together for a second, holding her small body close. "Ready for an adventure?" He whispered in her ear, tickling her neck with his breath.

Awena squealed and pushed away from him giggling. "Yes, Daddy! An adventure like your stories," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck for a tight squeeze as he bent to lower her back to the ground.

Eowyn and Eldarion now stood beside them, Eowyn smiling gently at the affection between her husband and his little girl. Aragorn cupped Eldarion's chin, smiling at him warmly. He then turned to Eowyn, offering her his arm with a smile. Eowyn watched him as he walked them both towards the dais. He wore a long dark cloak that draped all the way to the floor, under it a leather vest embroidered with the white tree, the leather formed close to his skin, showing off the powerful width of his chest. The bright morning sun glinted off the crown of Gondor and his voice echoed off the stone walls of the throne room. Power radiated off of him like heat from a fire. Eowyn felt her heart jolt with pride as the king of men stood beside her, her partner and equal in everything. She knew even as he stood above every other man in the room, that he would lay down his life at her feet, give it for her freely. She held his arm tighter, feeling the muscles underneath ripple at her touch.

Without pausing his speech, Aragorn dropped his arm, giving up the more formal stance and laced his fingers with hers as if he could feel her thoughts.

Faramir knelt before them. "My King, he said, glancing upwards. "My Queen."

Aragorn held out his free hand and pulled Faramir to his feet then embraced him. "Take care of my city," Aragorn said with a smile into the other man's ear.

Faramir smiled and nodded, turning to Eowyn with a small bow he said, "Enjoy your travels." Eowyn rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. "Enjoy the open road," he said in her ear, "be free."

Eowyn held him tight then let go, watching him walk formally to his seat below Aragorn's own throne. As he sat, every head in the room bowed to him. Aragorn's hand found Eowyn's again and he stepped down off the platform and began to walk through the crowd as it parted for them. Heads titled in respect as their children fell in line beside them.

..::..

"Daddy," a small voice said into the dark. Aragorn's eyes slowly opened, taking in the darkness around him. The flaps of the tent blew softly in a cool breeze, a soft orange glow from the dying embers of a fire illuminating the cracks between the panels of fabric. "Daddy," the voice said again. "Daddy, I'm scared."

Aragorn sat up, running a hand over his face and climbing out of the blankets tangled around him. "Shh, Awena," he said, kneeling beside her small sleeping roll.

"I'm scared," Awena said, reaching up for him.

Aragorn smiled, tucking the small girl into his arms. "You don't need to be afraid," he said, stroking her head. "Your mother and I are right here, we're closer than at home."

Awena pressed her face into the soft place where his chest and shoulder met. "But Momma isn't here," she said.

Aragorn glanced at their shared and found Eowyn's side empty. "I'll go find her," Aragorn said, planting a kiss on the top of Awena's head. "Can you keep the bed warm for Momma until she comes back?"

Awena nodded her head and Aragorn pulled the blankets up around Awena, tucking her in. He brushed a hand over her soft hair and began to sing softly to her, his hand rubbing slow circles into her back He watched as her eyes, the same color as the moon, drifted shut, then made his way to the flap of the tent and slipped silently out.

Aragorn walked past the dying dire where a guard was asleep still sitting up. Aragorn placed a hand on his shoulder and the man awake with a start. "My King," he said, his face turning an embarrassed shade of red.

"Go to your bed," he said gently. "There is no need for a watch tonight, we are safe here." As the man went for his bed Aragorn scanned the grass looking for Eowyn's trail. When he found her footprints, he followed them out of the light of fire, guided by the light of the moon to a clearing not far from their camp. As he walked into the clearing, pushing a branch out of his path, Eowyn turned and looked over her shoulder at him. Their eyes met and Aragorn felt the breath go out of him.

In the moonlight Eowyn looked like a vision. Everything about her was white, from her nightdress to her skin and hair bleached by the soft glow of the moon above them; everything but her ocean blue eyes. She smiled and beckoned for him to join her on the large rock she perched on. "You found me," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

Aragorn shifted, wrapping his arms around her. "I will always find you," he said, kissing her forehead. Eowyn smiled, lifting her face to look up at the moon, taking Aragorn's free hand in her own, holding in her lap and brushing her thumb over his skin affectionately. "Your hands are cold," Aragorn said. "What are you doing out here?"

Eowyn turned away from the moon and leaned back into his arms. "I wanted to see the moon and the stars. They are so bright away from the lights of the city." Aragorn nodded, looking up. "I've always felt close to Arwen," Eowyn said, her voice sad. "When I look up at the moon."

Aragorn nodded, pulled Eowyn into his lap, wrapping both arms around her protectively as if his arms could hold the sadness inside her. "Awena was looking for you," he said.

Eowyn turned in the circle of his arms to look down at him. 'Why is she not asleep?" he asked.

Aragorn chuckled. "I guess she heard you leave the tent."

Eowyn smiled. "She's used to sleeping every night in her own bed."

Aragorn nodded, taking in the beauty of the woman in his arms "I love you," he said, without explanation. Eowyn's arms moved to wrap around her neck but she stayed quiet, looking deep into his eyes, turned silver in the light of the moon. "I'm so thankful to have you by my side," he said, losing his grip on her just long enough to tuck a strand of hairs behind her ear. "You are my everything," he said. "My wife, the mother of my children, my queen, my lover, my friend."

Eowyn leaned down to brush their lips, their skin just grazing softly. "As you are to me," she said, sharing the air between them.

Aragorn pulled her into so their bodies pressed together, holding her close. "Come back to bed with me," he breathed into her ear.

Eowyn nodded and stood, holding Aragorn's hand and they walked together back to their tent. The feeling was so familiar to her, his hand was like a glove made to fit her. As Eowyn pulled the flap of the tent back, Awena stirred. "Momma," she called, lifting her dark head from the pillow.

"I'm here, sweet girl," Eowyn said, crawling in the bed beside her, gently brushing the hair away from her face. Awena was already asleep again, happy knowing that her mother was close by. "Our children are growing so quickly," Eowyn said, leaning on one arm to look down at Awena. Aragorn nodded, crawling over both of them and pulling Eowyn down into his arms, her back pressed into his chest. "DO you ever wish we could have another?" She asked under her breath.

Aragorn hesitated for a moment then shook his head. "Our family is perfect," he said, pulling her in even tighter.

"But think of having another baby," she said. "Another little one."

Aragorn pressed his lips to her temple, his voice husky with sleep. "Have you forgotten what the healer said? It is my greatest joy to watch you create life, Eowyn. To play a small part in making a child. But I will not risk you, not for all the most beautiful children in the world."

Eowyn sighed, touching Awena's soft cheeks, remembering when she was only a tiny infant. "You're right," she said. "Our family is perfect." But there was no answer, only the sound of Aragorn's soft breathing. Eowyn closed her eyes and let sleep come for her as well.