Happy New Year everyone!

I will apologise. I meant to get these up last week, but we've had some bad news about my grandmother and things are about to get rough. I am planning to do regular updates again and I'm finally starting to get organised and hopefully will swiftly get back into writing as well. I'm determined to get back on track with writing in general so let's see how that goes.

Hope 2023 is your best year yet!

Lots of love,

LSH xx

A Wild Heart – Part 4:

"I trust you will stay here in the City for the night," King Aragorn said as he looked back at the Prince and Lady, "I think that would be wise as the sisters need to spend some time together. After which Éowara will head to Edoras with myself as I wish to inform King Éomer of the developments with his sister and then I will accompany her onto Rivendell and then she will finish in Evendim."

"You will accompany her to Edoras?" Faramir asked as he looked at the King, "I will remain here in the city until your return and to assist the Queen."

"Thank you Prince Faramir. I was hoping you would say that," Aragorn said as he nodded at Faramir, "I will not be away from the City for as long as I was previously. She will get settled with the Grey Company in Evendim and then I will come back once she is there."

"But she will come back won't she my King?" Éowyn asked, concerned that she wouldn't see her sister again for a while, "I have to see her…"

"Do not fear My Lady," Arwen spoke softly, "she will be free to travel as much as she wishes but she will have some responsibilities and that will hopefully steady her and help tame her," he said with a soft chuckle and watched as Éowyn drank some more of her wine.

"What takes you to Rohan?" Faramir asked as he looked at Aragorn, "it cannot be just my sister-in-law…"

"That is something I will discuss with you in time, once I have spoken with your brother-in-law," he replied, "now I will have you shown to your room and let Éowara come to you. I suspect she is troubled by today's events."

Faramir thanked Aragorn before he and Éowyn took their leave.

"Éowyn is concerned for her sister," Arwen spoked softly, "and you as well," she added.

"Éowara is lost and needs something to aid her in finding a place in this Middle Earth," Aragorn spoke, "I saw that from the moment I met her in Meduseld." Arwen nodded softly before retiring for a while.

Faramir and Éowyn were now settled in their room and the latter was stood looking out of the window down onto the City. She stood a slender figure, clad in white and Faramir just watched her. He remained silent for a while before joining her by the window and gently slid his hand into hers.

"It was a joy to grow up in this city… until the Shadow began to spread and touch the City," Faramir said as he spoke softly, so he wouldn't disturb Éowyn's thoughts, eventually realising that she was looking at her ring.

"What did you mean when you said the rings my sister and I have are sister rings?" Éowyn asked as she turned to look at her husband.

"They are a set of rings. They were also my mother's. An idea of mine and Boromir's which I had no idea that he'd remembered," Faramir said, "we'd agreed that we'd take one each and then give them to the women we were going to marry when the time was right. Clearly Éowara was who he thought he was going to marry and I married you," he said before Éowyn gasped softly as her eyes widened.

"The King remembers those wide eyes well," he said as he looked at her before watching as his wife seated herself in a chair, "you did them when you came face-to-face with him and Andúril in Meduseld."

"I cannot believe he remembers that," Éowyn spoke as she looked at her husband, knelt on the floor in front of her, "not that it matters. Éowara was in love with your brother and that is why she wears the sister ring on her finger. How is that possible? Éowara doesn't fall in love…"

"Gandalf spoke to me and said how their journey through Swanfleet was not easy as they were walking and not riding," Faramir told her, "that meant they would have had time to talk and understand each other more. It is possible that traversing Swanfleet was when they realised their feelings for each other."

"Éowara didn't speak much about her time with Boromir. I suspect the grief is still too near for her," Éowyn spoke.

"The only people who ever loved her until that moment were you, your brother, uncle and the people of Rohan and, yet, here someone was opening their heart to her and, I suspect, her opening up to him… Grima had her sent her away so he would be able to claim you as his after destroying Rohan for Saruman," Faramir said, "I suspect that it wouldn't have been easy for her to allow him to see her as we see her. She would have also been worried for you and what was happening back in her homelands. She knew what was happening before she left."

Éowyn's eyes clouded over as she thought about what her husband had said and then what her sister must have gone through. She and Boromir had set off on horseback and yet arrived in Rivendell on foot.

"They must have been attacked on the road," Éowyn spoke as she looked at Faramir, "they'd both set off on horseback, much to my sister's delight," she said and Faramir nodded,

"That is what the King and I suspect as well," he spoke, "they are both capable horse riders, able to ride and fight so something must have happened. Éowara's horse returned to your homelands but his did not."

"What do you think could have happened?" Éowyn questioned.

"They rode Boromir's horse together, setting hers free and then they were overwhelmed and forced to continue the journey on foot," Faramir speculated, "at least that would be my guess based on what was presented at Rivendell and the discussions between the Fellowship of the Ring," he said, "they must have walked from Swanfleet to Rivendell. That is not an easy journey to make."

"I have heard of Swanfleet but I do not know much about the land of Cardolan and Arnor so I cannot comment on that but it cannot be a good thing if they were attacked and forced to continue on foot," Éowyn said as she looked at her husband before sitting down in a chair.

"It is a hard, rocky not easy to traverse land that I would not wish on my worst enemy and that is the end of that matter," Faramir said.

Silence fell in the room as Faramir wrote a letter to be sent back to Ithilien so they would know what was happening. Éowyn had picked up a book that had clearly been placed there for her to read and she was, of course, going to ask to take it back with her.

Neither spoke for a while, enjoying the silence and Éowyn lost in the thoughts swirling around her head. Faramir wanted to ask her what she was thinking but he didn't want to disturb her either. He'd learnt fast that that was not a good thing to do, especially as her thoughts were no doubt on her sister, as his were. He'd taken on Éowara and her wild ways and that was something he'd never imagined but Ithilien was the best place for her, even if it made life more complicated than it needed to be.

Faramir wondered if the King was accompanying Éowara to Rohan as preparations were almost complete for Éomer and Lothriel's wedding. That had been unexpected but the two had connected well and he was happy that his brother-in-law had found happiness like he had. Now if only Éowara could find some form of happiness as well everything would be good. He looked and watched Éowyn before walking over and looking out of the window onto the City below. He could hear the voice of Gimli the Dwarf, almost letting out a chuckle when there was a knock at the door.

Éowyn jumped out of her seat, knocking her book to the floor before Faramir realised there was a knock at the door again, far gentler and he crossed the room and opened it before sighing.

"Éowara," he said softly as he saw his sister-in-law stood there before feeling his wife stood behind him.

"Come in sister," Éowyn said, before stepping back and the two allowed Éowara into their room before closing the door behind them, "I assume the King knows you are not in the library anymore."

A shrug was the response from her sister and Éowyn knew not to pressure her sister into answering. Éowara would speak when she was ready and that was all that could be done. Faramir quickly picked up Éowyn's book and placed it on the table and watched as Éowara sat down in one of the chairs in the room. He could see she was struggling with the emotions of the day and wondered how she was going to be the next day. He didn't know when the King would set out with his sister-in-law. All he knew was that it was going to be soon and he hoped that it would help Éowara because she was clearly trying to cope with a lot of emotions and it was not helping her at all.