Author's notes: Faramir is an excellent warrior. I'm not sure this is portrayed well enough in the books. But, since his wife did save the White City with her uncle in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, I think it's his time to return the favor. –Kero.

Chapter 11: All For You

"Prince Faramir, is that you?" asked one of the watchmen.

"Aye, open the gates. What goes on here, man?" demanded Faramir. The bustle of feet and chains and cogs were heard behind the gate and it slowly pulled open.

"We have raised the alarm, my Lord," said another watchman.

"I can see that. What has happened?" asked Faramir, still calm. The watchmen were suddenly uneasy and could not meet his eyes. The captain of the Castle guard came forth hurriedly, and knelt down on one knee before him.

"Forgive us, my Lord. We have called the village people inside the walls because we feared it was not safe. Orcs have been sighted outside on the plains. A young girl rode into Emyn Arnen this morning. She was traveling with the market caravan that comes from the West. She reported that they were surprised by a large band of marauding orcs and her companions were slain or wounded. She herself was badly hurt. She had been saved by…." His voice trailed off and the captain hesitated.

"Do not hesitate, man, tell me everything," said Faramir, sensing something was terribly wrong.

"The girl was saved by your wife, Lady Éowyn, Sir. Lady Éowyn had gone out early this morning with Garin and Beleth to survey the outer defenses and to keep a look out for the caravan, last I heard." The man was bowing very low now, out of guilt for not being able to stop the princess from going out today. He dared not look at Faramir's face as he spoke. Those of his Rangers who knew him better knew that he was sorely upset at the news, though he made no sound. Already they saw that his mind was set to work to find a way to retrieve his wife.

"The Lady must have happened upon them suddenly, and she sent the girl to return on horseback to raise the alarm in Emyn Arnen. We sent two groups after the princess and her two guards, back in the direction where the girl last saw them. But they reported no sign of the Princess or the caravan. That was many hours ago. They continue to search the plain for them. And now it has started to rain…" blurted out the captain. His face was heartily ashamed at the news he had to report to his Lord. Without another word, Faramir turned his horse about and galloped out onto the Western road. His Rangers followed suit and raced after him.

"I am sorry to have gotten the two of you into this," sighed Éowyn. "I should have retreated to get reinforcements before charging out." Her arm was still bleeding a little from when she was pushed to the ground by an orc flying out of nowhere. They were all huddled in a nearby cave for warmth and to hide from the remaining orcs. Though there were only about twenty left, for Éowyn and her guards had dispatched of the other half, they seemed tireless, and well armed with plenty of poisoned arrows. Of course, they had nothing else to lose. Without a country, they wandered about unwanted and hunted. Theirs was a desperate situation and they were capable of anything, just to survive. Éowyn had tried to save as many of the caravan as were left, and she had about eighteen in the cave with her, including women and wounded. She knew the orcs were just waiting for them to come out, and she knew that they would be slaughtered by raining arrows and she would be helpless to stop it. Beleth was not badly hurt, but Garin had suffered an arrow in his leg and was feverish due to the poisons of the Black Breath. He had only recently passed out from fatigue and the works of the poison.

"Nay, my Lady. You did what you thought was best at the moment. We had no idea that the orcs would be so close by. And so many of them…" he faltered. Many in the caravan were slaughtered mercilessly and he shuddered to resist bringing the image to the forefront of his mind again.

"Foul creatures. What are they doing in Ithilien? If our roads are not safe, then our people will not feel safe to travel and this will affect Gondor if word gets out that we are unable to patrol our own borders. Faramir is Prince of Ithilien. I could not let these foul creatures sully the land my husband so dearly loves," said Éowyn with flint in her voice.

She calmed herself with a sigh. "But now we are stuck."

"'Twas better that we tried to save them sooner than later, my Lady. They may not have survived the attack if we left them. And they had not the means to outrun them for many are wounded," said Beleth.

"Your are indeed a valiant Lady," he said. Though he had just recently been ordered to guard the princess, he found her character impressive, just as the tales sung of her. She was wise and brave beyond her years.

"As with my lord, I would follow you to whatever end."

Éowyn looked in his eyes and smiled at his honesty and stout heart.

"I am glad you are with me then, Beleth." She drew her wet cloak around her though she knew it would not give her warmth. "There must be something we can do…a diversion perhaps?" Éowyn pondered a plan.

"What would your Highness propose?" asked Beleth.

"I'm not certain," replied Éowyn honestly. "Garin is not well enough to fight or run. Only some of the caravan are still able to defend themselves. I would not wish to leave the women and wounded behind to fend for themselves if the orcs do not take the bait. Yet we must send word to the patrols that I know are nearby, looking for us. If only Faramir were here," she sighed. A lump caught in her throat at the though of never seeing him again. His letter told her that he would not be back for a few more days. She was certain that under these circumstances, she would not last that long.

"I would go, your Highness, but I also am loathe to leave you unprotected," said Beleth.

"I will be well, Beleth. Besides, someone must look to Garin and the others. It might as well be me," she replied.

"We are better off waiting then for the patrols to find us. I will not leave you here, my Lady."

"Garin will die if he does not receive the proper care. I cannot do this without the proper herbs. Many of these people will die of cold or of their wounds or both if we do not get them safe and tended to. Our efforts will have been for naught. Please Beleth, you must go find help," Éowyn said solemnly. Beleth hesitated for another moment and then left the cave.

Faramir and his company rode hard into the darkness and rain. They passed by the first patrol and he issued orders for them to search a wider circumference. But if his wife and the others were not caught, and somehow he felt that she was not, they would need a place to hide. Southwest of the road were a cluster of hills and a dry ford and some caves. Faramir knew this area well. As a ranger for many years in Ithilien, he was very familiar with all the places to hide. If Éowyn had a group of people in tow, she would find shelter for them. And the orcs would be waiting for her. The thought of his beloved wife trapped in such a situation boiled his blood and pained his heart. He blamed himself for not finding the orcs and killing them all first to spare her this ordeal. He also blamed himself for issuing the order forbidding her to ride out of the Castle. Faramir foresaw that she would willingly defy such an order. Faramir hoped that he would find her safe and unharmed. He was pulled suddenly from thoughts of his wife when one of his rangers spotted the caravan and the dead bodies strewn about the road.

"They could not have gotten far, there must be more people who are alive and probably wounded. We will split up. Beregond! Take half the men and go search the dry ford. There is much brush there that is good for hiding. I will take the rest and ride to the caves," said Faramir, calling out to the rest of his Rangers.

"My Lord! Someone is approaching," called out another ranger. Beleth had reached the prince's party at last. He was badly wounded.

"My Lord, you must save the Princess! She is at the caves near the ford. I went to get help but the orcs must have seen me come from that direction. Lady Éowyn ordered me to go find help, even as she was defending the mouth of the cave. You must hurry!"

Even before Beleth had finished his last sentence, Faramir charged in the direction where he knew he'd find Éowyn . His Rangers followed suit and soon there were upon a distressing scene. Several of the merchants were armed with swords and they were doing their best defending the women and the wounded. Garin was also on his feet, though unsteady, and he stood with Éowyn off to the side. They were back to back and Éowyn was in part helping to keep him steady. They were encircled by a group of orcs.

"Éowyn!" cried out Faramir and he charged in her direction first. Drawing his bow, he expertly notched an arrow with graceful fingers and let it fly. The arrow hit the orc closest to his wife square in the chest. The others turned around to see a very determined Faramir charging at them on horseback. Several moved out of the way to avoid his wrath. Of these, Faramir dispatched a few more with several rapid shots expertly aimed. His horse trampled the other orcs to pave the way to her and he leapt off his horse, drew his sword, and started dispatching the rest of them. All were focused on Faramir now, but with very quick and swift movements, not one slash or footfall wasted, they were all dead or mortally wounded in less than five minutes. His wife, who had never had the opportunity to see him spar with the enemy, was truly impressed.

"Faramir!" cried out Éowyn partly in astonishment that he was there, and partly in awe of his attack on the enemy. She knew that many of them had pikes and was fearful that her husband may be wounded. But to her relief, he was not and after killing the orcs in front of her he and several other Rangers pushed back the remainder of the orcs, now already in retreat.

He was at her side again in an instant. Without another word to her, he pulled her aside and mounted his horse again, helping her up in front of him. He quickly set his horse to a canter away from the fray, leaving Beregond in charge with instructions for the Rangers to find and kill the rest.

Soon the skirmish was over and the Rangers piled the orc carcasses in oil and set them aflame. They herded the remaining caravan merchants back onto the caravan wagons and had their horses pull them to the Castle, picking up Beleth along the way. They sent a fire arrow up for the other patrols to join them and all three companies returned safely to the Castle. The others reported no other sightings of orcs, and no survivors of the marauding party.

Faramir would not let Éowyn out of his sight even after they were safety within the walls of Emyn Arnen. He helped her dismount his horse and then called out for servants to tend to the wounded. Faramir personally escorted his wife into the Castle and to their living quarters, followed by a train of worried servants and hand maids. They followed the couple back into their personal apartments and helped Éowyn out of her soiled clothes and drew a hot bath for her. Then Faramir excused them. For a long while, they were alone in their silence. She gingerly washed herself free of the day's dirt and lamented that her gown was probably beyond repair. But what bothered her most was her husband's silence as he sat before the fire, blue-gray eyes flickering in the light. Putting on her dressing gown, she went to his side silently.

"You must be terribly angry with me, for you have not said anything but my name since we first met tonight," sighed Éowyn as she stood before the fire to warm herself, finally breaking the silence.

"Do not mistake my silence for anger, though I am angry that you disobeyed my order to not ride out today. First and foremost I am relieved beyond measure that you are safe now," he said. She looked over at him, slumped in a chair in front of the fire, still staring into the flames. He looked tired, but relieved.

"I am sorry, Faramir. I did not mean to cause you grief. I was very surprised and relieved to see you come for me," she said quietly. "I did not think you would come as you were not expected back for another three days."

When he offered no response, she went on, "I could not watch them be slaughtered and there was not enough time to get help. Perhaps it was foolish of me to think I could save them, but I could not let it stand," she paused. "Although I did not intend that I would need rescuing later on," she laughed, without mirth. "That was a miscalculation on my part." She looked over at him and still he was slumped in his chair, motionless.

"Please speak, Faramir. I cannot stand for you to be angry for so long," she said, rather pleadingly. In their brief married life, he had never shown her this side. He looked at her for a moment, then got up from his chair. He stepped closer towards her and in one movement gathered her up in his arms, holding her close. She thought that he was trembling.

"I am not angry with you. I am only sorry that I did not find these orcs earlier and kill them before they came so close to you," he said quietly. "As your husband and Prince of Ithilien it is my duty to keep you safe."

"Faramir, you could not have known. Who else will defend Emyn Arnen in your absence if not your wife who is Princess of Ithilien?" she smiled. "They did not call me a shield maiden for nothing."

"I would prefer that you stayed out of harm's way, Éowyn ," he replied, kissing her temple.

"I know. By the look on your face when you rescued me, I understand why you will not take me with you on patrols. You are not yourself when you know I am in danger. I would hinder you," she sighed. He held her tighter as if to apologize for being so protective of her. But she sharply drew in her breath and gasped a little from this movement. Faramir drew back and looked at the blood dripping from her left hand.

"Éowyn, you're bleeding!" he exclaimed. He sat her down and rolled up her sleeves for a closer look.

"Was this done by an orc?" he asked, worried that she might be poisoned.

"Nay, it occurred when I was tackled to the ground by some flying fool of an orc. I knew not that they had grown wings," she smiled. Her smiled faded and she bit her lip in regret when she saw his eyes full of worry again. Perhaps I should not have said that, she thought regretfully as the pallor on his face grew pale and his expression very stern.

"It does not hurt, dearest! Really! No bones are broken! I just scraped myself against some rocks, that is all. It just needs a good cleaning and some bandages and I shall be right again," she added hastily.

Faramir tended to her arm himself, cleaning it, applying the salve and binding it gently with linen. Éowyn was touched that he was so attentive. This was ever his gentle nature. But he looked very tired, though he would not admit this to her.

"Let's go to bed, love. You and I both need rest now," she suggested gently. He did not protest. She helped him out of his boots as he took off his tunic. After giving him a towel and the wash basin, she remarked that he looked much better than before, if not much cleaner. When he lay down, Éowyn then rested her head on his shoulder as he held her close.

"I have worn you thin tonight, my love. For that I am sorry," she sighed.

"Do not be sorry," he whispered.

"Do not blame yourself for this, my love. You had no idea it would come to pass l. Yet still you managed to save me from a very close encounter…. I know that I am safe when you are near. I have never seen a more impressive warrior aside from our King. The moment that you are unable to protect me is the moment before Death takes you, and in any case, I would rather be with you at a time like that than not," she sighed.

"Éowyn," began Faramir.

"I know, dearest," she said. "I will not insist upon accompanying you everywhere. But know that I cannot willingly be parted from you, Faramir. Not even when Death comes for you," she finished. Her husband held her closer to him.

"Silly woman," he chided. "Why do you love me so?"

"Need you ask?" she replied. "You are my love and my joy; I would do anything for you."

"Even jump into a fray of marauding orcs?" he asked resignedly.

"Of course," she smiled.

"Please do not do any such thing again," he said quietly. "My heart cannot take such shock."

"As you wish," she sighed.

"My blood almost drained from me when I realized that you were not here at home when I arrived. I could not survive this world without you now, beloved, please understand that." At those words, Éowyn wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the mouth. He returned her kiss and held her closely to him. "But I am happy that you take such an interest in protecting Ithilien."

"I love Ithilien because it is fair, and because you love it."

"It is no wonder that I love you then, dearest Éowyn. My Éowyn," he sighed. His wife was so wonderful; it gave him comfort and warmed his heart to know that she loved him so. He was soon fast asleep, basking in the glow of that thought.

Éowyn watched his sleeping face in the candlelight, a pastime she delighted in. As his wife, she felt that she was his healer and protector now, defender of him and all he believed in. In her mind, this held as much importance as being a shield maiden of Rohan had been before she had known him. It seemed ages ago that she took on the name Dernhelm. How long ago was it that she struck down the Witch King? It seemed a lifetime ago. Her life had taken several unexpected turns, and her renown was almost embarrassing nowadays, but she felt very lucky in life. She could not have planned it to end so well. Éowyn brushed a lock of his hair from his face and gently kissed his cheek. Then, nestling herself in the crook of his arm, she too drifted into a peaceful, well-deserved sleep.

Finis.

Note: WHEW! Finally finished. Yeah, I had to finesse Faramir's methods of fighting. I thought and thought about it and the critics were right. Faramir's fighting skills rock. He is after all a descendant of Numenor. But, I had to laugh a bit. It isn't one of my stories unless there's fight scene. LOL. As for my titles as completed, the poem should read as follows:

REBIRTH

Out of darkness
Into awakening
I stand on the precipice
I bring thee healing
With a handful of flowers
A new beginning
A new love
With promises to keep
All my heart
All my duty
All for you

Hope you enjoyed it. Until next time! -Kero (7.5.06)