Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings, in literary or audiovisual form...nor the characterrs, more's the pity! TT-TT

In this Story: Eowyn, may slightly, accidentally, totally get the wrong idea...when the pendant is exchanged...

Story Idea From: I was watching the Movie, and if you freeze her face at this exact scene...you will notice she sems to be having completely the wrong thoughts [for a non-slash writer/lover] at the time, I was like, someone needs to Fanfic that! So here it is, in all it's weird, mistakery, Glory!

~~~***ENJOY!***~~~

Chapter 1: The Agony & The Ecstasy of Eowyn

~)0(~

He was lost...lost forever.

Her heart was pained, never again would he ride up upon his horse, strange companions ever at his sides, the Elf and Dwarf...She knew they also secretly mourned, but hers was grief of the heart...

Though she noticed that the Dwarf withheld his speech in favour of silence, and the Elf...the Elf looked distraught and soul-torn...as if he too felt her heart's grief.

Which puzzled the Shield Maiden, why would...ah! but Elves were strange creatures; they knew not Death in all its forms and guises, other than that of the battlefield...so it must be a strange sensation to lose another...yes, that must be the cause...

Eowyn dwindled in her mind, fingers searching over the worn leather of her father's sheath, sword long gone...her heart had been torn that day, watching as he fell. At least now, under Symbelmyne, his body was at rest, she remembered the Grief from then and prayed it was not knocking at her door.

Her heart could not bear the sorrow, nor the crushing sadness, she longed for Eomer to rush through the entrance, decrying all this madness...but she had seen it in her Uncle's eyes, the soft, unyielding compassion...in the way he patted the Elf; spoke quietly to the Dwarf...

Aragorn was Gone.

Dead upon the Battlefield, felled by an Orc, or a Warg or some-such beast...but no, she had been told, it was a worse fate that befell him…he had fallen. Dragged to his death over a cliff, fatefully engaged in a battle with some misshapen creature of Saruman's devising, no doubt...Eowyn shuddered at the implications, her heart raced as she imagined the swift fall.

But what pained her heart more was the sudden stop…she, of all people, knew water was not a comforting blanket to soften your fall, she had seen many a warrior break bones when striking water from great heights…

She shuddered in the silence, the solitude…her mind whirred.

~)0(~

Of course, she now knew he had been promised to another…an Elven maiden of distant origin, whose heart broke as they were torn from each other; he to battle for his people, she to the mysterious lands beyond this world…

To know that pierced her very soul, but still the love and adoration she held for the Ranger and King-to-be had remained true; she had hoped, in the instant after she had asked after the pendant, when he paused and cast his companions –particularly the Elf- a strange glance, that perhaps, maybe…but no, she had heard of the one he longed for.

He spoke as if she was by his side, side by side in this adventure…but his eyes spoke of the distance between them, there was no laughter but pain and sorrow; yet a resolute sense of duty that bound them, that allowed him to leave and partake of this Quest. It was what she admired most about the man, his strength of character…

It seemed that strength had ultimately failed him, as it had so many other men in the history of this world…

Her musing was cut short by a gruff voice saying something to the fair eleven archer, the Dwarf patted a green-clad arm and then turned, moving towards her slowly; he paused and patted her kindly on the arm, a very fatherly gesture, smiling…or at least, she was under the assumption he was smiling. It was hard to tell under that scraggly beard of his…but his eyes smiled, despite the pain that shone in their depths.

"Ach, Lass…don't be fretting now, he was a mighty man and we'll all miss him, but there is much to be done to save your people afore we can safely grieve…" he spoke words of wisdom, to which she responded, "You are right, Master Gimli, I- I have been lax in my attentions…"

He patted her kindly again, "Nay, Lass, ye was just a-grievin' a friend, which you have every right to! Though not at the present time, blasted Orcs'll be here shortly…and I'll wager there are many women to counsel and children to reassure…"

She smiled, nodding slightly, gaze wavering on the Elf again, who seemed to gaze silently at nothing… "And what of your companion? Does he fare well, is there anything I can do to help…?" she inquired, concerned. Gimli shook his head, "Nay…it is a sad state of affairs…from what I gather, he and those blasted sons of Elrond practically raised Aragorn, and they were never truly prepared to watch him die of age, but to lose him like this…"

Gimli looked at her; she felt her mouth hanging open in shock, "I'll wager Aragorn told you how old he was? Aye, they have known him from his first breath…especially Legolas.

He was the one who rescued the infant from his dead mother's arms and made for Rivendell, knowing his father would have the infant killed should he take it to Mirkwood. The King has great distaste for mortals of any kind since before history was written! Insufferable fool he is!"

There was a lot of information in that verbal tirade, Eowyn blinked and tried to fit it all together, then shook her head and made to move away…Gimli steadfastly held on, squeezing her arm in what she took to be comfort, before he hissed, "Hold your horses, lassie! I think something you will want to see is about to occur…"

The Shieldmaiden followed his gaze to the Elf, whose eyes were suddenly alight, standing upright stiffly and gazing at something far beyond what any of them could see…

He looked back to Gimli and whispered something near inaudible, "Open the Gates…"

~)0(~

Suddenly the Dwarf was gone, massive slabs of timber creaked in protest as the gates swung open; her heart near stopped beating in her chest as she saw a familiar figure rode through into

Helm's Deep. Even rugged, bleeding and filthy as he was, there was an air of regality about him…an indefinable quality that bespoke of determination and leadership…Hasufel instinctively paused in the midst of the crowd and he dismounted.

The unmistakable roar of the Dwarf's admonishments echoed up to where she stood, trembling with relief and joy…eyes watering, though she suppressed that urge; turning, Eowyn paused when she found the post the Elf had diligently kept since arriving, abandoned.

Though dismissed it offhand and ran ahead; racing to a spot where she may ambush the man before he entered her Uncle's halls…

~)0(~

It was there, on the steps of her their so-called stronghold, that her heart shattered and she remained wide-eyed in disbelief…

~~~Aragorn had strode up the stairs, eyes downcast as he reserved all his energy to just making it inside, when she had seen him pull up short. Eowyn remembered frowning, wondering why…until she saw the softly-glowing figure before the Ranger, and realized the Elf had halted him.

Silently berating herself for not rushing up and greeting him first, but realizing this meeting was important for both of them; and so, concealed herself in a secreted place to watch…

They spoke back and forth in another language, Elvish she presumed; strangely, the Elf had a look of amusement on his face as he surveyed the half-drowned and bedraggled man…to which Aragorn had responded by laughing, clasping a companionable hand to the other's shoulder…seeming to stop himself from drawing the other into a firm embrace.

-Eowyn had come to realize Elves disliked outward shows of affection, at least, before mortal eyes, that is, and it made her wonder what it would be like in their great cities…how they interacted…but her thoughts were interrupted in one World-shattering moment.

Legolas gazed softly into the human's eyes and proffered a hand, silently asking for the other's in return; a rough, tanned hand was outstretched in response…a pale hand unclenched and revealed the beautiful, ornate jewel that Aragorn always wore…

The man looked speechless, gratitude and love shining forth from his expression, eyes and body language, as he took the pendant in his own hand, reflexively clenching about it; like he would never let it go again…

Again, there seemed an impulsive need to throw himself at the Elf and partially strangle him out of affection, but the light dimmed as he glanced at the pendant, battle-weariness returning to his gaze; but the love still shone in his eyes when he gazed at…

It was then she gasped in understanding…immediately busying herself and pretending to have found something upon the ground, as the Elf turned his gaze in her direction…he smiled at her and followed Aragorn inside.

Only then did she allow the shock and betrayal to fill the void her love for him had left within her soul, Aragorn…Legolas…the pendant…it all made sense!

The glances, how they spoke to each other in Elvish, so the men would not know! How the Elf would rarely speak to any other besides the Ranger…the anguish of the Fair creature when the man had been lost…

Oh…she could do nothing but gape, wondering all the while why he would lie to her…lie about having a maiden waiting when clearly, he did not, his so-called 'maiden' rode at his side?

So many things did not make sense…

TBC?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I do have another in the pipeline: Chapter 2 - The Long-Suffering of Legolas...

I would be eternally grateful if you could Review, or even just let me know where you think the story's heading!^^

================REVIEW===================