Arwen stood by the window of her room, looking out at the fair land that unfolded before her as Arien arose. Ithilien looked lovely at this time of year, for spring was here and great patches of flowers and grass covered the ground. Taking a deep breath, she smelled the fragrance of the awakening nature and couldn't help but smile. Ithilien reminded her of Rivendell in many ways, unlike Gondor.

Not that she felt unhappy in her new home, far from that. How could she be unhappy when she was by the side of the man she had loved for so many years, even waiting patiently for him till he had finally taken up his position as the King of Men? Besides, Legolas had assured her that the trees his people had planted in Minas Tirith would grow soon and add even further beauty to the city.

A knock at the door cut off her musings and she faced the door with a gentle frown.

"Come in!"

The door opened and a servant girl entered, bowing courteously.

"My lady? Lord Faramir is expecting you at the great hall."

"Very well. Tell him I will join him shortly," the queen said with a friendly smile.

The girl curtsied and walked out once more. Arwen remained by the window for a while longer, gazing over the horizon; until, finally, she placed the royal circlet on her head and walked out as well. She had to admit to herself that she was curious to hear what Faramir had to say to her.

Faramir was in the great hall, sitting on a great chair and quite lost in thought when Arwen found him. Upon seeing her, however, he swiftly got back on his feet and bowed his head in a polite manner.

"Suilad, rhín nín," he said. "Hodannech mae?"*

Arwen inclined her head in cordial greeting as well. "I did, thank you."

Faramir smiled, albeit a bit embarrassedly. "Forgive me, my lady. I had forgotten your wish us to speak in the Common Tongue."

"No harm done, lord Faramir. I simply believe that, as Queen of Gondor, I should speak the language of its citizens," Arwen assured him.

"I understand. You're only too kind, my Queen."

Arwen smiled kindly. "And you? How do you fare this morning?"

"Quite well, I thank you," said the Man.

"And your wife, Lady Éowyn?"

"She fares well, though I believe there are times when she misses her home in Rohan."

"I understand the feeling. There are times that I, too, miss my home," Arwen said in sympathy. "But I am certain that, in time, she will start enjoying life in Emyn Arnen. The place has become beautiful."

"It gladdens my heart that you approve, my lady. The Dwarves put forth all their skill to make this fortress the best it could be."

"Indeed; the people who came to settle here from Minas Tirith seem to believe so," Arwen noted. Ever since the fortress in Ithilien was built, an important number of citizens had settled in the fair realm as well. That was one of the reasons that the royal couple of Gondor and Arnor decided that a visit was necessary: to make sure everything was in working order in the colony. It was true that this was more of a typicality, considering both Arwen and Aragorn had absolute faith in Faramir's ruling skills. Nevertheless, it was a good opportunity to renew the firm bonds of alliance and friendship that connected the former Steward and the King. That was the reason why it was Arwen who made the visit rather than any other representative.

"It is unfortunate that King Elessar did not accompany you as well," Faramir said then.

Arwen shook her head solemnly. "I fear Aragorn has to look to the preparations for the oncoming feasts in celebration to the defeat of Sauron. And I should soon be there as well to assist him."

"I understand," said Faramir. "When do you intend to leave?"

"Tomorrow, at the first light of day. And you? When will you and Éowyn honour us with your presence?"

"The day before the festivities. I will leave Dûrinas in my stead," the prince answered. "The advisor has proven his worth at replacing me when necessary more than once and it will be good for both Éowyn and me to ride to Minas Tirith. If anything, she will be more than glad to see her brother; and I will be happy to see Mithrandír and the Halflings."

"As will they, I am certain," Arwen said, laughing softly. "I, however, will welcome most the arrival of my own family. It has been almost two years since I have last seen them."

"To one of the Firstborn, this must seem like only a day," observed Faramir.

"Yet the heartache in parting is just as strong to us as it is to the Secondborn," Arwen pointed out.

Faramir opened his mouth to speak, but a servant appeared and bowed his head in greeting.

"Begging your pardon, my lord. Captain Damrod enquires if you will be able to inspect the troops today."

The man frowned. "I was under the impression that Captain Beregond would do it."

"I am afraid that Captain Beregond has already left for his patrol, my lord. Captain Damrod said that he set off earlier than usually today."

"Ah, of course," Faramir said, remembering himself. "Then tell Captain Damrod to get his men ready, I will come shortly."

The servant bowed and walked out to see to his errand. As soon as he had vanished from sight, Faramir turned to face Arwen.

"I fear I am needed elsewhere, my lady," he said apologetically.

"Do not fret, lord Faramir; I am aware of the duties a prince has," Arwen said kindly. "Besides, this will be my opportunity to visit the gardens within the fortress."

"Then perhaps you will come across Éowyn there as well. That is her usual haunt at about this hour."

"It will be a delight to be at her company," Arwen replied, smiling.

"I believe she will think so, too. She has not made many acquaintances just yet," noted the prince. "And now we should part. I hope you will join me and Éowyn afterwards, at dinner?"

"Of course," said the Elven-woman, brightly. "Till then, lord Faramir," she added, bowing her head courteously.

"Till then, my queen," replied the prince, bowing also.

And with that, they parted ways, each attending to their own matters.

Arwen enjoyed her walk in the gardens as she marvelled at their beauty, and it almost made her wish Aragorn were with her. He would surely appreciate the blooming nature that now surrounded her and share her contentment.

Then again, she supposed there would be other opportunities. Now, she simply missed her husband, and she was looking forward to seeing him again upon her return to Minas Tirith. It was a wonder how a single day, a mere blink of an eye for a former immortal being, could trudge on and give the impression that time was at a standstill. The thought was rather ironic, to say the least.

Suddenly, Arwen's sharp sense of hearing picked up a sound that made her stop in her tracks. Pricking up her ears, she was intrigued to discover it was a woman's voice, reciting something. Feeling intrigued, the elven woman decided to see who it could be, and she walked in the direction she heard the voice. It didn't take her long to see that it was Éowyn, pacing nervously up and down and reading from a rather thick book.

"Kingsfoil – also known as athelas in the noble tongue and asëa aranion in the high Elven-tongue: a small plant with white petals that gives out a soothing fragrance when bruised. Used rarely as it is not known to have any beneficial medical properties. Grows amid rocks and colonies of old. Once gathered it should be kept in a dry place…"

Éowyn instantly cut off her reading and sat on the ground, a dejected look in her face.

"If it has no beneficiary properties, what is the purpose of learning about it?" she said to no one in particular.

Arwen smiled gently, deeming it was time to make her presence known.

"Well, for one thing, it does have medical properties – wondrous ones in fact. But only in the hands of a king."

Éowyn instantly lifted her gaze, and then quickly stood up to bow. "Forgive me, my queen. I did not see you. Have you been here long?"

"No, be at ease," Arwen assured her, smiling. "I just could not help overhearing your studying of the medicinal herbs."

Éowyn averted her gaze and sighed sadly. "I may be studying it, but I am far from learning anything."

"Why would you wish such a thing, though?" asked Elven-woman curiously. "You are a shieldmaiden, taught in the ways of war."

"Taught in the ways of war, yes; but a shieldmaiden no more," Éowyn corrected. "I promised Faramir I would put aside the sword and become a healer, taking care of every growing thing."

"Has he asked such a thing from you?"

"No," Éowyn admitted. "But I will not have people saying that their lord decided to wed a wild thing from the North either."

Arwen smiled a bit and she stood by Éowyn, noting the fire burning in the mortal woman's eyes. The blonde clearly wanted to prove to the others that she was worthy of her husband's choice.

"Perhaps I could offer my assistance?" she asked. "My father is a healer and he taught me the art."

Éowyn's face beamed at once. "You would do that for me, my queen?"

"Of course. I will even teach you a couple of things that I am certain you will not find in the books."

Éowyn smiled broadly and bowed, touched by the elven woman's offer. "I thank you, my lady."

Arwen, however, waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Please; a simple 'Arwen' will suffice. Our husbands are already connected with bonds of friendship; we should try the same thing."

Éowyn's cheeks reddened in a rare blush. "As you wish… Arwen."

"Good. Then let us be on our way," the elven woman declared. "No, you do not need the book! I always believed that the best way to learn about herbs is to see them on their natural environment. I passed by some roses a little while ago, so I suggest we start from there. So," at that, her bright eyes tinkled, "shall we?"

Smiling at the Elven-woman's eagerness to teach, Éowyn followed Arwen in the gardens, the book tucked under her arm and forgotten. This would prove a most interesting day.

Night settled swiftly. Finishing with his duties for the day, Faramir now stood by the courtyard, waiting for Beregond to return from his patrol. However, the sound of laughter made him turn around, just in time to see Éowyn and Lady Arwen conversing mirthfully. The fair woman was the first of the two to notice the man, and she quickly walked up to him to greet him with a loving kiss.

Admittedly, Faramir was caught by surprise at first, yet he answered the kiss with the same love and regretted when he had to pull back in order to address Arwen.

"I trust you enjoyed the walk in the gardens?" he asked.

"Indeed, I have, Lord Faramir," the elf woman answered.

"We both did," Éowyn seconded with a nod. "Lady Arwen helped me with the study of herb lore."

Arwen smiled broadly. "And she is quite a bright student, I may add."

Éowyn couldn't help but blush at that, and Faramir clasped her hand tenderly.

"That is good to hear," he said, and he bowed courteously at Arwen. "Thank you, my queen. It was quite thoughtful of you."

"I will show you what I've learnt latern on," Éowyn promised, only to sober when she realised something was missing from the picture. "Has not the patrol returned yet?"

"No," Faramir said with a shake of his head. "Let us hope they didn't come across any danger; Beregond is hardly ever late."

A neigh echoing from outside the walls put all three at ease, though. The great doors opened, and a group of a dozen horsemen came in, led by the man in question himself. The squires rushed to lead the horses back to their stables once the soldiers dismounted, and Beregond walked up to Faramir, Éowyn and Arwen, greeting them. Faramir clasped both hands on the captain's shoulders, relieved to see his friend safe.

"It was high time you arrived," he said. "Is everything all right?"

"I apologise for my delay, but there have been developments," Beregond replied grimly. "We saw him again."

"What? Where?" Faramir said.

"Not here. I'll tell you later." Beregond warned. It was obvious he didn't want to worry anyone else who might be overhearing.

Faramir pursed his lips momentarily. "Fair enough. Go refresh yourself; you can join us later at dinner and tell us everything then."

Beregond nodded his understanding and turned on his heel, heading up to his quarters.

"Is something amiss?" Arwen asked, unsure what to make of the strange exchange between the two men.

"Not amiss per se," Faramir answered enigmatically. "I will explain things once we retire to the great hall."

Arwen wished she had gotten a more straightforward answer than that, nevertheless she decided to indulge the prince in the particular matter. She would have her answers in time, after all.

Both women and Faramir had settled at the dinner table in the Great Hall, when Beregond walked in. After bowing courteously, he sat on the chair that was reserved for him and he started eating as well. Silence reigned for many long moments and, for a moment, Arwen was sure that the discussion from before wouldn't be brought up after all. That is, just when dinner reached its end, Faramir spoke.

"Well, Beregond? When did you see our elusive 'friend'?"

"At noon, on our way back to Emyn Arnen. The men and I were resting after many hours of riding, and I saw him from afar, amid some trees. I thought he was a bear or something of the like before I realised who it could be. But when I tried to take a second, better look, he was gone. I told all the men to search the area, and yet no one caught sight of him again. It was as though he had vanished."

"Please, forgive my interruption," Arwen said then, feeling more confused. "Not all of us know the tale from the beginning."

"Of course. Forgive me, my queen. In my eagerness I forgot myself," Faramir said, and he nodded in Beregond's direction. Taking that as a sign to start talking, the First Captain did just that.

"He was first seen three months ago," he said. "Nobody can say if he came to this part of the world recently or if he has been here all his life and only now have we chanced to see him for the first time. He is a Man-like creature, darkly clothed and quite shy of anyone travelling close by. Aall the people who came across him inat some point or other – myself included – were able to get but a glimpse of him before he would disappear in the shadows of the forest."

"Why was Minas Tirith not informed of this?" Arwen asked with a small frown.

"He is only one, and we know nothing about him for that matter," Faramir. "I did not wish to worry anyone else without learning something more about him first. I did not even say a word to the people of Emyn Arnen, not wishing to start any unfounded panic."

"He could still prove a danger, however," Éowyn pointed out. "To me it seems that he avoids being seen by the patrols because he knows he does not stand a chance against a large number of armed people."

"I would have agreed with you, my lady, but for one thing," Beregond said. "The first to have seen this phantom was a woman, collecting fruit in the forest. She was close enough to see a knife tied at his side with a cloth belt and realise that, had he put his mind to it, he could have easily caught her and killed her. Yet all he did when he realised he was being observed was to leave."

"Perhaps he did not know she was alone and did not wish to take any risks?" Arwen suggested.

"Or he was caught by surprise and that unnerved him?" said Éowyn.

"Both theories are quite likely and I considered them myself. But there are a few facts that contradict them," Beregond said. "I talked to the woman, and she told me that one of the two things that surprised her was that, though he had his back to her and she didn't make a sound, he seemed to know she was there; he didn't show any signs of surprise when he finally saw her."

"I see… And what was the other thing that surprised her?" Arwen asked.

"That she never felt threatened by his presence," Beregond said. "And, for that matter, neither did the woodsman who saw him last week, nor I."

"Is that enough of a proof that he is a friend, though?" Éowyn mused.

"No, but it is enough evidence that he is not a foe," Faramir said, signalling to the head servant to have the table cleared. "He merely wants to be left in peace, just like any other forest creature."

"And if he feels provoked?" Arwen asked.

The prince shook his head. "I know not, my Queen. That possibility has not become a probability for the present, that much I can say."

"What needs to happen till it becomes a probability?" Éowyn said. "People must be warned that they should be cautious when venturing out of the fortress."

"My love, though I share your fear, I have reasons to believe that, if the Creature had any intentions to kill, he would manage to do so in spite of any cautions taken. We have seen him three times, indeed. But who knows how many times he has seen us, and yet did nothing about it?" Faramir replied. "There is also the problem of what will happen if we do warn the citizens. There will be those who are foolish enough to enter the forest in order to hunt down the Creature and kill him, all for the single purpose of earning praise from everyone. And if they do kill him, nothing will come out of it, except that I will punish the miscreants for disregarding the warning. On the other hand…" the prince emphasized those words, "what will happen if they do not succeed? Then the Creature will have every right to feel provoked and woe will befall any unfortunate enough to walk through the woods."

Eowyn sighed softly. "I understand now what your worry is."

"As do I," Arwen said, and then faced Beregond. "Captain, will you keep an eye on the Creature on your patrols?"

"I will, my Queen. In fact, all my men will keep track of him the best we can," Beregond said. "I cannot make any promises though; he knows how to slip our vigilance."

"As long as you try, it will be enough," Arwen assured him.

Beregond bowed his head, and then turned to Faramir. "May I be excused?"

The prince smiled in understanding. "You can go. I am sure you have a lot to catch up with your brother." For indeed, Iorlas was one of the soldier who had escorted Arwen to Emyn Arnen. It was only natural that the brothers wanted to have a few moments together, sharing their news.

"Thank you," said the other man with a small smile of his own and, after bidding both women goodnight, he walked out.

"I believe we should retire as well. You have an early start tomorrow after all, my queen," Faramir said, standing up too. "Éowyn, will you walk with me to our chambers?"

"If it is all right with you, my love, I will see Lady Arwen to the guest rooms."

"It is no trouble," Faramir said and he kissed his wife lightly on the cheek. "I will see you later on."

"Till then, my love." And with that, Éowyn picked up a lantern and beckoned Arwen to follow her.

"A most strange tale," Arwen commented as the two women still walked. "I do not know what to make of it."

"Indeed," Éowyn said. "And I cannot help but feel curious about the Creature. Where did he come from? For how long has he been living in the forests of Ithilien? More importantly, what might be his intentions?"

"I am afraid I am not able to answer any of your questions," the Elven lady said with a soft sigh. "Yet I have lived long enough to tell you this: There are many creatures in this world and there are many more destined to enrich it when the time is ripe; and all of them, good or evil, have their purpose in this world and add to the glory of the Valar and Eru, the One."

"I see the wisdom in your words and your advice is fair," Éowyn admitted and she finally stopped in his tracks. "We have arrived to your room. I bid you goodnight, Arwen, till our next meeting."

"Goodnight, Éowyn. I truly enjoyed your company today."

"So have I," the other woman said, smiling back, and then she walked away, around the corner and out of sight.

Arwen entered the room and changed into her night garments before laying down. As she pulled the sheets over her with a soft sigh, she turned and looked out the window, gazing at the stars shining on the dark sky. Although she had appeased Éowyn, she couldn't help but feel rather troubled at this turn of events and she intended to speak of this to Aragorn upon her return. With any luck, he would be able to shed some light into the matter.

With that last thought in her mind, the Elven-lady drifted to the land of dreams, the starlight bathing her and covering her slender form like a second, lighter blanket.

TBC…

Footnotes:

*Suilad, rhín nín. Hodannech mae?"*: Greetings, my lady. Did you rest well? (Sindarin)