Chapter One: The White Lady Awakens

A ray of sunlight slanted across the windowsill and fell on the face on the bed’s sleeping occupant. The glowing beam brought out the golden tint in the hair spread across the pillow. Slowly, pale blue eyes opened and blinked in surprise and confusion. Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, sat up and looked around the room.

Memories came creeping back. The battle on Pelennor Fields… Fighting and slaying the Witch King of Angmar, the one who no man can kill… Her uncle, King Théoden’s death… Merry… But there were also memories from after the battle. Vague shapes in her mind. She remembered killing the Witch King, but then all was darkness for some time. Voices, faces fading in and out. Éomer her brother, Gandalf, others she did not know, healers, serving-women. Him. He was alive. And he had called her back from the shadow-world where she had been lost.

Aragorn, son of Arathorn. The man she loved, and whom she had once thought felt the same. But no more. And he was king now. King of Gondor. But that glory would not be hers to share. She had sought death in battle, relief from the pain that was too much to bear. But even that had been denied her. There was no hope left for her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She could not stop her weeping. After, she slept again.

***

She awoke again when a serving-woman entered the room with a tray.

“My Lady, you are awake again!” said the woman happily.

“Yes. Where is Éomer, my brother? I wish to speak with him.”

“Do you not know, my Lady? He has left, along with Mithrandir, and the Ranger, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the one who healed so many here, and the other Captains. They have gone to…” She let out a little squeak of fear, “They have gone to Mordor.” She said this last in a loud whisper, as if afraid the Dark Lord himself was listening.

“Oh, I see. May I be permitted to leave now? There are matters I should attend to. My uncle, the king…”

“Oh, no, my Lady, the Warden says you are to eat all you can from this tray, and then you must rest. You are still ill, my Lady.”

She set the tray down on a little table beside the bed, and left. Éowyn tried to eat, but the food seemed tasteless and dry. Abandoning the meal altogether, Éowyn eased her stiff limbs out of the bed and made her way to the window. But, to her disappointment, all she could see was a green field stretching out to the sky, and some mountains. Her window did not face East. With a sigh, she returned to the bed and lay down again upon it. She closed her eyes, and once more fell into a troubled sleep.

But Éowyn could not bear to be idle. After two days of rest she felt lazy and listless. She cast aside her clothes she had worn in her sickness, and bound her arm in a sling. Then she went to see the Warden of the Houses of Healing.