I.

[In Minas Tirith. After the battle of the Pelennor Fields, in which King Theoden gloriously died and his niece Éowyn was badly wounded by the Witch King while trying to save him. ]


And when Aragorn and Prince Imrahil rode victoriously and wearily into the city with their knights that evening, Pippin was waiting for them at the gate.
"Aragorn," he exclaimed excitedly, "what luck that you are coming. Gandalf has sent me. Merry is badly wounded and Mr. Faramir and ...".
Without a word, Aragorn pulled him onto his horse and rode him in a hurry up to the Houses of Healing. Gandalf was waiting for him there. For a moment he hugged his friend tightly. "My friend, that you are alive! But come on. The greatest hurry is needed. Many are wounded to death and urgently need your healing skills. A fever rages in Faramir, to which he will soon succumb and .."
"And Meriadoc is said to be badly wounded. Quickly, lead me to them, Gandalf!"
And with a hasty step he wanted to go on when Gandalf held him back by the arm."No, follow me to Mrs. Éowyn first. I'm afraid she is the worst."
"Éowyn!" Exclaimed Aragorn, terrified. "But how can she be here? And wounded ?!"
Gandalf replied: "Oh, my friend, disguised as a warrior she must have ridden into battle with the Rohirrim. And she must have defeated the Lord of the Nazgul, I could understand that much from Merry's confused report. But he wounded her to the death . "
"Defeated the lord of the Nazgul? Come, bring me to her! Oh, what horror!" He exclaimed in great horror and amazement.
Eowyn had been put to bed in a chamber in the Houses of Healing. A cruel fever raged inside her. Cold sweat covered her beautiful face, and all the color had drained from it. And when Aragorn leaned closer to her, he found that she was barely breathing and life only pulsed weakly in her veins. For a moment a terrible fear for her clasped his heart like a cold hand.But then he called resolutely to the women who were worried about her: "Bring me Athelas, royal herb, as quickly and as much as you can. And in the meantime prepare a kettle with hot water! Quick! Not a minute is to be lost here! "
And turning to Gandalf he continued: "She must have come under the black breath, because otherwise I see no injury on her except for the sword arm, which seems paralyzed, and large, deep abrasions on the neck and shoulder, but these injuries are not fatal. "He looked at her for a moment in silence, then he exclaimed:" To face the Lord of the Nazgul, what a brave, daring act of madness! "
And when they brought the royal herb to Aragorn, he took the kettle full of steaming water from the fire and put it in it. Immediately a delicious freshness spread throughout the room. A breeze seemed to go through the room like a breath of wind from the highest peaks of the snow mountains, completely pure and unspent, as if no living being had ever breathed it before.The air itself seemed to prickle, and all who breathed it instantly felt their tiredness pass and their hearts become free and light. But there was no emotion or change in Mrs. Éowyn.
Then Aragorn gently rubbed the broth of the royal herb on her forehead and called her in a whisper: "Eowyn, awake! The shadow has passed from you, which you have defeated." And since she still did not move, he called her again softly and kissed her forehead. And so she began to breathe deeply again, but still she seemed lost in a black dream and did not seem to be able to wake up from it. And when Aragorn saw how things were going, the serious and most brave man's eyes, without noticing it, filled silently with tears. He exclaimed softly: "Woe to the cruel fate that lets this brave, noble woman die in my hands, wounded in a battle that should not have been hers!"
"Is there nothing more that can be done?", he heard Gandalf's compassionate voice ask behind him. And Aragorn also saw in his eyes that it took him deeply for the brave, beautiful mistress of Rohan. Aragorn shook his head tiredly and said:" I don't know what to do. I feel that something in her is resisting waking up. It seems to surrender to the end and there is no will to live in it any more. I'm afraid even Elrond couldn't wake her if he were here. In any case, all my healing arts are in vain if they don't want to live. "
Then the head of the Houses of Healing appeared and urged him to take care of Faramir, who seemed dangerously close to death. And with a heavy heart he left Éowyn, not without urging Gandalf to watch over her until he returned. And since apart from Faramir there were still many wounded urgently to be cared for, Aragorn was only able to return after two hours and went to her bed in great concern. Gandalf shook his head regretfully and said: "I'm afraid things are worse for you again, my friend.I called her again and again, but she didn't move. "And Aragorn saw that her breathing was again as shallow as before and that she seemed even deeper into her dark dreams. The terrible fever seemed to consume her inexorably.
“Gandalf,” he pleaded resolutely, after looking at her quiet face for a moment in silence, “leave me alone with her, my friend. Everyone should go out.” And since he was alone with her, he rose next to her bed the knees. And he took her feverish hand tightly between his two hands, and while he bent his face very close to hers, he spoke softly, but insistently to her: "Eowyn, hear me! It is Aragorn who calls you. Do not leave Sauron victory over you, mistress! Do you want to surrender to him in the end? I know that you still have strength within you to resist him. Awake, Éowyn, you can! "And since she still did not move, he kissed her forehead again, but this time he let his mouth linger there for a moment and the kiss warmed her forehead.And tears wet her face, silently falling down on her from his cheeks. And in growing fear and despair he whispered: "Do not leave me, beautiful Éowyn, who are braver and lovelier than words can express!"
Because her brave deed had touched his heart deeply, and in those hours when he had to fear for her life, he had realized that he loved her with all his soul.
Then she stirred restlessly and breathed deeply, and when he called her softly by her name again, she opened her eyes with difficulty, to his great joy. In a barely audible, weak voice she called for Theoden and her brother, and in her eyes he saw the great pain and horror that caused her to suffer.
He pressed her hand more firmly and said gently to her: "Be very calm, mistress. Your brother is doing well. And you too are saved and will soon be healthy again and will see happy days again!"
Then she looked at him, and never before had he seen such sadness and pain and hopelessness in anyone's eyes.And she shook her head with difficulty and whispered weakly: "No, Mr. Aragorn. I feel that my time has come. And I no longer desire anything from life, because this world will soon completely sink into shadow. I have my king before me saved the clutches of this hideous beast and faced the enemy in battle, as I wished, and with that I will be satisfied. Just leave me, sir. It is a good thing. "And when she spoke like this, her eye was dry, and she was composed and seemed to have made her peace with her end.
But her words hit Aragorn painfully like nothing before in his life. And he took her tender, pale face between his two hands and so he gently forced her to look into his eyes and whispered desperately: "Éowyn, most brave and beautiful Éowyn! Through your glorious deed you have contributed to us hope again for a victory against Sauron, for you have defeated one of his most powerful captains.There is also still hope through the ring bearer! Do you want to let him win over you now and not experience how Middle-earth is freed from his yoke? "But he saw in her eyes that what he was saying no longer touched her, and she replied with great effort:" No, Aragorn, I saw the evil end. And even if everything turned out well, for my part I have already lost too much that was dear to me to long for life. All around me is death and loss and lost hope. "Then he exclaimed:" You were deceived by the evil illusions in your dark dreams! And these come from the one, because you got under the black breath of his ringwraiths. "He was silent for a moment, then he continued in a whisper:" And if you no longer care, dear lady of Rohan, know that I could not bear to lose what I have just found so wonderful.Do not leave me, Éowyn, for it breaks my heart! "Then his voice failed him with grief and he said nothing more.
And although Éowyn was at the end of her tether, at his last words she looked into his eyes with the greatest astonishment and saw in them the truth of what he so passionately and desperately confessed to her. And suddenly her heart changed, and the shadow passed, and she felt a hope arise within herself that no mind could explain. And when he kissed her hand deeply and asked in a whisper: "Do you promise me, mistress, that you will live?", She nodded wordlessly and pressed his hand weakly as a sign of your promise. Then her eyes closed with exhaustion, but Aragorn now felt that she would live. And when Éowyn woke up again after hours, she no longer remembered his words, and so she felt with astonishment that her black despair had passed and that new life was stirring in her and a new hope and joy in spite of all the bitter pain and grief around her the death of the king, which she could not explain.When Aragorn came back the next evening to check on her wounds, he found Eowyn asleep. Very carefully he spread balm on the ugly deep abrasion on her white throat so as not to add further pain to her pain, and then, charmed, he let his hand rest for a moment on the beautiful, delicate throat of the sleeper.
"Your hand lingers on this neck for a long time, my friend.", He heard the calm, smiling voice of Gandalf behind him, who had entered unnoticed, "Well, it's a