Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

XXXVII

Eomer looked desperately through the battlefield for hours before he caught a glimpse of something.

He ran forward and saw what would break him.

Theoden lay, fallen underneath his own horse, and Eadrid lay next to him, holding her father's hand.

Eomer fell to his knees, weeping, and picked his cousin up, cradling her in his arms. He cried loudly as every ounce of hope and victory fled him.

Aragorn had been looking all the same, searching every part of the battle for any sign of Eadrid. His head whipped to Eomer when he heard his sobs echoing around them.

"No..." Aragorn ran to him, and stopped abruptly before them, unable to move. Eadrid lay, dead in his arms. "No, no, no..." Aragorn got a surge of anger and pushed Eomer away, and held Eadrid in his own arms.

Tears fell down his face as he rocked back and forth to keep him from losing everything in him. He looked down at her, her eyes closed and her lips barely parted. Blood fell from the sides of her face, and her right hand had streaks of black running along it, as though black ink filled her veins.

Aragorn pressed his forehead to hers, his tears falling onto her. "Eadrid..." He choked on his words, unable to form anything.

"E-Eadrid?" Aragorn looked up to see Merry reaching for her hand.

Merry fell to the ground before her, tears in his eyes.

Aragorn pushed the hair out of her face, shaking his head. "I wasn't here." He whispered. "I wasn't here. I should never have left you. I swore I would never leave you-" Aragorn's voice caught. "I left you. I left you. I left you." He held her to his chest, muttering to himself, as he wished that he could join her in her death rather than live the rest of his days without her.