An open letter to the reader:

First of all, thank you for considering reading this story.  There's a lot of things out there to read and I'm honored and pleased you're taking the time to read this.  Thanks.

Second, it's been a while since I've updated.  I had to take a break.  I somehow got lost in this story and couldn't find my forest for all those trees around me.  But now, I'm back, and this is happening again. 

Now, for a little backstory, because I want you to have it.  It won't take long.

The story takes place in an Alternate Reality, based on ideas generated from in "The History of Middle Earth" by Christopher Tolkien. In this work, we learn that Tolkien's original plan was to have Aragorn marry Eowyn, and that Arwen wasn't introduced until the final chapters of RotK.

Snippets from J.R.R.'s original notes:

From the first draft of "The King of the Golden Hall"

Eowyn Elfsheen daughter of Eomund?

Very fair and slender she seemed. Her face was filled with gentle pity, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. So Aragorn saw her for the first time in the light of day, and after she was gone he stood still, looking at the dark doors and taking little heed of other things.

Aragorn was silent, but his eyes followed Eowyn

Long she looked upon Aragorn, and long he looked upon her

And after Theoden’s words, Aragorn says: 'If I live, I will come, Lady Eowyn, and then maybe we will ride together.' Then Eowyn 'smiled and bent her head gravely.'

Aragorn weds Eowyn sister of Eomer (who becomes Lord of Rohan) and becomes King of Gondor.

Throughout HoME, there is mention that Arwen came in at the last minute and text plots illustrated that support this.  Eowyn was to be Aragorn's original intended.  In one version, Tolkien had Eowyn dying at Pelannor Fields and Aragorn mourning her all his life. In another as the notes above show, they did marry.  However, as the final drafts shaped up, Tolkien was bothered by the union because he saw Aragorn as too grave for one such as Eowyn.   And thus, Arwen came about, very much at the eleventh hour and there one of the great fictional love stories came into being.  Which also, rather explains why it's in the appendices, doesn't it?  

With that in mind, EreWyn asked me to write some Eowyn/Aragorn for her.  I was pleased she wanted me to do such a thing and readily agreed.  Taking the above notes into mind, I put on my mining helmet and got exploring.  A year later and after too many revisions to count, Chapters 1 through 5 are here in final beta. 

I guess the point is, don't look for Arwen in this.  She's off on another path, having a great life.  Seriously, I think Arwen is great; she's just not around in this story.  Aragorn, Eowyn and Faramir are, though.  Have fun with them.

As for the Rohan mythology, I went back to the Norse myths and went and consulted my "Hero with a Thousand Faces" because Joseph Campbell ROCKS and found a few ideas from both that translated well.  There's not much definitive about Rohan burial mythology, so you know what?  I leveraged some things from the Norse and made the rest up. 

I think that's enough for now.  Oh, one last thing:  this ain't no open-ended WIP.  There will be final revisions; I won't lie about that.  I'm that way when I write.   Still, this is close to the product as we're going to get.  The final chapters are on the way.  Then, the path, as all things must, comes to an end.

I do thank you for reading. 

peace.

M. Sebasky

_{Wake up and smell the Fanfic.}

_{Stories, goates and the Jebuslug live at: http://geocities.com/msebasky}