The image of Eowyn appears so strongly in Faramir's mind that he could almost swear she stands before him, beautiful enough to steal his breath and so sorrowful Nienna would weep for her. Something tightens in his chest at the thought of her standing alone on the wall, her hair blowing gently in the wind as she looks to the East.

But he shakes his head, trying to dismiss the picture. "Concern for those left behind and for my duties left undone. But there is nothing to be done about either, trapped here as we are."

He looks around with a mixture of fondness and frustration. "It is an irony. If I had heard of this place in my younger days I might have thought it my heart's desire, for I never dreamed so many books could exist, much less be accessable to me. To have endless time and freedom to read them would seem a blessing. And yet it is a cage, and one I would be free of if I could."