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Elves, Orcs and the Road to Recovery Print

Written by KC

06 November 2004 | 58662 words

Part 22

Laughing merrily, Elrohir put a hand on the Lieutenant's shoulder and guided him towards the other soldiers standing in the distance.

"It all started…" the elf began, stealing a glance at Faramir who returned a look that promised retribution. Elrohir's smile brightened even more as he turned his attention back to guiding the soldiers towards their camp, resuming the tale.

Legolas walked back to where Faramir sat and assumed his supine position again, resting his head on his brother's lap. The young Steward smiled at Legolas' unspoken request for him to continue the comfort that had been interrupted by the arrival of Finrod, amazed at how similar Legolas was to Boromir at times as he resumed gently massaging the elven ear. Legolas sighed and snuggled further into Faramir's thigh, eliciting a broader smile from the Steward.

Aragorn signalled for Thranduil and Gandalf to join him, leading them away from the sons of the elven King before sitting on the ground and inviting the old wizard to sit on the root of a tree in the shape of a natural seat. Maglor continued to tend the pot of stew cooking over the fire and foil the attempts of Elladan and Finrod to sample the tempting repast before it was ready to be served.

"Saruman is hiding in the mountains near Emyn Muil. It would take more soldiers than are available currently to flush him out. I would have us all return to Minas Tirith. What think you?" asked Aragorn as he looked from Gandalf to Thranduil.

"First and foremost we need to protect my stubborn and oft times thick-headed wizardling," replied the wizard, looking down upon the human and elven kings. "Faramir is the first truly human wizard of any age and is displaying abilities far stronger and well in advance of what he should be capable. But he is vulnerable and also unstable…of which we have had recent and somewhat spectacular proof," Gandalf added, bringing forth chuckles from both kings. "It is a measure of the strength of his character that he has been able to so far weather the harrowing and unnerving changes in his life over the past year, with but a few tantrums."

"Tell that to the rocks, Gandalf!" Aragorn exclaimed, eyebrows raised and shaking his head. The wizard and elven King chuckled.

"My son is strong, Mithrandir," Thranduil said turning serious suddenly as he looked over to where Faramir sat with Legolas' head still resting on his thigh, "but he is on the edge of the abyss and but one more revelation, the likes of which he has suffered recently, I fear could find him fallen into that chasm."

"All the more reason to get him back to the White City where he can be protected and more importantly trained," Gandalf reasoned. "The sooner the better in my opinion," he huffed remembering his pupil's temper tantrum.

"He cannot stand unaided still," the elven King mused as he looked at his human son. "I find myself torn between wanting him to rest here a few days more to regain his strength and getting him back to Minas Tirith as quickly as possible. A darkness threatening my son draws near. I can feel it."

"It is agreed then. We make for the White City on the morrow," said Aragorn decidedly. "I will let the others know," he added as he stood and walked towards where the others were gathered.

Faramir found the next morning that he was still very weak but could stand, albeit barely and on mutinously shaking legs. Much to the young Steward's embarrassment his father insisted that he not attempt to ride alone. An argument would have ensued had Maglor not produced 'Faramir's Bane' from the Steward knew not where but wished the Seneschal would not. Smiling at his son's thunderous expression, Thranduil assisted the young human onto his horse and jumped lightly onto the animal behind Faramir.

The journey back to Minas Tirith took four days. The end of each day's ride found Faramir's energy depleted to the point where Maglor had to all but spoon feed his young charge, who invariably fell asleep before finishing the repast. Thranduil worried for his son, lessened only slightly by Gandalf's assurances that his wizardling would regain his strength after a few days of uninterrupted sleep in a comfortable bed away from the cold hard ground.

In the afternoon of the fourth day the company reached the White City. The sounding of silver trumpets and bells heralded the return of King and the Steward of Gondor, although the Steward was not in a condition to hear them as he was fast asleep, swaddled in a cloak, cradled side saddle in the arms of his father. The soldiers left the travellers in the first level of the city moving in the direction of the garrison. The remainder of the company made their way to the top level. People came from everywhere to greet the King and Steward. Joyous expressions turned to concern as they saw the Steward of Gondor, unconscious in the arms of an elf, looking pale and wan. Aragorn found himself having to reassure people that the Steward was indeed alive - just exhausted, as the company made their way up to the palace.

The travellers finally rode into the courtyard located in front of the palace where they were met by a radiant Arwen, Lord Elrond, Gimli and Prince Imrahil. Their expressions of joy also turned to alarm as they saw the unconscious Steward.

"What has happened? Is he all right? What ails... " Prince Imrahil asked as he strode to where the elven King's horse had halted.

"Be assured, he is alive and simply exhausted," Aragorn arrested the barrage of questions from the panicked Imrahil. "Although there is much of which you will need to be apprised, my friend."

Legolas, who had already dismounted, smiled reassuringly at the prince as he relieved his father of Faramir, thus allowing the elven King to dismount.

Concern evident still, Imrahil placed a hand on Faramir's brow to assure himself that his sister's son could indeed be counted as amongst those still living.

"My son is in need of his bed, mellon-nin," said Thranduil quietly, comforted by the genuine concern shown by the human.

Startled by the elf's reference to Faramir as 'his son', Imrahil looked intently at him.

"You are King Thranduil?" the prince surmised, then saw the nod of confirmation from the King of Mirkwood. "Arwen has spoken of you and the position you now hold in my sister son's life," Imrahil said as he continued his scrutiny of the elf. "I thank you. It is a role I would have liked to have assumed in his life but alas I was too far away and it was not meant to be," the Prince of Dol Amroth added, regret and sadness evident in his voice.

"I think we should get the laddie to his bed," Gimli interceded in an effort to get them moving and the young Steward out of the weather.

Legolas carried Faramir to the young Steward's apartments accompanied by Thranduil, Elrond, Gandalf, Gimli and Aragorn. Kissing her husband thoroughly before he followed Legolas, Arwen directed her brothers, Maglor and Finrod to her favourite family room so that she could find out all that had happened since they had been gone.

The Mirkwood prince laid Faramir down gently upon the young man's bed, left his brother to the care of his father and Imrahil and sat cross-legged at the end of the large four poster bed. Lord Elrond leaned against the windowsill and Gandalf sat down on a chair located against the wall near the Rivendell elf. Aragorn and Gimli chose to hover. Thranduil and Imrahil divested the sleeping Steward of his travelling clothes and dressed him in a nightshirt found by Gimli. Not once did Faramir stir, renewing his uncle's concern and agitation.

Lord Elrond approached the Steward and examined the young man to assure himself that it was just exhaustion and that Faramir would be all right.

"Tell me please. What has happened?" Imrahil asked in a choked voice as he sat on the bed beside Faramir when Elrond finished his examination and laid a hand on the young man's brow.

Thranduil sat down on the other side of Faramir and with gentleness and compassion explained what had transpired from the moment Faramir had entered Mirkwood with Legolas. The Prince of Dol Amroth's eyes expressed alarm and concern when told of the trouble Legolas and Faramir had faced when confronted by orcs on their way to the Halls of Mirkwood. He laughed at the elven King's retelling of Faramir's altercation with the bitter elf Amras and of the consequences to the young human of losing his temper.

"I am afraid that Faramir inherited that particular trait from my sister, Findulas," Imrahil admitted sheepishly. "I myself have a permanent reminder of that temper, from when we were young," he added as he pulled up the sleeve of his tunic revealing a small scar in the shape of a bite mark on the inside of his forearm.

"She bit you?!" Aragorn exclaimed with an expression somewhere between astonishment and amusement.

"That she most certainly did," Imrahil replied with a smile of remembrance, "and I might add that, in hindsight, I probably thoroughly deserved it at the time," he added eliciting chuckles from all present with the exception of the sleeping Steward.

Thranduil continued recounting all that had happened to Faramir. He told Imrahil of the incident at Dol Guldur involving his human son, orcs and wine eliciting a thunderous look from the Prince of Dol Amroth - a look that highlighted the resemblance between him and Faramir. Imrahil laughed again when told of the incident involving the King, honey and exuberant sweet-toothed hunting dogs.

Aragorn then took up the story, telling the prince of Faramir's lapse back into old habits of working excessive hours, withdrawing from those around him and losing weight when left behind in the White City whilst he and the elves took care of orcs causing problems.

Imrahil sighed, whilst understanding the reason's behind his sister son's behaviour agreed with the disciplinary measures taken by Thranduil, Maglor and Aragorn.

"It is no less than what I have done when the occasion warranted and Boromir had, times beyond counting," Imrahil confirmed with a wistful smile.

Thranduil took up the story once again as he recounted the incidents at the elven haven where Faramir received a poisoned wound, Minas Morgul where he found the ring of power and later when Faramir saved the twins using the ring and his wizarding powers.

"A wizard you say! And a ring bearer!" exclaimed Imrahil, his eyes as wide a saucers. "Oh, my," the prince said in a tone that indicated that he could already see the ramifications for Faramir.

"Oh my, is right, my friend," Gandalf confirmed. "His current depleted state is due to a temper tantrum following his discovery that he will live for millennia. What we have managed to keep from him is that he will, in all likelihood, live as long as any elf."

"Oh, my!!" Imrahil reiterated, his eyes ever widening in increasing alarm.

"Oh yes, my friend. Thus our haste to get him back to Minas Tirith where I can begin my wizardling's training and we can work on the temper of which I had been hitherto unawares. How he managed to keep that from me… " Gandalf said shaking his head in bemusement and glaring at his oblivious wizardling.

Aragorn related the debacle of Faramir's last chastisement and his young Steward's retreat into himself. Legolas lowered his head in distress and shame.

"It was my fault," Legolas said in quiet anguish.

"Nay young one. T'was Denethor's legacy," Imrahil replied, bitterness in his tone as Gimli moved over to Legolas and put a hand to the elf's shoulder and squeezing it in support. "Do not mistake me. Denethor was once a good man. He loved my sister dearly. When Boromir was born, the Steward thought his life complete. Five years later Faramir was born. The birth had not gone well for my sister and she never recovered. With ill health came a longing for home, for the sounds of the ocean and the cries of the gulls. In ill health and in this city of stone she withered away and died, shattering her husband's heart. Unjustly he blamed Faramir for his mother's untimely death. To make matters worse, Faramir is the image of his mother. Instead of thanking the Valar for their mercy in keeping Findulas alive in her son, Denethor found that he could not look upon his youngest and closed his heart to him. In Denethor's mind, he had but one son - Boromir. But Boromir loved and championed Faramir, further estranging their father from his second born. I argued at length with Denethor to allow me to foster Faramir but he would not agree. And so Faramir suffered throughout the years from the Steward's distance, disdain and his heavy hand. And I could do naught but correspond when ere I could, visit when ere I could and from a distance, watch my sister's son die inside little by little," Imrahil concluded, his voice thick with emotion and eyes filled with tears.

"I assure you, mellon-nin," Thranduil said quietly as he caught and held Imrahil's gaze from the where he sat on the other side of his sleeping son, "he has and will always have this father's love."

"And this brother's love," Legolas added.

"I thank you both, sincerely. For myself, Findulas and my sister's foxling," Imrahil said as he stroked Faramir's red gold locks, eliciting smiles from all gathered around the young Steward.

NB: Please do not distribute (by any means, including email) or repost this story (including translations) without the author's prior permission. [ more ]

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8 Comment(s)

I love your stories! They a amazing!

— Ria    Thursday 28 February 2008, 4:31    #

Hi Ria,
Thank you for letting me know you enjoy my stories! Always nice to get feedback :)

KC    Friday 29 February 2008, 8:23    #

I just want to say THANK YOU!!!! Not only for writting a beautful story…but for not turning Thranduil into some heartless a—hole. I don’t know where people get thinking that the woodland king hats and wants all men to die, after all in The Hobbit, Thanduil helps the people of Laketown after it was attacked by Smuge and they said if it hadn’t had been for that them none of them would have survired the winter. But again thank you very much, Faramir needed someone to look after him and you gave him the perfect Daddy.

— Leigh Ann    Saturday 17 October 2009, 21:11    #

This has solidified Faramir’s standing as the greatest character of The Lord of the Rings, because, though he never had been and never would have been seen like this in book or movie, I can see how the man Tolkein wrote would be very capable of these things.
So congratulations, you’ve written him perfectly.
Best story ever!

— Anna    Friday 26 February 2010, 1:43    #

I have enjoyed reading all your stories so much, they have made me laugh and cry at the antics of faramir, and I love the relationship between faramir, his elvan family and the love for each other they share :)

— key    Monday 28 February 2011, 17:21    #

What a wonderful series! I’ve read to the end at least twice now, this is my third time through. Your characters are compelling and quite enchanting. Dear old Fara is wonderfully portrayed throughout, equal parts haunted and humorous with his and the elves antics! Great stuff!

— KateF    Tuesday 30 July 2013, 20:52    #

Thank you for writing such an enjoyable story, including family-like relationships between male characters. It was good, and very needed!

— Treedweller    Wednesday 16 January 2019, 8:38    #

It’s really great and I love it apart from the spanking bits but I’ll just grin and bare it. the idea of Faramir being adopted by thranny d is so cute and I love it.

— comrade hannah    Saturday 20 July 2019, 22:16    #

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