Faramir Fiction Archive

Elves, Orcs and the Road to Recovery

Written by KC

06 November 2004 | 58662 words

Part 7

Faramir finished enough of the light broth and bread brought to him by Maglor to satisfy both Thranduil and the Seneschal but not risk the food reappearing unexpectedly. The young Steward, at the insistence of Maglor, laid back down and rested; closing his eyes and falling quickly into a light doze. Thranduil stood and looked down upon his human son; concern etched clearly in the flawless elven features. Faramir was still deathly pale, clearly struggling with the memories of the days prior to falling to a Southron dart. The elven King was torn between insisting his son rest and wanting to get him as far away as possible from Osgiliath and all the horror and distress it engendered.

"I wish to get him away from this place," Thranduil whispered.

"I also, Sire," Maglor, agreed quietly. "But he will need to rest here awhile. We should be able to travel on the morrow."

"I will need you, mellon-nin. He will need you," the elven King added as he looked from Maglor back to Faramir.

"I know. You and I have seen this before in both humans and elvenkind," the Seneschal said meaningfully, as he looked at the elven King gravely.

"Aye, and you helped me through, mellon-nin," Thranduil replied wanly.

"I need to check on our supplies," Maglor said as he looked once more at the sleeping human and taking his leave walked out, passing Legolas who was entering. Maglor smiled as the elven Prince made straight for his human brother.

"How fares he?" Legolas asked in a whisper almost immediately upon entering as he stopped beside his father.

"He fares fine," came the soft, groggy response from Faramir as he raised his arms above his head and stretched. The young Steward brought his bandaged hands to his face and rubbed his eyes in a way that seemed… childlike. Legolas chuckled at the thought, garnering a questioning look from Faramir.

"There are things to which I must attend," Thranduil said as he looked at Faramir.

"Changing of the guard more like," Faramir muttered in annoyance, stemming more from his own recent behaviour than that of his family.

"What was that ion-nin?" Thranduil asked with a stern look that was tempered by the glint of humour in the elven King's eyes.

"Nothing, ada," Faramir replied with a look of such innocence that Legolas had the sudden irrational urge to cause his brother physical bodily harm.

Shaking his head and chuckling at the astonishing resilience of humans in general and his son in particular, the elven King left.

"Guess who I spied in the city?" Legolas asked in a quiet voice as he perched on the end of Faramir's camp bed with a grace only an elf could manage, as soon as their father had left. "Lord Atiel," Legolas added as he saw his young brother was attempting to gather sleep-fogged thoughts.

Faramir's eyebrow rose skyward in surprise.

"Well… his conscription must be concluding soon," Faramir mused, trying to remember how long he had sentenced the idiot to the rank of a private in the Gondorian Army for his impolitic comments about the elves, dwarves, halflings, and especially the Queen. Faramir smiled at the image that sprang to mind at the mention of Atiel, of Legolas causing havoc with an arrow and a wasp's nest. "What was he doing?"

"I think he was headed for a tavern just inside the city gates," Legolas answered. "The twins decided to go to the tavern as well," the elven Prince added in passing.

The hairs on the back of the ranger's neck stood up at the mention of the Elrondion twins.

"Do the twins know of your altercation with Atiel?" Faramir asked in what he hoped was a calm voice, sending up a silent prayer that his brother answered in the negative.

"No," Legolas answered confidently but then all colour drained from his face. "Yes," the elf corrected on a rising, panic-filled inflection. "They somehow sensed a story after I told you and Aragorn. They would not leave it be. I knew Atiel had already been sent away so I told them thinking there would be no harm. And just now I mentioned his name!" the elf said berating himself silently for his stupidity.

Faramir let forth a number of very elaborate curses in a variety of languages in quiet bursts, as he scrambled to get out of the camp bed and dress as quickly as he could. With his outer tunic slung over his right shoulder the young ranger moved to the back of the tent, lifted up a section from the bottom, crawled under and out, followed by Legolas and then ran with the elf stealthily, towards the city gate and tavern whilst putting on his over tunic.

---

Neither Atiel nor the twins were at the tavern. The tavern owner advised them that Lord Atiel had departed about an hour before and the twin elves soon after. Faramir tracked the elves by asking people in the street if they had set eyes upon the twins. The Steward's heartbeat increased significantly upon hearing from one soldier that the elves were carrying a rather large sack. The trail ended in a deserted section of the town. Legolas' keen elven eyes saw movement in a dilapidated warehouse.

The scene that met the ranger and elf upon entry into the warehouse made both gasp. A white-faced, panic-stricken, Lord Atiel was pinned - spreadeagle - to the remnants of a wooden wall by several elven knives piercing his clothing. The Elrondion twins had been using the man for target practice. Elven arrows outlined the human's form, all within a finger-span of the terrified man.

---

"Oh Faramir, am… I… glad… to… see… you," Atiel blubbered in relief at seeing the Steward. "These two… have been… threatening… me… for no…. reason… and…" the man continued to stammer but then his eyes widened in fright and he fell silent as arrows were pointed straight at him. One aimed at his head and the other at his family jewels.

"That is Lord Steward to you Atiel and you are lying through those rotting teeth of yours," Faramir growled dangerously. "What did you say? Did you perchance say something against the Queen?" Faramir asked eyes boring into the human.

"It was only in… jest and I…I…did not know these elves could hear," the man mumbled, shifting uncomfortably, knowing that the Steward would find out the truth anyway and that he was in deep, deep trouble.

Faramir shook his head at the man's congenital stupidity.

"I would have thought you would have learned the lesson by now but I was expecting too much from you it seems. May I introduce you to Lords Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Lord Elrond and brothers of Arwen, Queen of Gondor," Faramir introduced the twins, exasperated by the entire situation.

The pinned man turned an interesting shade of green as he finally realised the extent of the trouble that he was in.

"I hope you like Osgiliath Atiel, for you will be spending a long, long time here. And if I ever get a whiff of you having said anything derogatory about the Queen of Gondor again, you will be banished!" Faramir said in his most quiet and dangerous tone. "Now release him!" the Steward barked.

To Legolas' surprise the Elrondion twins both started in astonishment and then released the human as ordered with alacrity. As soon as he was freed the terrified man ran away as quickly as he could manage. Faramir turned on the Elrondion twins, his face flushed and eyes blazing fire.

"You will not use citizens of Gondor for target practice, regardless of the provocation! Lord Atiel is an idiot. The whole of Gondor knows that Lord Atiel is an idiot. Your sister is Queen of this human realm and does not need you two to metre out elven justice on her behalf - mayhap causing her grief. Do. You. Both. Hear. Me?" Faramir growled as he glared at each twin in turn. Legolas smirked at the twin looks of chagrin from the sons of Elrond. "And you had better pray that ada does not find out about this!" the Steward exclaimed quietly in exasperation.

---

"Your ada knows already," Maglor said in a calm and dangerous voice as he walked out of the shadows followed by King Thranduil.

Faramir groaned, bowing his head in defeat. Legolas cringed at the look of anger in his father's face and the sons of Elrond resembled twin rabbits caught in a very bright light. Colour drained from the Steward's face and a small whimper escaped when he saw that Maglor was holding 'Faramir's Bane'.

"You and you!" Thranduil instructed indicating Faramir and Legolas. "Back to the camp." Both sons nodded and turned to leave for the tent. "Faramir," Thranduil said, his expression softening, stopping his human son who turned around. The elven King slowly and gently embraced his son. "A hand spanking only, ion-nin," the King whispered into Faramir's ear. The young Steward mumbled something into his father's tunic. "What was that, ion-nin?" Thranduil asked as he pushed Faramir to arms length so that he could hear him better.

Faramir was just about to repeat the comment when Legolas clamped a hand over his brother's mouth and dragged him by the arm from the warehouse.

Biting the inside of his cheek to stop a grin that wanted to break out at his human son's temper, Thranduil and Maglor turned on the Elrondion twins.

"You two are about to find out why the implement that Maglor is holding, engenders such a fear-filled reaction in Faramir. I assume we do not need to discuss why you deserve this punishment?" the Elven King asked the frightened elves. Both gulped and shook their heads in the negative.

Maglor passed the red paddle to King Thranduil who, taking the paddle, walked over to a wooden crate and sat down. Maglor took the other twin outside whilst his brother received his punishment. The elven King motioned to Elladan who walked over to the elder elf reluctantly, loosened the ties of his leggings, pushed them down to his knees and lowered himself gingerly over the elf's knees. Thranduil started Elladan's punishment immediately with a series of stinging whacks to the elf's exposed posterior. The young elf gasped at the stinging pain caused by the red paddle. The elder elf kept up a blistering pace until Elladan was whimpering and squirming on his lap. Outside, Maglor put both comforting and restraining hands on Elrohir's shoulders as the young elf heard his brother's whimpers. Inside, Elladan began to sob and the sobs turned to howls as the elven King continued to land blistering blows. Thranduil stopped the punishment when Elladan's buttocks were the same colour as the paddle.

Elladan remained over the elven King's knees as Thranduil pulled the young elf's leggings up and rubbed his back in comforting circles. When Elladan had regained a measure of calm, the elven King assisted him to his feet and walked him outside so that Maglor could see to his twin's punishment. Thranduil continued to embrace and comfort Elladan as he passed the paddle to Maglor who escorted a reluctant Elrohir into the remains of the warehouse. Leggings pushed down to his knees, Elrohir took his brother's place on the wooden crate across Maglor's lap. The young elf had only a moment to remember Estel's story about Maglor hitting harder than Gandalf and how unfair it was that he always came second because Elladan was born a couple of minutes earlier than him, when the first of many blistering blows landed on his posterior. It did not take long for the younger twin to be howling as loudly as his brother had howled. Maglor also did not stop until Elrohir's buttocks were the same colour as the paddle. On stopping the chastisement, Maglor pulled up the young elf's leggings and pulled him into a comforting embrace, soothing the distressed younger twin.

A short time later, just on nightfall, the well and truly chastened young elves were escorted back to the camp. The twins took refuge in their tent immediately.

Thranduil entered the tent that he shared with Faramir and saw both sons sitting in silence, each perched on the edge of a camp bed. It was obvious by the nervous and dejected demeanours of his sons, that the time spent waiting had been hard on both. Unfortunately, Faramir would have to wait a little longer as he dealt with Legolas, Thranduil thought.

"Elfling," The elven King summoned Legolas who rose from the camp bed and followed his father out of the tent passing Maglor who was entering, and into an old courtyard that contained a stone bench. Thranduil sat down upon the bench and patted his knee. Legolas sighed and after following the age-old routine, lowered himself over his father's knees presenting his bared posterior for chastisement. "What is this punishment for, my elfling?" Thranduil asked.

"For not telling you and Maglor before going after the twins and for getting Faramir into trouble," Legolas replied contritely.

"You did not get Faramir into trouble, my elfling, for he like you, excels at that particular skill. You would not have been able to stop him for he has a stubbornness that matches mine, and you know how stubborn I am," Thranduil chuckled. "But you should have come to me or Maglor," the elven King said as he landed the first of many stinging swats. Although enough to make Legolas whimper and squirm, the elven King did not metre out a harsh punishment to his elfling as both he and Faramir had tried to save their friends from trouble.

"I am sorry ada," Legolas said as Thranduil, completing the chastisement, pulled up his son's leggings, turned him over and enveloped him in a hug.

"I know my elfling. I do love you so much," Thranduil crooned as he embraced his son. "I must needs see to your brother," the elven King sighed as he pondered on Faramir.

Thranduil walked back to the tent in which Faramir was situated and saw that Maglor was sitting beside the dejected young man with his arm around the young one's shoulders. Faramir looked up into his father's eyes and Thranduil's heart almost shattered at the pain he could see in his son's eyes. Those Númenórean eyes were indeed a window into his son's soul and that soul was hurting, deeply, the elven King thought.

Faramir rose from the camp bed slowly and stood before his father. Thranduil opened his arms inviting his son into a hug. In the blink of an eye the young Steward was in the arms of his father and being held in a tight, comforting embrace. Elven father and human son stayed like that until some of the tension had drained from Faramir. Still maintaining contact, the elven King walked his son to the courtyard and sat down upon the bench pulling his son to sit down beside him.

"Do you know why you are to be punished, ion-nin?" Thranduil asked in a quiet, calm tone.

"For going after the twins and not coming to you first," Faramir replied.

"Yes, that is part but I must admit you handled the situation perfectly," the elven King said with pride. "But what else are you to be punished for, ion-nin?" Thranduil questioned. The young Steward wracked his brain for another possible reason but came up blank. The elf looked at his son's bewildered expression and sighed.

"You are alarmingly intelligent and canny, ion-nin, but in matters pertaining to self preservation you are as thick as a cave troll," Thranduil admonished, chuckling at the look of indignation that graced his son's features. "You have just been through a very traumatic experience with a battle memory and immediately put your health at risk again, by going into an unknown situation involving the Elrondion twins."

Thranduil patted his knee in a silent command. Faramir sighed, much as Legolas had and standing, loosened ties, pushed his leggings down and laid over his father's lap. Thranduil wasted not time in landing the first of a series of stinging slaps to his young human son's buttocks. Although not as light as the punishment he gave Legolas, Faramir's chastisement was not as heavy as that of the twins.

"I love you, ion-nin," Thranduil said hoping words with physical reinforcement would penetrate his son's stubborn adherence to the notion that his life was not worth that of others. "The pain you feel about the deaths of those who followed you into that doomed child of Denethor's madness, would mirror my own at losing you before your time. And remember, ion-nin, I will carry that sadness in my heart for all eternity," the elven King said in a choked voice as he landed blistering slap after blistering slap to his son's posterior.

On hearing his father's choked words Faramir burst into sobbing, fed from the very depths of his soul, where the pain severest. On hearing the change in the tenor of the sobs, Thranduil stopped the chastisement, pulled his son's leggings up, gathered him into an embrace and rocked the sobbing young man as the floodgates opened. Wracking sob after wracking sob came from the young Steward. Although there would, no doubt, be more rough times ahead, Thranduil felt the glimmerings of hope that his son would recover. The elven King rocked his son for a long time until exhausted; Faramir's sobs became hitching and shuddering breaths.

A goblet appeared before Thranduil as he continued to cradle his son in his arms. The elven King smiled up at Maglor through tear-filled eyes as the Seneschal held the goblet to his young charge's mouth.

"I honestly think… you need to talk to someone… about this drugging habit of yours… Maglor," Faramir muttered as he drank the sleeping draught offered. Both elves chuckled. It was not long before the young Steward was fast asleep, cradled protectively in the arms of his father.

"I think this may be a pivotal point, mellon-nin" Maglor mused as he looked at his young charge and sat down beside the elven King.

"What do you think are his chances of not putting himself at risk needlessly?" Thranduil asked seeking his friend's considered opinion.

"Honestly? Naught…as he will still be inclined to do things, dangerous to himself that is, without thinking. We simply have to work on reversing his instincts. You know, run *away* from orcs, run *to* family," Maglor chuckled at his young charge's instinct to flee from any possibility of physical chastisement by family and friends but run directly into danger when others are threatened.

"And how likely do you think it would be to teach him not to flee from family when he is in danger of having his posterior blistered?" Thranduil asked amusement showing in his voice and eyes.

"Naught… but we can try," Maglor replied with a similar twinkle of humour in his eyes.

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