Faramir Fiction Archive

Fairborn (PG)

Written by Paul Price

26 August 2011 | 24652 words

Title: Fairborn
Author: Paul Price
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Faramir

This is a sixteen chapter short novel detailing curious events and various adventures in the twentieth year of Faramir and Eowyn’s marriage. The adventures and events concern them, their children, their friends, the countries of Gondor, Rohan, Dunland, and Harad, and enemies they did not know they had.

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Chapter 10: Theowyn and Halyn

While Éowyn and her party worked in Dol Amroth, Theowyn began to explore Emyn Arnen, so she would better know the land she was charged with governing and defending. She took her best friend Halyn, Helia’s younger sister, with her on these explorations. Halyn was a short, broad-shouldered young woman who, though a friend, shared few of Theowyn’s military interests. However, Halyn did share Theowyn’s interest in adventure. Halyn had light brown hair, brown eyes, and an elf-like face. Much to her parent’s distaste, she wore her long hair in multiple braids, like some Rohirrim. She loved to swim, and did so very often, and so had developed the strong, broad shoulders and strong, muscular legs of a swimmer. Theowyn envied this physical trait of Halyn’s, but did not enjoy swimming as much as weapon training and so did not duplicate the physical features of her friend. One of the first places that the two young adventurers explored was the ruined fortress of Osgiliath. It became a fateful day for both of them.

When Theowyn suggested that they explore Osgiliath, Halyn was pleased. Osgiliath was on the Anduin River and should be a fine place to swim, so she agreed to come with Theowyn. Osgiliath was also a place of mystery, which few Ithiliens or Rohirrim visited. It bore the spectre of orcs, trolls, wraiths, and other dangerous things, even twenty years after the war. This implied danger appealed to Halyn. She took a falchion with her on the trip. It was her favorite and only weapon. She had learned to use her arm and leg strength to drive the single-edged blade with exceptional force, but had never used it in battle or self-defense. She wore it in a scabbard slung across her back.

The two young women rode to Osgiliath with much anticipation of an adventure; however, they could have never anticipated the adventure which occurred. In a tower high above them, a large beast watched them approach. It leisurely started down the stairs to the ruins of the town to meet them.

As they reached the ruined town gate, the two young women dismounted and tied their horses to some nearby trees.

“This must have been a great city at one time,” said Halyn, “I can see why your father wanted to rebuild it.”

“And I can see why the King’s men refused,” Theowyn said, “It has too much wall to defend with the number of men available to my father.”

They began to look around the ruined houses, and other buildings.

“This building looks like it has hidden rooms,” Halyn noted to herself, “It is much smaller inside than out.” She was always good at such puzzles and games. She had just found the entrance to the hidden room, when she heard voices outside. She quickly left the building, and saw Theowyn speaking to a huge beast. Theowyn was in front of the beast, while she was behind it.

“I thought trolls could not be understood by men!” said Theowyn to the troll.

“I had a good education, probably better than yours.” replied the troll. “Where is your companion? I would hate for her to miss lunch. My lunch, that is.”

The troll had a large club, and was lifting it to strike. Concurrently, Theowyn was drawing her sword and backing away. She did not have her shield, and did not want to fight this beast without it. However, she did not dare shift her gaze from the troll to locate her shield. She resolved to fight the beast without it.

The troll swung the club mightily, but Theowyn dodged the blow and slashed at the troll’s arm hoping it would drop the club. It did drop the club, but also it fell dead. Halyn had timed her attack so that she could strike the troll as it was off balance at the low point in its club strike. She struck its head off.

“I didn’t think you were tall enough to do that,” said Theowyn, “Thank you for your help.”

“I think I saved your life.”

“We’ll never know. I think I would have defeated it.”

“You’re the most confident person I know. Don’t get yourself killed because of it. Occasionally, be careful and grateful. Say ‘thank you’ to me and come see what I found.”

Halyn led Theowyn to the hidden room. It was dark inside, and they had to light a torch to see. Theowyn complimented Halyn for having the foresight to bring a torch, and implements to light it. “For someone whose father is noted for his foresight and attention to detail, you seem to lack those traits,” Chided Halyn, “Except maybe when it comes to planning a battle.”

They entered the dark room with the torch, and were quickly surprised by the reflection of the torchlight on metal and shiny stone. They saw weapons and armor of an unusual hue, and a head-sized shiny round stone, and much dust and many cobwebs. “These must have been here for many, many years.” Said Theowyn, still awed.

“I should have known that if you were here that I would find weapons, and armor.” Laughed Halyn.

The room contained armor and weapons of an unusual metal. There were thirty suits of chain of various sizes, thirty helmets, thirty shields, and sixty weapons. Twenty of the weapons were daggers and knives, twenty were spears, and twenty were swords and axes of various kinds. The shafts of the spears and axes and parts of the shield were of a type of wood that they did not recognize. In addition, there was a very unusual bow and a sheath of arrows. The bow appeared to be made of the strange metal, and was formed in a cunning way. Outside, they tested the bow briefly and found that it greatly magnified the strength of the user; however, the bow string broke before they had completed their tests. They returned to the weapon trove.

“I guess this is your treasure.” Said Theowyn, “After all you found it.”

“But this is your expedition.” Countered Halyn, “And what would I do with all these weapons and armor.”

“Trade them to the King. If I am right, then these are worth half the kingdom. I think these are all made of mithril.”

“I thought that mithril was imaginary.”

“I am reasonably sure that this metal is mithril and I think that the stone is a palantir.”

“Then I donate all of this to the defense of Ithilien.”

“You’re too generous. Let’s both choose armor and weapons for our use, and give the rest to my father to use for the defense of Ithilien.”

“Agreed.”

To her surprise, Halyn found a falchion among the weapons. It was just slightly larger than her current weapon, but was much stronger, lighter and sharper. As the new falchion did not fit her old scabbard, she regretfully took the scabbard which housed the mithril weapon. She had made her old scabbard with her own hands and so was not about to abandon it. Therefore, she wore two weapons and scabbards across her back. Additionally, she found mail which fit her reasonable well, a helm and a hexagonal shield. “I feel like a warrior of legend” She said. Unknown to her, the armor that she chose was that of a legendary dwarf warrior. He had been exceptionally tall and strong for a dwarf, and so his armor fit this broad-shouldered, but short woman.

Theowyn also chose. She found a suit of mail that fit her quite well, a longsword, a spear, a winged helm, a dagger and a round shield. Additionally, she took a throwing axe and the bow and arrows. “I think Ganwyn would find this bow interesting.” She said. “Are you going to take something for your brothers and sisters?”

“No. They’re merchants and craftsmen, not soldiers or woodsmen.”

As they left the door of the house, they came face to face (or actually face to chest) with another troll. “Blimey, ya found ‘em. Ya found da weapons of da King’s Elites.” He said. Then he swang his club. If Halyn had not been wearing mithril armor, she would have died instantly from the blow. Instead, she was thrown against the wall and fell unconscious on the ground at Theowyn’s feet. Theowyn dropped her treasure and drew her new sword, as she backed away. She was going to fight a troll without a shield again, and without the unexpected help she had received earlier. Further, this troll was slightly larger than the previous one. The troll charged, but she easily avoided both the charge and the club, and again tried to strike its arm to disarm it. However, she was too far from the troll to strike its arm solidly, so she lightly grazed its lower arm with the blade. The troll howled in pain and became angry. It turned surprisingly quickly and charged again. Theowyn’s sword thrust easily pierced the hard skin of the troll, but it kept coming with her sword in the right side of his chest. She was trying to pull her sword free, when the troll’s club broke her left arm and damaged her left shoulder and leg. Her sword came free as the troll backed away and prepared to hit her again. She dodged its blow, and counter struck with her sword, and again it howled. They both were bleeding from their wounds, but the troll was more severely wounded. Both were moving slower now. Theowyn would no longer have been able to avoid the original charges of the troll, but the troll was no longer capable of such speed. It charged again, but much more slowly. She avoided the charge and cut its leg with her sword. It fell, and she buried the sword blade where she guessed its heart would be. She guessed right, and it died. That was fortunate for her, as she was nearly incapable of continuing the fight. She slowly limped toward Halyn. As she approached, Halyn groaned and began to move.

“I thought you were dead.” Theowyn said.

“I feel like death. I’ve never been hit that hard before. Do you remember when I fell from that tree we were climbing years ago? It didn’t hurt his much.”

“At least you’re not bleeding. Help me stop this blood.”

Halyn’s eyes finally focused on Theowyn and she saw that her friend was severely hurt and bleeding steadily. She also noticed the body of the troll. “You fought that thing?”

“I didn’t have much choice.”

Halyn pulled some leaves from a nearby bush, and used them to staunch the blood.

“Shouldn’t you use cloth to do that?” Asked Theowyn.

“Haven’t you learned any medicine from your mother?” Asked Halyn, “This is about the best herb to use to staunch a bleeding wound. Whoever built these city walls must have planted these bushes as a part of the defense of the city. They’re growing all over this area.”

“We need to get out of here. Neither of us is fit to defend ourselves.” Said Theowyn.

“Were not fit to travel either.”

“Then, we better not travel far. Minas Tirith is the closest city, and it has a House of Healing.”

They agreed to attempt to reach Minas Tirith. They left most of their treasure behind in the secret room. They were relieved to find that their horses were undisturbed, and they began a difficult, slow, and painful ride to Minas Tirith which was about a half an hours ride normally. It took them over two hours.

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