"The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he comes from, and if he really was evil at heart. What lies or threats led him on the long march from home, and would he not rather stay there, in peace? War makes corpses of us all." –Faramir, the Two Towers
Faramir stared at his reflection in the wash basin. His gray-blue eyes seemed to shift color. They became dark, almost brown, like his older brother's. He blinked rapidly, splashed his face with water, and then looked again. They were back to normal. He wondered whether it was a trick of the light.
"Captain!" Rahalin broke Faramir's stream of thoughts.
"Sorry Rahalin, I thought I was alone." Faramir grabbed a scrap of cloth from his sack and dried his face. "What's the news?"
"There's a creature, Sir, in the Forbidden Pool."
"A creature? What kind of creature?"
"Not sure, Sir. I've never seen anything like it."
Faramir grabbed his bow and arrow and followed Rahalin out of the cave. "I'll kill it." Faramir said loathingly.
Rahalin looked a bit surprised at hearing his captain speak with such blood lust, but didn't say anything. They walked on in silence. When they reached the edge of the Forbidden Pool, Faramir strung his bow before he even saw the creature. He was poised to kill.
Then he saw it. It was pale, skinny, and just plain pitiful looking. But it seemed happy; it was singing a song, about a fish. Faramir only caught a few words, but the creature was obviously thrilled. It probably hadn't eaten in days.
Faramir was angry. No one was to touch the Forbidden Pool, not even the kings and queens of the day, or of old. It was a sacred place; it stood for all of the purity and innocence in the world that has been long since forgotten. Was it now to be polluted by this despicable creature?
He looked again at the creature. It now had a fish in its hands, smacking it on a rock to kill it. The creature was gargling and cooing like a baby. It obviously didn't know where it was, or what it was doing. How could a creature like that know of the Forbidden Pool?
Faramir was suddenly overwhelmed with pity for the poor creature. He lowered his bow, and stared into the water. Looking at his reflection, he thought he saw his brother's eyes yet again. What would Boromir have done? He was power hungry, for sure, and sometimes selfish. But always fair. He would've given this creature a second chance. Faramir made up his mind, and signaled to Rahalin to leave him. After Rahalin retreated, Faramir called out to the creature.
"You there! You! What are you called?"
The creature was startled by Faramir's presence. It looked at the fish in its hands and then at Faramir. "Why does it speak to us? Why does it stare?" The creature's voice gave Faramir goose bumps.
"You are in a forbidden place, creature, and I could have you killed in an instant if I wanted to! Tell me what you are!"
The creature dropped its fish and slouched down, as if to become invisible.
"Speak!" Faramir commanded.
"Gollum, Gollum." The creature was hacking and coughing.
"What is your business here, Gollum?"
"Gollum came here with master. Master Frodo said Gollum would not be harmed. What will it do to us preciousss?" The creature looked distressed, betrayed.
Faramir suddenly understood the creature. He too, was led on by someone, was lured into a false sense of security. As a result, he has had to do many things to stay alive. Things that he would have never thought he would do. He has stolen, lied, and murdered. He has regretted. He wished for a second chance; a chance to redeem himself, and to erase all of the things that he has done. Above all, he wished to be loved.
He turned away from the creature, away from the Forbidden Pool, and away from his old self. Today he was going to show compassion, even though it had never been shown to him.