Welcome! I'm very excited you've joined me! This is an example of some of my much more recent writing compared to the previous stuff, so I hope you like it, I'd like to think it's better? But that's for you to decide.

This story follows Faramir almost from where we meet him in the movies. I have read the books but I've chosen to follow the main guideline of the films just for support. I've tried to avoid quoting directly from the film. As much as I love Eowyn, I wanted to write Faramir someone special who understood him from the beginning. There is also a companion piece I'm writing to find Eowyn someone else (I like tying up the loose ends) which is also an Eomer/OC but as that's in early development you won't see it for a while. I'll leave you to it then, enjoy!

Chapter One – From the Past to the Present

The heavy stone halls of Lord Fairshaw's house were still for a short moment. Then, the heavy wooden door was slammed into, the dull thud echoing around the white walls, and then it was heaved open and a ten year old boy appeared, looking around guiltily. He glanced behind him, around again, and walked to the foot of the staircase, craning his neck to look up. He risked it. "Hurry up Annie!" Faramir called out, shifting from one foot to the other, his chin-length hair falling forwards from the cord that held it back. Glancing behind him at the open door, he checked for either of her parents. Lord Fairshaw would just ruffle his hair and chuckle, but Lady Fairshaw-

"I'm coming!" Annie cried, appearing at the top of the stairs, holding the thick green material of her skirt away from her feet so that she could run with little steps down the stairs. Her white-blonde hair, so unusual, flew back from her face gently and her mother's sharp words met their ears.

"Anesia I hope you are not running, child!"

Anesia stopped her footsteps quickly and slowed, so that the noise would not carry so well up the stairs from her dainty silver slippers. With a small shuffle, the red head of Boromir looked around the door.

"Are you two coming?" He hissed, eyes darting about for any hint that Lady Fairshaw might emerge and shoo them away.

"No mother, I'm not." Anesia called back, and pushed Boromir and Faramir ahead of her out of the door, stumbling as they moved too slowly. "Quickly, go, before she keeps me behind to practise embroidery some more!" She hissed, her bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she heaved the door shut behind her. The three children broke into a run, a race, and Boromir fell slightly behind as his younger brother and a girl sped ahead. Anesia had her dress above her ankles, bunched up in her fists in a way that would surely leave creases that her mother would scold her for later. Boromir stopped, deciding to be grown up and walk so that they couldn't claim they'd beaten him, and he finally caught them up several streets below in the city itself.

"We beat you again brother." Faramir said with a bright grin, a little out of breath but his cheeks flushed with energy.
"I stopped running, it doesn't count."

"You stopped running because we beat you." Anesia said, her playful eyes glinting at Faramir and back to his older brother. "Come, would you like to try again?"

"I am bored of running, let us look through the stalls and see if there is anything good." Boromir said in a superior voice, and giggling, the other two followed him obediently. They were well known through the streets, either as dear children or mischievous rascals, and many had placed bets on which brother Anesia would marry, and whether a rivalry might undo either boy. Faramir was too young to care and Boromir was uninterested, and so they grew up, three friends, as Anesia found herself quickly bored with other court ladies.

The young woman who stood before Faramir now was very different to the little girl he remembered. The long, white blonde tresses were always piled up, as now, in a coil of braids around the now slender face. She looked much like her mother, although he feared to say so. Above her cheekbones her eyes had lost their glimmer somewhat, and she didn't smile as much as she once had, in fact rarely did he see that wonderful smile he searched for in crowds at any occasion his father forced them to. But then, most people had ceased to smile in the past few years, with Orcs attacking the outer borders, and Anesia had lost her mother along to them too. She didn't speak of it much, and only ever brought her mother up in jest, as though by maintaining her teasing it was like her mother still lived, chiding her to become more ladylike. In some ways so like his father; always pushing them to be better. Anesia was a lovely young lady, though he daren't admit it, almost as tall as Faramir, and she moved silently. She never ran anymore.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked in a quiet, controlled voice, and he sighed. She asked him this question every time he left, and his brother too, but they could never truthfully answer. It was like a play act for them.

"I don't know, Annie, I'm sorry. As long as I am needed to be." He said, hating that he couldn't give her a better answer. "I'm sorry." He repeated again. "I know you hate it when Boromir and I are both gone." He said, worrying for her already. "Look after yourself, Anesia."

She laughed gently, so clever at creating an impression that she was at ease. "I will be fine. It is you who should be careful, Faramir. I will look often for your flag upon the horizon." Her smile softened and faded as she finished speaking.

"And I await the day you will greet me." He said, and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye Anesia." He said, and she nodded.

"Farewell Faramir." She said, and watched as he left the hall quietly, despite the amount of armour and chainmail he wore.