Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful characters, but I'll put them back when I'm done.

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Chapter 1

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He breathed in the fresh air as the sun began to settle into nightfall. The wind gently passed through the lightly dusted, grey hair as he smelled the familar plants in the garden. Worries and stress slowly left the body when he looked around to find himself on the pebbled path back to the palace. Aragorn exhaled slowly, thinking of more pleasant thoughts than of the meeting he had earlier from leaders far and near Gondor.

Word came out about an assassination attempt on Prince Imrahil, Faramir's uncle. He died within his castle that rested near the Bay of Belfalas, supposedly shot from a poisonous arrow by a nearby window in his sleep sometime during the dark hours of the night before. No witnesses, no sitings, a sly killer gone free. The murder gave warning that its next target would be of the heir of Isildor.

This has upsetted Faramir greatly. He and his uncle were very close since his birth. During the War of the Ring, he was shot and at near death, Imrahil found and taken him to the House of Healing. Without him, Faramir would've never met his future wife or rather lived thus having no Steward to subsituted the throne. He couldn't bear of losing another friend.

His grey eyes looked up at the stars for the last time before heading inside the cold walls of his home. The worn, black boots softly hit the smooth, marbled floor as he entered the dark halls.

"You shouldn't be walking around alone, my Lord."

Aragorn quickly turned around, finding only Faramir standing in his Gondoran uniform with a exhausted, worried expression marked on his face. The news depressed him greatly but has tried to push the personal matter away to focus on the danger that lays for the king.

He looked at his hidden, saddened face watching him slowly break down of his relative's loss as he tried to find soothing words of the situation. "I am sorry for what happened to him, Faramir. We will capture the murderer in speed."

He nodded to himself and exhaled, trusting the ruler's word. Statues and paintings of war glowed by the lightened candles, sending golden rays of shadow on the two men inside the quiet hallway. Faramir giving a fake smile, "I hope so, but I would sleep better if we had more guards."

As he guided the fatigued man to his chamber, he smiled back easily passing the long flights of stairs to the fourth floor. "I will call more in the morning, you must rest."

They began to walk down the hall, the sound of heavy boots disturbing the silence in the dark halls. For a moment, their minds drifted off to disturbing thoughts about the future. Faramir questioned himself that the man he was walking with may not be living before the next night. He then shook his head, pushing the thoughts away as he wanted to break the quiet noise between them.

"What else have you learned from the meeting?" He asked as he took a quick glance at Aragorn's face while they both passed closed doors that was filled of sleeping maids, chancellors, and others who lived in Minas Tirith.

For hours he only heard arguments of spectulations of who and why the killer did this. No real reason has emerged to the surface, leaving everyone still questioning to themselves. He slowly sighed trying to let out his frustration calmly while he can still hear the booming voices ring in his ears. "Many have thought it was not a human."

Faramir stopped and looked at Aragorn with question, "Not human? What makes you say that?"

"There are different thoughts...some scouts have found paw prints on the ground near his home, it could be some evidence to his misfortune"

"Or just some paw prints."

He slightly shrugs and gently chuckle as they reached Faramir's bedroom door, Eoywn quietly sleeping inside. She waited for her husband to return from the king's arrival, but heavy eyes came as she was reading on the bed and accidently fell asleep. He watches him slowly grasp the knob and twist gently, expecting something to happen. Then sighs of relief as he enters the dimly lightened room, colors of bright gold spilling in the hallway. They both quickly said their goodbyes and anxiously wait for another new day to arrive.

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(At the same time....)

"Mission successful, sire."

"Good...do you have everything ready for the next victom on the list?"

"Yes."

"Excellent, here is twenty-five percent of the bargain."

"Thank you, sire."

"Continue the good work."

"I will report back to you in three days."

"I want him dead."

"It will not fail...."

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