Another one shot. Please see Disclaimer on bio page.
Boromir sighed as he glanced around in the predawn twilight. Faramir stood not five feet away from him. "Faramir. My mind is made up. I am to go to find this Imladris and seek a cure to our visions."
Boromir steeled himself against the argument that Faramir would lay before him as to why he should go in his captains stead. But Faramir was not forthcoming. Boromir stopped adjusting the strap of the saddle bag and turned fully to Faramir.
"Fara?" Boromir asked gently, sensing that something had shaken his brother. He stepped closer and noticed that there in the shadows stood Damrod and Anborn. No doubt they had been roused from their sleep when Faramir had tried to creep past them. They both looked grave. Boromir stepped closer to his brother and suddenly noted how pale he was. "Faramir?"
"Don't go." was all Faramir could say. Boromir shook his head.
"You know I must."
"No!" Faramir shouted. It was not the first time Faramir had shouted at Boromir over the last few weeks, but it was the first time without the safety of privacy. Fararmir winced slightly and looked back at Boromir. "If you go, we will never see each other again." This was said with more control in his voice, but there was a fear there. A fear that whatever Faramir had dreamt about was going to pass. Boromir knew enough to not disregard what Faramir said. Boromir merely shook his head.
Faramir sighed and stepped closer to Boromir. For the first time Boromir truly saw Faramir. A gaunt face, haunted eyes... this was not the brother he truly loved. "Is there no way I can talk you out of it?" Faramir whispered... pleaded.
Again Boromir shook his head. The two brothers embraced tightly and held it for a long time. Finally they released and Boromir nudged Faramir in the direction of the barracks that he had just come from. "Go, child. I will see you soon. With an explanation to boot."
As soon as Faramir had left, Boromir sensed his brothers two watchers come up behind him. "A vision?"
"Woke our entire section of the barracks, my lord." Anborn muttered.
"Then what he says is true." Boromir sighed and turned in the direction that Faramir had left in. There was an uncomfortable silence then Damrod spoke. "All of Gondor goes with you, my lord. Come back to us, one way or another."
Boromir felt his eyes suddenly fill with tears. He swiftly mounted his horse and swallowed hard before speaking once more. "Please keep him safe for me."
"As always, my lord." Anborn replied, blinking back tears as he realised what had happened. "May the Valar look upon you with kindness, sir and may your journey be unimpeded. Go with the blessing of Gondor."
Boromir rode down the silent streets and out of the gate, not even noticing when the silver trumpet announced his leaving of the city.
Faramir stood at the ships keel watching his brother leave. To him, the note of the trumpet did not sound like farewell, but goodbye. He closed his eyes tightly before forcing them open, taking in deep breaths, watching until his brother was nothing more but a memory. He sensed movement beside him and glanced there to see his father. "So passes the son of Gondor."
oOOo
Boromir fought to take in air. So this is what it feels like to be a pincushion. He didn't notice the fire lancing through him as he struggled to breathe. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his beloved brother and city. "If you go we will never see each other again." Boromir closed his eyes as suddenly a tear slipped down his face. Faramir! Boromir forced his eyes to open and saw Aragorn kneeling next to him. "Boromir."
"Leave it." Boromir groaned. "I am too far gone."
"No, Boromir, you will catch on."
"I will die, and my city will be ruined." Boromir said, not bitterly, thinking of all the children he had known were still sleeping as he passed the houses on his way to the main gate.
As though through a dream Boromir heard Aragorn's next words.
"I know not what power flows through my veins. But I swear to you, I will not let the White City fall, nor our people die."
Boromir looked up through the trees and felt sunlight bathe his face in warmth. "Our people?"
"Our people." Aragorn replied, nodding. Boromir struggled to take in a breath. "Our people."
Again Aragorn nodded.
Boromir was silent for a long time, and the only thing that showed him still alive was the fact that he was still bleeding and warm and breathing... no matter how shallowly it may be.
Finally and with great effort, Boromir turned back to Aragorn and smiled slightly. "I would have followed you to the end. My brother. My Captain... My King." Faramir forgive me. Accept him.
And with that thought Boromir was released from the land of the living.
oOOo
Deep in Ithilien Faramir woke. Damrod glanced up at his lord when Faramir's eyes opened. He put down the dagger he had been sharpening and handed Faramir a glass of icy water. "He's gone."
oOOo
Denethor, Steward of Gondor, stood facing the west, his mind elsewhere. "My son is dead."
oOOo
In his exile Sauron heard the news that had reached him. Gondor had lost her champion. Now was the time to strike...
oOOo
Faramir didn't know what made him wander up and down the length of the Anduin. He knew that his men were worried about him but he couldn't care less. Yesterday he had woken to the feeling that his brother had died. It had been a horrifying vision. He knew that he was shadowed by Damrod. His faithful shadow wouldn't leave him, no matter how dark a situation was. He knew that Damrod would hold him on this side of sanity, as he always did when he woke from a nasty vision.
He exhaled and called over his shoulder. "Damrod, I don't bite."
Faramir barely heard a sound but the next moment Damrod was by his side. "There now. See. Nothing to worry about." But it wasn't Faramir's call that had brought him to his side. It was the visage of a ship, no a boat, moving down the Anduin. Faramir hesitated for an instant but then moved out into the water. The boat – just as with the vision that had woken him that morning – came up beside him. As though it had an invisible driver, the boat stilled. Faramir looked at his brother. Traced a finger down his cold face, touched the braids that had been done with a hand not of a human, that adorned the side of his head. The next thing he noticed was that his two rings, were resting on his chest, next to his horn... the horn of Gondor had been split in two. Faramir took the rings and the horn, kissed his brother in blessing and watched as the boat once again steered itself seamlessly into the current of the river.
oOOo
Denethor and the rest of the Court of Gondor looked up when Faramir, Anborn and Damrod entered the Citadel. Faramir hesitated. This was not how he had envisioned informing his father of Boromir's death. The young lord walked forward, his boots echoing damningly in the deafening silence. He was flanked by his two friends and soldiers, but knew that this was a battle that he would have to perform on his own. Denethor went even paler when he saw what his son bore him. He stood and mentally dared his youngest to come any closer. Faramir didn't take the dare and stilled. "My lord Steward, I regret to inform you that Lord Boromir is dead." He hesitated before taking a step forward. He knelt and held out the broken horn and two of the rings. "These washed upon the shore of the river."
Again, utter silence. Then. "Leave me." Denethor whispered. He snatched the horn and the rings from the kneeling man and turned on the Courtiers. "Leave me!" he roared. They left and Faramir and his men stood. "My lord..." Faramir began but was cut off.
"You have failed me, Faramir. Do not fail me again. Now Leave!"
Faramir bowed and left, his men mimicking him and followed him out. Once the doors were shut. Faramir closed his eyes and released a captive breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his second at his shoulder. "Let's go home." Faramir told him softly.
oOOo
Faramir walked out the caves in the dead of night. He knew that if Damrod woke and found him gone, he would be in serious trouble when Faramir got back. He came to a small circle of trees and walked over the the one in the middle. A gnarled old tree that offered shade, comfort and memories had often sheltered the two brothers when Boromir had come visiting. They would often sit here for hours talking, catching up, and being brothers. Faramir let out a mewl and crashed to his knees, sobs tore out of him. "Why?"
Out of his pocket, Faramir took out Boromir's seal and dug a small hole in the ground. "I couldn't bury you, I let the Anduin take you. But I can bury part of you. The part the rest of the world knew you by your seal."
And so Faramir spent a sleepless night, pouring out his grief of losing all that he had once held dear to him. He looked up once to see a shadow. A part of his heart lightened. His Rangers were with him. Out of the shadows of the trees one ranger came. Damrod sat vigil next to his friend and lord.
Boromir was dead. But there was still one Commander the men would all follow.
Faramir's testing had begun.