Halbarad is just about to leave the building when a voice calling out to him stops him in his tracks.
"My lord Halbarad, please wait."
He looks around and sees a young man running towards him. Well running? The boy is waking at a fast pace towards him. If he walks any faster then he will surely be running. The young man is dressed in a similar way as the other people he saw when the warden guided him to the meeting. This is why he believes the boy to be a servant of some sort. It still does not answer why he would be running towards him. Soon the boy reaches him and speaks to him.
"My lord Halbarad, I am glad that you have not left just yet. Lord Húrin would be so displeased with me then. He told me that he promised master Neston that you would not walk back to the houses of healing alone. He forgot to call for a servant before you left. But when he did remember he ordered me to guide you back. So I am glad that you have not yet left for then I would not be able to do as Lord Húrin asked me to."
Halbarad feels for the boy since it is clear to him that he is out of breath. He did notice the relieved look he received from the boy when he met up with him. All this makes him determined to find someplace soon to sit down. It has the benefit of allowing the boy to rest as well as for himself to rest.
He is tired and does not know if he will make it to the houses of healing if he does not find a place to sit down. The meeting was exhausting for him. When he notices the worried look on the boy's face. As such he knows that he needs to reassure him. And quickly before the boy calls for healers or other servants. Something which he wants to avoid if he can.
"Well then, young one, why do we not make our way to the houses of healing then? I would prefer to find a place to sit down for a bit though. I need to rest for a while if I am to make it to the houses of healing."
"Of course, my lord. Let us go to the court of the fountain then. It is close by and has benches to offer for those who want to sit down there. It is normally a quiet place where you can rest in peace."
At Halbarad's nod, the boy quickly walks into the direction of the white tree. At the same time, he mentions him to follow him. Well, this means that they will be sitting near the white tree then. Halbarad does not mind so long as he can rest on a bench. He is just glad that the boy took his bait. It means that he does not have to find a way for him to rest. Also, it means that they can both rest for a while.
A few minutes later, they reach the court of the fountain. This time Halbarad is able to take a closer look at what he can see then what he could before. The guards are even more intimidating when he is in close proximity than when he looked at them from a distance.
They give off a clear presence. That is that no one should try anything. They will retaliate then. It makes it all the more obvious that this area is of high importance to the Gondorians. Just as he has learned during his lessons in his youth.
Looking around the court of the fountain, Halbarad is glad to see that there are indeed benches. It shows that the boy was right that they could sit down here. Not that he doubted the words of the boy much. Also, he cannot see anyone present here. It means that they will have a quiet and peaceful time to sit. Well, for so long not many people come here.
Halbarad sits down on one of the benches and looks to see where the boy is. He can see that the boy is looking around uncertainty. It is clear that he does not know what to do right now. Halbarad decides to wait for a short while to see if the boy will work his uncertainty out on his own. If not then he will help him. Luckily, the boy seems to have quickly made a decision for he addresses him.
"My lord Halbarad? How long do you want to sit here? I will then go help out in the stables in the meantime. I promise to be back in time."
Halbarad smiles at the boy's words. They clearly show how much he wants to be appreciated. But if he leaves now then it will mean that he cannot sit down and rest. Something which Halbarad wants him to do. He considers what he can do to get the boy to sit down.
Either he asks him to simply sit down or maybe he can ask the boy to keep him company. If he does that then he will ask the bit to explain to him how he experienced the siege. A topic that will keep them occupied for a while. At least he knows that they will rest long enough then. The added benefit is that the boy will feel appreciated.
Halbarad is certain that the boy must have been present during the siege. Otherwise, he would not have been in the city right now. Halbarad nods to himself. This is the best option he has to gain his objective. Unfortunately, his nodding seems to confuse the boy since he looks at him questioningly.
He knows that he needs to reassure the boy if his plan is to work. The best way to attain this is by asking if the boy is willing to tell him how he experienced the siege. To be able to ask if he knows that he first needs to know if the boy is willing to answer his question. This is thus what he does in addition to telling the boy that he has not determined how long he wants to rest.
"I do not know how long I want to sit and rest here, young one. But I would like to ask you something, if I may?"
"Of course, my lord."
Halbarad smiles. It is just the answer be has expected. Now he will be able to ask the important question.
"I would like to ask you to sit down next to me and tell me about your experiences during the siege."
The boy looks confused at him but still nods. Then the boy sits down next to shyly. Halbarad wonders how much experience the boy has with lords. Not much if his current reaction is anything to go by. That does not mean that he is discouraged in his current objective. In fact, he is even more motivated to get the boy to rest.
It is then that he is reminded that he never learned the boy's name. He knows that this is what he needs to learn first before anything else. He does not like to think of someone as simply a boy. He wants to think of them by their name. That is why he asks his next question.
"Might I ask you what your name is?"
"Of course, my lord. My name is Bergil son of Beregond."
"Then Bergil, tell me how the siege was for you. For as far as you are willing to talk to me about it, that is."
With that Bergil begins to explain how he experienced the siege. He explains how scared he was by all the fighting. Still, he trusted the men to protect them. If not then he said that he would meet the orcs fighting. He refused to even consider leaving the city, as he knows he would be told to do, for that would be cowardly in his opinion. He wants to be brave like his father.
It is then that Bergil tells Halbarad about his father's situation. Halbarad can tell that there are things which he does not say. Bergil does not go into many details but gives enough that he knows what Beregond is facing. Still, he refuses to press Bergil. He knows from experience that it is futile to press a child into answering. They will only shut down then. The result then is their refusal to talk for quite some time about anything.
Then Bergil explains how everything was for him after the death of Steward Denethor. For him, it meant that he would act as a runner for the houses. Something which he at that time appreciated for it kept his mind from the battle. Even though he could see what the siege did to the men. As such he did not notice much from the siege.
After the siege, everything became hectic in the houses for they had too many patients to care for. Also, lord Faramir needed looking after. That lord Faramir was dying was frightening to him. But then lord Aragorn came and healed his lord. For that, he is Lord Aragorn eternally grateful. Bergil expressed then his hope that the host would be successful.
After that, it is clear that Bergil is done with his explanations. As such Halbarad stands up. It tells Bergil that he is ready to leave for he finds that he has rested long enough. Also, he can see that the sun is going down right now. He knows that he now needs to head down to the houses of healing.
When Halbarad looks back at Bergil he notices how Bergil looks at him questionably and also has stood up. He is certain that Bergil will ask him what is on his mind. This considering what he has learned about Bergil.
"Do you want to return to the houses now, my lord?"
"Yes, I think I have rested long enough now. Also, it is late enough that I do need to return to the houses of healing."
"You are right about that, my lord. If you do not return soon then I am certain that the warden will come looking for you. Or he will send someone to find and return you to the houses. Please, do not take offense to it, my lord. The warden means well. He can simply be very forceful about his patients risking their recovery."
"I know, Bergil. I have been exposed to it not long ago. Do not worry, young one. I will not take offense to it."
After Bergil nods, they leave the court of the fountain. Halbarad expects them to walk back the same way as he came with the warden. He learns quickly that it is not the case. Bergil takes them to a secluded area of the seventh level. The area is in the same direction as where the houses of healing are.
Halbarad is surprised by this and sees how they walk in a deserted area. Well, deserted at this time. From what he can tell this area is used commonly. By whom he does not know but he suspects that servants use this area commonly. But that does not explain why Bergil would guide them here. There is nothing of importance here which would explain the heavy use of this area. Or so he thinks.
Soon he starts to see the roofs of the houses of healing coming up. Now Halbarad is truly confused. Is there a way to the houses in this area? It would be the only logical reason for Bergil to guide them here. But as to where the way is, Halbarad has no idea. He cannot see any doors or pathways leading to the sixth level.
Well, Halbarad knows that he will have to wait and see how they will get to the houses of healing. That is the only thing he can do right now. But what he can do right now is looking carefully around the area. Hopefully, he will be able to see any indication of where Bergil is guiding them to.
After a few minutes of walking, Halbarad does not see anything which would tell him why they are walking this way. There is nothing around here that would lead them to the houses of healing. No door or pathway. Unfortunately, the wall is too high for him to look over them. As such he is unable to look down to see if there is any pathway he is as of yet unable to see.
Suddenly, Bergil takes a turn to the right. Halbarad is surprised by this and nearly loses sight of Bergil. It would have been bad for them to get separated. He does not know the way around Minas Tirith yet. If all things go well then he is certain that he will learn his way around the city quickly.
Also, he would have appreciated a warning. Then he would have known to be on the lookout for this turn. Even if he got the warning late then it would have been fine for him. That is not something he would make a problem off. Bergil seems to understand that he should have given a warning. This since Bergil is looking guilty at him. Bergil's words reinforce his expression.
"I am sorry, my lord. I forgot to tell you about this sudden turn."
"Let it be a lesson for the future, Bergil. I would have appreciated a warning. That way I would have known to be on the lookout for this turn. Still, I am glad that you understand it also. That way you can learn from this small mistake."
"Of course, my lord. I will learn from this. Shall we continue?"
"Of course."
The relief on Bergil's face after his words was clear to see. He must have been glad that he did not take a lot of offense to it. Not that it would be reasonable to do so. The mistake was but a small one with nearly no consequences. But Bergil's reaction makes him wonder how the lords treat the servant here if this is the reaction a servant has when they make a small mistake.
But there might be another reason for this, namely that Bergil does not want to give him a bad impression of the servants who work here. In that case, it would also apply to the peasants who live here. It is as if he does not want to begin at the wrong end with him. This most likely since he is a lord and because they do not know each other well. Bergil will not know what he accepts and what not. As such he prefers to play it safe.
Halbarad considers all this while they follow the path they are currently on. Soon they come upon a door. He assumes this one will lead them to the houses of healing. He calmly follows Bergil eager to see what is behind the door. That is why he is surprised when Bergil stops a short while before the door and turns to him. His surprise does not last long as Bergil addresses him soon after.
"My lord, can you walk down the stairs on your own? Or do I need to aid you?"
Well, now he knows that the doors lead to some stairs. Stairs that go down to the sixth level, Halbarad assumes. He finds it admirable that Bergil asks him if he can walk downstairs on his own. It clearly shows that he learned from earlier. Halbarad does think that he can walk downstairs but still would like to have Bergil close. In case he discovers that he cannot do it once they are on the stairs. That he decides to inform Bergil about.
"I do believe I can do that, Bergil. Still, I would appreciate it were you to stay close to me. In case it becomes too much for me to reach the bottom on my own."
"Of course, my lord. I will do so."
Bergil's reaction is an eager one. Then Bergil opens the door and they descend the stairs. Halbarad is glad that Bergil stays close to him as he promised. This since the steps are quite uneven from time to time. As such it is soon that he asks Bergil for help. He does not feel comfortable to walk down the stairs further on his own. He is thankful that they are alone. If one of the Dúnedain saw this then they would tease him about it for a long time. Unfortunately, his luck does not hold.
Once they reach the bottom of the stairs he can hear a person snickering. Halbarad looks around annoyed by the sound. He wonders who is so amused by this sight. Specifically, he wonders which of the Dúnedain is snickering. It does not take him long to see who it is. He sees Aphadon standing in the shadow. Of course, he would have to see this. Aphadon is the worst person to see him from all the Dúnedain.
"I am glad you see something amusing, Aphadon."
"Of course, Halbarad. Imagine glad that you share my opinion. It is amusing that you need help descending the stairs. You have always been so good at denying aid that it is amusing to see you relying on it."
Halbarad glares at Aphadon's smirk which turns into a glaring match. Halbarad does not find it amusing at all. He needed the help for otherwise, he might have fallen down the stairs. That is not what he did not want to do. Hence why he asked Bergil for help.
As for denying aid in the past, then he always traveled on familiar paths so he knew where to walk. As such he never wanted help. He knew what he should do then. This time it was different. The steps were unfamiliar to him and that is why he asked for aid.
"My lord, shall I bring you to your chamber or shall I accompany you and lord Aphadon?"
Bergil question pulls him and Aphadon out of their glaring match. Silently, Halbarad thanks Bergil for this because their match could otherwise last a long time. Aphadon also calms down so he feels fine in letting Bergil return to the citadel. He thinks that Aphadon and he can get to the houses together. But before telling Bergil that he wants some clarification on the part of the question that confused him.
"I know you were told to guide me back to the houses of healing, Bergil, but I did not think you had to walk me back to my chamber."
"That is what lord Húrin ordered me to do. Did I not tell you that?"
Halbarad has to smile at Bergil's confused look. It is obvious that he did not notice that he forgot to mention something. At least now Bergil has said that which he has forgotten. But he still has to answer Bergil's question which he does not long afterward.
"No, you did not tell me that Bergil."
Bergil's reaction is swift and also expected by Halbarad based on what he knows about Bergil.
"I am sorry, my lord. I truly thought I did tell you. But could you answer my question?"
Halbarad is annoyed that he forgot to answer the question which Bergil asked firstly. Well, he will have to do that right now. Bergil needs his answer so that everyone knows how to continue from here on.
"Of course, Bergil. If you need to walk me back or my room then you can accompany Aphadon and I. But otherwise, you can leave now. Aphadon will see that I get back to my room soon."
As he says this Halbarad looks expectedly at Aphadon. He wants to tell him this way that he expects an answer from him. And soon. He hopes that Aphadon has gotten his message. Not that he has too many doubts. For all that Aphadon teases him and others, he does notice when the situation calls for seriousness. His teasing is mostly to lift the mood or it try and get the more out of a person. Something which he is very good at.
"Of course, young man. I will make sure that this one gets to his room. If you want I will also personally put him in his bed."
Aphadon's smirk irritates him even more. Especially, because it is accompanied by a slab on his shoulder. Halbarad does not like it at all. He did not want this reaction but a serious one. That is also why he irritatedly calls out to his friend while clenching his fists.
"Aphadon!"
"What?"
Aphadon's innocent look does not deter him. He knows full well that he did not give the reaction that was expected. Unfortunately, Halbarad has no idea what he has to do with Aphadon right now. Scolding him will have no effect since it will only fuel Aphadon in his teasing. Ignoring Aphadon's reaction will only fuel his irritation.
"My lord?"
"Yes, Bergil."
He is glad that Bergil addressed him since it pulls him out of his irritated thoughts. This since he now has other things to focus on. Ignoring Aphadon completely might get his message across. Right now, Bergil's decision is what he needs to focus on which he receives not long after his reaction to Bergil's inquiry.
"I was told to guide you to your room. That is what I will do. Thus I will accompany you and lord Aphadon to your room. That way you can walk together and I will still follow my instructions."
"Of course. I left the choice to you so I accept your decision. It is a good comprise, Bergil."
Halbarad smiles as he says this for he finds it a really good decision. Bergil nods in return and then moves to be in front of them. That is when they continue to walk to the houses of healing. Halbarad calmly follows Bergil while Aphadon takes a short while to get moving. This he could tell from the sounds of his boots hurrying over the ground to them. Luckily with the way they came it does not take them long to reach the houses of healing.
Once they enter the house which holds the noble wing, Aphadon catches up to them. Now Halbarad deems it a good time to see if he can learn why Aphadon was outside at this time. Especially, when he notices that Aphadon has calmed down from his amusement. If he could call it that.
"Why were you outside, Aphadon?"
"Oh, I was looking for you, Halbarad. I must admit that you were difficult to find. I had to ask a lot of people to find out where you could be. The only thing I managed to learn is that you went to the garden in the morning and that later the warden talked to you.
That is why I decided to seek out the warden before searching in the garden. I ended up being disappointed. He did not tell me anything about where you were. As such, I decided to check the garden first. I hoped that I would find you there. If I had not found you when I did then I would have waited for you by your room. There you would have returned eventually."
"That is true. I would have returned there. But I would have appreciated it were you to have ambushed me there than where you did. Why were you looking for me?"
Halbarad frowns. He does know why Aphadon would seek him out. For as far as he knows there is nothing they need to talk about urgently. He had hoped for a calm evening. Now he has to admit that he will not get it.
"Can I not see my friend out to spend some time with him?"
"You can but I know you, Aphadon. You do not seek your friends out this late for no good reason. So why did you seek me out."
"Alright, alright. I wanted to discuss some of my worries with you."
"That we can do in my room. I do not want to be overheard. I do want to discuss some of my own worries with you."
Halbarad could clearly tell that there is more than just worries which Aphadon wants to talk about. He knows his friend well enough to tell that from his posture and words.
"Of course. I agree with you that we discuss everything in your room. It would be for the best to not be overheard."
Halbarad can see the relief on Aphadon's face. He has an idea as to what his friend is relieved about. Also, it confirms his earlier observation. Aphadon wants to talk about something which is best to be done in private. Or at least somewhere where the chances of being overheard are slim.
The remainder of the way to Halbarad's room they spend on discussing the other men who stayed in the houses of healing. They discuss their recovery and their mental state. Halbarad is pleased to learn that all are well on their way to recovery. He learns that most are nearly well enough to leave the houses. They only need to stay for a few more days. It means that he needs to find out where they will receive housing. Though he knows that the men will not mind if they have to leave the city and build a camp on the field. They are used to living in the wild or in small villages.
Once they reach his room, Bergil walks with them into the room. There he stands to look a bit lost. To the amusement of Halbarad and Aphadon. But after a short while, they see how Bergil takes a deep breath before addressing them.
"My lords, I will leave you here. I hope you have a good evening. If you need anything then please call one of the healers that are around."
"Of course, Bergil. I hope you too have a good evening."
Bergil bows to them and then leaves the room. Not that they are alone they can discuss what worried Aphadon. Additionally, Halbarad knows that he can also discuss his own worries. But he decides that it is best if Aphadon's worries are discussed first. His are not so much, Halbarad thinks. Aphadon's voice calls him out of his thoughts.
"Well, Halbarad why do you not sit down on your bed. I will go to collect a chair. Then we can discuss all that we have to discuss."
Halbarad nods. It would be best were they both to sit down. The discussions they will have will most likely take quite some time. Sitting down will make everything that much easier. That is why Halbarad walks to his bed and sits down on it. Not much later, Aphadon joins him with a chair.
"Well, what has you worried Aphadon?"
Halbarad decides to simply ask Aphadon to tell him what has him worried. That what he can react to it in a way that will best reassure Aphadon. At least that is what he intends to do.
Additionally, he is aware that he might address his own worry at the same time. If they concern the same subject that is.
Halbarad notices that it takes Aphadon a while to answer. Most likely since Aphadon has to think about how he will state his worry such that he will understand it. But after some time, Aphadon has to have figured it out since he speaks up.
"I am worried about the future if the march turns bad. I do not know how the situation is outside of the city. Not that I know much about the situation in the city since the warden has not allowed me to explore the city. If I could have done that or had been allowed to go with the host then I would have known. I would have known what we could do and what we might face."
"Well, I am worried mostly about Aragorn. Will he be alright after the battle is finished or not? That is what I am most worried about. Also, I worry about how many men will die during the battle. Will there be enough left to keep everyone safe afterward. I am sure that we are both aware that they will not be able to kill every orc in Mordor."
"Then we both worry about the march. But I have to tell you that you are right about one thing. There will be orcs who will survive the battle."
"That is both true. The only thing we can do now is hope for the best. There is little else we can do. I told lord Faramir something similar."
Then it is silent for a short while during which Halbarad and Aphadon think over what has just been discussed. Halbarad is glad that they both worry about the march. Something which is understandable considering that the host will decide the fate for all. That no one in the city can see how it goes adds for the worry that exists in the hearts of men.
Halbarad is certain that it is present even though he has barely had anything contact with the people. In fact, he has only had contact with healers. Not to say that they are unkind. It is simply so that he would have preferred to be in the city among the people instead of here. If only that was possible. Aragorn will be furious if he does it and the warden will never allow it.
He then remembers that Aphadon has something else to discuss with him. At least, he thinks Aphadon does based on an earlier reaction of him. He does not imagine that what they discussed just yet is that which Aphadon does not want to be overheard. As such he needs Aphadon to speak up.
Seeing that Aphadon does not address the matter, Halbarad considers what his options are. One is to wait and let Aphadon come to him with it. Or he can ask Aphadon to tell him what else is bothering him. Considering both options, it quickly becomes clear that the second one is the best. This since then he will certainly receive the most complete answer he can get. Otherwise, it might take him some time to learn about it.
"Aphadon, what else is bothering you? I could clearly notice earlier that something was bothering you."
"Ah yes. You want to know why I wanted to talk to you in private, am I right?"
"Yes, I do want to know that. So do not dance around it and just tell me. I know it he is something important otherwise you would not have insisted on meeting in private."
"You are right about that. But let me first ask you something."
"Of course."
Halbarad is intrigued by this. What could be so important that Aphadon first wants to ask him something? Most likely something that has to do with what is worrying him. Or else Halbarad does not believe that Aphadon would ask him such.
"Do you know how lord Denethor died?"
"No, I do not. But now that you mention it I have not heard about him at all since we are here. I would have thought that people would talk about him after his death. But to not do that. I wonder what could have happened that the people do not talk about it. Do you know anything about it?"
Halbarad does not understand why Aphadon addresses just that. Why would that have him worried? It is true that it is worrying that the people do not talk about lord Denethor. It is normal that they talk about a lord who died. Always it is discussed what kind of lord this person has been as well as what they have to thank him for. This he knows from his own experience.
But why worries Aphadon so much, Halbarad does not understand. It does not make sense to him. It is not as if Aphadon has not heard about the circumstances surrounding lord Denethor's death. Or has he not heard about it before? It could be a reason as to why Aphadon is worried. But right now, he has to determine if it is what worries Aphadon.
"I have heard stories about the way lord Denethor died. They quite horrified me to listen to. I did try to talk to some healers about it to confirm whether what I heard is true or not. Unfortunately, they refused to tell me anything. It appears as if there is a ban on discussing it."
Now he knows for certain that it is the way lord Denethor died that has Aphadon worried. He wonders what the people say how lord Denethor died. Do they tell the truth? Or has there been some fake story made up? Halbarad knows the truth since Aragorn has told him how lord Denethor died before he left. Well, there is only one way to find out what Aphadon has heard.
"What have you heard, Aphadon?"
He receives a suspicious look from Aphadon. It is clear that Aphadon suspects something. Most likely that he knows the true story or part of it. His question confirms his own suspicions.
"You know something, do you not?"
"Yes, I do. But right now I would like to know what you have heard. That way I can tell if you know the truth or not."
"Alright, I will tell you what I heard. Just so you know I am glad to have found someone who knows the truth. Aragorn told you, did he not?"
After he nods, Aphadon tells him what he has heard.
"I heard that lord Denethor died by burning himself alive. But not before he tried to burn his own son. From what I have heard he was stopped by a guard, a halfling and Mithrandir. Right now the guard is suspended because he has broken the law. At least that is what I heard.
I am actually glad that the guard has not been jailed since that is the normal thing that happens to lawbreakers. But all that does not explain why lord Denethor did what he did. But more importantly, what does it say about his son who is now the ruling steward?"
"I do not know why lord Denethor did what he did. All I know is that madness took lord Denethor at that time. I have interacted with Lord Faramir, the son of Lord Denethor, and he appears to sane to me. You have also interacted with him when I was brought to this room."
"So that was lord Faramir is. But still, you should have taken one of us with you when you met him."
"Do you think that I will be harmed here. Do not be absurd, Aphadon."
Halbarad is annoyed that Aphadon would think that he could be in danger here. The houses are well guarded. But more importantly, he does not believe that Lord Faramir is in danger of losing his mind as Aphadon fears. He appears fully sane to him but a bit worried about the future. As well as worried how well he will be able to do his duty. Both are understandable concerns to him.
At the same time, he sees how Aphadon bows his head in surrender. It is clear to him that Aphadon accepts the fact that he is not worried about lord Faramir. Not worried for the current time hit for the future.
It does not take long before he sees a frown appearing on Aphadon's face. He has an idea what Aphadon is confused about. He suspects that it is to do with Aphadon's previous search for him. Aphadon must be wondering where he was.
"From where did you come, Halbarad, when Bergil guided you down those stairs?"
"Where I was? That is an interesting story."
Well, now he knows for certain that he was right in his assumption about Aphadon the reason for Aphadon to frown just yet. Or just tells him that he knows his friend well. Well enough that he can predict him.
Looking at Aphadon he can see how he is looking attentively at him. The curious look in Aphadon's eyes tells him that Aphadon is really interested in knowing where he was. That he called it an interesting story will have contributed to it. That is certain.
The silence that falls, Halbarad used to think about how he will best explain where he was. He decides, after some careful consideration, that it is best, to begin with, explaining from where he came. That will ensure that Aphadon can learn as much as he wants about his meeting and also as much as he can give him. Not that he thinks that there are many matters which he cannot discuss with him. So that is when he decides to answer Aphadon's question.
"I came back from a meeting with Lord Húrin and the master archivist of Minas Tirith. They wanted to learn all they could of Aragorn from me."
Now he has to wait to see what Aphadon wants to know first. Does he first want to know who lord Húrin is or what the meeting is about?
"There are two things that I would like to have explained. Let us start with who this lord Húrin is? I have never heard of him before."
"I am not surprised for before the meeting I had never heard of him either. But what I learned is that Lord Húrin is an elderly man who seems to currently rule Gondor in Lord Faramir stead. We both know that it is difficult to rule when one is injured or sick."
"That is true. That is certainly difficult to do. It was to be expected that someone temporary looks after the matters of state while Lord Faramir recovers from his injuries."
Halbarad nods in answer. He waits for Aphadon to continue. He knows that Aphadon will continue for he seems to be thinking about something. It does not take long for Aphadon to explain what he was thinking about.
"What you told me, Halbarad, means that you met with Lord Faramir's representation. Something which will only be in effect so long as Lord Faramir is not allowed to leave the houses nor to assume his duties. It will also mean that lord Húrin must be keeping lord Faramir informed so that he knows what is going on once he actually takes on his duty."
"You are right in that, Aphadon. But there is one thing I do not know. That is how often lord Faramir and lord Húrin meet. As such I cannot tell you when lord Faramir will learn about the meeting."
"Well, that is something which we will most likely never learn. So I will see if I can learn anything about it. But we have at least cleared up who lord Húrin is."
"Cleared up for you, yes. You do not need to look into it. When they meet is of no concern to me."
It is a nice offer but as Halbarad has said when they meet does not concern him. He has no need to know when they meet for matters of Gondor's rule do not concern him. He was asked to look after lord Faramir but it does not mean that he needs to know what lord Faramir does at any time of the day. Nor with whom he meets. If a meeting concerns him then he will learn it during one of their garden meetings.
Halbarad has decided already that he will seek lord Faramir out every morning in the garden. If lord Faramir comes to the garden that is. He will not actively seek him out for he does not want to raise any suspicions. Where he to do so then he would surely raise suspicions with someone. And that is not what he intends to do.
"What is the other thing you would like to know, Aphadon?"
"I would like to know why you met with lord Húrin as well as why you did not inform me about it?"
"That is not one thing, Aphadon. That are two."
Halbarad laughs silently and shakes his head. Aphadon he sees shrugging his shoulders. Both know that he is not upset by it but merely amused. Which he shows by the reaction he gives to Aphadon's question.
"What would you have done had you had I informed you about the meeting?"
"I would have accompanied you there and either attended the meeting with you or waited for you outside the room. But you have not answered my question yet."
"Alright, I did not inform you because I did not know that I would have a meeting when we met beforehand. I only learned of it when the warden informed me about it. Also, I could hardly seek you out when I learned about it for I did not know where you were. Not had I the time for it. The warden guided me to the meeting as soon as I consented to it."
"That must have been frustrating for you, right? But when did you learn why they wanted to learn with you?"
"Oh, it was frustrating. Luckily once I arrived at the meeting lord Húrin informed me about the reason he requested to meet me. He wanted to learn all he could about Aragorn."
Halbarad can see the amusement clearly on Aphadon's face. What it is about Halbarad does not know for certain. Even though he has some ideas as to what amuses Aphadon. As he knows how Aphadon will be if he gets even more amused, Halbarad decides to quell it. To do that he decides to explain everything that was discussed during the meeting he has with lord Húrin.
His explanation has a mixed success for there are matters that amuse Aphadon greatly. One of them is the thought that the master of protocol might seek him out to question him. Another is the thought that Aragorn will be pressured into getting an heir soon. Everything else either does not amuse him or not as much.
Afterward, Aphadon asks him about his meeting with Lord Faramir. Halbarad suspects it has to do with Aphadon trying to determine what kind of man Faramir is. And also what they could have had to discuss. This knowledge, Halabarad is certain about, will aid Aphadon in any information gathering that he needs to do or intends to do. Aphadon will then know what he can question him about and what not. Not that he feels a great need for Aphadon to gather information.
Halbarad does tell Aphadon what Faramir and he talked about. He sees no need to keep matters secret for there was no sensitive matter discussed. It was all matters that concern Faramir personally or concern his duty. This knowledge does manage to fully calm Aphadon down.
"You did right in the way you treated lord Faramir, Halbarad. It will have eased his concerns as I am sure you also know. He will not know that you treated him in a similar manner as we do treat young men in the villages."
"No, he did not know that. But I actually treated him in a similar manner as Aragron and I were treated in the past. As well as how I treat my own children."
After that silence falls over the room for some time. It gives both men the time to consider everything they just learned. Or in Halbarad's case, everything that has been discussed. It has been more interesting than he suspected beforehand. The silence lasts until Aphadon breaks it.
"Good night, Halbarad."
"Good night, Aphadon."
With that Aphadon stands up and leaves the room. Now Halbarad finally has found the peace he was looking for before he met with Aphadon in the garden. He now intends to go over everything that has happened today. Or at least those matters which he has not been able to consider earlier. Unfortunately, before he can do so, Halbarad falls asleep.
A few hours after his meeting with princess Éowyn, Faramir walks back to his room. He considers how he might learn more about her for he is still intrigued by her. During his meeting with princess Éowyn, he was not able to learn a lot about her. He could only learn that which she said and hinted at. Nothing more. And as expected there was no one around who could give him the answers he seeks. The answers he was looking for after she left.
Suddenly, he is reminded that master Neston must know something about her. Maybe from him, he can learn more. Even if it is not a lot that master Neston can explain to him. All bits will help him learn more about princess Éowyn. As such he decides that he needs to find a way to meet with master Neston.
Looking around the hallway for he has not yet reached his room, Faramir sees an apprentice walking in his direction. He smiles to himself. Now he knows how he will be able to get master Neston to meet with him.
The only thing left now is to request the apprentice to summon master Neston to his room. As such he stops walking and waits for the apprentice to reach him. This way they will not cross each other to fast for him to address the apprentice. Also, it will not do for him to speak loudly in this hall. Master Neston and the other healers will not appreciate it. Knowing how stressed they must now be, Faramir refuses to add to it.
Soon the apprentice reaches him and he sees that it is a young maiden. He reaches for her arm and once she is close enough he grabs it.
"Mistress, would you please summon the warden to my room?"
"As you wish, my lord steward. Is there anything I ought to tell him as to why you require his presence?"
"Only that I have some questions that I hope he can answer."
"Yes, my lord. I will tell him that. I am certain that he will meet with you as soon as possible."
He smiles at her in thanks. Then she bows to him and leaves. He sees her walking along the hallway towards the area he knows the offices are. He suspects that she goes that way in search of master Neston. Once she has realized his request to master Neston then she will resume that what she was doing when he intercepted her. Now he only needs to wait for master Neston to arrive at his room. As he needs to be there, Faramir walks towards his room.
Soon he arrives at his room and waits for the warden to arrive. As he needs to spend his time doing something and does not want to spend it on his own thoughts, Faramir looks around the room. He is pleasantly surprised to find a book lying in the table. It is a book which he recognizes instantly. This book he was reading before he left to retake Osgiliath. He quickly decides to continue with reading it and thus picks it up.
Around an hour later, Faramir is disturbed by a knock on his door. A door he has not noticed was closed. Well, he must have closed it after entering the room. Hoping it is master Neston, he grants the person on the other side permission to enter his room.
"Enter!"
As he suspected it is master Neston who enters the room. He sees how the master is looking worriedly at him. Not a real surprise for him. His request was not specific so master Neston must be wondering what he could possibly have questions about.
"My lord, I was told that you have questions. How can I help you?"
Faramir knows that even though the questions have been asked neutrally there are unsaid parts to it. Aspects he can detect since he knows master Neston well. The frown on his face serves actually to confirm the presence of unsaid parts.
One of those parts is the question of him having questions pretending his wounds. Another would be wondering if he wants to know who else is in the houses. Those people who he has not seen or heard about before. Both not surprising but in this case wrong.
"I was wondering if you could tell me more about the princess Éowyn?"
That she has been intriguing him ever since the meeting, Faramir refuses to mention. It is not something that master Neston needs to know about.
"I know some things about her. But there is someone present in the houses who knows her better than I do. He came with her to our aid and is recovering here from his own wounds. If you agree then I will summon him to your room."
"That would be appreciated, master Neston."
"Is there anything else we can aid you with, my lord?"
"Yes, actually there is one matter. Princess Éowyn requested to have a room with a view to the east. I know that there are rooms with such a view free in the noble wing. As such, I was wondering if she could have one of those rooms assigned to her?"
He knows better than to order master Neston to give her such a room. In the houses of healing, he rules and a steward or other noble has to accept it. They can only make a request which he decides if he grants them. Now he hopes that he will grant his request else he will have to disappoint princess Éowyn. Something which he does not like to do since he wants to get to know her better. It would not work to his benefit.
"She did ask me the same thing, my lord. I brought her to you in the hope that you could talk her out, is it? Nothing good comes of watching to the east. Especially if one does so for quite some time."
"I understand, master Neston. But you did not answer my question."
"Díheno nin. It is true that there are enough rooms with a view as the princess requested. I will make the arrangements that she can move into then as soon as possible."
Master Neston then bows to him and leaves the room. He is glad that master Neston has granted his request. Still, he has the impression that he did so reluctantly. Not that he will mind but it is something to remember. By remembering it he will ensure that he will not upset master Neston more than he will be right now and for some time.
Faramir knows that he needs to wait a while before the person who master Neston will send to him will be here. He wonders who it is but knows that he will know it once the person arrived. He knows too little about the princess to know who would know her well. Besides, he will meet with this person to learn about princess Éowyn.
Knowing all that he decides to go back to reading his book. With a little luck, he will be able to finish the book before the person arrives. He is reading for about thirty minutes when he hears a knock on the door. Well, knock? Not really a knock for he nearly missed it. It is not a very loud sound but not as soft as a child would knock be and not as loud as an adult would knock. This intrigues him for he wonders who master Neston has could send who would knock in such a way.
"Enter!"
When the door opens Faramir puts his book away. He has nearly finished it for he has only a few pages left to read. He put the book away because he wants to see who knocks. As such he looks to the door when it opens. In the opening, he sees a familiar shape appearing. It is the shape of a Perian that he sees. Is this the person master Neston said he would send to him?
"Hello, my lord. I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck but you should just call me Merry. The warden told me that you want to know about Éowyn. He thought I could tell you that. So what do you want to know about her?
Well, that confirms his suspicion that this is the person master Neston send to him. He smiles at Merry for he appreciates the directness with which Merry talks to him. It reminds him of how his men act around him. Well, they are a bit more polite than Merry but he does not mind. It is refreshing considering the way he will be addressed by the lords once he takes up his duties as steward.
But as they the name Merry. He has heard it before. Thinking about it he remembers from who he knows the name. Namely from Pippin. It has him smiling again because he knows that he will enjoy their conversation immensely.
Once he explains what he wants to know about princess Éowyn, Merry tells him all that he has to know. Due to Merry's words, it is as if he starts to get to know her really well. They talk till the evening. Only then do they say goodbye to each other and rest for the night.
Translations:
Díheno nin: forgive me