Chapter 14.

I don't own Lord of the Rings, or the song "Not While I'm Around" from the Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street movie.

It was a cold morning early that winter. I was walking with Finduilas and young Boromir, and we were laughing and joking about better times, before she became so ill. It was so close to the end of the year, I was beginning to hope that Tolkien had been wrong about her death. She seemed to be doing much better, and she was able to take small walks now and then. I had hold of one of her arms, and it was just like any other day. She even seemed better than before.

And then she fainted, and I struggled to keep her from hitting her head against the ground.

"Finduilas? Finduilas!" I lightly shook her and put a hand on her forehead. "She's cold. Boromir, go get help, get your father!"

Those few minutes that it took for Boromir, Denethor, and healers to arrive felt like an eternity to me. Finduilas was coming in and out of conciousness, mumbling on about me taking care of her babies, about wanting to see them one last time.

This couldn't be happening, she was doing so well!

Tears welled up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I had to remain strong. She was carried to her bed, and the healers announced that there was nothing they could do, that it was only a matter of time.

Denethor sat hunched over by her bedside, holding her hands, whispering his goodbyes to her. Faramir was cuddled up against her side, and Boromir stood quietly to the side, his eyes never leaving his mother. I knew that he was trying to remain strong, so I put an arm around him and gave him an encouraging smile.

Before we knew it, she was gone.

Denethor was silent for a moment, brushing the hair out of his dead wife's face. He held her to his chest as he wept for his lost love, and Faramir began to cry out for his mother to wake up. Boromir just stood, a few tears straying out of his eyes, but not allowing himself to seem weak.

Faramir tried to embrace his father for comfort, but Denethor pushed him back and shouted. "Get him out of my sight!"

Stunned, Faramir stopped crying to stare at his father with wide eyes. Boromir's reaction was quite similar.

"Leave!" His father continued, still hanging his head over his dead wife.

"Boromir, take Faramir into the other room." I was furious. No father should treat his child so. Boromir did as I asked, and I stared at Denethor with angry eyes. "What are you doing, Denethor?" Despite my anger, I knew better than to raise my voice to a grieving Denethor.

"It's his fault... Finduilas was just fine before he came along!" He'd gone mad in his sadness.

"He's your son, Denethor..."

"He is no son of mine!"

I allowed myself to calm down before speaking again.

"Do you not see what you are doing? That child in there," I pointed to the room where his sons were. "Is your son. Finduilas would not want this, she loved Faramir..."

"Do not pretend that you know what you speak of, and do not act like you knew my wife, for you clearly did not." His voice was full of anger. "That child is the reason that my wife now lays dead!"

"She was weak, Denethor." I couldn't help but raise my voice slightly. "Her body was not made for bearing children. Be happy that she bore you two sons and lived as long as she did! You can not treat your son like this!"

"And who are you to command me? You, the whore of the horse king? You have absolutely no authority here. You'd better learn to watch your tongue when speaking to your superiors."

"Superior? Don't make me laugh, Denethor. If you must take your anger out on someone, then let that person be me, I do not care. Finduilas's death is a loss to everyone, and I understand that you are upset. But there is absolutely no reason to take it out on your children! And as for me being a 'whore,' I suggest that you take your own advice and speak naught of things you do not know."

"Get out..." He glared at me with hate. "Get out! I want you out of my city by nightfall!"

I knew that there was no arguing with a mad man, so I turned to leave. When I reached the door I stopped and looked back at my old friend. "I forgive you for your words, Denethor. If you ever want it, you have my friendship. Farewell." I knew that the only way I could ever look after Faramir was if he forgave me, so I couldn't leave in a bitter manner.

I didn't find out until many years later that Boromir had heard my entire argument with his father.

Walking straight to Faramir, I took him in my arms and began to whisper-sing one of my favorite songs.

"Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around..." It was from Sweeney Todd, and I always found it very sweet, no matter how depressing the movie is.

"Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around. Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays... I'll send them howling, I don't care, I got ways..."

Boromir took a step closer with tear filled eyes.

"No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle I'll be there. Demons can charm you with a smile, for a while, but in time... Nothing can harm you, not while I'm around..." I stopped singing there and gave the child a tight squeeze.

"I'll always be here for you if you need me." With a small smile I got up and turned to Boromir. "Take care of him, you're all he's got." With a hug I left the room.

I walked to the stables and took one look at the horse I was to ride back to Rohan. Yepp. Not gonna happen.

"Need some help?" Aragorn's voice came to my ears and I spun around.

"Really? I was expecting Gandalf." Flashing him a wide smile I flung my arms around his neck and gave him a big hug.

He laughed. "I'm sure I can arrange for him to come get you, if it would please you."

"No! I missed you far more, and you are a far better traveling companion than he is."

Aragorn took my bags and tied them to the horse. "So what trouble did you get yourself into this time? All that Gandalf told me was that I must take you back to Rohan. He would have done so himself, but he was not in the mood for another lecture on smoking."

Good old Gandalf. Maybe he's not too bad.

"I yelled at the steward and laughed when he suggested that he was my superior."

"And you still have your head? How did you manage that?"

"He and I are good friends, and he has not forgotten that. He is just grieving over the loss of his wife. She passed on today..."

Aragorn stopped adjusting the saddle to look at me. "I am so sorry, Jane. It must be hard for you..."

With a shrug I let Aragorn help me onto the saddle, and he climbed up behind me. "I'm used to people dying by now."

"That's not the type of thing anyone can get used to. You needn't try to be strong, Jane. You are already far stronger than any other woman I know. It is alright to cry, you know."

Oh, and did I want to cry. Instead, I shook my head.

"I can't let things hold me down. I've got a whole lot of death still in front of me. I'll be okay."

He didn't believe me, but he remained silent. When we stopped for camp he brought back a deer for us to eat.

"Uhh... Aragorn, do you have any fruit or bread? I'm afraid that I couldn't bring myself to eat something that looks just like Bambi."

I'd told him the story of Bambi back when we first traveled to Rohan. That set him off of deer for at least a week.

"I knew you'd say something about it." He tossed me an apple from his bag and smiled. "You're too predictable."

"Maybe to you, but you've known me far too long."

"Aye, what I wouldn't give to go back to the older days." He was polite enough to gut the deer behind a rock so I wouldn't throw up. We'd already learned that lesson the hard way. "Do you enjoy life in Rohan?" He asked from behind the rock.

It's funny, because it had been so long since he and I had been able to just sit and talk so casually. Yet somehow we remained just as close as ever. In a way, the absence had brought us closer.

"I do. It's rather lonely lately, though. All of my old friends have either died or have been married and moved away. Those remaining friends of mine are always busy, so I have been finding myself alone quite often."

"Do you miss Rivendell?"

"Very much. Especially my piano. They don't have one at Meduseld."

Aragorn remained silent for a moment. "What would you say to returning to Rivendell? With me?"

"I promised Finduilas that I would somehow look after Faramir. Plus, I couldn't leave Edoras. Theoden would be heartbroken." I didn't really wish to return to Rivendell just yet. I knew that a time would come for that, a time once everyone else has died.

"I understand." He came out from behind the rock with a chunk of meat. "Rest, Jane. You're not used to riding a horse. You'll be sore in the morning."