"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!"
"Hail!" everyone cried; before taking hearty swigs from their tankards. After the honour to the dead was done and all were once again seated chattering broke out and, finally, laughter. Lianna was seated amongst the Fellowship; Aragorn across from her, Boromir at her right, Legolas at her left and Gimli next to Aragorn. The Hobbits were elsewhere – they had decided the more beer they could drink the better and so had stationed themselves near the mead casket at the first opportunity.
Although Lianna wanted nothing more than to enjoy the celebration and the momentary peace and security attached to it she knew there was something which had to be done before Minas Tirith. She had to speak with Boromir about the Ring. It ran between them as a river – widening all the time and causing her, despite her every instinct, to doubt him. The doubt was small but there was room for no misgivings – of any size, in such a time.
"Boromir," she murmured once Éowyn had drawn Aragorn into conversation and Legolas and Gimli had moved off to begin some form of drinking game, "May I speak with you?" he frowned before replying smilingly,
"You have no need to ask." He then waited expectantly for her to speak.
"I am sorry – I mean in private." He tilted his head slightly before nodding and rising, waiting for her to do the same, before following her from the Hall. She led him outside and then leaned against the wall, eyes closed, allowing the cool night breeze to calm her.
"What is it you wish to speak of?" she opened her eyes to see he was much closer than when her eyes had closed. "For there is something I wish to say, Lianna, and..." he was very close now and she knew if she did not begin now then she would not have the chance to speak at all.
"Boromir," she began, "What I must ask you is of the utmost importance. Do you understand? You must be completely honest with me." He frowned and she sensed worry begin to creep into his mind.
"Of course." He replied, his tone light despite the furrows in his brow.
"When we go to Minas Tirith we shall have to challenge your father. You must be ready to join us in that – I know he is your parent and it will not be easy but..."
"You doubt my loyalty?" he asked gently. She was not sure whether he was offended or not as his face was guarded from all emotion. She decided the best approach would be direct.
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Boromir? Concerning your father? Concerning the Ring?" He visibly started at her mention of the Ring. She saw his eyes leave her face and find the ground before darting upwards again. Behind them she could still hear the noise from those inside the Hall and yet she barely registered the sound. She was holding her breath as she waited for his answer...
"No." He replied. She felt disappointment well within her. She would have to draw it from him then – something which she had feared from the moment they had left the Hall.
"Please, Boromir, do not..."
"Do you call me a liar?" his tone was sharp and she could not pretend she was not shocked by it. He had not spoken to her in such a manner since the Ring had left them with Frodo.
"You are not..." she hesitated. She could not say he was not a liar. He was indeed lying to her. Yet those words were so harsh. "...you are hiding something from me." She finished quietly.
"Lianna if you doubt me, if you doubt my intention and my loyalty, then say so. Otherwise I have nothing more to add." He stepped back and she thought he would move away, turn and leave before she was finished, so she reached out and grabbed his arm, replying quickly,
"I am a Seer Boromir! You too easily forget it! I know there is something you have hidden from me since the day we met and all I wish for you to do is to admit it to me. If you are ashamed then..."
"Ashamed!" he growled. She could have hit herself for her choice of wording.
"Not...that is..."
"No, Lianna, I have done nothing to be ashamed of. You may be a Seer but that does not mean you are entitled to enter my mind at any given time!"
"I did not!" she exclaimed defensively. "I Saw it – though I did not wish to. I Saw you, with your father in Osgiliath, I heard him tell you of the Ring, I heard him ask you..."
"Do not say it!" he barked. He shook her hand from him and took several steps back. "I would not have done it," he continued, "Despite his wishes I would not..."
"No?" she interrupted. She was beginning to become hysterical now. Of all the reactions she had anticipated this was not one of them. He was angry, she could both see and feel it, and despite herself she too was approaching rage.
"Tell me, Boromir, if I had not been there, at Amon Hen, to stop you from taking the Ring from Frodo...would you have taken it still?" There was silence between them. She knew the answer he wished to give and yet she also knew the truth.
"No." He replied finally.
"Lies!" she exclaimed. "Do you see now why, despite every feeling in my entire being, I fear I must doubt you? You lie to me and then lie again and you show no remorse in doing so..."
"I..." he began.
"NO! No Boromir. If I had not been there you would have taken the Ring, it would have consumed you completely and you would have made sure it reached Gondor. There Gondor would have become a power for evil and Middle Earth would have been lost. You know it as well as I!"
Her heavy breathing and that of revellers inside were the only sounds that permeated the night. He was staring at her as if he had never seen her before and a part of her wished she had never broached the subject. Yet...Middle Earth was more important than anyone – even him. She had to know his loyalty, she had to...
"Could you have not let this one thing lay where it fell?" he murmured, "Could you have not, in this one instance, have trusted me?" She bit her lip. She could feel tears in her eyes and wished them away. She didn't want to seem weak.
"However I feel about you, Boromir, as a Seer I have a responsibility. I had to know...I have to know still. I must be able to trust you implicitly. How can I do that when you lie to me?" He said nothing and, after a moment, turned sharply and strode away into the night. Part of her wished to go after him and yet she knew he needed time. Following would only lead to another confrontation and she had not the energy.
Turning slowly she dashed the fallen tears from her cheeks, took a deep breath and then re-entered the Hall. She saw the Hobbits dancing and singing atop a table, Gimli laying drunk on the floor with a seemingly completely sober Legolas standing beside him, Aragorn keeping to the outskirts of the room occasionally conversing and Éowyn...
Éowyn was watching Aragorn. Lianna saw the woman's eyes follow the Ranger endlessly, rarely falling upon anything else, and she felt her heart constrict for the woman of Rohan. She no doubt had no idea that Aragorn's heart belonged to another. She saw the Ranger move over to Gandalf and, after a moment's pause, she joined them.
"What does your heart tell you?" she looked questioningly to the men and, after a moment, Gandalf replied,
"That Frodo is alive." Aragorn nodded, patted Lianna on the shoulder, and then moved away back to the shadows. Lianna moved closer to Gandalf and murmured,
"He is alive. I think I felt him – so weakly I was not sure it was true – yet I think it was. Not three days ago. I felt a surge of...fear and then peace. Then nothing more - though I have kept myself open." Gandalf nodded to her before smiling gently and replying,
"I fear Galadriel's gift is receiving little use." Lianna thought longingly of her necklace. If she had been wearing it more then perhaps she would not have seen Boromir and his father and then perhaps...
"I have to See or else we could miss things." she replied. Gandalf nodded and then leaned in and whispered into her ear,
"Is Seeing that which has caused tears to redden your eyes?" She instinctively put a hand up to her eyes before lowering it and replying,
"Inadvertently." When she said no more Gandalf probed gently,
"Boromir?" she nodded and hesitated a moment before replying,
"I saw something which caused me to doubt...yet I think I should not have doubted him. These times, this life...it is causing me to become paranoid. I doubt where once I would not have thought to doubt and fear where once I knew none." She felt Gandalf's hand on her shoulder.
"Go speak with him. He will wish it – though he may not know it himself yet." She thought a moment before nodding. "Good," Gandalf said when she turned to smile slightly at him, "Always sleep with clear air around you Lianna. Never rest upon such an argument – especially not with one whom you are so close to."
She found him seated upon the ground staring out across the landscape. She left some space between them before murmuring,
"May I sit with you?" he did not look back but she heard him reply,
"As you wish." She moved to sit beside him, flattening the skirt of the dress Éowyn had given her for the celebration, leaving enough space between them so that he would not feel she were pressing in on him.
"I'm sorry I doubted you," she said into the night, not looking at him as she spoke, "Yet I cannot apologise for asking you of your intention. You must understand Boromir that for me Seeing something like that...it is difficult sometimes for me to know what to do."
He said nothing and she dug her fingers into the ground, trying not to break the silence with rambling words made of nothing of importance. It was his choice. He must make the same effort she had – or else there was truly nothing to be done.
"My father," he said eventually, "Is not a kind man – especially not to my brother. He became more exacting after my mother died; constantly wanting Faramir and I to prove ourselves. The Ring..." he paused. She knew how difficult it was for him to speak of it. He had come so close to darkness. "He asked me to bring it to him and although in my heart I knew it was not right I agreed. I thought he was doing what was best for Gondor. Yet I see now it was greed and the wish for power which drove him." She reached out tentatively and placed a hand on his arm. He did not push her away and yet said nothing.
"Why did you not tell me?" she asked quietly.
"I feared your reaction. I feared you would hate me for not telling you of my prior knowledge of the Ring and my father's intention," he paused before finishing quickly, "I think too highly of you to wish for your thoughts of me to be so stained with treachery."
"Not highly enough to think I would not forgive you for your father's mistake." He turned to look at her now and she was glad to see no trace of his earlier anger. He simply seemed tired. She shifted closer and he opened his arm, allowing her to press herself to his side. Until she felt the warmth of his body she had not realised that she was cold and the remembrance of the temperature caused her to shiver.
"You are cold?" he asked, pulling his cloak wider so its edge wrapped around her as well as him. She placed her head upon his chest, shifting it three, four, five times until she found what she was listening for.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Listening for your heartbeat," she whispered in return. She allowed the gentle thudding to fill her mind for a few moments before murmuring, "My mother once told me that when she was worried or afraid she would lay her head upon my father's chest and listen to the rhythm of his heart. Its constancy has something...reassuring about it." She closed her eyes and continued, "It reminds me of safety and that, in turn, reminds me of home."
"Lossarnach?" he breathed in return. She nodded before adding,
"I'm in my bed and a ray of light is falling across my face. I can hear Gal singing before the house – he's chopping wood outside though it is barely dawn. In the kitchen mother is humming along to the same tune Gal is singing as she prepares breakfast. I slip out of bed and go into the kitchen and she's there..." Lianna's voice faltered for a moment before she continued, "...just as she used to be. Her hair is down and she is so very beautiful – despite her simple clothes and the line of dirt on her face; probably from picking some herbs from the garden. She kisses me on the brow and wishes me good morning and then calls Gal. He comes in and I feel so proud of him – he has grown to be so strong and resilient. We all sit and eat and talk..." she stopped, tears stopping her speech altogether as she gently began to sob.
"Hush," Boromir whispered, his hand stroking her hair lightly and his chin upon her head. "Though they are gone they feel no pain - nor fear now. Take comfort from that."
"I try not to think of them," she muttered, her voice thick with sorrow, "For I know I have responsibilities which mean I cannot dwell on the sadness of the past. Yet still...I miss them so much. Every morning I wake up and expect to hear their voices and every night, in that time between wakefulness and sleep, I see their faces." She pressed her own face into his chest and breathed deeply, stopping herself from breaking down completely. He said nothing, merely continuing to stroke her hair. Finally she pulled back and smiled weakly at him.
"I'm sorry, I just..." she tailed off, her eyes instantly drawn back to the Hall. The torches there were no longer burning and the faint voices of revellers had gone. Boromir and she must have been outside for some time. Yet...
"Something is wrong," she murmured, staggering to her feet. Boromir quickly followed as she made a hesitant step towards the Hall before stopping. "There is a darkness moving...changing its..." she stopped once again before taking in a sharp breath, "The Eye." She finished. "The Eye is changing that which upon it has been focused. Its vision moves here. There is something drawing it, someone is..." She stopped dead before feeling the most intense fear she had ever experience fall upon her. She grabbed Boromir's hand and began dragging him back to the Hall.
"What's happening?" he asked her, trying to stop her and get her to face him. Lianna turned and grabbed his other hand, pulling him still as she said the words she had hoped never to have to speak.
"He is here."