The long wait

by 4gardiean

Halbarad has been left behind in Minas Tirith when the host leaves for Morannon. While there he meets Faramir, the current steward of Gondor, who is also recovering from his injuries and has been left behind. Now they have to wait to see how the march will turn out. See how they spend their time.

20. Chapter 20

"Good afternoon, Princess, my lords. What has brought you to my humble camp."

Éowyn huffs. She is not amused by the man's words. Faramir looks to his side and sees Lord Halbarad frowning. He feels the same as they do about the man. The man has no reason to call this camp his for it belongs to the prisoners. Keeping an eye on the man, he finally registers what the man looks like. The man has blond hair and blue eyes. The man has a full beard which looks unkempt. The man wears Rohirrim armor and weapons. But not only Rohirrim weapons, but the man also wears weapons of unknown made.

The man does not seem troubled by the reaction he got. His face stays neutral except for an occasional grin. Of the man is troubled then Faramir knows the man does not show it. As no one is responding, Faramir decides he will answer the man's question.

"We came to see the progress made for ourselves. So far, we have learned from captain Berior what has been going on. Right now, we would like to see a few camps up close. We would like to know what kind of people live here."

Faramir sees how the eyes man who greeted them widen. The man turns his head away. It is clear as if the man does not know how to respond. Something he does not understand. As such, Faramir does not understand the man's reaction. Still, it is clear to him the man struggles with forming a response.

While the man struggles to find a way to respond, Faramir looks at the camp. From where they are now, he can see but few people moving around. Of those, nearly all are guards. So where are the prisoners?

Sighing, he decides it is better to discuss how things are in this camp. He hopefully will learn this way were the prisoners are. After learning the name of the overseer, that is.

"You are the overseer of this camp, am I right?"

"Yes, my lord, I am the overseer of this camp. My name is Wald."

Faramir hides his smile and keeps his face neutral. Knowing the overseer is named Wald will make the coming conversation much easier. But it is not what nearly caused had him smiling. He found it amusing how Wald sounded. Wald deems being the overseer of a prisoner camp a highly important occupation. He does not agree. Hiding his next sigh into a cough, he decides to ask about the state of the camp.

"Wald, can you tell me how things are in this camp."

Wald scratched the back of his head. Faramir frowns. Why does Wald do this? Wald should have expected this question, should he not? Maybe Éowyn will know. But he cannot ask her until later. So for now, he will have to be patient with receiving responses from Wald.

While waiting, he sees how Wald is deep in thoughts. It reinforces what he thought earlier. Still, considering what he knows about Rohirrim, Wald speaks the common tongue better than most Rohirrim. At the same time, he pays close attention to Wald. As such, he is certain they will soon receive a response when Wald raises his head.

"Well? Well, things are calm now. When we came here first there was a struggle. We had to punish a few as they were resisting. They resisted even after having surrendered and ridden with us back here to the camp."

Wald sounds annoyed. But what to expect. Their authority was not yet enforced. And what does he mean with punishment? Was it more like a beating? Shaking his head, Faramir decides to leave it how it is. It is not the most important matter right now. That is —.

"What happened that made them resist you all of a sudden?"

Faramir nods to show his agreement with Éowyn. He fully agrees with her question. Something must have happened. Else, the events do not make sense. So what happened? It is the most important matter at this time. And a question only Wald can answer. He tilts his head and hopes it will motivate Wald to answer soon. He does not have to wait much longer before Wald answers.

"Well, we saw a woman coming to us. Fram grabber her only to discover she is a fierce woman. She did not like it and fought back. She and Fram struggle for a while before she managed to knock Fram to the ground. This prompted the men to fight us. We had to struggle to defend ourselves."

Silence falls. Faramir has his doubts about the men's need to defend themselves. The prisoners had to surrender their weapons. It makes defending themselves not too difficult. So what is Wald trying to achieve? A huff has him turning his head. Éowyn looks annoyed at Wald. What has upset her? Before he can so much as contemplate what could have upset her, she smiles. He frowns and gets the suspicion it concerns the woman. But how it correlates, he does not know.

"Well, I do not fault the woman for fighting back. I would have done the same. Just like all the women from the Mark. You, Wald, would have expected it from your female kin. Just like you would have tried to defend her. Or at least aid her. So do not fault the men for doing the same as you would have done."

"Yes, Princess. I apologize for not thinking about it."

"No! You need to apologize to the woman and the men. Not to me. Never to me! You did not wrong me but them. As for not thinking about it, I am certain you were not thinking at all. I have heard about your reputation."

"Princess —"

"You know full well your Princess speaks the truth. You need to apologize to those you have wronged. The prisoners. Not your princess who only now learned about it."

"Thank you, Lord Halbarad. I appreciate your aid but I could have handled him on my own."

Lord Halbarad smiles amused and does not seem to be affected by Éowyn's annoyance. Her reaction amuses him while he makes sure to remember it to avoid making the same mistake. Still, he is certain Lord Halbarad's support will make her message stick better with Wald. Even though he is annoyed with Lord Halbarad. He either would have liked to be the one to aid her. Or for Éowyn to handle it herself. Something he feels would have been no problem. She does not strike him as a woman who needs aid.

Looking at Wald, Wald seems to be unsure of how to respond. Wald smiles for short moments before his expression sours. This repeats multiple times. It makes his amusement return. This time focused on Wald's attempt failed to cover for himself. Éowyn did not believe Wald when Wald tried to cover for himself. It does not surprise him much. But one thing intrigues him; what reputation was she hinting at?

Looking back at Éowyn, she looks angrily at Wald. He quickly turns his head. As he does, he sees Wald looking guiltily at the ground. It reinforces his belief the reputation, Éowyn mentioned, is anything but good. He wants to know what the reputation is but knows he cannot do so now. For now, he needs to pay attention to what Wald will be saying. It is more important right now than knowing what the reputation of Wald is. The confident look which suddenly appears on Wald's face tells him enough.

"Princess, I know you are not here to see the progress. Nor to see camps up close. So, what has brought you really here? And who are your companions?"

Faramir smiles amused. So far, Wald has been amusing him multiple times. Right now, his amusement stems from the fact Wald attempts to switch their attention away from his reputation and his wrongful actions against the prisoners. Lacking a vocal response form Éowyn at these questions has him believing this attempt will succeed.

"My companions are the Lord Halbarad and Lord Faramir. Steward of Arnor and steward of Gondor."

Wald swallows at these words. Faramir's eyes narrow. Who did Wald expect would be accompanying her? This thought has him remembering their clothing. Lord Halbarad and he were simple clothing. Nothing which would indicate their ranking. What did Wald base his belief about their identities on? One thing he knows for certain; Wald did not expect them to be such high ranked. But will knowing their identities and rank change Wald's behavior?

He shakes his head in such a way it will not be noticed. Or at least, he hopes it will not be noticed. The lack of a response gives him hope he succeeded. He does not want to be lost in his thoughts for he wants to listen to Éowyn's response. He is particularly interested in how much Éowyn will share. And how Wald will react to it.

"As for why I came? You are right, it was not simply to see the camps. Or the progress. I would like to talk to some of the prisoners if it is possible to do so."

What anger Éowyn felt has disappeared. Or at least disappeared in such a way her anger changed into irritation. Faramir knows, just as Éowyn knew, that she had to inform Wald about it. Wald, of all the guards present in this camp, knows best where the prisoners are. Or at least, Wald should know.

To Wald, it must seem as if he received the full information. Faramir highly doubts it for he has the impression Éowyn kept some bits of information to herself. For how long she intends to keep it to herself, he does not know. But he believes Éowyn does not want to talk to some random prisoner. No, she will have someone in mind. But who?

Faramir shakes his head as he also intends to talk to some prisoners if it is possible. He knows he needs to inform Wald about it. If Lord Halbarad intends to do the same, he does not know. Hearing a shocked breath, he sees Wald looking at Éowyn with large eyes. Before Faramir can contemplate what the reason might be, Wald speaks up.

"I am not sure it will be safe, Princess, for you to do so. I do not know how the prisoners will react. And I do not want to have to inform Éomer king that you were attacked. Or worse."

Faramir frowns and looks at Éowhn and Lord Halbarad. Éowyn looks annoyed while Lord Halbarad shares his expression. He does not understand why Wald so terrified by the idea of Éowyn talking to some prisoners. Wald knows Éowyn can defend herself when he confirmed how the women of Rohan are expected to behave in the face of danger. Besides, Wald said it himself; the prisoners are peaceful. So why is he so scared?

Faramir has a feeling Wald has more to hide and tells himself to keep a close eye on all he sees. Maybe this way he will learn what Wald is trying to hide. During his consideration, he kept an eye on Éowyn. As such he sees her face changing into a grin. He frowns. What caused this? Has she found a way to get her way regardless of Wald's protests?

"If I have two guards accompanying me would you allow me to talk to some prisoners?"

"Yes, Princess. I will allow you to talk to them then."

Éowyn smiles pleased. Wald, on the other hand, shuffles his feet and wrings his hands. Regardless of how Wald feels, the assurance makes it difficult to refuse her request. Wald must only be allowing it because he has no choice and reluctantly at that. It is strange for not allowing her to talk to prisoners would certainly raise even more suspicion in them. Looking at the captain of their guard, he sees how the captain narrows his eyes. He knows the captain has to make arrangements which the captain will not be comfortable making. The captain suddenly turns his head away and looks over the guards accompanying them.

While the captain looks over the guards and chooses the guards who will accompany Éowyn, Faramir looks back at Wald. Wald is looking aimlessly around the camp. Faramir smiles amused. They will soon be faced with another attempt from Wald at changing their topic of conversation. He waits a few minutes to see if Wald will say something. But when Wald does not speak up, he decides to use his time for something else.

Turning his head, he looks at what he can see. Just as he saw earlier, the camp appears largely abandoned. Where he expected to see people he does not see anyone. Only abandoned spaces. It is confusing for he does not believe it possible for everyone to be working in the fields. It has him looking carefully at what he can see.

Some tents are open. From those tents, he can see the inside of the doors are unlike anything he has seen before. Just like the construction of the tents. The tents appear solid and must have taken quite some time to set up. Just like the detailed decorations must have taken quite some time to make. In the middle of the tent, he can see a fireplace. Over it, a metal object is placed. Is this how they cook or heat things? It would be an ingenious way. It allows for making a fire inside the tents without running the risk of the tents catching fire.

At the same time, he sees what the inside of the tents look like. What he sees changes his interest in sadness. The tent looks nearly empty. Only a few pieces of furniture are still inside. But those pieces are all damaged in some way. Of the pieces which were taken, he can see the imprints on the ground. Well, the pieces were taken? If he is honest then looted is a better word to describe what has been done.

But who has looted it? The Rohirrim? Men of Gondor? It could be either. He will not know for certain until he sees what the men have in their possession. If he ever gets to see it, that is. As for why the men would have taken it? Most likely as a spoil of war. He has done so in the past. But unlike this time, he only took from the death. Taking from the living does not seem right to him. The only time he does deem it right is when weapons are taken. But then the reason is also different; taken things is done to protect themselves. Taking spoils of war from the living is stealing. But a kind of stealing he knows he cannot punish.

"Shall I show you around the camp. You can leave your horses here. The prisoners are very good with horses as we discovered."

Faramir turns his head to see Wald motioning with his hand. At this, some Easterlings come forward. Where did they come from? Seeing one of the prisoners taking hold of his reins, he dismounts. The prisoner immediately turns to inspect his horse. When he is on the ground, he can see just how young the prisoner is. The young man must barely be an adult.

As the young man inspects his horse, Faramir sees his shaking hands. From time to time, the young man glances at him. To take the young man's nervousness, Faramir smiles. The young man smiles back before turning his attention back to his horse. A voice calling out something has the young man look up and guide his horse away. Faramir looks into the direction the voice called from and sees a man his age mentioning with his hands.

Almost immediately, Wald draws his attention. Turning his head in Wald's direction, he sees Wald mentioning for them to follow. He nods. When Wald walks away, he follows together with Éowyn and Lord Halbarad. He can hear the sound of guards following them.

As they leave, he manages to catch a glimpse of how his horse is treated. What he sees has him frowning. It looks like a Rohirrim is caring for his horse. Not an Easterling. But then he berates himself for he knows too little of the Easterlings to make such a comparison. He rarely interacted with them. More rarely than he heard about them. Never was anything seen which would give hints of how the Easterlings live. So he cannot compare the Easterlings to Rohirrim.

Turning his head back, he sees Éowyn and Lord Halbarad doing the same. Éowyn is smiling while Lord Halbarad looks confused. What is Lord Halbarad confused about? Or is he intrigued? The last is more likely as he cannot imagine the men of the north to have had more interaction with the Easterlings than Gondor has had. As such,

Lord Halbarad will not know how Easterlings act when they are not in battle. Not that he knows it.

Just then, Lord Halbarad gets a nostalgic smile on his face. Where does Lord Halbarad's smile come from? And more importantly, what is Lord Halbarad remembering that has him smiling? He tilts his head slightly as he considers what it could be. Suddenly he gets an idea; he could ask Lord Halbarad about it. One thing he does not have to consider; he will not directly ask the question he intends to get answered. As he wants to stay in the good graces of Lord Halbarad, he needs to avoid upsetting Lord Halbarad as much as he can. With all this in mind, he decides it is time to voice his question.

"Lord Halbarad, what are your thoughts about Easterlings?"

"You mean my thoughts about what I could see of the treatment of our hoses? I am not surprised by it. Aragorn told me plenty about the way the Easterlings interact with their animals."

Faramir frowns again. How does Lord Aragorn know about it? Has he visited the east sometime in the past? He shakes his head. No, it cannot be. No one would willingly enter the east. Maybe in the coming years entering the east will be possible. But how Lord Aragorn knows about the Easterlings is a matter he will ask about later if it is not cleared up before. Lord Halbarad still has not explained why he looked confused. This is more important to get answers about. Not that he asked for an answer. He would have expected to receive more of an answer. Especially as his question was worded widely. Faramir bites back a sigh.

"Then why were you confused?"

"I was confused as the young man who called the other Easterlings to him sought out my eyes. I felt as if he knew me. Or at least as if he knew about me. I do not know how either could be. I have never seen the young man before. It is confusing for I do not understand my feelings. If my feelings are true then I do not know how he could know about me. If possible I would like to talk to him later."

Lord Halbarad does not look at Wald when he speaks the last words but it is clear the words are meant for Wald. Not for him or Éowyn. As Lord Halbarad speaks all he looks at is what is in front of them. Except for the glances he gives him and Éowyn. Faramir shares an amused with them smile when Wald turns his head. On his face, his annoyance is clearly visible. But despite his annoyance, Wald speaks up almost immediately.

"I will arrange it, Lord Halbarad."

Wald mentions with his hand and a young Rohirrim comes forward. Wald whispers something to the young Rohirrim. Faramir can hear a bit about what I said. The young Rohirrim is told to bring the Easterling to Wald's tent. But when the young Rohirrim should do so, he cannot hear. Just like why Wald wants the young man to be brought there. Still, it is good to know they will later learn a bit about why the young man sought Lord Halbarad out. The young man's actions certainly interest both him and Lord Halbarad.

"How is it possible for an Easterlings to know about you, Lord Halbarad? I understand they could know about Lord Aragorn as he traveled through the east. But how could they know about you?"

Faramir keeps his face neutral even though he is amused. Éowyn just asked the question he wanted to ask. They both want answers to this question even if he is not sure Lord Halbarad can provide the answers they seek. He has a feeling Lord Halbarad does not know the answers. Only the young Easterling will know. Regardless of this, he looks at Lord Halbarad eagerly awaiting an answer which he gets not long afterward.

"Well, how could the young man know about me? I do not know for certain. All I can think of is that the young man might know about me because of Aragorn's visit. During his visit, Aragorn never went far into the east as he feared how he could be treated and what he might see. He did not know if he could handle it. But while he was in the east, he met a young man who was being hunted by his people. Why he was being hunted, I do not know for certain. Aragorn never told me the details. All Aragorn mentioned was that a power struggle was occurring in the east. And that the young man intended to end it by claiming power for himself."

Lord Halbarad shrugs. If what Lord Halbarad said is true then the young man must have succeeded in what he intended to do. How could a young Easterling they saw know about Lord Halbarad and be highly respected and ranked at a young age? Also, the young man Lord Aragorn met must have trusted people around him and a family who he might have told. At least, the young man must have told someone. How else could the young Easterling know about Lord Halbarad?

If it is true the young man succeeded in taking power then it has a great benefit; they will know who the current leader of the Easterlings is. But how old is the leader now? Knowing will tell him if they will be dealing with his son, grandson, or with another relative. As Lord Halbarad knows little about the leader, he will most likely also not know the leader's age. It leaves him with options to learn the leader's age. The one, he deems the most useful he decides to use.

"When did Lord Aragorn visit the east?"

"He visited the east shortly before he returned to the north. It was in the year my father died; the year 2980."

"But that does not explain how the young man could know you, Lord Halbarad. He is too young to be the young man Lord Aragorn met during his travels."

Éowyn's words are true but she is omitting something consciously or not. He knows the young man Lord Aragorn met is not the one who sought out Lord Halbarad's eyes. He has come to believe the young man is a relative of the leader. He knows the leader to be at a minimum in his fifties. If that is old for the Easterlings, he is not sure but suspects it is. Should he tell Éowyn this or not? By telling Éowyn, it might also clear things up for him. But before he can make a decision when to tell Éowyn, Lord Halbarad speaks up.

"I believe the young man we will meet later to be a son or grandson of the young man Aragorn met. Although him being a grandson is highly unlikely it is still a possibility."

"Mhh, maybe we will even learn how the leader of the Easterlings will look at the current situation. Do you know what the name was of the young man Lord Aragorn met?"

"The young man's name was Sagra if I remember it correctly."

Lord Halbarad scratches the back. Faramir knows he will have to work with what he knows for he cannot confirm if Lord Halbarad remembers the name correctly. Or does he need to work with what he knows? By asking the young Easterling he can conform what the name of the leader is. And maybe learn if the leader has changed the name like the kings of Númenor have always done.

And by asking, he can learn much more. But all that does not tell him if it is possible to seek peace talks. This due to his lack of knowledge about the east. He does not know what the Easterlings reaction will be to their defeat. It makes it once more clear he should learn about the east. And he knows just how to do that.

Looking ahead, he sees an open area appearing. As he looks towards the open area, he can see more people moving around there than where they are now or where they have been. So far the only Easterlings he has seen so far are those who care for their horses. As he looks closely at the people he can see, Faramir is pleasantly surprised. He sees women preparing food and talking together. It does not surprise him to see them. But what surprises him still is women being allowed to accompany the men.

Entering the open area, all eyes turn to them. Faramir instantly recognizes the looks they receive from the women; fear. But where does it come from? He does not believe it to be coming from the fact they are prisoners. No, it must be coming from something else. Noticing Wald has stopped walking, he stops his thoughts. Most likely they will soon receive an overview of the camp.

"Well, we are in the area we have begun to call the cooking area. The women prepare a lot of the food but the men do help. Well, help? Only when they are in the camp. We usually have the men working in the fields. When the men are helping with the food, they do the harder jobs."

Looking at the area, he sees women preparing food. A similar installation as he saw earlier stands in the middle. Just like some installations he recognizes. No men are seen here who are Easterlings. He only sees Rohirrim either walking around or simply standing to the side watching the women. None of the Rohirrim show any indication of having seen them.

"My lords, Princess, if you look to your left you will see the tents. There the prisoners sleep. Sometimes they spend more time in there. But then we expect them to keep the doors open. The woman I talked about earlier shares a tent with her husband. This is not usual as men share their tent with other men. Just like the women do with women."

This time, he sees the same tents as he saw earlier. As such, he does not pay much attention to what is inside the tents. What he pays attention to is the outside. He tries to see if there is any difference between them. He sees some tents with more drapings or decoration around it. Some others have more elaborate drapings. At the same time, he sees the material used is the same. Nowhere he can what is considered expensive material.

Wald mentions around which Faramir follows. As he does, he manages to catch a glimpse of how a woman is being dragged into a tent near the back of the camp from where he stands. He narrows his eyes and nearly instantly turns his head towards Wald. Wald looks everywhere but at them. Looking to his side, he sees Éowyn appearing furious. Lord Halbarad also looks towards Wald with narrowed eyes.

Suddenly, Éowyn addresses Wald in Rohirric. Wald immediately calls something. On this call, the man he glimpsed earlier pokes his head out of the tent. The man's eyes widen when he looks towards Éowyn and he hurries out of the tent. As he does so, the woman quickly flees. Faramir struggles to keep the smile off his face.

Moments after the man has reached them, Éowyn begins to talk to him in Rohirric. Her talking sounds to him more like a berating than anything else. Wald looks away from Éowyn and bites his lips. The man who receives the berating looks for the ground. From time to time, the man glimpses at Wald.

Faramir smiles this time for it is clear to him what is happening here. He pays close attention to the man's reaction. Still, he needs to make sure Wald knows this kind of action is not accepted. Looking to Wald, Wald still looks to the floor.

"Wald, as this is Gondor I tell you this has to stop. No more women will be treated like this, am I clear."

"Yes, my lord. I will see to it."

"You better do so Wald. No women will be treated like a spoil of war. We are no possessions. This is just like the woman who defended herself. It should have told you not to do this. But before I forget myself, I will go talk to the woman who just fled. I will make sure she knows she will not be treated like this."

So saying, Éowyn marches away. Faramir follows her eyes and sees how tight her shoulders and back are. He looks back to Wald who is looking to the ground and nervously moving around with his feeds. Suddenly, he hears someone running towards them from behind. Turning around, he sees a young Rohirrim running towards them. Reaching them, the young man moves immediately to Wald and whispers something in his ear. Wald nods to the young Rohirrim before turning towards them.

"My lords, we can go to the young man you wanted to talk to."

Faramir nods. Moments later, Wald walks away and into the direction they came from. Looking to Lord Halbarad, he shrugs before walking after Wald. He knows Lord Halbarad will be following. As they walk, he sees Easterlings looking worried at them. Also, he can hear how people seem to be following them. He tilts his head. Why are they following them? Wald suddenly stops and Faramir has to halt quickly. He hears how Wald calls out something.

Only moments later, he hears some struggles in the back. Sighing, he wonders what Wald has done this time. He would have known were Éowyn still with them. But as she is not, Wald will have to provide the answers for him.

"What is going on, Wald?"

"What do you mean, my lord?"

"You know what I mean. The struggle I can hear behind us. That is what I wanted to know. What is going on there."

"Well nothing important is going on, my lord. I am simply ensuring that we are not disturbed. My men are sending the Easterlings who were following us away and back to their tasks."

"And that requires a struggle?"

Faramir raises an eyebrow at Wald's back. So far, ever since touching the subject, Wald has been looking straight ahead. He has not turned around or even sought out eye contact. Faramir does not like it in the least.

"Only if the Easterlings do not follow our orders. I do not know how much you like being followed. So I am sending them away preemptively."

"I do not mind them following us, Wald. I suggest you call them off."

"But Lord Halbarad —"

"I am with Lord Faramir. It is not a problem if they follow us. It is not like they have weapons available to them."

Faramir smiles at Lord Halbarad. Wald, in the meantime, falls silent and bows his head. Have they succeeded? He hopes they have but waits for Wald to react. Depending on what Wald is thinking about, he knows it can take some time. When Wald raises his head again, he gains hope they will soon learn what Wald's answer will be. At the same time, he sees how Wald keeps looking ahead of him and not towards them.

"I am sorry my lords but I cannot call an end to it. They do have weapons; the tools they use can be used as weapons. As such they could still pose a threat to your safety."

Faramir stays silent. He can tell arguing with Wald will have no use. He can only hope the Easterlings are not injured. Moments later, they reach a tent which Wald enters without looking back. He shares another look with Lord Halbarad. Lord Halbarad looks greatly annoyed at him. He shakes his head before they follow Wald into the tent.

Stepping inside, they are greeted by the sight of a young Easterling kneeling on the ground in the middle of an empty tent. Empty besides the two Rohirrim who stand behind the young Easterling, Wald and them. The Rohirrim have their hands pressed on young Easterling's shoulder. Faramir narrows his eyes. The young Easterling is looking at the ground and clenching his hands repeatedly.

He walks towards the young man and sees how Wald stands to the sight glaring at the young man. He glares at Wald daring him to disturb their conversation. He mentions with his head towards the door. Wald shakes his head. He sighs. Why does Wald not want to leave? Having reached the young man, he looks to Lord Halbarad who stands next to him.

"Do you want to talk to the young man, Lord Halbarad?"

"No, it is fine if you talk to him. I will interrupt you if there is anything you have forgotten to ask."

Faramir nods. It has not escaped him how the young man follows them stealthily. At the same time, the young man fidgets with his hands and clothes. His clothing exists out of a loose dress which goes over his knees. Well, dress? He is not so certain about it; it could be some very long tunic. He looks more carefully at the 'dress' and sees how it has long sleeves and a high collar. The 'dress' is colored brown. Around the middle, the young Easterling wears some kind of cord.

Did the other Easterlings also wear this? He frowns for he cannot remember. As he looks the young Easterling over, he also sees how the guards look at each other with their confusion visible. He narrows his eyes before turning his attention back to the young man. He needs determines if the young man can even understand him. Else, they need to find a translator somewhere.

"My name is Faramir and I am the ruling steward of Gondor. Do you understand what I just said."

"Yes, gracious lord. I understand."

The young Easterling nods repeatedly. Faramir smiles. It is a highly amusing sight to see. The young man moves a bit around as he looks at him. The guards instantly push on the Easterling's shoulder. A wince escapes the Easterling. Faramir glares at the guards until they release the young Easterling from their hold and look away. It is then he nods and decides to continue.

"Good. What is your name, man of the east? And what rank do you hold?"

"My name Chingay, gracious lord. Rank? I captain aid."

Faramir nods. He understands even better than before how much trouble Chingay has with the common tongue. It will mean he should use easily understood words. But now, they have gone over the basics it is time to ask about the leader. Only then will he ask the young man why he was so interested in Lord Halbarad.

"Can you tell me what your leader is called?"

"Leader? Kahn? Captain?"

Faramir frowns. Is there a difference between a leader and a Kahn? And more importantly, what is a Kahn? He never heard that word before. And besides, leader is a word which he should have understood. So why was Chingay confused? And what kind of hierarchy exists in the east? He shakes his head. He should focus on clearing up the confusion he has about the word 'Kahn'.

"What is a Kahn?"

"Kahn, leader of all. Plain ruler. Captain son Kahn."

Faramir nods. He is nearly certain the Kahn is the person they need to deal with. Now only to learn if the current Kahn is the man Lord Aragorn met during his troubles. Then they can move on to other topics. But one thing is good to know. By this, he means knowing that the captain of these men is the Kahn's son.

"What is your Kahn called?"

"Kahn Sagra."

So, Lord Aragorn's acquaintance is indeed the Kahn. It means he must have succeeded in his objective. Having determined this, Faramir decides to change their topic of conversation to the actual reason they asked to meet Chingay. There is little else he can ask after this answer. And what he can ask is not important. Learning about their actual reason is important right now.

"Why did you seek out Lord Halbarad's eyes."

"Who? Man beside you look like Kahn friend. Captain want know where friend is. Kahn happy hear about friend. Always looking for friend."

"So you thought I might be your Kahn's friend?"

Chingay shrugs and looks away. Faramir turns his head and is amused by what he sees. Lord Halbarad is smiling. He could already hear Lord Halbarad's when said lord spoke up so it is not a surprise. He lifts an eyebrow but it does not have the desired effect. Lord Halbarad keeps smiling. He sighs and looks back at Chingay. Chingay is looking at them with barely concealed confusion. The guards are smiling but jump slightly when they notice his attention. Faramir tilts his head and Chingay looks away before answering.

"You Kahn friend? Want to know."

"No, I am not your Kahn's friend. My chieftain is. He is currently not around as he has left with men to stop Mordor?"

"Mordor? Shadow, mean? Stopping shadow good. Kahn captain happy."

Faramir smiles. This knowledge will make peace talks easier. Or at least, more likely to happen peacefully. It is obvious to him the Kahn is no friend of Mordor. And it is good to know what the Easterlings call Mordor. But if the Easterlings are no friends of Mordor then why did they follow Mordor, to begin with? There are a few possibilities he can imagine. He also knows he cannot ask about it for he is not certain Chingay can answer the questions well enough. He would have liked had Lord Aragorn be here. Lord Aragorn might have been able to talk Chingay in his tongue. And then he might get the answers to his remaining questions.

Suddenly he remembers the captain. Or maybe he should call the captain the Kahn's son. No, captain is better. The captain normally arranged everything. Does he have a better grasp of the common tongue? And where is he? Maybe Chingay will know.

"Where is your captain, Chingay?"

"Captain work. Man knows."

Chingay speaks calmly but Faramir cannot help but feel there is more to Chingay's words. It is as if he wants to mess with Wald in such a way it will not be noticed. Chingay tilts his head towards Wald. Faramir follows the movement and sees Wald looking calmly at him. He lifts an eyebrow. Wald shrugs.

"Well? Where is the captain, Wald?"

"I am not sure, my lord. I do not keep track of where everyone is working. That is for my men to do. Yes, I do assign everyone in the morning but allow my men to move people around if they need more men. So I cannot tell you where the captain is."

Faramir sighs and gives Wald a hard look. He doubts Wald's words but is also certain Wald will not bring the captain here if he asks him to do so. Wald's words sound all too dismissive for him. He turns back to Chingay. Maybe he can learn a bit about life in the camp. If only to pass the time.

"How are you finding your time and live in this camp, Chingay?"

"Doing good, gracious lord. Warriors kind."

Chingay glances at Wald. Faramir follows it. Wald glares at Chingay this time and clenches his hands. Faramir looks back at Chingay with a raised eyebrow. He doubts Chingay's words were entirely sincere. What are they hiding? He has some ideas but will not press for the truth. The truth is all to clear to him. As such, he decides it might be a good idea to talk about something else. Something like the Kahn.

"And your Kahn? Is he a good leader?"

"Kahn good. All happy. People lords important to him."

Faramir smiles for he knows these words are sincere. It already gives him some ideas of his to handle the people. How to in such a way he will not create problems with the Kahn further on. As such, he is reminded of the announcement he has to make. Something Wald already knows about. And is very important the prisoners know about.

"Chingay, I want to make something very clear to you. No more will your women be treated as they have been. I will personally ensure it."

"Thank you, gracious lord."

Chingay prostates on the ground before him. The guards reach forward but stop when they notice Chingay's intend. What did they think Chingay would do? Attack him? No, Chingay has had ample opportunities to do so. He looks at Chingay and sees him staying on the ground longer than he is comfortable with.

"Lord Faramir, I think it is time for us to leave. We have learned all we came for. In fact, we learned even more."

"Your right, Lord Halbarad. Chingay, please rise. You do not need to bow to me like that for so long."

"Yes, gracious lord."

Chingay rises and looks at his boots. Faramir frowns. Why does Chingay do that? It does not make sense. Chingay did not do so before. Faramir shakes his head. But back to the matter at hand, he asked Chingay to rise for a couple of reasons. One of them being, their intention to leave soon. But apparently, he takes too long as Lord Halbarad speaks up before he can.

"I hope you have a good time, Chingay. And I hope we might be able to talk more at a later time. But for now, we need to go."

Faramir nods. He certainly also wants to talk to Chingay and other Easterlings later. But he refrains from mentioning it. Talking to them later is a great opportunity to learn more about the Easterlings. He also needs to be careful with his interest as it might be seen as inappropriate.

Noticing Lord Halbarad turning around, he follows. Once they are out of the tent, he sees Éowyn walking towards them. In the distance, eyes can be seen following her and looking at them. He turns to look at Wald curious about his reaction. What he sees makes him smile; Wald looks absolutely furious. Turning back to Éowyn, he sees her grinning. Looking back at Wald, he sees how Wald is about to call something.

"Do not even think about it, Wald. The women can follow and look at us as much as they want. This is after all their camp. If they want to look at us, you will let them."

"Yes, Princess."

Wald looks at the ground. He clenches his hands. Faramir smiles and looks back at Éowyn. She smiles satisfactory and claps her hands.

"Now, I would like to see the remainder of the camp."

Wald nods while biting his lips. Faramir gives Éowyn a small smile and receives one in return. He sees Wald mentioning for them to follow. He shrugs to Éowyn and they follow Wald. Wald takes them around the camp to the areas they have not seen before. One of those areas is near the river. There women are cleaning clothing. Another area is near a woman who seems to be making salves and ointments. Is she a healer? Then they are taken to the horses where theirs' also stand. He sees young men caring for the horses while a few Rohirrim stand to the side watching.

Faramir looks at Éowyn and Lord Halbarad. They nod which he returns. He turns to Wald. Wald frowns. Faramir smiles momentarily before speaking up.

"Thank you for showing us around the camp, Wald. It was enlightening."

"That is good to know, Lord Faramir."

Good? Well, that is a matter up for discussion. He found this visit enlightening but not in a good way. His orders will hopefully change his experience during his next visit. Even if he does not know when he will visit again. It all depends on his recovery. And other matters which need his attention. But right it might be a good idea to remind Wald about the order he gave.

"It certainly is good to know. But, Wald, remember the order we gave. I will keep you to it."

Wald nods and looks away. Faramir looks for a moment at Wald before walking to his horse. Oh, yes he will keep Wald to the order. But how he will not tell Wald. Wald does not need to know he will send people to check on the camps. Nor when he will send them. As he nears his horse, a young man quickly hurries around and prepares his horse. He did not expect it as he no one in the area gave an order. Faramir watches the young man work and is pleasantly surprised his fast the young man has his horse prepared.

His horse is brought forward and held until he has mounted. Then, the young man starts walking while guiding his horse. He glances at Éowyn and Lord Halbarad and sees them in a similar position. They are escorted towards the edge of the camp. Along the way, their escort joins them. Only when they reach the camp, the young men leave and walk back to the camp.

---

A few minutes later, they are back in the fields. This time, Faramir pays close attention to how prisoners are acting. Their postures tell him some are uneasy while others are either tired or hurt. Seeing this reminds him of the need to inform the other overseers they can no longer abuse the women. He is brought out of his thoughts when Éowyn speaks up.

"Faramir, I hope you know that what you saw is not how the Rohirrim treat our women."

"I know. It does not surprise me to see as I know Gondorians do the same as we saw. And just like the Rohirrim, it is not normal treatment."

Faramir smiles in an attempt to calm Éowyn's worries down. Éowyn smiles uncomfortable and looks away. He frowns in worry. What is troubling Éowyn so? And why does she not want to talk about it? A voice calling Lord Halbarad has everyone looking to their left. He sees a young Dúnedain running towards them. The young Dúnedain wears an expression of urgency and worry.

"If you would excuse me."

Faramir nods. He sees Lord Halbarad guiding his horse into the direction of the young Dúnedain. At the same time, Lord Halbarad mentions with his hand. Does he want to keep the young man at a distance? He looks towards the captain and points with his head in Lord Halbarad's direction. The captain nods and mentions for two guards to follow Lord Halbarad.

Faramir notices they have moved some distance away from where Lord Halbarad separates from them. He pulls on his reins. He sees their escort moving around them. Moments later, everyone has stopped their horse. All he can hear is the painting and the restless movement of the horses.

"What is bothering you, Faramir."

He turns his head towards Éowyn. She looks at him with a frown. He frowns in return. Where did Éowyn get the impression something is bothering him? He shakes his head when Éowyn's frown deepens.

"I do not want Lord Aragorn to be upset with the men."

"Why would he be upset with the men."

He smiles weakly. It seems to only increase her confusion. He is not surprised for she does not know Lord Halbarad as well as he does. Not that he knows Lord Halbarad well. But he has a feeling what Lord Halbarad will do with what they saw today. It is about this, he needs to inform Éowyn.

"Why? Because I am certain Lord Halbarad will be reporting to Lord Aragorn. I want to make a good impression."

"I know Aragorn will not be upset with you, Lord Faramir. I know how war can bring out the worst in people. As such, I will inform Aragorn about everything once it is safe enough to send a messenger."

He turns his head around. Where did Lord Halbarad come from? And how much has Lord Halbarad heard? Lord Halbarad smiles calmly at him. It eases his worry a bit but not completely. He does not know for certain how Lord Aragorn will react. No matter what he already knows about Lord Aragorn. It does not give him assurances. Before he can react, Éowyn speaks up.

"That is good to know, Lord Halbarad. But what did you think about the young man's actions."

"You mean when we left the camp? I found it interesting for I have never seen anything like it."

"If it was normal behavior for them then it tells me something about how their nobles are treated."

"Why do you say it is normal behavior?"

Faramir sees Lord Halbarad frowning. Why? He must know what he means. Or does he? Well, it will not hurt if he explains how he came to the conclusion.

"Why? Because of the quickness, they acted with. As well as the absence of an underlying order."

"Mhh, I noticed the same also. But to call it normal behavior? I am not sure."

Faramir bites back a sigh. It is clear to him what Lord Halbarad was doing. It irritates him but he is also confused by Lord Halbarad's words. He does not know what Lord Halbarad is aiming at. Even though, he has some ideas. But how to clear his confusion up? He considers it for a moment before he will clear his confusion up.

"Why are you not sure, Lord Halbarad?"

"Well, I am not sure for I do not know a lot about the Easterlings. And how they treat those of higher rank. Besides, it could very well be that there was an order. Only it was given at a time when we were not present to notice it."

Faramir nods. This is an understandable reasoning. He turns his head towards Éowyn. He has sorted out his confusion and discussed his worries. Now, it is time for Éowyn to talk about her worries.

"Éowyn, you asked me about my worries but I would like to what worries you."

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"I could clearly see you are worried. Why? What is bothering you?"

"It is nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Faramir sighs. Éowyn does not want to talk about it. He will not press for he does not want to damage their relationship. Still, he will keep an eye and ear out for anything which can give him a hint of what worries Éowyn.

Turning his head, he looks ahead of him. In the distance, he can see the great gate appearing. He smiles. They are nearly back in the city. It will not be long now before they will be back in the Houses of Healing. There everyone can rest. It has been a hectic afternoon.

---

Halbarad walks back to his room when a hand is placed on his shoulder. He turns his head around and sees Aphadon standing there. Aphadon smiles but frowns at the same time. It is an interesting look.

"Yes, Aphadon. What is the problem?"

"There is not a problem. I was just wondering where you were this afternoon. I was looking for you."

"Why were you looking for me? Was it about the same matter Bragolon sought me out over?"

His frown is reflected by Aphadon's. What confuses Aphadon, he will learn soon enough. His confusion stems from the fact he does not know of he will be faced with the same problem now than he was before. He looks Aphadon in his eyes to encourage him to quickly answer.

"Why did Bragolon seek you out? And when?"

"Bragolon sought me out earlier today when I was on the fields. He wanted to talk about returning home. He seemed quite worried about his family."

"Why were you in the fields? Was that where you were this afternoon?"

He glares at Aphadon. Really, this is what Aphadon wants to focus on. Halbarad can imagine a few more interesting topics. Such as what Aphadon wants to talk about. Maybe a hint will aid in getting Aphadon onto the right topic.

"Did you want to talk about the same thing Bragolon sought me out on?"

"Yes, but it can wait. I would like for you to answer my questions."

Halbarad smiles for he has another idea. And he will not move from it. No matter what. Aphadon will first talk about his worries. Only then will he be inclined to answer questions. Looking Aphadon in his eyes, he is met with a frown. He narrows his eyes before responding.

"Oh, no. I will not do that. We will first talk about your worries about your family."

Aphadon sighs and looks away. Aphadon's shoulders slump and he stays silent. Halbarad waits patiently but anxiously how Aphadon will respond. It takes some time but after a few minutes, which felt like a few hours, he gets his response.

"Alright, alright. Have it your way. Just so you know I am worried that brigands, orcs or wolves might have attacked the villages. I worry they might need me. But I do not know if Bragolon talked with you about it."

"I can understand. I feel the same with my family who remained in the angle. And yes, it is similar to what Bragolon talked about. Not the same but similar."

Aphadon nods before looking him deliberately in his eye. Halbarad smiles for he knows what will come now. It will be time for him to make good of his promise.

"Can we now talk about why you were on the fields of Pelennor. As well as where you were this afternoon."

"Yes, we can talk about it."

"Well?"

Aphadon crosses his hands and keeps hitting his forefingers on his arms. Halbarad feels his smile increasing while shaking his head. He waits for a while longer before answering. He needs to calm first. But once he has, he answers.

"I was visiting the fields to inspect them on an invitation of Lord Faramir. Princess Eowyn accompanied us. Just like an escort of guards."

"What was your impression of the fields."

"That the prisoners are working hard. And the men are the same everywhere."

Halbarad keeps his face neutral while he feels amused. How do you find my answers, Aphadon? Not satisfying, am I right? Oh, but he kept his answers short and did not elaborate much on purpose. Can you tell me what I am saying? But his answers are not only to test Aphadon. They are also meant to keep people who are eavesdropping from knowing the details.

He opens the door to his room and mentions Aphadon inside. At the same time, he looks Aphadon in his eyes to tell him to halt his answer. Once Aphadon has entered the room, he closes the door and walks to his bed. He sits down and mentions for Aphadon to do the same. Only once Aphadon sits down with a frown does he allow him to respond to his words.

"So the guards were abusing women, am I right? What has Lord Faramir done about it? We know how Aragorn looks at it."

"Yes, we do know how Aragorn looks at it. As for Lord Faramir, he made it very clear that he does not want it to continue. Captain Wald did not seem impressed but accepted it."

"So, Lord Faramir has forbidden it. Good, Aragorn will like it. But what about captain Wald? Will he continue to comply with the order?"

"I know Aragorn will like it, you do not have to say it. As for captain Wald, he was warned. And I am sure Lord Faramir will be checking in on him regularly. Still, I can also understand Lord Faramir's worries."

Halbarad turns his head to the window and looks outside. Scraping on the ground has him turning his head back. The scraping continues. Aphadon is moving around with his chair. Aphadon frowns. He tilts his head and lifts his eyebrow. Aphadon sighs and looks down for a moment.

"What worries do you mean, Halbarad?"

"Lord Faramir's worries are about Aragorn's reaction. I know Aragorn will not mind what has happened. And he will be pleased with the septs taken. But then my words will not be enough to convince Lord Faramir as he does not know Aragorn as we do."

"Well, we cannot do anything about it, can we? Maybe repeat what you have said. But then it will not take the concerns completely away. It is best to leave it, I believe. Let us move to another matter. Did anything else happen when you were in the fields?"

"I agree with you. We should leave it as it is. But as to your question? Other things happened. Nothing really important except my discovery that Aragorn left quite an impression on Sagra."

"Why do you say that? And are you sure of that?"

"Oh, I am sure because a young Easterling called Chingay was looking for him. Sagra asked his men to keep an eye out for Aragorn. So we should be aware the Easterling will be looking for him. It might be a good idea to inform Aragorn about my discovery."

Might be a good idea? No, Halbarad is certain it is a good idea. He turns his head to the ceiling. But how should he tell Aragorn about it? He bites his lips before his eyes widen. He knows just how he could tell Aragorn. He nods. He will do just that. Laughter brings him out of his musing. He looks at Aphadon with a frown.

"Aragorn left an impression? Why am I not surprised."

Aphadon laughs even harder. This time, he shares in the laughter. It is indeed funny to learn Sagra is still highly interested in Aragorn. But it is also not surprising. Aragorn nearly always leaves quite an impression on the people he meets.

It would be a surprise if Sagra would not be interested. The depth of the interest is surprising for sure. Aphadon slowly calms his laughter down. Once Aphadon has calmed down, he receives a stare and looks calmly back.

"Was that all you learned from Chingay?"

"No, it was not. I learned that peace negotiations will not be much of an issue. Sagra has no love for Mordor or the shadow as they call it."

"That is good to know. Aragorn will be most happy once he hears about it."

Halbarad nods. It is just what he intended to inform Aragorn about. A5 the same time, he knows other people will also be happy with the news. A frown reappears on Aphadon's face and he hides a sigh. What is troubling Aphadon now?

"Is there anything else I need to worry about. I doubt you know when we can return home."

"Your right, I do not know. I suspect most of us will need to stay until Aragorn is crowned and maybe even longer. Aragorn will be the only one who can answer your question. As for things to worry about, I do not believe there is anything."

Aphadon sighs and looks at the floor. After a few moments, he lifts his head and stands up without a word. Aphadon looks him in the eye. After a few minutes, he looks away.

"Alright, I will leave you then. I can tell you are exhausted. I hope you rest well."