"I'm sorry," Sal said for what seemed like the hundredth time. Faramir
continued to stare into the fire. There was a depressed atmosphere over the
camp. Merry and Pippin were talking quietly, Gimli and Legolas sat together
in silence, King Elessar sat at Faramir's side, with Sal on the opposite
side of the fire, feeling isolated and guilty. He shouldn't have acted
without first finding out what was going on. He had killed Boromir because
he hadn't thought.
There had to have been some other way. King Elessar must have had a plan, if he had just waited everything would have ended up all right. Guilt clawed at Sal's heart, and he kept looking back to what had happened, trying to see a way he could have acted differently.
But there was a thought nagging at his mind. Hadn't Boromir died in the war of the ring? He sighed and stared into the dancing flames. Their escape had been relatively easy. It was as if the orcs had lost their courage when Sal had struck down Boromir. But Sal felt guilty when he thought of that, knowing it was wrong to think of the good that came of a death.
The company sat in silence for a while, with even Merry and Pippin going quiet. The silence was broken by King Elessar standing up.
"Come," he beckoned Sal away from the camp. Most of the others looked up curiously, but remained silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Sal stood, and followed the king into the shadows beyond the reach of the fire. He was able to walk steadily, the king having bound up the gash in his leg along with the chest wound, but it was still painful.
They were only a short distance from the others when the king sat on a rock, gesturing for Sal to sit beside him.
"You did what you had to do," the king said quietly, "Faramir knows that too, in his heart, but still he grieves."
"I thought Boromir died in the war."
"So did we. I saw his body dead, his spirit gone. Somehow, Sauron was able to return, taking Boromir's body."
Sal shuddered. "How?"
"I don't know. Before he died, the ring of power was beginning to control Boromir. He was strong, but the ring found a way into his heart. Somehow, Sauron was able to use that, and with Boromir's spirit gone, there was no one to resist his control."
"So Sauron's really dead now?"
"I hope so. But he came back when we all thought him gone, there is a chance it will happen again." The king stopped, thinking deeply before speaking again. "Boromir died in the war, and Faramir knows that. Yet still it is to him as though he has lost his brother twice. He understands why you acted as you did."
"So, I didn't really kill Boromir? There wasn't anything left of him?"
"I don't know. But what I do know is that if there was anything of Boromir left, being a slave to Sauron in this way was the worst torture that could possibly happen to him. If there was something of the good man I knew left, you set him free."
Sal thought about this, gaining comfort from the king's words. He wished though that he hadn't had to hurt Faramir to save them. He also wished he could know for certain if he had killed Boromir, or just a thing using his body.
"May I ask you something?" he asked at last.
"You just did." Sal managed a smile at that.
"Why did you bring me on this journey?"
"I knew that someone would have to kill Boromir in order to kill Sauron. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to do this. Nor would any member of the fellowship. We all knew Boromir as he was before. I needed someone to come who didn't know Boromir, who would be able to do what was necessary as we could not."
"But why me? Surely there were others better suited?"
"Perhaps. But you showed courage. You had the courage to face death on your feet, no begging or crying. The only thing you begged, was that I didn't punish your friend." Sal thought about his actions and tried to see what the king was saying. He hadn't thought about his actions that way. "I thought you would be useful, as someone trying to atone for a foolish action would try far harder than any other."
Sal thought about this too. Perhaps the king was right. Certainly he had been so desperate to find a way into the tunnels because he was trying to make up for running away. He might have given up on seeing the gates if he hadn't been so desperate to prove himself. But there was the matter of the sword.
"There's something I don't understand. I wanted your hair as a token of fortune, and you gave me a sword named fortune with a hair set in it."
King Elessar smiled. "The elf queen Galadrial was a prophetess. Before she departed for the west, she told me to forge this sword. She said one would ask for a hair as a token of fortune, and that the sword was meant for him. She also told me I was not to give it you, you would take it when you needed it and with it you would save my life."
"Then the sword really was made for me?"
"Wield it well." Sal smiled, happy for the first time since this whole business had begun. The king had shown him mercy and favour. He would return home in honour, not as a traitor.
"There is one more thing," the king said, "if you are to wield so fine a sword, you need to have the skills to equal the strength of the sword. I offer you the chance to train with me, as well as with the leaders of our army. And once your training is complete, you may serve me as a personal guard, if you wish." Sal couldn't believe what he was being offered. Those who served as personal guard had the highest honour of all the soldiers of Gondor.
"Me?" he asked incredulously.
"Of course."
"But. I. Only the best are chosen to be personal guards!"
"May I assume that that is a yes?"
"Yes!" he replied excitedly. King Elessar grinned at his excitement, before standing up and preparing to return to the others. Once they had sat down once more, the king spoke to the company as a whole.
"I want each of you to give me your word that you will mention this to no one. No history will record our actions here, and no song will be written about it. None of you are to mention this to anyone." Merry was about to speak, but the king cut off his question before he asked it. "Not even Sam, Merry."
"Why?" Gimli asked.
"Because Boromir was a good man. If this tale is told, his name will be blackened irreparably. No one will understand the evil power that he faced, or believe that it couldn't be resisted. If people learn of this, they will believe that he was either weak or a traitor, and he was neither." Sal could understand this, and though he wanted to go home telling everyone of how he had saved the life of the king, he accepted that he could not.
He gave his oath, and the others did in turn. Faramir didn't swear, and the king did not ask him to. Sal supposed that he would want to tell anyone anyway.
"Thank you," Faramir said quietly, speaking for the first time since leaving the enemy tunnels.
"He was a good man," King Elessar said, "and a good friend. I owe it to his memory that no one doubts that." Sal looked with great respect at the king. Everyone knew of his actions during the war, and there were hundreds of rumours about his past, but Sal had never had the chance to see his wisdom and mercy first hand. Sal might not go home a hero, but it was fair price to ensure a good man's memory stayed pure. Besides, he had been more fortunate than he had believed possible on the outset. He couldn't complain.
***
Author's note: It's not quite finished yet. Don't forget they've still got to get home. The next chapter will be up soon.
There had to have been some other way. King Elessar must have had a plan, if he had just waited everything would have ended up all right. Guilt clawed at Sal's heart, and he kept looking back to what had happened, trying to see a way he could have acted differently.
But there was a thought nagging at his mind. Hadn't Boromir died in the war of the ring? He sighed and stared into the dancing flames. Their escape had been relatively easy. It was as if the orcs had lost their courage when Sal had struck down Boromir. But Sal felt guilty when he thought of that, knowing it was wrong to think of the good that came of a death.
The company sat in silence for a while, with even Merry and Pippin going quiet. The silence was broken by King Elessar standing up.
"Come," he beckoned Sal away from the camp. Most of the others looked up curiously, but remained silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Sal stood, and followed the king into the shadows beyond the reach of the fire. He was able to walk steadily, the king having bound up the gash in his leg along with the chest wound, but it was still painful.
They were only a short distance from the others when the king sat on a rock, gesturing for Sal to sit beside him.
"You did what you had to do," the king said quietly, "Faramir knows that too, in his heart, but still he grieves."
"I thought Boromir died in the war."
"So did we. I saw his body dead, his spirit gone. Somehow, Sauron was able to return, taking Boromir's body."
Sal shuddered. "How?"
"I don't know. Before he died, the ring of power was beginning to control Boromir. He was strong, but the ring found a way into his heart. Somehow, Sauron was able to use that, and with Boromir's spirit gone, there was no one to resist his control."
"So Sauron's really dead now?"
"I hope so. But he came back when we all thought him gone, there is a chance it will happen again." The king stopped, thinking deeply before speaking again. "Boromir died in the war, and Faramir knows that. Yet still it is to him as though he has lost his brother twice. He understands why you acted as you did."
"So, I didn't really kill Boromir? There wasn't anything left of him?"
"I don't know. But what I do know is that if there was anything of Boromir left, being a slave to Sauron in this way was the worst torture that could possibly happen to him. If there was something of the good man I knew left, you set him free."
Sal thought about this, gaining comfort from the king's words. He wished though that he hadn't had to hurt Faramir to save them. He also wished he could know for certain if he had killed Boromir, or just a thing using his body.
"May I ask you something?" he asked at last.
"You just did." Sal managed a smile at that.
"Why did you bring me on this journey?"
"I knew that someone would have to kill Boromir in order to kill Sauron. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to do this. Nor would any member of the fellowship. We all knew Boromir as he was before. I needed someone to come who didn't know Boromir, who would be able to do what was necessary as we could not."
"But why me? Surely there were others better suited?"
"Perhaps. But you showed courage. You had the courage to face death on your feet, no begging or crying. The only thing you begged, was that I didn't punish your friend." Sal thought about his actions and tried to see what the king was saying. He hadn't thought about his actions that way. "I thought you would be useful, as someone trying to atone for a foolish action would try far harder than any other."
Sal thought about this too. Perhaps the king was right. Certainly he had been so desperate to find a way into the tunnels because he was trying to make up for running away. He might have given up on seeing the gates if he hadn't been so desperate to prove himself. But there was the matter of the sword.
"There's something I don't understand. I wanted your hair as a token of fortune, and you gave me a sword named fortune with a hair set in it."
King Elessar smiled. "The elf queen Galadrial was a prophetess. Before she departed for the west, she told me to forge this sword. She said one would ask for a hair as a token of fortune, and that the sword was meant for him. She also told me I was not to give it you, you would take it when you needed it and with it you would save my life."
"Then the sword really was made for me?"
"Wield it well." Sal smiled, happy for the first time since this whole business had begun. The king had shown him mercy and favour. He would return home in honour, not as a traitor.
"There is one more thing," the king said, "if you are to wield so fine a sword, you need to have the skills to equal the strength of the sword. I offer you the chance to train with me, as well as with the leaders of our army. And once your training is complete, you may serve me as a personal guard, if you wish." Sal couldn't believe what he was being offered. Those who served as personal guard had the highest honour of all the soldiers of Gondor.
"Me?" he asked incredulously.
"Of course."
"But. I. Only the best are chosen to be personal guards!"
"May I assume that that is a yes?"
"Yes!" he replied excitedly. King Elessar grinned at his excitement, before standing up and preparing to return to the others. Once they had sat down once more, the king spoke to the company as a whole.
"I want each of you to give me your word that you will mention this to no one. No history will record our actions here, and no song will be written about it. None of you are to mention this to anyone." Merry was about to speak, but the king cut off his question before he asked it. "Not even Sam, Merry."
"Why?" Gimli asked.
"Because Boromir was a good man. If this tale is told, his name will be blackened irreparably. No one will understand the evil power that he faced, or believe that it couldn't be resisted. If people learn of this, they will believe that he was either weak or a traitor, and he was neither." Sal could understand this, and though he wanted to go home telling everyone of how he had saved the life of the king, he accepted that he could not.
He gave his oath, and the others did in turn. Faramir didn't swear, and the king did not ask him to. Sal supposed that he would want to tell anyone anyway.
"Thank you," Faramir said quietly, speaking for the first time since leaving the enemy tunnels.
"He was a good man," King Elessar said, "and a good friend. I owe it to his memory that no one doubts that." Sal looked with great respect at the king. Everyone knew of his actions during the war, and there were hundreds of rumours about his past, but Sal had never had the chance to see his wisdom and mercy first hand. Sal might not go home a hero, but it was fair price to ensure a good man's memory stayed pure. Besides, he had been more fortunate than he had believed possible on the outset. He couldn't complain.
***
Author's note: It's not quite finished yet. Don't forget they've still got to get home. The next chapter will be up soon.