Eventually arriving back at Minas Tirith, months after setting out, Connor
pulled his hood over his head, wrapped his cloak around him and strolled
through the city. Many eyes watched the tall cloaked stranger followed by
the tame wolf, as black as ebony.
The new arrivals went straight to the palace, stared at by many and pursued by little children. At the gates of the palace, the stranger persuaded the guards to let him and the wolf in. Reluctantly they obeyed and the curious children gaped through the gates. Two guards escorted the stranger to the palace and announced his arrival to Theo, who took the news to the King and Queen.
The courtyard of the palace was large and a short flight of stone steps led to the palace. The river surged past the grassy courtyard through the palace grounds. The new arrivals waited with the guards at the foot of the steps and soon the King, Queen, young Prince and Theo, the Steward were standing at the top of the steps. "What is your name, stranger?" The King asked sternly.
Amusement was heard in the stranger's voice as he spoke. "Do my own parents know me not?" He flung back his cloak hood and revealed his face.
"My son, my son has returned!" Queen Evenstar ran down the steps and embraced her elder son. The city's children at the gates ran squealing to tell the news that the Prince had returned and Darcy scowled down at his brother. Theo's sombre expression flickered into anger for a second, but the curtain of severity fell down again.
Slowly and with dignity, King Elessar walked down the steps, put his hand on his son's shoulder and said, "The Lord Elrond named me Estel, meaning hope, and I never gave up hope for you, my son."
"I am sorry, Father." Connor said simply.
"Will you come to my room in a while, my son?"
"Yes, Father." Connor took his leave of his parents and sauntered up the steps, past his resentful brother and to his private chambers, followed by the faithful Shadow. In his main chamber, he unloaded his pack and replaced his bow and quiver of arrows upon the wall. He unbuckled his belt and placed the belt and scabbards on the simply-carved wooden table. He pulled his sword from the scabbard and ran his fingers along it.
"Telrúnya, mellon." He whispered in Elvish to his sword. Shadow watched him inquisitively and he smiled at the wolf. "Telrúnya helped us out there, Shadow, and has saved me many times."
A creak behind him made Connor turn round quickly, his sword at the ready. His little brother shrieked in fear. Connor smiled to himself, as he saw the wolf sniff his brother and then go to lie in the corner of the room on the blankets Connor had unpacked.
"What do you wish here, Darcy?" He asked of his younger brother.
"You made Mother cry, why did you come back?" Darcy glared.
Calmly, Connor replied, "To stop her crying; that is why." He swung his sword through the air and then stopped, remembering his father's words.
He replaced Telrúnya on the table and sent his young brother from the room. He changed out of his dirty clothes and into a clean shirt and pair of trousers.
Barefoot and bareheaded, he padded along to his father's rooms and knocked on the door. Hearing his father call him in, he obeyed.
"What of that wolf?" Was his father's first question.
"He is in my room, resting his paws." Connor grinned. His father's stern glance wiped away his merriment and he answered properly, telling his father of his first meeting with Shadow and all that had happened since.
When his son had finished, Aragorn beckoned to him. The man was sitting on a wooden chair by a large window that offered a view of the whole courtyard and the busy servants rushing about. Connor sat beside his father and waited in silence until his father told him what he wanted to say.
His father spoke carefully and gently, but firmly. He told his son that he knew of the love the elf-girl, Alatariel, had for Connor and he asked Connor of his own feelings. Fidgeting and his cheeks tinged with red, Connor admitted he loved the elf.
Aragorn listened to his son's confession and was silent. After a pause, he said, "My son, you must not love an elf."
Shocked into impertinence, Connor said, "Not even my mother?"
As his father glared at him, he regretted his words and paid attention to Aragorn's subsequent words. "Elves and mortals do not mix, my son, you cannot love an elf." Irritated by his father's hypocritical remarks, Connor accused him of being a fraud and charlatan.
Aragorn stood up in anger, but kept his voice steady as he said, "I know this, because I, myself, have experienced it. You cannot love an elf, Connor."
The newly-returned son then quarrelled with his father and soon his father said, "You should not have left like that, Connor. How would I have felt if you had died out there and I would be left knowing my last words to you were spoken in anger?"
Connor shouted, "If I died now, your last words would have been spoken in anger also." Then the Lord Elfstone was alone in the room as his son stormed out in fury. Aragorn saw his son run down through the courtyard to the river. His shirt was flung to the ground and he dived into the water.
Swimming strongly against the current, Connor felt a small part of his anger leave him. He swam to a rock in the middle of the river and climbed onto it, glaring into the water as though he was irate with the dark green, but clear water and not his father.
The new arrivals went straight to the palace, stared at by many and pursued by little children. At the gates of the palace, the stranger persuaded the guards to let him and the wolf in. Reluctantly they obeyed and the curious children gaped through the gates. Two guards escorted the stranger to the palace and announced his arrival to Theo, who took the news to the King and Queen.
The courtyard of the palace was large and a short flight of stone steps led to the palace. The river surged past the grassy courtyard through the palace grounds. The new arrivals waited with the guards at the foot of the steps and soon the King, Queen, young Prince and Theo, the Steward were standing at the top of the steps. "What is your name, stranger?" The King asked sternly.
Amusement was heard in the stranger's voice as he spoke. "Do my own parents know me not?" He flung back his cloak hood and revealed his face.
"My son, my son has returned!" Queen Evenstar ran down the steps and embraced her elder son. The city's children at the gates ran squealing to tell the news that the Prince had returned and Darcy scowled down at his brother. Theo's sombre expression flickered into anger for a second, but the curtain of severity fell down again.
Slowly and with dignity, King Elessar walked down the steps, put his hand on his son's shoulder and said, "The Lord Elrond named me Estel, meaning hope, and I never gave up hope for you, my son."
"I am sorry, Father." Connor said simply.
"Will you come to my room in a while, my son?"
"Yes, Father." Connor took his leave of his parents and sauntered up the steps, past his resentful brother and to his private chambers, followed by the faithful Shadow. In his main chamber, he unloaded his pack and replaced his bow and quiver of arrows upon the wall. He unbuckled his belt and placed the belt and scabbards on the simply-carved wooden table. He pulled his sword from the scabbard and ran his fingers along it.
"Telrúnya, mellon." He whispered in Elvish to his sword. Shadow watched him inquisitively and he smiled at the wolf. "Telrúnya helped us out there, Shadow, and has saved me many times."
A creak behind him made Connor turn round quickly, his sword at the ready. His little brother shrieked in fear. Connor smiled to himself, as he saw the wolf sniff his brother and then go to lie in the corner of the room on the blankets Connor had unpacked.
"What do you wish here, Darcy?" He asked of his younger brother.
"You made Mother cry, why did you come back?" Darcy glared.
Calmly, Connor replied, "To stop her crying; that is why." He swung his sword through the air and then stopped, remembering his father's words.
He replaced Telrúnya on the table and sent his young brother from the room. He changed out of his dirty clothes and into a clean shirt and pair of trousers.
Barefoot and bareheaded, he padded along to his father's rooms and knocked on the door. Hearing his father call him in, he obeyed.
"What of that wolf?" Was his father's first question.
"He is in my room, resting his paws." Connor grinned. His father's stern glance wiped away his merriment and he answered properly, telling his father of his first meeting with Shadow and all that had happened since.
When his son had finished, Aragorn beckoned to him. The man was sitting on a wooden chair by a large window that offered a view of the whole courtyard and the busy servants rushing about. Connor sat beside his father and waited in silence until his father told him what he wanted to say.
His father spoke carefully and gently, but firmly. He told his son that he knew of the love the elf-girl, Alatariel, had for Connor and he asked Connor of his own feelings. Fidgeting and his cheeks tinged with red, Connor admitted he loved the elf.
Aragorn listened to his son's confession and was silent. After a pause, he said, "My son, you must not love an elf."
Shocked into impertinence, Connor said, "Not even my mother?"
As his father glared at him, he regretted his words and paid attention to Aragorn's subsequent words. "Elves and mortals do not mix, my son, you cannot love an elf." Irritated by his father's hypocritical remarks, Connor accused him of being a fraud and charlatan.
Aragorn stood up in anger, but kept his voice steady as he said, "I know this, because I, myself, have experienced it. You cannot love an elf, Connor."
The newly-returned son then quarrelled with his father and soon his father said, "You should not have left like that, Connor. How would I have felt if you had died out there and I would be left knowing my last words to you were spoken in anger?"
Connor shouted, "If I died now, your last words would have been spoken in anger also." Then the Lord Elfstone was alone in the room as his son stormed out in fury. Aragorn saw his son run down through the courtyard to the river. His shirt was flung to the ground and he dived into the water.
Swimming strongly against the current, Connor felt a small part of his anger leave him. He swam to a rock in the middle of the river and climbed onto it, glaring into the water as though he was irate with the dark green, but clear water and not his father.