A/N: Oh my goodness, you wouldn't BELIEVE the week I've had! I'm so sorry
I haven't posted this before (it was actually done a while ago), but
classes have started again for me, and I'm swamped already! To make things
even better, my roommate crashed my computer and I lost ALL my files!!!
But I'm finally back in working order, and here's a part to celebrate my
birthday Hobbit-style!
Part 7:
Elrohir roused as he felt a hand shaking his shoulder gently. His eyes shot open as he remembered what had happened a few hours before and he jumped, cowering though his face burned red at the shame of it.
"Hush, hush! What has happened here?" a soft voice asked.
Elrohir looked up to see a man standing above him. He was tall, with wavy brown hair cascading around his shoulders. Elrohir edged away from the man, crying out as he was sure that Boromir had returned to torment and shame him even further.
"I mean you no harm," the soft voice continued.
The voice did not belong to Lord Boromir, which caused Elrohir's frantic mind to pause and glance up. The man had one hand resting gently on Devil's flank and the other hand reached out to him. Devil stood quietly, his ears flicking back and forth as he studied the situation.
"Who..who are you?" Elrohir asked, his voice sounding rough and uneven to his own ears.
"Faramir," the stranger replied. "Sarah sent me to find you, as she was worried that you had not come in for supper yet." Elrohir's mind was still in shock, and the words did not register well with him. Faramir saw this and reached out again. "Please, tell me what has happened. Let me help you," he pleaded.
"No!" Elrohir cried, shying away from the outstretched hand again.
Faramir sighed, but saw that this young boy was hurt badly somehow. It would not do to upset him further and ruin any future chance he had at gaining his trust.
Elrohir saw the strange man leave and felt himself relax a little. His eyes closed and he drifted off, though it seemed like only moments later that he heard more voices. He opened his eyes to see Derek standing above him, looking at him with concern.
"The young Lord was right," he said Derek say quietly. He knelt beside Elrohir, putting a hand to his brow. "What has happened, Elrohir?"
Elrohir turned his face away, but Derek caught a single word. "Boromir." Tears sprung to the Man's eyes and he quickly grabbed a blanket to wrap around the youth's shoulders.
"Come on now, you can stand up," he coaxed Elrohir out of the stall. "Let's get you warm and cleaned up a little, hmm?"
Elrohir allowed himself to bed led out of the barn, though his muscles ached and he shivered at Derek's touch. Derek took him through the back door to the kitchen. Sarah was still there, directing servants who carried large platter of food out to the feast in the Hall. She gasped as she saw Elrohir's shaky appearance and blood-stained clothes.
"Oh, my dear, what happened?" she asked, taking his arm. She quieted, though, as Derek shook his head at her question and she asked no more questions.
Sarah had a place before the fire cleared and blankets laid out for Elrohir. He suffered her attentions in silence, submitting himself to her motherly instincts as she washed his face and hands and made him drink from a goblet of strong wine. Eventually, they both left him alone in front of the fire. Elrohir lay down, half-listening to the bustle in the kitchen but he felt strangely removed from it. It was a long time before the kitchen quieted, with only the occasional servant scuttling in for more wine or beer. Derek retired to the stable to look after the horses after telling Sarah to make Elrohir sleep the night in front of the warm fire where no one would bother him.
Elrohir felt a strange weariness envelop him, no doubt because of the wine, he thought. He allowed his eyes to close, and this time there were no tears. He felt a small, furry body press against him and saw the little gray kitchen cat curl up against his chest. She purred, happy to have someone to sleep with in the cold night. Elrohir fell asleep to the purr of the cat and Sarah's sweet humming above him.
Part 7:
Elrohir roused as he felt a hand shaking his shoulder gently. His eyes shot open as he remembered what had happened a few hours before and he jumped, cowering though his face burned red at the shame of it.
"Hush, hush! What has happened here?" a soft voice asked.
Elrohir looked up to see a man standing above him. He was tall, with wavy brown hair cascading around his shoulders. Elrohir edged away from the man, crying out as he was sure that Boromir had returned to torment and shame him even further.
"I mean you no harm," the soft voice continued.
The voice did not belong to Lord Boromir, which caused Elrohir's frantic mind to pause and glance up. The man had one hand resting gently on Devil's flank and the other hand reached out to him. Devil stood quietly, his ears flicking back and forth as he studied the situation.
"Who..who are you?" Elrohir asked, his voice sounding rough and uneven to his own ears.
"Faramir," the stranger replied. "Sarah sent me to find you, as she was worried that you had not come in for supper yet." Elrohir's mind was still in shock, and the words did not register well with him. Faramir saw this and reached out again. "Please, tell me what has happened. Let me help you," he pleaded.
"No!" Elrohir cried, shying away from the outstretched hand again.
Faramir sighed, but saw that this young boy was hurt badly somehow. It would not do to upset him further and ruin any future chance he had at gaining his trust.
Elrohir saw the strange man leave and felt himself relax a little. His eyes closed and he drifted off, though it seemed like only moments later that he heard more voices. He opened his eyes to see Derek standing above him, looking at him with concern.
"The young Lord was right," he said Derek say quietly. He knelt beside Elrohir, putting a hand to his brow. "What has happened, Elrohir?"
Elrohir turned his face away, but Derek caught a single word. "Boromir." Tears sprung to the Man's eyes and he quickly grabbed a blanket to wrap around the youth's shoulders.
"Come on now, you can stand up," he coaxed Elrohir out of the stall. "Let's get you warm and cleaned up a little, hmm?"
Elrohir allowed himself to bed led out of the barn, though his muscles ached and he shivered at Derek's touch. Derek took him through the back door to the kitchen. Sarah was still there, directing servants who carried large platter of food out to the feast in the Hall. She gasped as she saw Elrohir's shaky appearance and blood-stained clothes.
"Oh, my dear, what happened?" she asked, taking his arm. She quieted, though, as Derek shook his head at her question and she asked no more questions.
Sarah had a place before the fire cleared and blankets laid out for Elrohir. He suffered her attentions in silence, submitting himself to her motherly instincts as she washed his face and hands and made him drink from a goblet of strong wine. Eventually, they both left him alone in front of the fire. Elrohir lay down, half-listening to the bustle in the kitchen but he felt strangely removed from it. It was a long time before the kitchen quieted, with only the occasional servant scuttling in for more wine or beer. Derek retired to the stable to look after the horses after telling Sarah to make Elrohir sleep the night in front of the warm fire where no one would bother him.
Elrohir felt a strange weariness envelop him, no doubt because of the wine, he thought. He allowed his eyes to close, and this time there were no tears. He felt a small, furry body press against him and saw the little gray kitchen cat curl up against his chest. She purred, happy to have someone to sleep with in the cold night. Elrohir fell asleep to the purr of the cat and Sarah's sweet humming above him.