A/N: Oh I am sorry I have been neglecting my stories lately, but I haven't
forgotten! I will try to be more vigilant, and here is a nice, long part
to tide you over. Thank you for the feedback from everyone who's stopped
to send a note! Please review, as always!
Part 9:
By some miracle, it was weeks before Elrohir saw Lord Boromir again. However, he saw a lot of Faramir, as the young Lord made it a point to stop by the stables for several hours everyday. Elrohir also found it strange that he more often than not saw Faramir eating breakfast in front of the fire, at the very table he frequented for meals. Sarah told him that it had always been Faramir's way to sit with her and talk in the mornings, ever since his own mother had passed when he was young.
Elrohir was still wary of the Man, though he knew that his misgivings were superficial. Still, there were moments when Faramir would turn quickly, his auburn hair and green eyes flashing in the sun, and Elrohir would have to pause and remind himself of whom this Lord was. He wondered if that was how others saw him and Elladan back home, if he was merely one of a set and there was no difference between them. If for that reason only, Elrohir was willing to give Faramir a chance.
Now, Faramir sat on an upturned pail, watching Elrohir sweep the deserted aisles of the stable. It was getting late in the day and Elrohir moved lazily as he was wont to do when the work was easy. Faramir appreciated the view as Elrohir moved away from him, collecting the last bits of straw and dust.
"Tell me about your family, Elrohir," Faramir asked.
Elrohir paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts on exactly what to say. "My mother and my father are good people," he said at last. "My father is a healer and he was a warrior years ago. My mother is beautiful and I love her very much." Elrohir's eyes teared for a moment as he thought of his parents.
"Are you their only child?" Faramir asked, noting the strain in his voice.
Elrohir shook his head as he returned the broom to its place. "No, not at all," he said. He sat beside Faramir, resting his back against the stable wall. "I have a sister and a brother. My brother is older than I, and my sister is younger."
Faramir laughed. "We have more in common than I thought! You also know what it is like to have a brother to look down on you."
Elrohir shook his head. Faramir relinquished his bucket for the floor, sitting beside Elrohir so they had to turn to look at each other. "It is not like that between my brother and me," Elrohir said. "We love each other like no other. He knows what I am thinking, and I know what he is thinking. We were born on the same day and when I look at him it is like looking in a mirror."
Faramir smiled. "You are twins, then? Identical?"
Elrohir's eyes widened. "Yes, that is so. Is that so common?"
Faramir's eyes narrowed a bit. "It is common enough, though it is truly rare to have two of such beauty as you," he said.
Elrohir looked down at the ground. "That is not so where I come from," he admitted. "Twins are rare indeed, and it causes me much pain to have left my better half behind."
Faramir nodded, though he didn't understand. "What is his name?" he asked.
"Elladan."
"Elrohir and Elladan...those are odd names, though they sound familiar in a strange way," Faramir mused.
Elrohir jumped up in mock outrage. "Your name is the odd one," he defended. "Though it also seems familiar. Perhaps I once knew a horse by the name of Faramir..."
Faramir laughed as he, too, stood up to face Elrohir. Elrohir was entranced by the green of his eyes, like two emeralds that shone in the sun. Faramir smiled wider and was about to reply to Elrohir's jest, but Elrohir found himself almost unconsciously leaning in and softly touching his mouth to Faramir's.
Faramir stepped back, startled, and Elrohir quickly took that as outrage. He stumbled backwards, blushing furiously, but Faramir stopped him with a hand on his waist. "No, stop, Elrohir. It is okay. You merely surprised me."
"I am sorry," Elrohir said. "I..I don't know what came over me."
"Most likely the same thing that has come over me the last few weeks," Faramir said softly as he wrapped his arms tighter around Elrohir's waist, pulling him in.
Faramir kissed him in earnest, lapping gently at Elrohir's warm mouth in a request for permission. The soft lips beneath him parted fractionally and Faramir's tongue slipped inside. Elrohir jumped, pulling back a little.
"What..What was that?" he asked, wiping at his mouth.
Faramir was confused, but only for a moment as realization hit. He tried to hide his smile. "Have you ever kissed anyone before? Man or maid?"
Elrohir's blush deepened as he shook his head.
Faramir's smile escaped. "Come here and try again. It is not so bad, I promise, and I will stop if you say so."
Elrohir sighed and stepped closer, closing his eyes as he felt the arm encircle his back again. The kiss was a little slower this time, and Elrohir tentatively responded. It was strange, he mused, but pleasant in an odd way. Faramir deepened the kiss and Elrohir felt himself melt against the brawnier man, all thought fleeing in a haze. Faramir chuckled against his lips and moved one hand to snake through Elrohir's soft hair. The strong hand cupped Elrohir's cheek and moved to push his hair behind his ear. Suddenly, Faramir paused. Elrohir moaned softly---he did not ask Faramir to stop!
Faramir grasped Elrohir's shoulders and pushed him away slightly, studying him with a strange mix of wonder and fear. Elrohir did not understand until he noticed that his hair was no longer in his face.
"What are you?" Faramir asked quietly. "You are no Man, I know that now."
Elrohir tore himself out of Faramir's grasp, though Faramir had no intention of restraining him. "I beg of you, tell no one!" he pleaded, close to tears. "You are right, I am not a Man, but neither am I an Elf. I am one of the Peredhel, the half-elves. I meant no harm coming here, and I will leave if you wish, but please tell no one what I am!"
Faramir caught his wrists gently, trying to quiet his frantic pleading. "Hush, hush Elrohir, or else the entire household *will* know." Elrohir went suddenly still and Faramir saw the terror in the soft gray eyes. "I promised I would not let harm come to you, and that has not changed. I will not tell anyone of your secret, though I do not see why it is a secret. Look at me. Do you believe me?"
Elrohir stared into Faramir's clear eyes. There was sincerity there, not fear of having an Elf in his grasp, or anger at being misled for so long. He nodded slowly.
"You are an Elf then?" A nod. "I thought there was something odd about you, though I would not have guessed this," Faramir said quietly. He glanced around the stable quickly. "Will you come with me to somewhere we can talk without fear of being overheard?"
Elrohir stared in wonder at this Man who was not only willing to keep his secret, but to protect it as well. "Yes, I will come with you," he answered.
Faramir nodded and gestured for him to follow. Elrohir walked after him as they entered the house through the bustling kitchen. Faramir then took him through a door he had not been through before. It led to a staircase which wound up several floors and opened up into a stone hallway. The building was more closed and claustrophobic than the Great House in Imladris, but they were nearly equal in craftsmanship. This was an old house indeed, Elrohir mused as he was led down the winding halls.
At last they stopped in front of a set of oak double doors. Faramir opened them, motioning Elrohir inside. "These are my private quarters. None are allowed here save me, and the walls are thick; no one will know of what we speak of inside these doors."
Elrohir stepped into a huge airy room. On one side there was a fireplace with a set of comfortably padded chairs set beside a low table. A scholar's desk was set in the corner, and there were several shelves packed with leather-bound volumes. A thick rug covered the floor and there were masterfully woven tapestries hung on the walls. A large four-poster bed dominated the room, piled with soft blankets and fluffy pillows. Elrohir suddenly missed his room in Imladris, though it was not nearly as large as this one he thought it just as comfortable.
There was a fire already in the fireplace and Faramir threw another log onto it to warm the room for the oncoming night. Elrohir sat heavily on one of the armchairs and Faramir lowered himself into the other.
"Can you tell me what you are doing so far away from home? And why did you come here, of all places?" Faramir prompted when Elrohir did not look as though he would speak.
"As I have said, I am not completely an Elf; my father is Elrond Peredhil, so I am part Man."
"Oh, sweet Elbereth!" Faramir swore. "Lord Elrond the lore master? You are his son? That makes you a very powerful Lord in your own right. Far more powerful than my family, at any rate."
Elrohir shook his head. "Peace. I am barely passed my majority, as Elves count the years of this age. I am no powerful Elf Lord."
"I am sorry for my interruption, but this is all a shock. Please continue."
"Since my brother and I are half-Elven, we are both given a choice. We can sail west to Valinor when our father chooses to do so, or we may remain here in Arda and live as our mortal cousins do. I cannot make such a choice without knowing what I am giving up on both accounts. So I left my home and I came here...to do what, I do not know."
"And what will you now that your secret has been discovered? Return home and know in good conscious that Men are weak creatures, easily given to passions and wants beyond their needs?"
Elrohir looked down, though Faramir spoke in honesty without judgment. "I cannot go home," he said softly. "I cannot shame my family and my people with the knowledge of what I have done."
"Is running away to seek your fortune such a crime to the Elves that they would not welcome you home?" Faramir asked.
"Not that," Elrohir said, his voice barely audible.
Faramir's heart broke as he realized what Elrohir meant. "Surely you know that what happened to you is no fault of yours," he said, leaning forward to catch Elrohir's gaze.
"It does not change the fact that it happened," Elrohir answered.
"Then Elves are crueler than Men, if they would cast one such as you out," Faramir said coldly, rising to his feet to pace the hearth.
"How do you know of my father?" Elrohir asked, changing the subject.
Faramir laughed. "We *do* have books in Gondor and, unlike my brother, I bother to read them. Though I admit I have not committed them all to memory. Then again, I did not know that Elrond Peredhil's son would one day be sitting in my bedchamber."
Elrohir laughed at that, and Faramir smiled. "Next time I will send an announcement," Elrohir said.
Part 9:
By some miracle, it was weeks before Elrohir saw Lord Boromir again. However, he saw a lot of Faramir, as the young Lord made it a point to stop by the stables for several hours everyday. Elrohir also found it strange that he more often than not saw Faramir eating breakfast in front of the fire, at the very table he frequented for meals. Sarah told him that it had always been Faramir's way to sit with her and talk in the mornings, ever since his own mother had passed when he was young.
Elrohir was still wary of the Man, though he knew that his misgivings were superficial. Still, there were moments when Faramir would turn quickly, his auburn hair and green eyes flashing in the sun, and Elrohir would have to pause and remind himself of whom this Lord was. He wondered if that was how others saw him and Elladan back home, if he was merely one of a set and there was no difference between them. If for that reason only, Elrohir was willing to give Faramir a chance.
Now, Faramir sat on an upturned pail, watching Elrohir sweep the deserted aisles of the stable. It was getting late in the day and Elrohir moved lazily as he was wont to do when the work was easy. Faramir appreciated the view as Elrohir moved away from him, collecting the last bits of straw and dust.
"Tell me about your family, Elrohir," Faramir asked.
Elrohir paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts on exactly what to say. "My mother and my father are good people," he said at last. "My father is a healer and he was a warrior years ago. My mother is beautiful and I love her very much." Elrohir's eyes teared for a moment as he thought of his parents.
"Are you their only child?" Faramir asked, noting the strain in his voice.
Elrohir shook his head as he returned the broom to its place. "No, not at all," he said. He sat beside Faramir, resting his back against the stable wall. "I have a sister and a brother. My brother is older than I, and my sister is younger."
Faramir laughed. "We have more in common than I thought! You also know what it is like to have a brother to look down on you."
Elrohir shook his head. Faramir relinquished his bucket for the floor, sitting beside Elrohir so they had to turn to look at each other. "It is not like that between my brother and me," Elrohir said. "We love each other like no other. He knows what I am thinking, and I know what he is thinking. We were born on the same day and when I look at him it is like looking in a mirror."
Faramir smiled. "You are twins, then? Identical?"
Elrohir's eyes widened. "Yes, that is so. Is that so common?"
Faramir's eyes narrowed a bit. "It is common enough, though it is truly rare to have two of such beauty as you," he said.
Elrohir looked down at the ground. "That is not so where I come from," he admitted. "Twins are rare indeed, and it causes me much pain to have left my better half behind."
Faramir nodded, though he didn't understand. "What is his name?" he asked.
"Elladan."
"Elrohir and Elladan...those are odd names, though they sound familiar in a strange way," Faramir mused.
Elrohir jumped up in mock outrage. "Your name is the odd one," he defended. "Though it also seems familiar. Perhaps I once knew a horse by the name of Faramir..."
Faramir laughed as he, too, stood up to face Elrohir. Elrohir was entranced by the green of his eyes, like two emeralds that shone in the sun. Faramir smiled wider and was about to reply to Elrohir's jest, but Elrohir found himself almost unconsciously leaning in and softly touching his mouth to Faramir's.
Faramir stepped back, startled, and Elrohir quickly took that as outrage. He stumbled backwards, blushing furiously, but Faramir stopped him with a hand on his waist. "No, stop, Elrohir. It is okay. You merely surprised me."
"I am sorry," Elrohir said. "I..I don't know what came over me."
"Most likely the same thing that has come over me the last few weeks," Faramir said softly as he wrapped his arms tighter around Elrohir's waist, pulling him in.
Faramir kissed him in earnest, lapping gently at Elrohir's warm mouth in a request for permission. The soft lips beneath him parted fractionally and Faramir's tongue slipped inside. Elrohir jumped, pulling back a little.
"What..What was that?" he asked, wiping at his mouth.
Faramir was confused, but only for a moment as realization hit. He tried to hide his smile. "Have you ever kissed anyone before? Man or maid?"
Elrohir's blush deepened as he shook his head.
Faramir's smile escaped. "Come here and try again. It is not so bad, I promise, and I will stop if you say so."
Elrohir sighed and stepped closer, closing his eyes as he felt the arm encircle his back again. The kiss was a little slower this time, and Elrohir tentatively responded. It was strange, he mused, but pleasant in an odd way. Faramir deepened the kiss and Elrohir felt himself melt against the brawnier man, all thought fleeing in a haze. Faramir chuckled against his lips and moved one hand to snake through Elrohir's soft hair. The strong hand cupped Elrohir's cheek and moved to push his hair behind his ear. Suddenly, Faramir paused. Elrohir moaned softly---he did not ask Faramir to stop!
Faramir grasped Elrohir's shoulders and pushed him away slightly, studying him with a strange mix of wonder and fear. Elrohir did not understand until he noticed that his hair was no longer in his face.
"What are you?" Faramir asked quietly. "You are no Man, I know that now."
Elrohir tore himself out of Faramir's grasp, though Faramir had no intention of restraining him. "I beg of you, tell no one!" he pleaded, close to tears. "You are right, I am not a Man, but neither am I an Elf. I am one of the Peredhel, the half-elves. I meant no harm coming here, and I will leave if you wish, but please tell no one what I am!"
Faramir caught his wrists gently, trying to quiet his frantic pleading. "Hush, hush Elrohir, or else the entire household *will* know." Elrohir went suddenly still and Faramir saw the terror in the soft gray eyes. "I promised I would not let harm come to you, and that has not changed. I will not tell anyone of your secret, though I do not see why it is a secret. Look at me. Do you believe me?"
Elrohir stared into Faramir's clear eyes. There was sincerity there, not fear of having an Elf in his grasp, or anger at being misled for so long. He nodded slowly.
"You are an Elf then?" A nod. "I thought there was something odd about you, though I would not have guessed this," Faramir said quietly. He glanced around the stable quickly. "Will you come with me to somewhere we can talk without fear of being overheard?"
Elrohir stared in wonder at this Man who was not only willing to keep his secret, but to protect it as well. "Yes, I will come with you," he answered.
Faramir nodded and gestured for him to follow. Elrohir walked after him as they entered the house through the bustling kitchen. Faramir then took him through a door he had not been through before. It led to a staircase which wound up several floors and opened up into a stone hallway. The building was more closed and claustrophobic than the Great House in Imladris, but they were nearly equal in craftsmanship. This was an old house indeed, Elrohir mused as he was led down the winding halls.
At last they stopped in front of a set of oak double doors. Faramir opened them, motioning Elrohir inside. "These are my private quarters. None are allowed here save me, and the walls are thick; no one will know of what we speak of inside these doors."
Elrohir stepped into a huge airy room. On one side there was a fireplace with a set of comfortably padded chairs set beside a low table. A scholar's desk was set in the corner, and there were several shelves packed with leather-bound volumes. A thick rug covered the floor and there were masterfully woven tapestries hung on the walls. A large four-poster bed dominated the room, piled with soft blankets and fluffy pillows. Elrohir suddenly missed his room in Imladris, though it was not nearly as large as this one he thought it just as comfortable.
There was a fire already in the fireplace and Faramir threw another log onto it to warm the room for the oncoming night. Elrohir sat heavily on one of the armchairs and Faramir lowered himself into the other.
"Can you tell me what you are doing so far away from home? And why did you come here, of all places?" Faramir prompted when Elrohir did not look as though he would speak.
"As I have said, I am not completely an Elf; my father is Elrond Peredhil, so I am part Man."
"Oh, sweet Elbereth!" Faramir swore. "Lord Elrond the lore master? You are his son? That makes you a very powerful Lord in your own right. Far more powerful than my family, at any rate."
Elrohir shook his head. "Peace. I am barely passed my majority, as Elves count the years of this age. I am no powerful Elf Lord."
"I am sorry for my interruption, but this is all a shock. Please continue."
"Since my brother and I are half-Elven, we are both given a choice. We can sail west to Valinor when our father chooses to do so, or we may remain here in Arda and live as our mortal cousins do. I cannot make such a choice without knowing what I am giving up on both accounts. So I left my home and I came here...to do what, I do not know."
"And what will you now that your secret has been discovered? Return home and know in good conscious that Men are weak creatures, easily given to passions and wants beyond their needs?"
Elrohir looked down, though Faramir spoke in honesty without judgment. "I cannot go home," he said softly. "I cannot shame my family and my people with the knowledge of what I have done."
"Is running away to seek your fortune such a crime to the Elves that they would not welcome you home?" Faramir asked.
"Not that," Elrohir said, his voice barely audible.
Faramir's heart broke as he realized what Elrohir meant. "Surely you know that what happened to you is no fault of yours," he said, leaning forward to catch Elrohir's gaze.
"It does not change the fact that it happened," Elrohir answered.
"Then Elves are crueler than Men, if they would cast one such as you out," Faramir said coldly, rising to his feet to pace the hearth.
"How do you know of my father?" Elrohir asked, changing the subject.
Faramir laughed. "We *do* have books in Gondor and, unlike my brother, I bother to read them. Though I admit I have not committed them all to memory. Then again, I did not know that Elrond Peredhil's son would one day be sitting in my bedchamber."
Elrohir laughed at that, and Faramir smiled. "Next time I will send an announcement," Elrohir said.