* * *
Prelude to Innocence
by Akin
Tiris moved on his place again, sighing softly. It was already the second time in a short period and it meant that the artist would awake soon. Strangely enough after a very hard day Tiris' night was undisturbed. Faramir was thankful for that. The silence of the night suited his thinking.
His sleeping place was uncomfortable and he had to shift constantly, but Faramir was content nevertheless. A few questions were still lurking n the murky corner of his mind, but he had got in his planning further than he had expected.
Although the plan did not seem easier, now it at least appeared possible. He was sure the only way how to preserve what was left of Tiris's sanity was to get the artist away. For Gondor could have won this war, but the pressure was growing every day and the need for soldiers was constant. It was only question of time when the orphans would be required again. Faramir could not allow that violence should destroy unique mind.
Tiris grunted softly. Faramir rose from his bed alert. He quickly got up to his friend and softly covered his murmuring mouth with his hand. Tiris awoke immediately, his eyes flew wide.
Faramir turned to the entrance of the tent to check whether anyone would come. Then he motioned to Tiris to be silent. Only when the older boy nodded, Faramir dared to take his hand away.
"Do not speak. I will explain everything to you, but by the Valar, do not speak!"
Tiris nodded once again, his expressive eyes glinted with expectation in the dimness.
"I can get your out of here. I have a plan how to do it, but you must follow everything I say."
"I would be a deserter! They would hunt me down!" Tiris hissed.
"You did not seem to mind before the battle! But listen to me, or we will both pay very dearly." A small anxious note that crept into Faramir's voice underlining the grave expression. Tiris grimaced, but nodded.
"Today the list of the dead will be made. My heart is breaking to announce that due to the lack of experience 5 orphans died and Tiris, son of Minas Tirith, as well. "
Before Tiris could say whatever he wished, Faramir continued,
"I do not know how much time we have before Boromir will call us to return to Minas Tirith. Before that happens, all must be prepared. I will take care of that. All you have to do is to sit quietly in this tent so no one can notice you. I will go to Boromir today and try to find out how much time do we have exactly."
"Are you aware that you are exercising betrayal on your own blood and land?"
"I know, but if you try to sway me in my decision, I shall hate you for betraying my trust."
"I thank you."
"Do not thank me. The future is unsure and this plan very uncertain. It could lead you to death or the life of a renegade."
Tiris smiled briefly, "still this uncertain plan offers me a bigger chance than I have had since my childhood."
Faramir winced.
Although he fully realised that his feeling of responsibility for slow-fading Tiris' was only his imagination and care, he could not get rid of it.
It was threatening to crunch him.
He shrugged with his shoulders, "I simply believe that everyone should have his chance."
The look of gratitude on Tiris face was immediately replaced by irony, "Says the man, who never had any."
Faramir clenched his fists in dismay and with one foot almost out of the tent he whispered, "Do not say it," and then added, "I will be back in a moment. Remember, do not leave the tent."
Faramir left for Boromir's tent. It was shortly before dawn, but it was probably the only time of the day when he could speak to Boromir alone, without being disturbed by anyone. He knocked at the tent two times.
Small trails of sand slid down the linen.
"Boromir, may I enter?"
According to his expectations, his brother's voice was not sleepy at all.
"Come in, Faramir."
When Faramir entered he felt his determination quiver at the sight of his brother.
Boromir was tugging his shirt into his pants. He was clean and combed. He looked like he did during their careless days in Minas Tirith; as if there had not been a fight just one day ago.
With another man, this could lead Faramir into perplexity, but for a soldier like Boromir it was almost natural.
"Faramir, what leads you here?"
Startled Faramir paused to consider the usual question carefully. Could Boromir sense his betrayal?
My imagination plays with me. I have to hold through, keep a clear head.
"I came to ask you whether I can help you with something. The Haradrim are driven away for now and there are plenty of things to be organised before we can return..." Faramir trailed off.
Boromir laughed shortly, "My always mindful brother. Yes, we shall return home soon. There are only a few wounded, but their injuries are only minor and will not hinder us. We should stay here for a short time to make sure that the borders are secure, but I do not assume there should be any problems. I believe that we can go home in about two days. That is enough time to organise everything. "
Faramir nodded and quickly got up. He had got all the information he needed.
"Then I will not take any more of your time, I know how precious it is."
Boromir smiled at the comment, "Thank you for your care."
Faramir brushed the generous words with careless gesture and went out.
When Faramir returned to his tent, several other tents were awaking to a new day as well.
Tiris lay in his sleeping place.
"I did not tell you that you should not move. Only that you should not leave the tent."
Tiris scowled and got out of the tangled blankets. He looked at Faramir anxiously.
"Did you find out everything you wanted to?"
Faramir sat down opposite to him and explained seriously, "We have less time than I had initially believed. We leave for Minas Tirith in two days. Everything has to be prepared before then."
Tiris' head sunk considerably, "How do you imagine doing it. It is impossible!"
"I have never said it would be easy, nor that we would manage for sure."
Tiris calmed down and waited for Faramir to continue.
It was incomprehensible to Faramir that this broken doll staring at him used to be a though-provoking and question-awaking lad. He could almost pity Tiris. Yet there was still hope for under the thick layers of darkness the old nature still sparkled.
"We must get as much food as possible for you during the next two days. I will write the Steward's notice and get the sign on it for you while Boromir sleeps tonight. In the meantime, you will take all food I can get you and leave for the small wood. I will come after you and bring you the notice. You must leave sooner than we do. With enough food and water you should be able to get to the borders before we arrive in Minas Tirith. "
"It is full of risk," Tiris noted.
"Every choice we have is. To stay, as well as to leave."
"What if someone remembers seeing me after the battle?"
"Even if someone did, no one would run after you now. By the time you will be reported for desertion in Minas Tirith, you would already be over the borders. You cannot return to Gondor though, never."
Tiris obviously halted in his thoughts and for the first time he really seemed to be thinking about their plan as about something realistic that would come true.
"I shall never see the White city again?"
The soft comment surprised Faramir greatly. Yet Tiris got out of his sentiment quickly.
"Do not bring me food. It would bring unwanted attention to us. I can find something to eat along the way."
"Are you sure? The borders are dangerous and it is not certain that you can catch anything edible."
"Do not worry. I can manage on my own. I'd never place you into unnecessary danger."
"Really?" Faramir grinned slyly in almost perfect imitation of Tiris' expression, "Leave then together with your horse after nightfall. No one will notice you. It will appear as if you brought your horse to the water before sleeping and it will be dark enough to cover your face. Follow the canyon to the wood. I will bring you the notice. No matter what happens, you must wait for me. You cannot leave without it, you would never get over the borders."
They sat in silence. Faramir searched his friend's face for any sign of distress, but there was none.
Although Faramir believed he would never forget Tiris' expression of pain and betrayal from the night he touched madness, he could not picture it anymore.
When he tried to imagine it, the essentiality of the moment escaped him. In his memory only the smell of fresh blood and soil remained. He would never forget that mixture.
Would he ever snap like Tiris had done?
Tiris seemed to be stronger than him, accepting thing faster and easier. And yet, he had broken.
The idea sounded alien to him, but it was the truth- Tiris had simply lost it. Lost his touch to reality.
Could something like that happen to him as well?
The light of his reason would go out and in the darkness he would lose his piece, or rather peace. Would he ever look for what was lost? He opened his mouth to ask...
"No! Please! Do not ask!" Tiris' expression that had been soft moment's ago hardened. His voice was metallic and it tore through Faramir's thought as harshly as a blade that separates flesh.
Faramir forced the curiosity in his gaze to retreat.
When he looked back at Tiris, it was Tiris again. Not some riddle that had to be solved or a question that needed answer, only Tiris.
* * *
Faramir tried to be very patient during the next day. He had to watch himself constantly. Even a small mistake could ruin everything; his life as well.
So he had done everything that could be required of him. Not more, so he did not draw dangerous attention to him, not less.
Like every time when you anxiously wait for something, the time flew. Even nature herself seemed to help the two conspirators. The night came sooner than usual and in no time all soldiers had retired to their tents. There was no fire lit, no songs sung. Their pain of losing close friends in a seemingly meaningless battle was still too raw.
When the night embraced everything, Faramir was crouched close to his tent trying to stop his clattering teeth. His hands trembled as well and he had a feeling that every moment the whole camp would awake to the sound.
He wore his cloak, but it was cold nevertheless. His knees were almost icy and painful. If he did not move soon, he was afraid that he would be too frozen to move in the right moment. Both of his legs already seemed alien as if they were not attached to him at all. He pinched himself into his thigh to make ensure that there was still some blood circulating in it. Numb pain similar to the pinching of cold came as an unsatisfying response.
He could not understand he was not so cold when he was sitting by the river whole nights. In general it should have been warmer here. He shivered once again. Obviously, it was not.
He looked up to Boromir's tent. There was still the faint glowing of a candle outlining his brother's body on the rough linen. He was writing something.
"Go to bed or I will freeze here!" Faramir whimpered.
Yet it took another long while until the shadow of his brother stood up and put out the light. Faramir sighed.
All he had to do now was to wait a little longer and hope that Boromir would sleep as healthily and deeply as always.
After waiting quite a while and then even longer, just to be sure, Faramir got up and his knees crackled so loudly that his wildly beating heart almost jumped out of his chest after it started to beat again. His throat contracted and he frantically started to make up something that could help him to explain his late night walk if anyone showed up. After a moment of anxious waiting he sighed. It did not seem as if the guards had heard him although he was sure that even Tiris hidden in the far away wood must have heard the terrible cracks.
Faramir quickly moved to Boromir's tent and after a short mangling with it he got in.
He pictured the tent from the early morning and prayed that nothing important had changed in it.
He could hear Boromir's soft breathing on the opposite side. Nothing showed that he could wake him up. And Faramir would wonder if he did, because Boromir was working hard and although his complexion was strong and trained, everyone needed to rest eventually.
Faramir blindly reached into the open space where his hand found a haversack hanging on the tent's construction. He searched in it for a moment and then took out a cylindrical Steward's signet.
He was thankful that Denethor trusted Boromir with it. Surely their father would never think that the betrayal would come from his own blood.
Or maybe he would.
Faramir ran his fingers over the bottom of the signet. It was still damp; Boromir must have worked on some important notices. No wonder he worked so long. Boromir hated paper-work. Surely there were many reports to write by now and the work was slow.
Faramir quickly brought a document out of his pocket and pressed it hard against the sign. Then he quickly returned everything to where it belonged and left the tent.
As soon as he reached the open space, his heart started to beat slower, his breath evened and he did not feel like standing in fire.
There was still a journey to Tiris through the canyon awaiting him, but he felt as if he could sing. His dangerous and daring plan had worked.
He had never been drunk, but if it felt good, then he was drunk now, with success. And it was better than he had ever imagined.
The journey was quick and running along the canyon he did not even feel cold. Soon he disappeared into the wood. It took him several moments until his eyes adjusted to the thick darkness, but then he unmistakably followed to the place where he was supposed to meet Tiris.
The artist was there, crouched in the night. His horse stood still, as well. Both figures seemed to be set in stone. As soon as he spotted Faramir, he jumped to him,
"I was already worried that something had happened to you," there was genuine relief in his voice.
Out of his pocket Faramir produced the document and handed it to Tiris,
"You should leave fast. It took me longer than expected."
Faramir gazed at his friend, trying to engrave every little detail of his face into his mind, for he knew, that this was most likely their last meeting. Their paths were simply leading their futures into different directions.
Moonlight was flickering on their faces, breaking between moving leaves.
And in this intimate moments, it seemed to him, that for a moment he saw something in the deep dark eyes that had not been there before and went further than gratitude.
Tiris' hand came from darkness and surprisingly softly pressed to his cheek confirming, what both of them knew- it was time for parting. His thumb made a small half-circle, as if wiping away tears.
"Worries of a man, engraved in the face of a boy. Do not worry Faramir. I am leaving, but despite that, I will be with you, I am the rain."
Faramir's eyes met with the artist's and for a moment he had a feeling that Tiris wanted to say something more, but then his friend only leaned closer. His breath was tickling Faramir's face. Tiris' eyes were large and deep, he leaned even closer and hushed,
"Thank you. Valar with you, my Lord."
Then his hand withdrew, he turned away and before Faramir could say anything, he disappeared into the woods.
The fleeting moment passed and suddenly, Faramir was standing at the meadow alone. The wind running between the trunks in the wood carried the distant sound of breaking sticks- the last reminder that his friend was gone.
Faramir turned away. His heart was heavy, but it was time to move on. And so he did, towards the camp.
???~ FIN ~??? * * *
* * *
Before I say anything to the few who still stick with this story, I want to give you two questions.
I usually don't do this, but I wanted to ask what do you think of the relationship Faramir has/had with Tiris.
I tried here something and I want to check whether it worked. So if you can tell me your opinion I would be very thrilled.
The other thing is, this story was supposed to end here. And it obviously does. BUT, I am writing next chapters.
The question you get to decide is, do you want me to continue this story under this name, or shall I write it as
as a sequel standing on its own?
If I continue to add chapter to this story, you will have to wait between the chapters. If I write it as a sequel, I will write the whole story and only then start to post it, but then you will get it in much quicker tempo. But of course until we get to that point of posting, it would take time. It's up to you.
And now to my reviewers who still stick :)
Alex-If you liked the previous part, you should like this one too. I am sure that this is even better. At least in my eyes.
tHe InSaNe One-Well, you can also decide what you will see in this story. But I hope that you liked it too. As I already mentioned, this is one of my fav. chapters.
I thank you everyone who encouraged me and told me one way or another that he/she likes the story, EVERY comment (criticising especially) is welcome!
If you have any questions or didn't like something, just drop me a line I will surely respond. Constructive criticism is more than welcomed.