See disclaimer chapter 1
Reviewer Responses
JediKnightBalthasar= To answer your question about Boromir, he doesn't know that Denethor abuses Faramir physically. Faramir doesn't tell him and Denethor sure wouldn't. Boromir also is as loyal as Lassie to his father and wouldn't conceive that he would hurt his brother. I will show Boromir a little kinder though. Thanks for reviewing, hope you like the next part.
IceAngel= Yah I know about Finduilas, but I didn't like it so I changed it. I figured that they wouldn't know about cancer and that it would seem to them that she died from loneliness.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Just to caution you, this will be a very long story. I have worked ahead and so far it is over 40 pages. I may have to make it two stories. Tell me what you think!
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Cradling his broken arm, Faramir ran out of the room and out of the palace. He headed down to the Sixth Level, straight for the house of the healer Ioreth. While Ioreth worked at the Houses of Healing, her daughter Iorwyn worked at the house, healing all whom would ask for little or no pay. The middle-aged woman had treated his wounds before and Faramir trusted her greatly, for she reminded him of his own mother. As he stood on the doorstep, his strength failed and he swallowed a sob as he knocked desperately on the door with his left hand. The pain in his arm grew and he felt faint. After what seemed like eternity, the door opened and Faramir fell into Iorwyn's arms. Seeing the state of the young lord, Iorwyn quickly shut the door and led him to the bed where he sat down. Sitting next to him, the healer gently probed the injury.
"Lord Faramir, how did you come to break your arm so?" Faramir thought quickly.
"I…I f…fell and l…landed on m…my arm." He explained, still holding back his tears. Iorwyn examined the arm and frowned at the bruise that surrounded the break. Something about it wasn't right, but she couldn't think what.
"My lord, I am going to have to set this. It will hurt, but then you will feel better, I promise." Faramir nodded and she quickly set the bone before he could tense up. The blood washed out of the boy's face and he could hold off unconsciousness no longer.
With Faramir asleep, Iorwyn was free to examine the bruise more carefully. Her frown deepened as she observed four thin bruises extending from the main bruise and a fifth slender bruise encircling the boy's arm in the opposite direction. It looked almost as if…Iorwyn gasped as she realized that the bruise was in the form of a hand! Someone had broken Faramir's arm. She stared grimly at the arm as she wrapped linen strips around it as a cast. Iorwyn had a sinking feeling that she knew who was responsible.
After her work was finished, Iorwyn gathered the sleeping Faramir into her arms and headed toward the Seventh Level. The guards to the palace knew her and so let her pass. Fulla, a friend of Iorwyn's who worked in the palace, led them up to Faramir's room where the healer laid him down on his bed. The small boy curled up into a ball on his left side and whimpered in his sleep. Iorwyn frowned as she left the room. Shutting the door behind her, she turned to Fulla. "My friend, something bothers me about his arm. He said he fell and broke it, yet the bruise he has tells me that something else was responsible. Or should I say someone else." Fulla looked away, not wanting to meet her friend's eye. "Fulla, Lord Faramir comes to me every other month with some sort of injury, all of which have been caused by someone. What do you have to say about this?" The servant girl looked around before answering quietly.
"Iorwyn, I cannot say much, it is too dangerous. Yet because you are my friend and because I care about the boy I will tell you what I can. Every other month, the Lord Denethor speaks to each of his sons separately, after dinner. Sometimes Lord Faramir comes out with no more than a hurt soul, but many times he leaves injured. I fear it is getting worse." Iorwyn's heart constricted. How could a father hurt his own child so? And one so sweet and innocent as Faramir!
"Fulla, we must do something about this! We can not let this continue, Lord Faramir is in danger!" Fulla shook her head, frightened.
"No, we can do nothing. We are servants, even you for Lord Denethor is our Steward and all citizens of Gondor are his servants. You cannot go against him. All we can do is heal Lord Faramir's injuries until he is old enough to defend himself."
Iorwyn's eyes blazed in anger. "Do nothing! How can you even suggest that? We cannot even be sure that Lord Faramir will survive another encounter! We have to do something Fulla!" Fulla again shook her head and turned away.
"I cannot help you Iorwyn. I cannot go against the Steward." As the servant disappeared down the hall Iorwyn's eyes hardened in determination. "If you will not help me my friend, then I shall help Lord Faramir myself."
~*~
Denethor sat in his study, his mind wandering. Whenever he tried to work, the face of his son flew in front of him, Finduilas's eyes staring out. The Steward swore beneath his breath. He could still feel the small arm break beneath his hand. Denethor hadn't meant to hurt Faramir like that. Yet part of him felt no remorse.
In his mind the voices fought. There was the light voice, small and growing weaker with every hurt he did his son. And then there was the dark voice, twisted and strong, growing with each harsh word and slap. As Denethor's head swam in a drunken stupor, his conscience battled for control.
* Why do you hurt him, he is an innocent child? *
Yes, a child who is puny, a weakling.
* He has a strong soul, a loving heart. Is that a weakness, the ability to love? *
Love is weak. Finduilas told you she would always love you. She said you were her stars and her sea. Yet he stole that. Her love was a weakness, and so is his.
* Faramir only wants to please you. He wants his father to be proud of him, like he is proud of Boromir. *
Ah, Boromir! He is strong! He is better than his brother in everything, a true son. Why do you need the other?
* Boromir may be strong, but Faramir has the far-sight like you. He is like you in many ways; he even looks like you except for his eyes. *
He is like you, but he doesn't have your strength. He sees into you, sees your soul, and thinks himself better than you. He is a threat to you and your power. He would try to take it away from you and Boromir.
* He would not do that, he loves you and his brother! Faramir is…*
Be quiet! Faramir is nothing, a weakling. He does not deserve your love or respect! That is all you need to know.
* Please! *
Yet the light was overcome. Denethor's darkness conquered and the light dwindled into a tiny flicker.
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No, Denethor is not suffering from schizophrenia, the voices are his conscience. Kinda like shoulder angels. But because of Finduilas's death and his looking into the palantir, which I didn't mention, the dark voice is winning.
