Last time I checked, I wasn't Tolkien, so I don't own it.
End of an era, NOT the end of the story. I still can't believe I have over 30 reviews. I love it! Did anyone see JAG the other day? Bud writes fanfiction too! I thought that was cool.
Please review! Next chapter we meet Estel!
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The next morning, Lord Elrond anxiously awaited Faramir at the breakfast table. The elf hoped that the boy, no, his son, had truly been healed last night. The door opened and Faramir walked in. Elrond smiled at him from his seat. "Good morning Tir! Are you feeling well this morning?" At first he feared that Faramir would only nod, but then the boy opened his mouth.
His voice was soft, unsure. "Good morning Ada. I am feeling much better." Elrond's smile turned into a grin. There was a crash behind him. Turning, the two noticed that the elf who served breakfast had dropped the tray she had been carrying. Faramir's lips curved in a tiny smile as the elf hurriedly cleaned up then raced back to the kitchen, most likely to tell the whole staff that the silent child had spoken.
The news spread quickly around Rivendell that Lord Elrond's foster son had finally spoken, and the dark mood that lay upon the House after Faramir's song the night before disappeared. Faramir, though, didn't feel completely healed. Two years of hopelessness had taken its toll. He had nearly forgotten how to smile and he never spoke loudly. Faramir was small, having not eaten as much as growing boy should. Yet Elrond's words quickly remedied that, and soon he had the staff running around, trying to keep the now constantly hungry child fed.
A few nights later, Faramir snuck into Elrond's study, relieved to find it empty. He didn't want to explain to his Ada that he couldn't sleep. Nightmares kept him awake, as they had for the past two years. Carrying a blanket, Faramir laid down on the small couch in the room. It was soft, and smelled of Ada. The ten-year old soon fell fast asleep.
~~* "Father, please! Why do you not love me? I try so hard and yet nothing I do pleases you! Why do you hate me so? You have never showed me the least bit of love! Mother would be ashamed of you!" The same dream. Over and over, the same thing happened. Always it came, first Faramir's own words, then his father's.
"Love you? Hah! You are weak!" Again, Faramir felt his arm break, the pain as fresh as it had been that night. "You are worthless!" The dagger slashed against his cheek. "You do not deserve to be loved!" Those horrible words, the ones that outweighed the horror of the dagger. Faramir wondered, each time he dreamt, if this part would ever turn out differently, if the dagger would follow its path. Before he almost wished it had. Yet now, he only felt terror and sadness. The hand shot out and grabbed the dream Denethor's wrist. Like always, this part dissipated and Faramir was walking in a green field, filled with flowers. In the distance he saw Denethor and Boromir walking and laughing together. He ran after them, calling for them to wait for him. Yet Denethor only frowned, turned, and walked quickly away. "Boromir, wait for me!" he cried, but his brother just smiled apologetically and ran after their father. Faramir felt his heart sink. They didn't love him. The shadow that had held him before, opened up beneath the boy and he began falling into a dark hole. Yet something different happened this time. A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the shadow. *~~
Faramir awoke with a start. Eyes still closed, he felt someone's hand on his brow. Faramir shrunk away from the touch, but then the person spoke. "Shh. It's alright little one, it is just me." He opened his eyes and sighed in relief at seeing his Ada's kind face. Sitting up slowly, Faramir made room for Elrond to sit next to him. The elf lord put his arm around the boy, who still trembled slightly from the dream. "You have had this nightmare before, have you not?"
The child nodded. "Every night." He whispered. Elrond frowned. The elf had entered his study to find his son tossing and turning, clearly in the throws of some horrible nightmare. At first he thought to wait until Faramir woke on his own, but then he saw the shadow in the boy's features and entered into the dream to pull him out. In the few moments he walked in Faramir's nightmare he felt all the darkness that attacked the small child. To hear that this was commonplace concerned him.
"Tir." Faramir kept his head down. "Tir, please tell me what you dream."
The caring in Elrond's voice broke through the last of Faramir's barriers. The small boy spilled out everything, the dream, the words, the abuse. Elrond held him tightly as Faramir sobbed. By the time Faramir finished, the elf was ready to ride to Minas Tirith and personally introduce Denethor to the end of his sword, one he would preferably coat with a very slow and very painful poison. Keeping his emotions under control, Elrond spoke. "I wish there was someway to help you. I can stop the dreams, but not the pain." Faramir looked up at him, his cheeks red from crying.
"You have helped me Ada. You saved me from the shadow." Elrond smiled and pulled the boy into an embrace, stroking his dark hair.
"No, little one. It was your own strength that saved you. I could do nothing until you let yourself hope." But Faramir didn't hear him. Soft breathing told Elrond that the boy was asleep. He gently carried Faramir to the boy's room and carefully put him in bed. As he turned to go, a soft cry made him look back. Faramir seemed to be again entering his nightmare. Elrond pulled a chair next to the bed and placed a hand on the boy's head. The elf lord again entered Faramir's dream and kept the nightmare at bay. For the first time in years, Faramir slept soundly.
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I love mush. Just to reiterate, this is NOT slash. Elrond and Faramir have a father/son relationship. I just want to make sure everyone understands. Please review!
