Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
*****
Faramir had no wish to reenter the chamber, but with King Elessar--Estel, Faramir reminded himself--with Estel by his side at least he knew he must, which somehow decreased the fear. The glances shared by the identical figures, too, embarrassed the Steward, but he managed to stand fast. Politics meant never showing emotion. Yet they spoke nothing of Faramir but went to Elessar and once again hugged him; he returned the gesture.
"Well met indeed, Brothers," the King muttered. Then, nodding in the direction of the table, he asked the twins, "Who is not coming tonight?"
They looked to the table then to Elessar and answered, "No one, Estel. You, Arwen, Legolas and the two of us, that makes five."
"What about the Steward?" Elessar asked. "I invited Faramir to join us tonight." This was said as though in the manner of a gentle reminder, however, the next comment was a low muttering in Sindarin. "And I believe you owe him an apology."
Thinking Faramir not knowledgeable of the elven tongues, one twin replied, "Estel, we knew not who he was." Faramir did not say that he understood, for to do so would be to lose an advantage, something he was unwilling to do and he knew better, anyhow. Faramir was a politician, the son of a politician, and most importantly a sharp-minded boy. That didn't stop Elessar's next words from hurting him, though.
"He is the Steward of Gondor, but he is only a boy and like everyone has suffered losses in the war. Please, if you are sorry, will you not tell him so?" What next was said passed by Faramir's ears, spoken quietly that the Elves heard but the Man could not.
With that Elessar placed one hand on either of the twins' shoulders and met their eyes, then smiled at them hopefully and moved to set a sixth place at the table. Discomfort rose in Faramir and more than anything he wished to escape this place of confusion, but saw no polite manner in which to do so.
"Steward Faramir?" The Man blinked to focus his eyes at the sound of his name, spoken by one of the identical figures. "We do apologize for our earlier misconceptions."
"What?" he had forgotten completely, absorbed in thoughts of flight. "Oh, of course, it is naught to concern yourself. . .selves. . .about, it might have happened to anyone."
"I am Elrohir," said the twin who had not spoken the apology, "and this is my brother Elladan. No need to worry," he added, seeing and reading Faramir's expression, "few are able to discern who is which of us."
"I am Faramir, though you already have heard." He had not the boldness, nor the lack of propriety, to inquire as to who these fellows were in relation to Elessar--Estel, he corrected himself again--and what they were doing here in Gondor. He knew they were Elves.
Luckily for Faramir, and for Elladan and Elrohir, the three were saved from attempting polite conversation by Legolas, who said, "If any of you wishes to eat, I suggest you take your seats before the Lady of the Stone City bashes you o'er the head."
"Nothing to risk!" Elladan exclaimed, or at least Faramir thought it was Elladan, and the twins and Legolas took seats at the table. Faramir watched, uncertain. "Please, sit," Elessar said, so Faramir did, plunking himself awkwardly in the empty chair between Legolas and Elessar. He noted the shape of the table--round, that no one was seated at the foot or head.
No food had been set upon the table but a loaf of bread still warm from the oven and a pot which Faramir assumed contained soup. Before he could wonder as to who had brought the food in, or, for that matter, when the Queen and Legolas had entered the room, one of the twins spoke up. "Go on then, Estel!"
"Never it's my go at it!" Elessar replied. "Arwen ought to do the honours, it's only right."
"Certainly not," Arwen refuted, "after all, melamin, you are King."
"Oh, none of that!" protested Elladan, Elrohir and Elessar all at once.
"Well, one of you must," Legolas said. "Here: I have in my mind a number between one and ten, whosoever guesses nearest must go ahead."
Elessar and Arwen agreed to this, for Arwen spoke "One!" as Elessar spoke "Ten!" Legolas grinned and held up two fingers. "Oh!" Arwen slapped her hand over her eyes. "I must then." In respect to Arwen they all closed their eyes, and simply for tradition they grasped the hands of the members beside them. Faramir drew away, expecting Elessar and Legolas to join hands across him, and so was completely surprised to feel either of his hands grasped by another's.
"This is tradition," Elessar muttered, and so, odd though it was, Faramir consented to it.
"This night we give our thanks for. . ." Arwen considered for a moment. "Love, strength, perserverance, new friends and old. Old battles have ended and new are beginning. My wish is continued strength for those I love to continue on with the paths they have chosen to tread, or those who have grabbed them by the ankles. We ask the protection of this peace in Gondor and all the lands of Middle-earth and. . .and safe passage to the Valinor for Ada, Daeradar and Daernaneth."
Elrohir, beside Arwen, spoke next, saying, "Safe passage."
Elladan, too, spoke these words.
"The growth of verdant greenery again in Greenwood the Great," Legolas added.
"Not to be banished from their hearts," Elessar said. All were silent for a moment, Elessar's wish weighing heavily upon them, until he mumbled, "Make a wish, Faramir."
The Steward spoke only one word. "Boromir."
/"Come on, Faramir, keep up!" Boromir's words carried the curving stairway. Faramir's breathing was ragged, for he had been ill recently and his lungs were not fully well, but he continued with all the strength he could conjure up. Twenty-two-year-old Boromir came running back down the stairway. "Are you all right, Brother?"
"I am fine, Boromir," replied Faramir as best he could. "You go on ahead, I will catch you up."
Boromir shook his head. "This is not what I wish. The moment we approach belongs not to us individually but only as a whole. Together we will meet it, Brother, or not at all. Come on!" He looped an arm around Faramir's shoulders. The younger boy did his best to set a brisk pace, and Boromir hung back to match it.
At last the left the stairway and entered the heavens, or so Faramir believe, so surrounded were they by the blackness of eternity and the glowing pinpricks that were stars. "Oh!" So awed was he that he could speak nothing more but feel his heart rise and swelling, his breathing laboured not by weak lungs but by sheer euphoria. "Oh, Boromir," he managed at last.
Smiling at the younger boy, Boromir held his little brother. Tomorrow he would leave once more on military call, but tonight was for him, for Faramir, for Boromir, for the brothers together. The call was one of danger, and Boromir knew not when he would see his little brother again. Tonight, he just wanted to hold the boy one last time, to let him know that he was loved and to be comforted by that love's return.
A star shot from the sky. Boromir whispered, "Make a wish, Faramir."/
After they had dropped the hands they held, the soup and the bread was passed about. Faramir looked suspiciously at the creamy liquid; it was deep red in colour and smelled of spice and that inexplicable thing he heard referred to as "kick." He had never seen such a brew, and in the politest of manners stirred it about with his spoon.
Suddenly he became conscious of eye upon him. "I have not poisoned it," Arwen said, laughter in her voice.
"You?" Faramir could manage nothing more out of the shock of it. A Queen, cooking? "You cooked, Lady Queen?"
She blushed something terrible at this! "There is nothing of rank at this table," Arwen said. "And yes, I did cook. My mother taught me."
"It has for some time been a tradition among the family, Arwen's and Elladan's and Elrohir's, to do such things," Legolas explained helpfully. "Their mother began it, cooking for them and forcing the twins to set the table, so I have heard."
Faramir attempted to work through the muddle of this. "Arwen is sister to the two?" he asked.
"Aye."
"Yet earlier Ki--er, Estel referred to them as his brothers."
"Ah, that. . .perhaps would be a better story for Estel himself to tell."
"On another occasion," Elessar added. "I propose a tournament, a who-can- eat-the-most-of-Arwen's-soup-without-crying tournament."
Amidst much agreement to this, and much protest on the part of Arwen, Faramir brightly poured water into his own glass and passed the pitcher around. If the soup was so hot that they would be crying from it, water might be helpful. This game began, quickly to be lost by Elladan, followed by Elessar then Elrohir, until only Arwen and Legolas remained in the contest, sipping their soup as though it were not burning their innards up. In spite of this appearance, both had turned a bit pink round the cheeks and had emptied their glasses at least once. Faramir, having never been exposed to such soup, had needed a good thump on the back after swallowing a spoonful and had retreated to bread, occasionally dipped in his soup.
At long last tears sprang to Legolas's eyes and rolled ruthlessly down his cheeks. "They burn!" he joked, swiping away the droplets. Arwen was then decided to have coated her mouth with wax, until she reached her breaking point and also teared up. With many tears and merry conversation the soup bowls were emptied, save for Faramir's. That was when the drinking began.
In good company drink is a pleasant enough matter, but when there are disloyalties running beneath the surface these ripple and buck, and unpleasantry rears its ugly head. Faramir, emboldened by drink, asked the question which had simmered within him all evening, boiling when the elves clearly ignored him, for though Legolas muttered helpful things, Elessar attempted to include Faramir and Arwen was pleasant if not patronizing to him, the twins cleared had no interest whatsoever in the Man. "Why did you have me come tonight, King Elessar?"
Elladan, who also had imbibed perhaps too much wine, added, "I, too, should like to hear that answered. Why do you include him tonight, Estel? He is not family."
Elessar frowned. Of the lot, he had taken the least drink. Legolas and Arwen too were sober enough. "Nor am I your family, Elladan. Faramir, because you are my friend, and so sad seeming and often so alone."
Drink carried Faramir far enough as to say, "I have no need of pity."
"And of friends?"
Usually sharp of wit, the alcohol lowered Faramir's thought to the level of dullness comparable to that of a hound. "Don't try to help me!" Even drunk, he saw where this was going. "Don't try to replace my brother and my father!" shouted Faramir, Steward of Gondor.
"Faramir," Legolas said, trying to defuse the situation before it became any worse.
Elessar might have taken in the least drink, but he was nevertheless sufficiently drunken. "All right then, I won't overshadow you and slap you around!" he replied, not yelling but not far from it.
"Estel!" Legolas said, chiding him and in a word demanding that he behave!
"You have no right to speak of my family this way you. . .you. . .drunken usurper!"
Elessar stood up angrily then, and Faramir imitated him. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, and likely the night would have ended in bloodshed but Arwen intervened. "That is enough! Both of you, stop this!" She, too, was on her feet. "You are drunk and acting terribly for it! We are all feeling raw right now but fighting with our allies will not repair our injured hearts. Now if you cannot apologize you can both turn round and go to your beds this instant and think about what you have done!"
Elladan and Elrohir snickered, and Arwen turned her rage on them next. "You, too! You rotten little boys, you terrible brothers! All of you awful, rotten men leave each other be, you drunken idiots!"
Feeling terrible for it and each mumbling an apology, the four who had been shouted at filed from the room with their heads hanging. "Oh, Arwen, I am so sorry," Legolas said when the two were alone. He rose and went to her, and she cried onto his shoulder for a long time. "Estel should be holding you now. None of this should have happened. Put it from your mind."
"No. . ." Arwen wiped her tears onto the sleeve of her dress. "I should have known better. I told him to invite Faramir, he had the idea but had I not pushed him he never would have done it. . .oh, it is the first time we have done this without Ada and of course tempers were high. . .Now they have gone and hurt each other. Oh those ghastly boys!"
Not sure which ghastly boys Arwen referred to, Legolas nodded. "They never meant it, Arwen. Here, let's just clear everything up. . ." By Elvish reckoning Legolas was not old. Nevertheless, he knew enough about Arwen not to push her to speak, simply to stand beside her. He so wished Elessar were here. He was a poor substitute.
*****
To be continued
Author's note: Admittedly, the Peredhil tradition is a cross between the Christmas dinner in Baby Blues and the "wish huddles" in The Wind on Fire Trilogy.
*****
Faramir had no wish to reenter the chamber, but with King Elessar--Estel, Faramir reminded himself--with Estel by his side at least he knew he must, which somehow decreased the fear. The glances shared by the identical figures, too, embarrassed the Steward, but he managed to stand fast. Politics meant never showing emotion. Yet they spoke nothing of Faramir but went to Elessar and once again hugged him; he returned the gesture.
"Well met indeed, Brothers," the King muttered. Then, nodding in the direction of the table, he asked the twins, "Who is not coming tonight?"
They looked to the table then to Elessar and answered, "No one, Estel. You, Arwen, Legolas and the two of us, that makes five."
"What about the Steward?" Elessar asked. "I invited Faramir to join us tonight." This was said as though in the manner of a gentle reminder, however, the next comment was a low muttering in Sindarin. "And I believe you owe him an apology."
Thinking Faramir not knowledgeable of the elven tongues, one twin replied, "Estel, we knew not who he was." Faramir did not say that he understood, for to do so would be to lose an advantage, something he was unwilling to do and he knew better, anyhow. Faramir was a politician, the son of a politician, and most importantly a sharp-minded boy. That didn't stop Elessar's next words from hurting him, though.
"He is the Steward of Gondor, but he is only a boy and like everyone has suffered losses in the war. Please, if you are sorry, will you not tell him so?" What next was said passed by Faramir's ears, spoken quietly that the Elves heard but the Man could not.
With that Elessar placed one hand on either of the twins' shoulders and met their eyes, then smiled at them hopefully and moved to set a sixth place at the table. Discomfort rose in Faramir and more than anything he wished to escape this place of confusion, but saw no polite manner in which to do so.
"Steward Faramir?" The Man blinked to focus his eyes at the sound of his name, spoken by one of the identical figures. "We do apologize for our earlier misconceptions."
"What?" he had forgotten completely, absorbed in thoughts of flight. "Oh, of course, it is naught to concern yourself. . .selves. . .about, it might have happened to anyone."
"I am Elrohir," said the twin who had not spoken the apology, "and this is my brother Elladan. No need to worry," he added, seeing and reading Faramir's expression, "few are able to discern who is which of us."
"I am Faramir, though you already have heard." He had not the boldness, nor the lack of propriety, to inquire as to who these fellows were in relation to Elessar--Estel, he corrected himself again--and what they were doing here in Gondor. He knew they were Elves.
Luckily for Faramir, and for Elladan and Elrohir, the three were saved from attempting polite conversation by Legolas, who said, "If any of you wishes to eat, I suggest you take your seats before the Lady of the Stone City bashes you o'er the head."
"Nothing to risk!" Elladan exclaimed, or at least Faramir thought it was Elladan, and the twins and Legolas took seats at the table. Faramir watched, uncertain. "Please, sit," Elessar said, so Faramir did, plunking himself awkwardly in the empty chair between Legolas and Elessar. He noted the shape of the table--round, that no one was seated at the foot or head.
No food had been set upon the table but a loaf of bread still warm from the oven and a pot which Faramir assumed contained soup. Before he could wonder as to who had brought the food in, or, for that matter, when the Queen and Legolas had entered the room, one of the twins spoke up. "Go on then, Estel!"
"Never it's my go at it!" Elessar replied. "Arwen ought to do the honours, it's only right."
"Certainly not," Arwen refuted, "after all, melamin, you are King."
"Oh, none of that!" protested Elladan, Elrohir and Elessar all at once.
"Well, one of you must," Legolas said. "Here: I have in my mind a number between one and ten, whosoever guesses nearest must go ahead."
Elessar and Arwen agreed to this, for Arwen spoke "One!" as Elessar spoke "Ten!" Legolas grinned and held up two fingers. "Oh!" Arwen slapped her hand over her eyes. "I must then." In respect to Arwen they all closed their eyes, and simply for tradition they grasped the hands of the members beside them. Faramir drew away, expecting Elessar and Legolas to join hands across him, and so was completely surprised to feel either of his hands grasped by another's.
"This is tradition," Elessar muttered, and so, odd though it was, Faramir consented to it.
"This night we give our thanks for. . ." Arwen considered for a moment. "Love, strength, perserverance, new friends and old. Old battles have ended and new are beginning. My wish is continued strength for those I love to continue on with the paths they have chosen to tread, or those who have grabbed them by the ankles. We ask the protection of this peace in Gondor and all the lands of Middle-earth and. . .and safe passage to the Valinor for Ada, Daeradar and Daernaneth."
Elrohir, beside Arwen, spoke next, saying, "Safe passage."
Elladan, too, spoke these words.
"The growth of verdant greenery again in Greenwood the Great," Legolas added.
"Not to be banished from their hearts," Elessar said. All were silent for a moment, Elessar's wish weighing heavily upon them, until he mumbled, "Make a wish, Faramir."
The Steward spoke only one word. "Boromir."
/"Come on, Faramir, keep up!" Boromir's words carried the curving stairway. Faramir's breathing was ragged, for he had been ill recently and his lungs were not fully well, but he continued with all the strength he could conjure up. Twenty-two-year-old Boromir came running back down the stairway. "Are you all right, Brother?"
"I am fine, Boromir," replied Faramir as best he could. "You go on ahead, I will catch you up."
Boromir shook his head. "This is not what I wish. The moment we approach belongs not to us individually but only as a whole. Together we will meet it, Brother, or not at all. Come on!" He looped an arm around Faramir's shoulders. The younger boy did his best to set a brisk pace, and Boromir hung back to match it.
At last the left the stairway and entered the heavens, or so Faramir believe, so surrounded were they by the blackness of eternity and the glowing pinpricks that were stars. "Oh!" So awed was he that he could speak nothing more but feel his heart rise and swelling, his breathing laboured not by weak lungs but by sheer euphoria. "Oh, Boromir," he managed at last.
Smiling at the younger boy, Boromir held his little brother. Tomorrow he would leave once more on military call, but tonight was for him, for Faramir, for Boromir, for the brothers together. The call was one of danger, and Boromir knew not when he would see his little brother again. Tonight, he just wanted to hold the boy one last time, to let him know that he was loved and to be comforted by that love's return.
A star shot from the sky. Boromir whispered, "Make a wish, Faramir."/
After they had dropped the hands they held, the soup and the bread was passed about. Faramir looked suspiciously at the creamy liquid; it was deep red in colour and smelled of spice and that inexplicable thing he heard referred to as "kick." He had never seen such a brew, and in the politest of manners stirred it about with his spoon.
Suddenly he became conscious of eye upon him. "I have not poisoned it," Arwen said, laughter in her voice.
"You?" Faramir could manage nothing more out of the shock of it. A Queen, cooking? "You cooked, Lady Queen?"
She blushed something terrible at this! "There is nothing of rank at this table," Arwen said. "And yes, I did cook. My mother taught me."
"It has for some time been a tradition among the family, Arwen's and Elladan's and Elrohir's, to do such things," Legolas explained helpfully. "Their mother began it, cooking for them and forcing the twins to set the table, so I have heard."
Faramir attempted to work through the muddle of this. "Arwen is sister to the two?" he asked.
"Aye."
"Yet earlier Ki--er, Estel referred to them as his brothers."
"Ah, that. . .perhaps would be a better story for Estel himself to tell."
"On another occasion," Elessar added. "I propose a tournament, a who-can- eat-the-most-of-Arwen's-soup-without-crying tournament."
Amidst much agreement to this, and much protest on the part of Arwen, Faramir brightly poured water into his own glass and passed the pitcher around. If the soup was so hot that they would be crying from it, water might be helpful. This game began, quickly to be lost by Elladan, followed by Elessar then Elrohir, until only Arwen and Legolas remained in the contest, sipping their soup as though it were not burning their innards up. In spite of this appearance, both had turned a bit pink round the cheeks and had emptied their glasses at least once. Faramir, having never been exposed to such soup, had needed a good thump on the back after swallowing a spoonful and had retreated to bread, occasionally dipped in his soup.
At long last tears sprang to Legolas's eyes and rolled ruthlessly down his cheeks. "They burn!" he joked, swiping away the droplets. Arwen was then decided to have coated her mouth with wax, until she reached her breaking point and also teared up. With many tears and merry conversation the soup bowls were emptied, save for Faramir's. That was when the drinking began.
In good company drink is a pleasant enough matter, but when there are disloyalties running beneath the surface these ripple and buck, and unpleasantry rears its ugly head. Faramir, emboldened by drink, asked the question which had simmered within him all evening, boiling when the elves clearly ignored him, for though Legolas muttered helpful things, Elessar attempted to include Faramir and Arwen was pleasant if not patronizing to him, the twins cleared had no interest whatsoever in the Man. "Why did you have me come tonight, King Elessar?"
Elladan, who also had imbibed perhaps too much wine, added, "I, too, should like to hear that answered. Why do you include him tonight, Estel? He is not family."
Elessar frowned. Of the lot, he had taken the least drink. Legolas and Arwen too were sober enough. "Nor am I your family, Elladan. Faramir, because you are my friend, and so sad seeming and often so alone."
Drink carried Faramir far enough as to say, "I have no need of pity."
"And of friends?"
Usually sharp of wit, the alcohol lowered Faramir's thought to the level of dullness comparable to that of a hound. "Don't try to help me!" Even drunk, he saw where this was going. "Don't try to replace my brother and my father!" shouted Faramir, Steward of Gondor.
"Faramir," Legolas said, trying to defuse the situation before it became any worse.
Elessar might have taken in the least drink, but he was nevertheless sufficiently drunken. "All right then, I won't overshadow you and slap you around!" he replied, not yelling but not far from it.
"Estel!" Legolas said, chiding him and in a word demanding that he behave!
"You have no right to speak of my family this way you. . .you. . .drunken usurper!"
Elessar stood up angrily then, and Faramir imitated him. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, and likely the night would have ended in bloodshed but Arwen intervened. "That is enough! Both of you, stop this!" She, too, was on her feet. "You are drunk and acting terribly for it! We are all feeling raw right now but fighting with our allies will not repair our injured hearts. Now if you cannot apologize you can both turn round and go to your beds this instant and think about what you have done!"
Elladan and Elrohir snickered, and Arwen turned her rage on them next. "You, too! You rotten little boys, you terrible brothers! All of you awful, rotten men leave each other be, you drunken idiots!"
Feeling terrible for it and each mumbling an apology, the four who had been shouted at filed from the room with their heads hanging. "Oh, Arwen, I am so sorry," Legolas said when the two were alone. He rose and went to her, and she cried onto his shoulder for a long time. "Estel should be holding you now. None of this should have happened. Put it from your mind."
"No. . ." Arwen wiped her tears onto the sleeve of her dress. "I should have known better. I told him to invite Faramir, he had the idea but had I not pushed him he never would have done it. . .oh, it is the first time we have done this without Ada and of course tempers were high. . .Now they have gone and hurt each other. Oh those ghastly boys!"
Not sure which ghastly boys Arwen referred to, Legolas nodded. "They never meant it, Arwen. Here, let's just clear everything up. . ." By Elvish reckoning Legolas was not old. Nevertheless, he knew enough about Arwen not to push her to speak, simply to stand beside her. He so wished Elessar were here. He was a poor substitute.
*****
To be continued
Author's note: Admittedly, the Peredhil tradition is a cross between the Christmas dinner in Baby Blues and the "wish huddles" in The Wind on Fire Trilogy.
