Chapter 2 Anger
A/N: when you see *^* it means that there is a scene change.
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"Faramir! Are you ready to go orc-hunting?"
Faramir smiled warmly at his soon to be brother-in-law, King Éomer of Rohan. Éomer had eagerly accepted King Aragorn's invitation to rid the countryside of orcs. It seemed to him a great way of getting to know his sister's betrothed better. Faramir and Éowyn had decided on a November wedding, leaving only a month before Éomer's little sister became the wife of the Prince of Ithilien. Said Prince shook his head at Éomer's eagerness to be off. "First I must talk to Éowyn, then I will meet up with you and Aragorn at the stables."
As he made his way down to halls of the King's House, Faramir grimaced. This was most likely not to be a good encounter. Though puzzled, for Faramir had not given him an explanation, Aragorn had agreed to tell Éowyn that she would not be coming as she had planned, which would *not* put the shieldmaiden into a good mood.
Faramir walked up behind Éowyn who was standing by the window in her room, frowning. Having lived with the elves of Rivendell for many years as a child, Faramir now had unusually quiet footsteps that people rarely heard before he was right next to them. //I don't think I will sneak up on her today. It would probably not be the wisest thing to do// "Éowyn?"
The White Lady of Rohan whirled to face him. Her eyes flashed. "I talked to King Aragorn today and he told me that *you* asked that I not be allowed to ride with you! Why? What right have you to do that?"
Faramir winced slightly at her tone. "It is too dangerous."
"Too dangerous? I am still a shieldmaiden of Rohan, I can handle a sword."
"I thought you said you no longer wished to fight in battle, that you only wished to heal the land."
Éowyn frowned at her betrothed. Her voice grew louder with each argument until she was yelling at him. "Part of healing is fighting the disease. The orcs are a disease and I want to help wipe them out!"
"No, it is too dangerous!" //Please Éowyn, I do not want you to die like in my vision. It would kill me!//
Unaware of Faramir's thoughts, Éowyn boiled in anger and she lashed out at her fiancé. "Fine then! Go! Fight your dangerous orcs! I don't care! In fact, I don't care if you even come back!" Instantly, she saw that she had wounded him with her overly harsh words, but her fury and injured pride kept her from saying anything. Éowyn spun around, turning her back to the Prince of Ithilien. She half expected Faramir to wrap his arms around her and whisper an apology in her ear, but he didn't. When Éowyn turned again, he was gone, as if he had never been there.
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Aragorn gently kissed his wife Arwen before he mounted his horse. ^Be safe, my love.^ she told him in her native Sindarin.
He leaned over and smoothed her dark hair. ^We will be careful. Do not worry for me, love. I have Faramir and Éomer to protect me, as well as fifty good men.^
^I know. I just worry when you go off to battle. It is a wife's right.^ They laughed as Aragorn relished just being near his beloved Arwen.
Éomer rode over to them. "I do not mean to interrupt, but have either of you seen Faramir? He told me he would meet us here, but he is late."
"I am not late." The Kings of Rohan and Gondor turned in their saddles to see Faramir walking towards them. "I believe the King said that we left at noontime. The sun is still an hour away from then. Besides, I asked a stable-boy to saddle Belgir for me." As if knowing he was being talked about, the chestnut horse whinnied and trotted up to his rider, dragging the poor stable-boy who held the reins. A gift from Faramir's foster father, Lord Elrond, Belgir had an exaggerated idea of his own importance, being an elven horse from a good bloodline. Faramir smiled as Belgir nudged his shoulder, impatient to be off. "Shall we go?" he asked as he mounted.
Aragorn gave the order and the group trotted down the streets of Minas Tirith. The small party consisted of Aragorn and his twenty-five Gondorian calvary; Faramir plus ten members of his elite personal guard, the White Company; and Éomer with fifteen of his best Rohirrim. They did not expect to need any more than that, for although the band of orcs they hunted was fierce, it was small, reported to number only thirty. Neither the King of Gondor nor the King of Rohan thought they would be a problem once they were found.
As they left the city's Gate, Aragorn turned to Faramir. "Éowyn did not come to see you off."
Faramir did not look at his King. "We had an argument before I joined you. She was upset that I didn't want her to come."
Aragorn frowned. "I should not have told her that it was you who decided that. Then she would only be angry at me."
Faramir turned to him and spoke in Sindarin. ^It is not your fault, brother. She would have found out eventually and might have been even angrier at not being told. I have just been having a bad feeling about this hunt, and I do not want her in danger.^
^Do you suggest we do not go?^
Faramir shook his head. ^No. These orcs must be stopped or more shall perish than will die in the coming days.^
Aragorn would have spoken more, but one of his men asked to speak with him and he had to leave Faramir. Éomer, having listened to the first part of the conversation that had been in the Common Speech, brought his horse, Firefoot, alongside Belgir. "My sister often speaks in anger before she thinks. Do not take her words to heart, Faramir."
"I know, Éomer. I will try."
A/N: when you see *^* it means that there is a scene change.
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"Faramir! Are you ready to go orc-hunting?"
Faramir smiled warmly at his soon to be brother-in-law, King Éomer of Rohan. Éomer had eagerly accepted King Aragorn's invitation to rid the countryside of orcs. It seemed to him a great way of getting to know his sister's betrothed better. Faramir and Éowyn had decided on a November wedding, leaving only a month before Éomer's little sister became the wife of the Prince of Ithilien. Said Prince shook his head at Éomer's eagerness to be off. "First I must talk to Éowyn, then I will meet up with you and Aragorn at the stables."
As he made his way down to halls of the King's House, Faramir grimaced. This was most likely not to be a good encounter. Though puzzled, for Faramir had not given him an explanation, Aragorn had agreed to tell Éowyn that she would not be coming as she had planned, which would *not* put the shieldmaiden into a good mood.
Faramir walked up behind Éowyn who was standing by the window in her room, frowning. Having lived with the elves of Rivendell for many years as a child, Faramir now had unusually quiet footsteps that people rarely heard before he was right next to them. //I don't think I will sneak up on her today. It would probably not be the wisest thing to do// "Éowyn?"
The White Lady of Rohan whirled to face him. Her eyes flashed. "I talked to King Aragorn today and he told me that *you* asked that I not be allowed to ride with you! Why? What right have you to do that?"
Faramir winced slightly at her tone. "It is too dangerous."
"Too dangerous? I am still a shieldmaiden of Rohan, I can handle a sword."
"I thought you said you no longer wished to fight in battle, that you only wished to heal the land."
Éowyn frowned at her betrothed. Her voice grew louder with each argument until she was yelling at him. "Part of healing is fighting the disease. The orcs are a disease and I want to help wipe them out!"
"No, it is too dangerous!" //Please Éowyn, I do not want you to die like in my vision. It would kill me!//
Unaware of Faramir's thoughts, Éowyn boiled in anger and she lashed out at her fiancé. "Fine then! Go! Fight your dangerous orcs! I don't care! In fact, I don't care if you even come back!" Instantly, she saw that she had wounded him with her overly harsh words, but her fury and injured pride kept her from saying anything. Éowyn spun around, turning her back to the Prince of Ithilien. She half expected Faramir to wrap his arms around her and whisper an apology in her ear, but he didn't. When Éowyn turned again, he was gone, as if he had never been there.
*^*
Aragorn gently kissed his wife Arwen before he mounted his horse. ^Be safe, my love.^ she told him in her native Sindarin.
He leaned over and smoothed her dark hair. ^We will be careful. Do not worry for me, love. I have Faramir and Éomer to protect me, as well as fifty good men.^
^I know. I just worry when you go off to battle. It is a wife's right.^ They laughed as Aragorn relished just being near his beloved Arwen.
Éomer rode over to them. "I do not mean to interrupt, but have either of you seen Faramir? He told me he would meet us here, but he is late."
"I am not late." The Kings of Rohan and Gondor turned in their saddles to see Faramir walking towards them. "I believe the King said that we left at noontime. The sun is still an hour away from then. Besides, I asked a stable-boy to saddle Belgir for me." As if knowing he was being talked about, the chestnut horse whinnied and trotted up to his rider, dragging the poor stable-boy who held the reins. A gift from Faramir's foster father, Lord Elrond, Belgir had an exaggerated idea of his own importance, being an elven horse from a good bloodline. Faramir smiled as Belgir nudged his shoulder, impatient to be off. "Shall we go?" he asked as he mounted.
Aragorn gave the order and the group trotted down the streets of Minas Tirith. The small party consisted of Aragorn and his twenty-five Gondorian calvary; Faramir plus ten members of his elite personal guard, the White Company; and Éomer with fifteen of his best Rohirrim. They did not expect to need any more than that, for although the band of orcs they hunted was fierce, it was small, reported to number only thirty. Neither the King of Gondor nor the King of Rohan thought they would be a problem once they were found.
As they left the city's Gate, Aragorn turned to Faramir. "Éowyn did not come to see you off."
Faramir did not look at his King. "We had an argument before I joined you. She was upset that I didn't want her to come."
Aragorn frowned. "I should not have told her that it was you who decided that. Then she would only be angry at me."
Faramir turned to him and spoke in Sindarin. ^It is not your fault, brother. She would have found out eventually and might have been even angrier at not being told. I have just been having a bad feeling about this hunt, and I do not want her in danger.^
^Do you suggest we do not go?^
Faramir shook his head. ^No. These orcs must be stopped or more shall perish than will die in the coming days.^
Aragorn would have spoken more, but one of his men asked to speak with him and he had to leave Faramir. Éomer, having listened to the first part of the conversation that had been in the Common Speech, brought his horse, Firefoot, alongside Belgir. "My sister often speaks in anger before she thinks. Do not take her words to heart, Faramir."
"I know, Éomer. I will try."