Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Tolkien's. I'm just playing around with them a bit and will put them carefully away when I'm done. The Sea Hawk, however, is all mine and please ask before using in other fics.
Dedications: I wouldn't have had the nerve to even start this without Evendim and my darling AJ reassuring me that it was decent. This entire story is dedicated to them.
A/N: This piece is set in Evendim's wonderful AU. Any questions can be answered simply by reading her wonderful fics. Which should be done anyway because they are simply excellent!
A/N 2:This being an AU piece, there are several discrepancies from the Professor's works. Not the least of which that Boromir lives!
A/N 3: My thanks to all my reviewers! I try to answer reviews as they come in, but if you don't leave an email I can't answer them!
Please, if you like the story, leave a review! It would make my day, as well as telling me that it's worth continuing!
***Faramir had almost despaired of making his father see reason. Aragorn was making preparations to go to Cair Andros, despite all the counsel he had taken. He had not conceded, as yet, but he was beginning to realize that in a battle of wills, his father could be more stubborn than ever imagined.
He stalked down the corridor to his rooms, throwing wide the door and flinging himself down onto his bed, groaning in fatigue. Yet almost as soon as he had landed on the soft sable, he drew himself up again and glanced toward the balcony. Soft sounds were coming from outside and he drew near the opening to listen.
"That's good, gull, that's right. Settle down, now, so I can retrieve this… good."
Faramir ducked out onto the balcony quickly to catch his very own esquire in the act of removing a message from the leg of the seagull in question. Aran's eyes went wide as saucers and he flicked the bird from his hand, dodging to duck under Faramir's arm, but the man was too quick and held him in an iron grip.
"Here now, Aran, stop squirming! I won't hurt you!" Faramir snapped as he set the boy on his feet. "Give me the parchment." He extended his hand, his face hard. "I'm between you and the door, so give it here."
The boy lowered his head and held out his hand, and Faramir took the page and scanned it quickly. His eyes widened, then narrowed and he glared down at the boy. "How long has this been going on?" he demanded. He took Aran's arm and hustled him into the hallway, almost dragging him until he realized the boy could hardly keep up his pace. So, he slowed, and brought him to his father's rooms.
He held tight Aran squirmed in his grasp, and pounded heavily on the closed door. "Sire! We must speak. Now!"
"We have nothing further to discuss, My Lord Steward, so you may as well save your breath." Aragorn appeared in the doorway, looking harried and fatigued. "I will not risk your brother's life."
"You might not have to." Faramir shouldered past the older man and hauled the boy forward. "Aran was receiving this when I arrived in my rooms, my lord. A message from the Sea Hawk." He extended the parchment, his face set in angry lines.
"You have read this?" Aragorn skimmed the parchment quickly, his eyebrows raising. "They have reconsidered. It seems you are to take the ransom to Cair Andros, to arrive in two days."
"I am more concerned now with how long this messaging has been going on!" Faramir snorted. "Read further, my King. Apparently, the pirates have been in contact with Aran here for some time, which would explain much."
Aragorn knelt down in front of the boy. "Aran, is it?" he asked in a kindly tone. "How long have you been receiving these messages, and what have you told them?"
"Not long, sir, honest!" Aran blurted. "I wouldn't do anything to grieve my master, sir! It's my sister sends these messages!" He turned his stricken face up to Faramir's. "Honest, lord, I didn't mean any harm! She asked me questions and I answered them! Weren't nothing important I told her, I promise!"
"Then tell me what you told her, Aran." Faramir knelt down also to be at eye level with his esquire. "And forgive me for my rough treatment of you, but I feared for my brother's life."
"I know. You two are very close, but so am I to my sister. I couldn't not answer her, sir, I couldn't!"
"We understand that, Aran, but we must know how much you have told her. Everything. Tell us that, please, so that we might save Boromir's life." Aragorn met his son's eyes over the boy's head. They could not hold him responsible for the damage. His sister, on the other hand, would be held fully accountable once they found her.
"She won't hurt your brother, sir, she gave her word. And she doesn't like killing, not for any reason. She won't hurt him, on my honor, my lord." Aran was white-faced, but keeping what dignity he still possessed intact. "And the only things I told her were things she asked, like how would you know if it was truly Boromir, and whether or not he was an honorable man, and whether or not you were, and just little things like that!"
Aragorn nodded to Faramir and they rose, Faramir keeping
on hand on the boy's shoulder. "It
seems we might have been lucky to have discovered this at this time,"
Aragorn mused. "The other messages
were brought by hand. Is there any way
to prove they actually came from the Sea Hawk?
Perhaps there is another player in this game we have not yet become
acquainted with."
Faramir nodded and glanced at Aran. "Would you like to regain your honor, Aran?" he asked quietly. At the boy's insistent nod, Faramir clasped his shoulder firmly. "Good lad. We need for you to send a message to your sister. Will she know it came from you, and not suspect some misdirection from us?"
Aran nodded again, happy to have the chance to regain favor with his master. Truly, he worshipped Faramir and would never have him harmed. "She knows if it comes with the gull, it's from me, since no one else would touch the filthy things." He laughed softly, then sobered quickly and gave a direct gaze to the King. "But if you're wondering were those other messages true, they were. My sister sent them. She never had any plans to hurt anyone, she just thought this way she could get a fair hearing and maybe find a place for her people that didn't involve stealing. She thought you'd be more apt to listen if you stood to lose someone important to you. It isn't about the gold, my lord, I swear that to you. She just wants to help the people who depend on her. She wants to find them a home."
Aragorn again knelt by the boy, his face stern. "Then, Aran, you will need to send her a message, and you must send it exactly as we tell it to you. Call your seagull, and let's begin."