Well my last chapter was really quite long, wasn't it? Probably my longest chapter ever. But I doubt I'll be topping that this chapter. Just wanted to gloat over the fact that I managed to write a long chapter haha.

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CHAPTER 18 : Children

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"How do you treat a child of four, anyway?"

Faramir laughed. "To think that my elder brother, the best Captain of Gondor, would ask me such a question! Aren't you an expert at handling people, Boromir?"

"I handle soldiers, not children." Boromir grunted. "Children are completely different from sturdy men, if you haven't noticed."

"Well, yes of course I've noticed."

"So how do you treat a child?"

Faramir slung his arm around his brother's shoulder. "Now first look here. Children are extremely innocent beings. They don't know wars, they don't know crime, they don't know greed… well, except for cakes and sweets, I suppose. So you just don't have to bother about talking to them about fighting, because they don't know what that's all about, except in play. And sometimes I know they come up with the strangest ideas, but to them it makes sense, so don't laugh at them."

"How do you know all that, anyway?" Boromir looked in his brother in surprise. Where on earth did Faramir come across such knowledge?

"Well I suppose, my dear brother, that you have spent too much time on your soldiers, and too little time observing the people and things around you. You'd see it in every mother, every father, every child, if only you looked carefully." Faramir gave his brother and wink and mounted his horse. "Well, I will have to hurry back to Osgiliath now. And you should go and spend more time looking around you."

Boromir laughed, watching as his brother rode out of Minas Tirith.

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Aislin watched as Liana played with the other children, and smiled to see the girl so happy. What a gift it is to children, that they can forget all their troubles so quickly. Liana grinned at her and ran over. "I like Minas Tirith," she declared. "It's big, but it's nice." Then she clasped her hands together. "Can we go up to the beacon today? Please?"

"Of course we can, but not before I finish my work." Liana nodded and ran back to her new friends.

Marian nodded in approval, hanging up a sheet on the line. "You're a natural with children, aren't you?"

"I don't know; I've never really had to take care of a child." Aislin shrugged.

"You're good with children. Liana's a lucky girl." Marian picked up another sheet and began to wring it dry. "It's a pity you don't have any children of your own. Pity you aren't married, you would make a very good wife." Then she frowned at Aislin. "Are you sure it's wise, going around with the Steward's son?"

"I don't see anything wrong with 'going around' with Boromir. He is a normal person, just like the rest of us, don't you think?"

"Yes, no doubt he is, but still he is the favourite son of the Steward. Do you honestly think Lord Denethor approves of it? He would definitely want to find suitable wives for his sons."

Aislin smiled and shook her head. "I have thought of that. It's very possible," she admitted. "But I trust Boromir. He will make the right decision." Boromir would never abandon me just to marry some other girl with status.

Marian sighed. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing, Aislin, or it will just be a long, painful journey for you."

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"Boromir!"

Boromir turned and caught the child that flung herself at him. Then he almost dropped her by loosening his grip. Oh dear… I thought I was grabbing her too tight… He smiled anyway. "Hello, Liana. What did you do today?"

"I caught three Orcs!"

Boromir frowned, a little confused. Aislin laughed, walking up to them. "She was playing with the other children. I suppose the older ones told her that."

"Oh." Boromir smiled in relief. Faramir had told him that whatever was happening in the east was definitely not going away, and he was beginning to get a little jittery whenever Orcs were mentioned. Then he looked at the grinning child in his arms. What do I say now? "Erm… well… what do you want to do?"

"I want to go to the beacon!"

Good. That he could do. "All right, let's go then."

Aislin stopped him before he just marched straight on with Liana in his arms. "Why don't we have lunch by the beacon? I'll go and get the food, and you just take Liana up there first, all right?"

Liana clapped her hands gleefully, excited at being able to go up so high and eat lunch there as well. Aislin grinned and walked back to the kitchens, leaving Boromir alone with the little girl.

"I want to be a bird!" Liana exclaimed.

What? Boromir just continued to carry Liana, deciding to just let her do/say whatever she wanted as long as she was out of harm. Faramir was right. He had a lot of observing to do.

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Well I'm really sorry that this chapter was so short… Anyway, I will not be able to update as much because as of this new school term I am implementing this extremely strict study thingy on myself where I will not be using the computer for non-school stuff on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I will try to write in the weekend, but I can't promise much.