Lightning flashed and thunder roared through the night. Rain pattered
against the wooden roof. A young boy snapped open his eyes as a lightning
bolt struck the ground. "H-Haleth? Are you up?"
There came another flash of lightning for a reply. He squeaked and hid back under his blanket. His sister had to be asleep to not scream at that. Reluctantly, he sat up in bed and threw down the covers. "I'm not afraid!" More thunder shook the house, but this time the small child held his ground, though quivered slightly. I have to go see mom and dad, he thought. They need me.
He briskly clamored out of the top of his and Haleth's bunk bed and ran to the door. I need a key, he thought. The boy than crept over to his sleeping nurse, and carefully took the key that laid around her neck. She snored gruffly and twitched her nose, but he didn't wake her. He then went back over to the door, unlocked it, and peeked out of the room, trembling.
The hall thankfully was empty. He sighed and walked down to his parents' room. He pressed his ear to the door, hoping there wasn't any sounds, that his parents were asleep, and cautiously opened the door. It was dark, a very good sign, and all the light there was from the lightening and the moon, Ithil. I wish my room was on this side of the house, he thought as he tip-toed to their bed. How come they get light?
He came first to his mother, sleeping soundly on her back. He smiled as her round belly rose and fell. I guess I will have a brother, he thought. "Mom?" he gave a loud whisper, trying not to disturb both of them, it's his mother that needed him. "Mommy?" He looked at her still sleeping form and started to tear up.
Hearing his sniffles, his father woke and looked over at him, concerned. "Elboron, what are you doing out of bed?"
The young boy crept over to his father. "I-I had a nightmare, that's all."
He looked at his son and smiled, "You're not one who gets out of bed because of nightmares. Tell me, what's wrong?"
Elboron looked at the ground and seriously debated on whether or not he should tell the truth. His father, seeing his fear and confusion, gently got out of bed and knelt by his son. He then lifted Elboron's chin and looked him in the eye. "You can tell me anything, Elboron. I will not laugh at you."
"That's not it," the meek child replied. "I don't think you'll laugh at all. I'm just afraid that you won't believe me."
"Come here," Faramir gestured for his son and hugged him, stroking his back. "As long as this isn't a prank, I'll believe you." He let go and took Elboron's tiny hand. "You want to go for a walk?"
"In the storm!" Elboron's eyes widened like saucers. "Are you mad!"
"I'm as sane as you," he gave him a endearing look and went over to the closet, fetching his overcoat. He then turned to his son and tossed him an old heavy leather shirt, "you might want to keep warm."
"Thanks sir," He gave his father a big grin and took his hand. "I don't want to fall ill again."
"No you don't," He stooped over and gently kissed his wife's brow and exited with his son. "So, what's troubling you, young man?"
"Nothing, milord," Elboron, now calmed, went back into formal titles. "Just some dream I had, sir."
"To me, a dream isn't nothing. What happened?"
"Well, sir, it started with me in the courtyard with you and Haleth, sir."
"And?"
"And we all were excited, anxious you might say. Well, then Nurse comes out with tears in her eyes and she asks to speak to you alone. We, Haleth and I, are told to go play in the fields, but we go to a nearby tree instead. You two talk some and you grow very pale, Father, and it scares me. Then you immediately leave and Nurse takes us inside for our nap, but it isn't time yet. Then it folds to another scene, everyone's in black, even Mother, and everyone is crying, except me. I can't cry. Then Mother cries like I've never seen and this man puts a box in the ground. It's small and —"
"Elboron, stop," He looks at his father and realizes he's slightly pale and shaking, his grey eyes trying very hard to look calm. "I've heard enough."
"But I'm not finished!"
"Elboron, please, I don't need anymore. You've said enough." He sighed and sat down on a nearby bench.
"I don't understand," he sat next to his father. "What does it mean?"
"It means," Faramir looked at him very serious and grimly. "That you have it, the gift."
"What gift?"
"Have you ever dreamt something and somehow it came true? Or, if it didn't come true, it almost did? Elboron, look at me."
"Yes?" Elboron had never seen his father like this and it scared him.
He spoke very slow and precisely, "Elboron, what am I thinking?"
"How should I know?" Though he did know, he knew ever since he told him the dream. He looked at the ground.
"Elboron, you're lying," His father returned to his usual strict manner that he showed when scolding, though this time there wasn't a smile of reassurance that followed. "Elboron, please, I need to know, can you read my thoughts?"
The young boy sighed and finally answered, "you're afraid, aren't you?"
"Afraid of what?" he prompted.
"Afraid," he paused, realizing what it all meant. "Afraid of your son, my brother, dying." He hugged his father and started to cry. "I'm sorry, I should've just stayed in bed."
"No! No, it's ok. I don't blame you," he kissed his son on the cheek. "You should know that I've had similar dreams too."
Elboron's eyes widened again. "Really?"
"Really. Elboron, your dream has just confirmed that I am right. I just don't know how to tell your mother."
"Maybe you shouldn't tell her. She's gonna find out anyway, and if she gives up on him, he won't have a chance to live."
"That's a very wise thing to say, even for you, at only five. I think I'll take your counsel. Éowyn shall not know until the time comes, but we must try and be hopeful. We can't give up on him too."
Elboron nodded, "I'm glad you woke up, Father."
"I'm glad I did too. Now, you need to get some sleep. Here, I'll tuck you in." He picked up his son and headed off to the nursery.
There came another flash of lightning for a reply. He squeaked and hid back under his blanket. His sister had to be asleep to not scream at that. Reluctantly, he sat up in bed and threw down the covers. "I'm not afraid!" More thunder shook the house, but this time the small child held his ground, though quivered slightly. I have to go see mom and dad, he thought. They need me.
He briskly clamored out of the top of his and Haleth's bunk bed and ran to the door. I need a key, he thought. The boy than crept over to his sleeping nurse, and carefully took the key that laid around her neck. She snored gruffly and twitched her nose, but he didn't wake her. He then went back over to the door, unlocked it, and peeked out of the room, trembling.
The hall thankfully was empty. He sighed and walked down to his parents' room. He pressed his ear to the door, hoping there wasn't any sounds, that his parents were asleep, and cautiously opened the door. It was dark, a very good sign, and all the light there was from the lightening and the moon, Ithil. I wish my room was on this side of the house, he thought as he tip-toed to their bed. How come they get light?
He came first to his mother, sleeping soundly on her back. He smiled as her round belly rose and fell. I guess I will have a brother, he thought. "Mom?" he gave a loud whisper, trying not to disturb both of them, it's his mother that needed him. "Mommy?" He looked at her still sleeping form and started to tear up.
Hearing his sniffles, his father woke and looked over at him, concerned. "Elboron, what are you doing out of bed?"
The young boy crept over to his father. "I-I had a nightmare, that's all."
He looked at his son and smiled, "You're not one who gets out of bed because of nightmares. Tell me, what's wrong?"
Elboron looked at the ground and seriously debated on whether or not he should tell the truth. His father, seeing his fear and confusion, gently got out of bed and knelt by his son. He then lifted Elboron's chin and looked him in the eye. "You can tell me anything, Elboron. I will not laugh at you."
"That's not it," the meek child replied. "I don't think you'll laugh at all. I'm just afraid that you won't believe me."
"Come here," Faramir gestured for his son and hugged him, stroking his back. "As long as this isn't a prank, I'll believe you." He let go and took Elboron's tiny hand. "You want to go for a walk?"
"In the storm!" Elboron's eyes widened like saucers. "Are you mad!"
"I'm as sane as you," he gave him a endearing look and went over to the closet, fetching his overcoat. He then turned to his son and tossed him an old heavy leather shirt, "you might want to keep warm."
"Thanks sir," He gave his father a big grin and took his hand. "I don't want to fall ill again."
"No you don't," He stooped over and gently kissed his wife's brow and exited with his son. "So, what's troubling you, young man?"
"Nothing, milord," Elboron, now calmed, went back into formal titles. "Just some dream I had, sir."
"To me, a dream isn't nothing. What happened?"
"Well, sir, it started with me in the courtyard with you and Haleth, sir."
"And?"
"And we all were excited, anxious you might say. Well, then Nurse comes out with tears in her eyes and she asks to speak to you alone. We, Haleth and I, are told to go play in the fields, but we go to a nearby tree instead. You two talk some and you grow very pale, Father, and it scares me. Then you immediately leave and Nurse takes us inside for our nap, but it isn't time yet. Then it folds to another scene, everyone's in black, even Mother, and everyone is crying, except me. I can't cry. Then Mother cries like I've never seen and this man puts a box in the ground. It's small and —"
"Elboron, stop," He looks at his father and realizes he's slightly pale and shaking, his grey eyes trying very hard to look calm. "I've heard enough."
"But I'm not finished!"
"Elboron, please, I don't need anymore. You've said enough." He sighed and sat down on a nearby bench.
"I don't understand," he sat next to his father. "What does it mean?"
"It means," Faramir looked at him very serious and grimly. "That you have it, the gift."
"What gift?"
"Have you ever dreamt something and somehow it came true? Or, if it didn't come true, it almost did? Elboron, look at me."
"Yes?" Elboron had never seen his father like this and it scared him.
He spoke very slow and precisely, "Elboron, what am I thinking?"
"How should I know?" Though he did know, he knew ever since he told him the dream. He looked at the ground.
"Elboron, you're lying," His father returned to his usual strict manner that he showed when scolding, though this time there wasn't a smile of reassurance that followed. "Elboron, please, I need to know, can you read my thoughts?"
The young boy sighed and finally answered, "you're afraid, aren't you?"
"Afraid of what?" he prompted.
"Afraid," he paused, realizing what it all meant. "Afraid of your son, my brother, dying." He hugged his father and started to cry. "I'm sorry, I should've just stayed in bed."
"No! No, it's ok. I don't blame you," he kissed his son on the cheek. "You should know that I've had similar dreams too."
Elboron's eyes widened again. "Really?"
"Really. Elboron, your dream has just confirmed that I am right. I just don't know how to tell your mother."
"Maybe you shouldn't tell her. She's gonna find out anyway, and if she gives up on him, he won't have a chance to live."
"That's a very wise thing to say, even for you, at only five. I think I'll take your counsel. Éowyn shall not know until the time comes, but we must try and be hopeful. We can't give up on him too."
Elboron nodded, "I'm glad you woke up, Father."
"I'm glad I did too. Now, you need to get some sleep. Here, I'll tuck you in." He picked up his son and headed off to the nursery.