Aragorn noticed Faramir's changed expression even by the firelight. A certain light seemed to glow mutedly in his eyes. A wisp of a smile slipped over Faramir's features.
"Oh, i see," Aragorn said with a grin. "Tell me, she is fair?"
"Indeed," Faramir said, just barely sighed. "Fairer than any lady in Gondor."
"Ah! So she is not Gondorian?"
Faramir shook his head.
"Let me guess, Dol Amroth? A lady so fair may possess the legendary Elven blood of Amroth."
"No, nor from Dol Amroth. She is from Rohan."
"Rohan? A strange chance that you should meet...." Aragorn trailed off with sudden realization. This was swiftly becoming a little awkward to the elder man. "Unless i miss my guess," he continued, hoping in the back of his mind that for once he did miss his guess, "you speak of the lady Éowyn."
"You do not miss your guess, father," Faramir replied
Aragorn took a deep breath. Yes, this had indeed gotten a little peculiar. 'Far be it from me to stand in the way of anyone's love,' the older Ranger thought. He just hoped that Faramir would not be too impetuous about all this, though he realized that perhaps it might have been due to the fact that he had been waiting 67 years for Arwen's hand.
Or maybe it was the fact that he could have sworn that Éowyn had been desperately in love with him only just weeks earlier. Aragorn feared that this would prove itself no more substantial. After all, they had both suffered under the poison of the Nazgul and had both been left behind afterward and were under the influence of athelas. Aragorn knew that these two people were pretty near as opposite as two could be, and that only time would tell. But he also knew that it was all too easy to make misjudgments when trying to provide someone comfort and consolation.
"You will take things slowly, will you not, Faramir? Love should be approached as if it were a strange cave: cautiously. You never know just how deep it goes, nor what lies within."
Faramir smiled. "I recognize the value of those words. Fear not, though, i have no desire to rush into anything. She is with her people now, and i have my Stewardship to attend to. As i see it, if she can wait, so can i."
Aragorn sighed of relief. "You are wise beyond your years yet, my son." Aragorn decided to let that matter sort itself out, or at least to allow it to slide for this night. He prodded at the fire a bit but it did little to stir the flames any higher.
"I think we should let it die for the night. As for my part, I'm ready for a little sleep," Aragorn said stretching out. It felt so good to sleep on solid ground again, years of doing just that he had grown so accustomed to.
Faramir agreed that sleep was coming well upon him too and before long both men were sound asleep, more at peace than either had been in many winters. As Faramir began to drift into sleep he thought that getting adjusted to having a real father after all those years was a little less hard than even he would have thought.
He looked over at Aragorn who was already deeply sleeping and smiled. Their resemblance was one few people would readily catch, for it was more behavioral and internal and Faramir had more taken after Finduilas's appearance. Looking at the man he now called father, love and respect were kindled in his heart, instead of the fear and desperation and sadness there used to be. "Quel du, adar," Faramir whispered in the Elvish tongue he had learned.
---
While the father and son slept their first truly comfortable, peaceful sleep outside the city, Minas Tirith was fastly approaching a state of panic. No one had seen either the King or the Steward since morning. No one had heard anything of them, not even Mithrandir.
It was generally thought that perhaps both had retired early, having been so hard worked for the passed week, but now there was no trace of them. When one of the young lads at the stable mentioned a couple of suspicious men who looked unkempt and wore their cloaks about them and their hoods up, even though the day was quite warm enough, panic spread quickly. The two most powerful men in all of Middle-earth had disappeared and it was rashly assumed that the dubious characters seen leaving the stable and, subsequently, fleeing the city were in fact Haradrim come to slay their leaders in an attempted takeover.
The only ones who seemed to think that these assumptions were incredibly ridiculous were those who knew Aragorn too well. Some became suspicious of Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli as well because of their nonchalance about the matter, and the fact that their races were always rather questionable to the Gondorian way of thinking. No one seemed able to blame anything on Hobbit, though. Not even the pounds of food which had been disappearing with disturbing frequency every day since they arrived.
Soldiers were assembled to ride out and find their King and Steward, but fortunately for Aragorn and Faramir, Gandalf would not hear of them leaving the city until daylight. The wizard also made a point of mentioning to those who were leading the "rescue mission" that they would benefit greatly from Elven senses.
However, Legolas refused to venture forth at night, claiming that the natural luminosity of the Eldar would give them away to potential enemies at night. The Elf knew perfectly well that all the matter consisted of was a couple of Rangers who were still more comfortable in a forest than a city; Legolas himself felt the same way and wanted to allow them a night's peace before they were inundated with the work of the Reunited Kingdom again.
---
Quel du, adar = Good night, father
