With the first glimmer of day the Captains of Gondor refused to wait any longer, no more willing to wait for the wizard and the elf. Beregond, who had yet to leave the city for his new place in Ithilien, wanted to trust in Mithrandir but when he thought that every hour could be bringing not only his well-loved Steward, nee Captain, but also his King to danger and torture in the south lands, he could not longer justify them biding their time.

Finally Legolas consented to leading the soldiers, with Gandalf and Gimli, out of the city and using his Elven senses to help find the King and Faramir. It took a lot of restraint for the Elf prince not to roll his eyes when he was told them the suspected Haradrim were seen fleeing toward Greywood. Fortunately, someone asked what was on his mind, sparing the Elf the inane question.

"If the invaders are indeed from Harad, why were they going westward and not south?" one of the Ithilien Rangers asked of a Gondorian captain.

"Obviously they are now on the trail of King Éomer and our King's Elven brothers." replied the captain in a tone of arrogance.

"But were only the two Easterlings seen? Why did no one see the King and Steward?"

"Of course they did not! Those two seen were scouts, and the real aggressors did not abduct them until nightfall," the captain put forward off the cuff, still wearing his air of superiority.

Legolas only barely stifled his laughter. The tale these men were putting together was getting quite entertaining. Legolas had never known that mortal Men had such vivid imaginations.

As the band left Minas Tirith, dawn's first rays were just reaching and searching over the Pelennor. For a while Legolas lead them along the direction the father and son had rode in, but instead of stopping at the edge of Greywood, Legolas lead them further east toward Stonewain Valley before going north into the woods. There were no traversable roads through the forest and Legolas decided that pretending to read signs of a trail with these mortals was going to be very amusing indeed.

Though Gimli hardly agreed that the trip was amusing, they both decided that the soldiers had it coming to them for not listening to Gandalf's advice to not get worried in the first place. Gandalf had caught on to Legolas's ruse immediately and decided to play along as well. After all, it wasn't every day that a wizard was able to have a bit of fun with the Second Born of Eru. For several hours they walked through Greywood, the men unaware that they were walking back east now and would probably be in Minas Tirith again by nightfall.

---

When the sun had climbed high above, Aragorn and Faramir decided it was time to return to Gondor's capital. As much as they were enjoying the peace of the wood, they felt relaxed enough to get back into the operation of the Kingdom. They found their borrowed horses off grazing and rode back to home, talking over their long years apart.

Aragorn spoke mostly of the hunt for Gollum and his hand in guarding the Shire. Faramir had decided that he greatly wished to visit the Shire one day and maybe even see the legendary Mithlond where the great Círdan dwelt. After everything he had heard from the Hobbits and from Mithrandir, he felt as though he had already been there, but had never had the joy of experiencing the journey.

When Aragorn spoke of Arwen, Faramir asked what Aragorn himself had been wondering. "Do you think she will accept me, father? I told you before, i would hate it terribly if my presence caused something to go amiss between you."

Aragorn sighed and felt depressed at the thought of that possibility. But looking at his son, he knew only one thing: "Whatever happens shall happen for a reason. You are first and foremost in my life now, Faramir. No matter what Arwen's reaction, i would not lose you for anything. Though i feel it only fair to turn the tables and ask you what you think my presence might cause between yourself and Éowyn."

Faramir shrugged. "I really don't know. I wish i did, but in fact, i hardly know her thus far and i can not yet anticipate her reaction. I know that only in time may this all become clear. Still, i do know that i will never reject my father," Faramir said, riding close enough to clasp hands with Aragorn. The term "Reunited Kingdom" had a very different meaning to these two than it did to others.