With Éowyn also came Arwen, who silently took up at Aragorn's side. There was a moment or two of awkward formality before Arwen took her husband's hand, leading him outward. Aragorn smiled slightly, taking the not-so-subtle hint and breaking her hold momentarily.
Aragorn went to embrace his son, mindful of his healing wound. "You can not know how fearful for you i was, Faramir. Since i did not sleep last night of worry, and my wife seems to think that i can not survive more than a day without sleeping, i shall go now to my rest. But i will be nearby and i shall see how you are again as soon as i wake."
Faramir did not protest. "Thank you for staying by me, father. I have more to tell you, but i think your Lady is right, you do need sleep," he said with a small smile.
With that Aragorn allowed himself to be gently pulled from the room, followed by Galadhriel and Erestor. Glorfindel remained with his convalescent, but made so little intrusion, neither Faramir nor Éowyn really knew he had stayed.
"Éowyn... I -" Faramir broke off as a grown grey cat suddenly jumped up on his bed, studied him carefully for a moment, and laid down content at his side. Faramir laughed softly, "Mithrandir is always turning up where you least expect him. As i started to say, Éowyn -"
Éowyn came to rest on the edge of Faramir's bed. She halted his speech with a raised hand. "You do not have to make an apology to me, Faramir. I suppose i was not meant to hear it, but i did overhear the Elf-queen's discussion last evening with Master Glorfindel and the Lady of the Wood. I heard the Lady say that this Morgoth's evil attacked you by making you believe lies. I am not wise and intelligent, Faramir, i do not know who Námo and Morgoth are, but i have seen what happens when someone evil tells such crafted deceptions. I know that your behavior and the things you said were not really you or how you felt."
Faramir wondered how someone could not know who Morgoth was. All of the important tales dealt with those who fought against him and his influence. Beren and Luthien, Túrin, Earendil, even Glorfindel himself, certainly they knew those tales in Rohan. With his well arm, Faramir gently stroked the fat grey feline, taking comfort in the animal's presence as he usually did. "I do not yet fully understand either and i have much more yet to explain to those who might understand. But i still want to offer you my apologies. I do not think that the Black Foe influenced all of my action all of the time; in fact, i am sure of it. When i rode away from Rohan, that i did of my own accord. I am sorry that i acted imprudently and impulsively. I should have stayed to work it out with you."
Éowyn shook her head though. "This is your home, Faramir. I have learned that you are very happy and comfortable here, and far be it from me to take you from what you love. I will be content to remain here and learn the art of healing and gardening while i watch our children grow," she said, laying a hand on her rapidly expanding mid-section.
"How much longer is it now?" Faramir asked.
"Lady Galadhriel said she believes i will give birth in January... either one month early or one month late," Éowyn said calmly.
"You do know i will love them either way, no matter what, Éowyn," Faramir said honestly.
Éowyn smiled a hopeful smile, though tears of some unknown uncertainty brimmed in her eyes. Under her weak mask of happiness ran a steady undercurrent of sorrow, as always. Faramir wondered if she had simply always been a mournful woman. Certainly she'd had enough to mourn over, but he wished that just once he could see his wife truly happy. At least then he might know what he really did feel for her.
After a moment of quiet, Éowyn put a hand to her back, looking to be in pain. Faramir started to reach out to her, forgetting about his own injury, but suddenly pain from the movement lanced through him too. Glorfindel shook his head wearily, going over and pressing warmth to Faramir's arm and drawing a chair for Éowyn to be seated more comfortably, in accord with her condition. "What a pair," the Balrog-slayer muttered as he went back to his various vials and healing necessities.
Shortly thereafter Erestor entered quietly. "I will take care of your office, Faramir, until you feel sound enough to return," the advisor assured the Steward.
"I feel sound now, Erestor, though i do thank you," Faramir replied, still wincing from the surge of pain he'd just had. "If it were not for the fact that i can not move without agony, i would have already made my way to my office."
"Perhaps, then, your office can make it's way to you? I shall bring up a few things next time i come this way," Erestor said with his signature grin.
"You can not know how grateful i would be of that!" Faramir said, sounding again enthusiastic. If he had to be stuck in bed, at least he would still be useful.
"Then so it shall be, young Steward. However, you should not put all your energy into pure work, so i shall bring you a few selections from the modest library i keep in my pack as well," the dark-haired Elf said to Faramir's widening smile.
Glorfindel's most un-Elf-like grunt turned Erestor's head sharply. "Modest," the fair-haired one said under his breath, as though his companion's ears were somehow dulled.
"As for you, mellon," Erestor said to his caviler colleague, "Aragorn and Lord Celeborn wish to see you. Immediately."
"Why?" Glorfindel said, sounding petulant.
"That is for me to know, and you to worry about," Erestor said with a devious grin as he swept unperturbedly out of the room again.
Glorfindel set down the concoctions he was working on with exasperation. "Neither of you two move an inch. I will be back," he said to his charges as though they were indeed children.
Faramir laughed as the room grew less crowded. Faramir was growing entirely used to their behavior and found it greatly amusing. Éowyn, however, seemed worried that there was genuine animosity between the two Elves. He assured her that there was no serious discord to be found among them. He guessed that between working together so closely, both ranking so highly among the Lords of Imladris, and yet having such different (and yet not so different) personalities they simply settled on agreeing to disagree much of the time. Faramir knew if they truly could not stand each other's presence one would have left Gondor to head back to Rivendell a while ago. Then he figured that the odds were good that one of them had tried that in his absence but found the other already tacking up a horse, thus once again frustrating each other.
ooo
Our favorite Elves are bickering again... that's got to be a good sign! I am truly hopeful that i will get this story finished this week, though with a Labor Day picnic tonight, and vacation shopping tomorrow, and a mandatory seminar at work Thursday, and getting packed up Friday.... Ai, Elbereth!
