Morning found Faramir sleepily sitting atop his horse with those who would be riding south. Sleep had been elusive through the night for the Steward as it usually was after an argument with his wife. He was dimly aware that Erestor was saying something, asking something, as he slowly tuned his attention back to the present.

"Your pardon, Master Erestor. I did not sleep well last night and unfortunately it seems i have gotten used to sleeping again," Faramir apologized with a smile.

"You would do well to stay used to it," Erestor replied. "I would tell Aragorn that he must allow for decent rest at night, he is notorious for not letting his travel companions get any rest. What i wanted to know was if you left any instruction with your lady."

Faramir's expression fell and he shook his head.

Erestor sighed. "Not another fight, Faramir?" Erestor knew exactly what is was like to be in love with the one person who had the most amazing ability to drive you mad. Faramir had no opportunity to respond before the nurse, Berethil, came out to where the assembly was, carrying Findiel and Elboron.

"My lord," she said bowing her head in deference. "My lady asked that i bring the children to see you before you left."

"Yet she would not come herself, Berethil?" Faramir asked, taking Elboron into his arms.

"No, my lord, she would not," said the aging woman. As Aragorn rode up in front of Faramir she knelt before him, still holding Findiel.

"Good morning, Berethil," Aragorn said cheerfully. "Here, allow me to bear the daughter of my Steward," he said reaching down and congratulating himself for getting used to calling his son his Steward in public. "Fare you well, small princess," the king whispered to the child, kissing her forehead which prompted her to gasp at Aragorn's beard.

Berethil was always touched by Aragorn's affection for his Steward's children, it was plain to her that he could scarcely wait for his own child to be born. Little did the elder woman realize that his Steward's children were his grandchildren, and that his anxiousness for Arwen to deliver had more to do with his hope that her moods would cease afterward.

Faramir held Elboron close and let him cling to his locks as much as he liked, for Faramir was one who knew well the importance of a child feeling loved and wanted. Aragorn noted that Findiel seemed jealous of her brother getting all of their father's hair and so he passed the little girl back to Faramir who held her in his other arm, giving her a soft kiss even as she clearly put all her strength behind a sharp tug. It was with a sigh that Faramir let Berethil take them again as the company began to depart.

Aragorn and Faramir rode at the lead and were quiet until there were out of the city, though the rest of the riders chattered as they would. Behind the King and Steward rode Legolas and Gimli and Glorfindel and then the Rangers from Ithilien. Once he was sure they were out of earshot of any who did not yet know, Aragorn leaned in and whispered to Faramir, "you are a good father, my son."

Faramir only smiled and said, "As are you, adar."

---

They were three days out and half way to their destination when the sky was filled with tiny white snowflakes just as the sun was setting. Camp was set up near enough to the Anduin to have access to the water but behind a screen of trees that helped to shield them from the chill air. Even that far south winter was not mild in that year.

That night Faramir and Aragorn lay awake in the tent they shared listening to the howling of the wind. It did not bring back pleasant memories to either of them. Faramir could remember being a child, just after his mother died, and thinking that the howling wind sounded like Nazgul had the city surrounded. Aragorn could remember a time not so long ago, only one winter ago in fact, that he and eight others, two of which were also on this quest, were in imminent danger of being eaten by wolves.

It was Aragorn who chose to break the silent and change the subject. "I noticed that Éowyn did not farewell you, but sent Berethil. Do i take it you two are not on speaking terms again?"

Faramir laughed sardonically. "If we are not then it is she who decided that, not i."

"What caused it this time?" Aragorn asked softly, hoping that he could offer some advice or help in some way.

"Mostly the fact that Éomer was not asked to come with us, if i read her correctly," Faramir said dully.

"This is not Rohan's affair. Why should he wish to come with us?" Aragorn wondered.

"I do not know," Faramir said honestly. "In fact, i said to Éowyn that i doubted he would want to leave Lothiriel so soon after their wedding, but that only sparked the old argument of Gondorian sleeping arrangements."

"Ah - that again! I have heard rumor that some are unhappy about the fact that Arwen and i keep the same quarters, i would imagine she is one of those?"

"I would imagine, though she has never said so. I do not know what i am to do, father," Faramir said, desperation in his voice. "I do love her dearly, of that i am now certain, but there are times when i simply wish i would see her no more. Just a month ago we had a truly terrible fight over languages. She was trying to teach me some Rohirric, but i just could not grasp it and so i asked her if perhaps she could send word to Éomer to bring a long a book or two for me to study."

At that Aragorn cringed, fairly certainly of what would come next.

"She flew into a rage and shouted at me for acting better than her. It was not until three days later that i stumbled upon the fact that Rohirric has no written language."

For a moment Aragorn was silent before he lifted his head and peered over at his son through the dark of night. "I am glad that you love her Faramir, for i know well that she also loves you. Our roads in life will often lead over rocky terrain, but if you are alert you will find that some of those rocks are there for a purpose - signals. I dread the day you will go to live in Emyn Arnen, and yet i know both that it is yet years off and that it will do immeasurable good for the two of you. You and Éowyn certainly need to preserve your individual freedoms, and i think in doing so you will also preserve the love that you hold for one another. I believe it is as they say: absence does make the heart grow fonder."

"I hope you are right, my father," Faramir said, drawing the fur blanket closer around him and taking comfort in the knowledge that there were no longer any Nazgul to cause that howling in the wind.

---

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers!

linda: Yes, Faramir and Eowyn are star-crossed lovers. Their personalities are just too strong. I always got the impression while reading the book that she really did not feel as greatly as Faramir did for her. There just seems to be a lot of evasion and a lot of second-guessing on her part.

Elenhin: It is a little confusing, older vs. younger Faramir, that might have been intentional, i'm not sure. I just loved the idea so much that i had to go with it. There may be some more of younger Faramir. I hadn't had that planned, but we shall see if i can do more with him. As for Fara's kids... they are really cute. I like them a lot. It's not easy writing three month olds. All they do is sleep, eat, cry, and grab things. But since they are Faramir's children, they are automatically adorable!

Voldie: Glad you are pleased so far! My comment on your intelligence was in response to your bio information about your political tendencies - much the same as mine... but for the sake of Elbereth, let us not get into that can of worms!

Yes i did mention Narn I Hin Hurin and i am absolutely thrilled that someone picked up on that! You get a gold star!