Faramir went back to his chambers after leaving the council with his father. He fell into bed with a splitting headache and wished only to fall asleep immediately and wake to find that this whole thing was just a nightmare. Suddenly he sat up straight. Where was his son? His heart rate jumped as he ran out into the hallway trying to remember what had gone on.

Arwen was going to take him Berethil... perhaps his son was safe in the nursery. Faramir hurried there, only to find those rooms empty. Feeling a jolt of panic, Faramir rushed to find his father. Again, the King's private quarters were locked, else Faramir would not have knocked. On the other side Aragorn was very tempted to ignore the knock. Arwen was serenely holding Elboron, and it was she that suggested that it might be Faramir looking for his child. Aragorn wanted to be interrupted for absolutely nothing less than his son, though, so asked who sought him before opening up. He was as thankful that it was Faramir and not one of his irate councilors as Faramir was thankful that his son was safe.

Aragorn and Faramir sat and talked for a while, deciding it was a good idea to have Elboron's cradle moved to Faramir's chambers. Aragorn called for one of the guards to have that done immediately so that both his son and grandson could get some rest all the sooner.

Faramir thanked his father for siding with him about declaring war so rashly. Aragorn shook his head, saying, "I do not know what they think it would accomplish. The last thing we need now is more war. I am not certain what tells me, but i have a feeling that those men were not representative of their people. I am sure that there is a faction who they do represent, but i will not make war on all of their people on account of that. If this is a personal matter, i would have it dealt with personally."

That caused Faramir to remember the letter the terrified young man had delivered during the meeting. He withdrew it from a concealed pocket inside his tunic. "What am i to make of this?" he said dully.

"There is only one way to find out, my son. I will read it first, if you prefer," Aragorn said, a little concerned what might be written in that letter.

Faramir shook his head, breaking the seal. As he read what was written there for the third time, trying to comprehend it, he felt the numbness returning before letting the parchment fall into Aragorn's lap.

To the dearest Lady Éowyn, of whom i could never be worthy:

My Lady fair, though i am almost certain that you shall never get to read my words, and possibly more for the benefit of those who survive you and are unfortunate enough to have to face life without you, i offer my apologies for what i have done, for what they are worth.

My compatriot, Calimehtar, and i did not come to Minas Tirith with the intent of robbing her people of such a jewel. Our business was with the Steward Faramir who signed the sanction that sent one of Gondor's companies into the haven of Pelargir, to where many of our kinsmen had fled.

I admit that i played a part in deceiving you, my lady, and your noble brother, and for that i am eternally repentant. But worse was the part i played in your pain. I am sure that by now it has been figured out that on the night you so cordially invited us to share of your meal for a second time, i wore a special ring which contained poison in a concealed hollow. I knew that if you should nurse your children between the time of your consumption of the poison and the time of your death, that they too would perish. I had second thoughts of this plan after our ride together this morning, but i was too much a coward to back out. Even now i have done the most cowardly thing a man can do.

I will not live much longer and already i grow drowsy. I shall lay down this night and never again see a sunrise. I came here for the freedom of Harad, yet i have surrendered my own freedom. My oath was to protect my kin with my life, i have given my life, but now see it is most likely that my actions have only brought more war and death to my people. I hope that someone shall think of me with something less than abhorrence, since i have spared Gondor's people the trouble of putting me through trial and execution, but i shall not grieve if none do. I would not ask it of anyone.

Farewell, fair lady. What love i ever had was in your sweet name.

Castamir

Aragorn laid the paper aside when he heard Faramir whisper to himself, "It was my fault...." He took his son steadily by the shoulders and said firmly, "You can not blame yourself for what has happened here, Faramir. Do you understand me? You must not believe that, i can not let you. I need you and Elboron needs you, you must not lapse into blaming yourself for this."

"Father, if i had but stayed here...." Faramir trailed off, trying hard to deny his tears.

"Then blame me, Faramir. It was i who wanted you to join me in Pelargir," Aragorn said seriously.

"Father, no. This is not your fault. You could not have known," Faramir said, losing his battle with his emotions.

"Than clearly nor could you have," Aragorn said. He sighed. "Faramir, my son, come, you need sleep. Elboron will be near you at all times, i have tripled the guard, come and rest tonight. Tomorrow is another day, and unfortunately that is going to mean another council meeting, with this new information."

Faramir rose, taking his son from Arwen's arms and walking with Aragorn back to his own chambers. He saw that the guard had already had Elboron's cradle placed in his own bedchamber and was comforted of that. Laying his peaceful little one down he said to his father, "I do not think i will be attending the meeting tomorrow. I can not stand to hold my tongue around those vipers anymore. Take the letter though. Do what is right, adar."

Aragorn nodded. "You have nothing to fear, my son. Please take your rest."

Faramir returned the nod, glad that Elboron would be near him. By some grace of the Valar both Faramir and Elboron slept soundly through the night, apparently neither in a mood to eat much of anything. It had been since the night before they arrived that Faramir had eaten, and even that was rather negligible.

It was just past sunrise when Faramir woke startled to a panicked pounding on his door. He desperately wanted to roll over and ignore it (after all, what could anyone have to panic about now) but he gathered what strength he had in the name of responsibility and answered the door.

"My Lord," a terrified Berethil cried, not even noticing that the Steward was clad in naught but his leggings. The poor woman looked stricken and could scarcely form rational words. "I... i... gone... i do not know...." The woman was incomprehensible and starting to worry Faramir when she knelt before him and begged for mercy.

Faramir looked up to see Aragorn emerging from his chambers at the commotion. Faramir just shrugged at him as he lifted the poor woman to stand. It was in vain, though, as the moment she saw Aragorn coming toward them she was immediately on her knees again. It would have been comical to the two men in any other circumstance.

"Come, Berethil," Aragorn said gently, also helping her to rise. "What troubles you, my lady?"

Faramir wanted to warn his father that he would get nothing sensible out of her but she began to babble to her King even worse than she had to the Steward. Neither of them could make out anything of much of what she carried on about, except for the name Elboron. They both realized that no one had told her about the move.

Faramir put his arm around the woman as she started to sob uncontrollably. "Berethil, my dear woman, come with me. My son is here with me, he is fine." Faramir led her into the bedchamber where he picked up a just waking Elboron, who wasted no time in grabbing onto his father's hair. Faramir smiled, not realizing how much he had missed that. "You see? He is quite well."

Faramir's smile fell, though, as he thought how Findiel had begun to pick up her brother's habit. He remembered the last time he held his little girl, and with it remembered that he would have to speak to Éomer at some point in the day. He had been feeling better that morning, but now he realized that this wasn't going to go away over night. Ever since he was a child he had wished that pain would do just that. It never did.

---

I don't know about anyone else, but if Faramir answered the door in nothing but his leggings i don't think i would have been babbling incoherently - such is a time for action, not words! A nice break from all the visuals of tears and death, huh? :-D

Voldie: Now, now... don't be hasty. The last thing Faramir needs is more people setting themselves on fire.

linda: Aragorn is definitely going to need to be present to Faramir for a while. Faramir really needs his dad right now. Don't worry, his council isn't going to last long.