Sleep was a luxury that not even the King of Gondor could buy or the White Wizard could conjure that night. If Aragorn had missed his days as a Ranger, replete with sleepless nights and all, he was starting to wonder why. And yet, it was certainly easier than ruling Gondor had been lately.

Berethil was waiting in the King's tent to return Elboron to his father, who was extraordinarily grateful to hold his son. Aragorn offered to escort Berethil back to her tent, claiming that "it never was wise for young ladies to wander alone in the night." The matron blushed at her King's tease, but to Aragorn, she was but ten years older than his son and still only half his age.

Faramir sat down wearily on his bed, his son starting to fall asleep in his arms. His mind rapidly was filling with doubts. Why did he lose his temper with Éomer so much lately? He had so frequently stood his ground without flinching when Denethor lashed out at him, so was did he allow Eomer to goad him? Why had he married Éowyn? If he really loved her, why had they so often argued? Why did ill fortune always seek him out? What if his son would have to face the same trials in his life? Faramir felt overcome with despondency and lacked even the will to allow cleansing tears to refresh him.

Naturally, it was Gandalf who pulled him from his thoughts. "You bear a cumbersome burden, young Faramir," the old wizard said.

"I bear no burden but that of my own making, Mithrandir," Faramir said, an edge of guilt to his voice that had been there for most of his childhood and all of his adult years.

"And what burden did you create for yourself, my friend?" Gandalf asked.

Faramir sighed raggedly. "A thousand burdens, Mithrandir. I likely have all of my life. I have always chosen the hard way, ever since i was young. I could have been a good, obedient lad and minded when i was told not to cross your path. I could have easily conformed to Denethor's law and taken the Ringbearer to him. I could have abided by hope and not lost heart that black night."

Gandalf smiled warmly. "Not unlike another young lad i am acquainted with, who also has always taken the hardest and longest road. Faramir, look rather on the good that has come your way, for we all must face hardship."

"But why does so much hardship single me out, Mithrandir? Is it because i am weak that it preys on me?" Faramir asked, begging for understanding.

"No! Quite the opposite!" Gandalf said quickly. "It is because you are strong that you have had to face much, Faramir. The weak could never have come through all that you have. If your father has taught you nothing of your worth by now...," Gandalf said, shaking his staff menacingly.

Faramir chuckled slightly as when Aragorn reentered the pavilion he was met with the glare of a wizard who was holding fast to his staff. Aragorn looked like he suddenly fancied a long walk until the sun rose, which was not far off. Mustering his courage, however, Aragorn decided to ignore his old friend's mood and lie in his bed while he still could. The King of Gondor was developing a Balrog of a headache and did not crave the coming day's march one bit.

Faramir's talk with Gandalf was making him feel much better, if only to unburden himself of the unpleasant things that had been festering in his mind and heart. Gandalf did not mind, he understood that this was something Faramir needed to share with someone. Aragorn already knew by dint of proximity to their quarters, and surely Faramir did not want to burden his father further with his troubles, especially where Éowyn had been concerned. Before continuing his talk with Faramir, however, Gandalf searched through his traveling sack and tossed over to Aragorn a small pouch filled with lavender.

"Hannon le," Aragorn said very sincerely. He had been annoyed with himself for not bringing some of his own along. Never a day in his life had the man been plagued by headaches until the crown of Eärnur was set upon his head.

"Things between Éowyn and i had been rocky the last few months, even after the little ones were born," Faramir confided in his old mentor.

Gandalf smiled joylessly. "Likely they would have always been, Faramir. You, not unlike your father, are a stubborn man when you want to be. However, your stubbornness is most often inflicted upon yourself in the name of responsibility. I can not speak of the Lady Éowyn, for i knew her not well enough."

"Nor did i," Faramir said quietly. He knew half of the trouble between them had been due to the fact that they did hardly know one another. "I'd been beginning plans for the home in Emyn Arnen. I felt so sure that once we were there, away from the strict conventionalism of Minas Tirith, we would both flourish in ourselves and each other. I thought we would have been so happy there. She wanted to keep a garden there for our children and i told her i would teach her to speak Sindarin so that she could converse with Legolas's Mirkwood kin. She wanted Findiel to learn to weave and such things instead of growing up in such fear of dying upon a sword that she learned to fight back. She wanted a peaceful life, Mithrandir. I would have given her that," Faramir said sadly.

Gandalf sighed, he himself wondering just why his gentle-hearted pupil always faced such trials. The wizard also knew that just relocating out of the White City would not magically cure the troubled waters of their relationship. It would most certainly help, at least for a while, but without changes in both of them, they likely would never have gotten along closely. Both the Wizard and the Steward wondered if he would ever find the sort of love the young man had read of so often in the tales of Beren and Luthien and Eärendil and Elwing, and what he himself witnessed with his father and Arwen.

---

linda: Thank you. I think they all have their work cut out for them. No one is having much of an easy time of it.

Elenhin: I always try to keep my updates fast... call it Elf-maic :) Eomer does have a right to fear or be suspicious of anything good that comes his way. Let's just hope his suspicion doesn't end up costing him dearly. As for Faramir... it's just a good thing that old Gandalf is around now. Between Gandalf, Aragorn, and Elboron, i think Faramir will be ok. What he needs is a lot of love and support, things that had been in dangerously short supply a lot of the time in his life. Some of Faramir's reactions are a result of having been raised to not show a reaction to much of anything. He is learning to break that, which is good in a way, but he must be careful, else one of these days someone who knows how vulnerable he is right now could use that against him.