Glorfindel had not stopped riding for a day and a half when Asfaloth finally charged up the path and over the bridge. Elrond had been pacing the courtyard all day. The finest healer in Middle-earth never had very good composure when it came to his own children. Elrond took his precious son into his arms at once, quickly noting that the slight pressure on Aragorn's fingernail still had the normal reaction. He took him quickly to the healing chambers and set to work.
It was in the middle of the night when Gandalf and Faramir returned. Unfortunately, the scene was much the same as when Glorfindel had ridden in, for Gandalf was holding onto Faramir as he impelled Shadowfax on. The other three horses were left to make their way to Rivendell as Gandalf was confident that they would have no trouble doing so. It was Faramir who concerned him most at the moment.
Not three hours after Glorfindel charged off with Aragorn did Faramir begin to show similar symptoms. It was when Faramir fell directly off of Aranro, his horse, that Gandalf knew the younger Ranger was also at risk.
Elrond was still wide awake, sitting by his son when Gandalf brought Faramir in. Elrond looked weary as he checked Faramir over and Glorfindel strongly ordered that Elrond go fix himself a cup of tea, claiming that he was only impeding progress the way he was behaving. The outburst earned Glorfindel a pair of glares - one weak one from Elrond and another, stronger, one from Erestor, who mostly objected to the disturbance, even if he did agree and usher Elrond out of the room to get some rest.
"They will be fine, Mithrandir," Glorfindel calmly answered the question which needed not be spoken, working with various vials and mixtures. "Elrond just can not handle seeing these things in his loved ones. It was about 200 years ago, a Man stumbled to our borders and i brought him in here. His bite was a lot more poisonous, and we had no idea how long he'd been wandering around before getting here. He did not pull through and Elrond blamed himself. And now, because it just so happens to be these two, he's in a state. This venom is bad enough, i grant you that, but these two have survived almost more than i did. The trouble is less the venom than the reaction; besides having a terrible fear of snakes, Estel happens to be overly sensitive to some of them as well. It's looks like Faramir inherited the same allergic reaction. All we have to do is keep the body from acknowledging the allergy with this," he said holding up a mixture, "and they will be fine. The only stipulation is that it needs to be administered once an hour until the moon sets again, so it looks like it is just you and me tonight my dear, Balrog-slaying comrade. Tell me again how you killed yours?"
It was several hours after dawn when Gandalf was attempting to give the remedy to Aragorn that he started to awaken. "Well, it's about time for you to be alert again, young King," Gandalf said with great relief.
'Young indeed,' Aragorn thought huffily. With 89 years of life behind him, he personally doubted that he could be called young, yet Gandalf was constant. And how good had it felt to hear him referred to as "young Master Gandalf" by a certain walking, talking tree. Of course, those 89 years of wisdom did not permit him to say any of this aloud, instead he just croaked out a pitiful "where am i?" He truly wasn't sure... if only his head would stop spinning.
"Where are you? After all this time you do not recognize your home? You offend me!" Glorfindel said, looking over his shoulder at Aragorn as he was lifting a still unconscious Faramir upright to ingest the medicine.
Aragorn was starting to remember something about the last things that happened before he passed out. Suddenly he shuddered at the memory that he'd been fending off a rather nasty looking serpent. It was then that he also noticed that he was in a healing chamber, for as much time as he'd ended up spending in this particular room, he might have remembered it at once. He was still lightheaded though and turning to look over at Glorfindel made his head spin even more. He shut his eyes tightly until the spiraling feeling stopped, then he opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to focus gradually. He had to employ all of his restraint to keep from jumping up when he saw Faramir in the other bed. "What happened?" he demanded to know. "What happened to my son?"
"Calm down, Estel! If you make too much noise Erestor will come and glare at you, and i know you do not want that..." It was Glorfindel's way of getting through life, to never acknowledge its seriousness. "Your son likely saved your life, that is what happened. You, the mighty Ranger-King, ended up taking a nasty bite, which could have been a lot easier to treat except that you Mortals have a weakness that allows you to magnify minor inconveniences into major problems by overreaction. As nearly as i can tell, Faramir probably sucked a good deal of the poison out of you, but likely as not he wound up getting a bit of it himself. He is fine and he will be up and doing soon, too. Now, were i you, i would lie down and relax. Your dearest adar will probably be coming to check on you before long and then you should have to deal with his coddling."
Aragorn chuckled and sighed. Gandalf had agreed to stay and so the two old friends talked for a while. Aragorn remembered throwing himself over Faramir and feeling the bite of the snake and begging Faramir for help, but everything after that was cloudy at best, missing mostly though. Gandalf had to admit that he was rather impressed with Aragorn. It was no secret in Imladris just how afraid of snakes Aragorn was. He was very small when he first saw one and tried to pick it up; unfortunately for him, the snake did not agree and bit his hand. That was when it was learned just how allergic he was to them.
"I was afraid and more, Gandalf," Aragorn recounted. "I was petrified. But when i realized that it wasn't going to bite me, but Faramir... i had to do something. I probably acted rashly and foolishly, but -"
Gandalf, as was his habit on occasion, cut Aragorn off. "Yes, you might have handled the situation so that you, too, remained out of harm's way, but there are times when there is not enough time to think out every avenue. I am rather proud of you for not letting fear get the best of you though. And, by the way, the best of you is by far your love for your son."
"No," Aragorn said softly, looking over. "The best of me is my son."
It was late that night when Faramir began to stir to wakefulness. He felt weak and queasy, whimpering as he curled up on his side, wrapping his arms around him for comfort.
"There you are," Glorfindel said softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Miserable," Faramir muttered. "What happened?"
"Hush, just drink this and listen to me," the Vanya said, taking the warm cup of tea from Erestor who sat down beside him and putting it into Faramir's hand as he brushed back stray locks from the young man's forehead. "You will be feeling better soon, keep drinking that tea and concentrate on me. Your father is fine and so are you. You happened to ingest a little of that poison yourself, but i think you might have saved Estel's life. That poison was strong and the bite deep, but more than anything the two of you had an adverse reaction to the venom."
"Where is he?" Faramir whispered hoarsely. Glorfindel nodded toward Aragorn and Faramir turned his head to see his father in the next bed in a peaceful, natural sleep. "I wouldn't have had to save his life if he hadn't tried to save mine," Faramir said quietly.
Erestor smiled warmly. "Estel would give his life for you, Faramir. Actually, knowing him, i think giving his life for you might been an easier thought than taking a snake bite. Few are those who know how terribly he is afraid of them. He really loves you, your father."
Faramir could tell this was a difficult subject for Erestor and he was one who understood well. "Who was your father?" he asked sympathetically.
Erestor's voice held the tone of one who had not spoken of something, let alone thought of it, in many years. "My father fought at The Nirnaeth. That was when i lost faith in the race of Men, then and again when i heard they had caused the breaking of the world. That all changed the day i met your father, though. He could charm a Balrog. Well, that is all ancient history, though. Finish your tea and take some rest, child."
As Faramir lay back comfortably Erestor extinguished the candle on the night stand and left the healing chamber, only to be pulled into Glorfindel's arms. He almost resisted for a moment before allowing himself to melt into his lover's embrace.
Faramir couldn't help but snicker at hearing Glorfindel call Erestor his little raven, was that really the same cold, cunning councilor he'd heard so much about? Letting his mind wander, Faramir thought about his son. As much as he loved Imladris, more than any place he had ever seen, he really did not wish to be here under these circumstances, and he had started to miss his little boy unbearably, not to mention how difficult it would be to have to part from his Elven family all over again.
Just before letting himself fall to sleep, Faramir glanced over toward his father again. He started to notice that his eyes were open.
"Welcome back," Aragorn whispered. "You were out longer than i was."
"Adar... thank you does not adequately say it. I love you," Faramir said reaching across to his father's bed.
Aragorn grinned. "I you, ion-nín. Just remember, you do not owe me anything. I might not be here without you either, so i think we are even. What i dread is having to depart all over again. I scarcely got through it the first time."
Faramir smiled and his eyes would not stay open any longer, the tea must have started taking effect. Thus it was that Elrond found his son and grandson sleeping late into the morning, hand's still clasped between their two beds. The Elf-lord pondered the irony of fate that brought two ones so beloved to him only at the end of the days of the Eldar and how it was that, choices now made all around, he could now actually call all of his dearest children mortal.
And yet, after just a couple of day's bed rest, both father and son were feeling fit again. It was debated between them whether it would be best to leave again as soon as possible or to stay a little longer. Both agreed, though, that prolonging the inevitable would not help anyone. And so as soon as they were permitted out of bed they began to prepare to leave again. Goodbyes were said all around, again, and they all walked out to the courtyard.
This time, however, instead of two riding horses and a pack pony, there were four riding horses with the travel gear divided up evenly. There stood Roheryn and Aranro, and two sets of twins - one set roan and the other Peredhel.
"Come on, you two. You know our sister will not be happy if we are late for supper," Elladan said, jumping into the saddle in perfect synchronicity with his twin brother.
"Didn't think we'd let you back out there on your own, did you?" Elrohir said. "After Glorfy and Mithrandir had to drag you back here, we aren't letting you out of our sight."
"Oh good," Aragorn said sarcastically aside to Faramir, "we can make it to Rohan before they even notice we have left."
It was going to be an interesting journey home. That much was assured.
ooo
linda: Aren't they dear? And anyway, at least there wasn't too much to worry about in the end.
AM: Safe? When has it ever been safe with me in the author's seat?
Elenhin: All pit vipers sense heat, but their bites don't generally come with these symptoms, so i can't say what kind of snake they encountered. A speicies found only in Middle-earth, why not? Snakes in Middle-earth had been closely associated with Morgoth... not that that would be any foreshadowing for the next story or anything :) If i ever find a smoke turner i will be sure to pick one up. Sounds like a handy gadget.
Anyway, as always, more to come. I am thinking about alternately updating this and A Separate Chaos since i seem to be getting a lot of interest in both. That might work well, as long as i don't accidently confuse the plot lines or something. Does anyone second the motion?