Authors note: This is a one shot about the two brothers, Boromir and Faramir as children. Faramir is very young, and this is my way of showing what I think Boromir's opinion of his little brother was.
It is also my opinion that Denethor never was a mean and evil father to start with, and with this I also hope to portray how I think he was in the beginning.
Big and bigger thanks to ForeverFaramir who did the betaing, and have endless patience with my spelling errors, or so it seems.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Ring, I only borrow parts of it and shall return them as soon as I am done. Completely undamaged, as I am certain it will be impossible to see where we glued the pieces back together.
The Treasure Hunt for The Biggest Treasure of All
Denethor raised his head as his oldest son entered his study. He reflected on the part about his oldest son, his youngest son, Faramir, was truly young. The little one had begun to walking around, but he had yet to speak his first word. The toddler would be running around the nursery making random noises that Denethor could not understand at all, but Boromir seemed adept at reading his wishes, he always knew what toy to bring.
Boromir was big and strong for his six years, Faramir had been born as a very big baby, but after that he had not grown much to Denethor's eye. He feared that the younger child would never grow to match Boromir's measures.
Now the young child stood there, as he saw that his fathers eye was upon him he performed a perfect bow, then he straightened again. Boromir looked very serious as he walked over to his father and knelt before him, kissing the ring of office. Then when Denethor raised him he knew that he was now allowed to be the son to his father.
Boromir took the opportunity to climb up into his fathers lap.
"You promised that you would play with me today because I was so good yesterday." Boromir reminded him as he hugged his Steward and father.
Denethor had indeed made that promise. Findulias had been very tiered and weary the day before. So Denethor had asked Boromir to keep the baby calm and busy. Boromir adored his little brother above all, but he was such a lively boy that it was difficult for him to play such still and quiet games as you had to play with the baby.
Boromir did his best, but sometimes he accidentally knocked his younger brother over when they played, and Faramir usually cried if he stumbled and fell. Then there was the way Faramir would just wander of to explore something, and he did it so silently that you never noticed he had gone off somewhere until you heard the wail that meant he had fallen over something, or dragged something down onto him.
He had tugged at a table cloth only a few weeks ago, and had dragged down the statue that was standing on the table on top of him. It had been hours before he was silent again. Boromir was useful that way, because he never seemed to tire of following after him and keeping an eye on him. He would walk behind Faramir and if the toddler fell over he would try to catch him, if he did something that was dangerous Boromir could always be trusted to take him away from it.
He had even been fast enough to haul Faramir away from the hearth before he burned himself badly. The grate that was supposed to stand there had been moved by a servant, and Faramir, bright and always inquisitive, had reached out his hand to feel the flames. Boromir had grabbed the back of his tunic and hauled him back to safety. Denethor was ever grateful that Boromir took so good care of his brother.
"Yes, I did promise to play with you." He agreed, gratefully pushing away the papers he was working on. He had his duties, but sometimes, being a father came before being the Steward. "What game do you want to play?"
"I was reading a story to Faramir." Boromir beamed up at him. "About hidden treasures. I want to play treasure hunt."
"Shall we search for a treasure." Denethor asked. "I am afraid that I do not know where we can find one."
"I know where there is a treasure." Boromir began bouncing up and down with excitement. "I know where you can find a treasure."
"Where shall we find the treasure then?" Denethor asked him, trying to catch his breath. Boromir was beginning to get to big to be allowed to bounce like that, and to heavy as well.
"If I told you then it wouldn't be a treasure hunt, now would it." Boromir stated seriously. "You are gonna search because I already know where it is. I made you a map, and then there are some clues as well, so all you have to do is figure it out."
Boromir pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket. "This is the first clue." He informed his father. "Will you play with me?"
"I will, I promised you so of course I will." Denethor told him.
"Good, I will go and wait by the treasure, you come there when you have figured it out." Boromir pressed the paper at his father, then he jumped down onto the floor and hurried out.
Denethor smoothed out the paper on the desk. He could recognise his oldest sons smudged and square print easily enough.
'When the Steward comes riding in,
The sound of silver trumpets ring.'
Denethor assumed that it was a clue. It clearly was not a map. Thought it was harder to tell what it meant. He was already aware about the fact that the trumpets would blow his recognition signal when he rode in through the gates.
In the end he decided that he should go over there and see what he could find out. He approached their position, and why were they smirking.
"My Lord, I have a message for you here." One of the men said and held out another wrinkled paper to Denethor.
Denethor took it and thanked him so much for his help before smoothing that one as well out enough for him to be able to read it.
'If called Rohan shall come to aid,
Their duty shall be paid.'
Denethor wondered who had helped Boromir to come up with these clues. He could only mean the beacon. There was nothing else that could call Rohan to aid. So Denethor wandered over to the beacon to see if there was another clue to be found there.
Denethor chased around for a number of clues, all of them written with by Boromir's hand, then he came upon one that took him to inside the palace.
'The great stands in remembrance in the hall,
Least they from our memory should fall.'
That took Denethor to the throne room where the marble statues of the Kings stood in honour. Behind one of the statues there he found another folded sheet of paper, this time it was a map that, while written in a childish scrawl, was easily readable. He followed the twists and turns that was marked by arrows and the number of paces from one point to another.
To his great surprise he eventually found himself at the nursery. Thinking that there must be some mistake he entered to ask Findulias of her opinion.
"You found the treasure father!" Boromir cried happily as he entered.
"I found my way here." Denethor told him. " But I am afraid I have not found any treasure yet."
"But the treasure is here father, the best treasure I knew of." Boromir beamed happily.
Just then a blur of colour in the shape of a toddler came running and clung to Denethor's leg. He looked down to see Faramir clinging there.
"Father." He lisped, but it was the first time he had heard Faramir utter a correct word.
"See father. The treasure." Boromir exclaimed.
"He spoke." Was all Denethor could say as he gazed in wonderment at his son.
"I taught him that while we waited. Is he not the greatest treasure father."
Denethor, as he looked down on his two son, thought that he had been gifted with two treasures of the size Boromir described.
The End
If you enjoyed reading this, please review.
Kind Regards and thank you all,
/Elenhin
Here I would like to thank everyone who reads my works, thank you.
Here it must also be said that in the tale "A Two Colour Chain Mail," we started the vote
based on the fact that Sean Bean and David Wenham made the perfect image of two brothers. We also got plenty of agreement on that.
So here it is, if you agree with us and think that they should be real brothers. Say so in your review. It shall be your vote. On my authors page, in the bio I shall keep score.
When the score reaches 100, they shall be declared official brothers. Then on my authors page shall be an official declaration written by Elenhin and Celebrion.
Then the truth can not be denied, they shall be brothers.