A/N: Sorry for taking a little while to update, but heres chappy six! I hope that ya'll enjoy it!
NOTE: By the way I accept anonymous reviews, so feel free to R&R to tell me what you think :-D
000
Faramir had been forced to stay put for the two elves that stood guard watched him closely and intently.
Soon, the assumed leader came back, but the elf that had left with him was nowhere to be seen.
"Has the Ranger attempted toescape?" he asked one of his fellow elves.
"No, we have made sure of it," was their reply.
"Good," he said, now turning his attention to Faramir he said, "So are you ready to speak and tell us of your business here?"
"No; I owe you no explanation," Faramir replied bitterly.
"Oh but you do prisoner," he spat. "If you knew what has happened to your fellow Rangers you would be less hasty to respond to me in your sarcastic manner."
The elf all but laughed when he saw Faramir struggle to his feet. Faramir now stood to his feet and almost looked the elf squarely in the eye.
"I care not who you are, I do not answer to you; my allegiance lies elsewhere."
"Ah, to Gondor," the elf said, eyeing Faramir's attire.
"Yes; to Gondor," said Faramir in an almost wistful voice. But when he had first stated that, he had not fully meant Gondor-he had also meant his father.
"You shall soon learn to do as I ask," the elf said with a harsh voice.
"I shall do no such thing," said Faramir, with authority in his voice although he was a prisoner, and at this elf's mercy.
"You should have thought twice before you opened your mouth," he said, nodding to one of the elves.
In less than a moment, they began to mercilessly punch him; he tried to fight but to no avail. The raven-haired elf turned to leave, but stopped to say one last thing:
"When you are done teaching him a lesson you may take him to the other prisoners."
Faramir could do nothing but watch as the harsh, cruel elf walked away.
They continued beating him until blood began to show; they kicked him punched him, and broke off solid branches and beat him with them.
Faramir kicked and tried fight them, but they were very strong, it seemed that they had the strength of three men in one; they still continued to beat him as he groaned in pain, and blood began to spill out of his mouth.
At last it seemed that they were satisfied; the grass was stained with blood, only then when they stopped beating him did they realize how much damage they had done. His face was bloody; his hair had been matted with blood, not to mention the rest of his body. Knowing that their damage had already been done, they dragged the barely conscious captain of Gondor to join the rest of the captives.
000
The next day, Eowyn had decided to visit the stables again-she needed to clear her head. As she entered she heard voices-cheerful voices, she recognized these voices. They were those of her brother Eomer and their cousin Theodred.
They seemed to notice her presence almost immediately and before they spoke a word to her they embraced her in a much needed hug, for they knew that she was going through a hard time. Finally after they had embraced Eomer broke the silence.
"How are you sister? How is everything?" There was a genuine look of concern in his eyes, as he looked at his younger sister.
Eowyn put her head down; it was no secret that she was unhappy-she was sure that everyone including Boromir knew it.
"All is not well-how can it be?" she asked.
Theodred put a comforting arm around her, "We are here for you Eowyn," he said softly.
"I wish to return to Rohan with both of you," she said in a tone that they were not certain if it was just a wish or if she truly intended to do so.
"Eowyn, we know that this is hard for you but you cannot escape-you cannot run away from your husband!" Eomer said.
"Speak not of him!" Eowyn said in a cold voice.
"Eomer speaks the truth, you must not run away; but if I did have the chance to liberate you from this unhappy life that has been forced on you, I would," said Theodred, looking into his cousins eyes.
He pitied her, for he could barely imagine what it would be like to be bound to a life that had been chosen for him. The Rohirrim were strong-willed, free spirited and brave people; in some sense they resembled an untamed horse, which are free spirited, strong willed-and of course very hard to tame.
Eomer soon began to tend to his beloved horse. Eowyn quietly whispered in Theodred's ear:
"Will you please help me?-help me escape, I am begging you!"
"I will try my best and see what I can do," he whispered back; his heart was too soft to leave her in a cage.
"I thank you with all of my heart," she whispered.
"Do not thank me yet-I have not yet even attempted," he said.
"Well I thank you nonetheless, you know not how much I thank you," she said, and a smile spread across her once saddened face.
Theodred grinned; he had not seen his cousin like this in a very long time, but then his gaze shifted to Eomer. There was no way that he could Eowyn escape without Eomer knowing it; that left him with only one option…he had to have a talk with Eomer.
000
Denethor had sent for Boromir to come to his chambers at once, and in what seemed like an instant he had come.
"Yes my lord," said Boromir.
His mind had been torn in two-he was worried about his brother for his father was acting strangely and he did not know where Faramir was, which was unusual, and then there was his wife, Eowyn. She was no doubt a very beautiful woman, but he had almost come under the impression that she never showed any emotion, he did not want to approach her or say anything to her for the matter-not because he didn't like her, for he did not know her but because she was as cold as stone, and always had that expressionless, emotionless look upon her fair face.
"Yes, I have decided not to keep you in the dark any longer," said Denethor, rising from his chair.
"About…about Faramir, my lord?" Boromir stuttered, hoping that he could know where his brother was and if he was safe.
"Yes, about your brother," Denethor said coldly.
Boromir could see that by the look on his fathers face that he did not even want to mention Faramir.
"So you will now tell me of his whereabouts my lord?" Boromir asked.
"Yes, I have decided that this is the right time."
"Then where is he my lord? Is he safe?" Boromir asked, barely containing his eagerness.
"He is in south Ithilien-trying to find and destroy a certain menace," Denethor said, looking his son straight in the eye.
"What sort of menace? Why did you wait so long to notify me father?"
"Because it was a matter that I entrusted him to," said Denethor.
"This menace that you speak of-are there many of them?" Boromir asked.
"That is unclear," Denethor said coolly.
"Then certainly you sent him with at least one hundred and fifty men," said Boromir.
"We cannot risk that! We are barely holding onto Osgiliath! Are you not present more than most, you should know more than most that I have had to secure Gondor's alliances and beg for aid! I could not spare but a few-fifteen Rangers, that was all!" Denethor shouted.
"Father why did you not send me!" Boromir asked, for his stomach churned at the very thought of his brother being put in harms way-by their own father!
"Do you not think that my judgment is sound? Do you think that I am ill in my mind?"
Boromir choked back tears-tears of anger, "How could you my lord?" he asked.
"I could not bear to lose my eldest son," said Denethor, walking up to Boromir and putting his hand on his son's shoulder, "you are my son-I care for you."
"And why not Faramir-he does love you father, but somehow you cannot!" Boromir almost shouted, not being able to contain his anger.
"That is no way for the future steward of Gondor to speak to speak to his father! It breaks my heart to hear you speak to me this way!"
"And how would you have it my lord?" Boromir spat.
Before Denethor could answer his hot tempered son; Boromir stormed out of Denethor's chambers.
000
Medwyn had been beaten again severely and had passed out.
When he awakened, his arm hurt him terribly-he was certain that it had been broken. Suddenly, he lifted his eyes and saw two elves dragging someone-this someone was very bloody.
"No, it cannot be," said the horrified Ranger.
But it was, and as he looked around, he noticed that his fellow Rangers had been brought there also; they all seemed wounded in some way or the other, it was clear that they had all been beaten severely. But his eyes lay on his captain. They dragged him to where the Rangers were, and dropped him onto the cold grass.
Although the other Rangers had been beaten badly, they were not beaten nearly half as bad as this.
Despite being bound at the wrists, Medwyn crawled over to Faramir.
"My lord," he said, not being able to believe what he was seeing.
Faramir lifted his bloody head and saw his good friend and confidant looking at him with pure concern.
"Med…Medwyn?" he stuttered.
"I am here my lord," said Medwyn. At this moment, he paid no attention to the elves who were watching them intently.
Suddenly, a beautiful raven-haired elf woman emerged from the trees; her gaze seemed to fall on Faramir almost immediately, but she quickly shifted her gaze.
She went over and spoke to the elves that were keeping guard; Darcyn could make out a few of her questions.
"Have they yet spoken and revealed if they are spies?" she asked.
"No, they have kept silent," one of the elves replied.
She shifted her violet blue eyes once more on the bloody prisoner, "Was there need to beat him so brutally?" she asked, a hint of compassion was in her voice.
"I do not question Selwyn's orders," answered the elf. "I am sure that it was needed."
The elfin woman could not shift her gaze away from the bloody man, she felt compassion. Yes, that was her conscience at work. She knew that she had to help him, she felt resolved to help him, for she was not cold like her brother, she had a heart, a conscience, and she decided that she would heed them both…