Sorry once again that I haven't updated in a while, but I'll do my very best to update again for everyone tomorrow night. As always, thank you for your reviews. I hope you like this chapter. Please let me know, I'm no so sure about it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 27: You Are No Failure
Ellethwen laughed as she watched the hobbits, Merry and Pippin singing and dancing on the table. She had learned quickly that the small beings were quiet hearty and easy to forget their troubles. She wished she had their hearts, because then hers wouldn't feel so heavy, but at that moment she was happy. Dallin was sleeping soundly with Gelsey keeping watch of him and Ellethwen was with Boromir. Boromir held onto his tankard of ale in his left hand and his right arm was around Ellethwen.
"Oh, you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole world dry, but you'll never find a beer so brown, as the one they drink in my hometown. You can keep your fancy ales; you can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true, Comes from the green dragon!" they sang before they clinked their glasses and took a deep drink. Ellethwen laughed again and shook her head. She sighed and wrapped her left arm around Boromir before she rested her head on his shoulder. Boromir glanced down at her and kissed the top of her head.
"Are you tried?" he asked and she raised her head and looked up at him with a smile.
"Just a little," she said softly, but loud enough for him to hear. A cool breeze drifted inside and she looked to the door and then back at him. "Walk with me?" He sat his tankard down and nodded. They slipped from the hall unnoticed. They didn't wander far, only to the ledge of the porch of the hall. They looked out over the distance and as Boromir stood behind her, arms wrapped securely around her, Ellethwen wondered something.
"Boromir, why did Saruman turn against Rohan? Why did he send those creatures to slaughter us?" she asked softly and she felt Boromir stiffen as he held her.
"There is a power at work, Ellethwen," he whispered after a moment and she looked up at him. "I cannot explain it, at least not yet, but I will not let any harm befall you, Ellethwen or Dallin," he said gently before he leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. She sighed and turned around in his arms, never breaking their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him, just wanting to hold onto him as long as she could. They broke apart at the clearing of a throat and Ellethwen looked behind Boromir's shoulder. Éowyn stood there with a slight grin on her face.
"I do not mean to interrupt, I know you have not had much time together, but Gelsey is looking for you Ellethwen. It seems as though Dallin is hungry," Éowyn said. Ellethwen nodded and looked up at Boromir sadly. Éowyn slipped back inside to let them have one more moment before they went to their child.
"Our time is cut short once again," she whispered and he smiled and shook his head.
"No, not short. I will come with you," he told her and she smiled. The wife and husband walked inside and through the crowd down the corridors and stopped outside Ellethwen's chamber. Dallin's cries met their ears. By instinct Ellethwen rushed in and saw Gelsey rocking the crying baby. Gelsey smiled at Ellethwen and sighed.
"I'm sorry, dear, I know you didn't get much time to celebrate, but I think its time for another feeding," Gelsey said. Ellethwen nodded and took the crying baby. Boromir walked in behind her and Ellethwen's back was to them both while she adjusted her dress and began to feed Dallin. "I'll leave you two be," Gelsey said quickly before she left. Boromir watched her from a distance for a moment before he walked over to her.
"How often does he eat?" he asked quietly as he stepped in front of her and watched his son and then looked up at Ellethwen.
"Often," she said with a smile as she met his eyes. "He wakes during the night for a feeding to." Boromir nodded.
"I wish there was a way I could help you. You look tired Ellethwen," he said quietly as he raised a hand to her face and ran his fingers across her cheek.
"So do you," she said quietly. "You look even worse." Dallin stopped eating and Ellethwen pulled him away and shifted to pull up her dress when Boromir did it for her. She blushed slightly and looked up at him.
"Let me," Boromir said as he took Dallin and put him on his shoulder. He rocked the baby gently as he patted his back. A small burp came from the baby before he cooed and soon went to sleep again. Boromir slowly walked over to the cradle and once again laid the baby down. He walked over to Ellethwen who remained standing near the fireplace. "Ellethwen," he whispered as he leaned into her and kissed her temple putting his hands securely on her waist. She sighed and closed her eyes. She sighed and leaned back against him.
"There will be another battle won't there?" she asked in a whisper before she turned and looked up at him. "You're going to leave again, I can feel it." Boromir sighed and kissed her soundly. Ellethwen sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She returned his kiss and he pulled her close. After a moment, they pulled away and Ellethwen looked up at him and he pushed her hair from her face.
"If I leave again, I will be going with my friends, Ellethwen," he whispered as he raised his other hand from her waist and held her face gently. She gave him a teary eyed smile and nodded. "Come on, let's sleep while we can," he said as he stepped back from her.
"I'll change and join you," she whispered and he nodded before she raised up and kissed the corner of his lips. She smiled at him before she looked at Dallin who was sound asleep in his crib before she slipped away and into her changing room.
Boromir sighed as he removed his outer tunic and draped it over one of the chairs. He pulled off his under shirt and boots. He shivered slightly when his bare feet touched the cool stone floor but he walked over to the rugs that the bed and cradle rested on and looked down at Dallin. His son was so small, but he knew he would grow into a strong boy and man, he just hoped he would live to see that day.
Quick footfalls caught his ears and he turned around and saw Ellethwen scurrying over to the rugs dressed in her long nightdress. She smiled at him and walked over to him. Her cool hands danced across Boromir's back and around his waist. He shivered slightly and pulled her close.
"Come to bed, Boromir," she whispered as she looked up at him. He smiled and kissed her forehead. With one last look at their son, the pair moved back a few feet and crawled into their bed. Ellethwen snuggled close to Boromir and sighed as he wrapped his strong arms around her. She laid facing the cradle, incase Dallin cried out for her, and she smiled. It felt good to be in his arms again and for the first time in many nights she fell asleep almost instantly with his soft breath dancing across her neck.
The dawn had come and Ellethwen walked into the hall carrying a warmly dressed and wrapped Dallin. Voices echoed off the walls and she stopped as she reached the doorway to the hall.
"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool, but an honest fool he remains," Gandalf said and she stepped a little further into the room so she could watch the exchange. "He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the heir of Elendil has come forth." Gandalf's eyes moved to Aragorn and Ellethwen stifled a gasp. Aragorn was the heir of Elendil, he was the heir to the throne, and he was their king. The ring Gandalf spoke of made her curious as well as who Frodo was.
"Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still -- strength enough, perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of middle earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of Men. If the beacons of Rohan are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."
Ellethwen didn't know what to think. One part of her wanted Rohan's aid for her city, for her country, but another part of her wanted nothing more than for Rohan to be free of the death it had seen over the years.
"Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" Theoden asked and Ellethwen felt her heart shift. The oldest son of the Steward, her husband, nearly died at Helms Deep protecting Rohan's people. The heir of Elendil nearly died and he felt as thought Gondor was owed nothing.
"I will go," Aragorn said quickly and Gandalf looked to him.
"No," Gandalf said.
"They must be warned," Aragorn said and Gandalf nodded.
"They will be," Gandalf said before he moved in and spoke to Aragorn quietly. He stepped back and looked at the others. "Understand this; things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith. And I won't be going alone." Gandalf turned and looked to the hobbits before he started to walk from the hall taking the hobbits with him.
Boromir sighed and turned around as he pinched the bridge of his nose, something Ellethwen knew he only did when he was agitated or worried, and from what she heard she knew it was a little bit of both. She walked out and over to where he stood, but he moved away quickly and by the sound of his footsteps, he was angry. She sighed and shook her head sadly as she watched him walk outside.
"He'll be alright," a voice suddenly said beside her and she looked to her left to see the elf Legolas standing next to her.
"I know, but I cannot help but worry for him," she said as she rocked Dallin gently. "His thoughts have not been on the White City for many months, and he probably thinks he is letting his father down in some way." She looked up at the elf and he nodded but looked at the bundle in her arms and she smiled as she pulled the blanket further from Dallin's face so he could see her son more clearly. Legolas chuckled and looked at Ellethwen.
"He looks like his father," Legolas said and Ellethwen nodded and looked to the door once again. Legolas looked too when a loud ruckus was heard. Ellethwen startled and looked to Legolas.
"Can you hold him? For only a moment," she added and Legolas nodded. "He does not cry often, only when he is hungry or wet and he should be neither. I will be right back," she said as she handed her son to Legolas who took him into his arms gently. Ellethwen lifted her brown skirts and moved quickly out of the hall. She shook off the late winter chill and moved to the stables where several people stood outside of and looked inside. She moved through the crowd and entered the stable. There in an empty stall sat Boromir on a hay stack. Several buckets and things were thrown about. She sighed and moved over to where he sat with his head in his hands. She kneeled before him and put her hands on his knees. "Boromir," she said gently and he shook his head.
"I have failed him and now the city will burn," Boromir said and Ellethwen shook her head wrapping her hands around his wrists pulling his hands from his face. He looked at her and she clearly saw his sense of failure in his soft eyes.
"You have failed no one, Boromir," she told him firmly. "You failed no one. The city will not burn and your father will know you have not failed. You have not failed me or Dallin. You are here and you are strong, Boromir, stronger than any man I have ever known. No matter what you think of yourself, know that I love you and I will for as long as I breathe the air of this Earth. Your father will see the man you truly are, a man who has taken to his heart and found peace in that respect. He will see, Boromir, he will see." Boromir smiled and laced his fingers with hers.
"How did I find such a wise wife?" Boromir asked in a whisper and a hoarse voice. She smiled and shook her head.
"I am not wise, I just know you." Boromir shook his head and pulled her into his arms and held her tightly to him. "You're shivering," she whispered and pulled back. "Come inside and warm yourself and spend what is left of the morn with your family." He leaned in and kissed her soundly. Ellethwen stiffened but soon returned his kiss. He pulled back after a moment and nodded. Ellethwen smiled and led him from the stables, and the curious eyes of the villagers, and back up to the Golden Hall.