It was as evening began to fall and the sun made the leaves of summer seem to glow. Glorfindel had made himself comfortable for the evening on a high branch to keep his "patrol." In another tree not far away was Gildor Inglorion who was staying in the House of Elrond for a time and was more than happy to venture out on patrols. It was Gildor who first caught the sound of a group approaching. They had been expecting the twins to be back soon, but it sounded to his ears as if there was more than two horses and he definitely heard distinct footsteps.
Moving swiftly and lightly through the branches, to the point that one would mistake him for a Silvan instead of a High Elf of the Noldorim, Gildor came up to Glorfindel, finding that the Vanya likely did not hear the footsteps because he was dozing. Gildor had the urge to push him off the branch, but decided the better punishment would be to inform Erestor of this lapse when they returned. When he finally managed to rouse the Balrog-slayer he pointed out into the distance, saying, "something Mortal this way comes."
Leaping from tree to tree together they moved toward the path to meet the newcomers. Hopping down into the road, they were pleased to meet not only the twins, but also Gandalf and Estel. Customary greetings were exchanged all around, then Elladan said, "Well, we have gotten you to safety, yet again, little brother. Can we trust you to get home from here while we finish some business?"
Aragorn looked curious as to why they were suddenly rushing off again, but such was the way of the twins. They went off with Gildor discussing the pursuit of the orcs and Aragorn, Gandalf, and Glorfindel carried onward. "I did not expect to see you here, Estel. What manner of ill news of the rest or Arda do you bring now?" Glorfindel said teasingly.
"Some things ought not be spoken of freely even here, Master Glorfindel," Gandalf chimed in before Aragorn could say aught.
The Man was feeling too tired to give much of a response anyway. "Will you hold him a moment while i remount?" Aragorn said to Gandalf, laying his little Faramir in his friend's arms. Glorfindel walked on oblivious to the child who had come as well, he figured Estel was asking Mithrandir to hold the horse still. Aragorn had only been walking to try to release some of his own nervous energy and because Faramir had been fussing and walking usually calmed him down. It just so happened that Glorfindel turned around to ask Gandalf something just as the Wizard was gently laying the infant into his father's arms again. The Elf very nearly tripped over a tree root in the road. "Where did that come from?" he said astonished.
"From his mother's womb," Gandalf replied tetchily. He was in no mood for anyone upsetting Estel at the moment, it had been week's since he'd had a nice meal and a comfortable bed and his supply of pipeweed had diminished weeks ago.
Glorfindel was about to ask how he'd gotten from the womb to Estel's arms, but thought better of it considering Gandalf's present ill-humor. He only hoped that the child was a foundling, if Estel had fathered that child... well, he did not want to think of Elrond's sword getting any more practice than it did against his own blade in spars.
As they came to the ford, the loud rushing of the Bruinen upset Faramir and he began to cry. Night had fallen by then and Aragorn was a little nervous of attempting to ford the river in the dark. "Perhaps we should camp here tonight and cross come morning," he said uneasily, knowing his true apprehension lay beyond the ford.
"No, Aragorn, i think it best if you and Faramir get yourselves a proper rest and meal as soon as you may," Gandalf countered, knowing full well that Aragorn's main reason for procrastination was his concern over how his child would be received. Both of them were immensely glad that Glorfindel did not pry any further, but Gandalf also knew that it would do no one any favors to put off bringing the matter to Elrond's attention.
And so it was that at Gandalf's insistence the ford was crossed and they carried on along the path and eventually up the long stairs that took them up the moors onto the plateau that was Rivendell. After a long and arduous two months, Aragorn had finally managed to get himself and his child to their destination. Two months ago when he had to steal a horse to get out of Minas Tirith and across the Pelennor, he thought that when he was finally within the safe borders of Imladris he would feel relief; instead all he felt was worry, the same as it had been since his son was born. Aragorn wondered if he would spend the rest of his days worrying about his child.
They all dismounted before the stone bridge and walked their mounts over. The Last Homely House glowed with the lights in the windows and looked so comforting. They walked up the stairs and were in the courtyard. Aragorn thought of all the times he had been here previously and could not understand why he felt so afraid now. This was his home, the one place he should feel the most comfortable. Glorfindel quickly offered to take their horses to the stables when he saw Erestor come out on the porch, likely having been disturbed from some late-night work in which he ordinarily engaged.
"Mithrandir? Estel! What brings you here at this late hour?" Erestor said, sounding genuinely surprised, which was odd, for Erestor was scarcely ever surprised by anything. "What am i saying? Of course i know why you are here! By Elbereth, Estel, you look exhausted. Come on and get some rest, we can talk in the morning," he carried on, suddenly switching into hospitable-Erestor mode and ushering them both inside at once.
"Erestor, please wait," Aragorn insisted. "I need to see my father, tell me he is still awake?"
"Aye, he is, Estel, but perhaps now is not..." Erestor replied, hedging a bit. It had been a difficult day for Elrond and it seemed to his eyes that both of them needed their rest more than a chat. "Then again, he would be glad to see you. Yes, he is in his study at the moment. Is something wrong, is there ill news that we are not aware of here? Where are the twins?"
Aragorn looked ready to cry, he wished everyone would stop delaying him, he just needed to get this over with as soon as possible. "Naught is wrong, it is just that i need to...," he sighed, "i need my father, that is all."
Erestor was not easy put off though, he and Estel had been close since the Mortal was two years old. "Estel...," Erestor prodded, putting a hand on his erstwhile apprentice's shoulder. Erestor could often sense the presence of others and he knew that it was not just Estel, Mithrandir, and himself there in the foyer outside the Hall of Fire. As usual, Erestor was not surprised when Estel pulled back his cloak to show the little one laying there asleep again in a sling given to him in Rohan, which was much more comfortable than the one he'd fashioned extemporaneously out in the wild.
Erestor wore a little smile that was rarely seen on him, in fact Aragorn was one of the only people upon Arda who had ever seen the soft side of the serious Chief Councilor. Erestor sighed. "I suppose you do need your adar, i was going to attempt to dissuade you, but this is important. Is this little lad your own?"
"Aye, he is," Aragorn said, sounding almost defensively. A momentary feeling of shame swept him as Erestor's eyes held his before he broke the contact.
"You should be proud of him, Estel, he is beautiful," Erestor encouraged. "We will talk later if you wish. You go on and i will see your rooms prepared. You will sleep better once you have a nice soothing bath."
Aragorn felt at least a little better, knowing that astute Erestor, one of his dearest friends since he could remember, did not disapprove of him and Faramir. Gandalf, too, was on his side, and that comforted him as well. As he walked toward his father's study, Gandalf clasped his shoulder, looked him deep in the eye, and said, "Remember, Aragorn, he may be the great Lord Elrond Peredhel, but i have seen things he had only dreamt of." The twinkle in the Maia's eye spoke of things too awesome for Aragorn to even try to conceive of, but he knew what his old friend meant.
Aragorn stood before the door to his father's study. He took several breaths before knocking softly. It felt like an eternity until he heard his father's voice say, "edro!"
"Estel! Welcome home, ion-nín," Elrond said, beaming to see his youngest enter.
"Mae govannen, adar," Aragorn said with a nod of deference.
"My son, what troubles you?" Elrond said in concern, rising from behind his desk. Usually Estel was thrilled to be home, and yet he had not expected his arrival and Elrond wondered what of all the many things could be wrong.
"Much troubles me father, but it is of no matter. We need your help," he said. At the questioning look in his father's eye, he did not just pull back his cloak, but removed it altogether. At some point on the ride in he realized that he was not only using the cloak to shield his son from the elements, but also to hide him from other's eyes. He resolved that he would never again do that, for he was not ashamed of his child and never would be.
Elrond's breath hitched as his eyes traveled from the sleeping infant up to his son's pleading gaze. There was a look something akin to disbelief in the Elf's eyes. "This... this is your child, Estel?"
"Aye, his name is Faramir," Aragorn said, standing proudly.
Behind Elrond's grey eyes there was a maelstrom of emotions. He said nothing but stood staring at the two Mortals. Aragorn felt brought quickly from pride in his son to disgrace of his own actions in the moment of scrutiny. Elrond shut his eyes and his fingers sought out his already aching temples. His attention then seemed to focus outside the window, Elrond's way of composing himself. He walked back to his desk and sat down before he again glanced up at his son. His jaw was tightly set, but he managed to say, "How did this happen?" with at least some degree of calmness.
"Father, i do not know -" Aragorn began before Elrond spoke again.
"Estel, just answer me," he said with a warning tone.
"Aye, adar," he said obediently, feeling more like a child than a grown man of more than half a century in age. "I- i made a mistake," he began plaintively. "I made a mistake, what i did was wrong of me, but i will not apologize for it, for i will not apologize for my son. I never once had the intention of bedding -"
"Estel! I care not what intentions you had, nor do i expect an explicit explanation of this child's conception. As a healer and father of three i am well aware of the mechanics of getting children. What i want to know is why you have this child here - where is his mother and how in the name of Elbereth did you manage to get him here?"
At that Aragorn felt immense relief that he did not have to explain his actions, yet. He would have been terribly humiliated to admit to Elrond, whom he called father, not so much his actions as much as the fact that he failed in loyalty and faltered to a mostly Mortal weakness. "His mother, as far as i know, is in Minas Tirith," he said simply.
"As far as you know?" Elrond asked with a raised brow.
"She put forth much exertion in his birth. It was energy that she did not have to begin with," Aragorn said. "Finduilas was from Dol Amroth and living on the edge of the Shadow of Mordor was a terrible strain on her, but he would never let her return to her home to get well. She has not much life left to live."
Fortunately, Elrond was calming down rather rapidly. "Who never let her return home?" he asked.
"Her husband, Denethor."
"Husband?" Elrond said, again raising a brow. "Very well...," he said, resting his aching head in his hand. "That still does not explain why you have this child here. How old is he?"
"His name is Faramir, as i have already told you," Aragorn said, annoyed that his father seemed to refuse to speak the name. "He is two months old, and i-"
"Two months? It must have taken you that long to get from Minas Tirith to here. Ai, Estel, tell me not that you took this- took Faramir," he corrected himself at Aragorn's glare, "from his mother as soon as he was born?"
"Do you wish to hear my explanation or not, father?" Aragorn said, his tone of voice rising.
Elrond sighed, realizing he was interrupting before any answers were given. "You have my apology. Please continue."
"Thank you," Aragorn said with a nod. "Finduilas did not believe that her husband would be fooled that Faramir was not his, she has reason to believe that he uses the palantír in the Citadel. She did not want him to be subjected to such scorn and begged that i take him and give him a father's love. I did not want to at first, i had no idea how i would ever get him here, but now i know that i could not have had it any other way. Had i left him there i would have regretted it forever. I vowed to his mother that i would keep him safe and happy and that he would learn. Father... please..."
Elrond's temper had softened greatly. "Estel," he said shaking his head wearily, "how has this child survived? Is he even well?"
"By the grace of the Valar alone have been able to feed my son," Aragorn whispered. "I had hoped you would help him and make sure that he is well. These last few days all i have had to give him was a lembas solution. 'Dan sprinkled some crumbs into fresh water and he drank as they dissolved. It has seemed to keep him happy, though. The rest of the time i sought out wet-nurses from village to village. It has been extraordinarily difficult and more than once i wanted to turn back, to leave him in safer hands than my own, but i could not, father. I could not be parted from him and i know i have probably endangered him terribly, but i would die for my son."
"So what you are telling me is that you have not once done what you knew to be best for Faramir, but what your heart told you was best?" Elrond asked with an poignant grin.
Aragorn just nodded. "I understand if you no longer want me here, but i no longer know if i must beg you to at least shelter my son or not to separate us."
Elrond rose and came to stand in front of his son again. Where had he gone wrong if the thought that he would ever abandon his Mortal child had even crossed Estel's mind? "Estel," he began softly, a hand on his son's cheek, as much to comfort him as noting how undernourished he was. Just then Faramir began to cry and Aragorn almost reflexively reached for the little bottle he kept in his coat pocket. Elrond sighed and stepped back a bit. "That mixture is actually quite good for him. It will not harm him at all," Elrond said distractedly. "Do you have any idea what you have gotten yourself into?"
Aragorn looked up from Faramir just momentarily. "No. But i am learning."
Elrond just shook his head. "Estel, never would i turn you out and you know that. Every time you leave here it is by your choice. This is a grave situation, all the same, and it will demand much from you. Can you understand this commitment that is required?"
"I understand that i would do anything for my Faramir, that i will never abandon him, and that, likely, i will never cease to worry about him," Aragorn said.
At that Elrond smiled sadly again. "Aye, Estel, that is fatherhood. There is more to your particular situation though. You know that i will never turn you out, however, i shall still expect of you to offer a satisfactory explanation to others whom this effects and to abide by whatever... verdict said parties may reach."
Aragorn understood at once, for it was going to be the next hardest trial for him to explain this to Arwen. For over 30 years he had adored her with every fiber of his begin and it ached so to think that one failure on his part could destroy that. "Where is she?" he asked softly.
"She was in the garden this evening. However, i do not want you to approach her tonight," he said solemnly. "This is best left until the light of day. As a healer, i must demand that you bathe and sleep tonight. If you see Erestor he will help you with sleeping appointments for Faramir. Do i make myself clear?"
"Aye, adar," Aragorn said and turned to go, much relieved, but still a little ill at ease.
"Estel," Elrond called out just as he was at the door. "I love you, my son."
Aragorn smiled, but it was an almost grim smile. "And i love Faramir," he said with all seriousness.
ooo
An extra long update as a peace-offering for all the time it has taken me to update. Many apologies!
AM: Well, at least the real confrontation wasn't nearly as terrible as what poor Aragorn dreamed. As for poxing Wizards... we shall soon see.
sidhe: Last chapter was interesting to write and was really the whole reason i wanted the twins to escort Aragorn and Faramir with Gandalf. He needs as much support as he can get right now.
linda: I agree, in one way it rather does come down to Elrond in the end. He may be seeing that now, but i think Elrond has more fears than he lets on.
Raksha: Aragorn's explanation to his beloved coming up in the next chapter. Of course we know that Elrond would never do anything so terrible was what happened in Aragorn's dream last chapter, but fear and the pysche do things like that to one, especially during the night.
Elenhin: I think i successfully managed to scare everyone with that dream last chapter. Love to mix things up a bit every now and then :) And so, Faramir's reign of terror in Imladris will begin soon, just as Estel's had. Though it will be some while before he gets mobile, and by then i am sure everyone will adore him... until he gets a hand in their hair that is :)
Thank you all for your patience!