Minas Tirith

Mithrellas scarcely waited for Denethor and his company to cross the Pelennor before dragging Finduilas directly to Ecthelion. Suddenly harboring many doubts and second-thoughts, Finduilas tried to dissuade her closest friend, but she would have none of it. She even insisted that she be allowed to do the talking, for, as she claimed, Finduilas was much too weary to be troubled so.

In these days it was known that the Steward kept to his private chambers when there was not some official business to preside over, and even then he often delegated such things to Denethor. Ecthelion was facing old age and was now ironically hindered by the fact that he was at one time so often far-afield. So it was that Finduilas and Mithrellas went to the Steward's chambers at once.

Ecthelion was surprised to see Lady Mithrellas, but he was downright shocked to see his son's wife. No one had brought him any word regarding her pregnancy, yet here she stood, looking gaunt as ever she had since arriving in the accursed White City. It angered the Steward to think that his own son considered that since his knees no longer worked properly the same could be said of his mind. And yet, he had to admit that it was utterly evident who had raised Denethor and it was obviously not his mother, the official one or the biological one.

Mithrellas started to speak on Finduilas's behalf, but she could not allow it. She dearly loved her friend, but knew of her impulsiveness and Finduilas felt that if she was to escape Minas Tirith, for a time, it ought to be done gently. She simply asked the Steward's permission to go for a visit, a holiday, to her kin in Dol Amroth and for a small protection escort. Ecthelion saw nothing amiss with that request and when he heard that Finduilas has "lost" the child she carried, he took great pity on her and granted her his personal escort, replete with his own pavilion, who, as he said, were only "collecting dust like the rest of the relics in this city."

The next day the party set out toward Dol Amroth by the sea, the two women riding in a coach, and Gondor's favorite son having the thrill and honor of his young life to have gotten his mother's permission to ride, at least at the outset, with one of the soldiers who was delighted to allow the little Lord to ride with him. Finduilas spent much of the ride praying that the Valar would protect her sons, both of them, and wondering if she would even make it to Dol Amroth, let alone ever return to Minas Tirith.

ooo

Edoras

The messenger who had been sent out by Ecthelion ahead of his mistrustful son kept back in the stables when he saw Lord Denethor enter the city. He doubted that the heir to the Stewardship would have recognized him but for his black livery which stood out amongst the Rohirrim. Still, Ecthelion had warned him about keeping his distance from Denethor and the young man had no intention of testing either lord. As soon as the heir had been led into the Golden Hall, the messenger set out for home again.

Théoden took it under advisement from Ecthelion's message that for whatever reason, the Steward of Gondor did not want his son to meet up with Thorongil, who had only just departed with the Grey Pilgrim early that morning. Théoden, for his part, was friendly to Thorongil and had helped him and his son in their time of need. He felt he could waylay Denethor easily enough for the man who had served his father so faithfully.

Much to his annoyance, Denethor found himself swept up in courtly greetings and cordialities that Rohan was not truly renowned for. There was the insistence by several ladies of the court that he rest and wash and join them at supper before even thinking of approaching the king. There were captains of Rohan who insisted that the Gondorian lord come for an evening ride with them after supper. Even little Théodred got in on the act by politely asking the Steward's heir to help him with his "sword-work" since he was sure that a "real soldier" could out-spar any horse-lord. Even Théoden was highly impressed with his son's little speech, considering the fact that most of the Rohirrim actually considered their way of life much superior to Gondorian ways and the little prince was unbelievably patriotic for one so young.

The next day came around and it just so happened that Théoden had called an emergency council that ended up locked away in the hall from just after breakfast until supper. The servers fuming about having the hall closed to even them until the "council" was concluded and having to rush to get the room ready for a meal. In the end, Denethor had been in residence at Meduseld for a solid three days before he actually got anywhere near the King of Rohan. Even when he did get to Theoden, it was to no avail, for Théoden simply said that he had not seen the Ranger Thorongil in quite some years and probably would not even recognize him if he did.

Denethor was frustrated to say the least. He knew Thorongil had been in Edoras, the palantír had shown it and the Elven orb did not lie! Furthermore, he knew that there was a babe and he was convinced that the child was his, stolen from his own wife. He vowed that he would hang the nurse who sent his son away and told Finduilas that he had not lived, for so he thought it to be. On the morning of the fifth day since his arrival, Denethor prepared to leave to return home and seek justice there instead. He knew well that he could not go chasing after that treacherous Ranger without even an idea of where he might have gone, and besides, he did not need another son when he already had his heir. Likely the little runt would have caused him naught but disgrace anyhow.

It was in the stables as Denethor and his company was ready to go that the odd and eerie little man who hung about Théoden's court found the heir to the Stewardship. Gríma spoke to Denethor of a Dunedan Ranger who had spent two weeks in Meduseld with an infant who was lovingly suckled by Eomund's wife, the King's sister. He told him that the Ranger had left only just that same day that Denethor arrived, with the Wizard Gandalf, and had been going northwest. Denethor wasted not another moment, surprising his men when he charged off in the opposite direction from home.

ooo

So now i am back to updating this regularly. I started writing a little extension of the Glor/Ere story i started in Ripples of Chaos, to be called Waves of Chaos, which will be about Erestor leaving Middle-earth and Glor staying behind.

Elenhin: I am glad you have not given up despite all the trouble the site has been putting up! I have to wonder if little Faramir will be able to put up so much trouble, but with his curious nature, it probably won't be too difficult for him.

AM: Arwen's reaction coming up next. I wonder if it will be what manner expect...

linda: Who can possibly guess what Elrond is thinking at any given moment? I'm writing this and i can't! I think Aragorn is going to turn out to be a great dad, he's got a good start anyway.