Dol Amroth
After a long and slow journey of two weeks, the party traveling under the banner of the Steward of Gondor arrived in Dol Amroth by the sea. It was the homecoming that Finduilas had long awaited and long needed. The first sign of her motherland was the white seabirds gliding gracefully, drawing the watcher into their happy dance. When she first spotted the sight of the white wave crests sparkling like a million diamonds in the sun her breath caught - she was home.
Guards had reported to Prince Imrahil seeing a small host coming in bearing the Steward's emblem. Imrahil could not say that it was welcome news. He knew of Ecthelion's ill health and was rather sure that he would not be making such a journey. His suspicion was that Ecthelion had gone beyond the Veil, and his most beloved brother-in-law had so cordially come to break the news personally. His one comfort was that perhaps his sister might have come, too. Imrahil wished dearly to see Finduilas again, as it had been some years since she had even written the last.
Going out to the courtyard to greet the visitors was like torture to Imrahil. The day was a beautiful one, with summer's heat just making it's inroads, and the Prince longed to miss out on all of his tedious duties and spend a day on the beach that he only ever got to see from the window of study these days. Oh how fondly he remembered spending entire days playing with Finduilas on the beaches, building sandcastles, swimming, staring at the horizon trying to see all the way to Valinor. Though five years younger than her, he was always the brave and noble knight who was ready to sacrifice himself to save the beautiful lady from the sea-monster (which was an obvious myth to the children as they knew the soothing sea could never send up anything so foul).
Imrahil scanned the riders for Denethor, but did not see him immediately. The coach made him curious. Perhaps this was a visit from Steward Ecthelion and not Steward Denethor after all, though it would seem to him that the elder would have had to have gone mad to come all this way in such ill health.
Now he watched to see who emerged from the carriage. A soldier opened the door and out hopped a young boy, of no more than about five years. The lad looked around in absolute awe as another lady stepped out and quickly took the child's hand to prevent him from wandering in his wondering. Imrahil could not be sure but he thought the lady may have been a dear friend of Finduilas's and his hope swelled. The soldier offered his hand to the next passenger and that was the first time he had seen his dear sister in the seven years since her marriage to the Steward's son.
Imrahil set aside decorum and ran to the carriage, crying "Fin'!" as he lifted her up and swung her around. He was purely elated to see her again.
"Imrahil!" she admonished laughingly. "Brother, put me down! For the sake of the Valar, I am a grown woman!"
"Aye, Finduilas, aye," he said hugging her tightly. "What a wonderful surprise this is! I thought i should have to come to that cold rock you live on if i wanted to see you again."
Finduilas's smile remained, but a slight shadow passed through her eyes before she quickly changed the subject. "Boromir, come and meet your uncle," she said, her little boy running over to her.
Ever the perfect little gentleman, Boromir nodded respectfully and bowed to Imrahil, saying "I greet thee, uncle mine."
Imrahil laughed as he knelt to give the child a big hug. He lifted Boromir up just as he had Finduilas and already the boy liked his uncle. "Oh, but he is the image of you, Fin'!"
She nodded. "He is Minas Tirith's finest soldier," she said with pride.
"I might be now, uncle," Boromir said, "but that is only because Captain Thorongil departed." Boromir felt rather important to display such knowledge as had been imparted to him by Lorindol, the soldier who had allowed Boromir to ride with him for much of the journey. He did not notice how his mother had blanched at the name, but Imrahil did.
"Well... Gods! I still can not believe you are really here. How long shall you stay?" he asked.
Finduilas looked genuinely unsure when she said, "We had not really planned that. I suppose it remains to be seen."
"You are home, Fin', you can stay for the rest of your days should you wish it," Imrahil said with such conviction Finduilas could not help but think her brother saw her real reason for coming. "Come, come inside and i will order up a feast for my sister's unlooked for return, and with Lord Boromir and Lady Mithrellas. Dol Amroth should rejoice of this!"
"Imrahil," Finduilas said, "my old rooms...-"
"Are just as you left them," her brother assured her.
"Then i think i shall go there first and rest, for a time. The road was long and tiresome." Imrahil nodded, but looked concerned and Finduilas knew it. "Boromir, would you like to come with mumma for a nap?"
Imrahil knew her game. Anytime she seemed unwell she would always bring the focus back to someone else. He would ask her later, but now he knew it best to let her rest before supper. Besides, he wanted to get to know his nephew. "Finduilas, do you not know? Soldiers are scarcely interested in naps, not when there are sea-monsters to be slain!"
"Sea-monsters?" Boromir said, his eyes wide, not in fear but in excitement.
"Aye, lad. They range near these coasts, especially on summer afternoons such as this. They are rarely seen, but on occasion there have been reports." Imrahil was absolutely in his glory. "It would seem that they are particularly interested in beautiful ladies. It is said that if there is not a brave soldier or two on the beach, they might come up out of the waters, green and dripping and gooey, and make off with the most beautiful princess they can find, taking her down into their watery lairs."
"They will not come near my mumma and she is the most beautiful princess!" Boromir said resolutely.
Imrahil smiled broadly. "I think, sister, that you may take your rest with peace of mind, for Lord Boromir of Gondor is a most worthy guard."
"I agree," Finduilas said, kissing both her little boy and little brother on the cheek. "I will see you both at supper. Do not let him get too dirty, i beg you, Imrahil."
"You have my word, Fin'," Imrahil said with all solemnity.
"Night-night, mumma. I won't let the sea-monsters come after you!" Boromir said as his mother went into the grand palace on the beach with Mithrellas, a peaceful smile on her face for the first time in years.
Imrahil turned to the soldiers who had accompanied them. "My thanks to you gentlemen for escorting my sister and nephew here. Please, make yourselves at home in Dol Amroth. If there is a thing you lack for, have it brought to my attention and i shall rectify the situation at once." The escort host nodded and went on with the Guards of Dol Amroth to be shown their quarters. "Come, my Lord Captain," Imrahil said to Boromir, "let us hasten to the beach before the ill-favored aerloki make off with our beloved women!"
ooo
aerloki - Sindarin of my own invention, literally "sea-snakes"
AM: I fully intend to bring Aragorn and Fin's 'rationalizations' in, that is integral. Sooner than later i would think.
steelelf: Even reviews on the fly can make my day! Thanks!
linda: Erestor is wise, of course, so is his wine. Denethor has much conflict to deal with, i may or may not get into all of it, but i think most things that aren't brought to the surface are still rather legible. One thing is certain, Elrond's motives are far from obvious at any given time.
Elenhin: I believe i might have done a slight bait-and-switch with this chapter. I had you all geared up for lil Fara', then i bring out young Boromir. Though, i know how you adore him, too, so i guess it isn't so bad. Bori is almost way too cute in this chapter. Likely back to Imladris next time though, and i also hope this chapter was quick enough, i know what it's like to be caught between stories!
liz: No Denethor isn't a complete bastard, he is only human after all and we must be understanding of the faults of humanness, to a point at least. I do not think that Denethor actually believed at any point that Aragorn murdered his child, only that he stole him away. As to Elrond, as i said to linda, Elrond's motives are far from obvious. In this case, though, he does seem pretty apathetic. At this point he is weary and trying his best to remain reasonable. Not only does his son show up with a surprise grandson not born of his intended (which of course would have really made Elrond lose it, irrecoverably so), but now the husband of the mother has tried to kill his son in his own realm. It is only because of thousands of years practice that he can remain sane during this trial, and because Erestor is not letting him get into habits of repression.
Jacinthe: Unfortunately, no, some people never do learn. As for the safety of baby and daddy, i can promise nothing :)