The three most serious cases were taken care of. Aragorn had put most of his energy into reviving his son and, the Valar be praised, Faramir was awake again and doing well now that he was out of the black valley of desolation. Aragorn had promised him that he would be back as soon as he could, but that he had to make haste to help others. Faramir, of course, understood, he was really just glad to be with his father again, and both well, considering the circumstances.
Aragorn then went on to help Éowyn. Her case was not as desperate as Faramir's, and he was thankful that he did not need to go so deep into his own energy reserves again. The athelas helped, but it could only do so much. Aragorn did what he could for Eowyn, then put her hand into Eomer's and let him complete the task as he slipped out of the room unnoticed and went on to Merry. Either Aragorn was getting better at this new skill every time or the circumstances were getting less critical, for Merry woke almost at once.
Aragorn was starting to lean on Gandalf by the time he emerged from the room Merry had been given. He could feel himself falling asleep on his feet and was fighting to stay awake. He did not feel it would be right to sleep in the City, even though apparently his son was now officially considered to be Steward of Gondor (it was going to take some doing to straighten that out and find out if it was acceptable, if Faramir even wanted the office). It was why he had asked Imrahil to be in charge of Minas Tirith until such things could be dealt with. Just now Faramir needed good, sound rest even more than he himself did.
"Estel?" Elrohir called from another corridor that branched off the main hall.
"Elrohir," Aragorn responded, walking toward his brother and trying not to trip over anyone in the hall. "Have you had any luck?" he said, resting his hand on Elrohir's shoulder, plainly to keep himself upright.
"No, Estel," Elrohir said, his voice thick with emotion. He wanted to tell his little brother that everything would be all right, that he would help him back down to the pavilion where he should sleep, but he could not do it. The pain of the possibility of losing his twin was overriding all his other senses. It was as it had been when nana had to go West, only now he did not have his brother to turn to, and nor was there the assurance that at least this was not death, but just a passing farewell. This pain was evident in everything from the mournful look in Elrohir's eyes, to the way it seemed to add to his pain just breathing. Aragorn knew he was fighting back tears until he was sure of what had happened.
"I looked about the field, but I saw no sign of him, and someone said that I might come here, if he was injured…." Speaking was clearly difficult for the twin Peredhel. If he talked too much about this the tears would spill and then there would be no stopping them.
"I've not seen him here," Aragorn said, "though I have not been here long and not seen many other than Faramir and -"
"How is he, Estel? Or do not tell me if we shall only lose yet another," Elrohir said quietly.
Aragorn now rested his other hand on his brother's shoulder, this time in a gesture of comfort. "Would I be standing here now if I were to lose my son?"
Elrohir shook his head. "I guess not, I just no longer know…." Elrohir glanced up and was now looking intently down to the other end of the hall. There was a healer there, speaking with the wounded and offering them water, in the uniform robes of the healers of Minas Tirith with long dark hair swept back. Elrohir just stared for a moment before almost literally flying down the hall, leaping over injured soldiers as he went. He swooped down upon the healer, throwing him to the wall and pinning him there by his shoulders. Elrohir was absolutely seething.
"Tenya awra!" Elladan cried.
Elrohir laughed shortly. "Ed' i'ear ar' elenea! Mani na lle umien? Mankoi na lle sinome?"
"Daro!" Aragorn cried, interceding between his brothers quickly. For as fiercely as they loved one another, their fights could rival and sometimes even out do Glorfindel and Erestor's shouting matches. "This is supposed to be a place of convalescence, if you have to argue, do it outside."
"I came here to help," Elladan said lowly. "If you came just to create further upset then leave."
"I thought I lost you! You could have let me know, we have always fought side by side, for 2000 years," Elrohir continued, not lowering his tone.
"Daro hi!" Aragorn reiterated. He needed sleep, not a pair of squabbling half-Elven twins.
"Estel, you look terrible, are you injured?" Elladan said, immediately dropping his argument with his twin when he saw how exhausted his little brother was.
"No, I am not. I am fine, 'Dan, I am just exhausted," Aragorn insisted, though he was relieved to be drawing the attention away from the row.
"Exhausted is not fine, little Ranger. What would ada say? Come on, I will give you some tea and you shall sleep for a while." Elladan tried to usher Aragorn off to a comfortable place, but his little brother resisted.
"I have a pavilion outside the gates that I was on my way to with…. Where is Gandalf gone off to now?" he said looking around in sleepy confusion.
"No, no pavilion, a bed for you," Elladan said.
"I wouldn't be comfortable," Aragorn argued weakly. "Will you go look in on Fara', 'Dan? Tell him I promise I will be up to see him in the morning."
"Faramir? What is the matter with him? Is he here?" Elladan asked, startled.
"Yes. He is much better now, but he was nearer to death than I was comfortable with when I got here. And yes, he is in that room…," Aragorn paused, just now realizing what room that was, "the room he was born in," he finished quietly.
"Valar! If I knew that I would have been with him immediately!" Elladan was already moving off toward his nephew when he turned back to Elrohir and said, "I am sorry I worried you, but I had to come here."
Elrohir gave him a sour, but understanding, look. "You are getting more and more like ada every day. Come on, little brother; let us get you to some sleep." He put a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, but Aragorn was already looking around at all the wounded who needed help. Elrohir sighed, knowing what that meant. "And you are worse than ada. I will get you some lembas, and I think I have some miruvor left. Work until you are satisfied, but then you swear to sleep, understand me?"
Aragorn almost gave his word, but he was cut off by an agonized cry from a woman elsewhere in the Houses. They hurried to her and found the other younger woman who had been in Faramir's room was kneeling beside a young Ranger. She held him close to her and stroked his hair. Only now did Aragorn recognize her as the woman who had helped him and fed Faramir as they fled Gondor many years ago.
"Damrod…," she whispered urgently to her son, begging him not to leave her.
"Mum-…," the Ranger struggled to speak to his mother. "They say a king-…. You always said… my father died for… a king, one day."
Damrod's breathing was shallower every moment and Indis looked around hoping there was a healer near. She saw the man who had cured Faramir, bringing him back from the edge of death, and begged him to help her son.
Aragorn knelt beside the Ranger. Gods, but how ironic was this situation? He clasped Damrod's hand and rested his other upon the young man's brow. He sensed no battle within him though, no desperation as was so heavy in Faramir, Éowyn, and Merry. He was beginning to realize now that he could not use his new skill to heal everything, this was only for lending strength to the spirit, it would mend no broken bones nor staunch any wound. Those things would take his more earth-bound skills.
Noting the difficulty Damrod had in breathing and the bruising about his chest he put an ear to the man's ribs, tapping gently. "His lung is collapsed," Aragorn said, "I need mint and lavender, immediately, as well as a strong bandage and warm cloths. Someone help me turn him."
"I'll help," said a fairly large man, also a Ranger, according to his symbol. "Come on there, little rabbit. Did you hear this man revived the Captain?" Mablung said, trying to keep Damrod conscious.
Damrod did not answer his companion's question though; instead, he looked at Aragorn intensely and asked in a rasping voice, "Are you him? Are you the King?"
Aragorn paused, meeting Damrod's gaze. At that moment, he was rather asking himself the same question. It had been his goal to keep this knowledge from the people until the War was decided once and for all; he did not want to give them false hope.
"Estel, drink this," Elrohir said, coming up behind him.
'Estel, hope,' he thought, still looking into Damrod's eyes. Softly he spoke, saying, "aye, lad, aye." There in the eyes of the Ranger was reflected such joy that, even before Aragorn took a swig of miruvor, he felt instantly better. He did all that he could for Damrod and left him in his mother's care from there. She knelt to Aragorn and kissed his hand. Aragorn lifted her to stand and shook his head. "There is no need for that, my lady, I have been indebted to you since you took me and my son into your home and fed him when he was hungry. I gave you my word that I would not forget that kindness and I would one day see it repaid. Stay with your son and comfort him."
Thus, it went on through the night for Aragorn. Sleep he never did get for he moved through the Houses doing all he could for those wounded and ailing. The sun was not quite yet breaking when he was finally sure that he had done everything possible. Had it not been for Elrohir bringing him some lembas and cordial he would not have been able to help a one of them. He found his way back to Faramir's room and looked at his sleeping son. He sat down in a chair beside the bed and forced himself to stay awake for a few more moments. He reached out and took Faramir's hand, feeling the life that was now flowing through him. Aragorn kissed his son's brow and whispered, "Cuio, ion-nin," before finally falling into a heavy, restful sleep.
Elladan found him when he came to check on Faramir but minutes later and he lifted his little brother into his arms, carrying him with ease back to his pavilion. It was plain after the night they'd had that no one who called himself a son of Elrond would get any real rest within the City walls.
ooo
Once the sun had been up for a time, Legolas and Gimli went into the City to visit Merry and Pippin. It was a wonder, as were many things concerning Hobbits, but Merry was already up and about and having a stroll around the garden with Pippin. Legolas had been telling the two about their little jaunt from Rohan to Minas Tirith, via Pelargir – apparently Gimli was too squeamish to speak about the Paths of the Dead – when Pippin said something about Strider having a lot of power over those thought to be dead, for when Faramir was brought in there was nearly no hope. Legolas did not know of this and immediately sought his best friend's son.
Faramir was just waking when Legolas came to see him. "Master Tree-Squirrel, it is good to see you," Faramir said, grinning. "And to think I had a pair of Black Squirrels checking in on me last night, as well."
Legolas smiled broadly, like father, like son. "It is good to see you also, pilin-nen."
Faramir laughed at that name, it was one he'd not heard in quite some while. "I assure you, I am less the water bird in these days, mellon-nin!"
"I can not say that I grieve to hear that, at one time you were a bit too curious of such things. How are you faring? I heard that you were quite unwell."
"I was," Faramir said, "but I feel much better now, thanks to my father. How is he? Last night he looked exhausted."
"He is working on that now, but Elladan told me that he was awake through the night helping people up here." Legolas moved aside as a woman came in with some tea and fruit for Faramir to break fast, and suddenly the young man had a ravenous appetite.
Mithrellas looked weary but was relieved to see Faramir sitting up and looking well. "How are you this morning?" she asked him, sounding like she needed some good news.
"I am well, my lady, thank you," Faramir said and, in his way, added, "what of you?"
"I am just tired, child," she said, though Faramir was not convinced. "Eldor did not survive the night and…" she stopped for a moment, hindered by tears, "but I do not weep of grief alone, for he is with his Fin' again, and that is as it ought to be." Mithrellas still wondered if it would be wise to tell Faramir that she had been a dear friend of his mother's.
Faramir held her hand to console her. This woman reminded him, in a way, of his grandmother, the closest thing to a mother he had ever known. Neither Faramir nor Legolas knew who Eldor or Fin' was, but they both understood that many had not survived the night. "How fares my brother?" Faramir asked, half-afraid to know.
Mithrellas did not answer for a moment, wondering if Faramir really meant Boromir, for that would mean that he knew about his birth, which did not seem likely to her.
Legolas knew that Boromir and Faramir were as brothers to one another, and he hated to be the one to have to tell Faramir what had happened at Amon Hen. However, that could not be, Mithrandir had told him that the Ring was once again in the right hands, and so surely that meant that Faramir had retrieved Boromir's body from the river, as Aragorn had hoped he would. Then again, Legolas considered, perhaps Frodo and Sam had caught up with the funeral boat themselves. Now the Elf was second, third, and fourth guessing himself. How would Mithrandir know that the Ring was back with Frodo unless Faramir told him? But he was Mithrandir after all.
Seeing their confused looks, Faramir clarified. "I mean Boromir. I know you had but little time to see us together in Imladris, and… I know that he was not entirely… himself on that journey, but he is very dear to me."
Mithrellas smiled, though she felt more tears encroaching. Ever since he had learned of his mother's pregnancy 36 years ago, Boromir had wanted a little brother. Here Faramir was, again, and it was a cheer to Mithrellas in such a terrible time. She could only hope now that they would not lose another again. "He is in his chambers, and hopefully taking his rest. I should go to check on him again and I shall tell him that you have asked after him." It was news that quite surprised Legolas, but he agreed to stay and keep Faramir company, and when Gimli, Pippin, and Merry came in to see Faramir as well, Mithrellas went up to the Citadel to look in on Boromir.
It was not much later that Mithrellas returned to the Houses of Healing, paler than an Elf. She hurried to Legolas, hoping that since he seemed to know Faramir he would also know Thorongil. "Where can he be found, Captain Thorongil?" she asked in panic. "He must come at once!" To think, years ago she had been distrustful of the Ranger who had unintentionally fathered Finduilas's second son.
"He should be in counsel by now," Legolas answered calmly. This had been expected, every time someone needed something they would call for Aragorn. Legolas completely understood why his Mortal friend had avoided this coming for so long.
"Someone swift must fetch him, then. I can not wake Lord Boromir no matter how I try," Mithrellas said, sounding genuinely upset.
"My brother!" Faramir sat upright, though his shoulder ached abominably.
"Sedho, pilin-nen!" Legolas said. "I will fetch your ada, all will be well."
As Legolas rushed off, Gimli, Pippin, and Merry exchanged quite confused looks. Gimli clearly remembered sending Boromir off in a funeral boat after the Gondorian had nearly strangled the poor, wee little Hobbit.
"Where is he?" Pippin asked Faramir, "I will go and stay with him until Strider comes." Both Merry and Gimli were a little surprised at Pippin's loyalty to Boromir, but he had always taken to the big Man. Faramir gave him simple directions to Boromir's chambers and Pippin made to leave, Merry following him.
"Oh no you do not, Merry lad!" Pippin said in a surprisingly solemn voice. "You are meant to be resting and we have already kept you out of bed for too long. Now go on and rest like Strider said!"
Merry just stood there for a moment gawking like a troll. Never had he heard anything so… sensible out of Pippin before. With a shrug, Merry moved off heading back to his own room down the hall.
Faramir started to move to get out of bed, but Gimli blocked him. "Just where do you think you are going, laddie? If that little Hobbit needs his bed rest than so do you!" Faramir really didn't feel like arguing with Gimli, or his many axes, so he laid back down, but not before one of the elder nurses promised him that he would be the first one told of his brother's condition.
ooo
Tenya awra - That hurt.
Ed' i'ear ar' elenea! Mani na lle umien? Mankoi na lle sinome - By the sea and stars! What are you doing? Why are you here?
Daro - Stop hi - now
Cuio, ion-nin - live, my son
Sedho, pilin-nen - still, water-bird
linda: Thank you. I am quite glad that i was able to get those deep-rooted feelings across. That means a lot to me. I have tried to take something generally not even considered (Aragorn's fathering Faramir) and turn it into something that really grips the reader into feeling it.
Elenhin: I had to add the duckling again, i could not resist that touch. I find that personal details like that make a lot of difference. I am not sure what you can do for Boromir just now. It's been a day already and, well... time will tell, as always. Still, i found Elladan, safe and sound!
AM: It was rather nice, wasn't it? But, really, how can i save Boromir? I have no extraordinary healing powers. When did i promise he would survive? And yet, then again...