As Faramir and his father walked under the beeches of Henneth Annûn they talked of many things. Though Aragorn really preferred not to go into many details of the events of just a few days earlier, he did tell Faramir of Frodo and Sam. For as amazed as Faramir was when he heard that his father had survived and was victorious, he was actually doubly shocked to hear that the Ring bearer and his loyal "body guard" had lived.

The evening wore on and both men were growing tired. It had been a long, hard struggle for everyone, but these two especially so. "I suppose we should return to camp, I know you need to rest before leaving in the morning," Aragorn said, not sounding very happy about the prospect.

Faramir smiled and said, "this must be ada the King talking. Ada the Ranger would never have uttered those words. Ada the Ranger always thought it was a lot more fun to sleep outside and let everyone worry for a night."

Aragorn returned his son's smile, looking around and saying, "I believe you are right. This looks like a comfortable place, does it not?"

"Comfortable enough for a Ranger," Faramir replied. It was often teased that Sammath Naur was comfortable enough for a Ranger, provided there was no enemy in the vicinity. However, the joke was a slight bit too close to reality at the moment.

Laying there beside his father in the woods in the night, covered by his brother's hithlain cloak, recalled the many times when father and son had patrolled with the Dûnedain Rangers so many years ago. Faramir had not even been quite "of age" yet, but he knew as much as, if not more than, any of the Rangers of which his father was, reluctantly, Chief. "It had seemed that so many years were between us," Faramir said in the darkness. "I had far too much time to dwell on things in the Houses of Healing, and I was scared that it had been too long between my leaving home and returning. I still almost completely regret it. If not for Boromir…."

"You only did the same thing that I did," Aragorn said. "You know that I never blamed you, I am the one who has never had the tact to bring things up in a way that is gentle to others. When that troll nearly had me crushed, all I could think of was how unfair it would be if you had to take up the Crown."

"You know, it probably won't be so bad," Faramir mused. "You will finally have a chance to rest that aching shoulder."

Aragorn couldn't help but smile slightly at the way Faramir seemed to ignore the hints he was trying to throw out. Aragorn was running hot and cold these days. There were times when he felt able to accept his "destiny," especially now that he had watched with his own eyes the literal downfall for Barad-dûr. Other times, he was still terrified of that Throne in the Hall. But no, no matter his fear, he would never, could never think of his son having to bear a responsibility that was his alone… a responsibility whose potential that had driven his beloved son from his side many years ago. He believed in Faramir, in every respect, knew that he had what it would take, but he could not shirk his duty only to burden his son.

"I almost took it myself," Faramir said rather quietly, almost as if he'd seen his father's thoughts.

"It?" Aragorn questioned.

Faramir nodded, pointlessly, in the dark. "When I found it around Bor's neck, I was terrified. I only hoped to wait until he woke and could tell me what happened. More than anything I was afraid for you. I was sure that you wouldn't have sent him off alive, but I did not know about that poison either. It had been days and I knew that the situation was precarious. I was going to take the Ring to Mordor myself, if for no other reason than to lead trouble away from my men. When I saw Frodo, though… I never thought he would survive it."

"Frodo's fate is yet unknown, so as with Sam. I do not know if they will awaken, though they seem to be stable right now. Faramir, if not for you, this would have failed. When we were in council with ada and I said that this was too dangerous a mission for you to accompany me on, I did not mean that I doubted you could survive the quest itself. I never doubted you for a moment; I know what strength is in you. The danger, I thought, was in me."

"Ada?"

"I feared so that I would be the one who succumbed to its persistent call. I knew that not one of us would be utterly impervious to it, but I wanted Boromir on the journey because I knew that if I could not stand firm in the end, he would not hesitate to… stop me. We had all gone into the wild knowing that someone may well have to protect us from ourselves at some point. It was the risk we all took, and a risk I could not have borne exposing you to. The odd thing is, though I felt it all the while and heard it a few times, it never really got close enough to me. I thought it would try its hardest to acquire me first."

Faramir grinned into the darkness. "Well, it likely did try. But I think you had protection powerful enough," he said, reaching out and tapping at the jewel that his father had always worn around his neck ever since he could remember.

Aragorn fell silent for a few moments before saying quietly, "I wonder will she still come."

"I think what you are really wondering is if you should go to her instead. It has only just come to my mind that with this welcome, albeit unexpected, turn of events, we are not very likely to get home very often again," Faramir said. This was turning out to be just the sort of night these two had always experienced when on patrol – there was always more conversation than sleeping.

Aragorn gave a short laugh. "What do you think I have dreaded all these years? Gondor is a nice place and all, but it could never take the place of home in my heart. I have never been so comfortable anywhere else, even in other Elven lands. But, alas, I meant to belong in Minas Tirith with others of my own kind. So why am I so unlike them?"

"And I've always wondered why they are so unlike you. It is my hope that maybe together we can lead them to more sensible ways," Faramir said, starting to sound like sleep was taking him.

"You they should have called 'Estel,'" Aragorn replied, sounding equally sleepy.

The next morning Faramir was ready, though not terribly willing, to be gone again. Still, he knew that things in Minas Tirith needed to be dealt with and he could not leave them up to Boromir. He was determined to help his brother to a full recovery and stress would not hasten that at all. Father and son parted with a hug and a promise to keep the messengers busy going between Henneth Annûn and Minas Tirith.

It was late in the night when Faramir got back in to the City. He thought that he could just get through unannounced, but when those trumpets rang out the recognition call of the Steward, Faramir cringed and pulled his hood down further. The last thing he wanted was to be applauded in the streets, and he was fortunate, for most of the people were sound asleep and hadn't even heard the trumpeters.

He walked his horse up through the circles to the stables and was grateful when an active young lad offered to curry and feed his charger, saying that he would do anything for the man his father was so loyal to. This, then, had to be Bergil, the son who was the apple of Captain Beregond's eye since the day he was born. Faramir smiled, thinking how much they reminded him of himself and his own father.

Faramir continued then through the tunnel to the Citadel. He was exhausted and hoped to sleep a sound night before finding out what running a kingdom entailed. As he entered the King's House, he heard hurried footsteps rushing across the courtyard and echoing through the tunnel, giving him the feeling that whoever it was did not want to stop and talk to him. Faramir shook his head and carried on, it wasn't as though he was about to engaging anyone in a long conversation at this hour. A paranoid spark had him wondering if the absconder wasn't up to no good, but he reminded himself that this wasn't the middle of nowhere and there where plenty of guards about.

Faramir looked into his brother's room and saw that Boromir was still awake and looking a bit put out. "Too late for a visit?" Faramir asked, hoping it wasn't him that caused his brother to seem so bothered.

"From you, no," Boromir said, sounding like he looked. "From some persistent harpy, yes. Thank you for saving me, yet again."

Faramir just looked a bit confused.

"Some woman came up here from the Houses, railed on about trying to be 'useful,' and shouted at me because… well, I don't actually know why she shouted at me, but she must have had a lot of practice over the years. I heard them play your new call and said 'thank the gods Faramir has returned,' hoping you could quiet her, and then she stared at me for a moment, went to the window, presumably watching you ride up, and then she ran away. I do not know why, I do not care why, but if the Master Healer cares for his title, he had best never send that one to me again."

Faramir just stood there grinning, he had a very good idea just who Boromir was talking about. Lady Éowyn of Rohan was ever more a mystery to him. "Well, Bor', glad to see you are doing well enough to have the ladies all hot and bothered about you," Faramir said with a wink. "I think I will be able to set everything straight before too long. I need to get some sleep just now, but I will bring you a few books in the morning."

"Leave me alone with dusty books and I will never speak to you again!" Boromir threatened, seeing that smirk on his little brother's face.

"Is that the thanks a man gets for saving his brother from a 'harpy's' talons?" Faramir said unconcernedly.

"Just you wait until I can walk again…!" Boromir growled.

"That's the spirit," Faramir said, smiling genuinely. It was quite the comfort to hear Boromir talking as though he expected a full recovery after hearing him expecting death too much. "Sleep well, brother, we have a new age to plan for on the morrow."

When Faramir woke the next day he washed and broke his fast with his brother. He intended to spend the majority of the day in the library, though not out of leisure. His main plan was to research the coronation process and try to decide exactly how much of it his father would be willing to deal with before making an escape attempt. Erestor had taught him so much about planning these sorts of official and formal things around the whims of others. If Erestor could plan a Solstice celebration despite Elrond's well-documented hatred of ereg boughs, mistletoe, and poinsettias being used indoors for decorative purposes, Faramir was certain that he could figure out a way to make the coronation acceptable to everyone. And anyway, how much could the people really know about this custom when it hadn't been preformed in over a thousand years?

ooo

Uploading at half-time so this will be a bit brief. Does it seem to anyone else that Fara' is sort of holding the would-be kingdom together at the moment, cheering up Bor', encouraging his ada, checking into the ceremony...

ereg - holly

windstar: There is always more. This story will finish up as soon as i can get it to, but i've always got ideas going for new stories.

linda: Yes, you ought to have known, but i really should have added the footnote. I am terrible about that. I had to include Imrahil, he is usually totally ignored. I think Aragorn understands enough about the heir thing that he never wished that on Faramir, but at the same time, it's a good thing they are so close. They really depend a lot on one another.

grumpy: Faramir has been a very stabilizing force in Aragorn's life, for certain.