Slayer3 : My dear girl, I am so glad you show such violent appreciation for our story. But please, we don't wish you to kill yourself with laughter!
Nolitari (Not signed in) : We did not make him do anything, he was a willing elf. Someday you will graduate and you will understand the liberating feel of no more school! We will of course give you an OC in one of the next few chapters. And no, we will not make him a karate guy!
Fk306 animeloverI hope you like this one too!
AnnamariahMy waist line! I cannot take anymore cookie really! (grabs cookies and eats them) I believe that Imrahil was his uncle actually, anyway, yes he is cool. And you shouldn't have told us you were going to be in France for two weeks! Now we're insane with jealousy!
AthrunZallaLoverNo, all of these things are foreign to us. And your other names don't ring a bell, sorry. We' are glad to have you anyway, no matter what your name is! Unless it was something dirty. Grin
Carlithirel AmaranthaOh so you like the cool mind reading hunk of Imrahil do you? Well, well, not bad for a man in his fifties right? You cannot punish me with a plain suit or we won't up date at all so there ! I refuse to be bribed! But we are glad that you loved the chapter, and of course the writing gets better!
Amfmchic : She didn't make out with an elf. Everyone is not itching to snog with on of the Eldar either! She was just being maidenly.
chelseypudge : No, darling you don't get another OC. I said that before. (Snodgrass looks annoyed) You must learn to be satisfied dear. Keep reading however!
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Eruanna92 : You should read each book each year like Christpoer Lee does. One because their great books and two because…their great books! Keep Reading!
Princess SiaraYour OC is in this chapter and will be in later chapter's as well. We gave her your name to help you find her! You have no idea how flattering it is that you print out all of our chapters! That most be like a million pages of paper! Winkle loves the glasses and the lamp and I love that you review so much! We hope you enjoy your OC.
Primevera TookHe was glad to see her alive I think. After all Elrohir's in love with her. (Winkle whispers in Snodgrass's ear) What? He doesn't? Oh well, never mind! We will give you an OC in the later chapters too !
Siriusly Sirius Lily BlackIf you can translate what (any chancec that liil youn' me Hadrien with 'er) means we may be able to help you. Until then we love Hadrien as much as you do! And I think anyone would be glad to be kissed by Elrohir, I mean, that's a girl.
Pancake : I love big brothers in a story they always do something exciting, like hitting people! I think it would be wonderful if Sauron was torn apart by wild animals, wouldn't that be satisfying? You know more about inter family relationships in the following chapter!
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Elvin BlueEyes: I love Gimli and his reaction to elves, it is always good for humor points! Keep reading!
kaleidoscopic blueberry muffin : Wow that was a mouthful! And not being able to tell if there are two of us or one of us is part of the mystery that surrounds the firm of Snodgrass and Winkle! You must keep reading and make a guess! Keep reading!
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Emily's POV
Where is the King? And where is his throne?
High in the city of purest white stone
With one act of kindness, his kingship will seal
For the hands of the king, are the hands that will heal.
This verse repeated itself in my mind a hundred times as I watched Aragorn calling Faramir's name. Hopelessly it seemed and even Aragorn, as strong as he was, was growing weaker. Have you ever seen someone turn grey? Aragorn's face and hands seemed to drain of blood as he called "Faramir, Son of Gondor. Faramir?"
Hours of searching were still in store before Bergil would appear with the Kingsfoil. As if sensing this, Boromir knelt beside Aragorn and laid a silent hand on his King's shoulder. Aragorn's eye flickered but didn't open and as I watched Aragorn seemed to draw off the strength of Boromir. With frightening rapidity Boromir's healthy tan was underlined by a kind of unearthly paleness.
They didn't falter and instead breathed as one man Aragorn's voice ever calling "Faramir, Faramir?" It was a painfully beautiful sight that comes to mind whenever the three of them are together.
After what was an eternity of waiting little Bergil burst into the room with a pitiful bunch of leaves in his handkerchief. He was already crying helplessly as he begged Aragorn to tell him if it was enough.
"Is it? Is it? Please Sire." He sobbed, Aragorn rumpled the boy's hair and smiled, "It will serve."
Then a thing happened that I have never seen again in my life. Aragorn breathed a sigh onto the leaves and crushed them together like ash. Such a sweet scent filled the room as I have never known before, except on early morning camping trips.
Flinging the bits of leaf into the steaming water Ioreth hustled in they steeped and the smell was wafted down the halls to every room. Aragorn and Boromir stood together a hail and hearty as they ever were. Ioreth began chattering in the background but no one listened.
Faramir roused and rubbed his hands across his eyes like a sleepy child saying, "You called me, my lord. I come, what does the King command?"
Aragorn leant over him and smiled into Faramir's face, "Walk no more in shadows, but awake. You are weary, take food with your brother and be ready when I come."
Faramir's eyes flew to those of his delighted brother and repressing a gargantuan grin he nodded solemnly. "I will, lord. For who would lie idle when the King has returned?"
Aragorn smiled again and left with Eomer following to go to Eowyn. The instant he left Boromir and Faramir embraced heartily Faramir crying out, "What fair marvel is this that my brother returns from the dead even as I? Boromir can it be you?"
Boromir rumpled his brother's hair like Aragorn had Bergil's and laughed in that superior way older brothers will. "Faramir, welcome back to the land of the living. What is this foolish about death, am I not as living as you?"
Boromir considered his faint brother and said, "Or perhaps more so considering your illness."
Faramir shook his head in wonder and a dazed expression came into his blue eyes. "I have had too many shocks in one hour to be able to answer any questions put to me Boromir."
His eyes flicked to me and he said, "Boromir, will you not bide this poor maid to her leisure? Surely she is wearied of caring for me."
"What? Do you not know who this is?" Boromir asked in disbelief. He looked at me and I shrugged saying, "Your Father never told him, I guess."
Faramir's gaze went from me to Boromir and back to me again, then his eyes went wide. Swallowing he said, "Brother, lie to me not. Is this fair maiden thy wife?"
I learned later that Faramir lapses into "thee's" and "thou's" when under a great deal of stress. Boromir took my hand and pulled me to his side and said, "Brother, meet your sister, Emily. My wife."
I could see it was just too much for the poor guy and after a quick hello I ducked out of the room and away. They really needed to be alone for a while and I could find something else to do. I peeked in on Eowyn and she was asking Eomer about Theoden, and they were weeping together. But not all reunions were sad, because in the next room Aragorn was already encouraging Merry to smoke!
"Bad Aragorn! Bad man!" I said as I came in. He smiled as he passed from the room with Gandalf following behind. I mooched up on the bed with the hobbits as Pippin said admiringly, "Was there ever anyone like Aragorn?"
After this poetic comment he went on to call Merry an ….you can read it in the book, and show him the pack hidden under the bed. We talked about the battle and Merry told us first hand how Eowyn slew the Witch King.
"You'll never believe my surprise when she took off her helmet! All her beautiful gold hair fell around her shoulders, and I fair gasped my heart was in my throat so!" Merry said.
"What happened?" Pippin urged, he was perched on the end of the bed and could barely breath for the suspense.
"Well, the Witch King say something boastful about no man killing him. And then she said "I am no man." and up and kills him! He crumbled up like a little ball of twine!" Pippin gave a squawk of surprise and fell of the bed with a thump. I helped him back on the bed and he grinned sheepishly.
Merry took a pull on his pipe and stared off into the distance, "Yes, sir. Now that's a sight I'll never forget, what a wonderful woman she is."
Then, as if he suddenly remembered he sat bolt upright and asked, "Is she alright? She's not dead is she?"
"She's fine Merry, don't worry." I said, "You can go see her tomorrow, if she's awake. Now I'm leaving because I cannot stand that hideous pipe!" I fled to the delighted giggles of two naughty hobbits.
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Barb's POV
Chomping is a funny word.
Elrohir was chomping his food that night, because he couldn't chew correctly. In fact, he could barely move his jaw at all. Hence the odd, straight up and down chomping way his jaw moved up and down as he tried to eat.
Now, as his twin. Elladan should rightfully have been offering proper sympathy. He didn't. In fact, every time I would look in his direction, he would wink, and nod his head towards Elrohir, who was sitting across from him.
The ridiculous spectacle Elrohir made always sent me off into giggles, so I would always ask to be excused so I could explode in the hallway. I was the Mysterious Vanishing Dinner Guest.
Boromir sat at the head of the table, which is one of the biggest I have ever seen in my life. It looked like you could've sat half of Gondor down to dinner there. Boromir, of course, was not chomping his food, but he was eating quickly. Faramir was better, but still very, very weak. That was exactly how the Warden had phrased it, voice dropping to a whisper, and it sounded very impressive.
I had the lovely fortune of sitting across from Pippin. Hey, he was battered, he was bruised, but he practically inhaled his food. Snork! and his plate was clean.
It had to be better than sitting across from Gimli however, who ate like he'd been starved from his cradle, and hadn't had any practice in table manners meanwhile. Sometimes he would remember what his fork was for, but usually he used his knife for everything. Once in awhile, Legolas, who looked slightly green, would say "Gimli" in a pleading tone.
Aragorn was actually a very methodic and delicate eater. With what careful swipes of his knife would he cut his beef into neat slices. Tenderly he arranged the peas into a little green hill, which he proceeded to consume. He showed particular devotion to the strawberry jam.
If I was Arwen, I think I would start worrying right now. But Mommy, why can't I make my peas into a mountain, Daddy does that and he's the king.
Gandalf was eating quite unhealthily, consuming his share of carbs for the next thousand years in slice after slice of bread, positively layered with butter. He did not, as he put it "take jam" the same way people say that they do not "take sugar" with their coffee.
I was rather afraid to eat. After what I had heard of medieval times, nothing was cooked long enough, and you were quite likely to die after eating any food. That is why wine was so important.
No, I was not sitting there, swigging down glasses of wine and mead. I don't drink. I sat there, drinking water, and I am sure, withering away right there. At least Elrohir was able to chomp, I was afraid just to eat. I looked around.
No one, from Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Elrohir, Elladan, Pippin or Prince Imrahil ( who always looked slightly melancholy and benevolently cheerful at the same time) appeared to be dying.
I was defeated, and picked up my fork.
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Emily's POV
After observing Aragorn, Boromir, Faramir and Imrahil I have realized something.
1.) I listed them in alphabetical order
2.) That they love Gondor, but for different reasons
3.) And that as much as I love Boromir, Aragorn is the perfect man for the king.
Now I know what you're going to say, "Of course he's the perfect man for the job, he's the heir!"
Aragorn wasn't just the heir of Isildor, I mean you could be an idiot and be the heir of Isildor. But Aragorn was the breathing embodiment of all the goodness and greatness that was once Numenorean ( I think I spelled that wrong)
Boromir loved Gondor, he was one of the people. Amongst the soldiers there was not a man greater then he was. To them he was the driving force behind Gondor's glory, and anyone of the men would gladly have laid down their life for him because they knew he would do the same for them. Boromir loved the human beings that made Gondor great.
Faramir is, and always will be, more of a spiritual being then anyone I know. He breathes and lives in a world reserved for great artists and musicians. His presence was like one very wise in a way that filled you with hope. Whenever I was with Faramir, (and not arguing with him) I felt like a part of the world was visible to me that was closed at all other times. Faramir loved the spiritual life and nobility that was Gondor spirit.
Now, I have to say that Imrahil was not Gondorian, but I think you already know that. But he was unfailingly faithful to her (ships, cities and airplanes are always referred to as "she") and would have given all of his armies to protect her. Since he was not a son of Gondor and he lived in Dol Amroth he stood for those who love Gondor for the ideals it represented. Gondor was the hub of all strength and life in the years following the war, and Imrahil was always near. But like I said, he loved the ideal of Gondor.
But Aragorn? He loved all of Gondor. He was a son of the people in a way that Boromir never can be, they were his people. Not just looking to him for direction, but safety and happiness. His joys were the people's joys and their tears were met with his own. Long before Boromir fought with the armies, Aragorn bled and nearly died with them.
While Faramir dwelt in the spiritual world of Gondor, Aragorn was the center of that world. He was like the high priest in the Old Testament, he brought the fears and pleas of the people before God, (in this case called Eru, or Illuvatar.) It was more then the Healing Hands of the King, it was the dynasty of those who were especially blessed.
And Aragorn was the fulfillment of the ideals. It was a wonderful thing to watch Aragorn shoveling in peas and strawberry jam; and know that everything would be alright now because he was here. Barbara, who I had been watching, suddenly went from staring at everyone else and began inhaling her food.
She wasn't as bad as Pippin or as gross as Gimli, but she wasn't exactly ladylike. I was seated in between Legolas (fan girls swoon wildly) and Elladan. I had always disliked Elladan's character in J.R's books because girls in fan fiction always (and I do mean always) fall in love with him or he was the center of the story. I always thought Elrohir got the short shaft. However, as Elrohir was now nursing a sore jaw, I discovered that Elladan was really quite likeable.
Likeable if you over looked the way he ate mashed potatoes. He had never had them before and once discovered he ate nothing else. I was mesmerized by the way he piled every other food onto his potatoes.
"So how do you find Gondor Lady Emily?" He asked, as he heaped butter onto his food.
"I think it's lovely, I mean if you look passed the scorned and burnt out buildings." I added sadly.
"It needs far more gardens." Legolas chipped in famously. Gimli snorted and said, "The city needs a better gate then that…that…kindling they had before. What was the Steward about? Thinking that little thing could do the city any good? Bah!"
Legolas delivered a swift kick to the dwarf as Boromir shot a murderous glance at the blunt personage. Gimli grunted and moved on to the pie in front of himself.
"Is this your first time here my lady?" Elladan inquired politely, (more butter, more potatoes.)
"Yes, I've never really left home before this, excuse me do you think it's healthy to eat that much butter?" I asked hurriedly.
Elladan looked down at the blob of churned cream and said, "I think so." and gulped it down. I shook my head, for someone who was almost three thousand years old, Elladan was pretty funny. I asked him about and he made a face saying, "You cannot survive the passage of hundreds of years without a sense of humor."
"And an immense pleasure in using it on other people?" I inquire with a wink. Elladan snorted into his potatoes and looked at his brother. Elrohir was trying to eat a piece of meat without using his jaw. It wasn't working.
"I see what you mean." Elladan snickered. "We do have a habit of exercising our…humor on people. I suppose it was obvious?"
"Oh, fairly." I answered and we burst out laughing.
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Barb's POV.
Aragorn. Elessar. Thorongil. Strider. Estel. Bob.
Yes, the future king of Gondor had many names, as well as many skills. Rangering, looking mysterious, kicking orc bottom, bossing people around while appearing to be simultaneously self-effacing-a word which here means extremely reluctant to become king-he was a skilled Man.
Currently he had become Doctor Aragorn. Or Elessar. Or Thorongil. Or Strider. Or Estel. Or Bob.
Something seems a little wrong with that list for some reason…
"The Lady Eowyn " Aragorn instructed the Warden, who was leaning forward in a shortsighted way "will wish to rise and depart, but she should not be permitted to do so, if you can in any way restrain her, until at least ten days be passed."
The Warden nodded vaguely, his arms crossed over his skinny chest "Ahm." he muttered.
Gandalf, who apparently was not about to be left out of the business of bossing poor, sick, innocent patients around, put in.
"As for Faramir, he must soon learn that his father is dead. But the full tale of the madness of Denethor should not be told to him until he is quite healed, and has duties to do. See that Beregond and the perian who were present do not speak to him of these things yet."
"Ahm, ahmmm." the Warden nodded again. I could see one of his shoes lightly tapping the floor impatiently.
"What's a pear…Ian?" I asked. No one was listening.
"And the other perian, Meriadoc, who is under my care, what of him?" the Warden asked, squinting at Aragorn. He-the Warden, not Aragorn-seemed unduly grumpy about something.
"It is likely that he will be fit to arise tomorrow, for a short while." Aragorn said "Let him do so, if he wishes. He may walk a little in the care of his friends." He turned to me, and said, in what I cannot but think was an over superiorly way "And a perian, Barbara, is a hobbit. They are also known as Halflings."
Who got straight-A's in school? Yes, Aragorn, you get another gold star for your chart. Here's a pat on the head.
"Hmph." grumbled the Warden. He seemed itching to be away, the way someone is when they know how to do something, and someone else is instructing them how to do it, in a long, boring, and tedious way.
"Now I must go, there are others waiting." Aragorn said mysteriously. He might have been off to sign autographs the way he put it. Gandalf followed him. He was very stately in his Gandalf The White mode, and he never seemed to hurry at all.
"Hmph!" the Warden glared after Aragorn, and made an ugly face. Then he noticed me, and glared at me, as if daring me to say anything.
He swept away down the halls, gliding like a grey-robed ghost over the stone floors, muttering as he went "Young upstarts, telling their elders how to do their own jobs, when it's been seventy-and-two years I've lived, and forty of 'em in this very House. Some people don't know when to…"
His voice trailed off, wavering behind him like his trailing robe, until he disappeared into one of the rooms. I knew what he would say if I told him that Aragorn was actually older than him by fifteen years.
"Hmph!"
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"Hmph!"
It was the next day. I had fallen ( literally) into bed once I let my poor body realize how tired I was. When I got up, no one was around. Really. I got up, I dressed in the clean clothes I found hanging over the back of a chair, and wandered out into the hallway.
May I mention how big the Steward's house is?
It's big.
And stony, and cold, and drafty and ornate and huge, huge, huge. The nicest part of the house was the windows. They ran from almost the top of the ceiling to the floor, and sunlight was pouring through them as I wandered around, feeling lost. At least it wasn't like Lothlorien, where almost no one spoke English and the servant I ran into was most helpful.
"I'm looking for my sister, Emily." I said "Can I ask where everyone is?"
"Oh." Siara ( I learned her name later) was surprised "You must be Lady Emily's sister. I believe she is in the garden with Prince Legolas and his friends."
When she said Legolas, her eyes went sort of dreamy, and she sighed slightly. Gondorian-born, but she was showing classic symptoms of a fan girl. I had to interrupt her reverie however.
"Can you show me there?" I asked "I have no idea how to get around this place."
At the thought of being able to see Legolas, Up close and Personal, Siara's brown eyes became even bigger.
"It's not too far." she said, and I followed her, down stairs…and more stairs, and around corners, and past statues of ugly ancestors that Emily had willingly related me too. The house Hurin! Ah, alas, oh cursed House!
Ok, I'm sorry, I have no idea where that just came from.
"Do you-know Prince Legolas very well?" Siara asked shyly, breaking into my reverie.
"Best friends." I said breezily "He actually saved my life you know. I was stabbed by the Witch-King, and if he hadn't saved me, I would be a horrible, creeping Wraith."
"He saved your life?" Siara turned to me "He saved you from the Witch-King? How valiant, and so brave, and princely, and courageous."
"Yep. Absolute dreamboat isn't he?" I said dryly. It went completely over her head, as she nodded, sighing again.
Once we finally reached the garden, I was surprised to see that instead of crying "Oh, Leggy my darling!" and flinging herself at him, Siara said "I think I should go now, I have other things to do."
"Morning Barb." Emily called out, and scooted over, making room for me on the stone bench she was sharing with Prince Legolas himself.
I of course, was stuck in the middle. I wasn't squashed, but Emily's skirt took up a ton of room. Gondorian dresses, especially the skirts, are very full, to achieve that sweeping, queen effect. Frankly, I detested mine, but it was clean, and I've always liked black, because it's mysterious.
"Morning Em, Dreamboat, where's everyone else?"
"Other than Gimli, Merry and Pippin, we're the only ones around. " Emily explained "Boromir and the rest are at the meeting."
Her voice was excited, and she nudged me a little.
"What meeting?"
"Barbara! The last Debate. The meeting of the lords of the West! How could you have forgotten." Emily said incredulously.
"Do you mean where Aragorn goes "Blah, blah, blah" and then Gandalf goes "Bleeh, bleeh, bleeh, we're all going to die"?"
"Barb." Emily looked at and rolled her eyes "This is very important."
"Then how come I wasn't invited?"
"You mean "why weren't we invited"." Emily corrected.
"That's what we meant." I amended hastily "We meant us. But…why?"
"Because we're woman." Emily said with finality.
"Then why is Legolas here?" I asked "He's not a woman, and neither are Gimli or Merry, or Pippin."
"Because none of us are Lords of the West." Legolas said.
"But what about Elrohir and Elladan? They're not either."
"They are representing their father, who is King of the elves." Legolas said, and did not at all look put out that he was not there.
"That's one thing that bothers me." I said, seizing on this "Why is Elrond King of the elves, and Galadriel Queen of the elves? Why isn't Celeborn King, since he's married to her?"
"I think that's because…because…"
And for once, Legolas did not have a complete, prepackaged, shrink-wrapped answer.
"And how can your dad be a king, if Elrond is the king? It just doesn't make any sense."
"It makes perfect sense " he shot back "It is very easily explained, and I shall explain it to you…later."
"Copout."
Legolas was saved from having to answer this, when Boromir strolled into the garden. He looked somewhat preoccupied, but said "You all look very cozy here." then he kissed Emily's hand, in a such a cute way, and said "How are you my dear?"
"Alright, the boys have been telling me about the Dimholt." she replied sweetly.
They were acting as if they hadn't seen each other in a million years. In the background, Merry and Pippin were miming them, with Merry taking the part of Boromir. Pippin, fluttering his eyelashes madly, was Emily. Silently they mouthed words like "oh darling" and "smoochie."
"Gentleman." Abruptly Boromir rounded on them both, and they froze. "We will be leaving tomorrow, and I suggest that you make your preparations now, it will be an early departure."
"Oh lord." Emily said.
"Pick me! Pick me!" I said. Boromir smiled.
"Of course you're coming." he said, and patted me on the head.
I was…bamboozled. I looked around. The nearest person was Gimli.
"This is so touching." I said, and gave him a tearful squeeze.
Onward Middle-Earth soldiers, we're marching to war…
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Emily's POV
Barbie and I were helping Faramir out to the garden. His was still pretty shaky on his feet, but he insisted on seeing the armies preparing to leave.
"Only a few more hours and everyone will be leaving." I said. Barbara sighed and said, "Why does it seem like the hours are just crawling by? I want to get going?"
Faramir smiled faintly and said, "You are quite the fiery one aren't you?"
Barbara's head swelled at this and she said, none too proudly, "I guess I am."
"And you sister are more docile?" Faramir asked. I nodded and winked, "Unless roused by the evil of the enemy."
He smiled again and said, " I wish I was fit to go with you, but the Warden fairly hounded my footsteps!"
"That's what he's supposed to do. Besides Boromir knows that if he didn't that you would be following on behind." I said.
"Like I did." Barbara quipped.
"Like you shouldn't have." I added. We all fell silent and watched the ant like people milling about below us. The breeze was fresh and still blew off the sea. The weather was fine, but had an underlining tension too it.
"So many men." Faramir murmured. "So willing."
"Gondor's finest." I said.
"And Rohan's." Barbara added, being the faithful little Eomer fan that she was.
"And Dol Amroth's." Faramir conclude. " All come to fight for freedom."
The sun blazed in a brilliant red and gold sunset and as it did Faramir whispered, "And that's something worth fighting for."
."