Boromir rode slowly back to Minas Anor after dropping the fragments of the mace head into the deepest part of the Anduin. The temptation to go in the other direction, any other direction, was strong. He had no choice now but to confess all and face out the consequences as best he could - or run away. But of course he couldn't run away, his city, his people and his King were in danger. His place was with them, whether they wanted him there or not.

The south gate of the Encircling Wall stood open framing a waiting horseman. As he came closer Boromir realized it was not a Man but a Woman, his own foster sister Idril. He reined in beside her and glanced around. The gatewards were nowhere to be seen, nor had she any female companion. "You're going to get yourself talked about."

She smiled demurely. "You're behind the times, Boromir, it's no longer fashionable to have some little maid or aging gentlewoman dogging your steps whenever you set foot outside your doors. We have our northern kinswomen to thank for it." Idril continued tranquilly, wheeling her mount expertly around to proceed city-ward at his side. "From the Queen down they flatly refused to be so encumbered and since the Royal Ladies now set the fashions..." she shrugged.

"As for myself I never quite understood how the mere presence of some slip of a girl or frail old dame could deter a Man meaning ill." Boromir confessed.

"And if it was the Woman who meant ill her companion was most likely her accomplice." Idril agreed. "It was a foolish custom by any measure, just a way of showing consquence I deem." She gave him a sidelong look, eyes glinting yellow beneath thick black lashes.

Boromir found himself thinking those eyes were her only real claim to beauty. Such an unusual color, smoky gold like a cat's or a hawk's, dominating her small pointed face.

"There was considerable excitement in the Hall after you left." she observed.

Boromir winced, "I can imagine." he added dryly. "I begin to understand why Beren and Luthien chose to live alone in Ossiriand after their return."

"I have an estate called Tol Galen (1) on the upper Gilrain." Idril offered coolly. "But you will need a Luthien to share it."

He looked at her, startled, and got the full impact of that wide feline stare; cool, measuring and quite aware of what she had just said. Boromir's mouth was suddenly dry, fortunately he was spared the need to find a reply. Suddenly the golden eyes released him, flicking ahead, and a slight frown creased Idril's forehead.

"I think you must have been recognized going out."

He followed her gaze to a great crowd gathered in front of the city gate. It was quiet and orderly but clearly waiting for some one and it didn't take any imagination at all to guess who. No use putting off the inevitable any longer Boromir told himself, a little grimly, and reached up to push back his hood.

The mass of people surged forward in an irresistible tide, shouldering Idril aside and engulfing him in sea of laughing, crying faces. He clasped as many of the hands stretched up to him as he could reach and said something - he had no idea what - and it didn't matter. The love that had always united him with his people surged over them all, overwhelming every other thought, and for the first time he felt as if he really had come home.

Eventually - Boromir never knew how much later - an arrowhead formation of City Guards pushed their way through the crowd to him. Somehow they managed to get him away from the people without trampling anybody and up the six circles to the security of the Citadel. There he found Merry, Pippin and Sam all waiting anxiously beneath the Tree in the court of the fountain.

"Did you get rid of it?" the Mayor blurted.

Boromir nodded. "It's gone, Sam, don't worry."

The Hobbit heaved a relieved sigh. "Good! My but that thing gave me a nasty turn. I haven't felt like that since - well not for a long time."

"Are you all right?" Pippin wanted to know. "I'm afraid you won't be able to hide anymore, everybody knows you're alive."

"Indeed we do." Turgon, Captain of the White Tower, pushed his way through the guardsmen to confront his former commander.

Boromir smiled at him. "I see you've come up in the world, my friend." the Man didn't return it.

"Why did you hide yourself from us, Captain?" he demanded, "What had we, your people, done to deserve such treatment from you?"

Boromir took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly and braced himself. "It was what I had done, Turgon, that made me ashamed to face you. I broke my sworn word." The effect was not quite what he'd anticipated.

"Impossible." the Captain said flatly, and every Man around them nodded his agreement.

Boromir felt a stirring of anger. "Do you think I would lie about such a thing? I broke my oath to the Ringbearer, I tried to take the Ring from him!"

"I know." Turgon said, quite calmly. "And I know that you would never have done any such thing of your own will. It was the Ring's doing, it drove you to it."

For a moment Boromir could only gape. "You know! How?"

"From Master Gamgee."

"Oh, Lor!" Sam's face had gone crimson to the ears. "I'm sorry, Boromir, but I was that desperate. Faramir was set on taking us to Minas Tirith and I thought if he knew what the Ring had done to you he might change his mind so... I just shouted it out in front of who knows how many Men."

Boromir sat down abruptly on a bench. "You mean the entire guard knew?"

"Not just the guard." Turgon answered. "I would guess the whole city heard the story, and who knows how many of the country people. But it's said the Ringbearer himself wanted it forgotten, so it's not spoken of."

"That's true." Sam said earnestly. "Mr. Frodo didn't want you being remembered, and maybe blamed, for something that wasn't really your fault."

"It was my fault for giving in to the Ring." Boromir said, but there was little heart in it. He was getting very tired of this particular argument, and beginning to think if everybody was so ready to excuse him then, just maybe, he should let them.

"But it didn't last did it?" Sam argued. "You came back to your right self and died defending Merry and Pippin. I can't tell you how glad Mr. Frodo and I were to hear that." then he blushed and added hastily: "To hear you were yourself again that is, not that you'd died. We were very sorry about that."

Boromir smiled reassuringly. "I know what you meant, Sam."

"My point is," the Mayor continued doggedly, "your bad spell didn't last long and didn't do any real harm, even to Mr. Frodo. Seems to me you don't really have all that much to blame yourself for."

Boromir was almost as astonished as Merry and Pippin to hear himself answer: "Maybe you're right, Sam."

--

(1) Tol Galen, the Green Isle, on the River Adurant in Ossiriand was the home of Beren and Luthien after their Return, far away from Doriath and the Wars.