Für Weh und Wunden
gab sie Balsam,
für böse Gifte
Gegengift.
Für tiefstes Weh,
für höchstes Leid
gab sie den Todestrank.
(For woes and wounds, she gave me salves, for evil poisons, antidotes, for deepest woe, for utmost grief, she gave me the drink of death.) Wagner – Tristan and Isolde
Tarostar frowned; "Why do you ask such a question?" he enquired. "The aim is to ease pain, not kill. I would not abet treason against our liege lord whatever the reason!"
"I would never harm the King! How could you believe thus of me? However, what if I should be unmasked and put to torment? I hope I would have the strength to endure it, but what if I were somehow forced to betray the whereabouts of the Queen and my own wife and child ? I need a means to ensure that does not happen! Maybe you have something more potent than the juice of poppies?"
"Do not ask such a thing!" Tarostar chided, "You are of pure enough Numenorean lineage to give back the Gift should dire need drive you to it. We keep no poisons here!"
"It could take hours to give up my own life, by which time, the Queen, the Crown Prince and my own wife and child could have been sent to their deaths by my weakness! If you would aid me, kinsman, I beg of you to provide me with something to ensure their safety!"
"I will return." Tarostar turned and left the room without another word.
Faramir sighed, it seemed that he had offended his only available ally. Or worse still, had he made a mistake in trusting him? Yet, his insight had told him that Tarostar was loyal to the King.
The more he thought now about his plan, the less likely it seemed to succeed. Pretending to be a traitor, discovering the King's whereabouts and rescuing him all without being caught, seemed a very difficult, if not impossible aim to achieve.
Maybe he should just try to discover the King's whereabouts then make his escape and return with soldiers, but by then would Aragorn have again disappeared?
On the other hand, maybe he could just leave at the end of his visit and then rescue Aragorn later, or would they then move him or would they even let him leave? He was developing a headache now! The only thing he was certain of was that he would gladly give his life for his King. Aragorn would have done no less.
A few minutes later, Tarostar returned clutching a vial in his hand. "The oaths I took, when I became a healer, prevent me from giving you anything to take your life with." he said, "But this should suffice as well or better. Though whether it might be more lethal as any opiate I cannot say."
"What is it?" asked Faramir, intrigued.
"Spider venom. Thinking of your ability to return the Gift, which you could utilise if anything went wrong and you were buried alive, made me think of it!" Tarostar told him.
"Like Shelob used on the Ring bearer?" Faramir enquired, trying to dismiss the terrifying images that the mention of being buried alive conjured up.
"Yes, but with no permanent effects like her sting, or so I am told." Tarostar explained, "This came from what was then Mirkwood ,just after the war . Prince Legolas brought it some time ago, as he was thinking on developing a weapon, which would incapacitate rather than kill the enemy. A dart coated with this would render the victim completely immobile for many hours and they would appear lifeless to any save the most skilled of healers. That is the theory; but whether the paralysis would wear off on its own as it does when these spiders strike their victims, or whether it would permanently maim or kill, I do not know. I was going to research it, but the fever epidemic has left me no time. However, think carefully, I beg you, Lord Faramir, you could be risking your life on a fool's errand .If Gondor has lost her King she has even more need of her Steward! Do not risk using it, save in the direst need! Are you certain you wish to take such a risk?"
Faramir reached out his hand for the vial, "I will take it Master Tarostar and I thank you," he said, "I have already seemingly betrayed by King, but in reality would gladly risk death a thousand times if I had only the smallest chance to save him!"
Tarostar nodded his head resignedly. " Take it then, you would have to use it by coating a needle with a very tiny amount and piercing the skin. I beg of you though, do not use it unless there is no other way to spare innocent lives!
"You have my word," Faramir said gravely, looking the healer in the eye as he spoke.
"Very well then," Tarostar sighed." I advise you to try to sleep until nightfall, Lord Faramir. I will come for you then. There are secret ways to leave the city from here as well as from your apartments! They are not too dusty either, as we prepared them in case we had to leave in a hurry during the Ring War. Well, I must return to those who need me. There have been six new fever cases today already!"
Faramir sank back against the pillows then suddenly sat bolt upright again. "Weapons and tack for the horses!" he groaned, I forgot to pack any! I can take my sword and a concealed dagger or two to Lord Lamedon's but hardly a bow!"
Tarostar laughed, "We have a store of weapons and tack here as well as healing herbs! Living under the shadow of Mordor for so long, has made us prepared for anything! My wife and children even kept their valuables here during the War! I will place a bow with the other supplies."
Faramir managed to smile at him," You are full of surprises, Master Healer!" he said, lying back to pretend to rest in order to placate Tarostar .To his surprise, he quickly fell asleep.
He dreamed again of Aragorn, the same nightmare in which the King was calling his name and woke after only a few hours with an excruciating pain in his arm, just under the elbow.
He bit his lip, not wanting any of the healers to probe and prod him .The now familiar red mark blemished his skin, which faded even as he looked.
He dozed again but was still tormented by nightmares .He was relieved when Tarostar roused him a few hours later.
"What time is it?" he whispered.
"Almost midnight and you, my lord, should be asleep with a nasty ear infection like that!" he said loudly enough for any passers by to hear, before adding in an undertone. "Get dressed now and go quickly, Aedred is waiting to show you where the tunnel is. You can trust him as he is not involved with Gondorian politics and is very loyal to his King and to yours too. I will place a pillow in your bed to make it look as if you are still asleep. In the morning, I will make it known that I have given you a sleeping draught and you are not to be disturbed. Try to be back by dawn as you look in need of further rest! Here are the herbs you wanted, keep them safe! Do you have the venom? Aedred has the rest of the supplies."
Faramir nodded as sat on the side of the bed and pulled on his breeches under his nightshirt. He truly hated dressing or undressing in front of anyone else, and most especially healers, after the pain, they had caused him in the past, apart from Aragorn. Then he was all too aware, that his constant washing and scrubbing had left his skin red and raw, especially across his chest. He decided to pull on his tunic over the nightshirt and ignore the bulkiness of the garment.
Tarostar coughed pointedly, "I need that nightshirt to dress the pillow in!" he said.
Sighing, Faramir picked up his shirt, and with his back to Tarostar, pulled off the nightshirt, and swiftly donned his shirt and a thick woollen tunic over the top.
"How strange!" Even whispering, the surprise in the Healer's voice was tangible.
"What is?" Faramir whispered in reply.
"Your back!"
"There is no more wrong with my back than my ears!" the Steward retorted.
"You were heavily scarred, I have never seen scars heal so well, as there only seems to be some redness there now! I did not get a very good look though, if I may on the morrow?"
Faramir groaned, he had spent years trying to avoid letting anyone see the scars on his back given the unwelcome attention they attracted especially from Healers. Now it seemed that the lack of scars produced an identical result! Then he did not intend to reveal the raw patches, which now disfigured his body.
"The King gave me an Elven remedy and there is nothing to see!" he whispered with a tone of finality, which brokered no argument, as he remembered some painful treatment sessions with Tarostar in the past. Despite being one of the most skilled Healers in Gondor, his methods had seemed both painful and primitive compared with Aragorn's Elven skills.
Tarostar gave a low chuckle. "The means by which he persuaded you to try it would be even more interesting to hear about than the treatment. I seem to recall you shunned all the salves I gave you!"
"They stung like fire!" Faramir informed him, pulling on his boots. "I am ready now!" he said.
"Drink your sleeping draught quickly! I bid you a peaceful night, Lord Faramir!" the Healer said loudly, then to the Steward's surprise opened a door at the far side of the room, which he had assumed led to a storage chamber.
"Through there!" Tarostar whispered, handing him his bundle, "May the Valar go with you!" He pressed a panel, just inside what appeared to be a closet for mops and brooms, to reveal a passageway, where Aedred was waiting, his arms full of supplies.More bundles were at his feet.
"That is why we always accommodate members of the ruling family in this room in case they need to escape quickly!" Tarostar explained as the door swung closed behind him.
Torches, fastened by sconces to the wall, lighted the passageway, which Aedred had obviously made ready. He beckoned Faramir to pick up the bundles andfollow.He led the Steward though a narrow winding passageway carved out of solid rock, which sloped sharply downwards, as they descended the City via the secret route, which must have been as ancient as Minas Tirith herself.
TBC
A/N A Very grateful thank you to all my reviewers for your kind comments, suggestions and for pointing out any errors which I have now corrected. It is wonderful to see my readers of previous stories still with me and to welcome new readers too.
I think the healers are somewhat in awe of Aragorn's skills and respect them.
All will be revealed eventually why Aragorn is being kept alive (if indeed he is!), whether it helped or not to confide in Tarostar and why and if Faramir needs plenty of time to attempt his rescue.