These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.
I must become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain.
Macbeth. Act iii. Sc. 1 Shakespeare
To Faramir's relief, the air inside felt quite fresh .He was accustomed to caves but this passage was narrower and steeper than any naturally occurring phenomena.
Aedred seemed familiar with the rocky passage and every now and then softly warned his companion to be careful where the passage narrowed or the floor became uneven underfoot.
Faramir became steadily colder, as the clinging damp seemed to penetrate within his garments. He wished he had thought to put on an extra tunic but it was too late now. He had long since forgotten which of the bulky parcels they were carrying contained clothing.
They stopped at regular intervals to rest and lay down their heavy bundles of supplies, not daring to exchange more than a brief word, lest any outside should hear. It was impossible to tell where they were, save winding steadily downhill.
Faramir felt grateful for Aedred's company, though. He was all too aware that one slip within such a passageway could lead to it becoming his tomb as no one would ever hear a shout for help, or even if by some remote chance they did, they would not know where it was coming from.
He hardly knew Aedred though he was aware that he had helped Aragorn care for him after he was beaten in prison and that Aragorn thought highly of him, as did Eomer, who had appointed him his personal Healer whenever he was visiting Gondor.
After walking for what felt like hours, they emerged just outside the City, not far from the field and outhouses where the horses were stabled. The horses had shelter but had not been confined inside since a tragic incident where several had perished in a fire, unable to flee their stable.
Faramir paused and took a deep breath of the cold night air. "What a convenient place to emerge!" he exclaimed.
Beside him, Aedred chuckled softly. "Those who built it obviously knew what they were doing!"
The watchman could be seen patrolling the field, a lantern in his hand. Horse thieves were a constant problem, especially during a hard winter. A good horse could fetch a sufficient price to buy adequate provisions to last until the warmer weather.
"I will have to creep up behind him and stun him!" Faramir whispered," Will you see that he is tended once I have left?" Such brutality was alien to his nature, yet it seemed that he could not afford his ideals until he had either rescued Aragorn or secured his son on the throne.
"Shame on you, Lord Faramir!" Aedred hissed, " I know of a better way!"
The Rohirric Healer, put his thumbs to his lips and gave a whistle, which sounded like a horse neighing.
As if by magic, the horses appeared out of their shelter and rushed towards the gate.
"Open the gate while the watchman is distracted!" Aedred ordered.
Silent as a cat, Faramir did as he was bidden. Fortunately, there was no moon that night, though the stars provided a faint light. Long years as a ranger had taught him how to operate under cover of virtual darkness.
While he swiftly and almost silently unlatched the gate, Faramir could hear the watchman shouting to the horses from the far side of the field. He could only hope Roheryn would sense he was nearby and come to him, but was uncertain of the stallion's reaction since he was not his master.
He hastened back to where Aedred was waiting, standing well clear of the escaping horses.
"A little trick of the Horse Lords!" Aedred whispered, " My father was Master of the King's Horses and taught me a few skills in my youth!"
"I am surprised you chose to be a healer then!" Faramir commented.
Aedred chuckled softly, "Do not tell Eomer King, but I am afraid of horses! I fell off one and broke my collar bone when I was a young lad and have been wary ever since of any save the gentlest and quietest of mounts!"
"I never thought to hear a native of Rohan say that!" Faramir chuckled before exclaiming in dismay, "Oh, no, I forgot about tack!"
"A good job you are with a man of Rohan then!" Aedred replied, his smile audible, "I have hidden what you need under the hedge!"
"May the Valar smile on you!" Faramir said thankfully.
A gentle whinnying at Faramir's side made him start. He turned round and realised that Roheryn was beside him, eying him expectantly. He reached into his pocket for an apple he had thought to bring for him. The stallion eagerly munched the treat and permitted Faramir to saddle him and fix two bulging bags to the saddle.
Meanwhile Aedred whistled again, this time on a different note. A single, heavily built horse ambled away from the others and joined them. The healer had also brought a juicy apple.
"This is Hjordnis," he said, "I rode here from Rohan on her back, but as I take little pleasure in riding I gave her to the Houses of Healing as a packhorse. Let her go with you too, as I can account for her absence if need be. I still ride her if I need to travel or if any of my friends need a steady horse. She likes company so would not stray if you left her somewhere with Roheryn." He began to load the supplies on the horse as he spoke.
Hjordnis snorted but otherwise made no complaint and the task was swiftly accomplished.
The watchman was still shouting vainly for the horses to come back but was fast approaching the hedge, which concealed Faramir and his companion.
"I think that is everything," Aedred said, fastening the last bundle in place.
"Thank you so much and thank Master Tarostar too!"
To Aedred's surprise, Faramir grasped both his shoulders and kissed him on the brow in the traditional Gondorian gesture of parting used between friends and kin.
"Go quickly now, I can hear the watchman coming!"
Faramir mounted Roheryn gingerly, wondering if he would accept any save Aragorn on his back. Apart from whinnying as if surprised, the proud stallion made no objection. With Hjordnis on a leading rein alongside, he urged Roheryn forward into the night.
Aedred made his way back the way he had come, the enraged shouts of the watchman as he rounded up the straying horses on the lane, ringing in his ears.
Apart from mistaking the trail in one place and going a mile or so in the wrong direction, before realising his mistake from the position of the stars, Faramir's journey to where the map showed the caves to be, was uneventful.
The cave entrance proved somewhat harder to find .He needed to light a lamp that Aedred had thoughtfully provided and search the face of the hillside until he found it. It was concealed behind a large thorn bush, which he assumed had been planted there on his father or grandfather's orders. These caves had been a vital part of the defence against Sauron, as they allowed troops to remain hidden while they fought off incursions from the enemy.
Inside was a small cave, which at first sight appeared to be all there was, until the far wall was reached, when it turned sharply to the left and led to a second and much larger chamber, which to Faramir's delight was fairly dry and well ventilated. A passageway leading deeper into the hillside branched off from the larger cave, providing a possible hiding place in case of danger.
A heap of ashes showed that it had been possible to have a fire there when the Military had used it as a hiding place, so it seemed ideal if Faramir either needed to hide himself, or if it were necessary, hide Aragorn. Not that he would choose to bring his King, were he injured, to a cave when he should be in the Houses of Healing, but it would have to suffice.
Swiftly, he unloaded the packhorse and his saddlebags and stored the clothing and medicines well out of sight, followed by the bedding. He was delighted to find two bedrolls, and a generous supply of blankets, towels, and even a pelt, which would serve either as arug or an extra warm bedcover. Nor had Aedred forgotten to pack candles, soap, pans and dried foodstuffs as well as a sturdy bow and a supply of arrows. The man was a real treasure, even though he was a Healer!
Once the supplies were safely stored, and protected from marauding rats, Faramir left the cave and examined the surrounding area, which was mainly woodland, passable only via the little known track he had used. There was also sufficient grazing to support the horses for a few weeks. A small but clear stream, which ran through the woods from the hillside, would provide adequate drinking and washing water.
It was almost surprising that no one had chosen to set up home in the cave, the fact that no one had, was a testimony of itself to how well concealed it was and that the few who knew of its location had kept that secret.
He prepared to leave Roheryn behind, whispering to him in Elvish that he must await his master and could only hope that he understood. He then took the saddle and bridle from him, and placed them on Hjordnis .He then mounted her to ride back to Minas Tirith ere daybreak
Dawn was already breaking when he reached the City, even riding as fast as his stolid and good-natured mount was capable of, over the rough forest terrain. Faramir realised his plan would never have worked had he been in his own apartments, as the cock was already crowing and a servant would have been bringing him his morning drink soon afterwards.
The horses had obviously been rounded up again and there was no sign of any human presence near the field. Obviously, the watchman was resting after his eventful night.
Knowing from Aedred's description that she was unlikely to stray, Faramir took the tack off Hjiordnis and left her by the gate. It was to be hoped that the watchman would merely think that he had overlooked her the previous night.
Patting the horse and giving her a farewell treat of an apple, Faramir looked for the tunnel entrance but could not find it. He was starting to panic when a black robed figure grabbed his arm. He almost jumped out of his skin.
TBC
A grateful thank you to all my reviewers for your kind comments and suggestions.
Arwen, Eowyn and the babies are well and I hope to return to them later.
The suspense is going to get ever worse, I fear! Who knows what Faramir will be driven to do before the end ?