These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain

With thanks to Susan W for her advice about how much Zachus could carry.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago. - Christina Rossetti

Dismounting, he turned to Elbeth and tried to explain to her. "Your friend Strider is in this sack," he told her, "He is really my friend too and I am trying to rescue him .I had to give him some special medicine to make him go to sleep and put him in a sack so that no one would know I was taking him away."

"I thought he died because you weren't friends any more and wouldn't give him any medicine." Elbeth sounded bewildered.

"I was playing a pretending game," Faramir explained, "I did give him some medicine to make him look as if he were dead so I could help him escape."

"Good!" Elbeth replied, "They were hurting him and he needed rescuing! Will he get better now?"

" I hope so," Faramir replied," I intend to look after him now and give him lots of medicines."

"I can help you look after him as he's my friend too!" Elbeth replied.

Faramir very much doubted that she could, but had neither time nor inclination to argue with her. To his relief, she accepted the situation without further explanation.

Swiftly, he cut the ropes securing the sack and lifted it gently down from the packhorse. Unfastening it, he pulled Aragorn's head out as carefully as he could and laid him on the ground where he remained motionless and seemingly lifeless. There was no way he could tell whether he still lived or not. He left the rest of his body covered, for on a bitterly cold night like this, the King needed as much warmth as possible, were he to have any chance of recovery.

He was however determined not to tie him on to the packhorse again. Fortunately, Zachus was a large, strong horse, bred to easily carry a heavy man in full armour and had originally been bought by Denethor for that purpose.

Elbeth ran to Aragorn's side and shook him.

"Wake up Strider!" she called," Uncle Faramir has come to rescue you!"

Aragorn neither moved nor spoke.

"Why won't he wake up?" Elbeth demanded.

"Because of the medicine I gave him, " Faramir replied, " And he is very ill indeed."

"You should have given him some medicine sooner!" Elbeth said accusingly, "Is he going to he die?"

"I do not know, but we cannot leave him here on the cold ground," Faramir replied as he suppressed the urge to weep at the pitiful site of the man, he loved as father, brother and lord, lying there so helpless.

He decided to slit the sack to release Aragorn's legs and place him in front of him, then tell Elbeth to cling on behind as he doubted that she would be capable of riding the packhorse bareback. He could only hope the pack animal would follow them .He could not lead it now he had Aragorn to care for.

Carefully, he lifted Aragorn up on to Zachus, noting with alarm how dreadfully light he was. He sagged lifelessly over the horse's neck while Faramir reached up for Elbeth.

"Put your arms around my waist and hold on tightly!" he told her, as he secured the King with one hand and grasped the reins with the other .He urged Zachus onwards towards the hidden caves.

The next hour felt like a waking nightmare as Faramir struggled to keep his precious burden from falling. Aragorn neither moved nor made any sound and Faramir wondered if all he would be able to do was to ensure he was entombed in the Rath Dinen. Even if he yet lived, he would be seriously ill both from fever and whatever wounds his filthy clothing concealed.

Faramir enfolded his cloak protectively round him; glad that though his years in the army, he was accustomed to the stench of a man who has not been able to wash for weeks combined with that of festering wounds, though in recent years he had almost forgotten it apart from his brief sojourn in the prison.

Alive or dead, he would give his King a bath once they reached their destination as he was determined to restore some dignity to the one he loved so dearly.

After what he had done, he knew that Aragorn would never again regard him as a friend, take him into his confidence, tend his hurts or share the Thought Bond with him, but if he could only restore him to his wife, his child and his throne, Faramir would have be content, however bereft he felt

"Elbeth, wake up!" he cried, jolted out of his musings, as he felt the small arms slacken their grip.

Jolted into wakefulness, she gripped him so tightly for a moment, he could hardly breathe.

"Where are we going? Will we be there soon?" she demanded.

"We are going to camp in a cave but we have to go through the forest first," he told her.

" That sounds fun! I hope there are lots of bats" Elbeth responded cheerfully, reminding Faramir very much of his brother who had been fascinated by the creatures flitting to and fro from the White Tower.

It was a clear frosty night and the stars shone brightly overhead. Elbeth shivered and nestled closer to Faramir. He was grateful for the warmth of her small body at his back but felt guilty that he was bringing a child out on a freezing night like this. The icy wind moaned and seemed to go through them despite their thick layers or warm clothing.

Zachus had managed a trot but he had to slow him to a walk once they reached the forest They had to find their way along a narrow twisting track which wound between the trees. He could see very little as the thick branches obscured the moon and had to trust his mount to find his way and not stumble on exposed roots.

It was fortunate indeed that long years with his master in the wilds had accustomed the bay to be sure footed in such conditions and he even waded through the stream without complaint or faltering. Faramir vowed if they by some miracle returned to Minas Tirith alive, he would see that Zachus was provided with the best hay and sweetest grass for the rest of his days.

When they left the shelter of the trees, Faramir realised that it was not only branches obscuring the moon but thick cloud. The air felt heavy with snow and a few flakes started to fall.

"Why is the rain funny?" Elbeth asked puzzled, as a snowflake hit her on the nose.

"It is not rain but snow," Faramir explained, realising that she must be too young to remember the last time it had snowed in Gondor, which usually had mild winters. He was now glad of her chatter to keep him awake. He was starting to fear that he would never find the cave in the darkness and they would all freeze to death when he recognised the terrain and realised they were nearing the cave.

"Oh!" Elbeth lapsed into silence as she tried to digest this new information.

Faramir's arms were aching with the struggle to support Aragorn and control his horse as well as keep Elbeth awake and the journey seemed endless.

It felt as if they had been travelling for hours and already he feared that he was too late to save the King. Then almost without warning when they rounded a bend, the hill he was seeking rose out of the ground almost in front of them. He circled round until he found the thorn bush.

"We are here!" he told Elbeth, bringing Zachus to a halt.

Stiffly he dismounted and first lifted Aragorn down, briefly laying him on the cold ground and then Elbeth, who immediately tried to rouse the seemingly lifeless man.

"Wait here!" Faramir told her as he lit a torch he had brought with him and went inside the cave to light the candles he had left there.

Going back outside, he scooped up Aragorn and bade Elbeth to follow him. The child gasped in wonder as he led her into the larger cave, where he gently laid Aragorn down on one of the pelts he had stored there, covering him with his cloak.

"I am going to light a fire and then need to fetch some water. Can you look after the King?" he asked Elbeth.

"Is he really King?" she asked bemused, while Faramir busied himself with the kindling," Mummy said he was 'Lesser the zerper' and he said to call him Strider."

"Yes, he is King Elessar and he is not a usurper." Faramir said firmly as the fire burst into life. For a few moments, the cave was filled with smoke making them cough and Faramir caught hold of Elbeth, afraid she would take fright remembering the death of her grandmother, but she remained amazingly calm, making him wonder just how much she had witnessed in her short life.

"You will be safe here." he said as he went outside, unharnessed Zachus and let him wander off in search of grazing and then went down to the stream and filled two buckets with water. The snow was starting to come down harder now. It seemed that they had only just reached their destination in time.

When he returned he found Elbeth had maintained a patient vigil but was almost asleep.

"Well done! You can rest now. I will look after the King." he said, giving her one of the blankets he had brought," Wrap that round you and curl up near the fire!"

She obediently did as she was told while he put water in a pan on the fire to heat and laid out the healing supplies and bedding, putting it near the fire to air.

By the time he was ready to begin tending to Aragorn, she was fast asleep much to his relief .He did not wish her either to see the King uncovered or whatever wounds he might reveal.

Faramir moved Aragorn on to one of the bedrolls and steeled himself to remove the King's filthy clothing, dreading what hurts he might uncover, yet knowing it had to be done and he was the only person available to carry out the task.

If only a healer were here, someone with the knowledge and experience not to fear what they might find!

Aragorn's gaunt features and the fact that clumps had been torn from his hair and beard all bore testament to weeks of severe hardship and ill treatment.

He unbuttoned the curiously designed shirt, only to find it stuck to the skin in places, which necessitated soaking it off.

Rage and horror threatened to overwhelm him when Aragorn's hurts were finally revealed.

TBC

A/N

A very grateful thank you for your much appreciated reviews and poem.

I apologise for the delay and ensure you I have no intention of abandoning the story but it is proving to need more reworking than my previous ones.

The "other mummy" is Elbeth's foster mother who took her in at the end of "Shadow and Thought".

Faramir' troubles are far from over and there will be no quick fixes. You are good at guessing!