Chapter 7: Clashing and Caring

Just as the sun spread its arms and peeked its head over the mountains, Pharazphel was escorted by Faramir back to her bed in the Houses of Healing. Needless to say, Pharazphel was annoyed that her escape did not succeed. While her country burned, Pharazphel could not bear the idea of being away from it. She felt that she had only done a small part and wanted to honor her fallen mother.

Boromir was waiting in the Houses of Healing much to Pharazphel's chagrin.

Oh, dear Pharazphel groaned to herself.

"Pharazphel, it is strange to find you accompanying my brother where you should not be and not in your bed where you should be," Boromir said crossly.

"Indeed it is strange," Pharazphel agreed.

"Might I ask why you are arriving to your bed at this hour?" Boromir asked.

"The lady was trying to ride, brother," Faramir explained.

"Had your brother not been in the stables last night, I would have been halfway to Rohan by now," Pharazphel explained in annoyance.

"No, I will tell you where you would have been," Boromir countered. "Had you rode out last night, you would be in the dungeons of Isengard or worse."

"At least I would not be a prisoner here," Pharazphel said stubbornly.

"You are not being held prisoner by us, Pharazphel," Boromir said firmly. "You are only a prisoner of your own mind."

"I cannot simply lie here in sloth," Pharazphel insisted.

"I am sorry, but until you are healed, that is what you must do," Boromir said apologetically.

"You are asking me to lie back while my country is razed to the ground?" Pharazphel asked in shock.

"I only ask that you do not give your life needlessly," Boromir replied. "You promised me that you would stay here. Why did you lie to me?"

Pharazphel sighed. "It was the only way to placate you. I knew it was useless to argue with you, and that is why I told you I would stay."

"And that is why I was in the stables," Faramir said.

"What?" Pharazphel asked, confused.

"We both knew your intentions, Pharazphel," Boromir explained. "We knew that you would not stay and rest. We expected that you would try to leave as you did last night."

"I knew the first place you would go would be the stables and I was there to collect you," Faramir added.

Pharazphel was stunned. "You tricked me."

"We saved you," Boromir countered.

"Well, perhaps you should not have saved me," Pharazphel said angrily. "If you had not stopped me, I would be aiding my country in another by this time tomorrow."

"You would die before you reached Rohan either in battle or by Saruman's hand," Boromir argued.

"If I must give my life, then I will do so gladly," Pharazphel said coldly.

"You would give your life needlessly? What of your mother?" Boromir asked in shock.

"Do not ask about my mother, you did not know her!" Pharazphel snapped.

"You told me that your mother taught you never to fear death. I would imagine that your mother would be telling you not to give your life rashly," Boromir replied.

"Which you have only done numerous times since you met me," Pharazphel countered. "My mother would not tell me what to do with my life. You hardly know me, and yet you see fit to tell me what to do with my life. My decisions are my own, and no one will change them, especially not you."

"What are you trying to accomplish by going out there?" Boromir demanded, tension rising in his voice. "If you die out there, you will not achieve honor, if that is what you seek. You will simply die, whether it be in battle or not."

"This is not about honor," Pharazphel said. "It is about duty and doing what is right. I was only doing what my mother requested and aiding my country. I do not think that you in Gondor would have any trouble understanding that."

"Boromir, Father would like a word with us," Faramir informed his brother.

"I shall leave and let you collect yourself," Boromir said calmly. "If you wish to ride to peril and give your life, neither my brother nor I will stop you. You will be free to live or die as you wish."

Pharazphel glared at Boromir. "Thank you for giving me the permission, Boromir, son of Denethor," Pharazphel said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If I am not here when you return, you shall know that I have given my life."

Boromir and Faramir then turned to leave the Houses of Healing.

While making their way back to the palace, Boromir was stunned by Pharazphel's stubbornness and refusal to listen.

"If I can say one thing about Pharazphel, it is that she certainly has a sharp tongue on her," Faramir commented.

"Too sharp for her own good," Boromir commented angrily.

"She is certainly brave and fiercely loyal without a doubt," Faramir said.

"I am glad you can understand her character, little brother, because I cannot understand her at all," Boromir said, annoyed and perplexed. "From the moment she awoke, I cannot tell if she is brave or foolish. I do not even know if she is truly grateful for us coming to her aid."

"I think you take that too far, brother," Faramir said wisely. "I think that without a doubt that she is pleased that we saved her from the Uruk-Hai."

"How can you be sure?" Boromir asked.

"Because she would be alive to save her precious Rohan," Faramir said in a tiny jest.

"There is some truth in that, little brother," Boromir agreed.

"Let's not get too hard on Pharazphel," Faramir said gently.

"What do you mean? Has she gotten to you?" Boromir wanted to know.

"All I am saying is that I understand the plight that Pharazphel is in, and you should, too," Faramir advised.

"And why should I understand her foolish desire to die?" Boromir demanded.

"Brother, try to see this from her perspective," Faramir pleaded. "Her home has been attacked and burned. Those Orcs and Uruk-Hai killed her mother. And on top of that she was tortured and now she is here where she does not want to be. All she wants is to save her country in any way."

"So she has said," Boromir groaned.

"We both know what that is like," Faramir said. "If any one of us were in Pharazphel's position, we would behave just like her."

Boromir sighed in admittance. "You're right, brother. I know for certain that if Osgiliath or Minas Tirith was burning, and I was unable to aid them, I would behave like Pharazphel."

Upon entering the palace, Boromir and Faramir saw Denethor sitting upon his stone seat. His face was unreadable, but both of them knew he was cross.

"You summoned us, Father," Boromir said.

Denethor glared at his son. "What has become of that wench you picked from the forest?"

"She is stubborn, Father," Boromir replied. "She needs to recover and she is doing quite well."

"I have heard that you caught her escaping," Denethor said, his tone almost accusing.

"It was not Boromir, but I who discovered her, Father," Faramir explained. "She was trying to take one of the horses and ride for Rohan. I stopped her and led her back to the Houses of Healing."

Denethor's lip quivered in anger. "You let this foolish, weakling of a woman stay! What could I have expected from the student of a wizard?"

"Father, why are you angry?" Faramir asked in surprise.

"If your brother had been in the stables, he would have done us all a service and gotten rid of that woman!" Denethor growled.

"No, Father," Boromir answered firmly. "I would not have let Pharazphel go. She is not strong enough to make the journey to Rohan yet. If Faramir had not stopped her, she would have only gone to her death."

"Then he should have let her go to her doom and you should let her go because she is not our concern," Denethor said callously.

"She is our concern so long as she stays here," Boromir argued.

"That wretched woman has made you blind!" Denethor shouted.

"Then tell us, Father, what can we not see?" Boromir wanted to know.

"Sauron's forces are marching," Denethor said. "His forces will reach us soon. He will make first for Osgiliath. You have been too blinded by this woman to see this."

"We assure you that we have not been," Faramir replied firmly.

"We will prepare the defenses for Osgiliath," Boromir said.

"You will do well to cast out this woman before she makes you blind to your own ruin," Denethor advised coldly.

"I will be the judge of that, Father," Boromir said resolutely.

Boromir and Faramir bowed and quitted the chamber.

"I do not understand Father's coldness," Boromir said angrily. "He would send Pharazphel as a present to Saruman if he could!"

"We both know Father's temper," Faramir said.

"All I wish to do is keep Pharazphel out of danger. Why is it that neither she nor Father can see that?" Boromir cried.

Faramir laughed merrily.

"What are you laughing at?" Boromir asked.

"You, brother," Faramir giggled.

"Why?" Boromir asked, perplexed.

"You care for her," Faramir said, amused.

"What makes you say that?" Boromir asked, his voice rising a tiny bit.

"Do not pretend ignorance, brother," Faramir said wisely. "I can see and hear your compassion for Pharazphel for the past weeks. You know you care for her."

Boromir sighed. "I do care for her. That is why I can't bear to let her go out there."

"Then Pharazphel must know that," Faramir declared.

"Thank you, brother," Boromir said. "She will be made aware of that, if she does not know already."

A/N: How am I doing? I hope Pharazphel isn't sounding like a Mary-Sue. Let me know what you think and if and how I could improve. Thank you to my reviewers!