-1Lord Arandur: I'll try my best.
Anonymous/eiluj/whatever : First, I already answered this name thing. Second, I never said that Boromir had a guide or a map. Third, they are travel weary, tired, and have just spent two years in Mirkwood. Raven just wanted Faramir to know that their first priority was some R&R. Faramir, as a commander, knows when men have been pushed too hard. Fourth, I really think Elves would be vegetarians. I mean, they respect all life, except orcs and goblins.
ElvishKiwi: I'm still looking for a beta, yeah. As to 'the little forest we all know', that was them going to Mirkwood to be trained by the Elves, in case you thought this was a crossover. It's not.
Xxxx
Raven sat on a small rock overlooking a pool, ringed by high rock faces, fed by a waterfall, brimming with fish. Once more, he considered his own mortality. In the months following their return to active duty, the Ghosts had raided, ambushed, killed, burned, and more.
Not all of them had pulled through.
Three Ghosts had been killed in the chaos of a raid on a Harad (1) encampment. The Harads had somehow known in advance about the raid. Instead of fifty Harads, there was two hundred 'veteran' Harads.
Stag, Boar, and Shrike's last sight were their insides spilling out, because of Harad javelins.
Faramir's Rangers retreated. They lost twenty three men. The Harads had lost only seven.
The Ghosts had gotten their revenge.
After two weeks of special leave from Faramir's company, all of the 'elite' Harads had been killed. One by one, picked off while hunting, eating, attending to their daily bowel function.
That was three weeks ago.
Tomorrow, they were raiding a Orc encampment. The plan called for the other Rangers to fire from all sides. The Ghosts would be at the entrance to the camp. The Orcs would rush out to fight, only to be shot at from every direction, caught in a deadly crossfire.
In the mean time, Raven went out of his way to find time for these little philosophical moments, in an effort to retain his sanity in this cursed land.
Raven sat there for a while, not moving. Day turned to dusk, and as Raven watched the sun set, he heard some footsteps, heading in his direction
" I thought I'd find you here." Raven glanced over his shoulder, looking at one of his few non-Ghost friends.
Flashback
Raven sat on his bunk, cleaning his sword, as a series of footsteps steadily came closer.
" Why did you act that way? You must know that I could have had you punished for such behavior."
Raven looked up from his work, into the steady gaze of Faramir.
" How would you act in my spot? You've been gone for two years, battling horrors (2) and Orcs, pushed as close to your limit as possible, training for eighteen hours a day, your only rest being four hours of sleep every night. You travel for two months, seeking your home, only to find it, sacked. You also find numerous burned cities, hundreds of dead, and many other unspeakable things. You return, only to find out that one of the few men who understood you, the closest friend you ever had, is gone. You should understand that, he was your brother, after all. You and your men are tired, travel weary, hungry, and pushed to the limit. All you want is some R&R, immediately, and your commanding officer wants to give you a three hour speech, when your hungry and tired. No offense, sir." Raven wearily explained, bowing his head at the end.
Faramir looked at this man, finally realizing he was just like him, caring for his men. All they needed was some rest, and they would be fine. They just needed another chance.
" Maybe we can start again. Hello, my name is Faramir, what's yours?" Faramir said, extending his hand, and smiling.
" I'm Raven, friend." Raven said, shaking Faramir's hand.
End Flashback
" Faramir, good to see you. You were looking for me?" Raven asked, rising to clasp Faramir's hand.
" You need to get some rest. You may be some 'supernatural force from the heavens', but you need sleep as much as me." Faramir said, laughing warmly with his friend.
" I'm worried about that raid tomorrow. My boy, Badger has a nose for trouble. He mentioned that he has a bad feeling about the raid tomorrow." Raven said, his face changing to a worried expression.(3)
" Since when have you seen Badger? You've been out here for a couple hours now." Faramir said, trying to ease his friend's worries.
" I was inside naught five hours ago." Raven muttered rebelliously.
" Would it convince you more if I made it an official order for you to get some sleep, soldier?" Faramir said, his words laced with mock seriousness.
" No, no, I'm going, I'm going." Raven muttered, walking past the waterfall into the base with Faramir.
All around them, the base was as busy as a beehive, men rushing to and fro. A delicious smell wafted over to the two friends, from two large pots manned by another Ranger.
" Hello sirs, large soup for the captain, large vegetable soup for the other, right?" the Ranger asked, smiling wryly. The fact all the Ghosts were vegetarians was known all through out the base, only the Rangers didn't alienate them because of it. (4)
Faramir and Raven nodded, collected their bowls, and found a quiet alcove to eat. They sat there quietly for while, eating their soup. When they were finished, they dunked their bread in the broth and drank the little remaining broth, and put their empty bowls on a small ledge with others.
Faramir headed towards his second-in-command, to review the tomorrow's raid. Raven headed off to the part of the base that held the Ranger quarters, intending to get some sleep.
He walked quickly toward the Ranger quarters, pondering quietly if tomorrow's raid would have a cost. He silently approached the section of the Ranger barracks where the Ghosts kept their bunks.
Hawk, his second-in-command, looked up from his chess game with Eagle, as Raven approached. The rest of the Ghost lay lounging on their bunks, while Wolf practiced with his sword as usual.
Raven walked over to Eagle and Hawk, assessing the chess game as he would a battle.
Hawk had taken out Eagle's queen and one of his rooks, losing his bishops, one knight, and a rook in the process.
Hawk was playing aggressively, while Eagle played defensively.
The players silently sat there for a few seconds, until Eagle quietly said, " I resign."
Hawk grinned broadly for a few seconds, until Eagle interrupted, adding, "In a real battle, a smart general would pull back his forces, and conserve his army. This game would merely end in stalemate. In real life it would end in a bloodbath."
" You sure? Cause I think-" Wolf added, until Raven butted in, saying seriously, " Knock it off guys, Faramir told me he wants to keep this barracks intact."
Wolf and Hawk pouted looking more like children than big, bad Rangers.
" Though Eagle and Hawk do bicker like a married couple." Raven quickly added, grinning.
Hawk and Wolf roared with laughter, as Eagle quizzically cocked an eyebrow at Raven.(5+6)
" Enough, enough. I concede defeat to our glorious leader Raven." Eagle said, throwing his hands in the air.
Badger, the youngest of the Ghosts, walked over to the laughing friends and quietly tapped Raven on the shoulder once.
Raven silently walked over to a quiet alcove with Badger. Once there, he turned to Badger, his face concerned.
" More bad feelings?" he asked quietly.
" Yes. I just can't shake the feeling that something is going to, that the raid is going to go bad… it's driving me insane. Almost certainly knowing something's going to hit the fan, and not knowing what." Badger muttered.
" Don't worry, nothing is going to go wrong, we'll be fine, you don't need to worry. Besides, do you think we can be bested by Orcs? " Raven murmured.
" Stag, Boar, Shrike." Badger said, his expression horrified.
" Listen! We are going to be fine. If you are like this in the morning, I will tell Faramir, and he will be sure to order you to stay here, where you won't get in the way." Raven said loudly, turning Badger's twenty year old face to him.
" Go get some rest. Your going to need it." Raven ordered.
Badger silently walked to his bunk, and he laid there, not moving. Raven continued to watch Badger from his bunk, until he was sure Badger was asleep.
' That boy is going to worry himself to death.' Raven thought, laying on his bed, staring at the rocky cave ceiling. ' The problem is that those urges are always right… Ugh… I need to sleep.'
Everyone went to their bunks at the ungiven command for rest, even Eagle, Wolf, and Hawk shut up and laid down.
' Why can't I shake this feeling we're all in for one wild ride?' Badger thought, not quite asleep yet.
Xxxx
(1): is that how you spell it?
(2): think a dozen Shelobs.
(3): the Ghosts are family, and Raven is the de facto father
(4): the Ranger's understand that it would take too much energy to alienate them, energy they need to fight the Orcs.
(5): think Teal'c from Stargate:SG-1
(6): Eagle, Wolf. Hawk, and Raven were friends back in their home town, before it was destroyed.