Sorry it's been so long since the last update! I hope you enjoy this!
Chapter Nine
Eldacar came to take over for me shortly after Boromir's outburst. I retreated gladly and rushed out of the Houses.
Hallas was waiting just outside the door, respectfully giving the Stewards' sons a bit of privacy.
"Will Lord Faramir be alright?" He asked urgently.
I shook my head. "I cannot say. His wounds would be easy enough to recover from, but I fear a strange sickness holds sway over him."
Hallas stroked my arm. "You have done all that you can."
I wrapped my scarf around my hair and remained quiet. Seeing Boromir and being near him again was much more than I could handle. I had hoped to let my heart heal in peace and to remain away from him, but as long as Faramir was ill I knew his older brother would not be far away.
"Lindy, do you want to get something to eat?" Hallas asked, breaking the silence.
"Sure," I agreed, looking up at him. He offered me his muscled arm and I lightly rested my hand on it. He led the way through the streets to the most respectable tavern in Minas Tirith. Many pubs doubled as whorehouses, but the Golden Barrel was known only for its good food and ale.
We sat at a small table in the corner and were served ale, bread, cheese, and some salted pork. For a man who had primarily resided in the wild, Hallas had quite decent table manners.
I ate very little, but throughout the night proceeded to drink more ale than I usually did.
While I was on my second mug of ale Hallas approached his earlier, vague offer of marriage.
"I understand that my offer was sudden and that we do not know one another very well, but I feel we would make a good match." He looked at me searchingly. "What say you?"
I took a long drink. "I only ask that you might allow me some time to think over your offer. I would hate to be hasty when making such an important decision."
"Of course. I understand." Hallas smiled good naturedly at me.
Later, when I had had much too much ale he walked me back through the city. We arrived at my humble home and I fumbled with the key, unable to unlock my door.
"Allow me, Lindy." His big hands carefully took the key from me and unlocked the door, pushing it open. "Will you be alright?"
"I think so," I slurred a little.
"Goodnight Lindy." His lips were warm against my cheek as they lingered there.
As I fell into bed I did not properly appreciate the fact that any other man might now have been so chivalrous in my slightly inebriated condition.
-ooooOoooo-
The next afternoon I returned to the Houses. I thanked my lucky stars that I did not have to return that morning, as I was feeling a little unwell from the previous night.
Reallan was covering the Houses when I finally arrived. I saw that the only patients were Amlaith and Lord Faramir still. To my great displeasure, Boromir was sitting next to his brother's bed. Hallas was also with Amlaith playing with a deck of beaten playing cards.
"Amlaith seems to be feeling much better," I observed, standing back with Reallan.
"Yes, indeed he is." She nodded. "The Lord Faramir, however, is not doing so well. Eldacar says there is nothing we can do but apply medicine to his wounds. He is mystified by the sickness that has settled on Lord Faramir.' Pulling her cloak around her shoulders, Reallan looked at me. "I have applied the medicine for today so all you have to do is monitor him."
I nodded and watched her leave the Houses leaving me alone. When I moved my eyes from the door Reallan had closed I caught Boromir's steely eyes. He was surveying me, not smiling or frowning, just looking. Hallas then waved me over to Amlaith's bed.
"Well you look well today, Amlaith." I sat down and touched the back of my hand to his cheek. His fever had gone down considerably. "Do you feel better?"
"Much better," he answered.
"I think he shall be able to go home soon," I told Hallas.
"I cannot keep him here and see you every day?" He asked.
I laughed lightly. "You cannot keep him here, but you both may visit me whenever you like."
-ooooOoooo-
Soon after the sun set two more people came into the Houses of Healing. Thankfully, they were not injured or ill. One was a very old man and in the dim lighting the other appeared to be a child. However, when I drew closer I realized the shorter of the two was a Hobbit.
"Can I help you?" I asked politely.
"We seek Lord Faramir," the old man replied. I nodded and led them across the long room.
"I fear the Lord Faramir is not doing well," I said quietly as we drew up to the bed.
Boromir turned around and stared at the pair for a moment and I stepped back.
"Gandalf," Boromir said incredulously.
"Yes, it is I," the old man, Gandalf, replied.
"But you fell. I saw you fall in Khazad Dum." Boromir looked completely dumbstruck.
"So you did. But it would seem that my work on Middle-Earth is not yet complete." Gandalf smiled gently.
"You are supposed to be dead!" The Hobbit burst out.
Boromir actually chuckled. "Well, little one, it would appear that many miracles have occurred since we last saw one another."
The two newcomers were members of the Fellowship, I assumed. From their conversation I was able to put bits and pieces of what had happened together.
"So your father sent Faramir to the taken city of Osgiliath," Gandalf stated.
Boromir nodded. "I had no idea. I had greatly wanted to see Faramir, but Father continually told me that I would when Faramir was done in Ithilien, that he was doing his duty for Gondor."
Gandalf shook his head. "I must find out what ails your brother." The old man swept out of the Houses.
Boromir went back to his sullen silence and I went to sit down at a far table, taking out the bag that held my dinner. When I looked up the young Hobbit was standing by the table.
"Gandalf is always running off somewhere," he said suddenly. I noticed that he was eyeing my food hungrily.
"Are you hungry, Master Hobbit? I have plenty to share." I held out the rest of the food in the bag.
The young Hobbit sat across from me and made quick work of the rest of my dinner.
"I bet you've never seen anyone like me before," he said with a grin.
"Actually Master Hobbit, I have. I am from Bree and have lived most of my life among both big and little people," I responded with a smile.
"I was in Bree," he stated. "I stayed at the Prancing Pony. That is where we met Strider."
I did not know who Strider was. "I have had many mugs of ale in that pub," I laughed.
"It comes in pints there!" The Hobbit exclaimed.
"So it does, Master Hobbit."
He frowned and it completely transformed his face. "Please call me Pippin."
I nodded. "Then you must call me Lindy."
"Did you save Boromir?" He asked me.
"No," I shook my head. "I was merely one in the group of healers who oversaw his care when he was brought back to Minas Tirith."
-ooooOoooo-
Weeks passed and Amlaith went home with Hallas. Boromir hardly left his brother's bedside. I had a new companion though. Pippin spent a good deal of time with me. I believed it was so he could be out of the old wizard's way.
We sat down to have dinner together and to my horror Pippin invited Boromir to join us. I waited with baited breath, but the man declined to my relief.
"Is there something between you and Boromir? Perhaps something that extends beyond the Houses of Healing?" Pippin asked with a grin.
I nearly choked on the piece of cheese I had been nibbling on. "You cannot be serious, Pippin! Of course not," I exclaimed.
"It is just that when you move about the Houses I have seen him watch your movements." He looked at me with his kind brown eyes and held my gaze. "I have seen you look at him when you think no one is looking."
I laughed, but to my own ears it was false. "There is not much else to watch in here, Pippin. And as for me, I periodically check on everyone who is in the Houses."
Pippin shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever you say, Lindy."
Thankfully, our conversation was cut short as Reallan entered the Houses. "My bones are aching, Lindy," she groaned. "It is about to storm. You had better hurry home."
I nodded. "Are you leaving as well, Pippin?" I asked.
"No, I think I shall keep Boromir company for a while," he responded.
I left the Houses and was met outside the door by Hallas and Amlaith.
"We could not let you walk home alone in such foul weather," Hallas smiled.
I took his arm gratefully and we headed down through the levels of the city.
"I do not mean to rush you, Lindy, but what have you come up with regarding my proposal?" Hallas did not look down at me; instead he kept his eyes forward.
I took a deep breath as we approached my door. "You have been so patient with me, Hallas, and I truly appreciate it. It is a hard decision, especially with no family to guide me. I must ask for more time, though I promise you will not wait much longer for my answer."
Hallas nodded. "I understand." He kissed my cheek. "Make sure you get your windows closed good and tight. It is about to storm something terrible."
I nodded and entered my house. I watched Amlaith and Hallas hurry up the street back through the city through my front window.
-ooooOoooo-
There was a pounding on my door the next morning before the sun rose. My little house was literally quaking from the assault on the door. I pulled my cotton robe on over my nightgown. It was still raining and thundering outside.
I could not fathom who was possibly at my door. I expected it to be perhaps a young, expectant father or someone else with a pressing medical emergency. Many people came to my house knowing that I was a healer.
When I opened the door my breath froze in my chest. Boromir was standing outside in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone. I could not move or speak for a few moments and the man just stood and looked at me, rivers of water running down his face.
"Can I help you, my lord?" I finally managed to ask.
"I was hoping to come in," he replied calmly.
"Of course, my lord." I stepped back and allowed him entrance, my heart beating forcefully in my chest.
"Do you have a towel?" His steel grey eyes looked directly at mine.
I turned, going into my bedroom and returned with a towel. I handed it to Boromir, averting my gaze as I did so.
"I was on my way home from the Houses," he began.
I cut him off, "Then you are quite lost, my lord."
"I wished to speak to you actually, Lindy," he continued unfazed.
"You might have done that at a decent hour when we were both in the Houses, my lord," I suggested.
He sighed. "Stop with the 'my lord' rubbish. It is terribly irritating." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "You were always accompanied by that Ranger." I might have been mistaken but I thought he said the last bit with a slight sneer.
I did not speak. I ran my fingers over the rough kitchen table.
"Are you going to marry him?" Boromir asked as he dried his hair.
I folded my arms across my chest. "I do not see how that is any of your business."
"It is my business when you two have spoken of it when I am within earshot," he shrugged.
"It is a realistic opportunity," I said.
"A realistic opportunity?" He repeated.
I nodded my head. "I would rather be a Ranger's wife than the Steward-Prince's whore," I said sharply.
"My whore?" He demanded loudly. "You think I want you for my whore?"
"That is what it seemed like," I replied, not matching his angry tone. "You gave me an expensive dress, beautiful jewelry, and then paraded me around your court."
"Those were kind gestures!" He shouted.
"Everyone else present seemed to think that I was another of your mistresses." My tone was calm. "I do not blame you for wanting such a thing."
"That is not what I wanted!" Boromir growled.
"You do not have to defend yourself to me, my lord. Nothing else could be expected between you and me." I looked at the floor.
"Lindy!" The noise his fist made as he slammed it onto the counter was so loud that it mingled with the thunder. "You are not listening to me! I want you for much more than a mistress."
Boromir took one stride toward me, one of his huge hands going into my unbound hair and sharply jerking my head back. I briefly saw a fire raging in his eyes before his lips crashed into mine. His other hand crushed me to him, making me burn for him. I was pushed against the table the corner jabbed into the back of my thigh.
After a long moment, Boromir moved away from me. He bestowed upon me one last look before leaving. The door slammed behind him and he left me breathless, yearning for more of his touch.
There you go! I hope you loved it! Let me know what you think!
Happy reading,
Avonmora