CHAPTER 10

THE BURNING

Samantha's POV

I watched solemnly as servants, led by Denethor carried Faramir's unconscious body on a stretcher. It had the atmosphere of a funeral. You're so blind! I thought, glaring in Denethor's direction, Your son is alive! Both of them are, but you don't see it, you're so oblivious! I hate you! I was busy hating Denethor as we made our way to large iron doors. The iron doors creaked open and we entered a wide chamber, around us were tombs, and upon them, a sleeping for, carved as a person with their hands folded over their chest.

"No tomb for Denethor and Faramir," Denethor said in a hushed voice, "We shall burn - like the heathen kings of old," then he turned to his servants after they put Faramir down on the stone tablet, "Bring wood and oil."

I watched aghast as Faramir was lain down. Denethor kissed his brow, "The house of his spirit crumbles! He is burning…already burning."

I watched with clouded eyes as piles of dry and dead wood were stacked around Faramir's body. I could no longer handle this, I rushed forward and began to pull away the wood, "He's not dead! He's not dead! Neither is Boromir! They're not dead!" Denethor picked me up roughly by the collar, slung me over his shoulder and began to carry me towards the door. I pounded his back in anger and fear and hurt, "No, no, no! He's not dead! No!"

Denethor threw me outside, "Farwell Samantha Carlyle, I release you form my service, go now and die in whatever way seems best for you." He headed back inside and slamming the door. I pounded on the iron doors, "He's not dead," I screamed, "He's not dead!" I stopped and turned around, my back pressed against the door, tears streaming down my face, my face red hot with anger. I ran away from the doors and began to call for Gandalf. I ran into Pippin.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Denethor's burning Faramir alive!" I yelped, "We have to find Gandalf, c'mon!" I ran towards the battlements with him trailing behind. We ran into Boromir who was heading towards the battlements in his suit of armorm mounte don Mikayla.

"Boromir," I exclaimed, "Your father's burning Faramir alive!" Boromir looked at me.

"Hurry!" I yelped, we all ran off. "Gandalf! Gandalf!" I called frantically, "Gandalf!"

Pippin and Boromir joined in.

He was yelling orders at the assemble army and turned to us swiftly. We were all panting.

"What is wrong?" he demanded.

"Denethor has lost his mind!" I panted, "He's burning Faramir alive!" He looked at us and pulled Pippin and I onto Shadowfax, "Come! Quickly!" he said.

We ran toward the Tomb of Stewards and burst through the door upon our horses. The servants were waiting with ignited torches ready for their orders.

"Stay this madness!" Gandalf yelled.

The fearful servants backed away. Denethor snatched a flaming torch and hurled it at the pyre. It engulfed in flame. Gandalf grabbed a spear from one of the soldiers and ran towards the pyre, knocking Denethor from it with the butt of the spear.

"No!" I exclaimed. I jumped off of Shadowfax and crashed into the pyre. Flames, heat and smoke were around me and I coughed as I desperately tried to push Faramir off of it. We tumbled down the bundles of wood and crashed the floor. I doused some flames off of Faramir's clothing.

Denethor lunged at me, attacking me, "No! You will not take my son from me!" he screamed.

"You're taking him from yourself." I said menacingly. Suddenly, Shadowfax reared and knocked Denethor in the head with his powerful front hooves. Denethor fell back on the pyre.

I glared at him as Gandalf pulled me to safety. I went over to Faramir and Boromir. Boromir was kneeled over his brother and wiping the sweat from his forehead. I crouched on Faramir's other side. The young captain groaned and his eyes slowly opened. Boromir and Faramir met eyes with their father, whose sanity returned for a moment. "Boromir….Faramir…." Suddenly, his back engulfed in flames, he let out a yelp and sprang off the pyre, and ran down the hall, a ball of fire. We watched all this in horror.

"And so passes Denethor, Son of Ecthelion." Gandalf said. We were frozen for a minute until Boromir finally calmed down from the horror. We picked up Faramir and flung him over Mikayla's back. I mounted behind Boromir and we rode toward the Houses of Healing. We arrived there quickly and waited anxiously as the healers tended to Faramir. A cold compress was placed over his head and he lay on the bed, uncovered in his dark green pants and a white shirt, sleeping. Boromir sat by his bedside staring down at him with a downcast head. I walked over and placed a hand on Boromir's shoulder. "He'll be alright," I said, "I promise." Boromir managed a weak smile, "Now, there is a battle that needs to be fought….and I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood to kick some butt."

"Yes," Boromir said, "Let's go skewer some orc." We took one last look at Faramir and left the houses.