Chapter 2:

Ariadne bid the stable-boys with a smile and greeting; she mounted her beautiful, white stallion. Her father had given it to her when she came of age. Mysteri was only a pony at the time, so it was her job to raise it. Now Mysteri had grown tall and strong, Aria knew she could trust this horse on any mission.

The sun was setting fast and she didn't want her father, or Faramir, to know what she was doing. Kicking Mysteri into a gallop, they flew out of the stables and along the kingdom's great, white walls. She tied her wavy, brown hair back so she could look for the poor horse.

The more Aria thought about it, the more she knew Faramir was right. His father hadn't exactly given him the best choice of a horse. It was weak from the moment it was born, not that a little nursing couldn't help. Lord Denethor had provided nothing to care for the horse.

After calling out for the horse, she knew that the gates would be locking soon. It was already dark out but she had no choice left but to look in the forest. Hesitantly, Mysteri headed for the darkened path before them. Ariadne knew she was only hearing the noises of the forest, yet it still made her mind wander.

Not too long after travelling down the path, she could hear neighing in the distance. Aria called out to the horse once more and set off in a gallop. She was too deep into the forest to return in time, she feared.

"You 'ear that?"

Aria pulled Mysteri to a halt, shocked to hear another voice in the woods. Not many wandered out this far on their borders.

All was silent, and for a moment Aria thought it was only her mind playing tricks. Suddenly she was entangled in a net, writhing and trying to claw her way out. She reached for her belt, only to find her daggers missing. She had left them in her room.

Letting out the loudest scream her lungs could muster, she shouted the names of her brothers and father, hoping someone could hear her.

"They'll never hear you, lil' princess!" one of the voice growled at her.

Someone else chuckled, "Do you think she's the one-"

Suddenly more chaos erupted as the man was cut off by an arrow piercing his throat. Aria looked on in fear and saw her chance to escape. Scrambling out of the net, it didn't take long for her to be pulled back by the other man. He yanked her behind a tree and held a knife to her throat.

"Now you listen to me," he whispered, "You're comin' with me and you're not going to make another-"

Aria let out a scream as the flash of a sword cut across the man's side. He slumped to the ground.

She shook with fear and looked up to see who her rescuer was. It was her father. His eyes were wide in anger and he too shook. The sword in his hand was bloody, he looked at it in disgust. Throwing it to the side, he took his adopted daughter in his embrace.

"Father, I am-"

"Be silent, I know why you were out here." Denethor lifted his head and glared at the man before him. Ariadne turned around to see Faramir, sword in hand and at his side, saddened. His head hung and he would not look his sister in the eye. Several other men appeared behind Faramir, Boromir included. Ariadne knew what was to come, so she turned back to her father with tears in her eyes.

"Father this isn't Faramir's fault,"

"Who else would be to blame for the loss of his horse?" he yelled furiously, "I gave you that horse as a kingly gift! You should not take such things for granted, boy."

Faramir nodded his head, "And I treasured Roheryn with all of my heart-"

"Do not waste my time with lies, Faramir. You set that horse free from the stables!" he held Aria close, "You put your sister in danger! You could have killed her!"

"Father, stop! It wasn't Faramir that let Roheryn loose!" Aria exclaimed as she pushed away from her father. It went silent as all eyes fell on her. Faramir was speechless, he knew what she was doing.

Lord Denethor frowned, "It was not your horse-"

"I did it on accident." she interrupted, "Boromir and I were practicing with our swords, as you told me to do. Roheryn was grazing in the pasture where we practiced on our own horses."

Boromir and Faramir held their heads high, listening to the story their sister was concocting on the spot.

"We lead our horses out of the gates to graze on the fallen apples, it was then that he must have escaped. I left the gate open."

Denethor took her story in with a sigh, a slight tint of red forming on his cheeks. Aria darted her eyes every which way. She felt like a child, caught in the act of a harmless prank. Disobedient to her father, it was something she had never felt before.

This meant he had believed her lie.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Ariadne." he whispered as he picked his sword back up, "If that horse had been trained better, this would not have happened."

Faramir nodded his head and looked down, "I am sorry, father."

Denethor trudged off, along with the rest of the search party. Luckily, both horses had been recovered and the men were taken back to the kingdom for further inspection as to who they were. Aria gave Faramir a sheepish smile, holding her hands together. Her brothers looked at her with the same expression, surprise. Never had she done something so bold against their father. As far as they were concerned, she was the favorite sometimes.

"Why did you do that?" Faramir asked.

Aria's smile faded and she looked to him, "I don't know," she admitted.

"Do not do it again," Faramir growled at her. Soon he was walking down the path towards the kingdom.

Aria boiled with anger and ran to his side, "A thank you would be polite!"

"I don't need your help with my father!" he exclaimed, rounding on her.

Aria glared at him, "Without me you'd be punished!"

Boromir approached them and separated the little space between them, "That's enough-"

"I won't take pity from you," Faramir said with anger.

Ariadne let out a laugh, "I hardly pity you-"

"I see it in your eyes, I can hear it in your voice. You are not my mother, Ariadne!" Faramir yelled, seizing her by the shoulders, "If she could not help me, neither can you."

"Faramir, that's enough." Boromir said sternly, easing his hands off a teary eyed Ariadne. Faramir stalked off into the woods without another word.

"Does he not understand I do it because I love him?" she whispered with tears, "He is my brother, I love him."

Boromir took her under his arm and walked down the path with her. If there was one thing Aria had in common with their father, it was her stubbornness. Faramir hated that, he had told him countless times. Yet he saw the same stubbornness in him that he saw in Denethor. He would never tell him that, though.

Perhaps that was why Faramir and Aria always clashed.

The older Faramir got, the harsher their father was on him. It seemed all he wanted to do was ruin any chance Faramir had for praise. He was tearing him down as a man. Boromir felt sad for his brother, he didn't know how to help him.

It was now obvious that Faramir did not want any help. This was his battle, and he was choosing to fight it on his own.