Flashbacks are in italic
Knocking on the door, he waits for permission to enter. While waiting, he lifts the hood of his cloak over his face. He pulls a bit on the hood and checks on a nearby window to see if it will obscure his face sufficiently. He has no desire to be recognized by Thor.
"Enter!"
Hearing the voice, a lump forms in his throat. He reaches towards the door with his hand. Dread fills him but he pushes it aside and opens the door. As he does this, he uses the light from the room to check the placement of his hood once more. Satisfied it sits correctly, he walks into the room with lead in his shoes. Master Neston and Mithrandir follow him into the room.
Once inside, he easily locates Faramir. He nearly stops in his tracks for it is just as if a younger Thor is lying there. Looking around, he notices Thor sitting beside Faramir holding his hand. Thor is not looking at them as they enter; his entire focus is on his son. The door closes behind them which has Thor looking up.
"Master Neston, what is the meaning of this? I expected a young healer or yourself. Why do this stranger and Mithrandir accompany you?"
"I apologize, my lord. This young man is Estel. He can heal your son from the Black Breath. As for Mithrandir, you will have to ask him why he is here. I do not know."
Denethor's face sours. To what, he does not know. It could be due to Mithrandir's presence. He knows full well how much Denethor loots Mithrandir. If only he would know the reason. But then, Denethor's expression could also be due to his presence. Whether he is recognized or not. Regardless of his thoughts, he keeps a close eye on Denethor. It allows him to predict correctly when Denethor will speak up.
"Do not tell me such fairy tales. No one can heal others from the Black Breath. What do you think to achieve with this except give us idle hope."
"On the contrary, he will not give us idle hope. He is more than capable of healing your son. I have seen him heal two people already."
"You are fooling yourself if you believe that to be true."
"Oh, but I know it to be true. What Estel can do is something I have never seen before. Allow him to treat captain Faramir; he can aid him while we can do nothing for him."
Denethor narrows his eyes before he nods. He crosses his arms and taps the floor with his foot. The distrust was clearly visible in his eyes. He would like to take away this distrust but knows he cannot do so. He will have to work through it or ignore it while he works.
Stepping forward, he makes sure not to get too close to Denethor. Reaching the bed, he feels Faramir's brow. It is clammy but also cold. Faramir trembles from time to time as if he is cold. He lifts an eyelid and is met with large pupils and an unresponsive eye. The light in the room should have resulted in a reaction. He listens to Faramir's heartbeat and breathing. Both he does not like for Faramir's breathing is labored. Faramir's heartbeat is faster than normal as if one is very stressed. Pinching Faramir also does not gain him a reaction. The Black Breath has a good hold over Faramir. Stronger than he expected when he first saw Faramir.
"So tell me, Estel, where have you learned your remarkable skills?"
To keep himself occupied and from responding, he peels the bandage from the shoulder wound checking it over. Before he addresses the Black Breath, he wants to have this done. It will also allow Faramir to be able to rest quietly while recovering from the Black Breath.
Seeing the wound is a bit inflamed, he looks to the side. A jar of cream stands on the bedside table next to a cloth. Besides it, supplies for bandaging lie. Picking the jar up, he opens the lid. A familiar color greets him. Smelling the cream, he is met with the fresh scent of grass mixed with apples. He nods to himself; this is the cream which should be used to treat wounds like Faramir's shoulder.
Picking up the cloth, he sees a few spots of the cream on it. Dipping a finger covered by the cloth in the cream, he carefully smears it around the edges of the wound. Having done that, he places the cloth back down before picking up a new bandage. He is about to wrap the wound with it when a knock comes from the door.
"Enter!"
"Master Neston, you requested a bowl of steaming water."
"Yes, I did. Place it next to Estel. Once you have done that, I want you to check the wounded soldiers in the north wing. Aks one of the healers for advice before you start any treatment."
"Of course, master."
He does not watch the apprentice place the bowl down for he focuses his entire attention on wrapping the shoulder. He wants to finish this before addressing the Black Breath. It will do no good to leave work unfinished. It will give him more work afterward. And more importantly, he will have to stay in this room longer than he would like.
Having dressed the shoulder wound again, he takes out the bundle of leaves. Carefully taking one out, he blows on it and crushes it in his hands before dropping them into the steaming water. He picks up the bowl and brings it close to Faramir. Lifting Faramir's head, he allows Faramir to smell to better reach his patient.
He watches carefully as Faramir initially stays still. No changes seem to come over Faramir. Due to this, he waves his hand over the steam. After some time, it appears to have a result because a frown appears on Faramir's brow. Faramir's eyes flicker and he smiles. Daring a glance up, he sees relief visible on Denethor's face.
"My l…"
He puts a finger on Faramir's lips and shakes his head. There is no need to upset Denethor. Besides, he wants to remain hidden from Denethor. If Faramir had been able to finish his words then he would have been exposed. Faramir frowns and seeks out his eyes. The question is visible in his eyes.
Placing the bowl back on the table, he stands up. Master Neston is looking expectedly at him. Most likely to ensure he will give his assessment of Faramir's expected recovery. He looks master Neston in the eyes to silently convey the message; he will not speak up.
Master Neston stares at him and frowns before nodding. He smiles and makes his way to the door. Moments before he reaches the door, his arm is grasped and he stiffens. Before he so much as can contemplate what happened, he is turned around despite his stiffness. Denethor stands before him. His hood is lowered nearly immediately.
He looks down. This is just what he did not want. He has to leave. Denethor is quiet now but who knows for how long. He does not want to tempt it. Taking a deep breath and cleaning his sweaty hands, he decides to do the only thing he can do at this time.
"Do not worry, my lord. Your son will recover. If you excuse me, I am needed elsewhere."
Without allowing anyone to speak up, he turns around and leaves the room. The door closes behind him silently.
Minas Tirith
Standing in the hallway a bit removed from the room, he leans against the wall. His heart beats hard in his chest. He takes a deep breath to calm his raging heart. He did not want Denethor to know he was in the city. Now, he cannot stay here much longer. He needs to leave before Denethor drives him off. And potentially cause a civil war. Something Gondor does not need. Thinking about Denethor brings the reaction he got back to the front of his mind.
Denethor looks at him with wide eyes. His mouth opens a bit nearly falling open but being halted as if there are strings between his teeth. Hidden behind his eyes, another emotion lures which he cannot identify. It appears to be almost shock.
The hand on his arm trembles and grip tight. A trembling hand moves towards his face slowly. It hovers next to his cheek before moving down to rest on his shoulder. The hand squeezes. He shakes the arm off before speaking up.
The shock was clearly visible on Denethor's face. It confuses him to no end for he would have expected to be attacked. He would have expected Denethor to strike him or severely berate him. A dismissal would also not have surprised him. But none of that happened. He does not know why. It makes no sense to him. Denethor is not one to forgive easily. He rarely forgives anyone for anything no matter how small the offense might be. The behavior he was shown is not normal behavior for Denethor. Not when he sees someone he does not want around.
Denethor could not have been surprised, could he? He shakes his head. Denethor never lets his surprise show. He would act as if nothing strange has happened. So, his latest reaction is strange but certainly no surprise. The only thing which makes barely any sense to him is that the reaction might come later. It would also mean he needs to leave the city as soon as possible to prevent anything from harming the victory. He knows the reaction will be more extreme if his suspicion is correct.
At the same time, he knows people need aid. He wants to give it but does not want to have conflicts occurring. So what can he do? He wonders if he should take the risk. They need his aid so if he can he should give it to them it will hopefully be worth the risk. He nods to himself. This is what he will do and only then will he leave the city. Hopefully, he will get his work done before Denethor reacts to his presence. The last thing he wants is for his presence to create a conflict which could erupt into a civil war.
Walking through the city, he sees healers hurrying around taking care of wounded men. Some men are, in fact, being cared for by despondent warriors. Clouds of darkness hanging over them. The air around them feels stale. One man, in particular, catches his attention. And this man, he approaches.
"Can I aid you?"
"No, lord. There is nothing you can do. My brother is affected by the Black Breath. He is dying and I wish to be left alone."
"Allow me to aid your brother."
"How? I told you he has the Black Breath. You cannot do anything for him."
He shakes his head. The young man does not know what he can do. He has to convince him to be able to treat the brother. He is about to respond when shouting reaches their ears. The young man turns his head faster than he does.
"You are losing it, mistress Ioreth."
"Don't you dare suggest it, young man? I am not losing it! The king has returned. He healed the Lord Faramir, Princess Éowyn of Rohan, and a hobbit from the Black Breath. I have seen it with my own eyes."
He snorts and smiles amused. How mistress Ioreth has seen him heal them, he does not know. He suspects she heard about it but he cannot be sure. For all, he knows she spied on them while he was healing lord Faramir. And connected the dots between that and the healing of Éowyn and Merry.
He turns his head back to the young man. He is met with hopeful eyes. He smiles calmly. The young man clearly believes mistress Ioreth's words. Words, he knows to be true. The young man nods to his brother.
"Is it true what mistress Ioreth said?"
"Yes, it is true. I can heal your brother."
"Yes, I can heal him. Can you bring me some boiling water?"
The young man nods and turns to stand up only to sit down immediately afterward. A bowl of boiling water is placed next to him. He turns his head to the side. A young servant stands beside him. He nods in appreciation, for now, he can treat the brother sooner.
Regardless of his appreciation, he is still confused about where the servant came from. And how the servant knew what he needed before he even asked for it. He does not allow his confusion to stop him. As he has all he needs, he sets out to heal the young man.
A few minutes later, he leaves the two brothers while one recovers from the Black Breath. From then on, he looks for men in similar positions. It does not take him long to find more patients. Whenever he offers his aid, it is quickly accepted. Apparently, word of his accomplishments has gone around. Due to his aid being accepted readily, he heals as many men as he can.
As time passes, he is joined by Elladan and Elrohir. Together they travel down the city healing men all around them. The further down he goes, the more he struggles to keep on moving. His eyes feel heavy and threaten to close. His legs feel like they are dragging stones.
"Estel, you are exhausted. Go to get camp and rest. Elladan and I can handle this."
"You are exaggerating, Ro. I can go on; I do not need to rest just yet."
"If you say so."
He sees the disbelief in Elrohir's eyes but does not comment on it. He has more important things to do. His exhaustion needs to take second place. He will not allow it to stop him. As he travels further, he is greeted enthusiastically which gives him more energy. The calls he continually hears in his mind come in two versions. The first being:
"Sir, thank you for coming. I have been awaiting your arrival."
And the second being:
"Sir, it is good to see you. You are a gift sent to us. Thank you for healing everyone you can."
It goes on like this whenever he goes. He greets them all back and treats whoever he can. The greetings he receives give him more energy. It feels rejuvenating. It gives him the strength he needs to heal his patients. Momentarily, he forgets everything which has happened.
Having treated a young man, he stands up and walks towards another patient. A hand on his shoulder stops him in his tracks. He turns and sees Elrohir standing there with worried eyes. He frowns wondering what Elrohir wants now while hoping it is not the same as before.
"Estel, you need to rest. You are nearly falling."
"I am fine, Ro. I do not need to rest. Stop worrying about me. I will rest when I need to."
He tries to move away. Suddenly, everything becomes blurry in front of his eyes. His eyes drop for a moment. Fresh air reaches his awareness. It is almost as if he is walking near the waterfall of Imladris. He smells the fresh air of the water and the roses. He takes a deep breath enjoying the fresh air.
Once his senses fully return to normal, he becomes aware of the stones biting in his back. He looks up to find Elrohir hovering over him. While looking up, he feels his head moving in a lap; Elrohir's, he realizes nearly immediately. It is the only thing which explains Elrohir's location. Elrohir turns his head slightly all the while still looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Do you now see you need to rest? You fainted from your exhaustion. Halon, come take your headstrong chieftain back to his tent. And make sure he rests."
Elrohir mentions with his hand. He follows Elrohir's hand with his head. A ranger moves towards them. He cannot see the face so he listens carefully.
"Of course, Lord Elrohir"
"You know you are to call me Elrohir."
Halon, who he by now has recognized based on his voice, sits next to him. Halon scratches the back of his neck while biting his lips. He smiles knowing full well how long this discussion has been ongoing. Halon has not yet learned it. Whether he will or not, time will have to tell.
"I know, Elrohir. I am sorry."
Elrohir sighs and bites his lips. Elrohir shakes his head. He can imagine what goes on in Elrohir's mind right now.
"Just remember it next time. Know that I am not upset. But go now, ensure your chieftain gets the rest he needs before he changes his mind."
Halon nods. And together they help him stand up. Before long, they are walking towards the gate with Halon's hand on his arm offering support.
Houses of healing, Minas Tirith, Denethor POV
Denethor sits next to Faramir's bed with his chin on his hand. He looks at his son who now sleeps calmly. Faramir nearly instantly fell asleep after he woke up and was shushed. Now, he can see how the cold fever, and stiffness have left Faramir. Faramir will no longer be delirious once he wakes up again. If it will be sooner or later, he does not know but he also does not care about too much. Faramir's recovery pleases him for he did not want to lose his youngest as he did his oldest.
There was one thing which surprised him; the healer. He came in hooded and cloaked refusing to talk or make eye contact. He remembers clearly how strange it felt. The goosebumps return even thinking about it. It forced his hand when he stopped the healer from leaving. That as well as the fact the healer used skills only the kings are supposed to be able to use. If only in the old tales which he does not place too much merit in. Despite this, he knows the details intimately.
He was barely able to contain his surprise when he removed the healer's hood. All he wanted was to see who the healer was and to thank him. He hoped it would explain why he has those abilities. So seeing it was Gil made him unable to do what he intended to. Not that Gil being here was not a pleasant surprise. He knows Gil is a talented healer but never suspected he was this talented. Well, if he does not take Gil's heritage into account. If he does then Gill's talent is no surprise to him. All this brings his mind back to the events surrounding his discovery of Gil being the healer.
He reaches out to the healer and grasps the healer's arm stopping him in his tracks. He turns the healer around and takes the hood in his hand. Pushing it back, he finally sees the face which has been hidden from him. A face, he recognizes instantly. His eyes widen and his mouth falls open.
Gil looks at him with dread. He tries to speak but cannot get his voice to work. He wants to reassure his friend that everything is alright. That he is happy Gil is here. He wants to look away in shame for not being able to do this. He just is unable to take his eyes off Gil afraid if he does all of this turns out to be a cruel dream.
Regardless of the feelings, he experienced when seeing Gil, he is pleased his instincts have been proven to be right. Gil is just as he remembers him being. He looks up out of the window. Sun greets him as the light returned with Gil. It increases the happiness he feels to see Gil returned to Gondor at last.
He just feels Gil should have returned years ago. Gondor needed him then maybe more than it did recently. But despite this, Gil has kept his promise. He returned at a time of need for Gondor. Just as he promised. Even if not at the time he would have preferred for his friend to return.
There is one thing though which confuses him; Gil's reaction. He seemed scared. An expression which does not suit Gil at all. Gil practically fled the room. He does not understand where it comes from. Nor does he know what his friend wants. Gil certainly did not act like this due to their last fight. He must know they both spoke in anger then. So how is he to mend their friendship? He is not sure. But one thing he does know; no matter what his friend wants, he will ensure he has all he needs to heal the people in the city.
"Barhador!"
"Yes, my lord?"
He looks up with a frown. No door was opened. Or at least, he did not hear one opening. It is like Barhador appeared in the room within seconds of him making the call. Barhador was fast which is a good thing. But first finding out how Barhador got here so quickly.
"You are here quickly."
"Yes, my lord. I was in the area. What can I do for you?"
"A healer is going through the city dressed as a warrior. I need you to provide him with boiling water and whatever else he might ask for."
Barhador tilts his head while frowning. He stares at him urgently. Barhador is to speak his mind or keep quiet about it. He has no time for Barhador to slack right now. He does not know where Gil is. And Barhador has to search for Gil which will take time. He sighs and hears Barhador do the same.
"Where do I find him?"
"I do not know. You have to discover that by yourself."
"Is there anything I can recognize him by?"
"Well, he will most likely be around those affected by the Black Breath offering them aid. He looks just like one of the nobles who are of pure Númenorian descent and is wearing an elven cloak."
"Alright, my lord, I will be seeking him out then. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, there is nothing. You are dismissed."
Barhador nods and quietly leaves the room closing the door silently behind him. Now alone again, he turns his attention back to Gil and his reason for coming now. Something comes to his mind. Gil could have come to claim the throne. He shakes his head. It cannot be the reason for Gil's reaction does not add up to it. Gil should have been excited and acting like a king if it were true and not like a scared warrior.
His confusion mounts and a headache begins. He needs to stop thinking about it even though he wants answers right now. There is only one thing he can do; seek Gil out but not today. No, he will do it tomorrow. Then he will learn about the reasons behind Gil's reaction and his motives. But for now, he will stay with Faramir and watch over him. He can sit in peace next to his son. Something he wants to treasure as long as he can before he has to retire to his room.