Chapter One:
Faramir moved his wrist, testing the range of motion against the tightly wrapped bandage. He hid a wince at the twinge of pain and nodded, satisfied. It would do. He stood and bowed his head to Dame Loreth, a old healer. "Thank you, My lady." He stood, and strode to the door, nimbly moving out of the way, as it flew open. He raised a eyebrow as his brother stumbled in, "Boromir! My brother! Are you well?" His elder brother was holding his arm at a strange angle, and he had a bloody cloth wrapped around his head. Boromir flashed him a quick smile, "Nothing to worry about." He turned to look fully at Faramir, "You my brother, look like you were in a fight with a grizzly. What happened to your face?"
Faramir reached up and touched a swollen eye, "It was actually a warg. They are nasty creatures to wrestle with. He caught his older brother's frown, "I'm fine." He took Boromir by the uninjured arm, and led him to the seet he had just vacated. "Sit." He turned to Dame Loreth, "My lady, would you mind helping my brother?" He turned to Boromir again, "I'll go see if I can scrounge up something to eat. We can talk as we eat."
The Stewards youngest son hurried from the room, closing the door behind him after one last worried look at his brother. Something was on the elder's mind, and he would find out what it was. He hurried down the hall, greeting any servants he came across. After weaving through the maze of hallways, and stares, he came to the kitchen. The cook, as always was glad to see him, and was happy to provide food for the brothers. Faramir requested it to be brought to the privet dining hall, and hurried back to his brother. When he entered the room, he saw his brother, with the help of Dame Loreth, pulling his shirt back on. He stepped forward, clearing his throat, and smirked as Boromir stiffened, his uninjured hand darting to his knife handle.
"You must work on that Brother. Anyone could sneak up on you with those dull senses!" His smirk grew as Boromir turned to glare at him, "If people learned not to sneak up on me, I wouldn't need to learn how to have finely honed senses." He got up, and glanced at Dame Loreth, "Thank you, it feels much better."
Faramir turned to her as well, "My lady, what are his injures?"
The elderly woman smiled at him "His arm is deeply bruised, and the cut on his head is deep. But a few days of rest will heal both of you fully." She shooed them out the door, "Now go eat, you both are in sore need of a good meal."
Boromir groaned at the thought of the upcoming food, and slapped Faramir on the shoulder, "The thing about being a solider is that we don't ever have proper food." Faramir shook his head, biting back a smile as he was propelled by his older brother, down the hall. He turned back to Loreth with a grateful smile. Faramir directed his brother to the dining hall, and within minuets he and his brother were sitting at the table, eating the food that the servant had laid out for them.
Faramir sat in silence for a wile, studying his brother. He seemed preoccupied, and his eyes had shadows under them. He sighed, watched as Boromir put more butter on his already buttered role. He reached over and took the knife from his hand, hooking the butter dish as he did so, dragging it towards himself. He spread a thin layer on, as he watched Boromir take a bight of the bread. As he made a face and put it down Faramir cleared his throat. Boromir looked up, looking sheepish, and sighed,
"You could have warned me." he nudged the butter covered role with a finger, "I expect you want to know what's bothering me, right?"
Faramir watched him intently, and nodded, "I am a bit curious as to what you have on your mind." He narrowed his eyes as Boromir rubbed his forehead,
"I..." he broke off with a sigh, "I had the same dream that you had. Remember? The one with the voice from the West?"
Faramir sat forward, attentive, "Was it any different from what described?"
Boromir shook his head, "It was just as you described, but it still makes no sense. I don't know what it means, and it is troubling me. I woke the next morning after I had this vision, and it was as if I was in a blur. That is why I got injured, the orcs attacked us suddenly, and I had a hard time focusing." He stopped talking, as Faramir frowned deeply, "Faramir? What is it?"
Faramir sighed, "Maybe I should have told Father. It may have been better for all involved." He saw Boromirs confusion and smiled a bit, "I had the same vision again, after the first time, and I think perhaps that I was meant to act on it. I wasn't acting so it was sent to you." He looked hard at Boromir, but didn't see him, as his mind went back to the visions. He sighed and shook his head, "We must tell Father."
Borimir looked at him, his face blank, and Faramir gave a half smile, "You should know by now brother, that you will not be able to hide your thoughts from me. When your face grows blank you are hiding something, and it takes just a glance to see what you are hiding in your heart." He shook his head, growing serious, "Do not worry brother. Even though Father's words of late have been harsh, and unloving, and cause my heart he bleed, I know that he does love me, in his own way. He has hardened his heart against me for his protection."
Boromir watched him silently for a moment, then shook off his thoughts. Faramir's brother snatched up his role, and scraped the exes butter off, before biting into it. His eyes twinkled as he chewed then swallowed, "Tell me brother, what have you been up to since the last time we were together?"