Brotherhood, Chapter Nineteen.
19 Aug 2009 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curiouswombatHere is the next chapter of Brotherhood.
I learnt at WriterCon UK that putting fic and news together can make it hard for anyone who wants to copy the story into a file, either to print or put on an e-book or whatever.
So no news -
Previous chapters are Here.
Chapter Nineteen.
Rating 15
4,500 words.
Beta'd, as usual, by S2C.
Chapter Nineteen
Faramir had only met Tindómë briefly, when Legolas had introduced them in the courtyard, and needed to be convinced when Aragorn told him what she had overheard.
Legolas had introduced Tindómë to Faramir as “Sister to me by choice, not blood, as Aragorn is brother to the sons of Elrond,” and added, “Tindómë visits from her home in Lorien.”
Tindómë had said very little apart from “Hello” and so it was reasonable that Faramir might question how well she spoke the Common Tongue. Reasonable, but still annoying.
“Pardon me, my lady, but can we be sure that these men really did say those things? The lady Tindómë would need a very good grasp of the Common Tongue to understand such… distasteful sentiments.”
The ellyn all had totally expressionless faces as they looked at Faramir. Knowing Legolas as he now did, and having visited the elven colony in his princedom of Ithilien, this should perhaps have warned him.
Aragorn nodded his head, slowly, and then turned to Tindómë.
“Did you understand Faramir’s question?” he asked her, as solemnly as his brothers would have done under the circumstances.
Tindómë sat very straight-backed, head high, and looked down her nose slightly at Faramir.
“Well duh! Native speaker here. I might not speak with the same accent ‘cos, y’know, brought up in different places, but I so totally understood every little snide inflection in what those worms were saying!”
“Was that clear to you, Faramir?” Aragorn asked, still with an expression that showed that he, too, had had lessons in maintaining proper elven dignity.
“Um, I think so…”
Tindómë took pity on him. “Prince Faramir – you and I might speak with different accents, as I was not born and raised in Gondor, but I assure you that my grasp of the Common Tongue is as natural to me as yours is to you.”
The Prince of Ithilien blushed slightly.
‘M’kay, a bit old for me, and beardy, and not elven enough, ‘cos, elves, hot, but hey! Cute in his own way…!’ Tindómë thought.
But then Faramir questioned how the men could have mistaken her for a young Gondorian noblewoman.
“I wore a Gondorian dress – which, guys, not all that comfortable and really too hot for this climate. Then I put my hair up. They were men, they didn’t take much notice, they were thinking about sneaking in to be nasty about their King and Queen, so they didn’t take much notice of me. The male brain is not good at multi-tasking.”
“At what?” Aragorn and Legolas both asked together.
“Thinking about more than one thing at a time. Although, sometimes, it looks as if you can manage to think about joining and food, or joining and fighting, simultaneously…
“The female brain, though – we can think about more than one thing at a time easily – proven fact. Comes from having to look after babies and do other things at the same time.”
“That seems reasonable,” Elrohir said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“But, surely, my lady,” Faramir sounded seriously puzzled still, “even if they did not take a great deal of interest in you, they might have noticed your elven ears if you had your hair up?”
She looked around briefly at the ellyn. There were a couple of slight nods.
Putting her hands under her long, thick, hair she swept it up and away from her ears.
“Oh!” Faramir said. “When Legolas said you were a sister of choice, just as Aragorn is brother to Elladan and Elrohir, I didn’t realise that he meant that you were also a human, not an elf.”
Before Tindómë, or any of the others, could give him the official explanation, he swept on.
“But then how were you able to hear if they were as far away from you as you said? Surely you must only have heard tiny fragments, and filled in the rest by guess work?”
M’kay, it was probably his job to ask questions and make sure he had all the facts, but this guy was beginning to get annoying…
Rumil must have realised that she was getting fed-up even if he had, probably, only understood about half the conversation. His thumb was making small circling movements, where it touched her hand, and he had moved just a little closer.
There were a series of rapid glances between the twins, Legolas, and Orophin, and then Elladan spoke.
“Faramir, your need to ascertain the facts does you credit, but I think our tithen maethor might be about to lose her temper.
“Tindómë is, as our family are, peredhel. She has some human blood, but is, practically, an elleth. She inherited her ear-shape from her human ancestry.”
“Rumil rather likes her ears…” a muttered voice said, in Sindarin, from the corner where Orophin sat. Tindómë tried not to smile.
Elrohir had picked up from his brother.
“Whilst the outer shape may be human, Tindómë’s hearing is much more acute than a human’s would be.”
‘So,’ Tindómë thought, ‘they have noticed that too!’
“If you need a demonstration,” Elladan suggested, “I am sure that Tindómë would be… happy… to give you one.”
The colour flared across Faramir’s cheeks again.
“No, of course not, Elladan, Elrohir, my lady. I am certainly happy that you heard what my lord... what Aragorn has told me, although not at all happy with the nature of what you overheard. How could anyone…?”
Faramir was positively bristling with indignation now that he was sure of the truth.
Aragorn spoke. “My brothers pointed out to me, quite reasonably, that anyone who wished to return to ‘the old ways’ might approach you, Faramir, as someone who could feel that he had lost much with my arrival and had much to gain by my overthrow.”
Faramir dropped to one knee in front of Aragorn, head bowed.
“My Liege, my King. Never, no matter what, could I consider doing anything that would harm you or your family.”
Aragorn took him by both shoulders and pulled him to his feet. He put both arms around the younger man and hugged him, tightly.
“My dear Faramir, I did not doubt it for one minute. No – I mention it because I want to know if anyone has made any such approaches to you.”
“No! No, most certainly not!” Faramir paused, his brow furrowed slightly, and Tindómë could see the thoughtful man who had been described to her.
“At least, no-one has made any clear reference to any such thing. But, because such a thought was far from my own mind, it is possible that if someone sounded me out, less than clearly, I would not have recognised what they did. I will not say a categorical ‘no’ until I have time to go back, in my mind, over any unusual conversations I have had in the past few months.
“It would help if I knew who the men in question were, of course. Perhaps Lady Tindómë would recognise them if she saw them again? Dressed as she is now, and in the company of her,” he paused again and looked at where Tindómë sat, between Rumil and Legolas, “her family and friends, I do not think any man of Gondor would associate her with a maiden seen in the library.”
Legolas turned to Tindómë – “Nethig, have you forgiven Faramir his doubts?”
“I guess. He doesn’t know me so, yeah, probably right to make sure it wasn’t a wild goose chase.”
“Well then, Aragorn, my friend, in the telling to Faramir you missed the end of Tindómë’s story, which may go some way towards identifying the men. Nethig, when you told me, and when you then told it again here a little while ago, you were clear as to why you were unable to follow the men, and who might have recognised them.”
“Anarion, the librarian, came in just after they went out – he must’ve seen them,” Tindómë answered him immediately. She would have reminded Aragorn later, herself, if he had forgotten that bit in the shadow of what she had overheard.
“I will summon him straight away,” Faramir said, but Aragorn put a hand to his arm and told him to wait, they could speak to the librarian later, it was almost time for dinner. Anarion lived in the citadel – he could be brought to the King later, or tomorrow. Better, he thought, to leave the whole affair until after the meal, when Arwen and Éowyn could be told.
‘Hmm,’ Tindómë thought, ‘wonder if that means I have to go through the whole thing again, or whether he’ll tell them an edited version? It’s not going to be comfortable telling Arwen that someone thinks her father was boinking her late mother in law and so she is boinking her brother – but, she’s an elleth – I’m guessing that she’s probably less shockable than her husband thinks.’
……………………………………………………………………
Although Faramir and Éowyn had their own wing in the citadel they had been invited to dine with the king, and queen, and their other guests. There was actually no problem avoiding the possible threat to the royal family as a topic of conversation over dinner.
The recent sojourn in Rohan of Tindómë, and her four companions, was of great interest to all three who had arrived from Ithilien. The conversation roamed from the orc incursions to Lothiriel Queen’s health, and was conducted in a mixture of Sindarin and the Common Tongue.
Faramir spoke excellent Sindarin, although with a different accent to any of the others around the table, and Éowyn was obviously learning this language of elves, Gondorian nobles, and rangers. Tindómë remembered some of her early lessons in Sindarin with Rumil, and wondered whether Faramir used similar methods with Éowyn; possibly, as they were married, even more unusual ones…
They were an interesting couple; he looked to be in his mid thirties, she in her mid twenties; he seemed more studious, quieter; but they were clearly in love with each other. From what she had learned of Faramir’s role, before and during the Ring War, Tindómë knew that he had been the leader of a guerrilla force – certainly as much a warrior as any of the other males around the table.
Éowyn, though – if there had been points awarded for killing the monsters and bad guys then Éowyn must have made the highest single points score of anyone. The King of the Nazgul must be worth even more points than Gandalf or Glorfindel’s balrogs. In a different place and time Éowyn might have been a Slayer.
Tindómë could certainly see why Legolas thought Eowyn would be very pissed if they kept her out of the loop!
…………………………………………………………..
When the meal was over, and all the servants dismissed for the rest of the evening, Aragorn explained, very seriously, to Arwen and Éowyn that Tindómë had overheard something worrying. He gave a much edited version; only for Arwen to look at Tindómë, sitting in the crook of Rumil’s arm, and ask her what had actually been said.
Aragorn looked as if he wanted to interject, but didn’t. Arwen moved to his side and sat with her hand in his, then asked again for Tindómë to explain exactly what she had heard. After the earlier conversation Tindómë wondered whether this was to reassure, be reassured, or so that she could better gauge her husband’s reactions. She looked around at the ellyn and found herself channelling Pinky and The Brain… are you wondering what I’m wondering…?
Tindómë told the story again, waiting for Éowyn to ask the same questions as her husband; but she simply nodded when Tindómë explained that the men assumed that she was of no importance, and gave a distinct eye-roll.
“A by-blow of the so-called ‘Lord’ Elrond, although his mother might well have been the widow of the ‘heir’; if you believe that such wild Northerners could be considered as heirs to the throne of Gondor…” Tindómë quoted, flatly, keeping an elven-like blank expression.
Aragorn shifted in his chair, his eyes angry – Arwen stroked the back of his hand. ‘Just like Rumil does to me…’ Tindómë thought.
“And he makes no secret of it – he calls those unnatural males his brothers – not his brothers-in-law. I have heard him with my own ears.”
“Oh dear,” Arwen said. “Oh dear. We forget that people do not understand our ways.”
She paused, looked impassively at her brothers, and then suddenly laughed. Much of the tension in the room dissolved, although the ellyn all continued to look stern. Éowyn, who had said nothing so far, now looked slightly wide eyed at her Queen as did Faramir.
“Oh, my brothers, how can I ever again think of you as anything other than ‘those unnatural males’?” Arwen asked Elladan and Elrohir, “when, all these years, I had assumed your desire to kill yrch and enjoy pleasure with ellyth made you completely natural males!”
The twins looked at her with matching raised eyebrows and no hint of expression. Faramir and Éowyn both looked slightly worried. Aragorn looked as if he was trying to keep his composure. Tindómë gave in – she giggled.
Elladan looked at her. “Tinu, I am disappointed in you…”
Faramir and Éowyn both looked a little more worried.
“We had thought,” Elrohir finished, “you could keep a straight face much better than that…”
………………………………………………………………..
When Tindómë finished her narration, at the point where she had been unable to follow the men from the library because of Anarion’s arrival, and Aragorn added that he would speak to Anarion in the morning, Arwen took a deep breath and straightened her back. She wore what Willow would have called ‘resolve face’.
“So, my love,” Arwen said, “there are some who are not happy with the way you rule Gondor. It is ever so. Doubtless there were those who did not like the way Gil-Galad ruled, when he took over from Turgon, and who disapproved of the Teleri ways he may have learnt at The Havens. And, equally likely, there were those who were unhappy when Tar-Alcarin regained his rightful throne; those who harkened back to the days of his father.”
All eyes stayed on her; no-one spoke.
“Yay for sensible ellyth!” Tindómë thought, “also ellyth who are well educated in the history of elves and men…”
“There will always be some who want things to be as they have always been – even if common sense suggests that life is better since things changed. But if they intend to do more than reminisce, and long for ‘the old days’, we will have to ensure either that they change their minds, or that they become an unwanted minority,” Arwen continued.
She looked at her husband, who was looking at her in open admiration (‘As he should,’ Tindómë thought), and then resumed her speech.
“But if there are those who genuinely believe that you are not the son of Arathorn, or simply try to convince others of that for their own ends, we must do what we can to reassure people that you are who you say you are.”
“You look very like him,” Elladan said, slowly, “but then there are few men left who remember your father – and probably none of those are members of the Gondorian aristocracy…”
“I don’t suppose that they would believe any portrait was truly Arathorn, even should one exist, if they wanted to disbelieve,” Elrohir added.
“So,” Arwen continued, briskly, “we will have to think further about that. Although your beard makes the possibility of you being my father’s blood son seem unlikely!”
“They could accuse you of being a son of Círdan…” Legolas entered the conversation, sounding slightly less than serious.
“You did lead a fleet of ships to the rescue of Minas Tirith…” Even Orophin was joining in the gentle teasing of the King.
Faramir and Éowyn still looked solemn, but Arwen did seem to have defused the situation somewhat.
“We must be grateful, too,” the Queen continued, but with a slight grimace, “this once, for the way in which the men of Gondor disregard women. Not just because they ignored Tindómë and spoke their treasonous thoughts within her hearing, but also because they see Gilraen as unimportant.
“As we have no male heir yet, my love, they only see the need to ‘do something’ before such a male babe is born. So they are unlikely to plan a physical attack tonight or tomorrow; we have time to investigate and plan.”
Éowyn was nodding, and finally she joined the conversation. “I think everyone must know that Faramir is loyal to his liege lord; that he loves you, Aragorn. You have been more of a father to my husband than Denethor was for many years before his untimely death.”
‘Go girl!’ Tindómë mentally cheered the princess on, ‘tell it like it is!’
“But,” Éowyn’s voice dropped a tone, and became almost sinister, “it is possible that people might be convinced that I am dissatisfied with my ‘exile in Ithilien’, married to a prince, rather than being the wife of the ruler of all Gondor…”
She reached for her husband’s hand and squeezed it gently, before adding “although anyone who actually knows me would be all too aware that I am happier in Ithilien than confined by the court and the walls of the city, beautiful as it is.”
“So,” she went on, “if we think any of the ladies of the court might be involved, and some of what Lady Tindómë overheard would make that quite likely, the odd murmur of discontent from me might bear fruit.”
“Call me Tindómë, please, none of this lady-stuff, except if we’re somewhere formal.”
Tindómë’s request was almost lost as Faramir asked his wife what made her think there might be court ladies involved.
“Because, when Tindómë told us exactly what she has heard, it included the tit-bits that the king had ‘already spent time in her bed’ and that there had been other males in Arwen’s bedroom – only one of the ladies-in-waiting would have been around to know those things, and Arwen did not deny that they were true. Although,” she looked ruefully at the Queen, “I would expect that the reality is ‘less interesting’ than the implications.”
Tindómë laughed, before anyone else could answer, and said “Especially as they thought I was one of the males, to start with, and at least two of the other males are, apparently, unnatural…”
“I fear,” Legolas entered the conversation, “that these are people who would see all races but their own as unnatural. They would prefer there to be no visits from ourselves, or Gimli, or the hobbits – they would prefer to forget us again.”
“But,” Faramir looked shocked, “without the elves, or Gimli, or Frodo and Sam, we would either still be under the shadow, or dead at the hands of Sauron!”
“It is the nature of men…”
Tindómë was glad that last remark came from Aragorn, rather than one of the elves.
“Yes, well,” said Éowyn, “I can sound out the court ladies and, also, I can pass more easily unnoticed through the streets and markets than you, Faramir, as all I need to do is put my hair up and wear a cloak with a hood – much like Tindómë…” she paused. “We could go together,” she suggested, “especially if you have better hearing than I have!”
“Why go to the markets?” her husband asked.
“So that we will be able to tell if this is purely court unrest, or if the people also want to return to the old ways.”
“I could ask Nessy!” Tindómë said. “The maid who is looking after me. She is not a court lady and she talks freely to me because she knew me before when I was…”
She stopped mid-sentence. ‘Huitho! After all Gandalf’s care to make sure I never met Éowyn when I was here before! Stupid, stupid girl!’
“Ah, yes,” Arwen came in smoothly, “when you visited last time. What a good idea.”
‘Hurrah for girl power!’ Tindómë thought. ‘Thank the Valar that Rumil and Legolas persuaded Aragorn to include these two.’
Conversation continued for a little longer before Arwen rose saying she would need to nurse Gilraen. Faramir and Éowyn also stood to go.
Arwen stopped to speak briefly with Tindómë before she left, asking her to delay any adventures in the city with Éowyn until at least later the next day, and to come and sit with her in her garden in the morning. It was a gentle request but Tindómë felt that it was almost a Royal command.
As she spoke to Arwen, Tindómë could see Legolas talking quietly to Elrohir and, almost as soon as their sister and the others left, the twins took one of Aragorn’s arms apiece and suggested that he join them in their rooms for a little more wine.
The King protested that he couldn’t leave the rest of his guests but was cut off by Legolas who said that he would like Tindómë, Rumil, and Orophin to join him in his own suite so that he could catch up with their news; news that, doubtless, Aragorn and the twins had already heard.
“Come!” Legolas said, in what Tindómë privately thought of as ‘prince mode’, and swept the three from Lorien out in his wake.
……………………………………………….
As they approached the doors to Legolas’ suite a man detached himself from the shadows and bowed.
“Ah, Firgon,” Legolas said, “is Galanthir here?”
“He awaits your Highness within your rooms,” the man answered.
Tindómë noted the ‘Highness’ and smiled to herself; Legolas was indeed very definitely in ‘prince mode’.
“Then, as it will be some time before I retire, I will rely on him for assistance until the morning,” Legolas continued. “But, perhaps, you could do me one last service before you retire for the night yourself?”
“Anything, your Highness.”
“Lady Tindómë and I still have much to catch up on, but do not wish to inconvenience anyone by keeping late hours, and so she, and her companions, will join me in my sitting room.
“It would be unkind to keep her maid up and waiting. Could you pass by Lady Tindómë’s room and tell…?”
He looked questioningly at Tindómë, even though she was sure he remembered Nessy’s name perfectly well; ‘We’re playing at being what he expects,’ she realised.
“Nessiel,” she supplied.
“Nessiel,” Legolas continued, “that her ladyship will not be retiring for some hours yet. She may sleep on the couch in her ladyship’s room. Or,” as if it had just occurred to him, he looked at Tindómë, “could you manage to undress unaided?”
She was tempted to stick her tongue out and go “Well, hello, big girl now!” but resisted the urge, and replied merely with “Yes, I think I can cope.”
“Then, Firgon, please inform Nessiel that she may return to her own room. I will see Lady Tindómë to her door later, and Nessiel need only attend her in the morning.”
“Thank you, my Lord Prince, you are most kind.” Firgon bowed slightly, and departed.
As soon as he was out of sight Legolas’ face relaxed into a smile. “Now let us go and open the early oak leaf wine that Galanthir will have ready!”
You could tell, Tindómë thought, that Legolas was much more used to court life than her, whether from his home or from time spent in the Citadel on other occasions. Whichever, he had managed to get rid of the courtier, and stopped her worrying about keeping Nessy up, whilst the man no doubt felt as if he had been granted a boon, not summarily dismissed!
When they went through the door Galanthir could be seen, beyond the open balcony windows, sitting on the balustrade; just as she remembered Orophin and Rumil doing on the day that Aragorn was crowned King Elessar.
As the party entered Galanthir swung his legs around, stepped down from the balustrade, and came back into the room. “My Lord Prince,” he said, in heavily accented Common.
“Firgon has left, Galanthir,” Legolas told him, in Sindarin.
“Oh well then,” Ganathir said with a smile, “I see we have guests, Legolas, shall I get the wine out?”
“Open a small flagon and leave it on the table with two glasses,” Legolas said, “and bring glasses for Orophin, you and I, as well.”
He turned to Rumil and Tindómë, “Rumil, nethig, I think, especially after the example Rumil used to show Aragorn the effect of fëar that are in tune, you two might like a little time alone together?” His voice lifted into a question as he looked from one to the other.
Rumil gave an almost imperceptible nod; Tindómë, however, blushed.
“How you spend it is not our concern…” Legolas said solemnly but, behind him, Orophin ‘winked’.
“But – but where? Without offending custom? Or if we were here where would you go, that no-one would realise that you weren’t here?” Tindómë realised that this was not totally coherent but knew Legolas would get the drift.
Unless – there were two rooms –and elves were used to not listening to sounds that they didn’t need to hear…
“Come here,” Legolas answered, and took her by the hand out onto the balcony.
She looked out and realised that this was one of the few rooms that overlooked Arwen’s garden. Of course! Legolas had worked with the Queen to design and plant it. How like Arwen and Aragorn to give him a room where he could see his own handiwork.
The grass was about fifteen feet below the balcony.
“We will retire to Arwen’s garden with our glasses and our wine. No-one is likely to notice us except, perhaps, Arwen or Aragorn; and none of the royal household will see any of us in the corridors to suspect that you two are, horrors, alone together.”
Rumil nodded again; but there was a glimmer of a smile.
“It will be good to be able to talk quietly…”
This time Orophin executed a perfect eye-roll.
Tindómë, however, grabbed Legolas by the neck and kissed him firmly on both cheeks.
“I thought it was Rumil that you were meant to do that to?”
Galanthir’s question made Tindómë think that she might rather like this elf from Ithilien who, three glasses in his hand, vaulted over the balcony to land silently below.
“Enjoy your conversation, my brother,” Orophin said, as he followed.
Legolas dropped a flagon down to Galanthir. “Call us when you want company,” he said, and then followed the other two.
As Rumil gently moved her back into the shadows, before dropping his mouth to hers, Tindómë again compared this ‘brother’ with her ‘sister’ in Sunnydale. M’kay, she was a little older now than she was when she… left… Sunnydale; but somehow she couldn’t imagine Buffy going out of her way to give Dawn quality time with any male.
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Odd bits of Sindarin.
Tithen meathor - little warrior
Peredhel – literally half-elven, but generally meaning ‘with some human blood.’
Nethig – Legolas name for Tindómë – ‘a term of endearment such as an elf might call a younger sister’.
Tinu – ‘little star’.
Huitho! - Fuck!
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The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.
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Although - if you do want to download the story/stories - most of the series can by found in an easier form by clicking the link in the sidebar to Twisting the Hellmouth... Just saying!
I learnt at WriterCon UK that putting fic and news together can make it hard for anyone who wants to copy the story into a file, either to print or put on an e-book or whatever.
So no news -
Previous chapters are Here.
Chapter Nineteen.
Rating 15
4,500 words.
Beta'd, as usual, by S2C.
Faramir had only met Tindómë briefly, when Legolas had introduced them in the courtyard, and needed to be convinced when Aragorn told him what she had overheard.
Legolas had introduced Tindómë to Faramir as “Sister to me by choice, not blood, as Aragorn is brother to the sons of Elrond,” and added, “Tindómë visits from her home in Lorien.”
Tindómë had said very little apart from “Hello” and so it was reasonable that Faramir might question how well she spoke the Common Tongue. Reasonable, but still annoying.
“Pardon me, my lady, but can we be sure that these men really did say those things? The lady Tindómë would need a very good grasp of the Common Tongue to understand such… distasteful sentiments.”
The ellyn all had totally expressionless faces as they looked at Faramir. Knowing Legolas as he now did, and having visited the elven colony in his princedom of Ithilien, this should perhaps have warned him.
Aragorn nodded his head, slowly, and then turned to Tindómë.
“Did you understand Faramir’s question?” he asked her, as solemnly as his brothers would have done under the circumstances.
Tindómë sat very straight-backed, head high, and looked down her nose slightly at Faramir.
“Well duh! Native speaker here. I might not speak with the same accent ‘cos, y’know, brought up in different places, but I so totally understood every little snide inflection in what those worms were saying!”
“Was that clear to you, Faramir?” Aragorn asked, still with an expression that showed that he, too, had had lessons in maintaining proper elven dignity.
“Um, I think so…”
Tindómë took pity on him. “Prince Faramir – you and I might speak with different accents, as I was not born and raised in Gondor, but I assure you that my grasp of the Common Tongue is as natural to me as yours is to you.”
The Prince of Ithilien blushed slightly.
‘M’kay, a bit old for me, and beardy, and not elven enough, ‘cos, elves, hot, but hey! Cute in his own way…!’ Tindómë thought.
But then Faramir questioned how the men could have mistaken her for a young Gondorian noblewoman.
“I wore a Gondorian dress – which, guys, not all that comfortable and really too hot for this climate. Then I put my hair up. They were men, they didn’t take much notice, they were thinking about sneaking in to be nasty about their King and Queen, so they didn’t take much notice of me. The male brain is not good at multi-tasking.”
“At what?” Aragorn and Legolas both asked together.
“Thinking about more than one thing at a time. Although, sometimes, it looks as if you can manage to think about joining and food, or joining and fighting, simultaneously…
“The female brain, though – we can think about more than one thing at a time easily – proven fact. Comes from having to look after babies and do other things at the same time.”
“That seems reasonable,” Elrohir said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“But, surely, my lady,” Faramir sounded seriously puzzled still, “even if they did not take a great deal of interest in you, they might have noticed your elven ears if you had your hair up?”
She looked around briefly at the ellyn. There were a couple of slight nods.
Putting her hands under her long, thick, hair she swept it up and away from her ears.
“Oh!” Faramir said. “When Legolas said you were a sister of choice, just as Aragorn is brother to Elladan and Elrohir, I didn’t realise that he meant that you were also a human, not an elf.”
Before Tindómë, or any of the others, could give him the official explanation, he swept on.
“But then how were you able to hear if they were as far away from you as you said? Surely you must only have heard tiny fragments, and filled in the rest by guess work?”
M’kay, it was probably his job to ask questions and make sure he had all the facts, but this guy was beginning to get annoying…
Rumil must have realised that she was getting fed-up even if he had, probably, only understood about half the conversation. His thumb was making small circling movements, where it touched her hand, and he had moved just a little closer.
There were a series of rapid glances between the twins, Legolas, and Orophin, and then Elladan spoke.
“Faramir, your need to ascertain the facts does you credit, but I think our tithen maethor might be about to lose her temper.
“Tindómë is, as our family are, peredhel. She has some human blood, but is, practically, an elleth. She inherited her ear-shape from her human ancestry.”
“Rumil rather likes her ears…” a muttered voice said, in Sindarin, from the corner where Orophin sat. Tindómë tried not to smile.
Elrohir had picked up from his brother.
“Whilst the outer shape may be human, Tindómë’s hearing is much more acute than a human’s would be.”
‘So,’ Tindómë thought, ‘they have noticed that too!’
“If you need a demonstration,” Elladan suggested, “I am sure that Tindómë would be… happy… to give you one.”
The colour flared across Faramir’s cheeks again.
“No, of course not, Elladan, Elrohir, my lady. I am certainly happy that you heard what my lord... what Aragorn has told me, although not at all happy with the nature of what you overheard. How could anyone…?”
Faramir was positively bristling with indignation now that he was sure of the truth.
Aragorn spoke. “My brothers pointed out to me, quite reasonably, that anyone who wished to return to ‘the old ways’ might approach you, Faramir, as someone who could feel that he had lost much with my arrival and had much to gain by my overthrow.”
Faramir dropped to one knee in front of Aragorn, head bowed.
“My Liege, my King. Never, no matter what, could I consider doing anything that would harm you or your family.”
Aragorn took him by both shoulders and pulled him to his feet. He put both arms around the younger man and hugged him, tightly.
“My dear Faramir, I did not doubt it for one minute. No – I mention it because I want to know if anyone has made any such approaches to you.”
“No! No, most certainly not!” Faramir paused, his brow furrowed slightly, and Tindómë could see the thoughtful man who had been described to her.
“At least, no-one has made any clear reference to any such thing. But, because such a thought was far from my own mind, it is possible that if someone sounded me out, less than clearly, I would not have recognised what they did. I will not say a categorical ‘no’ until I have time to go back, in my mind, over any unusual conversations I have had in the past few months.
“It would help if I knew who the men in question were, of course. Perhaps Lady Tindómë would recognise them if she saw them again? Dressed as she is now, and in the company of her,” he paused again and looked at where Tindómë sat, between Rumil and Legolas, “her family and friends, I do not think any man of Gondor would associate her with a maiden seen in the library.”
Legolas turned to Tindómë – “Nethig, have you forgiven Faramir his doubts?”
“I guess. He doesn’t know me so, yeah, probably right to make sure it wasn’t a wild goose chase.”
“Well then, Aragorn, my friend, in the telling to Faramir you missed the end of Tindómë’s story, which may go some way towards identifying the men. Nethig, when you told me, and when you then told it again here a little while ago, you were clear as to why you were unable to follow the men, and who might have recognised them.”
“Anarion, the librarian, came in just after they went out – he must’ve seen them,” Tindómë answered him immediately. She would have reminded Aragorn later, herself, if he had forgotten that bit in the shadow of what she had overheard.
“I will summon him straight away,” Faramir said, but Aragorn put a hand to his arm and told him to wait, they could speak to the librarian later, it was almost time for dinner. Anarion lived in the citadel – he could be brought to the King later, or tomorrow. Better, he thought, to leave the whole affair until after the meal, when Arwen and Éowyn could be told.
‘Hmm,’ Tindómë thought, ‘wonder if that means I have to go through the whole thing again, or whether he’ll tell them an edited version? It’s not going to be comfortable telling Arwen that someone thinks her father was boinking her late mother in law and so she is boinking her brother – but, she’s an elleth – I’m guessing that she’s probably less shockable than her husband thinks.’
……………………………………………………………………
Although Faramir and Éowyn had their own wing in the citadel they had been invited to dine with the king, and queen, and their other guests. There was actually no problem avoiding the possible threat to the royal family as a topic of conversation over dinner.
The recent sojourn in Rohan of Tindómë, and her four companions, was of great interest to all three who had arrived from Ithilien. The conversation roamed from the orc incursions to Lothiriel Queen’s health, and was conducted in a mixture of Sindarin and the Common Tongue.
Faramir spoke excellent Sindarin, although with a different accent to any of the others around the table, and Éowyn was obviously learning this language of elves, Gondorian nobles, and rangers. Tindómë remembered some of her early lessons in Sindarin with Rumil, and wondered whether Faramir used similar methods with Éowyn; possibly, as they were married, even more unusual ones…
They were an interesting couple; he looked to be in his mid thirties, she in her mid twenties; he seemed more studious, quieter; but they were clearly in love with each other. From what she had learned of Faramir’s role, before and during the Ring War, Tindómë knew that he had been the leader of a guerrilla force – certainly as much a warrior as any of the other males around the table.
Éowyn, though – if there had been points awarded for killing the monsters and bad guys then Éowyn must have made the highest single points score of anyone. The King of the Nazgul must be worth even more points than Gandalf or Glorfindel’s balrogs. In a different place and time Éowyn might have been a Slayer.
Tindómë could certainly see why Legolas thought Eowyn would be very pissed if they kept her out of the loop!
…………………………………………………………..
When the meal was over, and all the servants dismissed for the rest of the evening, Aragorn explained, very seriously, to Arwen and Éowyn that Tindómë had overheard something worrying. He gave a much edited version; only for Arwen to look at Tindómë, sitting in the crook of Rumil’s arm, and ask her what had actually been said.
Aragorn looked as if he wanted to interject, but didn’t. Arwen moved to his side and sat with her hand in his, then asked again for Tindómë to explain exactly what she had heard. After the earlier conversation Tindómë wondered whether this was to reassure, be reassured, or so that she could better gauge her husband’s reactions. She looked around at the ellyn and found herself channelling Pinky and The Brain… are you wondering what I’m wondering…?
Tindómë told the story again, waiting for Éowyn to ask the same questions as her husband; but she simply nodded when Tindómë explained that the men assumed that she was of no importance, and gave a distinct eye-roll.
“A by-blow of the so-called ‘Lord’ Elrond, although his mother might well have been the widow of the ‘heir’; if you believe that such wild Northerners could be considered as heirs to the throne of Gondor…” Tindómë quoted, flatly, keeping an elven-like blank expression.
Aragorn shifted in his chair, his eyes angry – Arwen stroked the back of his hand. ‘Just like Rumil does to me…’ Tindómë thought.
“And he makes no secret of it – he calls those unnatural males his brothers – not his brothers-in-law. I have heard him with my own ears.”
“Oh dear,” Arwen said. “Oh dear. We forget that people do not understand our ways.”
She paused, looked impassively at her brothers, and then suddenly laughed. Much of the tension in the room dissolved, although the ellyn all continued to look stern. Éowyn, who had said nothing so far, now looked slightly wide eyed at her Queen as did Faramir.
“Oh, my brothers, how can I ever again think of you as anything other than ‘those unnatural males’?” Arwen asked Elladan and Elrohir, “when, all these years, I had assumed your desire to kill yrch and enjoy pleasure with ellyth made you completely natural males!”
The twins looked at her with matching raised eyebrows and no hint of expression. Faramir and Éowyn both looked slightly worried. Aragorn looked as if he was trying to keep his composure. Tindómë gave in – she giggled.
Elladan looked at her. “Tinu, I am disappointed in you…”
Faramir and Éowyn both looked a little more worried.
“We had thought,” Elrohir finished, “you could keep a straight face much better than that…”
………………………………………………………………..
When Tindómë finished her narration, at the point where she had been unable to follow the men from the library because of Anarion’s arrival, and Aragorn added that he would speak to Anarion in the morning, Arwen took a deep breath and straightened her back. She wore what Willow would have called ‘resolve face’.
“So, my love,” Arwen said, “there are some who are not happy with the way you rule Gondor. It is ever so. Doubtless there were those who did not like the way Gil-Galad ruled, when he took over from Turgon, and who disapproved of the Teleri ways he may have learnt at The Havens. And, equally likely, there were those who were unhappy when Tar-Alcarin regained his rightful throne; those who harkened back to the days of his father.”
All eyes stayed on her; no-one spoke.
“Yay for sensible ellyth!” Tindómë thought, “also ellyth who are well educated in the history of elves and men…”
“There will always be some who want things to be as they have always been – even if common sense suggests that life is better since things changed. But if they intend to do more than reminisce, and long for ‘the old days’, we will have to ensure either that they change their minds, or that they become an unwanted minority,” Arwen continued.
She looked at her husband, who was looking at her in open admiration (‘As he should,’ Tindómë thought), and then resumed her speech.
“But if there are those who genuinely believe that you are not the son of Arathorn, or simply try to convince others of that for their own ends, we must do what we can to reassure people that you are who you say you are.”
“You look very like him,” Elladan said, slowly, “but then there are few men left who remember your father – and probably none of those are members of the Gondorian aristocracy…”
“I don’t suppose that they would believe any portrait was truly Arathorn, even should one exist, if they wanted to disbelieve,” Elrohir added.
“So,” Arwen continued, briskly, “we will have to think further about that. Although your beard makes the possibility of you being my father’s blood son seem unlikely!”
“They could accuse you of being a son of Círdan…” Legolas entered the conversation, sounding slightly less than serious.
“You did lead a fleet of ships to the rescue of Minas Tirith…” Even Orophin was joining in the gentle teasing of the King.
Faramir and Éowyn still looked solemn, but Arwen did seem to have defused the situation somewhat.
“We must be grateful, too,” the Queen continued, but with a slight grimace, “this once, for the way in which the men of Gondor disregard women. Not just because they ignored Tindómë and spoke their treasonous thoughts within her hearing, but also because they see Gilraen as unimportant.
“As we have no male heir yet, my love, they only see the need to ‘do something’ before such a male babe is born. So they are unlikely to plan a physical attack tonight or tomorrow; we have time to investigate and plan.”
Éowyn was nodding, and finally she joined the conversation. “I think everyone must know that Faramir is loyal to his liege lord; that he loves you, Aragorn. You have been more of a father to my husband than Denethor was for many years before his untimely death.”
‘Go girl!’ Tindómë mentally cheered the princess on, ‘tell it like it is!’
“But,” Éowyn’s voice dropped a tone, and became almost sinister, “it is possible that people might be convinced that I am dissatisfied with my ‘exile in Ithilien’, married to a prince, rather than being the wife of the ruler of all Gondor…”
She reached for her husband’s hand and squeezed it gently, before adding “although anyone who actually knows me would be all too aware that I am happier in Ithilien than confined by the court and the walls of the city, beautiful as it is.”
“So,” she went on, “if we think any of the ladies of the court might be involved, and some of what Lady Tindómë overheard would make that quite likely, the odd murmur of discontent from me might bear fruit.”
“Call me Tindómë, please, none of this lady-stuff, except if we’re somewhere formal.”
Tindómë’s request was almost lost as Faramir asked his wife what made her think there might be court ladies involved.
“Because, when Tindómë told us exactly what she has heard, it included the tit-bits that the king had ‘already spent time in her bed’ and that there had been other males in Arwen’s bedroom – only one of the ladies-in-waiting would have been around to know those things, and Arwen did not deny that they were true. Although,” she looked ruefully at the Queen, “I would expect that the reality is ‘less interesting’ than the implications.”
Tindómë laughed, before anyone else could answer, and said “Especially as they thought I was one of the males, to start with, and at least two of the other males are, apparently, unnatural…”
“I fear,” Legolas entered the conversation, “that these are people who would see all races but their own as unnatural. They would prefer there to be no visits from ourselves, or Gimli, or the hobbits – they would prefer to forget us again.”
“But,” Faramir looked shocked, “without the elves, or Gimli, or Frodo and Sam, we would either still be under the shadow, or dead at the hands of Sauron!”
“It is the nature of men…”
Tindómë was glad that last remark came from Aragorn, rather than one of the elves.
“Yes, well,” said Éowyn, “I can sound out the court ladies and, also, I can pass more easily unnoticed through the streets and markets than you, Faramir, as all I need to do is put my hair up and wear a cloak with a hood – much like Tindómë…” she paused. “We could go together,” she suggested, “especially if you have better hearing than I have!”
“Why go to the markets?” her husband asked.
“So that we will be able to tell if this is purely court unrest, or if the people also want to return to the old ways.”
“I could ask Nessy!” Tindómë said. “The maid who is looking after me. She is not a court lady and she talks freely to me because she knew me before when I was…”
She stopped mid-sentence. ‘Huitho! After all Gandalf’s care to make sure I never met Éowyn when I was here before! Stupid, stupid girl!’
“Ah, yes,” Arwen came in smoothly, “when you visited last time. What a good idea.”
‘Hurrah for girl power!’ Tindómë thought. ‘Thank the Valar that Rumil and Legolas persuaded Aragorn to include these two.’
Conversation continued for a little longer before Arwen rose saying she would need to nurse Gilraen. Faramir and Éowyn also stood to go.
Arwen stopped to speak briefly with Tindómë before she left, asking her to delay any adventures in the city with Éowyn until at least later the next day, and to come and sit with her in her garden in the morning. It was a gentle request but Tindómë felt that it was almost a Royal command.
As she spoke to Arwen, Tindómë could see Legolas talking quietly to Elrohir and, almost as soon as their sister and the others left, the twins took one of Aragorn’s arms apiece and suggested that he join them in their rooms for a little more wine.
The King protested that he couldn’t leave the rest of his guests but was cut off by Legolas who said that he would like Tindómë, Rumil, and Orophin to join him in his own suite so that he could catch up with their news; news that, doubtless, Aragorn and the twins had already heard.
“Come!” Legolas said, in what Tindómë privately thought of as ‘prince mode’, and swept the three from Lorien out in his wake.
……………………………………………….
As they approached the doors to Legolas’ suite a man detached himself from the shadows and bowed.
“Ah, Firgon,” Legolas said, “is Galanthir here?”
“He awaits your Highness within your rooms,” the man answered.
Tindómë noted the ‘Highness’ and smiled to herself; Legolas was indeed very definitely in ‘prince mode’.
“Then, as it will be some time before I retire, I will rely on him for assistance until the morning,” Legolas continued. “But, perhaps, you could do me one last service before you retire for the night yourself?”
“Anything, your Highness.”
“Lady Tindómë and I still have much to catch up on, but do not wish to inconvenience anyone by keeping late hours, and so she, and her companions, will join me in my sitting room.
“It would be unkind to keep her maid up and waiting. Could you pass by Lady Tindómë’s room and tell…?”
He looked questioningly at Tindómë, even though she was sure he remembered Nessy’s name perfectly well; ‘We’re playing at being what he expects,’ she realised.
“Nessiel,” she supplied.
“Nessiel,” Legolas continued, “that her ladyship will not be retiring for some hours yet. She may sleep on the couch in her ladyship’s room. Or,” as if it had just occurred to him, he looked at Tindómë, “could you manage to undress unaided?”
She was tempted to stick her tongue out and go “Well, hello, big girl now!” but resisted the urge, and replied merely with “Yes, I think I can cope.”
“Then, Firgon, please inform Nessiel that she may return to her own room. I will see Lady Tindómë to her door later, and Nessiel need only attend her in the morning.”
“Thank you, my Lord Prince, you are most kind.” Firgon bowed slightly, and departed.
As soon as he was out of sight Legolas’ face relaxed into a smile. “Now let us go and open the early oak leaf wine that Galanthir will have ready!”
You could tell, Tindómë thought, that Legolas was much more used to court life than her, whether from his home or from time spent in the Citadel on other occasions. Whichever, he had managed to get rid of the courtier, and stopped her worrying about keeping Nessy up, whilst the man no doubt felt as if he had been granted a boon, not summarily dismissed!
When they went through the door Galanthir could be seen, beyond the open balcony windows, sitting on the balustrade; just as she remembered Orophin and Rumil doing on the day that Aragorn was crowned King Elessar.
As the party entered Galanthir swung his legs around, stepped down from the balustrade, and came back into the room. “My Lord Prince,” he said, in heavily accented Common.
“Firgon has left, Galanthir,” Legolas told him, in Sindarin.
“Oh well then,” Ganathir said with a smile, “I see we have guests, Legolas, shall I get the wine out?”
“Open a small flagon and leave it on the table with two glasses,” Legolas said, “and bring glasses for Orophin, you and I, as well.”
He turned to Rumil and Tindómë, “Rumil, nethig, I think, especially after the example Rumil used to show Aragorn the effect of fëar that are in tune, you two might like a little time alone together?” His voice lifted into a question as he looked from one to the other.
Rumil gave an almost imperceptible nod; Tindómë, however, blushed.
“How you spend it is not our concern…” Legolas said solemnly but, behind him, Orophin ‘winked’.
“But – but where? Without offending custom? Or if we were here where would you go, that no-one would realise that you weren’t here?” Tindómë realised that this was not totally coherent but knew Legolas would get the drift.
Unless – there were two rooms –and elves were used to not listening to sounds that they didn’t need to hear…
“Come here,” Legolas answered, and took her by the hand out onto the balcony.
She looked out and realised that this was one of the few rooms that overlooked Arwen’s garden. Of course! Legolas had worked with the Queen to design and plant it. How like Arwen and Aragorn to give him a room where he could see his own handiwork.
The grass was about fifteen feet below the balcony.
“We will retire to Arwen’s garden with our glasses and our wine. No-one is likely to notice us except, perhaps, Arwen or Aragorn; and none of the royal household will see any of us in the corridors to suspect that you two are, horrors, alone together.”
Rumil nodded again; but there was a glimmer of a smile.
“It will be good to be able to talk quietly…”
This time Orophin executed a perfect eye-roll.
Tindómë, however, grabbed Legolas by the neck and kissed him firmly on both cheeks.
“I thought it was Rumil that you were meant to do that to?”
Galanthir’s question made Tindómë think that she might rather like this elf from Ithilien who, three glasses in his hand, vaulted over the balcony to land silently below.
“Enjoy your conversation, my brother,” Orophin said, as he followed.
Legolas dropped a flagon down to Galanthir. “Call us when you want company,” he said, and then followed the other two.
As Rumil gently moved her back into the shadows, before dropping his mouth to hers, Tindómë again compared this ‘brother’ with her ‘sister’ in Sunnydale. M’kay, she was a little older now than she was when she… left… Sunnydale; but somehow she couldn’t imagine Buffy going out of her way to give Dawn quality time with any male.
.................................................
Odd bits of Sindarin.
Tithen meathor - little warrior
Peredhel – literally half-elven, but generally meaning ‘with some human blood.’
Nethig – Legolas name for Tindómë – ‘a term of endearment such as an elf might call a younger sister’.
Tinu – ‘little star’.
Huitho! - Fuck!
.....................................................................
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.
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Although - if you do want to download the story/stories - most of the series can by found in an easier form by clicking the link in the sidebar to Twisting the Hellmouth... Just saying!
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Date: 19/08/2009 06:22 pm (UTC)Yay for girl power !
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Date: 19/08/2009 07:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/08/2009 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 20/08/2009 07:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 21/08/2009 03:57 pm (UTC)Must disagree on the points count for a Nazgul v. a balrog though, although all Maiar, like all Valar, were not created equal. I have often wondered what might have happened if the horns of Rohan had not sounded in time to stop the direct fight between Gandalf and the Witch King. Given that he had defeated a balrog (and so got major experience points upgrades ;) ) I do wonder what might have happened.
I enjoyed the parallel soothing roles of Arwen and Rumil. Nicely done!
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Date: 21/08/2009 06:00 pm (UTC)I enjoyed the parallel soothing roles of Arwen and Rumil. Nicely done!
Thank you - I like to have things that just add depth, even if most people don't notice them - but it is lovely that you do.
Hope it was a lovely holiday, too.
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Date: 22/08/2009 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 22/08/2009 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 23/08/2009 08:47 pm (UTC)LOL!
Glad to see that your Eowyn is smart! I'm looking forward to her undercover work with Tindómë.
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Date: 23/08/2009 09:08 pm (UTC)I wonder if your Éowyn influenced mine? My Éomer is pretty quick on the uptake, even though he professes to be 'more warrior than diplomat', so I think it reasonable that Éowyn is too!