A Safe Pair of Hands

By Evendim

This is a not for profit work of fan fiction based upon the characters of J.R.R. Tolkien. For J.E. with my best wishes

Evendim

“We need to find shelter!” Boromir hissed as loudly as he dared. He was not the Ranger of the pair, but he knew enough not to call out loudly with a wind rising, for sound carried, and the likelihood they were alone out here was as remote as the land itself.

A tiny snicker broke loose, and then a muffled yelp as a gauntlet clad paw scuffed past a pink ear lobe. Faramir had to be freezing in that Ranger cloak. It was more waterproofed than heat preserving, and the man’s pink ear lobes and drippy nose were testament that he was shivering.

“I am leading us to shelter, I had thought about shelter before the snow began to fall.” Faramir replied smugly, shaking his head to underline his exasperation with his brother. Boromir was used to leading vast numbers of men, he worked best, mentally as well as physically, when seeing men arrayed into squares upon a battlefield; pit him one on one with nature as his adversary and he was as a babe in arms.

“Close by is it, this shelter you have in mind? Only, Minas Tirith is a mere ten leagues from here, twenty five as the crow flies.” Boromir said with sarcasm. They were leading their horses so as not to attract attention.

“I am not attempting thirty miles in this weather, as to the crow, good luck to him. Keep up, do, I do not have a search party to send after you, you big dunce.” Faramir muttered as he glanced back to see Boromir hopping on one foot, trying to dislodge a stone from his boot.

“Ignore it.” was Faramir’s advice.

“Ignore it? Mount Mindolluin has just taken up residence in my left boot!”

“Ignore it.”

“I am going lame!” Boromir pouted.

“No you are not, you great baby.”

“If I were Simbelmyne you would reach for a hoof pick instantly.” Boromir persisted and he could be heard to favour the one foot by the step-shuffle, step-shuffle, behind Faramir.

“Simbelmyne is valuable.”

“Why, you callous little knave!” Boromir squeaked.

Turning around, Faramir dropped Simbelmyne’s rein and crossed his arms, head tilted to one side he said softly: “If you take your boot off, you shall surely get the sock wet in the snow, and we both know what a misery wet socks are, do we not?”

“Not such a callous little knave then!” Boromir said with love in his eyes.

“Just a little way further and I shall get the nasty stone.” Faramir promised.

“It’s a rock.” Boromir pouted and just looking at the piggy expression on that handsome face cracked Faramir up.

“Fetch Fedranth along, we need to be out of this, and we need to be out of it before the snow stops or else our tracks will not be covered.”

“I knew at first sight what you would be.” Boromir boasted.

“A Ranger?” Faramir enquired.

“A mouser.” Boromir replied.

On they plodded, the only sounds their laboured breathing and that of their horses, dusk had come and Boromir was growing anxious, not that he did not trust Faramir’s judgement, he was the commander of Henneth Annun after all, had been almost a year now, had won over seasoned men not given to sentiment, When they looked at Faramir they did not see what Boromir saw, they were not looking at a beloved younger brother, they were looking at the man who held their lives in his hands.

Fedranth, Boromir’s roan, brushed too close to a bush and snow showered down upon Boromir, covering his hair and finding its way down his neck. It was then that Faramir announced they had arrived.

“Where have we arrived?” Boromir asked with a frown, Faramir had to have the night vision of an owl for Boromir could see nothing by now. Shaking his head, Boromir concentrated on following his brother, grateful that Simbelmyne was a grey and was visible by the meagre light of the moon glimpsed past the clouds.

“It is a charcoal burner’s cottage. They will let us shelter here…although…I had expected the furnace to be lit. It is most…” Faramir paused and instantly Boromir freed his sword. He too felt there was something wrong here, instinct, years of experience, either way he too had picked up on Faramir’s anxiety.

Boromir passed Fedranth’s reins to his brother; they did not need two loose animals atop everything else that was going wrong with this journey. They were meant to be returning to Minas Tirith on furlough for the Yule Festival, this was the one concession the Steward allowed himself, the presence of both his sons at Court for these two all too brief weeks in winter. Faramir was anxious they might be snowed in hence this detour and the promise of shelter for he knew these people well.

“Wait with the horses.” Boromir whispered and Faramir tightened his grasp on both sets of reins, the two Rohirrim stallions were becoming skittish and one thing sure to trigger such a reaction was…death.

Boromir came out of the small cottage and he was clearly holding his senses in check. It was too dark to see his brother clearly, but Boromir’s body language told Faramir all he needed to know and a deal more besides.

“All?” Faramir whispered.

Boromir nodded, all life was extinguished beyond that mean little door, inside that mean little hut. They had been cut to pieces, had to have been, for the rushes strewn upon the floor had not coped with the volume of blood, and the sweet, sickly, smell coupled to the squelching under foot bore out Boromir’s theory.

“Eru; they were a lovely couple, they had two girls, twins, and there is no possibility…?” This was Faramir clutching at straws, even although he knew the reality. Orcs did not leave any alive.

“On a more selfish note, what do we do now? We cannot shelter inside the cottage; it is not to be contemplated. We cannot stay and we cannot go on.” Boromir outlined their dilemma just in case Faramir was too shocked to follow the plot.

“There is a lean-to at the back, little better than a stable, not even that in truth, but we can take the horses in beside us if the orcs have not torched it, or left any others, jointed like hares, inside.” Faramir added.

“I woke this morning with the sense of doom upon me. I hate when I have such premonitions. I could eat a hor…a very large thing with four legs and iron shoes.” Boromir amended as Fedranth laid back his ears and got that wild look in his eyes. Not that Boromir could see the eyes, just the whites of them as they shifted menacingly about in his eye sockets.

“Do not rattle his cage; you know the big fool is a killer. I wish I were employing hyperbole here, but we both know I am not.” Faramir never lowered his guard around his brother’s mount. Fedranth was jealous of Faramir, for one thing, and he was prepared to murder any who abused his master. Had done, on several well documented occasions, he was trained to defend his downed rider, but Fedranth had never waited until Boromir had been that far into danger.

“He is already rattled. He can scent blood better than you or me.” Boromir reminded his brother, and then he took hold of the latch on the door of the lean-to and yanked it free. Inside it appeared to be deserted. The need for light even minimal illumination was essential. Faramir had been here before, and he told Boromir there were no windows as such, only shutters, which could be propped open at need.

“Do you have a tinderbox?” Boromir asked. “I myself am used to a Squire lighting my fires. It is a weak link in the chain of command that I rely too heavily upon servants, even in the field.”

“I do happen to have one, and you may thank Damrod that I do, for it was he who insisted that I take his; that I could not know what lay ahead on the journey, as snow clouds were forming.” Faramir related, remembering Damrod’s insistence.

“There are some candle stumps in my saddlebag.” Boromir told Faramir.

“That’s nice.”

“Fetch me one?” Boromir asked.

“You want me, your only brother in this life, to go close enough to that killer to…he tries to maim me!” Faramir protested.

“He hates the dark, tell him Daddy wants to make light!”

“He also hates Faramir, and when he makes light I get horse shit on my boots!”

“Tragic, the two loves of my life and they cannot work together even in adversity.” Boromir shook his head sadly, knowing full well the hairy one would win this round.

“Oh for pity’s sake, how low shall you stoop to get your way?” Faramir hated to always be the one to give in, and, just as he knew Fedranth would, as he took the candle stump from the saddle bag the hooligan set one hairy hoof down atop Faramir’s foot. Just hard enough to drive home that if he felt like it, he could crush the puny human’s toes.

“Bad Fedi, bad horse, stop playing with uncle Faramir and let him fetch me the candle.” Boromir snickered.

Faramir felt the hoof lift part way, pause, then lift all the way clear. Fedranth never capitulated easily. Faramir muttered something about glue factories as he crossed to Boromir’s side and there he demanded: “Too much effort is it? To come and get the ruddy thing?”

“It is a question of preserving the chain of command, how would it be if we all forgot our place in the pecking order?” Boromir asked.

“Oh, the sky should fall, doubtless!” quipped Faramir.

“Peace, that sprinkling of red in your hair is coming to the fore. You are tired, and cold, and hungry, and so let us work together and settle down here for the duration of the snowfall.”

“Thank you, you know I love you, it is just that you tease me when I am least in the mood. As you say, we ought to have peace between us.” Faramir agreed.

“I agree, pet, now, nip outside and fetch some firewood.”

The air turned barrack room blue and any who knew Faramir would be truly astounded at just how creatively he could curse.

“Ah, he walks into it every time, bless!” Boromir laughed. He would make up with Faramir later. He had some treats in his saddle bags that would ensure it. Lighting two of the numerous candle stumps and setting them on a discarded slate upon the floor, Boromir now could see his surroundings.

As Faramir had said, it was a shed of sorts, it had proved to be large enough to lead the horses inside, and it weather proofed enough to keep the snow on the outside. It was a sight better than being outside tonight, for it was very cold, and the route was much too dangerous to traverse in the dark, let alone in the snow.

Boromir left the shed and went outside to do a walk around, if the light showed it was too big a risk to leave the candles lit. Faramir was coming back with a supply of wood.

“That was quick, brother.” Boromir praised.

“Uhm, I crossed to the wood shed. Hello? This is a charcoal burner’s cottage? There is a constant supply of wood here. Well, we know why I am leaving tracks out here, how about you?”

“I wanted to check we are not showing any light…no, we do not appear to be. Come back inside; let’s build enough of a fire to make some tea at least, yes?” Boromir took some of the wood and they both headed into the shed and sealed the door behind them.

“Why could it not hold off snowing until we reached home? It would have been so nice to look out on this if we could then go inside and settle at the fire with the hounds.” Boromir sighed as he visited this scene of domesticity inside his head.

“Yes, hounds, smouldering, drooling and, your pardon, farting. How I miss the great hairy brutes too.” Faramir reminisced as he pictured the scene and painted Torrin, Rhea and likely Mira, into the picture.

“What is it, besides an attack of homesickness, what is it Faramir?”

“I thought I heard a noise in the woodshed. I took a look around but it was my imagination.”

“Pass me the tinderbox back. Thank you. Where did Damrod get this thing? It looks lethal.” Boromir snickered.

“Where he gets every thing he possesses, he bought it from a fly by night Tinker. I wish the man were not so proud. I would love to take him back some thing special for a Yule gift, but I can hardly do that if I know it shall wound his pride.” Faramir sighed.

“Sod pride, he was shivering when we left, warm woollen underwear, mittens and socks cost the same as a decent bottle of wine. Tell him you thought to buy him wine but that he would feel awkward drinking it on his own and if he shared it, it would be a waste of your time and effort fetching it.” Boromir reasoned.

“You have the pulse of the men and so I shall take your advice. Of course, if he is offended, I shall lay the blame squarely upon you.” Faramir warned. He was watching Boromir strike the tinder box over and over without success, which was how it operated under Damrod’s hands also.

“Benighted object I could make fire faster by rubbing my back legs together!” Boromir growled.

“That must be what Ancir meant when he was talking about that visit you and he paid to the cat house on the second circle.” Faramir laughed.

“Cat house?” Boromir almost choked “What would a sprout like you know about a…a…!”

“Brothel?” Faramir suggested.

“Wash your mouth out with soap!” Boromir gasped in actual shock.

“How naive do you imagine I am? I am nineteen, and a Captain of the Citadel Guard. So, ‘The Cat and the Fiddle’ eh, that must be what the wench meant when she told Ancir his friend was ‘hot stuff’.”

“I will get even with that wretch, trust me, next time he is in his cups it’s down to the tattooist for ‘kiss me quick’ and a red rose upon his left butt cheek!” Boromir was so embarrassed he gave the tinder box one last almighty snap and a shower of sparks flew out.

“Ye gods!” Boromir hissed in fright.

“It does that when Damrod uses it.” Faramir said from boredom as he sat cross egged and rested his elbows on his knees and his face held cupped in one palm.

Another frenzied strike, and another shower of sparks, and Boromir stifled a roar and hissed: “Eru’s testicles!” as the hair on the back of his hand caught alight.

“Wait!” Faramir ordered as he held a piece of straw over the quick flash of flame then the single straw was fed to a handful of straw and so on until a tiny flame was harvested.

“Callous little knave!” Boromir gasped as he rubbed at the now hairless back of his wrist.

“What? Oh, it does that with Damrod too, which is why I never touch the bloody thing. There we have a fire. Only, I am, confused, why did you not simply light it from the candle flame?”

“Why did I actually count down the days until we met up today, hmm? I have so looked forward to…each and every day I have marked off…and you sit there lighting the fire from off me.” Boromir pouted.

“Brother?” Faramir began to think he had over played the joke and so he wriggled to his knees and hugged Boromir to him. “You goose! I love you, if I have offended you, then I apologise, I myself have been longing for these two weeks to come around. It is being apart so often, and for so long, that makes us play tricks upon one another. Do not be mad at me.”

“You are forgiven; I know you were simply playing the fool. We need to unsaddle the horses, and we need to brew some hot tea. Do not over fuel the fire; we cannot afford to pour smoke up that chimney.” Boromir stood and began to remove the tack from the horses it was best Boromir did it, for in this confined space Fedranth was not one to take kindly to Faramir’s presence so up close and personal.

They made oatcake on a slate over the fire, and brewed tea in their tin mugs, sweetened with sugar loaf, and behind them Simbelmyne could be heard daintily mouthing the piece he had been gifted while the renegade Fedranth crunched and drooled, his ears laid outwards, eyes rolling in pleasure. Boromir spread clean straw on the floor and then they sprawled side by side to watch the dwindling flames, feeding the fire only a little fuel at a time, making sure it was contained in the small hearth that fed the smoke up a narrow flue.

“How is Father?” Faramir asked “Have you even heard? I imagine the lines of communication are no more fluid to you as you progress around the countryside than they are to me at Henneth Annun.”

“One presumes he is well or we should certainly have heard. I have a few small treats for you in my saddlebags. Reach over and look.”

Faramir held his excitement in check and was rewarded when he found candied fruits in a paper twist, and liquorice sticks, and a paper twist of rainbow coloured sugar crystals. Lastly, but best of all, a paper twist that when opened revealed boiled sweets in the shape of goldfish.

“Oh, I adore those best, I love all of the choices, of course I do, but…I remember the fishes most of all from when I was little. Thank you.”

“You are most welcome. I must fetch some more fuel; we really cannot afford to sleep tonight, not even in turns, for it would be hard for either one of us to remain awake, with the warmth here and a tiring day behind us.” Boromir sighed.

“I shall go, kill two birds with the same stone.” Faramir announced and by the way he wriggled he conveyed he was going to communicate with nature also.

“Do not be long away for we really are very vulnerable here.” Boromir reminded his brother.

“I know.” Faramir replied. Boromir could not help but be protective for he had been doing it ever since their mother had died. Lifting his Ranger cloak Faramir threw it about his shoulders and hurriedly left the shed.

Boromir closed his eyes for just a few minutes, he was exhausted, and he would give bodily parts for a few hours sleep. The entire army was overstretched in these times. He was dreaming of a long soak in his sunken bath tub when the door creaked open and instantly he was back on the alert.

“Do not do that to me, I was nodding off and…where is the firewood you went to fetch?” Boromir asked for Faramir had both arms beneath his cloak now and he had the look of one who has reached into a sack and pulled out a snake.

“Faramir?”

The younger man laid a bundle upon the floor, and by the meagre firelight his brother saw Faramir’s face take on the most beautiful expression Boromir had ever witnessed.

“I did hear something earlier, in the wood shed? I heard it again, only fainter this time, and so I took a moment with the door wide to look about. The moon is out now the snow has stopped falling and the clouds are dispersed. Boromir, I found…a baby!”

TBC

Back in harness, due to the gorgeous sketch I received today from a dear friend, and which provided me with inspiration! The Sketch, of Faramir, is another by A. Fry, surely one of the most talented artists in this fandom, has been added to my album. Click on my ID page if you are new to my work, and then click on Homepage to view the album.

Thanks to all who have sent e. mail and I will wade through them all shortly.

Evendim.