Faramir Fiction Archive

And All Because... (NC-17)

Written by Foofy

02 February 2005 | 55500 words | Work in Progress

Part 7: Secrecy

In sheer and almost silent rage, Haldir crossed the paths of Rivendell. His face was a mask of intense concentration, his muscles clenched like a fist, his attention so tightly focused that to any observer it would seem that the elf did not care of his destination. The gardens soon turned into the outside edges of the forest. The outside edges swiftly turned into the deep, the whisper of the leaves on the trees covering any possible sound of Haldir’s movement.

Not that there was any. Haldir walked as he always did, silently.

However, there was more than one elf who had this ability.

“What has happened?” asked a soft voice behind him. Haldir paused, his body still as tense as it ever had been, before turning slightly to view his brother who had appeared behind him. Orophin’s eyes flickered towards the sleeve of Haldir’s tunic where a clear bloodstain had already seeped through leaving a deep red-brown mark on the material, his eyes coming back up to rest on Haldir’s. An eyebrow was raised in question.

“Nothing important,” Haldir managed to keep his voice under control. Orophin paused, obviously searching for the best way to tackle such an issue, when his brother beat him to it. “It does not concern you, Orophin,”

The elf looked at him sadly. “The day that it does not concern me is the day that we are no longer brothers,” he replied, still in the soft tones that Haldir knew so well. “I am here to see if I can help, brother. I saw you leave. You did not look happy,” Orophin shrugged lightly. “You still do not look happy,”

“Possibly because I am being harassed by constant attention,” snapped Haldir, regretting his words almost immediately after he had said them. He knew Orophin meant no harm. However, the last thing he needed was for someone’s opinion to be forced upon him. Not today. Not now.

Orophin seemed unaffected by Haldir’s statement and simply looked at him.

“Is it the human?”

“It is not your concern,” Haldir repeated, finally breaking free of the magic that held him to one position and making his way towards the base of a large oak to sit. Orophin followed him.

“I take it that was a yes. What happened?” Orophin rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder and frowned at the tension in the muscles. There was a snort of disgust from Haldir in answer, then silence.

“He tried to escape.” Haldir said finally after a significant pause had occurred. “Rúmil was right. I should never have trusted him.”

Orophin said nothing, merely looked back at him with a neutral expression. Haldir grew impatient after a few moments of this persistent silence and stared into the deep undergrowth. His brother finally sighed regretfully.

“It was he who caused the wound?”

“He was lucky,” commented Haldir darkly. “And it is not deep,”

“Who is watching him now?” Orophin did not comment on the wound further, his eyes still gentle on his brother. He raised an eyebrow in surprise as Haldir did not speak. “Did you simply leave him there?”

“He is chained,” came the elf’s response. Orophin shook his head.

“Was he not chained when he cut you?” he reminded softly, then stopped at the briefest expression that crossed Haldir’s face. “He was chained, brother?” The tone had turned slightly curious. Haldir waved his hand.

“He .,” Haldir bit down on the word `tricked’ that would have been spoken had he not stopped himself. Tricked implied that he had not been intelligent, had not approached a situation without the steadiest of cautions. “He was not chained,” he said softly, finally.

“I see.” Orophin’s voice had returned to neutral. “So when he was released, he attacked you,”

“He attempted to escape, yes.” Haldir did not look at his brother as he spoke, his eyes still fixed to the forest scenery.

“I assume you restrained him?” Orophin’s words were mild but Haldir reacted as though they had been angrily shouted at him. His frown deepened.

“Of course,” Haldir replied through gritted teeth. Orophin studied his brother with a look of sympathy.

“You are hurting, I understand,” he said softly.

“I told you, the wound is not that great,” scowled Haldir.

“I was not referring to the wound,” Orophin said sympathetically. His brother slowly turned his head to stare at him, a flicker of emotion crossing his gaze.

“Exactly what does that mean?” His voice was frosty. Either his brother did not notice or did not care. Orophin cocked his head to one side and looked back at him, not flinching away from the steady glare that his brother was aiming in his direction.

“I know how you care for the captive.”

“Care? For that animal?” spat Haldir. “I think not. He is a task, nothing more,”

“A task?” echoed Orophin. “Then may I ask again, brother. Why was he unchained?” Soft eyes watched him. Haldir growled and turned away, staring out at the forest again and not answering his brother. Orophin studied his own hands that were clasped in front of him.

“I also note, Haldir, that despite the injury the sleeve of your tunic was not ripped during the attack,” he murmured. “Did you have time to change?”

Haldir remained silent, although his scowl had returned in full force. Orophin put his hand on Haldir’s arm gently.

“It’s no crime to have feelings for a mortal, Haldir.”

“When a lover attempts to stab you to death, it’s probably advisable to take the hint,” Haldir responded immediately, his eyes firmly fixed on the forest. Orophin paused, his hand still resting on his brother.

“Lover?” the word was light in the forest air. Haldir’s muscles stiffened again. Orophin paused, then continued when it was obvious Haldir wasn’t saying another word. “Haldir, why was he unchained?” There was a little more force to the query.

Haldir snorted in faint amusement. “I didn’t force myself on him if that’s what you’re implying, Orophin,” he replied dryly. “He had a bath.”

“A bath?” echoed Orophin, astonished. Haldir shrugged.

“He’s been in those clothes for so long he was beginning to smell.” There was an almost fond look crossing Haldir’s face before he controlled it and stamped it down. “He had his bath and then.. ,” Haldir sighed, and shook his head. “Much as I hate to say it, I have been extremely foolish. I believed him.”

“I did not expect an attack like this myself, brother,” said Orophin, shaking his head. “That poor boy,”

“Poor boy?” echoed Haldir, finally staring at his brother. “Poor nothing! He is an opportunistic fighter, going for any weakness he can see,”

“But what does it take for a soldier of his type to actively try to seduce someone to find that weakness?” Orophin looked concerned. “He must seriously want to escape,”

“Seduce? He wouldn’t have got very far had I not.,” Haldir broke off and stared back into the forest. Orophin looked interested.

“Had you not already found him attractive?” he supplied when it was obvious that Haldir was not continuing once again. Haldir made a grunt in the back of his throat and continued to stare stubbornly into the forest. A squirrel scampered onto a nearby branch and stared down at the two elves thoughtfully, before continuing on its journey for food. Haldir watched it idly.

“Regardless,” Haldir shook his head, realising that Orophin was waiting for an answer he could not give him. “I cannot trust him.”

“You took him from his home, tied him up and locked him in a cell. He has been under your control and your whims for several days. And he knows that he is being used against his brother,” Orophin’s eyes were steady on him. “What makes you think he would be able to trust you?”

“That’s different. That was out of necessity, not choice,” Haldir paused at his brother’s expression, and frowned. “I did not go out there through any personal desire to take Faramir. I took who I was told to take,”

“And if he too felt his actions were through necessity not choice? What then?” Orophin’s voice was still as soft as silk. Haldir laughed to himself in genuine amusement.

“You speak as though the mortal has any desires other than his freedom,” the elf replied. “He cares for his brother, and that is it,”

“So he did not respond to your touch on his body?” asked Orophin gently. Haldir did not reply. There was a noise of understanding from Orophin. “I see. So he is a better liar than I had imagined,”

“His reactions do not prove anything,” growled Haldir.

“It does not. However, it implies so many things, does it not?” Orophin looked at the stubborn set of his brother’s jaw and sighed. “He did not strike me as the type of child who would just spread his legs for anyone, Haldir, regardless of the situation.”

“And that is because he is good showing what others want him to feel.” countered Haldir angrily. “The mortal is hardly inexperienced in such matters.”

“So you believe he would do such a thing?” Orophin’s eyes were on him in interest. Haldir opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again, remembering the fire in the blue-green eyes as Faramir insisted he did not lie beneath anyone. He shook his head.

“I do not know,” he said quietly. Suddenly he rounded on his brother, slightly startling the squirrel who had returned to the branch and had been keeping a close eye on the intruders in its forest. “And I note that you have changed your mind, brother! I thought you did not want me to start any sort of relations with this human, and yet here you are… what? Encouraging me?”

Orophin returned his stare with a steady calm one of his own. “That was when I believed you only saw a plaything in him. I did not realise the extent of your feelings, and for that I apologise,”

“I do not feel anything for that mortal,” replied Haldir coldly.

“And I did not realise the extent on how badly you lie when you are like this,” Orophin raised an eyebrow. “I won’t say go back to him now, Haldir. You need time to recover your equilibrium. But you must go back, if nothing more than to look him in the eyes and decide you feel nothing for him, and he nothing for you.”

Haldir watched him, eyes narrowing, as his brother stood. “And where are you going?”

Orophin gave a half smile. “Someone has to watch over the child. And knowing you, I doubt whether he got off without a scratch,” his face was serious again. “But I want you back there soon, Haldir. No arguments.”

His brother nodded his understanding of the order and watched as Orophin made his way quietly and swiftly back towards the house. Haldir sighed once and settled back to watch the squirrel. Let Orophin deal with the brat.

See if he cared.

The bone had not broken, Faramir had decided. It had taken him ten minutes before he could fully bring himself to touch the white hot agony that was his right arm and had almost passed out at the pain of doing so, but at least he had confirmed what he expected. He had realised the elf was not intending to seriously hurt him almost immediately when Haldir had defended himself rather than retaliated. Faramir had seized hold of this advantage straight away, although it had not been enough to allow him the freedom he craved.

Faramir cursed himself. He could have done something more, he knew it. He could have tried to knock the elf out, although knowing the usual elven fortitude this would have required more strength than perhaps was available to him. Now he was worse off than he started, his one benefactor angry and disappointed at him. Haldir had come back with some water, salve and bandages for him almost immediately after chaining him up but had not spoken to him or even bothered to look in his direction since then, leaving him alone with his misery and his pain.

The ranger had managed to put on the long tunic, which thankfully reached to mid-thigh. There was no chance to put on the breeches with the chain still attached, and given the absolute agony it took to get the tunic on, Faramir was in no hurry to cover himself entirely.

He glanced up hopefully as the door to the cell opened slowly, then slumped against the wall as he recognised one of the other brothers.

Orophin eyed the young ranger thoughtfully before stepping into the room, his eyes fixing on the now hastily bandaged arm before his gaze took in the defeated position of Faramir. The ranger’s eyes seemed almost pitch black as they stared at him, waiting for whatever would happen next with clear resignation of his fate.

The elf made his way towards the human, crouching gracefully in front of him and staring thoughtfully at the bloody mess of the ranger’s right temple. In his haste to lessen the pain of his injured arm, Faramir had completely ignored the minor cut or even bothered to clean it, and it had continued to bleed badly before finally ceasing. Dried blood on his face had made Faramir look as though he had survived several battles.

Faramir seemed disinterested in the wound itself, his eyes fixed on the elf.

“You know?” he queried finally, his gaze sad but detached from any fear of retaliation from Orophin. The elf glanced at him briefly before picking up the cloth that Faramir had discarded, dipping it in the lukewarm water.

“He has told me, yes,” Calmly, the elf moved the damp cloth to Faramir’s head in order to clean the blood away. The ranger moved his head away, confusion clear on his face about what was happening. Orophin paused with the cloth, simply looking at the young man who was clearly struggling with the concept that the elf was there to assist him. Faramir swallowed lightly, and looked wretched.

“Is he okay?” his voice was quiet, but not quite a whisper. Orophin smiled to himself and dipped the cloth in the water bowl again, wringing it out.

“He is unimpressed, but other than that nothing serious,” the elf cupped Faramir’s chin, the ranger allowing him to do so without any protest whatsoever, and started to clean the young man’s face. This action alone managed to double the ranger’s confusion. As Orophin released him to wet the cloth again and to wring out some of the blood, Faramir spoke again.

“I do not understand. Are you not here to .?” the young ranger trailed off, watching the elf in bewilderment. Orophin remembered the standards of Gondor and the consequences that the young man must be used to from his father, and a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth.

“Punish you?” the elf raised an eyebrow. “Take revenge on your actions?” He smiled to himself again, shaking his head, and washing his cloth. Faramir’s brow furrowed.

“Well, yes.” There was a surprising amount of steel in one who was almost demanding to be beaten. “I tried to kill your brother!”

Orophin made an understanding noise in the back of his throat, his eyes steady on his task.

“Indeed. However, on the basis that he still walks your attempt on his life appears to require a little more efficiency,” The elf’s voice was mildness itself. Faramir stared at him incredulously, and shook his head angrily.

“You don’t understand,”

“Obviously not. Kindly explain,” Orophin paused in his work to give Faramir a kindly look. However, Faramir obviously did not know or could not find the words to express his beliefs. Finally he snorted.

“So, you’re just going to check I’m okay? Is that it?” The accusation was almost solid. Orophin raised an eyebrow and cupped the young ranger’s chin again, dabbing the blood away from Faramir’s cheekbone with the cloth. Faramir pulled away slightly, annoyance showing in his eyes. The elf sighed.

“Essentially, although it would be much easier if you would but stay still.”

Faramir shook his head again “If that were my brother, I’d… ,” his voice was drifting into a growl, his eyes fixed on the floor. Orophin waited politely for him to continue.

“You’d?” he queried after it was obvious the steam that powered his words had fizzled yet again. Faramir looked momentarily flustered.

“Well, do something!” he exploded. “Not nothing! Not tend to your enemies!”

“Surely to tend to your enemies would be doing something?” mused Orophin, then relented at the miserable expression of the young man’s face. Ah, the impatience of youth. “And if I did punish you? Would that make you feel better?” The elf re-wet the cloth to avoid it drying out. Faramir stared at him.

“It’s not about making me feel better!” he retorted. Orophin met his stare steadily.

“Are you sure?” he asked softly. Faramir stared at him, silent and sullen. Orophin raised an eyebrow. “Not to relieve your own guilt?” he added in a murmur. Faramir’s stare intensified.

“I did what I had to do,” the young man’s voice was strong. “ I feel no guilt.”

“I see,” replied Orophin politely. This only managed to infuriate the previously placid young man, who sat up a little further, his back straight, obviously agitated.

“Why should I be the one who’s guilty? Is it my fault that you and your brothers captured me?” he snapped. Orophin nodded thoughtfully.

“A good point.” His eyes flickered to Faramir’s in consideration. “And what would your father’s opinion be on the matter, I wonder?” his voice was still soft, still mild, but Faramir reacted as though the elf had shouted it. The blood drained from his face. The defeated look returned in his gaze, his very posture. He opened his mouth to retort, to comment, but could find no words to fill the silence. Orophin simply looked at him.

“That’s not the issue here,” Faramir managed in a shaky voice. The elf nodded in understanding.

“I see. In which case I apologise for distressing you,”

“I’m not distressed.” The steel had been reinserted in Faramir’s voice. Orophin studied him carefully. This was obviously an important issue to the young human, and he felt faintly guilty for bringing the ranger’s father into the conversation. Obviously said father figure held a lot of the answers to the young man who currently sat before him now.

Orophin kept his silence and continued to clean the ranger, who was too shaken to protest against this mild treatment. He made a noise of consideration as he studied the now cleaned wound.

“It will not need stitches,” he decided, tabbing a little of the healing salve onto the wound to assist. Faramir made no noise at the stinging sensation that the salve must have produced, his eyes fixed on the door opposite as though hoping that by simply ignoring the elf Orophin might just go away. Orophin sat back and put the cloth down, then looked at the bound arm thoughtfully. Faramir stiffened automatically at the prospect.

“He does not hate you, you know,” the elf said mildly, his eyes still focused on the arm. Faramir finally looked at him, a glint of suspicion in his eyes.

“Who?”

“Haldir. He does not hate you.” The elf met the human’s gaze casually, then put his hand over the humans wrist carefully. “He hates himself.”

“What?” the distress in the young man’s voice was obvious. Taking the advantage, Orophin moved Faramir’s arm to a position where he could easily examine it, although was very cautious not to knock it. There was the briefest of hisses from Faramir as the limb was manipulated, but almost the entirety of his concentration was focused on the elf.

Orophin nodded. “He believes that you put on an act for him. That it was his fault that he did not understand sooner.” The elf carefully began to unravel the bandage which had been hastily applied, Faramir’s agitation obviously ruining whatever healing skill the ranger had possessed. “That you did not truly care for him.” Orophin added softly.

Faramir stared at him hopelessly. Orophin glanced back at him, soft sympathic eyes meeting the human’s briefly before Faramir could not bear to meet the gaze any further and stared at the floor.

“Was it all an act, little one?” murmured the elf. The ranger was silent. Orophin continued with his work, carefully removing the bandages to allow him to fully establish the level of the injury. The angry purple of the injury took his breath away. Obviously Haldir had not had an easy recapture.

“It started off that way.” Faramir’s voice, when it came, was the smallest of murmurs. Orophin paused in his examination, his eyes resting on the young ranger.

“But it did not continue as an act?” the elf said quietly when it was clear that Faramir was not going to speak any further. The ranger avoided his gaze and stared miserably towards the floor. Orophin looked at him for some time, then continued with his assessment of the arm.

“I don’t see why he should be concerned. It was not as though he cared for me.” Faramir’s murmur had become even quieter if that were possible. Orophin smiled to himself and shook his head.

“You believe my brother would sleep with anyone he found?” the elf’s amusement was evident. Stung by what he believed to be mockery, Faramir stared at him angrily.

“He would have slept with me,” he snapped, as though this circumstance proved beyond doubt of Haldir’s promiscuity. The elf looked at him, looked past the steel determination and anger, and studied the insecurity that was suddenly so very clear to him. Orophin frowned.

“Little one, my brother is very particular with whom he sleeps with,” his voice was gentle. “He does not tend to sleep with humans at all. It takes a particular man to tempt him”

Faramir stared at him for a moment, disbelief clear on his face, scanning the elf’s eyes for any deception, any exaggeration. When he found none, he looked bewildered, the child that Orophin always knew humans to be. He could suddenly see the appeal of the young man to Haldir, the need to protect the little one.

Any satisfaction or relief that Faramir might have had for this revelation was suddenly shattered as the ranger realised the depth of his actions. His eyes widened slightly.

“Then.. then I have hurt him much more than any physical blow,” Horrified eyes stared at Orophin, who considered how to tackle this new delicate area. Faramir had whitened considerably, so obviously unhappy about the possibility that he had destroyed actual affection for him. “He must hate me.”

“I have already said that he does not.” The elf soothed him, his hand on Faramir’s arm to ensure that the young man did not damage himself further in his agitation. As soon as the human had quietened again, the elf turned back to the arm. The ranger simply allowed the elf to do as he wished, as though the arm did not concern him in the slightest. Orophin took in the pallor of the face, the stiff positioning of Faramir’s body and nodded to himself thoughtfully.

The elf continued to work, allowing the human time to think. He had managed to get the majority of the work done by the time the door sounded again.

Haldir had returned.

Awaiting Aragorn’s return, Boromir had positioned himself by the window to look dolefully out. The ranger had promised he would be back, had kept a smile on his face even though the angry fire which burned in his eyes had been clear to anyone who looked. The Gondorian groaned to himself as he stared through the window at the haunting beauty of Rivendell. Something was definitely up.

It had been more than a mere temptation to follow, to leave these chambers which had been too much like Boromir’s own personal cage since Arwen’s first attention on him. However, Aragorn’s tone had spoken volumes about what he was prepared to put up with. If Aragorn was not in a foul temper against him personally, then he certainly would be should the Gondorian be foolish enough to move from this set of rooms where he had been instructed to stay.

Boromir groaned again and placed his hands on the window-sill. At least his brother would be freed without any fear to Faramir’s safety. He had done what the she-elf had requested, despite the hoops he had had to jump and the pains he had had to bear. Boromir smiled to himself, briefly enjoying the feeling of relief that these thoughts brought to him. The observation that Aragorn had suddenly stopped asking questions with regards to Faramir’s whereabouts and background was pushed to the back of his mind. He couldn’t face any further problems. Not when he was so close.

The door opened behind him.

“So there you are.,” Boromir trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder. His eyes widened with shock. Arwen looked back at him coolly.

“Boromir,” she nodded her acknowledgement of his presence. Boromir’s ability to speak was suddenly gone, his green eyes sliding to Aragorn who had been watching him with a steady expression. A drop of cold sweat rolled down Boromir’s back.

“Can I get you a drink?” Aragorn asked Arwen idly as he moved further into the room. The she-elf shook her head.

“I am fine, thank you. Although please do not let me stop you.” She looked back towards Boromir with a flicker of amusement. “Your lover looks like he could benefit from a small drink as well.”

Boromir finally managed to get himself back into action. His eyes scanned between the pair, both of whom showed ridiculous amounts of calm. “What’s going on?” he demanded.

He tried to calm himself down as he swiftly reflected on the situation. Aragorn had always maintained that he had wanted to perform some type of three-way encounter between them all. Perhaps this was simply a result of that. After all, the ranger did have a nasty habit of enjoying sex when it would be the last thing on anyone else’s mind.

However the look that Aragorn turned on him was decidedly cold.

“I’ve found out what’s been going on, Boromir,” Despite the intensity of his stare the ranger’s voice was remarkably light. Boromir felt the icy hand of fear on himself again. Aragorn was not supposed to know. How could Aragorn know? He had been as careful as he could!

“What?” Even to his ears his voice sounded scared. Aragorn seemed not to notice.

“The agreement.”

Boromir glanced towards Arwen, who was looking at them impassively, and then back at his lover. His throat was dry as a desert, although he finally managed to force himself to speak as naturally as possible.

“What agreement?”

If Aragorn was annoyed by this constant parroting, he did not show it. “The agreement between yourself and Arwen, to use your ability to discuss awkward topics with me in exchange for your brother.” The ranger raised an eyebrow, waiting for Boromir to respond.

Boromir had gone white. His eyes begged mutely for appeal from Aragorn. Arwen still had said nothing, giving no indication to the Gondorian whether he should be confirming or denying the accusations that Aragorn threw at him. Better safe than sorry.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he managed.

“No?” Aragorn looked at him sharply. “You were fucking me and it slipped your mind that you were only doing it for your brother?”

Boromir stared at him, aghast. “That’s not true! I-” He cut himself off, flushing. Arwen sighed delicately behind Aragorn

“By that little acting performance, I’m impressed it lasted this long.” She commented. “Boromir, Aragorn is quite correct. He has obtained certain information with regards to the circumstances,”

The fear on the Gondorian’s face was clear. “So what happens now?” he asked quietly. Arwen smiled slightly.

“Calm yourself. Your brother will remain unharmed and will be released as soon as possible,” she raised an eyebrow. “I have no use for him.”

Aragorn finished looking at Boromir, glancing back at Arwen. “What will you tell the others of the council? Your father? Lord Denethor?”

Arwen shrugged as though bored of the whole matter. “A plausible excuse can be found. No doubt Boromir here can get his brother to play along, and Faramir’s occupation is most obliging in its nature. Rangers always have that nasty habit of disappearing, don’t they darling?”

The ranger ignored this, and simply looked back at her. “You swear that he is unharmed?” his voice was frosty. Arwen eyed him thoughtfully, a faint frown appearing on her own face.

“I do not hurt people when they are helpless under my control,” she said quietly, her eyes fixed on him. “Apparently we do not share this particular trait.” Her eyes flickered towards Boromir, who reddened again and stared towards the window. Aragorn watched her steadily, although the guilt shone in his eyes briefly before he managed to get it under control.

“I am not proud of that-” he began but Arwen stopped him.

“And yet you did it, didn’t you my love?” she shook her head. “Ah well. It does not appear to have made any difference. He is still with you.”

Uncomfortable, Boromir stayed out of this particular conversation. He was aware of Aragorn’s eyes drifting towards him in thought, the slight pain that was still present in them, and coughed lightly to draw attention off from him.

“When I can see my brother?” he asked, looking towards Arwen. The she-elf gave him a casual glance. Aragorn looked away from the Gondorian, stricken. It was true then. Boromir’s motivation through the entire time they had been together had been for his brother, the Gondorian having been forced to go through with it for Faramir’s safety.

Everything, if not a lie outright, had been extremely exaggerated.

A frown faintly appeared on Arwen’s face again as she noticed Aragorn’s distress. She watched him carefully as she spoke to Boromir.

“Whenever you wish, although I was under the impression you had business to conclude before that?” her voice raised in question. Aragorn managed to smile towards Boromir.

“Go ahead,” he said. Boromir smiled back at him joyfully.

“Thank you,” his gratitude was obvious.

Aragorn smiled back at him and looked at Arwen just as Boromir seemed to pick up on the forced aspects of the ranger’s smile. The Gondorian looked confused, as though someone had changed the rules. However, Aragorn did not want to dwell on that.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

Haldir watched them a little longer from his position at the door. Apart from his eyes widening slightly at the start, Faramir’s face was almost entirely impassive. Orophin simply continued to dress the wound and stood up, glancing over his shoulder at his brother.

“So you have come back,” he commented idly. Haldir raised an eyebrow.

“Your observation is remarkable,” he replied. Orophin noted the tone and frowned slightly, moving to be able to look at his brother without difficulty.

“Haldir-”

“Have you finished helping him?” Haldir cut him off, his eyes steady on Orophin. “Or did he try to attack you as well?”

His brother frowned harder and shook his head, his eyes fixed on Haldir’s, tying to get his brother to understand the delicateness of the situation.

“Haldir, we need to talk,” he said in a slow, steady manner. There was a snort of amusement from Haldir.

“Talk? Talk? About what, my dear brother?” Haldir gave a careless glance towards the young ranger who was still sitting on the floor, looking between them with a cautious expression on his face.

Faramir himself was reminded of the times he attempting to be as invisible as he could in his father’s study so often when he was young, watching his brother and his father argue over his upbringing. It seemed things never changed. He watched Haldir assess him, a look of disgust crossing the elf’s face before Haldir glanced back at Orophin.

“With any luck he should be out of our hands soon anyway,” Haldir commented. “I don’t care how talented a whore his brother is but-”

The ranger’s head snapped up. “What did you say?” his voice when it came was hard and threatening. Haldir paused, and glanced towards him again, a cruel glint appearing in his eye. Orophin recognised the look and immediately tried to step in.

“Haldir, you do not understand,”

Holding his hand up to his brother to quieten him, Haldir’s gaze was fixed on the ranger. His eyes flickered down Faramir’s still partly naked form again, feeling the regret but also feeling the anger form. A smile was already growing on the elf’s face.

“Your sweet heroic brother is nothing but a common whore,” repeated Haldir slowly, deliberately. “It’s well known that he will just bend over and spread his legs for his new master whenever commanded to do so.”

“That’s not true.” Faramir’s voice was through gritted teeth. Anger flashed in the blue-green eyes. Haldir laughed.

“Face it. Another man fucks your brother because it amuses him.” His voice was clipped.

“Haldir,” Orophin’s warning was clear. Haldir ignored him and moved closer to the angry young man, almost urging Faramir to jump up and attack. The ranger’s hands were fists, his glare hard and furious.

“What? You cannot believe that your brother enjoys spreading his legs for whoever-” Haldir paused as his brother lay a hand not particularly gently on his arm in further warning. He laughed, amused. “What, Orophin? If you’re worried about him attacking again, don’t be. He won’t get away with that again,”

However, Orophin was not looking at Haldir. He was looking at the cold hard expression on Faramir’s face. The emotions he had so recently uncovered had returned to be buried at the back of the young man’s mind. Now all that remained were the defences that the young man had built up over the years to shield against his father’s constant criticisms and his own low self esteem. The pain was only just visible in his eyes as Faramir retreated behind his defences and his anger.

“Oh Haldir,” Orophin murmured, hopelessly. Haldir, however, was not listening, too involved in his own revenge on the young man who had used the elf’s genuine affection for his own needs. His eyes were just as hard as he stared at the ranger.

“And you want to know why your brother does these things? Why he fucks around with any man he is told to?” the elf’s voice dropped slightly lower, as though sharing a secret, his eyes fixed on Faramir. “It’s because his little baby brother cannot keep himself out of trouble,”

Faramir stared at him, stilled. Not a muscle flickered. However Orophin felt his heart sink at the sight of the defeat showing in the man’s eyes, the pain and sorrow that Faramir could no longer hide, no doubt memories flickering through his mind of the same words spoken by his father. His fault. All his fault.

The young man’s gaze fell to his hands after a moment, studying them in silence.

Angered, Orophin glared at Haldir. “Well done,” he growled. Haldir looked at him, eyes narrowing at the tone.

“I am hardly being unreasonable, Orophin. You always say that the truth is important,” his voice was cold. His brother glared at him, then shook his head and made for the door. Haldir’s hand caught his wrist.

“You wished to speak to me?”

Orophin glared back at him. “I hardly think it matters now.” However, he chose to lean back to him and murmur in the lightest of whispers. “He reciprocated your previous feelings.”

Pausing only to take in the sudden look of surprise on Haldir’s face, Orophin pulled his arm away from a now weakened grasp. “Good day to you both,” he said firmly and made his exit through the door. Haldir stared after him for a moment, then glanced back at Faramir who was still looking at his hands as though transfixed.

There was a long pause.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Faramir’s words were so much softer than he had ever used before, as though the speaker had just awoken from a pleasant and relaxing dream. Haldir stared at him, his carefully planned words having completely vanished in the wake of Orophin’s statement. Reciprocates? Impossible!

“What?” Haldir struggled into the conversation.

Faramir finally looked up from his hands, his gaze falling on Haldir. And this was more disturbing. No fear nor anger showed on the man’s face, nothing to indicate that anything even remotely distressing had occurred. The ranger cocked his head slightly to one side, his eyes on the elf.

“When I tried to escape. Why didn’t you kill me then?” Still that freakily light voice.

Haldir managed to get his voice working. “There was no need,”

“And no profit?” Faramir shook his head ruefully. “You were right when you said the only reason my brother is in this mess is because of me. It was my idiocy that forced him to sleep with that man,”

“Faramir.,” Haldir suddenly felt wretched. Faramir looked at him in surprise.

“There’s no other reason for it, Haldir. I know his tastes. He wouldn’t sleep willingly with another male without protest.” The sincerity on Faramir’s face took Haldir’s breath away. Dumbfounded, the elf simply looked at him, the previous anger having melted away like ice on a fire.

“You haven’t calculated this situation well. If it wasn’t you, it would have been something else,” Haldir’s voice held authority. However, it was not working. Faramir’s expression was one of doubtful thoughtfulness.

“Hmmm,” he shook his head and glanced back at his hands again. “I’m sorry about your injury, by the way. I know it’s not much but.,” the ranger shrugged in apology.

“I thought you.,” Haldir let himself trail off and started on a more comfortable topic. However, this was not shared by the other in the conversation. Faramir rubbed his hand gently.

“Thought I’d?” he echoed.

“It does not matter,” Haldir said hastily. Faramir glanced up at him.

“If you will not speak it, then it matters a great deal,” he murmured. Haldir snorted to himself, trying to regain some of his lost bluster.

“I did not come back here for humans to start giving random advice,” his voice was deliberately kept amused. Faramir watched him.

“Why did you come back here?” he asked softly. “Your brother would have ensured that I was fed.”

Haldir met his gaze, despite his desire to look away. Revenge had been
the only thing on his mind when he had walked through the door. Now even attempting to admit this was so very difficult. “I had my reasons,” he said stiffly.

“I see,” Green-blue eyes watched him in interest. Haldir felt a pressing need to change the subject.

“Orophin cleaned your wounds?” his eyes flickered on the carefully rebound arm, the neat cut on the eyebrow. Faramir sighed.

“It seems he did not trust me to do it,” he replied.

“Had you even tried to start?” the elf looked at him. Faramir did not flinch or look away from the hard stare, apparently having no qualms about leaving his own injuries.

“It seemed unimportant,” his eyes met Haldir’s calmly. Haldir frowned at him, then pointedly looked around the bare room before coming back to the ranger.

“What else did you have to do?” he asked. A faint flicker crossed the previous serenity that had been Faramir’s gaze.

“Would it be deemed ungracious of me if I ask you to stop asking me questions?” there was the faintest hint of either anger or discomfort in the background. “No, I didn’t treat it, and no, I didn’t care. Stop fussing,”

Haldir was slightly taken aback. “Fussing?” he echoed.

“Fussing,” Faramir’s eyes were steady. “For a hardened prison warden, you’re worrying more than Boromir did when I fell off Bracken when I was ten and broke my arm,”

“Bracken?” the elf was bewildered.

“My pony,” explained the ranger and continued when the elf nodded his understanding. “So stop it. I’m perfectly fine and perfectly workable.”

Haldir was silent for a moment. “What did Orophin say to you?” he asked finally, and frowned slightly as Faramir carefully avoided his gaze. The elf finally crouched down to take Faramir’s chin in his hand, turning the young man’s head gently but firmly until he was looking at him. “What did you talk about?”

There was a particular doubtful look in the ranger’s eyes. “He said.,” Faramir trailed off at the concerned look reflected in Haldir’s gaze and shook off the restraining hand to be able to study his own hands once again which were resting on his legs. The strong wilful man had disappeared entirely. “.. he believed that you did not hate me.”

Haldir waited a few more moments. “And that was it?”

“A few speculations, that was all,” Faramir’s tone was definitely wary. Haldir raised an eyebrow.

“On?”

“Blast it all, could you not find out from him?!” the ranger exploded, angry eyes turned briefly to the elf before returning to his clenched hands. Haldir waited for the little outburst to conclude.

“I do not want to hear it from him. I want to hear it from you,” the elf studied him. “What did you speculate on, Faramir?”

The ranger looked mutinous, his expression set in a stubborn line. Haldir was neither worried nor bothered by this, simply looking at him, waiting. Faramir sighed finally and reluctantly, his eyes turned away.

“Your brother,” he said quietly and grudgingly. “seemed to think that you did not sleep with humans,”

Haldir shrugged. “I tend not to. They have little to appeal to me,” he said casually. Blue-green eyes turned to him, first in surprise and then in faint anger.

“So all of that was for what? Just to torment me?”

Haldir gave a wry smile. “No, for an escape bid. I’m surprised you didn’t notice.” Faramir didn’t even smile, simply looked at him with hurt and angry eyes. Haldir shook his head. “No. That was different.” He said softly.

“How?” asked Faramir bitterly. “Because I was a sure thing?”

The elf snorted. “Sure thing?” he echoed. “Had you not just finished telling me how you would not lie under anyone?” he glanced to his own wound and raised an eyebrow ruefully. “Evidentially you were not over exaggerating.”

However, the ranger was not to be easily appeased. “Then what?” he demanded. Haldir frowned.

“You do not have to sound quite so aggressive, child. Your father is not watching you , little one.”

Faramir’s expression hardened even further at the mention of his father. “I do not understand why you accepted my invitation in the first place,” he replied stubbornly.

Haldir looked briefly surprised. “How amusing! You are fascinating to me, much as I hate to admit it,”

The ranger looked at him, amusement flickering briefly across his own expression. “Fascinating?” he echoed, disbelieving, an eyebrow raised. “Please, spare me your excuses.”

“Fascinating,” repeated Haldir firmly, his eyes running down Faramir’s chest before returning to his eyes. “You have interesting qualities,”

The reprieve from the dark expression was fleeting indeed. Faramir’s scowl darkened once more. “I do not have qualities according to my father,” he replied bitterly.

“Do you not? Then you hide it well,” Haldir paused to take the man’s chin in his hand again to turn his face towards him. “Faramir, you are possibly the most-”

The elf paused and glanced over his shoulder as the outside door shut, straightening just as the chamber door opened. Arwen took in Haldir’s position, the ranger curled on the floor underneath the elf with only a tunic to keep his modesty. Her eyes observed the bandage that graced the young man’s forearm, the cut above his eye. She turned her cold stare onto Haldir as Aragorn paused behind her and Boromir stared in horror at his brother.

“Haldir,” she said, and her tone was sweetness itself. “what is going on?”

NB: Please do not distribute (by any means, including email) or repost this story (including translations) without the author's prior permission. [ more ]

Enjoyed this story? Then be sure to let the author know by posting a comment at https://www.faramirfiction.com/fiction/and-all-because. Positive feedback is what keeps authors writing more stories!