Faramir Fiction Archive

Elves, Orcs and the Road to Recovery

Written by KC

06 November 2004 | 58662 words

,h3>Part 4

Faramir, as he had predicted the previous evening, was still unable to sit comfortably the next morning. The pained young Steward made his way to the King's dinning hall for the morning meal. Upon arrival Faramir blushed, as it was obvious that most if not all who were already gathered knew of his 'sit-uation'. The young Steward groaned at his mind's ability to make jest even when the 'butt' of the jest was himself. Faramir groaned again trying to think of other things thus depriving his already fertile mind of further fodder. Despite the twin mischievous expressions of his elven father and brother, Faramir was grateful for the pillow that graced the empty chair between them.

After the meal all guests left with the exception of Aragorn, Legolas, the Elrondion twins and Faramir. The King had the morning free and wanted to share it with his 'brothers', although the twins in their boredom had been driving him mad of late. The five retired to a small private room that had several chairs and a lounge on which Faramir could stretch out. Aragorn and the Elrondion twins smirked as the Steward did just that.

"Maglor has lost none of his strength I see, mellon-nin," Elladan commiserated. Faramir blushed fiercely.

"He rivals Gandalf, if I remember correctly," Elrohir added smiling at the young human.

"What say you Estel? You have felt the hand of both more recently than us, what say you?" Elladan teased.

Faramir's eyes widened in astonishment, Legolas laughed and Aragorn blushed to the tips of his ears as he glared at Elladan. Faramir's eyes turned mischievous as he looked at his King intently. Aragorn winced.

"You had better tell him the story, mellon-nin or he will just ask ada or Gandalf," Legolas advised upon seeing the devious look in his brother's eyes. Faramir's expression turned instantly into one of wide-eyed innocence. "Stop that!" Legolas chided, shuddering.

"This is blackmail, you do realise do you not?" Aragorn admonished as he looked sternly at Faramir, shuddering at his Steward's expression of innocence.

"Yes he does. Effective is it not?" Legolas replied as he glared at his brother.

Aragorn sighed conceding defeat.

"It was many years ago on a visit to Mirkwood with Gandalf…" Aragorn began.

"Estel, there are more recent examples than that," Elladan chided.

"Not with both Maglor and Gandalf there are not," the King retorted.

Elven and human eyes widened and eyebrows went skyward.

"As I was saying. It was many years ago on a visit to Mirkwood in the company of Gandalf…"

---

Sixteen year old Estel was on his first trip away from Imladris in the company of someone other than his father or brothers. Gandalf thought it would be good for the boy to venture into the wider world and meet elves other than the Noldor. Elrond agreed reluctantly for he would have preferred to keep his fledgling cosseted for a few more years. The Lord of Rivendell kissed his human son goodbye, with strict instructions to heed Gandalf at all times.

Gandalf and Estel made their way by small wagon through the misty mountains. On the other side of the mountains they took the Old Forest Road. On the fifth day, Gandalf and Aragorn made camp in a small clearing not far off the main road. The young human had been under strict instructions not to wander far from camp. In typical adolescent fashion and because the instructions had not been reinforced on a daily if not hourly basis, Estel had wandered quite a distance away from the camp his attention drawn by slight movement and sound that always seemed to be ahead of him.

A sound above caught Aragorn's attention. Looking up he saw a sight that would give him nightmares for some time to come, for there above him was the biggest spider he had ever seen in his young life coming down on a thread straight for him. The young human drew his elven sword as he shouted.

"Gandalf!!!!"

Estel fought the spider stabbing, slashing and dancing around the arachnid, looking always for a chance to escape. Just when he thought he was in deep, deep trouble a brilliant light followed by Gandalf scared the spider away.

"Are you alright, child? Did the spider bite you? Are you hurt?" Gandalf fired off questions, as he looked his young charge over frantically.

"Yes, no and no," Estel panted as he tried to regain his breath after the fight and the fright.

"Good!" the wizard growled as he grabbed the young human by an ear and dragged him back to the camp.

"Owwww! Gandalf!" Aragorn whined as the wizard continued to drag him by the ear.

Gandalf spied a fallen log near the fire that he had started earlier and pulled the squirming child over to it and sat down, letting go of Estel's ear as he did so.

Rubbing at his ear furiously to temper the sting, Aragorn gulped when he saw the look of anger on Gandalf's face. The young human knew he was in for it.

"Leggings down and over my knee. Now!" the wizard instructed, still furious from the fright of seeing the child almost bitten by a spider.

Aragorn did as instructed and lay over Gandalf's lap. Gandalf laid ten very hard stinging slaps with such speed that Aragorn could barely get a breath in before the next slap.

"What is this punishment for, child?" the wizard asked finally.

"For wandering away from camp…owwww! …and… n-not heeding… your… instructions… owwww!," Estel managed to say between sobs and gasps

The angry wizard continued to land blistering whack after blistering wack but careful not to inflict damage on the young one. Aragorn's began to sob in earnest.

"I a-am sorry… Gandalf. I am sorry!" Estel kept repeating.

"Think of your father child. Think of how he would have felt if you had been killed and how I would have had to be the one to tell him!" Gandalf exclaimed as he moved from Aragorn's posterior to his thighs.

Estel broke down into truly repentant sobbing. After a few more blistering whacks, Gandalf stopped the punishment and pulled up the child's leggings. With a strength that surprised most who witnessed it, Gandalf turned the young human over and gathered the sobbing, repentant young one and soothed him.

---

For the whole of the next day, Estel rode in the back of his wagon lying on his stomach, keeping his much abused posterior away from hard surfaces. Two days later they reached a little used elven path and turning north travelled towards the Halls of Mirkwood. It was not long after turning off the Old Forest Road that Gandalf and Estel encountered Mirkwood elves. One lone elf was blocking the path but Aragorn could see more elves in the trees about.

"Mae govannen, Mithrandir," a tall blond elven warrior greeted Gandalf though his eyes did not waver from the young human sitting beside the wizard.

"Well met, Maglor," Gandalf greeted in return. "This is Estel Elrondion," the wizard introduced his young travelling companion. "Estel this is Maglor, Seneschal to King Thranduil."

Maglor's eyebrow went up.

"Mae govannen, Estel," Maglor greeted the young human formally.

"Mae govannen, Maglor," Aragorn greeted the elf in return.

---

In the company of the elves, it took Gandalf another day and a half to reach the Halls of Mirkwood. The wizard could not help chuckling at Estel's wide eyes as the young human tried to take in the grandeur of the huge caverns dug out of the mountain that made up the Halls of Mirkwood. Estel's eyes darted about trying to see everything at once.

Gandalf and Estel stopped before the elven King who was sitting on his throne. Gandalf whacked the young human on his chest with the back of his hand, to bring the boy's attention away from the scenery and to the King who was sitting in front of them with a mischievous look in his eye. Aragorn started and then blushed when he realised that he had ignored the elven King.

"Mae govannen, Mithrandir," Thranduil greeted the wizard. "Mae govannen, Estel Elrondion," the elven King said, as he looked Estel up and down. "You have sprouted like a bean. The last time I saw you, tithen-pen, you were still in soiling cloths," Thranduil teased.

It had the desired effect as Aragorn blushed in embarrassment, adolescent pride bruised.

"Is Legolas here?" Estel asked after his friend.

"I am sorry Estel. Legolas is on patrol down near Dol Guldur and is not expected back for some weeks," Thranduil replied noting the look of disappointment on the young human's face that spoke of the human's genuine friendship with his son.

Wizard and human were invited to sup with the elven King after which Estel was allowed to tour the Halls. Estel went into the great hall. Looking up he saw that young elves were playing in the rafters.

"I would not climb up there tithen-pen," came a voice from behind the young human. Startled, Estel jumped and turned around to see Maglor. "I would hate to see you hurt," the Seneschal added as he continued on his way into another room.

Aragorn continued to watch the young wood elves enjoying themselves by jumping from one rafter to the next and swinging on bits of rope. He looked around to see if Maglor was about. When he could not see Maglor the son of Elrond decided to climb up a vertical support and into the rafters. Although not as graceful as the elves, Aragorn still managed the climb. After an initial hesitation the wood elves welcomed the human into their game. Aragorn was having such fun until he saw Gandalf below, obviously searching for him. As his attention was diverted, Estel did not see the elf swinging towards him until it was too late. The elf saw the human overbalance but could not save him. Aragorn fell from the rafter but had the presence of mind to grab onto a hanging curtain. The curtain ripped as the human descended but did manage to slow the descent. Unfortunately for the hapless son of Elrond, he landed on Gandalf sending the wizard sprawling onto the floor. The curtain that Aragorn held broke free of its moorings and floated down gently covering both sprawled wizard and human.

The great hall went silent as all watched the scene unfolding before them. All that could be heard was Mithrandir's cursing as he tried to free himself from the clinging curtain with the help of a panicked human boy.

"Estel Elrondion," Gandalf bellowed at the stunned human cringing before him.

"I will take care of this Mithrandir," Maglor said on seeing the wizard's anger. "Follow me tithen-pen," Maglor said before the wizard could lodge any objection he may have had.

Gulping, Aragorn followed the warrior elf. After a short walk, Estel found himself in a small room that contained a desk, couch and a few chairs around a fireplace. Maglor sat down on the couch.

"You understand why you are about to be punished, tithen-pen?" Maglor asked the young human.

"Yes sir," Aragorn answered with a sigh.

"I suspect you know the drill, pen-neth," Maglor said as he patted his knee.

Aragorn sighed yet again as he loosened the ties on his leggings pushed them down and lowered himself over the Seneschal's lap.

Maglor wasted no more time than Gandalf, Aragorn thought in annoyance. The Seneschal proceeded to blister the young human's buttocks. It was not long before Estel was whimpering and gasping for breaths. He did not think anyone could hit harder than Gandalf but Maglor certainly could. Whimpers soon turned to sobs as the Seneschal continued to land blistering whacks to the human's exposed posterior.

"I am s-sorry," Aragorn repeated over and over.

Maglor moved to the young human's thighs landing a few more very hard whacks and then finished the punishment. When Aragorn realised the punishment had concluded he slid from the Seneschal's lap onto the floor, pulling up his leggings as he did so. Maglor gathered the young human into his arms and soothed the boy as he sobbed out his pain and embarrassment.

"Now I understand why you and Legolas are such good friends," Maglor said eliciting a small smile from the young human. "I pity your father having to cope with you and the 'duo horribus'," the Seneschal chuckled.

---

Legolas, Faramir and the twins were laughing like loons at the visual image of the King of Gondor, descending down on a tearing curtain to land on the wizard.

"So I can say with some authority that Maglor hits harder than Gandalf," Aragorn concluded.

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