Faramir Fiction Archive

Tales from Gondor (R)

Written by Minx

23 September 2012 | 36179 words

Written for the 25fluffyfics prompt 16. Puppy / kitten
Rating: G
Summary: Aragorn would like to buy a hunting dog

A/N: Thanks to iris for reading through!

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“Here we are,” Aragorn said smiling.

Faramir returned a puzzled smile, and looked up at the building they had dismounted in front of. They stood in front of an old tavern in the fourth circle, much frequented by the well-heeled in Minas Tirith. Somehow he had not thought that could cause Aragorn to look so excited.

“This way,” the king said enthusiastically and darted into a narrow cobbled lane to the side of the building. Faramir exchanged a surprised glance with the two young guards who had escorted them, before following Aragorn swiftly. The small lane was lined with tall buildings fronted by small but well-kept, beautiful gardens; houses of some of the more prosperous merchants. Aragorn stood at an open doorway talking to someone.

“Come along now,” he said, still smiling, and then waved a hand towards the huge young man he stood talking to, “This is Halor.”

Faramir greeted the other man politely. He recognised him as one of the northern rangers who had stayed back in Minas Tirith. Well, that did explain his lack of ceremony with the king of Gondor. Halor had married the daughter of the old man who had owned the tavern, he recollected now.

He followed Aragorn through the gate into an open grassy space, and stopped short as he noticed the number of puppies racing around chasing each other. The faint sounds of laughter and conversation from the tavern were constantly punctuated by yelps. They were all hunting hounds, Faramir realised, old enough to be weaned away from their mothers but still young enough to be trained.

They were joined shortly by Elga, Halor’s wife, older and plumper now than Faramir had remembered her but still as full of smiles and attractive. She and her husband had started the kennels after their marriage, he recollected now, the best in the city.

“Those three,” Halor told Aragorn, pointing towards three extremely energetic dogs in the middle of the grass, “Those are the pick of the lot; excellent lines and they’re already being eyed by many. But since you said you were looking for one yourself, I’ve not let anyone have them yet.”

Faramir listened absently as Aragorn and Halor launched into a long conversation. He glanced around the large sunlit courtyard. It was a fine place, and the dogs were clearly happy. All but one.

A small, thin dog was inching its way around the edge of the courtyard, sniffing along a path only it could decipher. It was much smaller than the others, and far skinnier, and most unlike a hunting hound. It sniffed its way over towards him, inching along the edge of the courtyard well away from the other larger dogs.

Faramir smiled and bent towards it, intending to stroke it. The dog glanced up at him and cocked its head sideways and stepped back. Faramir held a hand out slowly and kneeled down. This could take a while, he decided. The dog glanced at him and then inched closer to him, sniffed his hand cautiously and then let him stroke its head.

“Aren’t you a beautiful one now?’ Faramir said gently, almost crooning. The dog looked up at him, and then experimentally, gave his hand a small lick and rubbed its ear against his wrist

Faramir laughed softly but delightedly, and gently scratched its ear.

Aragorn turned towards Faramir when he heard the soft but unmistakably happy laughter. The steward was playing with a rather forlorn looking, scrawny and small pup.

Faramir turned towards him and catching his eye, smiled happily. It was one of those sweet, unfettered smiles that tugged at Aragorn and made him want to hold Faramir close and kiss him and just love him.

He walked over to Faramir, “I see you’ve found a new friend,” he said, smiling.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Faramir asked.

Aragorn looked at the thin dog, its indeterminate parentage showing up clearly and then he looked at the tiny tail that wagged furiously and the little pink tongue that was licking Faramir’s palm and nodded, “He is indeed.”

“That one escaped the right lines,” Halor remarked, “He won’t sell of course!”

“No one’s bought him yet?” Faramir asked a little incredulously. How could anyone not want such an adorable pup.

“Naturally, no one wants him…”

“Why would no one want him?” Faramir asked indignantly.

“Well he’s too small, isn’t he?” Halor said, “He wouldn’t make a good hunter with a frame like that! I expect we’ll just give him away to Elga’s nephews.”

Faramir frowned slightly at that but continued running his hand over the puppy.

“Have you selected the dog Sire?” Elga asked.

“Well, what do you think Faramir?” Aragorn asked grinning, “The brown fellow over there or that black and white one?”

Faramir stared up at the two dogs the king was pointing to and shrugged, “They look the same,” he said doubtfully.

“I could get both,” Aragorn mused.

“Well if you need two, I suppose you could,” Faramir began absently, returning to his newfound friend.

“I don’t need any,” Aragorn said and grinned, “It’s for you, for your birthday, which is only a week away!”

“My –“ Faramir sat up, and stared at Aragorn, “For me?” The dog looked up at him, puzzled when he moved back from it. He tried to give it a reassuring smile and then rose slowly.

“For you,” Aragorn repeated, “From me.” And then he continued after a pause, ‘Oh you’ll get books too, don’t you worry but I wanted to give you a nice hunting dog too.”

“Oh!” Faramir said, and then reddened slightly, “Thank you… it’s just that… I haven’t really received gifts for my birthday since I was a child, well except from Boromir.”

He looked towards the pups Aragorn had pointed to and then looked back at the small dog that had backed away a little from him and was staring up at him. Then it moved back some more and began nosing the ground in front of it. Faramir looked at Aragorn, and bit his lip.

“You want this one,” Aragorn said, smiling gently.

“If – if it is all right with you,” Faramir said hurriedly, well aware that the tiny runt looked nothing like a hunting dog.

“If it is what you wish, it is certainly all right with me,” Aragorn said gently, “You know that don’t you?”

Faramir nodded quietly and moved forward slowly, towards the dog.

Argaorn turned to Halor and Elga and nodded towards the pup.

“That one?” Elga said doubtfully, and then shrugged.

“Not much of a hunter,” Halor said.

“That one,” Aragon said, watching the dog sit back, almost warily waiting to see what Faramir would do. The steward knelt down and held his hands out.

“We’re going home now, little one. Come,” he said gently.

The dog climbed onto him and licked him on his cheek.

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