Chance Encounter, part 30
Apr. 8th, 2005 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerWell, here is a little more...
PART 30
Menelcar followed them down the second circle and into one of the less reputable parts of the City. When he was certain that he had found their destination, he fixed it in mind, and hurried back up to the Citadel. He hoped that the Steward was available.
Luckily, he found Faramir in his outer chamber, looking over some old contracts which the Steward’s office had held with various merchants. It was quite informative, and Faramir could not help but feel admiration for the way his father had made the most advantageous dealings to the benefit of the realm.
“How may I help you, Menelcar?” he asked. He was surprised by the grim look on the minstrel’s face. It was not an expression he had ever seen there before.
As Menelcar told his tale, Faramir’s expression soon matched his.
“This is insufferable!” Faramir rose. “Let us find the King. He wants to know anything at all that affects the hobbits.”
They had to search a bit, but finally located him as he returned to the Citadel from the Houses of Healing.
Aragorn took one look at their faces, and led them to the private chamber he used as an office. “Gentlemen, what disturbs you so?”
Once more Menelcar related the conversation he had overheard. As he spoke, he was surprised to hear a low rumbling sound. It took him a minute to realize the King was actually growling. The sound stopped abruptly, as Aragorn realized what he was doing. There was a brief silence when Menelcar finished his tale. For a moment, Aragorn closed his eyes and clenched his fists. His knuckles were white. Faramir and Menelcar watched warily, both of them understanding exactly why he was so angry. Both of them were very nearly as angry themselves.
Finally, the King blew out a long breath, and when he looked at the two once more, his expression was still grim, but composed.
“Tell me, Menelcar, is it your judgment that these wretches intend to offer any violence to my friends?”
Menelcar thought carefully back to all he had overheard in the tavern, and on the street as he followed. “I do not think so, your Grace. It seemed to me that the idea was to cozen one or more of the little folk with a sad tale of hardship, with the idea of relieving them of a goodly sum of coin. I think the idea was that the pheriannath would ask it of you, and that you would give them whatsoever they wished.”
“I see.” Aragorn stuck his tongue in his cheek and looked very thoughtful. “Well, we do not wish to take the chance that you are wrong about harming them, but I do think that your judgment is probably correct. You are fairly shrewd about people, I have found.”
Menelcar blushed briefly at the praise. “Thank you, my Lord King.”
The King turned to his Steward. “Faramir, is Pippin on duty this afternoon?”
“Yes, he is. He would have been free today, but he wished to have tomorrow, on account of Sam’s birthday.”
Aragorn nodded. He looked at Menelcar. “How soon do you think these villains plan to act?”
“I think that the only thing holding them back has been a lack of opportunity to find one of the pheriannath alone.”
“I do not wish Sam’s birthday to be spoiled. We will have to make sure that the opportunity does not arrive until after that is over.” He turned to Faramir. “Send for Pippin. I have an idea.”
_____________________________________________________
Pippin stood at his post with his friend Adrahil. They stood to attention, but managed nevertheless to hold a quiet conversation. He was quite surprised to be approached by Adrahil’s brother Artamir. “Sir Peregrin, the King wishes to see you in his chamber. I am to take your place here.”
Pippin trotted along, worried just a bit that he might have done something wrong. He was, after all, still new to this Guard business, and now that the War was over, things were a good deal more formal and ceremonial than they had been during the fighting.
He knocked, and entered as he was bid, surprised a bit to see Faramir and Menelcar there, but as he was on duty, he knelt to his liege. Aragorn smiled at him. “Rise, Pippin, and come have a seat.” There was a chair near the table Aragorn used that had been fixed up so as to be comfortable for hobbits, though it was a slight bit of a climb to sit in. Pippin never took his eyes off his King. Something was up.
The King sat down behind the table he used as a desk, and gestured for Faramir and Menelcar to sit in the other two available chairs.
“Menelcar, would you tell Pippin what you overheard today?”
Yet again the bard repeated the tale. He watched Pippin’s face, so much older and more mature than the sweet lad he remembered from the Shire, as it grew grim and troubled. Tears stood in the green eyes, but they were tears of anger. Pippin reached up and dashed them away roughly.
When the minstrel finished speaking, the hobbit looked back at his King. “How could they?” he exclaimed. “After what Frodo and Sam *went* through, after they offered their very *lives*? After Merry nearly died? And they want to use us to make *money*!” His face had gone dead white, except for two bright red spots on his cheeks. He could not remember when he last had been so angry.
“Strider, what are you going to do to them?”
Aragorn leaned forward, and placed a hand on Pippin’s arm. “We are going to watch them for now; we do not want to spoil Sam’s day tomorrow. I must ask you please, not to tell the others about this yet.”
Pippin flushed. He knew that was a command of his King, and he would obey. He did not mind not telling Frodo or Sam. It would hurt their feelings dreadfully, he feared, when they found out. But it was going to be hard not to tell Merry. Aragorn could tell what he was thinking.
“You may tell Meriadoc when the time is right, but not yet. And this is what we are going to do--”
As Aragorn spoke, the expression on Pippin’s face began to clear, and he began to grin. A gleam came into his eye; this was going to be more fun than the holewarming present he had left for Lobelia and Lotho before they had vacated Bag End…
__________________________________________________
PART 30
Menelcar followed them down the second circle and into one of the less reputable parts of the City. When he was certain that he had found their destination, he fixed it in mind, and hurried back up to the Citadel. He hoped that the Steward was available.
Luckily, he found Faramir in his outer chamber, looking over some old contracts which the Steward’s office had held with various merchants. It was quite informative, and Faramir could not help but feel admiration for the way his father had made the most advantageous dealings to the benefit of the realm.
“How may I help you, Menelcar?” he asked. He was surprised by the grim look on the minstrel’s face. It was not an expression he had ever seen there before.
As Menelcar told his tale, Faramir’s expression soon matched his.
“This is insufferable!” Faramir rose. “Let us find the King. He wants to know anything at all that affects the hobbits.”
They had to search a bit, but finally located him as he returned to the Citadel from the Houses of Healing.
Aragorn took one look at their faces, and led them to the private chamber he used as an office. “Gentlemen, what disturbs you so?”
Once more Menelcar related the conversation he had overheard. As he spoke, he was surprised to hear a low rumbling sound. It took him a minute to realize the King was actually growling. The sound stopped abruptly, as Aragorn realized what he was doing. There was a brief silence when Menelcar finished his tale. For a moment, Aragorn closed his eyes and clenched his fists. His knuckles were white. Faramir and Menelcar watched warily, both of them understanding exactly why he was so angry. Both of them were very nearly as angry themselves.
Finally, the King blew out a long breath, and when he looked at the two once more, his expression was still grim, but composed.
“Tell me, Menelcar, is it your judgment that these wretches intend to offer any violence to my friends?”
Menelcar thought carefully back to all he had overheard in the tavern, and on the street as he followed. “I do not think so, your Grace. It seemed to me that the idea was to cozen one or more of the little folk with a sad tale of hardship, with the idea of relieving them of a goodly sum of coin. I think the idea was that the pheriannath would ask it of you, and that you would give them whatsoever they wished.”
“I see.” Aragorn stuck his tongue in his cheek and looked very thoughtful. “Well, we do not wish to take the chance that you are wrong about harming them, but I do think that your judgment is probably correct. You are fairly shrewd about people, I have found.”
Menelcar blushed briefly at the praise. “Thank you, my Lord King.”
The King turned to his Steward. “Faramir, is Pippin on duty this afternoon?”
“Yes, he is. He would have been free today, but he wished to have tomorrow, on account of Sam’s birthday.”
Aragorn nodded. He looked at Menelcar. “How soon do you think these villains plan to act?”
“I think that the only thing holding them back has been a lack of opportunity to find one of the pheriannath alone.”
“I do not wish Sam’s birthday to be spoiled. We will have to make sure that the opportunity does not arrive until after that is over.” He turned to Faramir. “Send for Pippin. I have an idea.”
_____________________________________________________
Pippin stood at his post with his friend Adrahil. They stood to attention, but managed nevertheless to hold a quiet conversation. He was quite surprised to be approached by Adrahil’s brother Artamir. “Sir Peregrin, the King wishes to see you in his chamber. I am to take your place here.”
Pippin trotted along, worried just a bit that he might have done something wrong. He was, after all, still new to this Guard business, and now that the War was over, things were a good deal more formal and ceremonial than they had been during the fighting.
He knocked, and entered as he was bid, surprised a bit to see Faramir and Menelcar there, but as he was on duty, he knelt to his liege. Aragorn smiled at him. “Rise, Pippin, and come have a seat.” There was a chair near the table Aragorn used that had been fixed up so as to be comfortable for hobbits, though it was a slight bit of a climb to sit in. Pippin never took his eyes off his King. Something was up.
The King sat down behind the table he used as a desk, and gestured for Faramir and Menelcar to sit in the other two available chairs.
“Menelcar, would you tell Pippin what you overheard today?”
Yet again the bard repeated the tale. He watched Pippin’s face, so much older and more mature than the sweet lad he remembered from the Shire, as it grew grim and troubled. Tears stood in the green eyes, but they were tears of anger. Pippin reached up and dashed them away roughly.
When the minstrel finished speaking, the hobbit looked back at his King. “How could they?” he exclaimed. “After what Frodo and Sam *went* through, after they offered their very *lives*? After Merry nearly died? And they want to use us to make *money*!” His face had gone dead white, except for two bright red spots on his cheeks. He could not remember when he last had been so angry.
“Strider, what are you going to do to them?”
Aragorn leaned forward, and placed a hand on Pippin’s arm. “We are going to watch them for now; we do not want to spoil Sam’s day tomorrow. I must ask you please, not to tell the others about this yet.”
Pippin flushed. He knew that was a command of his King, and he would obey. He did not mind not telling Frodo or Sam. It would hurt their feelings dreadfully, he feared, when they found out. But it was going to be hard not to tell Merry. Aragorn could tell what he was thinking.
“You may tell Meriadoc when the time is right, but not yet. And this is what we are going to do--”
As Aragorn spoke, the expression on Pippin’s face began to clear, and he began to grin. A gleam came into his eye; this was going to be more fun than the holewarming present he had left for Lobelia and Lotho before they had vacated Bag End…
__________________________________________________
no subject
Date: 2005-04-08 08:52 am (UTC)