Author's note: Merry Christmas! And to everyone who isn't a Christian,
happy whatever holiday you have next.
The first section is a flashback.
***
"I never betrayed you," Sal said as he finished. There was a silence, Elessar staring into his eyes again. Sal had the uneasy feeling that even his soul was being searched by that gaze.
"I never betrayed you," he repeated, waiting fearfully for the king's reply.
"I know." It took Sal a few moments to fully comprehend what Elessar had just said.
"You. . . you do?"
"After our years of friendship, why should I doubt you now?" Sal grinned. Dignity and position set aside, he ran to Elessar and flung his arms round him. He was just a friend, glad that Elessar was safe. Glad their friendship was safe.
When Sal stepped back, Elessar's face was grim. "I have a suggestion for you, Salafir," he said, "but I do not think you will like it."
***
Eldarion was woken by sunlight striking his face as someone pulled open the curtains. As he opened his eyes to the view of his bedroom in Minas Tirith he wondered if the past few days had been some horrible dream. Then the person at his windows came over to the side of his bed.
"Salafir?"
"Your father insisted I come to say goodbye."
"Why goodbye?"
"I'm leaving the city today, as an exile still."
"But why? You saved my life."
"Yes. I saved your life because I'm an exile. Fadell trusted me enough to let me in on his plan because I'm a proven traitor. That was how I got the information I needed for the Ranger's to lay their ambush. Jaren did all he could but I had the advantage we needed. If I hadn't been an exile, you would be a prisoner still." Eldarion guessed he understood, but he didn't see how that had any relevance. The kidnapping was over, so Salafir should be allowed to come back.
"For the past ten years," Sal continued, "I have been working secretly to find out all I could about plots against your father. Those involved in plots would trust me, because everyone knows I tried to kill the king." Eldarion nodded.
"I never betrayed your father, and he never believed that I did. The thing was, everyone else did. He came up with this plan. I would be exiled, but he would tell the Rangers the truth. While there are members of the tower guard who can't be trusted, your father trusts his Rangers completely. We let people believe I was a traitor so that I could work to defend Gondor in a way no one else could." Eldarion understood, but he didn't think it was fair on Sal.
"But people think you've done something wrong and you haven't."
"I don't mind that," Sal said, "because this way I can help people more than I ever could if I stayed in the city. Besides, I come home occasionally to visit my family, so it's not so bad."
"Will you visit me?"
"Of course. In fact, I think your father will rather insist on it. I don't mind sneaking into the city, and I've come to like my life as a Ranger. Your father and I had a long discussion last night, and we decided it would be best if I carried on working the way I am rather than having my exile removed. Now I should go, I need to see Merry and Pippin before I leave and I don't want to get caught in the city." He turned to leave, but Eldarion seized him in a hug before he had the chance. After all he was doing for them it was the least he could give.
***
The Rangers brought the kidnappers to Minas Tirith for judgement. Two had died in the fight, including Fadell. The others were to be tried by the king. Athruw waited while the other members of their group were led in one at a time. It was somehow worse that he was last. He would rather have gone in first, and learned what his fate was to be all the sooner.
At least the boy was safe. It made things slightly better that Eldarion was back safely in Minas Tirith. What had happened to him wasn't right. Athruw couldn't condone Fadell's actions. As he waited, Athruw clung to the fact that at least justice was being done, and that helped keep him from despair.
Finally, he was led before the king, and fell to his knees before him. He felt numb with fear, without hope. His death was but a few words away, and he knew it.
"You are charged with kidnapping and treason," the king said, "how do you plead?"
"Guilty," he said. There was no sense denying it.
"Why?"
"I was afraid of Fadell. He would have killed any of us if he even suspected we were going to act against him."
"So you hurt an innocent to protect yourself?" The king's tone was fierce and terrible.
"Yes," Athruw muttered. "But if I had acted, I would have died and the prince would still have been a prisoner." It was a feeble argument, but he had to try something. "I never thought that Fadell would do something like this when I joined him. When I did find out, it was too late."
"It's never too late." Athruw rather thought it was. Surely it was too late for him now. The king stared at him, and Athruw trembled. He would die for sure, and he could give to arguments against it.
"I don't want to die," he said.
"I doubt my son wanted to be kidnapped."
Athruw waited, knowing that his sentence would come soon. At least he would be with his wife again. He wouldn't be alone any more.
"You are not to die," the king said, as though reading his mind. "Your punishment will be to help those who have suffered. You will help rebuild what accidents destroy, provide food and shelter to those who have lost their belongings. You will help others who have suffered like you suffered, so they will not have to resort to the crimes you committed." Athruw was amazed. How could he know all this? How could he know what had happened to him?
Then Jaren stepped out of the shadows, and smiled at him.
"I asked the king to be merciful with you," Jaren said, "I told him what you told me." It all made sense now. The way Jaren had acted, the things he had done. He had been working for the king.
"Thank you," Athruw said, not sure which of the pair he was thanking.
***
Rain was falling in a steady drizzle, so no one paid much attention to the five cloaked figures who stood by the gates of Minas Tirith. Three men and two hobbits were saying goodbye.
"Take care of him," Elessar told Jaren.
"I can take care of myself," Sal protested.
"If that's true, how is it that an old man like myself can best you?" They were smiling, but there was sadness behind their eyes as they prepared to be parted again.
"If you're ever in the Shire, make sure you visit," Merry said.
"I will."
Sal hugged first Merry and Pippin, then Elessar.
"Farewell, my friend," Elessar said.
"Farewell."
Before Jaren and Sal could go, Elessar held something out to Jaren. It was something small, wrapped in a dark cloth. "Don't unwrapped it here," Elessar told him.
With a few last words of farewell, the two Rangers walked out of the gates. They walked a short way before Jaren looked at what the king had given him. He removed the cloth, and in his hand lay a silver broach, shaped like a tree.
"You earned it," Sal said.
THE END
Author's note: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed at any point. I love you all!
There may or may not be a sequel. I haven't decided yet. I hope you see now why Elessar banished Sal, it wasn't because he didn't trust him.
The first section is a flashback.
***
"I never betrayed you," Sal said as he finished. There was a silence, Elessar staring into his eyes again. Sal had the uneasy feeling that even his soul was being searched by that gaze.
"I never betrayed you," he repeated, waiting fearfully for the king's reply.
"I know." It took Sal a few moments to fully comprehend what Elessar had just said.
"You. . . you do?"
"After our years of friendship, why should I doubt you now?" Sal grinned. Dignity and position set aside, he ran to Elessar and flung his arms round him. He was just a friend, glad that Elessar was safe. Glad their friendship was safe.
When Sal stepped back, Elessar's face was grim. "I have a suggestion for you, Salafir," he said, "but I do not think you will like it."
***
Eldarion was woken by sunlight striking his face as someone pulled open the curtains. As he opened his eyes to the view of his bedroom in Minas Tirith he wondered if the past few days had been some horrible dream. Then the person at his windows came over to the side of his bed.
"Salafir?"
"Your father insisted I come to say goodbye."
"Why goodbye?"
"I'm leaving the city today, as an exile still."
"But why? You saved my life."
"Yes. I saved your life because I'm an exile. Fadell trusted me enough to let me in on his plan because I'm a proven traitor. That was how I got the information I needed for the Ranger's to lay their ambush. Jaren did all he could but I had the advantage we needed. If I hadn't been an exile, you would be a prisoner still." Eldarion guessed he understood, but he didn't see how that had any relevance. The kidnapping was over, so Salafir should be allowed to come back.
"For the past ten years," Sal continued, "I have been working secretly to find out all I could about plots against your father. Those involved in plots would trust me, because everyone knows I tried to kill the king." Eldarion nodded.
"I never betrayed your father, and he never believed that I did. The thing was, everyone else did. He came up with this plan. I would be exiled, but he would tell the Rangers the truth. While there are members of the tower guard who can't be trusted, your father trusts his Rangers completely. We let people believe I was a traitor so that I could work to defend Gondor in a way no one else could." Eldarion understood, but he didn't think it was fair on Sal.
"But people think you've done something wrong and you haven't."
"I don't mind that," Sal said, "because this way I can help people more than I ever could if I stayed in the city. Besides, I come home occasionally to visit my family, so it's not so bad."
"Will you visit me?"
"Of course. In fact, I think your father will rather insist on it. I don't mind sneaking into the city, and I've come to like my life as a Ranger. Your father and I had a long discussion last night, and we decided it would be best if I carried on working the way I am rather than having my exile removed. Now I should go, I need to see Merry and Pippin before I leave and I don't want to get caught in the city." He turned to leave, but Eldarion seized him in a hug before he had the chance. After all he was doing for them it was the least he could give.
***
The Rangers brought the kidnappers to Minas Tirith for judgement. Two had died in the fight, including Fadell. The others were to be tried by the king. Athruw waited while the other members of their group were led in one at a time. It was somehow worse that he was last. He would rather have gone in first, and learned what his fate was to be all the sooner.
At least the boy was safe. It made things slightly better that Eldarion was back safely in Minas Tirith. What had happened to him wasn't right. Athruw couldn't condone Fadell's actions. As he waited, Athruw clung to the fact that at least justice was being done, and that helped keep him from despair.
Finally, he was led before the king, and fell to his knees before him. He felt numb with fear, without hope. His death was but a few words away, and he knew it.
"You are charged with kidnapping and treason," the king said, "how do you plead?"
"Guilty," he said. There was no sense denying it.
"Why?"
"I was afraid of Fadell. He would have killed any of us if he even suspected we were going to act against him."
"So you hurt an innocent to protect yourself?" The king's tone was fierce and terrible.
"Yes," Athruw muttered. "But if I had acted, I would have died and the prince would still have been a prisoner." It was a feeble argument, but he had to try something. "I never thought that Fadell would do something like this when I joined him. When I did find out, it was too late."
"It's never too late." Athruw rather thought it was. Surely it was too late for him now. The king stared at him, and Athruw trembled. He would die for sure, and he could give to arguments against it.
"I don't want to die," he said.
"I doubt my son wanted to be kidnapped."
Athruw waited, knowing that his sentence would come soon. At least he would be with his wife again. He wouldn't be alone any more.
"You are not to die," the king said, as though reading his mind. "Your punishment will be to help those who have suffered. You will help rebuild what accidents destroy, provide food and shelter to those who have lost their belongings. You will help others who have suffered like you suffered, so they will not have to resort to the crimes you committed." Athruw was amazed. How could he know all this? How could he know what had happened to him?
Then Jaren stepped out of the shadows, and smiled at him.
"I asked the king to be merciful with you," Jaren said, "I told him what you told me." It all made sense now. The way Jaren had acted, the things he had done. He had been working for the king.
"Thank you," Athruw said, not sure which of the pair he was thanking.
***
Rain was falling in a steady drizzle, so no one paid much attention to the five cloaked figures who stood by the gates of Minas Tirith. Three men and two hobbits were saying goodbye.
"Take care of him," Elessar told Jaren.
"I can take care of myself," Sal protested.
"If that's true, how is it that an old man like myself can best you?" They were smiling, but there was sadness behind their eyes as they prepared to be parted again.
"If you're ever in the Shire, make sure you visit," Merry said.
"I will."
Sal hugged first Merry and Pippin, then Elessar.
"Farewell, my friend," Elessar said.
"Farewell."
Before Jaren and Sal could go, Elessar held something out to Jaren. It was something small, wrapped in a dark cloth. "Don't unwrapped it here," Elessar told him.
With a few last words of farewell, the two Rangers walked out of the gates. They walked a short way before Jaren looked at what the king had given him. He removed the cloth, and in his hand lay a silver broach, shaped like a tree.
"You earned it," Sal said.
THE END
Author's note: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed at any point. I love you all!
There may or may not be a sequel. I haven't decided yet. I hope you see now why Elessar banished Sal, it wasn't because he didn't trust him.