*~*~*~*

EPILOGUE

Living

*~*~*~*

Elboron liked very much to be held, and it did not take his parents long to learn this. He was rarely upset, but he did seem much, much happier in someone's arms. And in the first two months of his life, he learned adults were very willing to oblige him in that respect.

And so Éowyn was carrying her son around the library as she watched and waited for Faramir to return from a short visit in Minas Tirith. She wondered what his purpose was in going to the city overnight, for he had been quite secretive about it. The smile he wore as he left the house in Emyn Arnen had been one of mischief, and Éowyn was left with her child to wonder what was going on.

She was also left to entertain her brother, who was, in fact, hardly in need of entertainment. Since his arrival late the previous night, Éomer had done nothing but sleep, and talk about Lothíriel of Dol Amroth, with whom he had finally resolved everything. He had at last asked for her hand after a rather eventful and tumultuous courtship, the details of which would make a most interesting tale for the telling, and she had accepted him.

Thus Éowyn had spent a long night talking with her brother, was kept up for quite some time by Elboron, and then awoke early the next morning only to find that the King of Rohan was planning to sleep for at least half the day, after a long ride from Dol Amroth. She looked down at the child in her arms, who was gazing up at her with dark, grave eyes. "Are you always so fussy as you were last night?" she asked. "Your father usually takes care of you in the night, unless you are hungry."

In response, Elboron smiled and grabbed a long lock of hair. He tugged at it and laughed as Éowyn winced. Carefully she shifted him into a one-armed hold and pried his fingers open. "You have your father's sword-hand grip," she murmured. "And I wonder where he is. . . ."

Almost before the words were out of her mouth, she caught sight of a grey stallion coming around the last bend in the road before their house. Its rider was tall and proud, and she knew him immediately. "Mithlomi!" she cried, rushing to the door of the library.

The maid met her at the end of the corridor. "My lady, is something the matter?"

"No," Éowyn replied, laughing. "My husband has returned!"

Mithlomi took the child from the Lady's arms. "I will take him to the nursery, my lady."

"Thank you." Without another word, Éowyn ran down the stairs to the entryway, crossing the seal and throwing open the doors in time to see the stallion making the final approach to the house. Smiling broadly, she watched as Faramir (accompanied by several other riders, all members of the White Company) came up to the house.

When Faramir had dismounted, he fairly ran up the steps, taking them two at a time until he reached Éowyn and embraced her tightly. "Is your mysterious business concluded, then?" she asked.

"Of course not," he replied, taking a moment to kiss her. "I have brought the mystery home."

She gave him a curious look, but then two brown-haired lads came flying up the steps, crying: "Éowyn, Éowyn!"

To her great surprise they both ran up to her and embraced her as soon as Faramir had taken two steps back. Then in wonder she recognized them and knew they were no lads. "Merry! Pippin!" she cried.

"Éowyn, it's so good to see you!" said Merry, pulling back from her and looking up at last. "We've missed you very much."

Faramir cleared his throat slightly, and Pippin looked up at him. "We missed you too, Faramir, but you must admit, your wife's face is more to miss than yours."

At that the Steward laughed, pulling his wife close to him. "I could not argue with you, Master Perian, for there is none so fair as the Lady of Emyn Arnen."

"This from the man who sees the Queen at least once a month," Éowyn replied. "My husband is a hopeless flatterer."

The two hobbits laughed, and Éowyn remembered her duties as hostess. "I am certain you two are hungry, as you always are," she said. "Will you not come in and break your journey?"

"Do not offer them food, for I daresay they have had enough," said Faramir, laughing. "We would have arrived an hour earlier had we not had to stop to eat so frequently."

The group made their way into the house then, and Pippin looked up at Faramir. "And yet we were delayed further, for you had to send word to the King while we were there."

The Steward chuckled softly. "I had forgotten," he said. "These two ruffians did not call upon the King while they were in the city."

Éowyn looked at them in amazement. "Why did you not see him first? For Aragorn is King and deserves the preeminence!"

"We are not made for great halls," said Merry gravely as he glanced around. "Though you have a great hall here."

The Lady took a hobbit hand in each of hers and led them to the stairs, her husband behind. "Come, my friends," she replied. "For there is someone you must meet before the King comes to punish you."

In silence they ascended the stairs, and Éowyn led them to the nursery, where Mithlomi was laying Elboron down in his cradle. She was surprised to see her brother in the room as well, but the two hobbits had their eyes fixed on the cradle, and she doubted they noticed him. "Mithlomi," she said, as the maid looked at them, "I would like you to meet our guests, Master Meriadoc Brandybuck and Master Peregrin Took of the Shire. Merry, Pippin, this is Mithlomi, a very dear friend."

The maid curtseyed to the halflings and smiled. "A great pleasure to meet you," she replied. "I have heard much of you."

The two hobbits smiled and nodded to her, and once the pleasantries were exchanged, they approached the cradle and peered into it as Mithlomi exited and the Steward and his Lady looked on, and Faramir said: "And this is our son."

"He's rather large, isn't he?" said Pippin, looking at his cousin. "For a babe, at least."

Merry laughed and smiled at the baby. "I should think that Men's children are a bit larger than those of a hobbit." After a pause, he added: "He'll take after you, Faramir."

The two hobbits looked up at Faramir and Éowyn as the Steward replied: "Perhaps. Yet I would hope that he also be gifted with his mother's heart and spirit." At that Éowyn smiled, and Faramir drew her closer to him, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Would either of you like to hold him?" she asked.

The hobbits glanced at each other, and Pippin got a curious grin on his face. "After you," he said.

Éowyn lifted Elboron from his cradle and knelt before Merry, who held his arms out to receive him. The child was clearly heavier than he was expecting, but he was not too evidently surprised. Then the boy looked up at this new creature with those dark, curious eyes and yawned. Merry smiled down at him, and Elboron reached up to swat at one of Merry's curls. Éowyn covered her mouth behind her hand, realizing that she had forgotten to tell Merry first that Elboron had developed a habit of grabbing hair whenever he could.

Then Pippin touched the baby's foot, which had lost its sock sometime during the day. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, no fur at all on these feet," he said.

"Most unnatural," was Merry's solemn reply. "And these ears! Why, they're completely rounded at the top!"

Pippin leaned very close to Elboron's face and asked: "Whatever shall we do with you?" In reply the babe made a sound close to a laugh and grabbed at the hobbit's nose.

Pippin laughed merrily. "The obvious faults aside," he said, looking over at Faramir and Éowyn, "you've got a fine lad here."

Faramir attempted a solemn nod, but ended up giving Pippin a wide smile instead. "I am very glad you approve, Master Perian."

Merry handed the child over to his cousin then and asked: "What is his name?"

As Faramir moved his hand down to her waist, Éowyn replied: "His name is Elboron."

And then Éowyn noticed that the smile on Pippin's face seemed to fade as he looked down on the child. "His eyes. . ." he whispered. "They remind me of Boromir."

Éowyn set her arm around her husband's waist, knowing that he had often thought the same thing when looking upon their son. On this day it was clear that the memories he had conjured were sad ones, and she rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek, then laid her head against his shoulder. Merry looked up then, but turned back to Elboron and said: "Boromir would be proud."

Pippin smiled suddenly. "Well, my lad, we shall have to tell you all we can about your good Uncle Boromir, and make sure he really is proud of you, wherever he is now."

"Indeed we will," said Faramir, smiling genuinely. And indeed, they would.

*~*~*~*

And during the day they received more guests: the King and Queen, and Legolas and Gimli. They walked through the gardens and talked and dined in each other's company, with Elboron as the center of attention through most of the day. There had been other news, of course: Éomer and Lothíriel, it seemed, had not yet set a date for their wedding, though it had been announced in Dol Amroth and there was no escaping it now. And Merry had news of his own, that he too would be married when he returned to the Shire. The day was spent in great enjoyment, but it was rather exhausting overall. It was late that night before everyone had retired and Éowyn at last entered the bedchamber, wishing to go to sleep as soon as possible.

But when she entered the room, she saw something which she knew she would never forget, to the end of her days.

Faramir was reclined upon the sofa, stretched out with his feet propped up on the end table, for he was taller than the sofa was long. On his chest lay their son, who seemed so tiny in comparison to his father. Éowyn leaned against the door frame, knowing her husband was unaware of her presence. He kissed the top of Elboron's head and whispered something to him, and for a while he seemed quite content to be there with his child, to speak with him even though Elboron could not reply. There was a look of wonder in his eyes which made her want to melt.

Then, when Éowyn thought both father and son had fallen asleep, Faramir turned his head toward the door and smiled at her. "How long were you watching?"

"Long enough." She entered the room then and knelt by the sofa, softly stroking Elboron's hair. "And you feared you would make a poor father."

"I still do," he softly replied. "But I no longer fear my capacity to love him as a father should."

"I never doubted but you would." Éowyn lifted his hand then and placed a kiss in his broad palm. Faramir responded with a tired smile in her direction, and then returned his attention to the child.

By then, Elboron had become a little fussy, and Éowyn smiled. "I think he may be hungry now."

"I think you may be right." Carefully Faramir lifted the babe, keeping him just long enough to kiss his cheek, and then surrendered him to his mother.

"Is my little one hungry?" she asked, holding him up for a moment. Elboron flailed his arms and began to cry, so she settled him down in one arm as she unfastened the buttons down the bodice of her gown. Faramir turned over on his side as this process began, and as soon as Éowyn had pushed enough of her bodice away, the babe's mouth found her breast and began to suckle.

Faramir watched with a small smile as Éowyn nursed the boy, remembering how nervous she had been the evening she had first fed him. He had never seen her face anything with fear, but when the midwife had told her she had to give the child milk, she had looked up in terror. But the midwife had talked her through it, and Éowyn had hardly noticed that Faramir was even in the room as little Elboron had first taken milk from his mother's breast. Yet he had not forgotten the wonder of that first hour of their son's life, when Éowyn had been so radiant and happy. From that moment a new light had begun to shine in her eyes, and he saw it then as well.

Yet then she seemed less comfortable than she ought, and Faramir noticed that she had not unbuttoned her gown as far as she normally did before Elboron had grown impatient. She shifted a little, and Faramir said: "Let me help you."

Before she could protest, he slipped his fingers under the neck of her bodice and slid it off her shoulder, letting her have a little more comfort. As he did so, she turned and rested her head against his chest, and for a little while, the family remained in silence, and Faramir was content to have his wife and his son, in a time of peace and in their own home.

"He's almost done," Éowyn whispered, lifting her head and breaking the magical moment. "I believe he will sleep quickly as well."

Faramir kissed her cheek. "I will see to the cradle."

He rose a little reluctantly and walked into their bedchamber; standing by the crib he removed some toys which the boy had been given to play with (or gum, which might have been more accurate). A few minutes later Éowyn entered, a sleeping Elboron in her arms. He was already soundly asleep, it was plain, for he did not cry as his mother laid him down. And so Faramir wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she put hers about his waist, and they walked across the room to their window.

Faramir looked down at her and smiled when he saw that while she had covered her shoulder, her bodice was yet unfastened for a few inches. He ran his finger lightly over the opening. "I should draw the curtains," he murmured, hugging her a little tighter.

She looked up at him, brow raised, and Faramir took it as a challenge. He turned her to him and kissed her, till Éowyn melted into his arms and he had to hold her up. Then he traced kisses down to the hollow of her throat, and she breathed: "I told you. . .never to come near me again."

Faramir drew back and smiled. "Do you not think that Elboron needs a sister?" On that thought he kissed her again, and she did not object.

Well, that's the end, everyone. Thank you all very much for sticking around through my first foray into the realm of Middle-earth.

I'd like very much to thank all those who reviewed this fic; your kind words were very much appreciated. Your encouragement definitely made this fic worth the effort, and it was far and away above what I ever expected.

I would like to thank three people specifically—Danni, Rachel, and Faith, who were my sounding boards throughout this fic. I couldn't have written this without your help, girls.