Most of the damage in the lower Circles had been done by fire or trebuchet, the enemy had had no time to loot, but that was quite bad enough. Still the Men of Minas Tirith, assisted by the newly arrived troops, had made a good start at clearing up; the rubble had been cleared away and precarious walls shored up by timbers. And the heaped bodies of Orcs, Trolls and Wargs had disappeared.

"Good," Arwen said approvingly, "I see the carrion has been disposed of."

"Yes," Idril agreed, "at least we need not worry about that source of infection."

Arwen missed the slight, questioning inflection in the Woman's voice but Laebeth didn't. "Sunfire cleanses." she explained quietly. "My brother told me he and some of his fellows burned the enemy dead as soon as the sun rose high enough to kindle the fires."

Idril gave Laebeth a slightly odd look but made no answer.

Arwen suddenly wondered if Gondor had forgotten the art of kindling sunfire, which consumes all unclean things and leaves not even ashes behind, as they had forgotten the value of Athelas - and who knew what else besides?

When they arrived at the great gate square she was saddened but not surprised to see bodies salvaged from the wreckage decently laid out on clean linen, waiting to be claimed by their kin. But she checked sharply at the sight of row upon row of battered, severed heads set out on long trestles for the same purpose.

"Men slain in the taking of Osgiliath or the defense of the causeway forts and outer wall." Idril told her grimly. "The enemy pelted us with them, hoping to break our spirit." she glanced sidelong at Laebeth. "For myself I'd feel it a comfort to know one I loved was free from torment and safe in the Hands of Eru."

"Turin and Tuor are not among them, I have looked." Laebeth said quietly, then explained to Arwen: "Two of my sons were with Faramir in Osgiliath but did not win free to the City. My husband and his kin fear the worst but I will not give up hope."

"Nor should you." Arwen agreed. "Never count a Ranger as dead until you see his bones, as we say in the North."

"So I have told Hurin, and our cousin here." Laebeth smiled at Idril who looked worriedly back, clearly unconvinced.

They found Aragorn standing with Imrahil, Hurin, Gimli and Legolas, Pippin and two Rangers beneath the doorless gate. Arwen smiled with delight; the grey and crimson robes she had chosen for him became him very well indeed. He was as beautiful as the day she'd first seem him in Imladris, so many long years ago. And she saw by his answering smile he was equally pleased with her appearance.

By then Arwen had made up her mind that the people should stay. But she left the final decision to Aragorn, who knew both Men and Gondor better than she and was pleased when he confirmed her judgment.

Fortunately Idril didn't seem to mind being overruled. But then what Woman could mind anything when Aragorn smiled at her? "I trust my wife has already thanked you for all your kindness to us, Lady Idril." he said.

She looked gravely up at him, "A small return for my brother's life." and then she broke into a brilliant smile of her own. "Thank you for Faramir."

"I foresee I will have good cause to be grateful for him myself in days to come." Aragorn answered.

Arwen saw her husband was studying his distant kinswoman closely, much the way he had scrutinized the Captains at the council, and no doubt for the same reason. Idril was Anarieni and might well consider her claim to Gondor's throne better than that of Isildur's Heir. But she didn't, of that Arwen was quite certain. Idril was no more likely to make trouble for Aragorn than Hurin or Imrahil. As for her brother the new Steward, Arwen remembered very well the expression in Faramir's eyes when he looked on Aragorn for the first time, there was nothing to fear there either.

Indeed she was beginning to wonder if there ever had been anything to fear. Had Aragorn worried all these years about a danger that had never existed?
***

She ventured the question, a little hesitantly, over a late supper. The table had been set up in an outer chamber of their apartments with windows looking north, east and west and doors opening onto a terrace. Arwen sat on Aragorn's right hand at the round table, with Imrahil beside her and Laebeth and Hurin beyond him. Idril was seated on Aragorn's left with Gandalf beside her then Legolas and Gimli. The six remaining Rangers filled the rest of the chairs and Pippin, now the King's esquire, was among those serving.

"Oh no, my Lady, his Grace's fears were very well founded." Idril assured her. "My father for one would never have accepted Isildur's Heir." she smiled wryly. "He said so to me many times, and expected me to feel the same."

"But you do not?" Aragorn said mildly.

She shrugged. "I am a Woman as well as of impure blood, I have no claim."

"And if we put aside both the Statute of Hyarmendacil and the custom that says the crown cannot descend to a Woman or through the female line?" he probed.

She smiled at him. "Even if we do so my claim is still inferior to yours, my Lord, for you are descended from the daughter of Ondoher and I but from his sister."

He smiled back. "That is so."

Idril turned the subject - or seemed to. "Now that you are King of Gondor, my Lord, you should have Gondor Men to guard you as well as your knights from the North."

Aragorn looked at her thoughtfully. "And who should I chose for this duty?" he asked.

There was the rub, Arwen thought ruefully. A City like this must have its feuds and factions - Men were no different from Elves in that respect. The new King couldn't risk taking sides, especially when he had no idea what the sides were.

But of course Idril understood the problem every bit as well as her Northern cousins. "The garrison of the Great Gatehouse." she answered. "You will have heard how they held their post even after the City was breached. The honor is well deserved and could not possibly be resented."

Aragorn nodded, eyes glinting amusement as well as respect for the neatness of the solution. "A good thought, Cousin. Hurin, you will see the Men are suitably outfitted for their new duty."

"I will indeed." he replied with some enthusiasm. Then he smiled at Arthamir, senior of the Rangers left behind with their chief: "Do not begrudge us our share in the Dunadan."

The Man smiled back. "We will try not to, Hurinya, but it will be difficult after having him all to our selves these last years."

"I am not a bone to be fought over." Aragorn scolded, half jokingly, then added quite seriously: "I belong both the Gondor and the North." He turned to Hurin: "Uncle Halbarad was my banner bearer, now that he has fallen I need another. I would have one of your sons for they too belong to Arnor as well as Gondor."

"It would be a great honor to my House -" he began formally, then his face twisted in pain. "You ask a hard thing, Dunadan, I have already lost two sons to this war."

Laebeth let out a breath in controlled frustration and explained to Aragorn: "Our middle sons, Turin and Tuor, were in Osgiliath when it fell but not among those who won free with Faramir." then she turned to her husband. "Nor are they among those slain and desecrated by the Enemy so we need not bury them quite yet! Aranor has gone to look for her brothers."

Hurin blinked. "You sent our daughter across a war ruined land to a City but lately held by the Enemy?"

"She asked to go and I gave her my leave." Laebeth answered coolly. "Why not? She is armed, and far more skilled with bow and sword than I."

"And better than many Men." Idril put in. "Aranor will be all right, Hurin."

"The Enemy was in full flight last we saw of them," Imrahil reminded his friend sympathetically, "your daughter is unlikely to be in any danger."

Hurin turned to Aragorn in something like despair. "You see what I must put up with, Dunadan? Between my wife and my daughter it is a wonder my hair isn't white as snow!"

"I warned you I was no meek City lady when we married." Laebeth said unsympathetically.

"Our Southern Women are none so meek as all that." said Imrahil, husband and father.

"Not all of us." Idril agreed.

The candles on the table and set in sconces around it fluttered as the terrace door opened. Edennil and Bregedur, The two Northern Dunedain assigned to scout east to the River, came in accompanied by a tall, fair haired young Man in the brown leathers of a Gondorian Ranger.

"Tuor!" Hurin overturned his chair as he rushed to embrace his son, Laebeth followed more composedly, a faint smile on her face. "we had given you up for lost, son!"

"I hadn't!" the mother said with some emphasis. "Never count a Ranger as dead until you see his bones, Hurinya. Where is Turin?"

"Safe at the Houses of Healing," Tuor answered, "he was wounded in the leg, not seriously but he could neither run nor ride, and so we were left behind. The old city is full of hiding places, we had no trouble concealing ourselves from the enemy."

"And your sister, where is she?" Hurin asked.

Tuor looked at his mother, she nodded: "Yes he knows."

"Aranor is fine, she took Turin to the Houses and is probably there with him still."

"My niece joined our company just outside the Pelannor wall." Edennil told his brother by marriage. "She is a fine archer with a keen eye."

"And an even better swordswoman." Laebeth said to her brother with maternal pride.

"That we didn't get a chance to see."

"Well thank the Valar for that much." Hurin said resignedly.

"I take it back, your Men are far different from ours." Idril said to Arwen.

"Northern Women do not ride on errantry or to battle, save when there is no Man left to do military duty," Aragorn told her, "but we train them in arms alongside their brothers for they must defend the holdings when the Men are away. And knowing they can take care of themselves we do not hesitate to let them ride on scouts or patrols when they have cause."

"And seeking lost brothers is a very good cause." said Edennil, then proceeded to give his report in the usual spare, Ranger manner: "The lands to the River are clear, Dunadan, and those strays sulking in the ruins of Osgiliath have been disposed of." A faint smile crossed his face. "But my nephew has a report of his own to make for he and his companions did rather more than hide. Tuor, this is Aragorn Dunadan, our Chief."

"And our King." Hurin said with some emphasis.

Tuor stared at Aragorn, standing at his place behind the table, then recovered himself and bowed. "My brother and I were not the only ones forced to remain behind by wounds or misfortune." he began. "There were perhaps a score of us all told, Rangers mostly but a few knights and men-at-arms as well. Fortunately for us the Enemy was more concerned with moving his army across the River than searching the ruins for possible survivors."

He swallowed, composure wavering for a moment. "We saw the Lord Faramir's charge, and its result." Tuor's eyes darted briefly sideways to his father. "We could not keep the Enemy from desecrating the bodies of the dead but we did manage to rescue the few Men taken alive." then he looked back at Aragorn. "The Enemy had built a wooden span between the stone ends of the great bridge. Two of our Men, Damrod and Irolas, stole a keg of blasting powder and we used it to bring the bridge down, but by then the main body of the Orc army had crossed. And it was soon rebuilt for the Southron and Easterling armies, so I fear we did little good."

"That is why they came late to the field!" said Idril. "I did wonder."

"Your deed was far from useless, Tuor son of Hurin." Aragorn assured him gravely. "Thanks to that delay the Orc army was destroyed by Rohan before their allies came on the field. Had it not been for your Men and the Riders, and the determined defense of the City Guard my aid might well have come too late." He looked at Hurin, standing with a possessive arm around his regained son, and smiled faintly. "No doubt you and Laebeth are eager to see how Turin fares, I will not keep you. As for the other matter, think on it Hurinya and tell me your decision tomorrow."

"Yes, Dunadan, and thank you." Hurin bowed and led his wife and son out of the room.

"Well I am glad!" said Pippin, forgetting his place as usual. "Poor Hurin, I knew something was eating at him but I didn't know what."

"With your permission, my Liege, I will take my leave as well." said Imrahil, smiling, "I feel a sudden need to see my own sons."

"Of course. Good night, Prince."

Idril rose too, "And I will take advantage of Imrahil's escort if I may."

"But where will you go?" Arwen asked, suddenly dismayed, "We have turned you out of your rooms!"

"No, my Lady, I have lent them to you." Idril replied firmly, then laughed. "I have no less than two houses in the Sixth Circle and so do not lack a place to lay my head!"

By the time Aragorn and Arwen returned from seeing their guests to the door the table had been cleared away, Edennil and three of his fellows had vanished, and Gandalf was sitting in a big armchair before the hearth lighting his pipe. "Well, Aragorn," he said, "are you convinced yet?"

"I do not doubt Hurin's good faith, or Imrahil's or Faramir's or Idril's if that is what you mean." he answered. "But they are not all Gondor. I will be challenged, Gandalf, but I hope not until after Sauron's fall should we live to see it -"

"There he goes again!" said Pippin, handing around cups of wine. "Honestly, Strider, must you always assume the worst?"

Arwen laughed.

"It's a failing of Kings, young Hobbit." Gimli explained, taking a cup. "They must needs prepare for the worst."

"Even while hoping for the best." said Legolas.

"Assuming the best then," Aragorn said, smiling at his esquire, "I expect to be challenged after the battle when the question of crowning arises." he looked at Gandalf. "But I promise you I will not just go away as Tarondor did."

"He had no choice." Arwen said, stung on behalf of her long dead nephew. "The people were with Tarostar and he would not throw away the lives of the few who'd stayed faithful in a futile war."

"I know." Aragorn told her gently. "I meant no reproach, Sweetheart, Tarondor did the right thing. But my circumstances are somewhat different I think."

"They are indeed." said Gandalf. "You have the Lords of Gondor and its people with you, Aragorn, never doubt that."

"I will not." he promised.
***

Note: (Warning Fanon!!) Tarondor was the seventh King of Arnor, (515-602) and briefly King of Gondor as well. In TA 470 the Southern Kingdom was still small and weak, threatened by invading hords of Easterlings the King of Gondor, Ostoher, appealed to the High Kingdom for help. As a result Tarcil of Arnor's heir, Anduher, brought an army south and became co-ruler with Ostoher taking the name 'Tarondor' (King of Gondor). He made his seat in Minas Ithil, and Ostoher made his in Minas Anor, which he rebuilt, and Osgiliath was jointly held by both as in the days of Isildur and Anarion. Ostoher's heir, Tarostar, resented this arrangment and worked against Tarondor doing all in his power to turn the people and the Lords of Gondor against him. In 501 Tarondor rode out with his force of Northerners, but few Southerners, to meet the last great assault by the Easterlings. He was victorious but when he returned he found the gates of Minas Ithil locked and the walls manned against him. He returned to Arnor without a fight for the reasons Arwen mentions.