For Marigold's Challenges #27

Edited by Marigold

Faramir Took is 14, about 9 1/2 human age.

Faeries

Peregrin and Diamond weren’t worried, not yet anyway.

“You’ve a huge smial here, Merry, and Faramir’s a small lad. You know he’s one to go off hiding.” Pippin shook his head. “He has a bit of his grandpa in him. Faramir told me once that he likes to hide so he can hear himself think.”

That does make him different from his father,” Merry smirked. “You could have all the quiet you want and you wouldn’t hear anything.”

Diamond didn’t hide her giggle well, and her husband gave her a nudge with his elbow. She only giggled louder.

“Clever Merry. Very clever.” Pippin looked past his cousin. “As I was saying, Estella, I’ll go look for the lad after elevenses if he doesn’t show up for the meal.”

Faramir did not show up for elevenses.

It was nearly time for luncheon when his father found him in the wardrobe in his bedroom.

“I thought you were in here,” Pippin said looking down at his tear-streaked child who was huddled into a corner. “When I came in before I noticed the door was shut tight and we know how often your Mum has to remind you to shut the wardrobe.” Pippin squatted down to appear less threatening. He didn’t reach for his son yet. He knew his lad well. He knew at Faramir’s age he didn’t always wish to be held, he would wait and see what Faramir wanted him to do. “When you didn’t answer my calling for you, I figured you still needed some time. But it’s nearly luncheon, and you don’t need to be missing two meals, so I thought I’d come and see what’s the matter.” He sat on the floor and tipped his head a bit to one side, his expression encouraging a response. None was forthcoming. “What’s the matter?”

Faramir threw a small book at the floor by his father’s legs. He still said nothing.

Pippin picked up the book. It showed signs of attempts to tear it apart. The title was “How Faeries Behave”. Pippin looked at Faramir. “This is what has you so upset?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Some of the Brandybuck cousins and their friends were reading it and,” Faramir paused. “Not Theo,” he added quickly. “Theo wouldn’t do this . . . well, he wouldn’t do it so meanly nor for so long.”

Pippin nodded. Theodoc was Merry’s son, and he and Faramir were as close as their fathers were. “Where was Theo?”

“He had to go and visit some old Brandybuck auntie, and Aunt Esme said, “The poor old dear will have quite enough with one lad in her apartments, I’m afraid. You’d best not go with us, Faramir. Theo will only be a few hours, then you can have him back.” So Theo wasn’t there.” Faramir scowled. “He ought to have been. They wouldn’t have . . . well they still might have, but it would have been better to not be alone.”

“What did the lads do, Faramir?” Pippin was having to work hard at being patient. He knew he was getting his own back. Faramir might be like Paladin in some ways, but in others he was very much his father’s son. He could take forever to get to the point of things.

“They read that book,” Faramir fairly spat the word out. “Then they had me read it and then they started on about how Tooks have Faerie blood and so Tooks are like that book says. I don’t know why they were reading it anyway as it’s a faunt’s book. They kept at it; saying all sorts of things were all the Tooks fault. That they shouldn’t even play with me, as I was a Took and something nasty would happen to them if they were around me too much. And . . . and . . .” Faramir was getting quite worked up and was barely bothering to breathe. “And then they started saying that Uncle Merry shouldn’t be the Master as he’s half Took and he’ll make everything in Buckland go badly. Then I punched Morimas in the nose, grabbed the stupid book and ran to my room, and I hid in here in case they came after me, and I tried hard not to cry nor breathe too loud so they wouldn’t hear me if they did come after me.” The lad drew in a short breath. “Then I tried to tear the stupid book up, because it’s stupid and . . . but, I couldn’t as it’s a child’s book, and the paper is thick, and I was too upset and . . . Da, why is it sometimes when you’re upset you don’t seem to be as strong? Anyway, it’s a stupid book.”

Pippin had to fight the urge to grin; there was no doubting this lad was his son. He looked at the battered book. “May I read it, Faramir? I want to see what has you so upset in our family’s defense.”

Faramir nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a stupid, mean book,” he mumbled.

His father opened the cover to find that “How Faeries Behave” was a poem, done with one verse to a page with prettily colored drawings to illustrate them.

************

How Faeries Behave

When the earth goes bad
and the crops won’t grow,
It’s Faeries we must blame.

When the rain’s a torrent
or there’s none at all
It’s just a Faeries’ game.

When the wind blows hard
and uproots the trees
It’s Faeries we must name.

When fires appear
in the open fields
It’s all the Faeries’ flame.

Don’t look a Faerie in the eyes,
You know not what you’ll see.

Don’t look a Faerie in the eyes,
Or we’ll see no more of thee.

*******************

Pippin hadn’t quite finished when he heard his son ask, in a small sad voice, “Is it true, Da?”. He finished and looked up. Faramir crawled out of the wardrobe and sat beside him, turned so that he could look at his father’s face. He rested one small hand on Pippin’s leg.

“Is it true, Da? Is that what Faeries are like, or is it just a stupid book? And . . . and were the lads right, Da? I’ve heard before that we have Faerie blood in us and that it makes Tooks strange, but . . .”

Pippin pulled his son onto his lap and Faramir did not protest. He cuddled into his father’s chest, suddenly a little lad again. Pippin held him close.

Memories flooded into Pippin’s heart. Thinking his Aunt Esmeralda was there when Merry had fallen from a tree - but she hadn’t been there. Times on the Quest when dark fears had gripped him, and there had been her comforting presence - and the presence of another. The scent of autumn leaves on the forest floor swirled around him, borne on a gentle breeze that somehow made its way inside Brandy Hall.

It was time to let his son know. “Look at me.” Pippin whispered.

Green eyes met green eyes, and green stars danced. Autumn leaves rustled. Cullassisul smiled.

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A/N: Cullassisul was introduced in my story "While We Dwelt in Fear". She is the faerie who married a Took ancestor.