Chapter Forty-One - To Be Steward

Faramir met with his Regent on the following morning, and by the next morning, with the help of Húrin, the men of Gondor’s army. The First, Second, Third and Fourth Companies assembled in the Courtyard of the Citadel.

Indis and Listöwel stood a goodly number of paces behind the Steward and watched, with bated breath, as the boy, for the first time, addressed his men.

“Warriors of Gondor,” he began in a clear, strong, though youth-filled voice, “I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as hallowed as the cause of life itself -- the cause of Gondor – and,” here a blush covered his face, seen only by those who stood closest to him, “to present myself to you. My mother used to tell me, ‘the humblest person in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of the Enemy.’ I am but one of the youngest of Gondor’s people, and yet, I have you beside me, to fight for Gondor and protect her people. I cannot tell you how proud that makes me feel… and how humble. By a distressing twist of fate, I am now your Steward, the lord you have pledged fealty to. Yet I am confident – for I have felt your service over this last year.” He choked and Indis stepped forward; Listöwel stayed her as Faramir continued. “We have suffered great loss, you and I, but we will be stronger because of it. We have been united in a way no other in our realm’s long history can voice.

This is a history with tales of great deeds that once would succor us in our hour of distress. No longer can we hear these tales, for the stories our mothers tell today are but those of sorrow, tears and grief. We have lived this story this past year.” He struggled; they all saw it and sorrowed. At last, their Steward continued. “But I would remind you - our main beliefs are undying - this is now a contest over beliefs that, hateful as war is to us for we are born of a people of peace, must be defended at all cost. I have lost much in this cause, but no less nor more than you and your own families. I have seen your steadfastness in the daily struggle. If I could somehow render it such, that no others would die, I would give my very own life to have that happen.” He paused and his men waited. Not a soldier standing before the Steward could not but feel the grief that coursed through the boy. Yet, he persisted.

“Despite the conflict that is upon us, I would make friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded – with that, we can be sure in our future. I call you to that new purpose. Higher good will come in a blotting out of differences, animosities, and suspicions, those very things that have plotted to wipe out Gondor as we know it. Our neighbors to the south and the east cannot be called friend. Yet, I would offer them friendship, if they will take it. I expect you to do the same. My grandfather opened the armies of Gondor to peoples of all the lands of Middle-earth. I would continue that practice. We are not alone. If we were, we would surely fail.

We have seen the strength of friendship succor us through a time of terrible treachery. Gondor’s stalwart friend to the West, Rohan itself, gave much of her own blood for our safety - in ages past and in this day. I would remind you of the sight of Rohan’s army on the Pelennor, gathered in partnership with the Knights of Dol Amroth, ready to do battle for Gondor. Need I say more of the value of friendship?

Such friendships will be needed in the years ahead of us. There are those who claim our strength is inadequate to protect on all fronts, that we cannot divide our efforts. I can think of no greater demonstration of despair. If our Enemy can divide His strength on many fronts, it is for us to counter His efforts. This will take a greater commitment from us than any we have thus far known. I see in your eyes and your stalwart stance that you understand and agree. We must continue to fight on all fronts, but in the meantime, we must begin to build these friendships using aid and arms. Our neighbors cannot battle alone either. We must help them see the battle for what it is. Mordor shares with no one, yet the lies the Enemy spreads suggests He will share the bounty of the fall of Gondor. We know that to be untrue. We must make our neighbors see the truth.” Faramir’s voice faltered. He cleared his throat and apologized.

“There are some who for varying reasons would appease Mordor. They are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier war. It points to no single instance where this end has justified that means, where appeasement had led to more than a sham peace. Our Enemy is Enemy to the One and to the Valar – to all in Middle-earth! To battle effectively, we must become one people. I do not speak of conquest of our neighbors, but treaties and respect.

Progress toward this noble purpose, the preservation of peace, is persis,” he stumbled over the word and tried again, “persistently threatened by the conflict now engulfing Middle-earth. It commands our whole attention, absorbs our very being. We face an Evil ruthless in purpose and insidious in method. Unhappily the danger He poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully, there is called for, not so much the emotional and fleeting sacrifices of crisis, but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely, and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle -- with life and freedom the stake. Only thus shall we remain, despite every provocation, on our charted course toward permanent peace, betterment for all, and, ultimately, our very survival. Down the long lane of the history yet to be written, Gondor knows that this world of ours must avoid becoming a world of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud alliance of mutual trust and respect.

If we go forward with our hand outstretched in peace to our neighbors, and challenge them to open their minds and their hearts and see the Evil that tries to lead them, then we will have won a part of the battle, the greatest part of all. Mordor cannot defeat us if we are one. I rely upon you to help me in your dealings with our neighbors. You are on the forefront of this battle, not I. When the battle is done and the captives are won, send them to Minas Tirith. We will do all that we can to combat the lies they have listened to and turn them to the cause of freedom from Evil.

This I ask of you as your Steward.

He paused for a long moment, seeming to grapple with tears. “As the son of Denethor, I come to you with heartfelt thanks. Ever have you been worthy of the name, ‘Knights of Gondor.’ From generation to generation, you have carried the blood of Númenor to greater heights. Some would say we are declining, that our blood is no longer pure, but even the hint of that noble blood runs in each of us. Remember that as you go forward. Once we were the friends of Elves and called Faithful. I would have that again. I have stated before, we are not alone. I call to memory the Last Great Alliance that saved Gondor and all of Middle-earth. In some small way, I wish to again create such an Alliance. With our neighbors and with the other races that once felled the Enemy. Would you join me in that? Would you open your hearts and your minds to greatness again? Shared with our neighbors – Men, Elves and Dwarves? I cannot see Gondor’s survival if we do not.

The young Steward cleared his throat, raised the pitch of his voice, and spoke as loudly as he could. “Men of Gondor, Knights of the Realm, are you with me? Will you stand for Gondor? Will you help others stand for their lands? Will you help me fight the One we do not name?”

He stepped back, reeling in exhaustion, but, as the chant, ‘Faramir,’ rose and filled the Citadel with its bellow of fervor, loyalty, and love from the throats of almost three hundred men, Faramir stood straight and strong.

~*~

A/N – This speech took quite some time to write, for I wanted it to ‘define’ Faramir’s idea of stewardship and the path he hoped to take his people on; for him to come to terms with his own ideas for Gondor and try to explain those to his men. Therefore, I did quite a bit of research and used the following speeches as a framework for the young Steward’s speech.

William Jennings Bryan's, "Cross of Gold" speech, delivered at the Democratic National Convention, Chicago, IL, July 9, 1896 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/

Emma Goldman’s - "What is Patriotism?" speech San Francisco, CA, 1908 http://www.panarchy.org/goldman/patriotism.html

Booker T. Washington speaks before the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition Atlanta, GA, September 18, 1895 http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/booker_atlanta.html

General Macarthur Speech - Old soldiers never die they just fade away http://www.goodspeechtopics.com/famous-speeches/famous-speech-old-soldiers-never-die-they-just-fade-away.html

Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html