43. Forshadow - NEW 12.11.06
We were walking through the gardens, enjoying the coolness of early evening. Faramir was taking great joy in pointing out plants and giving them their Sindarin names, and he beamed with shy pride each time he found a plant that was unfamiliar to me. There were many of that variety; I had little herb-lore, except what was needed to keep a body healthy.
"Nanny?" I heard him ask from behind me. I turned to see him standing still in the middle of the path, frowning at the sky. "Did you see that?"
"Did I see what?" I replied, looking upwards.
"I think I just saw lightning up there." He pointed towards the White Tower. "But it doesn't smell like rain. And…" he hesitated a moment, "it looked like it was coming from that window. So it couldn't have been lightning."
I looked where he pointed, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Perhaps it was someone merely lighting a lantern for the night?" I suggested, trying to ignore the way his preoccupied expression raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
"Maybe," he said doubtfully. "But it was brighter than a lantern."
I did not know what to tell him, for I had no idea what he might have seen. I did know that he seemed to be pointing to the window in a room that had not been used until the Lady Finduilas had died. Now, however, Lord Denethor often retreated to that room at the end of the day. "I do not know what it might have been," I said, "but I think we should go in now. It is almost time for supper."
He did not argue, but took my hand as we turned to leave the gardens. He cast one puzzled glance over his shoulder as we walked, but did not bring the subject up again that night.
And if I saw a strange flash from the corner of my eye, I did not dwell on its source.
"Nanny?" I heard him ask from behind me. I turned to see him standing still in the middle of the path, frowning at the sky. "Did you see that?"
"Did I see what?" I replied, looking upwards.
"I think I just saw lightning up there." He pointed towards the White Tower. "But it doesn't smell like rain. And…" he hesitated a moment, "it looked like it was coming from that window. So it couldn't have been lightning."
I looked where he pointed, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Perhaps it was someone merely lighting a lantern for the night?" I suggested, trying to ignore the way his preoccupied expression raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
"Maybe," he said doubtfully. "But it was brighter than a lantern."
I did not know what to tell him, for I had no idea what he might have seen. I did know that he seemed to be pointing to the window in a room that had not been used until the Lady Finduilas had died. Now, however, Lord Denethor often retreated to that room at the end of the day. "I do not know what it might have been," I said, "but I think we should go in now. It is almost time for supper."
He did not argue, but took my hand as we turned to leave the gardens. He cast one puzzled glance over his shoulder as we walked, but did not bring the subject up again that night.
And if I saw a strange flash from the corner of my eye, I did not dwell on its source.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
