Brothers In Arms: A Middle Earth Story

Chapter 2: Burdens and Blessings

Faramir followed me as I spoke with several of the rangers, my attempts to find suitable volunteers turning out to be surprisingly successful. I had several guidelines that I had decided upon earlier that I intended on following to the letter.

First, they must be unmarried and without children. This war had already taken too many husbands from their wives and fathers from their sons and daughters. I would not let it take more on my account.

Second, they had to be willing to go on the mission. This parameter was surprisingly easy to meet, as almost all of them were eager to do their part to help the kingdom, or at least kill orcs. I didn't care which.

Third, and finally, they had to be recommended by Faramir himself as exceptional warriors. He knew each and every one of them well, and his opinion was invaluable in finding men that fit the bill.

Ohtar, the tall ranger who had accompanied us to the hideout, was my first choice. Strong, brave, and somewhat prone to recklessness according to Faramir, he was a natural fit for the task at hand. When I told him of the mission he responded with the utmost enthusiasm.

The second man I chose was a silent older man named Uirion. He had been surprisingly stand-offish when I introduced myself, but his eyes had lit up with a zealous fire when I told him what he was signing up for. "Anything to hurt Mordor," He had said in a way that made chills run down my spine. Aside from mentioning that he had been in the military most of his life and had led a distinguished career, Faramir had little to say about him. It seemed that Uirion unsettled him as well.

My third choice was a recommendation from Faramir himself. The middle-aged man named Thorondir was hailed as "the best shot in Ithilien" by Faramir and a quick display of his talents almost immediately confirmed this. I watched with growing admiration as the ranger fired arrow after arrow at coins that Faramir threw into the air. Each time an arrow left Thorondir's string, a distinctive clink could be heard a split second later as the arrow found its mark in midair.

The ranger gave me a roguish grin as he idly spun an arrow in his hand. "I may not be the best shot in Middle Earth," he began with a slightly smug air. "But nobody's proven that yet."

I raised an eyebrow slightly, giving the man an approving nod. "You have a wife, ranger?"

He let out a short bark of a laugh. "I've been with many ladies, Captain. Ladies from Dol Amroth, Lamedon, Pelargir... But none of them have been able to put up with me for that long."

His suave demeanor would have annoyed me if he were anyone else, but for some reason I found it amusing with him.

The question that followed came naturally. "Have you fathered any children?"

"Not that I know of," Came the wry answer. I expected nothing less at this point. I couldn't help but return his sly smile as I evaluated him in my mind. He was just what I was looking for.

I turned to Faramir and lowered my voice as we slowly walked away, leaving Thorondir to resume his archery practice. "He seems like a good choice. Are you willing to spare him for this?"

Faramir gave a curt nod. "He and one of my other rangers got into a rather serious fight a week or so ago. They need to be separated somehow, and this might be the best way to do that."

My brow furrowed. "Might I ask what the fight was about?"

Faramir rolled his eyes in an unusual display of emotion. "You know how soldiers are. They got to talking, started trying to better one another's stories... But this time it came to blows. Thorondir tends to have a temper."

"Ah," I said. "Good to know."

As we rounded the corner a ranger barreled into both of us, falling back embarrassingly onto his rear as I instinctively braced myself at the impact. Faramir let slip a laugh as the ranger recovered.