The Forgotten Love ~A Faramir Love Story~

Chapter X

 It was the second sunset since the Rangers of Dol Amroth set out for Osgiliath. They traveled lightly, swiftly, and in canoes. There were, however, no signs of the Orcs. They had not caught up to the enemy, and the men were starting to get anxious.

"These are not ordinary Orcs," Leomar mused as he watched the river. "They do not fear the daylight, otherwise we would have caught up to them."

"What do you order, Captain?" Nálor called as he paddled through the water. "Shall we make camp, or travel through the night?"

Gwen groaned inwardly, for she was seated behind Nálor. The Valor forbid if they travel through the night again. Hardly anyone had gotten a decent few hours of sleep since setting out on the journey.

"Captain, the men are tired. If we travel through the night once more, they shall be in no condition to fight," one of Leomar's lieutenants by the name of Bandling spoke aloud Gwen's thoughts. "It will be wise to stop and rest."

"And what of the Orcs?" Nálor argued. "We could be right on their tail. If we are to stop, they will surely slip away."

"We have not come upon them yet, who is to say we will tonight?" Bandling demanded, turning his head to stare across the canoes at Nálor.

"We will!" Nálor growled.

"Enough!" Gwen hissed. "If we were to come upon them, your arguing would surely give us away." She turned to face Leomar. "The captain will decide."

Leomar looked around his small army. Many were slouching in their canoes, barely able to maneuver their paddles through the water. They looked exhausted, with dark circles underneath their eyes. Even the stubborn Nálor was fighting to keep his eyes open.

Bandling was right. None of them were in good enough shape to fight tonight, let alone tomorrow. They would perish at the paws of the Orcs, were they to continue on. 

He raised his arm, signalling the other canoes to halt. "We stop here tonight," he said, nodding to confirm his decision.

Nálor sighed visibly, showing his disagreement, but speaking no more of the matter.

~~~

Gwen watched Nálor as they dragged the canoe to land. It could be easily seen that he was in disagreement with the captain's decision to stop and rest. He did not wish to stop and rest, he wished to continue on, to be there when the Orcs reached Osgiliath. She shook her head as she watched him pace back and forth, muttering inaudible words and rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. He was devising his own strategy in his head. 

Gwen knew it to be true when the man turned on his heel, heading towards Captain Leomar's tent.

"Enough on this matter," Captain Leomar was heard, sharply addressing Nálor as he entered the tent.

"Pray, here me out, I have an idea," Nálor said quietly.

Naturally, curiosity overcame Gwen. Slyly, she made her way over towards the group of men sitting around the fire outside of the captain's tent. She pretended to stoke the flame, whilst truly listening for any words to escape the thick canvas of the tent. 

The task was harder than Gwen anticipated, for the men were rowdy, grateful to get some rest before tomorrow's events were to play out. Even her finely tuned ears could pick up only little of what was being discussed.

"Give me a few... Let me go... Fewer will be quicker... Give Faramir warning... More time..."

'Give Faramir more time?' Gwen's eyes widened, her heart beginning to beat quickly. Of course! How could she have been so naïve? Faramir's regiment of Rangers were far too few to defend Osgiliath against a dozen Orc legions. They would fall before the Rangers of Dol Amroth would reach them. It was now no wonder Nálor wished to contine. And she had been in support of stopping for the night!

"Gwen!" A voice broke through her mind, tearing her away from her thoughts. She turned to face the person addressing her.

It was Bandling.

"Yes, lieutenant?" She asked, standing up.

"The captain wishes for you to speak with him," Bandling instructed, gesturing toward the entrance of Leomar's tent with a weathered hand. "Immediately."

Gwen nodded, obeying. 

As she opened the flap to the tent, the faces of Leomar and Nálor turned to meet her.
"Captain, you wished to speak to me?" Gwen asked, resting her left hand on the hilt of her sword.

Leomar nodded solemnly. "Nálor has brought to me an interesting compromise. He suggests that he and several Rangers slip out ahead of the group, passing the Orcs, and making it to Osgiliath before sunrise. He says that the Rangers stationed there must be warned in advance of the oncoming attack. I agree with him. Their numbers rank too few against twelve legions of Orcs, as Nálor has reminded me. Not only do they need time, they need reinforments. Nálor's company will give them this."

"'Wyn," Nálor said, stepping forward, calling Gwen by her nickname used by the Rangers. "You are one of our finest; you tread is light, you use your head, your aim is, well, it's impeccable," at this, Nálor smirked. "What I am trying to say is, will you accompany me to Osgiliath?"

Gwen looked at the two men, the one's who had adopted her as a daughter and the one as a sister. The ones who had trained her as a Ranger, the ones who had welcomed her into their legion with open arms.

The ones who made her forget how Denethor made her feel.

They were the ones that showed her she was not worthless, she was not an exile.

No, she was a Ranger of Dol Amroth. More importantly, she was a defender, and a daughter, of Gondor.

It was then that she knew where her loyalty lay.

She knew her answer. She didn't doubt it, not even for a second.

"I will go."