A Face in the Crowd: Faramir

Chapter Ten - Change to Survive

It was the morning of the first of April, and Keren felt like a fool.

She had been so naive, and she hated herself for it. She still awoke to see Faramir's face behind her closed eyes, which irritated her beyond belief. He just would not leave her head. And as for her heart, it clung on stubbornly.

She was woken by a loud tapping on the door, pulled from a dream of Faramir into cold reality, where the only semblance of him was now a gut-churning feeling of sadness and embarrassment, wearing a mask of his face.

Groggily she made her way to the refectory with Palen, and sat at a table near the back, confused upon seeing that only a handful of their fellow healers had been summoned.

The warden's voice was too loud for the early morning.

"I bid you all welcome," he said, "and I thank you for arriving so promptly." Several yawns still echoed around the room. "I will be brief. The battle at the Black Gate was won, though with heavy losses and many of our men injured. Skirmishes with Easterlings and Southrons are still taking place. The Lord Elessar has commanded that ten of our number are to be sent to the war camp at Cormallen, to tend to the wounded. There is only so much the men can do to heal themselves, and whilst he is a great healer - as some of us here have witnessed - he cannot be everywhere. The fifteen of you I've gathered here are my best healers. I'll be going myself, whilst Ioreth will remain in charge here. The rest of you, I ask you to decide amongst yourselves who shall be the ten to go with me, for I know it's not a choice all of you will be keen to make."

There was silence as his words were taken in.

To go to a war camp, to see Ithilien – dangerous, exciting. But Keren's immediate thought was that she dared not go. There had been too much change, too much to deal with lately. Palen however, Keren could see, was itching to go already.

"My husband is there, sir. I'd like to go," Palen said quickly, and the warden nodded.

"I'm sure no-one would begrudge you a chance to see him. Thank you, Palen," he said. "Keren?"

Keren was only torn for a moment or two. Even though it would mean being separated from her sister for a time, and missing out on the opportunity to travel out of the city, she just felt so weary, and afraid of any further change.

"I'd rather remain here, sir," she said. "While I'm very grateful to be asked, I feel I'd be of more use where things are familiar, helping Ioreth."

Palen turned to look at her in surprise, and Keren just shrugged and shook her head. The warden uttered a quick, "very well", and moved on to others. Ioreth looked pleased.

Others gradually began to say yea or nay and, with only one minor altercation, the ten were chosen. Palen was silent, and when Keren met her eyes, Palen gave her a strange look then turned away.

The morning bell rang out six o clock, and the healers were sent to their duties. Palen took Keren's arm as soon as they were away from the group.

"What was that about?" she asked. "Surely you want to get away for a while?"

"No, honestly Pal, I'd rather stay here, I need familiarity," Keren said, continuing to walk.

"But you'd have me there." The tone of Palen's voice immediately told Keren that her sister was upset at the thought of them being separated. "I'd look after you."

Keren stopped and turned to look at her sister, who she was surprised to see had tears in her eyes.

"I just want you to be happy, Keren," she said. "The thought of you being here on your own, just thinking about... well, you know... This is a perfect distraction."