Boromir Aesir · @Boromir_Aesir
6th Feb 2015 from TwitLonger
Stone-verse: Baranor.
After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1skf0t8
Boromir goes to speak to a man he hopes will help him with Elennárë's cover story.
@Boromir_Aesir @AsutriofErebor (As Baranor.)
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Boromir
If he were honest with himself, Boromir had really only three or four of his most trusted soldiers he was even considering asking to play party to such a secret as he and Faramir planned to engineer. An oddly reversed secret where they wanted everyone to *know* the secret so as to hide the real secret behind it, hiding Elennárë's true identity.
He had considered asking Bran, debated in his head over Erandir, but as he walked through the camp he spotted one man who would be far better, with a small bit of adjustment that he believed Faramir would be well able to accommodate.
Baranor was older than the "brother" role Faramir had suggested, but if he were willing, he could be a father of the child of a quiet affair, he was a man with the honour to not reject such a child and instead raise them well. At least Boromir hoped he would be willing to take that role, for Elennárë's sake.
Not wanting to delay any further, he stopped a few steps back as Baranor finished the drills he was overseeing. He was one of the better at getting less than experienced troops whipped into shape and his years of experience were of great value.
Baranor
There was a slight twitch on the soldier's face as he got back to his feet and into the exercise again, it had been so swift, that Baranor almost missed it, but he could see the tension it spread through the ranks of the practicing troops and he knew what it meant. Most of them would react like that when they noticed they were watched by one of the senior officers or the Captain himself. Still Baranor pretended to not have noticed while he finished the exercises, they would have to learn to not care who was there, to not wonder but to be their best efficient fighters they could be, or they would die.
When the troops filed out of the exercise area, Baranor held back Aglaran, who had the other group. "Troubles still?"
"A bit. Some of them are getting quite good but not good enough." Aglaran replied with a self-depreciating smile. "I wish I could sick that Easterling on them for a change. Then they'd learn."
"A thought worth considering." Baranor replied, meaning it. "I will see you for watch duty?" He saw the curt nod before Aglaran followed the troops out of the yard and Baranor turned around to where he had spotted Boromir waiting. The older warrior did not quite stifle a smile, when he approached him. "Captain. Has there been another problem with the Night Watches?"
Boromir
"Nothing beyond the usual complaints of those who dislike taking the night shifts." Boromir replied, a slight smile crossing his lips. Night Watch was not to everyone's taste but everyone had to go through it, no matter how much they hated it. "I have another matter I need to speak with you about, one best spoken in more secure surroundings." He said, lowering his voice as he spoke. "A matter of a bit more personal nature."
Baranor
The quip about the usual complaints more or less said that war or no things were as they always had been here, while the other words indicated a more serious problem. "Of course, let's go to the banner tower." Baranor said and they walked across the yard, towards the singular slender tower that held the banner of the fortress. Defensively that tower was fairly useless, but it had been left standing when the fortress had been build, for whatever reason. It's best advantage was that up there no one could approach without being seen, and thanks to the way the platform was built, no one could approach from below and overhear conversations he should not hear.
While they walked, Baranor made conversation, mostly of the regular topics, a few military matters, so that anyone who had seen them pass, had heard them speak of something totally regular. Whatever this was, if it was the Stwewards' Family involved, the troops better not get any reason for chatter.
Up on the tower, away from prying ears, Baranor leaned back against one of the ancient battlements and relaxed his stance slightly. "We should be able to talk here without anyone overhearing." he said.
Boromir
The banner tower was a good place for privacy, Boromir had to agree. It was not a great lookout for almost any purpose but being able to hang the sigil of the White Tree where anyone could look up and feel some pride in seeing it was a time-honoured morale-booster. That it private for such an open place was also an advantage right now.
leaning on a railing, Boromir was silent for a moment before speaking. "There is a situation I have become involved in that requires me to find someone who would be willing to engage in a measure of falsehood. It is not a falsehood that would do harm to Gondor, or any in the army, but one that would protect a person, a very special person, someone in need of willing guardians."
Baranor
There were many things a man could say, or say by not saying them... and Baranor knew that his former student, and now Captain of Gondor disliked falsehoods, if he asked for one it had to be dire. And the way he asked to protect a special person left not too much room for imagination. "That wouldn't have anything to do with that astonishing young lady here in camp?" he asked. The girl had turned a dozen young men's heads without even trying. And now that he thought of it, she had appeared almost out of nowhere. "If she is here to be safe, things must involve some mighty houses back there..." Baranor's gesture indicated the direction where the White City lay.
Boromir
"No one knows who she is or why she is here, outside of three people beside myself." Boromir stated. "I want her to be known, I want rumours going around about her, for people to believe there is an intriguing tale to her. A tale that will have them thinking of anything but the real truth about her."
Boromir stood up straight pacing across the platform for a couple of turns. "She has a story that most would find beyond belief, but if it came to the ears of those willing to believe it... I fear what danger that will bring, to her, and to anyone who upsets her badly enough for her to react in her own defense."
Baranor
Now there was a direct intensity to Boromir's words and what he said, though still very vague, it screamed "arcane talent", the talent was rare among Númenorans and only born to the highest bloodlines, and if dangerous in any way... now it made sense why she seemed regularly guarded by their camp dwarf, who probably knew more about the arcane than many scholars with their moldy old tomes. "You make her sound like she could take on more than a few enemies at once," Baranor replied seriously, meeting Boromir's eyes and suddenly his eyes widened. Green eyes, eyes like the girl down in the camp, and now he realized of whom she had reminded him all the time.
Baranor's shoulders sacked slightly. "Light's mercy... Boromir... she has your family's talents?" It could mean only one thing, and Baranor now understood why the noble houses might be dangerous for her. If they knew, had a whiff of a reason... he had seen that dark day Lady Findulas had been murdered. "You have my help, Laddie," he said, for a moment falling back into a way he had not talked to him for many years.
Boromir
"I truly do not know the extent of her talents, only that she has the potential for power beyond anything seen in my family since Princess Ailinel." Boromir said, referring to the link far back in his ancestry that the house of Húrin had to the line of kings. "No, her resemblance to me is part of what will hide her, and partly because she has been under my protection for longer than anyone has known, longer even than I knew. Have you ever heard of legends of soulstones?"
Baranor
"And the dark crafter gave her a necklace with two deep red rubies embedded. 'These are your sons, good mother' he said. 'and they shall be with you to the end of your days." Baranor quoted the legend he recalled. "Or the story of Astunar's soulstone and the Elder forge?" The mention of the latter he shook his head. "Even I was once a boy, Boromir, and I too did sneak down to that forge to hear stories... back when our friend down there was still grimmer, more silent and wore his hair short. So yes, I have heard the stories. Are you saying the poor girl has one such... stone? How?"
Boromir
"No," Boromir shook his head. "I know what legends we have of them are extremely grim, but her tale is something far lighter. Elennárë *is* a soulstone, but not anything like those tales." Boromir took a breath, not quite willing to look and see what sort of expression Baranor wore. "She is maybe one of the most well known soulstones in all of history... but history does not remember she is one."
He finally looked up. "Three souls were sealed in crystal by an Elven smith of Valinor, then raised as his daughters. She is one of them, the world's most legendary stones, and she has been through so much hurt and pain that she needs time to heal, lest she let loose with the holy fire Elbereth blessed her with."
Baranor
"Good Light... and she came into your protection?" Baranor asked softly, as the gravity of the situation became clear to him. On the other hand - Boromir was one of the people he could see protect her, shield her, understand what she must have gone through. Legend said that Beren became greedy in the end, and maybe Baranor was biased but he did not see that flaw in Boromir.
He straightened up. "You honor me with your trust," he said earnestly. "and you have all the help I can give."
Boromir
"I need someone who is willing to claim her as family..." Boromir started, pausing, knowing the next part was the part that could have the most objection. "... and also be willing to subtly support rumours that she is my father's illegitimate daughter. The means that allowed her to walk amongst us in her current form meant she would inevitably end up looking like my kin."
Baranor
"If she is around here longer people will start coming up with that conclusion quickly enough." Baranor observed, the plan had value and it could easily be made work. "We can say she is my 'daughter', that I took her in right after her poor mother jumped off the sunset gate..." He looked at Boromir, who might well remember whispers of this gruesome story from his childhood. "and that I had her grow up in my birth-home up in the White Mountains for reasons no one in the city understood." It was close enough to the truth to make people 'find' the connections by themselves.
Boromir
"That you have such a little-known background is one reason I am glad I came to you." Boromir gave Baranor a grin. "Faramir is ready to start seeding rumours that will direct people's thoughts, and Elennárë herself has decided to take up a place as a healer, my own personal attendant." The grin turned into something a little more contemplative. "She has already saved my life before, when she first found me in the Morgul Vale. Perhaps she will one day save me again, though I hope not to stress her with that any time soon."
Baranor
Baranor slightly inclined his head. His background mattered little, as most of his life had been dedicated to serve. What Boromir said about her rescuing him, made him look pensive. "The White Light," he said. "after you came back, the healers claimed, there was a White Light around you when you slept, like the moon was shining in on you through the window..." He pulled it together and back to what was at hand."Her role as your healer will serve easily to explain her presence, and a few good whispers from your brother and the soldier's will "know" the tale before long." he said with a wry grin. "I best get to know my daughter quickly, before any of those boys can think of courting her."
Boromir
Boromir laughed. "Yes, I will be keeping a close eye on anyone who wishes to court my recently found sister." He said, turning to let Baranor start down from the platform first. "Let us go visit our Firestar, she should be awakening from her rest soon."