Title: Love at First Sight
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Aragorn, others
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse
Summary – Aragorn thinks about love. A double drabble as a Valentine’s Day gift for all my readers.
Disclaimer - These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.

It was love at first sight again, Aragorn thought. He tenderly contemplated the babe he held in his arms. The poets were wrong when they claimed this happened but once in a lifetime.

Indeed, it was so when he had met his beloved Arwen, but there were other kinds of love too, less exciting and overwhelming, but no less deep and true.

He had loved all his children, his son and daughters, from the moment they had first been placed in his arms.

Friends as well, he had had loved from the beginning, as well the faithful steed, Roheryn, his lady’s gift. Éomer who could so easily have slain him and his companions, the fair Éowyn, and Faramir, the possible rival whom he had snatched back from the Shadow. Faramir had become the son of his heart.

This little one sprang from so many he loved, from Arwen, from their son, from Faramir and Éowyn and their daughter. 

Aragorn smiled as he handed the babe back to his mother. He had been blessed to know so much love throughout his long life; from the moment of his birth until today. Love was the greatest gift, worth more than any crown.

Title – Against the Storm

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Éowyn, Wormtongue

Rating: PG
Warnings: Sexual harassment

Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer - These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.

She stood, a lone figure upon the hillside, her golden hair swirling around her face. The wind threatened to sweep her off her feet, but she remained upright like a slender birch buffeted by the gale. 

Men hastened within the hall. She seemed oblivious to the elements. 

Éowyn struggled to catch her breath against the wind’s fury. Yet she revelled in its might. It cleansed her of the scent of Wormtongue’s stale breath, and wiped his loathsome kiss from her cheek.

Would that the wind would bear her up like one of the swirling leaves and carry her far away

 

    Title – The King’s Wrath

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Aragorn, OMC

Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer - These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.

“You would conspire against your King?” Aragorn’s tone was like ice. 

“I admit it!” the prisoner almost spat out the words. “What right have you and that Elven witch to rule Gondor?” 

The King rose to his feet. He towered over the assembly. “Take him away. I will pronounce judgement tomorrow.” His eyes glittered. It seemed that lightning flashed from their grey depths.

Few in the room could withstand that gaze. Even those present that knew him well, could not help but shudder. 

Title: Only Sleeping
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Aragorn, Eldarion
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse
Disclaimer - These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.
With thanks to Raksha

 “Are you hurt, Eldarion?” Aragorn anxiously enquired of his four-year-old son, who ran inside from the garden, crying.

“The trees are dying, ada!” Eldarion sobbed. “All their leaves are falling off!”

Aragorn smiled. ”No, ion nîn, they are just preparing to rest for the winter, like you undress before going to bed.

***

When spring came, Aragorn took Eldarion outside and showed him the buds adorning the stark branches. “Look!” he said. “The trees have their new raiment for spring. Is it not fairer than ever?”

Eldarion gazed in wonder at one new leaf, newly emerged to greet the sun.

Title – The Holly bears the Crown

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Arathorn, Gilraen, Ivorwen

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.

Custom decreed that the maidens present evergreens to the Chieftain’s heir each Mettarë, that the line of Elendil might be as evergreen as the holly, or ivy or pine.

Arathorn smilingly took a sprig of greenery from each girl before the Midwinter feast began. One maid seemed fairer than the rest. She carried a branch of holly, scarlet berries adorning the glossy leaves.

“My little girl has grown into a fine lass since you saw her last, has she not?” chuckled Ivorwen; her husband remained sombre. 

Arathorn’s heart stirred as the girl handed him the branch. Gilraen was indeed fair.

Title – Evergreen

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Gilraen

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.
With thanks to Raksha.

The women had laboured hard all morning in the forest, cutting down the choicest pine branches to decorate their houses. It would be a simple Mettarë celebration. Food was scarce in this season.   Yet the evergreens, like the Rangers, weathered both good times and bad. 

The green boughs carried welcome cheer into every house; calling forth memories of nature’s abundance, and fresh scents of the forest in summer at this darkest time of year.
 

Gilraen arranged the pine branches around her home and protectively patted her swelling belly. Winter would pass. This spring would bring new hope to their people.

Title – Harbinger

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Aragorn

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.

With thanks to Raksha.

Of all the wonders that Minas Tirith had to offer, this was the one he most wanted to see. It stood beside a fair fountain and was more closely guarded than even the Steward himself by wing-helmed guards.

Thorongil had heard of this scion of Nimloth from those who had beheld the tree’s venerable ancestors. This withered symbol was all that remained in Gondor of Elendil’s glory?

    He drew near and felt like weeping before the long dead tree, the branches bleached like bones.

Thorongil turned away, trying to envision it renewed. Could sap ever flow again through these dry branches? It seemed impossible, as impossible as his love for Arwen.

And yet…had not Beren returned from the Halls of Mandos? Had not the line of Isildur survived against all the odds? Maybe somewhere in Arda’s vast reaches, some shoot or seed of the White Tree lived too?

He closed his eyes and suddenly he envisioned a living tree covered in blossoms, which he stood beneath with his lady. Upon his head was the Winged Crown of Gondor.

Was this the foresight, or but a dream? There was always hope.

  The White Tree might be dead, but Elendil’s heir lived!

The woodcutter could not recall a time when the old King was not on the throne, nor could his father, or even his grandsire.

No doubt, Lord Eldarion, now King Eldarion, would rule well enough, but things felt different somehow, as if the world were turning upside down.

The woodcutter shook himself; he had work to do. The forest remained unchanged while Men came and went. The great oaks outlasted the foresters by centuries; their branches budding anew through countless springtime’s.

In the forest’s heart, the woodcutter observed that the mightiest oak had fallen, cleft asunder by a lightning bolt

Title – Banks of Green Willow

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir

Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.
With grateful thanks to Raksha

Every year Faramir returned to honour those who fell at Osgiliath.

It was hard now to imagine that so many lives had been lost at this now peaceful spot

The willows grew green and fresh on both sides of the Anduin, their long branches seeking the river, offering shade from the summer heat.

How apt, Faramir thought, that weeping willows should grow here, to forever mourn the flower of Gondor who were slaughtered there. Only the memories remained: vivid and unsullied as the living trees. The wind sighed through the branches, singing its mournful lament for fallen sons and brothers

Title – Tree of Life and Death

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir, Gandalf

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.

With thanks to Raksha

Faramir never passed the old yew tree without pausing. No man could recall how long the ancient twisted trunk had stood.

“Did you know that this is the oldest tree in Gondor?”

Faramir turned to see Mithrandir standing beside him.

“Older than the White Tree? Surely not!”

“This tree was mature when the White Tree was still a fruit. Deadly though it is, the Wise call yew the tree of life. It outlasts both Man and beast.”

The longbow in Faramir’s hand seemed to grow heavier. He had dealt death to many with this branch torn from the living yew.

Title – First Fruit

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse
Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the Tolkien estate. This drabble is written for pleasure, not profit.

The old orchard had suffered long years of neglect when no man had dared prune the trees. Dead branches lay entangled with sharp brambles and weeds on what once had been carefully tended grass.

Faramir sighed. Ithilien had once been fair, but now it seemed a desolate place to build a home. The land had been neglected for so long. Could it ever again be fruitful?

Then he saw it: a huge single apple growing from one of the gnarled trees

Faramir smiled and carefully harvested the apple. Yavanna had given her blessing; this was the first fruit of many.

Title - Fruition
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir/Éowyn
Rating: G 
Warnings: none 
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

The King and Queen had retired to their chamber. A few of the labourers lingered to savour another mug of cider and sing slightly tipsy songs in praise of Yavanna.

Arm in arm, Faramir and Éowyn strolled past the freshly harvested cornfields and into the orchards, where the trees were laden with almost ripe fruit.

Faramir looked up at the harvest moon and tenderly kissed his wife.

“How blessed I am!” he exclaimed. “I have you and our children. Our lord is most gracious while our land is fruitful and at peace. All I ever dreamed has come to pass.”

Title – Moonstruck

Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir, Aragorn, Éowyn

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

   With thanks to Raksha

A tall man stood outlined against the rising harvest moon. A gem adorned his noble brow, and his eyes shone like stars.

 Faramir knelt before the man together with a lady with golden hair. She held out a sheaf of ripe corn towards the man.

“Yavanna’s blessings be upon you both and our fruitful land!” the stranger said.

Faramir swayed slightly as he came back to himself. Before him lay no fertile meadow, but a corpse strewn battlefield. Only the moon remained

”Are you well, Captain?” Damrod enquired.

“T’was but a moonstruck vision,” said Faramir. “Would that it were real!”

Title – Willing Hands
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir, Aragorn

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

The rain clouds drew ever closer, their grey plumes like angry warhorses about to charge, trampling the grain. The harvesters quickened their pace.

 Faramir bound the twine securely around another sheaf of wheat. He looked up and beheld the King walking across the field towards him. “I did not expect to see you here, sire.” Faramir exclaimed in surprise.

Aragorn smiled. “I grow weary of sitting at a desk, my friend. I have laboured over sheaves of paper all morning, this afternoon I would liefer choose wheat. Why should the king stand idle when the harvest is ripe for gathering?

Title – Wheat or Chaff ?
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir, Damrod

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

“Were you not a soldier, Captain, what would you be?” Damrod asked one night as they returned from patrol.

“A scholar, I believe,” said Faramir. Then, seeing the man’s bewildered expression, he added; “Or maybe a farmer, if I needed to earn my living.”

“And why a farmer?”

“With my sword, I must cut down all who stand before us as foes, unknowing whether they deserve death or not. With a flail, I would thresh, and winnow the wheat from the chaff, storing the good grain. A farmer knows what must be garnered, a warrior can never be so certain.”

Title – Hard Labour
Author: Linda Hoyland
Characters/Pairing: Faramir/Eowyn

Rating: G
Warnings: none
Book/Source: LOTR book-verse

 With thanks to Raksha and Windsurfbabe

Sweat trickled down his face and neck; his shirt clung to his skin uncomfortably. Faramir straightened up, grimacing at the pain in his back. It no longer seemed quite such a good idea to spend the day working in the fields.

As a Captain he had fought alongside his men, as Prince of Ithilien, he had a duty to farm alongside them and help them bring in this first harvest. At last they could reap the fruits of peace.

He straightened up and saw Éowyn approach, carrying refreshment for the thirsty workers.

Faramir smiled; he had reaped a rich reward.