A/N: Thank you to Marigold for the beta!

Clear Sight

The coronation feast showed no sign yet of winding down. As the music of a harp filled the great hall a minstrel held the crowd captive, singing of Frodo of the Nine Fingers as Frodo looked most embarrassed from his seat beside the King. Sam sniffled and dabbed at his eyes, and Merry looked both proud and thoughtful as he listened from his spot near Éomer.

From his place by Aragorn, Pippin was finding it very difficult to enjoy the feast. He had overheard Aragorn and Faramir speaking not long ago about what the coming days would bring. One of the first matters of business for the new King would be to decide the fates of the Haradrim and the Easterlings, and also certain men under his rule, like Beregond.

All of Minas Tirith would be watching Aragorn closely, wanting to learn what kind of ruler he would be based on these early decisions. Pippin desperately wanted to ask what Aragorn planed for Beregond but now he thought better of it. Seeing how grim both the King and the Steward were as they discussed it made Pippin suspect that Aragorn was looking forward to this task least of all, and had not yet made any decisions. And, of course, tonight was a night for celebration, and hardly the place for curious questions.

"Sir Peregrin."

Pippin shook himself into full awareness. The minstrel had stopped singing some time ago and the hall was now filled with the sounds of conversation as the guests roamed the room, speaking with friends. Under Aragorn's amused gaze Pippin felt the tips of his ears turn pink. "Yes, my lord?"

Signaling for a servant to set a tall stool between himself and his Steward, Aragorn set a plate filled high with meat, cheese and bread before Pippin, along with a goblet of wine. "You are out of sorts this evening, Pippin. However well you perform your duties, I have not forgotten that you are not yet yourself. Eat and drink now, and rest for a time. I believe that the minstrel will sing again; perhaps he will dazzle the crowd with the tale of the Troll-Slayer." Aragorn grinned, looking more like Strider than King, despite his crown, and Pippin forgot his worries long enough to laugh.

"No my lord, I think the next song must be about you. After all it is your coronation, and we can't allow Frodo to have all the glory," Pippin replied, peering past Aragorn to wink at his cousin.

Frodo set down his goblet and smiled. "Yes, let's ask the minstrel to sing of dear old Strider, lurking in dark corners of inns in Bree, and frightening poor innocent hobbits on a simple walking trip."

Aragorn laughed out loud, joined by the hobbits. Sam and Gandalf glanced over, smiling, Faramir watched with interest as the three friends reminisced.

"Then we must hear the tale of Frodo's other magnificent feat, when he jumped over the moon and vanished into the floor," Aragorn said, chuckling at the indignant look on Frodo's face. After a few more moments of friendly teasing the conversation soon turned, and both Frodo and Sam began speaking quietly with Aragorn and Gandalf.

As he finished his supper, Pippin glanced around the great hall. Merry and Éowyn were sitting together, talking animatedly as nearby Éomer spoke with Prince Imrahil and his daughter. Legolas stood amidst a cluster of soldiers, listening as Gimli enthusiastically regaled them with a tale. Pippin's heavy sigh did not go unnoticed by Faramir.

"You are very pensive tonight," he said. "Are you thinking of your friends, and how your journey is coming to a close? Soon you will be returning home, though not for some time yet."

"Well, I am thinking of a friend," Pippin admitted. He glanced at Faramir, wondering if he should speak of this matter to him, and then deciding in favor of it. "I'm worried about Beregond. I feel so terrible about what happened. It's my fault that he left his post. If only I had done things differently, if I had just hurried straight to Gandalf…" He trailed off, his face troubled.

"Beregond has been on my mind as well tonight," Faramir said, equally distressed. "I am also anxious."

"I just wish I could-" Pippin stopped and glanced at Faramir. Frodo had told him about his first meeting with Faramir, when Faramir had spoken of a strange vision he had had of his brother, knowing at that moment that Boromir was dead. And then it had all made sense to Pippin, why he had been drawn to Faramir so quickly. It was not just that Boromir had been his friend, and that the two brothers were similar, it was because he and Faramir had something in common too. "I wish I could see what will happen."

Faramir studied him for a long moment. "That is not a gift many possess," he said at last. He smiled. "You know something of this matter."

Pippin nodded. "I have seen some things. It's strange. I don't know how I do it but sometimes an image comes to mind, almost like a dream, but when I'm awake. I guess they're more like daydreams, then. I saw Aragorn tracking us when Merry and I were captured by the Uruk-hai; that's what made me drop my brooch for him to find. And then everyone thought the Corsairs were attacking us, but I knew it was all Aragorn's doing. Not that anyone listened to me," he added with a grin.

"They did not?" Faramir asked, smiling.

"Oh no," Pippin laughed. "They thoroughly ignored me, although perhaps they didn't hear me at all with all their fretting and shouting. I wasn't worried, though. As soon as I saw Aragorn on the ship, even though it was in my mind and not before my eyes, I knew everything would be all right."

"So you have seen things for some time now," Faramir observed.

Pippin nodded again. "Since I was a lad, though I've been able to see more these past few months, I think. But not everything I've seen has been about the quest or the war, some are just, well, personal. And I never know what I will see, or when I will see it."

"I must confess that I did not expect hobbits to have this gift," Faramir said. "Although I should not be surprised; every day your kind grows more remarkable. Tell me, is it a family trait? Do your cousins have this ability?"

"It is said that the Tooks have the Sight, but the Shire thinks we're rather strange as it is, so it's not something we brag about," Pippin said, grinning. "I do have some relatives who have foreseen things, knowing if a baby will be a lad or a lass, or if there will be a good harvest. Merry is half a Took and has his moments, but I don't think he sees all that much. If he does, he's very close about it; besides, he's more clever than anything else. And as for Frodo, he’s part Took as well but I don't he has the Sight either. Frodo has something else, but I'm not certain what it is. He's different from most hobbits, you know."

"I've noticed," Faramir said smiling briefly before he grew serious once again. "My father was prone to such visions, and Boromir less so; his revealed themselves in dreams. Like you I have never been able to control when I will see something. I think my father was more adept at that."

Pippin frowned. "I'd wondered about that," he said hesitantly. "It seemed that he knew everything I was thinking but I thought perhaps – perhaps the palantír had something to do with it."

"I think it only heightened his abilities," Faramir replied. His expression was very grim. "It is best not to put too much faith in visions, Pippin. Pay attention to them, and take comfort if you can, but it is wiser to trust your own instincts and knowledge as well. It may be that having such foresight would make no difference at all, or would do more harm than good."

Reluctantly Pippin nodded. "I know, but I can't help wishing that I would see something now about Beregond, and know that he will be all right. Perhaps I could even try and help him somehow."

"You wish that you had foreseen what happened in the Hallows, so you might have kept Beregond from becoming involved," Faramir said knowingly. "You said before that you wish you had done things differently that morning. But Pippin, even the smallest change might have had disastrous results. Perhaps we would not have cause to speak tonight at all."

Pippin shivered at the thought. "Yes," he said. "You’re right. And I should not like to see something bad, and know that I can't change it, or know that if I did try to help I would only make things worse. I'd rather not know anything at all."

"Neither would I," Faramir said. He smiled gently. "I think now it is best for us to trust in our King's decision."

"I do trust Aragorn," replied Pippin. The minstrel had returned to his harp, and it seemed he would begin a new song. Pippin grew silent, listening to the music whilst deep in thought. As the minstrel started to sing Pippin smiled, suddenly hopeful. Somehow he knew that Beregond would be safe.