“Do not let your heart grow heavy, Master Thain.” Boromir sat next to the disconsolate Halfling, wondering what could have compelled Pippin to throw the stone.

“Don’t call me that. I deserve to be called stupid, or fool of a Took, as Gandalf likes to call me.”

“I have told you before, Peregrin,” Boromir said shortly. “The wizard and I do not see eye-to-eye.”

“Well,” Pip almost moaned, “He’s right this time. Why couldn’t I just leave things alone? Merry won’t even talk to me.”

“Merry is just surprised, that all is Mas… Peregrin.”

“He shouldn’t be! He knows me best of all. He knows I can’t help myself.” Tears threatened; Pippin wound his hand round and round his scarf trying to keep his eyes from betraying him.

“If Merry is like my brother, as you stated, then he will understand.”

“Do you think so, Boromir? I’d hate it most of all if something should happen to our friendship.” Now the tears fell.

Boromir, surprised and unsure of himself, took a deep breath and put his arm around the shoulder of the Halfling as he used to around Faramir’s shoulder. “Naught will happen to your friendship. He will forgive you, in the end. Your bravery will shine o’er such mistakes as you made today. And the stone, however loud, was small. Who could have known, who would have thought, that it would make such a noise as it fell into the well.”

Pippin turned and looked up at the warrior from Gondor. “I didn’t,” he said in wonder.

“Of course you didn’t, Peregrin. It was only a pebble after all. And wells are supposed to end in water. A small splash was all you could imagine hearing, not the everlasting rattle of it as it fell. I was surprised myself, once you told me what you had thrown in.”

“You were?” Pippin asked in astonishment.

“I was. I thought it must have been a great stone at the least, or some Orcish armour that you threw in. Not a pebble.”

“You are the greatest man I have ever known,” Pippin said in awe.

Boromir laughed heartily, then stopped at the look of hurt on the Halfling’s face. “I am naught but a soldier of Gondor, Master Thain. And a poor one at that, considering how we almost lost Frodo.”

“But I saw you fight that horrid water beast, along with Strider and Legolas. You didn’t run away.”

“Neither did you, Master Thain.” And Boromir’s tone was soft and gentle. “I saw Sam wield his sword; you also stayed by your friend, trying desperately to help him.”

“But I did nothing, Bor… Master Steward. I truly wanted to run.”

“You did not and that is the important thing.” Boromir was pleased that Pippin was once again speaking with ease. “You did not run when the wraiths that you told me of attacked Frodo on… Weathertop? Nor did you run when the wargs attacked us; I saw you with your blade, fighting fiercely. Nor did you run outside the walls of Moria, when that creature attacked Frodo. Do not you remember when you jumped the great chasm, just a short time ago? I could see fear in your eyes, as should be, for none should try such a feat without thought, but you o’ercame that fear and jumped. You have naught to be ashamed of, Master Thain. I am proud to call you friend.”

“Oh!” Pippin swallowed hard. “I too, Master Steward, am proud to call you friend.”

“Thank you, Master Thain,” Boromir said solemnly. “It is good to have a friend by my side again.”

At that, Pippin’s face fell. “I wish Merry was by my side.”

“I understand that, Peregrin. He will be. He will be like my brother,” and a sad smile lit the warrior’s face. “He will sulk for a time and let you know by the sight of his back that you are in disfavor,” at that Pippin laughed, “and then life will be as it always was. I have never had to say I was sorry to my brother. He understands and loves me enough to let me be foolish, stubborn, or proud at times. Not like my father.” Boromir bit his lip. “He is a better man than I.”

“No one could be better,” Pippin said with some acerbity. “I’ll knock his block off if he so much as says a word against you.”

“Now, Master Thain, I could not let you attack my brother. First, he is my brother and I love him, but secondly, you could hurt him and that would hurt both him and you. For I see in you a gentleness that is like unto him and I would not have that leave you.”

Pippin blushed. “I’m not gentle.”

“You are, Peregrin Took. You have been very gentle with me and helped me in this time of loneliness.”

~*~

“Last night, you said you have never had to say you were sorry to your brother? You never, ever told your brother you were sorry.”

“Nay. I said I did not have to. There is a difference. I have said I am sorry to him though the huge ‘I am sorry’s’ are reserved for my father.” Boromir’s eyes clouded over. “The last time I saw Faramir, I told him I was sorry. He… misunderstood me, my motives.”

“What happened?”

Boromir rubbed his eyes. “He had a dream. It is the reason I am here with you now. After many days, I had the same dream. Once we went to our father and told him the dream, it was decided that someone should go and follow the dream’s lead, find out what it meant, and if there was, indeed, hope for help for my City, to bring it back.”

Pippin kept quite still. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Oh! You want Strider to come to Minas Tirith?”

“Aye,” Boromir said quizzically. “And any who would help defend it.”

“Even a Hobbit?”

“Most especially a certain Hobbit, Master Thain,” and Boromir’s smile was wide and kind.

“But why did you have to apologize? It seems a good idea.”

“Because Faramir wished to take the journey upon himself. And I would not let him.”

“Oh, Boromir. Why would you ever do that?”

Boromir’s brows shot up. “Because he is my younger brother and would never have survived!”

The vehemence of Boromir’s reply made Pippin crawl back a little away from the man.

”I am sorry, Peregrin.” The man shook his head in wonder. “I still carry the guilt. He was so angry. And so we left each other, with words of anger on our lips. I tried to tell him why. He foolishly thought I did not think him capable. I did, honestly, but I feared for him, too. Is that so wrong, Peregrin, to want to protect someone you love?”

“Would he have survived, Boromir? Would he have been able to reach Rivendell?”

“I do not know. Many trials assailed me as I rode on the journey. I even lost my horse at Tharbad. I think Eomer of the Mark will probably kill me for that. They love their horses dearly. I do not know, but I would not put him in peril if there was any other way.”

“Merry, I know, would do the same. Though I was grateful he said nothing when I asked to join the Fellowship. Come to think of it, he let me come along from the very beginning. Maybe it’s better when friends are together; they become stronger?”

“We two could not go. Else I would have taken Faramir with me. But to leave my City and all of Gondor with both of her captains gone? Nay, I could not. I did not even take one company with me, so great is our need for warriors. So I took the quest and told Faramir I was sorry, but he did not accept it. Not at first. As I rode, not even out of our walled fields, I heard him call my name. I stopped and turned around and there he was, a smile on his face. We both dismounted and took each other in our arms. He kissed me on the forehead and asked the Valar to protect me.” Boromir’s smile widened as tears spilled. “He forgave me.”

“What did your father think?”

“My father sometimes lacks an understanding of my brother. He easily accepted my reasoning about Faramir not being up to the task. It was cruel of me to say, but I knew it would win him over, allow me to take the quest instead.”

Pippin smiled. “Is there a sadness between you two?”

Boromir looked in surprise at the bold question. He bit his lip. “I will not discuss, especially here in these black holes, my relations with my father. Suffice it to say, Peregrin, that he is a strong and wondrous man, but hard upon himself and his sons.”

“I’m sorry, Boromir. I didn’t mean…”

“Do not be sorry, Master Thain.” Boromir tried to lighten the mood. “It is not so difficult to understand, is it? Are your own dealings with your father always light and happy?”

“Of course not,” Pippin laughed quietly, “I seem to get myself into a lot of trouble too many times. You might not have noticed,” and Pippin laughed again.

Boromir joined him. At that very moment, Gimli stood and sang. Both Steward and Thain sat with their mouths opened wide, but at the end of it, Sam exclaimed how much he wanted to learn that song.

“Does Sam sing?” Boromir asked, surprised.

“He does lots of things,” Pippin said proudly. “He’s not just a gardener, you know.”

“I did not. And you are not just Merry’s cousin, Master Thain. Now tell me, what kind of trouble would such a stellar thain get into?”