22. Palantír: Fathers and Sons

There was a bountiful harvest that year, and celebrations of its end made all Gondor dance and sing. A flute sounded in the warm evening.

He celebrated his own harvest. He held his son in his hands... So beautiful, so perfect… He had Arwen's eyes. The House of Telcontar will continue, a tree taking roots in the fertile soil of Gondor. Future.

His son.

Fathers and sons…

Suddenly the hands of an old man appeared in the palantír. Aragorn knew that sight, for that was what the Stone of Minas Tirith always showed, and had to be directed away from that image with will. But this time, there were no flames around the hands, and he could see Denethor's face, as he was looking into the palantír, in the very place where Aragorn was standing now. He recognized the face of Ecthelion's son, although age took its toll on him. Sorrow more than age, maybe - his face was anguished, the pain of a father losing his favourite son…

Which one, though? The loss of Boromir, Captain of the White Tower and his Heir cut deeply. He always loved the sharpness of the Sword before the preciseness of the Bow… But this pain was for losing the second son as well, Faramir, the Captain of Ithilien Rangers. The pain of realizing his love for him too late, and it was even worse. His features were hard, though. Firm and determined he went into the battle of wills with the Eye of Mordor. His will never bent to it, never surrendered. Despite that, his will was not strong enough to discern truth from lies. Only his ashes lay in the House of Stewards, the fire of the Eye burning his spirit at last.

But small voice sounded in Aragorn's mind, saying "what if?" His head spun already from the strain of using the palantír, and he couldn't discern if the voice belongs to Sauron or to himself. What if Denethor would not succumb to the despair of what he saw in the Seeing Stone that day? What if he would survive the War of the Ring, and remain a Steward of Gondor? Would he accept the return of his old rival Thorongil, claiming the right for Kingship? Would he refuse your claim for the throne, just like Pelendur refused Arvedui ? Would you try to convince him… fight him? Or would you turn back to the North? He shook his head, having no answer to that. He thought about what Pippin has told him of Denethor. No, he would not accept his former rival as his king… It was me who showed him what he saw then. I made it easier for you… Now he had no doubt anymore – the voice was Sauron's. But he was telling the truth, and that was more scary than anything else.

To diffuse that fear, he reaches for the first memory that comes to his mind, many memories in quick succession to offer Sauron no chance of twisting their course.