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In Gondor	By : Sighs4l Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Het - Male/Female Views: 2193 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 5
4. Denethor

Gandalf
led Pippin and the Countess down the hall until they stood before the chair
where Denethor, Steward of Gondor sat. "Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion!” Gandalf said. “Lord and
Steward of Gondor. I come with tidings in
this dark hour and with counsel," continued Gandalf.
Next
to her, the Countess heard Pippin give a quick inhalation; he'd finally
realized what it was that Denethor was clutching in his lap.
"Perhaps
you come to explain this," said Denethor, indicating the broken Horn of
Gondor. Raising his head to look at them, he continued.
"Perhaps you come to tell me why my son is dead."
Gandalf
had not expected Denethor to know of the death of Boromir;
if Denethor blamed Gandalf for Boromir’s
death, it could only make this situation more difficult. Gandalf paused while he tried to think
of how to respond to this.
But
Pippin spoke up first. "Boromir
died to save us, my kinsman and me." Pippin walked around Gandalf to
kneel before Denethor. "He fell defending us from many foes."
"Pippin..."
said Gandalf.
Pippin
continued. "I offer you my service,
such as it is, in payment of this debt."
After
a pause, Denethor said "This is my first command to you." He was truly looking at Pippin for the first
time. "How did you escape and my son did not? So mighty a man as he was?"
"The
mightiest man may be slain by one arrow and Boromir was pierced by many,"
said Pippin gently.
Too
aware that they did not have time for this, Gandalf stepped forward, striking
Pippin with his staff. "Get up," he said to the hobbit.
Then, addressing Denethor - "My Lord, there will be a time to grieve for
Boromir but it is not now. War is coming. The Enemy is on your
doorstep. As Steward, you are charged
with the defense of this City. Where are Gondor's
armies?”
The
Countess frowned as she heard Gandalf's voice begin to rise, chastising the
Steward. Did he think this Denethor would be intimidated by this?
Gandalf's
stopped, perhaps realizing himself that chastising Denethor
would be ineffective. His manner changed and he said "You still have
friends. You are not alone in this fight." He made his
suggestion next, changing his tone to one of encouragement. "Send
word to Theoden of Rohan. Light the beacons."
"You
think you are wise, Mithrandir,” Denethor said slowly.
Her
heart sank at the tone of Denethor’s
voice. This was not the tone of someone
who would be helpful, let alone friendly.
Denethor
continued. “Yet for all your
subtleties, you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower
are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand, you
would use me as a shield against Mordor and with your right,
you would seek to supplant me.”
She
heard this with unease; Denethor’s grief for
his loss had made him know too what Saruman had told them all at Orthanc;
Gandalf would sacrifice anyone in furtherance of his own plans.
“I
know who rides with Theoden of Rohan." Denethor smiled, seeing
Gandalf's reaction to that. "Oh, yes. Word has reached my ears
of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And I tell
you now," Denethor's voice beginning to rise in
anger, "I will not bow to this Ranger from the North, last of a ragged
house, long bereft of Lordship."
"Authority
is not given to you to deny the return of the King, Steward!" said Gandalf
sternly.
Denethor
rose out of his chair and shouted "Rule of Gondor is mine! And
no other's!"
They
glared at each other for a moment, then, seeing that there was nothing more to
be said, Gandalf turned and walked back the way they had come, Pippin and the
Countess following him out of the Hall.
“Well,
that could have gone better,” she said with a wry smile to Pippin.
"All
has turned to vain ambition," Gandalf said bitterly to the Countess.
And turning to Pippin, he said "He would even use his grief as a
cloak!"
The
great doors were opened for them and they went out and began walking through
the courtyard. "A thousand years, this City has stood,”
Gandalf said. “Now the whim of a madman can make it fall. The
White Tree, the Tree of the King, will never bloom again," Gandalf said,
sounding very disheartened.
The
Countess looked after him; this change in him was troubling to her. She didn’t know how to deal with this
Gandalf.
"Why
are they still guarding it?" asked Pippin.
"They
guard it because they have hope,” said Gandalf. “The faint and fading hope that one day
it will flower, the King will come and this City will be as it once was before
it fell into decay.”
Gandalf
sounded so far away, his thoughts going back into history. This was a new Gandalf, dwelling himself now
in the past. She didn’t like the sound of this Gandalf.
The
Countess and Pippin followed him, listening intently as he continued. “The old wisdom borne out of the West
was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the
living and counted the old names of their descent dearer than the names of
their sons. Childless Lords sat in aged Halls, musing on heraldry, or in
high, cold towers, asking questions of the stars. And so the people of
Gondor fell into ruin. The line of Kings failed. The White Tree
withered. The rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men."
They
had never heard Gandalf sound so disheartened, so low, so discouraged. It unsettled the Countess and she looked over
at Gandalf, frowning, feeling a gnawing sense that this was not right. Perhaps this trip to Minas Tirith had not
been a good idea.
They
looked over the plain before the City toward the mountains separating Gondor
from Mordor, a land glowing with fire.
"Mordor,"
said Pippin, with awe in their voice.
"Yes,"
said Gandalf. "There it lies. This City has dwelt ever in the
sight and shadow."
They
watched the heavy dark clouds rolling toward Minas Tirith from the
south. "A storm is coming," said
Pippin.
"This
is not the weather of the world," explained Gandalf. "This is a
device of Sauron's making, embroiled a fume, he
sends ahead of his host. The orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight, so
he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to
war. When the shadow of Mordor reaches this City, it will begin."
"Well,"
said Pippin, "Minas Tirith." More than ready to leave this
place, he turned to Gandalf and said "Very impressive. So where are we off to next?"
"Oh,
it's too late for that, Peregrin. There's no leaving this
City." Gandalf looked up toward Mordor. "Help must come
to us."
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In Gondor