Chapter 352 Dream, Hope
Clang! The wine glasses collided, making a crisp sound. The two brother generals saluted the soldiers and then saluted each other.
"Remember this day, brother."
Boromir laughed and said, "Today, life is beautiful!"
Faramir smiled back, and both men drained their cups of wine with unspeakable joy.
But happy times are always short-lived.
Suddenly, the careful Faramir turned his head and looked not far away.
The smile on his face faded.
"What's wrong?"
Boromir was puzzled.
"He's here."
Faramir said, and Boromir turned his head as well.
I saw a man with a particularly outstanding figure communicating with the soldiers with a smile on his face, patting one on the shoulder and encouraging another.
On this day worth celebrating, he changed his usual stern silence and mingled with everyone.
"They don't even leave us a moment of peace."
Boromir whispered to his brother, the smile on his face turning into helplessness.
"Where is he?"
Denethor and the soldiers asked.
"Where is my firstborn, the best of Gondor?"
"Father!"
Even though he felt a little helpless, out of filial piety and moral cultivation, Boromir still smiled and walked out to hug his father.
The old prime minister is really optimistic about his eldest son.
"They all said you defeated the enemy almost single-handedly."
"That is an exaggeration. Faramir was equally brave and resourceful, and he served with much merit."
When Denethor heard this, he was immediately displeased.
"If it weren't for Faramir, this city wouldn't have had to be recaptured."
He said to Faramir who was standing nearby: "Aren't you responsible for guarding the East City? I heard that you took Boromir and escaped without a fight?"
"I could have held on, but we were too few to offer any effective resistance, and if we hadn't done so, our losses would have been in vain..."
Faramir explained helplessly and feebly, but it was obvious that Denethor did not want to listen to him.
If a person doesn't like something, then even if that thing is good and beneficial, he will see only flaws in it.
“Oh, there are too few people.”
Denethor interrupted his youngest son and said sternly, "You let the enemy come and go as they please, and they took the city without any loss."
"And then he complained to me about this and that."
“That was not my intention.”
Facing his father's questioning, Faramir seemed helpless.
And frustration.
Boromir was a little unsettled. He rarely argued with his father: "You never treat him well, even though he always obeys your orders loyally."
"He loves you, father."
"Don't bother me about Faramir. I know his ability is nothing."
Denethor looked impatient.
Looking at his father, Boromir was speechless and could only remain silent.
When elders are unfair, it often causes discord among the younger generation.
It is really rare that there is a father who pulls his elder son and steps on his younger son, and yet the two brothers have such a close relationship.
The two could only endure their father's slander in silence. Faramir was a careful man and he never talked back, while Boromir was more straightforward, but no matter how dissatisfied he was, the most he would do was to refute like he did today and say a few words for his brother.
Anyway, overall, no matter how dissatisfied the two brothers were, they obeyed their father's orders.
Because the old father in front of me was really great when he was young.
When he was at the front line, he could always lead his soldiers to defeat the Orcs, and even reach the gates of Mordor. When he was in the rear, he could always detect the enemy's movements at the first time and make appropriate decisions as if he could predict it.
There are rumors that Denethor once chased the Ringwraiths on the plains of Ithilien with an iron sword in hand. How brave was he? In front of that man and the iron sword, the Ringwraiths could only retreat temporarily to avoid his sharp edge.
When facing the Ringwraiths, the two brothers could only retreat strategically for the time being and deal with them carefully with their troops.
Because of this, the two of them always loyally obeyed their father's orders, respected his majesty, and loved his kinship.
Just because being a father is really amazing, they are truly convinced.
"Father…"
Boromir took a breath, chose to change the subject for the moment, and said, "Father, I had a dream."
"Oh, what dream?"
Even though he was at the front line, on such a festive and relaxing day, Denethor didn't mind chatting with his son about family matters and enhancing their relationship.
"I dreamed that there were thunders in the sky and dark clouds covered the earth, but there was a light penetrating the clouds, and that light came from the north."
"I dream of armies of silver, of councils in the Land of Peace, where Isildur's slayer appears and where halflings rise up."
“I sensed that this was hope for an end to the suffering of the people.”
"Hope?" Denethor looked a little disdainful.
He said sternly: "I never believe in any illusory hope. Victory should be won by ourselves with iron will and bloody struggle."
"But Faramir dreamed the same dream."
Boromir said, "I do not think this is a coincidence, father."
"Faramir wishes to set out for the place indicated in his dream."
Denethor snorted coldly and said, "Then let him go!"
"No, father, this road is dangerous and unpredictable. I want to go there myself."
"you?"
Denethor frowned deeply.
"You're spoiling him too much. This will spoil him."
"Please allow me to move."
Boromir lowered his head. Although his tone was calm, it contained great determination.
Denethor stared at him, and was silent for a long moment.
"Oh, my good son has really grown up. He dares to talk back to his father like this."
"I…"
"Then go ahead."
Sighing, Denethor thought for a moment, reached into his robe, and pulled out a shiny golden apple.
The old father, who had been strict all his life, finally allowed Boromir to be willful for once.
He told Boromir the purpose of the apple and its origin.
"I've been injured countless times in my life, but every time, I was reluctant to use it."
"But I hope that you can use it on yourself when you are in danger. This is my selfish wish."
An indestructible iron sword, a golden apple... and love.
"I give you everything that is precious to me."
"Go, Boromir. I trust you."
"Yes, father."
Feeling this profound fatherly love, Boromir felt warmed.
But this warm feeling disappeared in an instant.
"That's right."
Denethor reminded him, "I know what the 'Bane of Isildur' you mentioned is. It is the most powerful weapon of the Enemy - the One Ring."
"Mordor is gathering its armies, and Sauron is waiting for his chance. If he gets the ring, everything will be over. By then, we will be powerless to stop him."
"If your dream is really so true, if the One Ring really appears in the north..."
Suddenly Denethor said: 'Listen to me, Boromir, the ring must be kept safe.'
"It must not fall into enemy hands."
"I know that the ring is very dangerous and can corrupt people's souls, but I believe in you. You have a strong will and will be able to resist the temptation."
"Think about it, Boromir. For so many years, it has always been our soldiers who shed blood and made sacrifices on the front lines to stop Mordor and the many southern forces from invading the free people. Even the great kingdom of the North led by Levi has done no more than us."
"You know what I mean, don't you?"
“…”
Boromir lowered his head, his eyes fluttering.
At the gates of Osgiliath, Boromir said his last farewell.
"Remember this day, brother."
“Remember this day of joy and hope…and of parting.”
On this day, Boromir, who had just won a battle, took off his heavy armor, changed into a set of armor that was more convenient for movement, and set off lightly, heading north.
At the same time, Gandalf and Aragorn set out from Bree with four hobbits and headed east.
Their pace was obviously faster than Boromir's.
"Welcome, what a coincidence, I just got back too."
At the gate of Roadside Castle, Levi dismounted to greet the six people who came over - a wizard, a vagrant, and four hobbits.
"Well, it was a coincidence indeed. I met them just after I arrived in Bree."
Gandalf began to explain the situation to Levi, while Aragorn sat there quietly as usual.
Like other older homeless people, they are silent and as stone when there is no need to speak.
"Wow--"
However, the other four Hobbits were not as calm as him. They raised their heads and looked at everything in the roadside castle with wide eyes.
"This is more beautiful than any scenery I've ever seen. Look at that tree!"
Merry sighed and pointed to the Maolong tree in the distance.
"I have heard of it."
"Bilbo told me that it was called the Maelstrom," said Frodo. "It is a species found only in the Golden Forest east of the Misty Mountains. There is only one tree to the west of the Misty Mountains, and it is near the roadside castle."
"Then we must take a closer look."
"I'm a little hungry, can I eat first?"
Sam was the calmest of the four, mainly because the fat hobbit was really hungry.
"Look at what we've been leading these days, Mr. Frodo. Only three meals a day, and neither of them eats second breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea or supper."
Listening to Sam's complaints, Frodo felt helpless.
"We have to adapt, Sam."
adapt?
Some people don't think so.
Pippin's eyes turned, he quietly walked behind Aragorn, suddenly appeared and shouted: "Hey! Strider!"
Aragorn looked at Pippin who suddenly appeared, his face expressionless and without any reaction.
The two stared at each other for a long time before Aragorn said, "Give up. Levi used this trick on me when I was a kid."
"Well, boring."
Pippin was discouraged, and then said: "By the way, you are familiar with this place, right? My friend is hungry, can you take us to find something to eat?"
"This is our first time to Lubianbao. I have heard that many good wines and delicious foods are produced here, as well as tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves here have a unique taste and a peaceful feeling, and the quality is very stable."
Aragorn chuckled.
“Peaceful and stable.”
He muttered the two words and replied, "That's right."
"Aragorn, come here!" As he spoke, Gandalf waved at him.
Then Aragorn stood up and said to Pippin: "You need not be led by me, but go in, and you will be told what to do."
"Wait, what if there are people with bad intentions, like Bree's spy."
"No."
Aragorn waved his hand, turned around and walked towards Gandalf and Levi.
(End of this chapter)
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