A/N: This is the first chapter of book two in the ‘Fireside Tales’ trilogy I am writing. The first book was entitled ‘Alone at Night’ but was changed to ‘A Forbiden Tale’. If you read this one first, it might not make sense.

You’ve all heard it before – I don’t own any of the copyrighted LotR charecters. I only own Faye, Boromir (Faramir and Eowyn’s son) and Theodred (also Faramir and Eowyn’s son). And maybe a few random characters. 🙂

I hope you all enjoy part two! Eyowen

Faye stormed into her house, boiling hot with anger. Why oh why did she have to be cursed with two big brothers? Eowyn, Faye’s mother, glanced at Faye then wisely let her stomp off to her room. Eowyn knew better than to mess with her daughter when she was mad. Eowyn smiled gently to herself – Faye had inherited her mother’s temper and her father’s stubbornness that came with the red hair.

Walking silently towards the closed door of Faye’s room Eowyn thought of the series of events that had made her first run into Faramir. With a temper of a cat and an older brother and male cousin who fueled the fire of her anger in her heart, Eowyn had run off, directly disobeying her uncle’s orders. In a way, the adventure had been good for Eowyn. Maybe an adventure would be good for Faye, as well. Knocking lightly on the door, Eowyn slid it open just enough to be able to see into her daughter’s room.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Eowyn asked, slipping into the room and sitting on the bed with her twelve year old daughter.

Faye turned her tear streaked face towards her mother and pitifully said, “T-those boys are s-s-sso mean to m-ma-me!” With that she burst into tears again.

“Who is mean to you?” Eowyn asked, knowing full well the answer. Having older twin brothers was sometimes a challenge to Faye – teasing her all the time like they did. Eowyn hugged Faye, wondering what they had done this time.

“Mother, my brothers are so mean to me. I wish they were girls, and I was the older brother for once.” Eowyn smiled until Faye added, “They teased me about my hair.”

Eowyn sighed. Having red hair was the biggest woe to Faye – being called ‘Carrot’ by anyone other than her father was a fatal blow that almost ended her world.

“Honey, they only meant it in jest. They don’t mean it.”

“But mother – you have never had someone tease you about your hair!”

“Maybe not my hair, but I have been teased about a lot of things other than hair. Do you want to come help me finish cooking?” With that the two walked into the large kitchen to finish cooking the venison stew.

Faramir strode into his house, hoping to sneak by unnoticed. He was late for supper, again. Eowyn was usually a forgiving woman, but of late she was rather stressed. Eowyn spotted him immediately, not surprisingly. Faye was staring moodily into her soup, which to was normal. Theodred looked sorrily at Faye, while Boromir looked rather irked and smug, if the two could ever have been combined.

“Well, now that your father is here we may eat,” Eowyn said, smiling a little.

“How was your day, children?” Faramir asked, tasting his soup.

“Well-” began Boromir, but was silenced when Theodred kicked him in the shin.

“How was your day first, father?” Theodred said, showing the proper respect to the head of the house. Faramir briefly described his day, excluding the talk of war that had passed between the King of Gondor and himself.

“Mine was fine, father. I just practiced with my sword and talked with Eldarion,” Theodred said.

Boromir added, “Mine was just like Theodred’s – exciting.”

“And lively.”

Being twins Theodred and Boromir often hung out together with Eldarion, the son of King Aragorn, and finished each other’s sentences. They would have been impossible to be told apart except for their hair. Boromir’s shoulder length thick red hair was more than often tangled, while Theodred’s hair was long and blonde that usually was kept in a ponytail to keep it out of his face while riding.

“Fine,” muttered Faye, poking at a potato piece in her soup. Eowyn frowned slightly – Faye had not been herself lately. She was almost always mad, sad or jealous.

After the children had gone to bed and the dishes were washed and put away Faramir sat down at the table and said, “Eowyn, the reason I have been coming home late these nights is because we are talking of war.” Eowyn sank down into her seat gasping for air.

“But Sauron and his minions are destroyed!” Eowyn hissed after catching her breath.

Faramir hated breaking this news to her but it had to be done. “Not orcs. It’s men this time.”

“What?” Eowyn asked, her hand resting on the table.

“One of our scouts found a large group of Haradrim camped in Mordor, living off the rest of the orcs’ food supplies. King Aragorn and I have decided that we must wipe them out before they attack us. We are sending a rider to the border to ring the bell of urgency tomorrow, calling for the aid of your brother.”

Eowyn felt her heart beginning to race. Would she lose her brother and her husband to the hands of evil, traitorous men?

“If you must go to war, promise me that you will come back,” Eowyn said, fighting for control over her tears. It was war that had claimed her father, mother, uncle, cousin, brother-in-law and many others.

Boromir quietly ran down the steps and into Faye’s room, yanking her to the loft where he shared a room with Theodred. “You have got to hear this!” Boromir said before Theodred could protest.

“What?” Faye said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Father says he is going to war. And maybe Theodred and I are going with him! Do you think he will let us get new armor?” Boromir was about to burst with pride and excitement.

“Did Father really say we are going with him? And no, I don’t think we would get new armor,” Theodred said, covering a yawn with his hand.

“Well – no, but we could. We are of age, you know. And I could use some new armor!”

Faye sighed – just because they were sixteen did not mean they could rub it in!

“You know mother would never let us. Besides, we can’t leave mother here alone!” Theodred said, wincing after saying that.

Faye glared at Theodred before snapping, “I am someone!”

“I just -”

“He means without a man in the house,” Boromir finished for Theodred.

“Maybe mother and I will go with you,” Faye said, staring at her nails.

Boromir started to laugh, but Theodred seriously said, “A battlefield is no place for a woman.”

Faye did not know whether to glare or smile. She took it as a compliment – maybe he had noticed she was rather delicate.

“You think that father will let you go? I would miss you, and what would I do without your teasing to keep me on my toes?” she said softly – she rather liked having them around.

“Aw, we wouldn’t be gone long-”

Boromir finished Theodred’s sentence, “- we would miss teasing you!”

Faye playfully swung at him, and he tried to tackle her. Faye jumped aside – a sixteen year old landing on her would be enough to crush her twelve year old frame! – and Boromir landed on Theodred, knocking him to the floor with a loud thud. Theodred pushed Boromir off him and footsteps were heard creaking up the stairs. Boromir jumped under the covers of his cot while Theodred shoved Faye into the closet then sat down on his cot and picked up his book just as the door opened.

Faramir peeked in and said, “Keep it down, boys. Faye and your mother are trying to sleep!”

Theodred quickly glanced up from his book and said, “Okay, father,” while Boromir nodded and Faye smothered a giggle.

Faramir took a look around the room then said, “Good night.” With that he walked out and closed the doors.

Theodred looked at the book and realized it was upside down. Boromir started to laugh and Faye came out of the closet.

“I have to get to bed, but good night, my sweet, annoying and hilarious brothers.”

Boromir grinned and said, “You left out handsome – again!”

Faye stifled another giggle and said, “Good night.”

Theodred set his book down and said, “Good night and – Faye, I am sorry. Forgive us?”

Faye smiled and said, “Sure.” With that she tip-toed down stairs to her room and was quickly asleep.

Boromir sighed after Faye was gone. It was times like these with his brother that had made them so close.

“You know, we have a really good chance of getting to go to war,” Boromir said, stretching out under his covers. Theodred acted like he was asleep – he was not acting childish when he wished to not go to war, was he? Though he was fairly experienced with the sword he had no desire to go to war and kill.