Arantion and his younger sister Irhiel sit on a richly ornamented stone bench in a mansion’s garden in Minas Tirith on a hot summer’s day. No clouds can be seen, except for the dark land in the east – there thunderclouds jam the sun’s way to the ground, and fiery thunderbolts flash.
But Arantion is staring at Osgiliath, whose eastern side is now flagged with Mordor’s banners. Neither one of them talks. Finally, the man sighs and looks at his sister. “I have to do it. You know that.” – “You will be treated as deserter and traitor to Gondor. You have sworn an oath, Arantion!” – “I have. But all this will be forgotten if… when we return.” Irhiel leaps to her feet and glances bewilderedly at her Brother. “If you return? And what if not? What if you do not find him? Have you thought about that?”
“Irhiel…” Arantion gets up and hugs his little sister – markedly against the pretty young women’s will. “Take this promise. I will return. And I will find him.” – “I cannot understand it, brother. You want to leave your family behind, your home, all the respect you earned yourself. Just to find a man?” He pushes her off and stares at her disgruntledly. “Just to find a man?!” He starts to raise his voice. “Because of Captain Boromir, we held our ground and stopped retreating. If it wasn’t for this man, I would not be standing here talking to you. My body would lie in Osgiliath, defiled, or worse, like those of so many men that I once called friends. He saved my life, Irhiel.”
For a few minutes, both of them keep silent. Then Irhiel looks at her brother with tearful eyes and starts talking shakily. “I... I did not know that. You did never talk about it. If I had known how close I was to lose you...” The man hugs his sister once more while wiping away her tears, calming himself to speak comforting words. “Irhiel. I survived it, there is no need for tears. And I will return from the north, led by Boromir. Trust in me.” – “I do. Like I always did”, she whispers.
