Faramir

Thanks kindly Dr. Who Glad to be a part of your story, if you'll have me

Hopefully it will start to become clearer after this installment...

***

The grey clouds seemed to have released all the rain they held. The torrent had washed everything clear.

"Faramir!"

He started at the snapped out words. Sheepishly he turned and regarded his friend, Assistant Manager Barry Gond. "Sorry, I was woolgathering there."

Gond looked at him closely, "Thinking about Bo again?"

Faramir's eyes turned downcast, "Aye. This should be his job- his chair- his triumph. I never wanted this."

Gond sat opposite him, "Fair enough, but he would have wanted you to do this- given the circumstances."

"I miss him. He could be blustery and ambitious- but I miss how alive the club felt when he was here."

With a quiet chuckle and nod, Gond agreed, "Yes, and certainly tumultuous as well."

"That too!"

Grinning slightly, Gond asked, "How did you wind up with the nickname of Faramir anyways? I thought the one name football names were the sole province of South Americans and occasionally Italians?"

Shaking his head and stifling a laugh, the younger man answered, "Bo gave it to me a long time ago. We were playing as kids and he had been reading the Lord of the Rings. Bo being Bo- he told me I had to be the Orc. I told him not unless I also got to play a 'good guy'. He told me that I could be Faramir- the brother of Boromir."

He stopped a moment in wistful memory, "Bo wanted to have a 'heroic' death- that is why he wanted to be Boromir. I guess he got what he wanted in real life too." Faramir shook his head and sighed, "Anyways, the kids at school picked up on it immediately, and forever more I have been Faramir. I actually like it now- but I wasn't so sure then. It was kind of cool as I got older- the girls seemed to like it a lot."

Leaning back in the folding metal chair Gond regarded him, "You have done some growing, you know?"

"Me? How about you?"

"No, no. You can't shrug it off that easily. You wear the mantle of authority very nicely. Beyond that, you have earned the respect of not only players on this club- but around the League. You stepped in to a bad situation and restored order. The Board doesn't realize what a prize it received when they gave you the position."

Faramir shook his head gently, "Be that as it may, now all we have to do is show we know what we are doing in actually managing this brood."

Gond smiled, "I think you will do fine there- you were always a better tactician than Bo. What kind of practice for tomorrow?"

"Day of fun- we have been going hard enough- Pig in the Middle in morning and again in the afternoon. Nothing else. We will move back to the regular regimen on Wednesday."

Faramir

"Lady?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Do you have any knowledge of what 'football' might be?"

"Nay, Lord."

Faramir shook his head slightly, "I only caught a fleeting thought from whomever is reaching me- and it mentions something about a club with football. I can imagine that it relates to some kind of ball, but I can't fathom anything more- especially relating to a warclub. The thought wasn't trying to reach me- wasn't addressed to me- rather it seemed some kind of concerned meandering."

"As I told you Lord- the qualities of this place are strange. It is likely another mind is touching yours, maybe from the world or worlds you have seen glimpses of. I know not why though."

Tyrone the Magazine

somebody's in their element

Great stuff, if mine turns out a tenth as good as this I'll be happy.

Faramir

*chuckle* true Tyrone- I do feel very at home with my characters this time around

Great to have you along on the challenge- and welcome to FMS

***

"Well if isn't Faramir- and his trusted sidekick," boomed the sarcastic voice as he reached over to another table and grabbed a chair- which he pulled up to the table where Faramir and Barry Gond were enjoying their meal.

"Look what crawled out from under the rock," flatly stated Faramir, his voice dripping with dislike and sarcasm.

"Now, now- let's be nice to the pressboy," stated Gond- just as flatly.

"Ha ha. As you can tell I am just shaking in my boots at your intentions," stated the scrawny man. "How does it feel to be annointed to do the job your hero brother should be doing?" he asked of Faramir with a sneer.

Under tight control, Faramir replied, "Sammy Gohl, you are the lowest form of life- but that remark is even low for you."

"Just fishing for an official reaction," the man smiled- his large eyes staring out through glasses with thick lens.

"An official reaction? Ok, here goes- then you can get the h*ll out of my face. I didn't seek the Dundee United job, but I certainly will honor the memory of my brother by accepting the post of Manager. I am thankful for all the support given me by my family, friends and everyone in football in this time of grief for our family."

"Bah, nothing but a fakir- just like your brother."

Cold contempt filled Faramir's face, "You have your comment. Now get the h*ll out, before I have you thrown out."

Smiling with derision dripping from his words, Gohl replied, "I am going to make your life so miserable- and enjoy doing it so much." He pushed back his chair and ambled out the door of the Inn.

Faramir

Time to note that I am running this challenge on 01-02 (this many divisions would choke my PC on 03-04). Active divisions are taken right from HD's initial suggestions- England (to Div. 3), Scotland (to Div. 3), France (to National), Poland.

As the story indicates- I am off and running with Dundee United (seriously thought about Motherwell, but decided it would be repititious).

Thanks to everyone who has sent comments so far-
MD

Faramir

Still mad about the encounter, he was sitting quietly in the stands, watching as Barry Gond ran the morning sprints.

As the wind ruffled his tangled locks on the overcast day, he thought back to when he and Bo would play as children. Muttering to himself, "Bo, those were the days!" The thought, seemingly unbidden, came back to the times they would play Bo's favorite- Lord of the Rings. The swordfights reenacted with sticks, the archery with the toy bows, the heroic deaths...

A shaft of light seemed to stab at him- he felt himself falling....

###

"Faramir? Faramir? Are you Ok?"

He looked up and realized that he was in the first aid room at Tannadice Park, with Barry Gond questioning him anxiously.

"Yes, I think so." He attempted to sit up and felt a crushing headache. "What happened?"

Gond looked at him curiously, "That's what we wanted to ask you- what happened? You were watching practice, and suddenly it was like you were highlighted with a sunbeam. You started to stand up and then just slumped down. I got the trainer and a couple of players and we carted you down here."

Leaning back again and blinking his eyes several times before speaking, he replied, "I am not exactly sure. I was thinking back to when Bo and I played as children and suddenly a memory seemed to reach out and touch me. Must be not enough fluids and too much stress lately. I am fine- just get me some aspirin."

Gond looked over at the trainer, who shrugged his shoulders and nodded in agreement.

###

"Lady?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Something just happened to me here, but I am not sure what it was?"

Quickly he saw her visage close by, "Are you unwell Lord?"

He shook his head slightly, "I don't appear to have been affected. Rather, something unusual happened. I was musing over when Boromir and I played together- and suddenly I was able to pierce the clouds and view this world of apparition clearly. Everything seemed very clear, as if I was actually there."

Troubled, she quietly brooded over his comments for a period of time. "Mayhap I should not have brought you here Lord, this may have been a mistake. There could be something beyond my understanding occurring here."

"Lady, did you really have any choice?" he asked quietly.

Still looking worried, her face stared back, "Nay, Lord. Tis the only place I could think of to send your mind to. Still it may be a mistake for you to be here."

He looked kindly back at her, "You could do naught but what you know best Lady. I would willingly place my life in your care, I sense that somehow you have already saved me. I still do not feel threatned by what happened here, but nor do I understand it."

"Nor do I Lord."

###

Sitting in the gloom of his living room, Faramir pondered what had happened to himself. "They would think I am crazy if I told them what it really felt like. It was like being *in* the story- much too clear. I must have been more in tune with the movie than I really thought."

###

Silently pondering what he had felt, Faramir thought about how real things had felt. It had been as if he could feel the wind whipping across whatever arena he had seen. Everything looked so strange. Warriors dressed in only light training clothing? Stands made out of some type of metal? The roar of many strange sounds? All of it was very alien to his thinking, yet he felt somehow that he had really been there. He had avoided detailing this to Lady Galadriel, for he instinctively knew she also would have no answers to these strange sights.

Faramir

In the ghostly silence, he continued to think about what he had seen and how real it had felt. He seemed to have pierced whatever veil he had originally seen when viewing this unusual world. Suddenly he remembered some long ago teaching of his father Denethor. What he had seen was similar to the tales that Denethor had told him of the old, now gone, seeing stones. Seeing at great distances as though the person was there- talking to another as if you were seated across a table was what he remembered, though he couldn't recall his father mentioning anything about being able to feel something as if there.

Thinking again about it- he realized with a start that the answer might be simpler than that. "Maybe I actually looked out of the eyes of one there. That would explain the sensation of feeling things- and the unusual sensations."

He concentrated again and let his thoughts flow toward where he perceived the wall of illusion, such as he had named it in his mind, was located. He felt resistance and then it was gone, as if he had pierced the falls at his hidden place in Ithilien. With a startled thought he realized he wasn't in some random place, instead he was wandering in the thoughts of someone. As he moved among the disjointed thoughts, he realized that whoever this might be was trying to picture his home city of Minas Tirith. He viewed the images that paraded by him and scoffed in his own mind. A simple castle? Gondor? Gently he let his rememberances slowly intertwine with the pictures- gradually altering them until they seemed truer to his memories. There! He thought with satisfaction and then drifted into peaceful thoughts of Ithilien before it had fallen under the lengthening shadow of the Dark Lord.

###

Faramir woke with a start. He could have sworn he was dreaming of the White Tower- Minas Tirith. He shook his head and muttered, "It seemed so real." He glanced at the clock- 4:26 AM. It was the day of the opening of the SPL campaign and he expected to be worried and stressed- but instead he felt a remarkable sense of peace. Once again he dozed off.

###

"Well, today's the real thing- starting with Celtic will be no picnic." commented Barry Gond.

Faramir smiled, "No such thing as an easy touch. I wish Tassos (Venetis) wasn't hurt- we really need him in the lineup.

"Still two more weeks healing."

"Here is the senior squad to start the season:

GK- Alan Combe, Paul Gallacher
Def- Jim Paterson, Danny Griffin, Luigi Apolloni, Jamie McCunnie, David McCracken, Jim Lauchlan, Stephen Wright, David Partridge (Inj)
Mid- David Hannah, Charlie Miller, Craig Easton, Tassos Venetis (Inj), Jamie Fullarton, Hasney Aljofree, Jamie Buchan, Billy McKinlay
For- Derek Lilley, Stephen Carson, Jim McIntyre, Steven Thompson

Our opening Lineup will be:
GK- Combe DL- Paterson DC- Griffin DC- Apolloni DR- McCunnie DMC- Fullarton MC- Hannah MC- Miller MC- Easton FL- Carson FR- Lilley"

Gond looked up, "I don't see our acquisitions listed on here."

Faramir nodded, "Work Permits still not in place for Robertas Poskus and Taribo West- hopefully soon though, but I have heard hints that it is touch and go on Poskus'."

Gond looked over curiously, "Have you seen the Times yet?"

"No." answered Faramir. "Do I want to?"

Voicelessly, Gond shrugged and flipped the paper at him. The sports page opened as it landed on the desk.

Trouble at Tannadice?
by Sammy Gohl
Dundee United might already be in trouble- on the eve of the start of SPL play. Reportedly, their new manager- Faramir- was unwell and fainted in the stands while observing yesterday's practice. Faramir, taking over for his departed brother at the behest of an obviously ill-considered Board decision, may well have been having second thoughts about taking over on the eve of season. The Board, clearly believing that their gesture of appointing Faramir, will restore some of the luster to what looks to be another woeful campiagn, will likely be forced to reconsider their rash decision at some early juncture in the season...

Redfaced, but in full control, Faramir quietly stated, "Well, we will just see about that- Mr. Poison Pen."

Peacemaker7

Bah, everyone's already said what a great start it is, and it is. But anyway, great start, very well told, I think you're into this

Stephen Wilson

Superbly told story :thup:

HD

i'm taking all the credit for this