Fic: Vision Unblemished

[illwynd]

After a long while of not posting any fic, I have been kicked (in a most friendly and agreeable fashion) and told to post this. Hope y'all like it!

Vision Unblemished
By illwynd
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG for themes
Characters: Faramir, OFC
Notes: I don't know how realistic this story is, but the OFC told me to write it anyway. Feedback is appreciated, as always. And many thanks to lilan14 for looking it over!
x-posted to faramir_fics, sons_of_gondor, and stewardsarchive

Faramir watched as hammer struck chisel, tapping away chips of stone from the block. He had been watching for a while, and shape was beginning to appear from it: an upright form, tall and dignified and familiar. The woman who crafted it paused briefly in her work, shaking out her hands and rubbing them together. She turned to him only slightly when she spoke.

“It will not be complete for some time yet, I’m afraid.”

He glanced from the half-made statue to the woman. Her eyes were sunken, the lids scarred and closed over empty sockets, but her face was calm, and might, years before, have been beautiful.

“I know. But if it does not bother you, I would enjoy watching you work for a while longer,” he said.

She smiled. “Watch, then, if it pleases you.”

The steady tapping of her hammer continued. Her work was precise, leisurely, and the folds of a robe began to appear on the rough figure. Every now and then, her hands would explore the stone, seeing it through her touch. It seemed miraculous that the blinded woman could continue in her trade, but even without sight she was among the best in the City.

The City. Outside of the room in which Faramir sat, life continued on. Rebuilding had at last been completed, and Minas Tirith was again as lovely as he had ever seen it. The shattered stone which had rained knife-like splinters into the sculptress’ eyes as she glanced up in horror during the siege had long since been carted off and replaced.

And the people of the city were pleased by this renewal, as they had every right to be. The long struggle which had worn away at them all was over. The king had returned. Peace could be enjoyed, and prosperity regained.

But memory remained, as it should, even in the midst of this happiness. Memory, in which the courage of Men had blazed brightly across dark days. Memory, in which lost dear ones still spoke and breathed. Memory, in which the ache of loss lived on. Those would not be paved over like a stretch of broken street.

The sculptress tapped away bits of stone, as if uncovering a figure enclosed within it, and her memory guided her. Her memory of things seen could not be blemished, and the face that she revealed from the stone was the same: Denethor, with his deep eyes fixed in confident far-sight, before despair had come to him. Denethor, as Faramir desired to remember him, untouched by a vision of flames.

Comments

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Wow, very cool! :)

Also, I just had to comment on this...but "Coming Back to Life" is one of my favorite late-Floyd pieces.

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Thanks! ^__^ Glad you liked it!

And right on. I like just about everything off of Division Bell, but that one is particularly good, ain't it?

[alex-quine.livejournal.com]

This is touching and unexpected too. A poignant scene, deftly told. Thanks for posting.

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm sure that after the Ring War there were lots of those moments, for everyone. Glad to hear that this one worked for you! ^_^

[caras-galadhon.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. I especially love how from so much horror, both personal, in terms of Faramir and the sculptress, and general, in terms of the city, comes so much beauty. I think it's fascinating that Faramir chooses to remember Denethor as he was long before he despaired, and really a wonderful tribute. Thank you for sharing!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

*nods* There were certainly enough horrific things to go around during the war, but I like to think that in the aftermath, at least some of that could have turned into something else. Thanks so much--I'm glad you liked this! ^_^

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, so very lovely and well-written, I enjoyed this so very much!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

^__^ Glad to hear you liked this! Thanks for reading!

[foxrafer.livejournal.com]

This is so beautiful. It really is the essential Faramir to show him desiring to commemorate his father in this way. So lovely.

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, even with everything that happened, I have a hard time imagining that he wouldn't. Glad you liked this!

[lilan14.livejournal.com]

Yay, it's here!! *bounces* This is a lovely ficlet, and I'm really glad you reacted to the kicking the right way :-p I like your OFC too, and that title works just perfectly! You've created an almost magical mood, and it'svery easy to visualize what's going on...which is just so amazing when you think that the story is about a blind person.

Great job!! :)

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

^_^ Yep, it's here--I'm glad you nudged me! And ooh, I hadn't really thought about it from that angle... that's neat! Thanks again!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Thanks! Glad you liked this!

fanfic can be art
Heeh, but who around here would doubt that? ^_~

[fawsley.livejournal.com]

Only just caught up with this and I'm so glad I did. A wonderful evocation of the scars nobly borne by the post-war city, scars that only go to make it stronger. I thought that the statue was going to be of his brother, so the revelation at the end was a wonderful surprise. Beautiful - now just keep on writing, ok?!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked this! A place like Minas Tirith would certainly bear its scars well, and remember them. And heh, I thought about having it be that, briefly, but this way seemed to fit better. ^_~ Thanks for reading!

[windswept1.livejournal.com]

This is lovely!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad to hear you liked it. ^_^

[celebne.livejournal.com]

Wonderful written!

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That's always good to hear. ^_^

re: Fic: Vision Unblemished

[lanthirel.livejournal.com]

A very tactile story. Liked it a lot. :) Says some good things about Faramir.

Re: Fic: Vision Unblemished

[illwynd.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! And, well, Faramir ought to have good things said about him, wonderful fella that he is. Heeh. Glad you liked!