29. Different Tastes
"No, no," Faramir said, pushing the mug away. "I don't like that."
"You don't like tea?" I was surprised; he had never protested the drink before. "Since when?"
"No, I don't like Bo'mir's tea," Faramir replied.
I looked at him a moment, trying to decipher what he meant. He was still too young for proper tea, so it was just a few tablespoons of tea in a mug with milk and cinnamon and honey. "But that is yours, not Boromir's," I pointed out. "I made it for you."
"No, it's Bo'mir's," he insisted. "Sticky – don't like sticky tea."
"Sticky?" I frowned, then had a thought. "You mean you do not like the honey? Is it too sweet?" I'd always made his tea exactly as I had Boromir's, out of nothing more than habit, but apparently Faramir did not share his brother's sweet tooth.
"Too sweet!" Faramir made a face. "I like milk and the cimmanon."
I laughed, picking up the rejected mug and dumping the contents in the fire. "All right – would you like just a little bit of honey?"
"Just a little bit," Faramir agreed. "Please and thank you?"
I remade his tea, amused, as he watched me carefully. I handed him the mug; he sipped at it gingerly, and grinned. "I like that, Nanny."
"I will remember it, little one," I smiled. Faramir had been drinking his tea like Boromir's for some months, but he'd only recently started talking – no wonder I had not known that he did not like it that way. I reminded myself to ask about such things in the future; just because they were brothers did not mean they would always have the same tastes.
"You don't like tea?" I was surprised; he had never protested the drink before. "Since when?"
"No, I don't like Bo'mir's tea," Faramir replied.
I looked at him a moment, trying to decipher what he meant. He was still too young for proper tea, so it was just a few tablespoons of tea in a mug with milk and cinnamon and honey. "But that is yours, not Boromir's," I pointed out. "I made it for you."
"No, it's Bo'mir's," he insisted. "Sticky – don't like sticky tea."
"Sticky?" I frowned, then had a thought. "You mean you do not like the honey? Is it too sweet?" I'd always made his tea exactly as I had Boromir's, out of nothing more than habit, but apparently Faramir did not share his brother's sweet tooth.
"Too sweet!" Faramir made a face. "I like milk and the cimmanon."
I laughed, picking up the rejected mug and dumping the contents in the fire. "All right – would you like just a little bit of honey?"
"Just a little bit," Faramir agreed. "Please and thank you?"
I remade his tea, amused, as he watched me carefully. I handed him the mug; he sipped at it gingerly, and grinned. "I like that, Nanny."
"I will remember it, little one," I smiled. Faramir had been drinking his tea like Boromir's for some months, but he'd only recently started talking – no wonder I had not known that he did not like it that way. I reminded myself to ask about such things in the future; just because they were brothers did not mean they would always have the same tastes.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
