On the Count Of...

A/N:My thanks to a very very sweet little girl named Catherine who inspired this one! May she grow bright and beautiful and happy

On the Count Of...

‘Let’s try again, Elboron. One, two, three…’

‘Twenty!’ the boy beamed.

Faramir sighed.

‘No, child, not twenty. One, two, three, four, five. Five fingers. Now you try.’

‘Twenty,’ Elboron repeated and grimaced. He was clearly bored. His eyes wandered past his father and to the White Tree, covered with big yet delicate blossoms.

Faramir smiled and caught hold of one of the large branches.

‘Shall we count the flowers on this one?’

Elboron nodded, nearly bouncing with excitement.

‘One, two, three, four…’

As the Steward neared the end of the branch, his eyes rounded in amused disbelief…

‘Twenty,’ he sighed.