Léof

Third child, and second son, of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, and Éowyn, Lady of Ithilien. In adulthood, Léof is "the king's elusive servant"; in effect, Aragorn's "secret agent" in various courts around Middle-earth, having a variety of adventures in Rhun, Harad, and Khand, where he meets his future wife (see "Blue-eyed Boy", Bequests). He has:


 * "His grandmother's fair face and his grandfather's shrewd mind. His father's quiet wit and his mother's restless spirit. The dare of his uncles and the best of their luck." 

Léof continues the family tradition of chess. He inherits Faramir's portable chess set, after which he and his father begin to play correspondence chess, a custom which continues until Faramir's death (see Old Soldiersand War and Peace).

Léof is self-contained and self-reliant, to such an extent that Faramir co-opts various members of the Fellowship to teach the young boy the importance of comradeship and relying on others (see Hunt It, Kill It, Cook It).

Léof also enjoys a special friendship with his cousin, Déor, which goes back to childhood holidays spent together (see Fair Game).

Meta
Léof's name means "beloved" in Anglo-Saxon. He was modelled on Oliver Melendy, another calm and thoughtful child, in the Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright. The adult Léof is a cross between Dorothy Dunnett's Francis Crawford of Lymond and Dorothy L Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey, both of whom are blond, adventurous, second sons.