::He stood silent amid the protests of the hobbits as Arwen raced into the darkness with Frodo Baggins in her care. He stood silent because, deep down, he knew they were right. Yes, the Nazgul were still within the forest. And yes they would pursue Arwen.::
"She will be fine..."::He said, forcing the words out as he turned back to them.:: "She knows these woods better than most..."
"But there are NINE of them..."::Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's companion by Gandalf's wish, protested.:: "And she's one elf...what can one elf do?"
::Aragorn almost chuckled. But the question was honestly asked...and meant with the sincere heart of a friend. So he responded in kind.::
"She can do much more than you might think. Hers is a fate grace has blessed...and it is in her hands that Frodo shall endure."
::The two other hobbits looked doubtful...first at where Arwen had been, then directly at him.::
"Who is she?"::Merry asked finally, hefting his pack with a sense of resignation.::
"Arwen is her name...daughter of Elrond.."::Turning now, he began again...behind him hearing them follow.:: "She's been looking for us for three days."
::The passage through the wood was uneventful...and Aragorn knew why. The Ringbearer was gone...and with his leave-taking went the danger to them all. What he also knew, though he would not express it to the hobbits, was that Arwen was in danger. Part of him wanted to chase her down...protect her. But part of him knew better. Part of him knew the truth in his previous words. Hers was a fate grace had blessed...and she was perhaps braver than many a soldier he had seen.::
"Strider?"::Sam spoke his name softly when they stopped for the night to rest.:: "Mr. Frodo...he's all right?"
"Elvish medicine will help him Sam. Do not fear...Elrond himself will protect the Ringbearer from passing into shadow."::He stirred their small fire for a moment in silence before continuing.:: "And a friend's faith shall do just as much."
"Gandalf told me...you stay with him Samwise Gamgee...and now..."::The round faced hobbit looked down with a sigh.:: "Now I'm not with him."
"Gandalf would understand Sam. Gandalf sees that which we sometimes cannot. And I believe...that he would tell you to have faith in the arts of the elves...and in Frodo."
"Truly?"::It was then that he saw the first glimmer of hope in Sam's eyes. And further that Merry and Pippin were listening as well.::
"Truly."::He nodded, offering a smile of reassurance.:: "Arwen...was the first elf you ever saw?"
"She was..."::Merry offered, after biting into an apple.:: "She's...beautiful. Are all the elves like her?"
"In their own way. You will like Rivendell I think...the House of Elrond will provide many a story for your hearthfires when you return home."
"We'll be heroes!"::Pippin interjected, with a mouth full of bacon.:: "We've seen the Nine...and met an elf!"
::Aragorn lapsed into silence then, gazing into the flames as he listened to the three speak of what they'd encountered. There would be more, he suspected. And these hobbits would learn much of the world outside their Shire.::
"She will be fine..."::He said, forcing the words out as he turned back to them.:: "She knows these woods better than most..."
"But there are NINE of them..."::Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's companion by Gandalf's wish, protested.:: "And she's one elf...what can one elf do?"
::Aragorn almost chuckled. But the question was honestly asked...and meant with the sincere heart of a friend. So he responded in kind.::
"She can do much more than you might think. Hers is a fate grace has blessed...and it is in her hands that Frodo shall endure."
::The two other hobbits looked doubtful...first at where Arwen had been, then directly at him.::
"Who is she?"::Merry asked finally, hefting his pack with a sense of resignation.::
"Arwen is her name...daughter of Elrond.."::Turning now, he began again...behind him hearing them follow.:: "She's been looking for us for three days."
::The passage through the wood was uneventful...and Aragorn knew why. The Ringbearer was gone...and with his leave-taking went the danger to them all. What he also knew, though he would not express it to the hobbits, was that Arwen was in danger. Part of him wanted to chase her down...protect her. But part of him knew better. Part of him knew the truth in his previous words. Hers was a fate grace had blessed...and she was perhaps braver than many a soldier he had seen.::
"Strider?"::Sam spoke his name softly when they stopped for the night to rest.:: "Mr. Frodo...he's all right?"
"Elvish medicine will help him Sam. Do not fear...Elrond himself will protect the Ringbearer from passing into shadow."::He stirred their small fire for a moment in silence before continuing.:: "And a friend's faith shall do just as much."
"Gandalf told me...you stay with him Samwise Gamgee...and now..."::The round faced hobbit looked down with a sigh.:: "Now I'm not with him."
"Gandalf would understand Sam. Gandalf sees that which we sometimes cannot. And I believe...that he would tell you to have faith in the arts of the elves...and in Frodo."
"Truly?"::It was then that he saw the first glimmer of hope in Sam's eyes. And further that Merry and Pippin were listening as well.::
"Truly."::He nodded, offering a smile of reassurance.:: "Arwen...was the first elf you ever saw?"
"She was..."::Merry offered, after biting into an apple.:: "She's...beautiful. Are all the elves like her?"
"In their own way. You will like Rivendell I think...the House of Elrond will provide many a story for your hearthfires when you return home."
"We'll be heroes!"::Pippin interjected, with a mouth full of bacon.:: "We've seen the Nine...and met an elf!"
::Aragorn lapsed into silence then, gazing into the flames as he listened to the three speak of what they'd encountered. There would be more, he suspected. And these hobbits would learn much of the world outside their Shire.::