AN: Hi! This is my first story so bear with me... I don't have schedule of when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully it will be within the next week or two, but no promises. It partly depends on how busy or motivated I am. Speaking of which, even though this is my first story I can already tell reviews are going to be very motivating. I really appreciate knowing what you think, both good and bad, so please let me know. Constructive criticism is really helpful, so please, don't hesitate to let me know if you spot any kind of error. Oh, and I'm not an expert on lotr and I'm not going to try and pretend to be one either, so if you see anything that's wrong in that respect, please let me know! I hope you enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: There is a 0% chance I am J.R.R. Tolkien and wrote Lord of the Rings. It belongs to him.
The Trouble With Rain
Aragorn shook his head slightly after an enormous sneeze had erupted from his mouth. His father would not be happy to find that his adopted son had caught another cold. Thankfully, though, it was just a cold, the Valar be praised for that.
In any case, though, it was not his fault. He just had bad timing. No, he amended wryly, the rain had bad timing. Although the rain had come on rather gradually, it was unexpected. His father could not blame him; he could not control the weather and had no knowledge that it would rain today.
His hand reached up once again to brush the thick droplets of water out of eyes, though the relief was fleeting as new drops of rain streamed down into his face. His clothes had long since been soaked through and clung to his limbs with a chilling touch. Though it was mid spring, the sun's rays could not penetrate the thick layer of dark clouds, heavy with rain, and the rain was cold, as though it were dripping from an icicle. His jaw was clenched tightly to keep his teeth from chattering and his muscles spasmed slightly in a feeble attempt to create warmth.
He tried squint through the sheets of pouring rain with little success. He longed for the elves eyesight, though even theirs would have been hampered by the rain. With some apprehension he hoped that he was still more or less on his course to Rivendell, though his odds seemed unlikely as he should have already reached Rivendell, or at least nearly reached it. He had earlier foolishly strayed from the path to take a shortcut in a effort to lessen his time in the rain. He wasn't sure how unsuccessful he had been as he wasn't entirely sure where he was, his visibility severely compromised by the rain. He hoped he was still heading in the right direction but his sense of direction was hazy. If his father discovered he was both sickly and lost... He sighed.
At least he had managed to find a footpath, though he wasn't sure it was leading him in the right direction. He knew enough to know that it was, however, at least in the general direction of Rivendell, and he didn't really have a better alternative.
It could be worse, he reasoned, then quickly took back his thoughts. Those were exactly the kinds of thoughts that seemed to get him into trouble. There was no need to tempt fate and its cruel use of irony.
His sodden boots squelched in the muddy ground and he had to put more effort into pulling his feet from the suction-cup grip of mud. He was weary, having been walking for hours with the rain draining his energy, but took some comfort in the idea of roaring fire and thick blankets enveloping him once he reached his destination.
He inwardly groaned as the ground began to slope upward gradually. His burning muscles began to protest fiercely at the added strain and he labored to place his feet down carefully, so not as to slip in the thick mud that was quickly accumulating. He wryly gave thanks for the small mercy that the mud would have been thicker on the road, as there were not bits of grass to hold down the sludge.
His foot slipped slightly, and his arms left his side but did not flail, as he struggled to regain his balance. He quickly righted himself and carefully replaced his footfall, taking great care to not repeat his mistake.
As he reached the top of the hill, he paused, partly to give his aching body a brief respite and partly to try to orient himself. As he took in a few deep gulps of air he felt his chest tighten and the air catch in his throat. He coughed violently, his breath laborious and gasping, as he struggled to draw in enough air. The heavy coughs racked his body, burning his lungs and seizing at his chest. As the coughing slowly subsided, he breathed heavily, feeling even more exhausted and miserable.
As his breaths grew steady, Aragorn turned his eyes toward the view before him. He squinted, searching for a landmark to direct him, but nothing was distinct enough to recognize. Only the short bit of steep path ahead of him leading downwards was visible through the thick blanket of fog. Sighing, he turned to continue down the trail. Frowning, Aragorn realized that it would be steeper than the ascent and would be far more difficult to maneuver. Though normally it would have been difficult, with the mud it became quite treacherous.
He cautiously began his descent, carefully placing one foot down and then the other. His right foot slipped slightly, but his balance was only thrown slightly and he quickly recovered. Every few steps, his foot would slightly slip on the slick mud. Suddenly he felt his chest began to tighten again, warning him briefly before succumbing to the vicious coughs. Aragorn's body constricted with the coughing as he doubled over, fighting to pull air into his lungs. The movement upset his balance as his feet slipped. His arms flailed wildly, but it was already far too late to his regain balance. His feet slid down the slope, pulling his body with them. The momentum carried his body forward and he crashed to his right knee, a sharp wave of pain rushing up his awkwardly bent leg, then he tumbled forward, everything becoming of blur of color and pain. Suddenly, he felt stars explode in his head and his world quickly faded into blackness.
AN: Bum Bum Bum! I know, classic, huh? Anyway, hope you liked it and please let me know what you thought!