Into the Shadow
By The Last Evenstar
A/N:
I'm so, so, so, so sorry for taking so long again! But – and I know it's not much of an excuse – I HAVE been unbelievably busy. It turns out that opening night for the play I'm in is a week sooner than I thought, making it, in fact, just a week off. I'm thinking it may be time to learn my lines.Anyway, thank you all so much for reviewing! You can't imagine what it means to me when I open up my cell phone to see that I have a review coming in (and then my director yells at me to STAY FOCUSED, ESSIE! Never mind that Essie is my character's name, not mine.)
But I'm rambling again. Apologies.
strawberri-kiwi -
Visions are cool. Flashbacks, too. I can't help putting them in everything I write. LOL.Padme the 2nd -
Thank you for praising my simile. Yes, you spelled it right. Don't worry, I'm sure your story will pick up reviews if you keep adding to it. My first fic had exactly one review for about two chapters.Ashley -
Wow, someone is wondering/cares about what happens! That makes me feel really good!Queen Arwen -
You say that if Aragorn gets hurt you'll kill everyone in the story? Including Aragorn himself?ArwenSolo -
Wow, thank you. I plan to keep writing!Cerridwen-Evereven -
Glad you like where the story's going. I'm not too sure about it myself, so it helps to have support!The Awesome Possum -
Thanks! And there is the promised action, right there near the end of the chapter!Alasse-Calmacil -
Thank you! I hope it will be!Tamara -
Thy wish is my command.mata -
Love your enthusiasm! Here's your more!jen -
Well, sorry, this chapter won't tell you what happens at the end. But someday . . .juliet's rose -
If Aragorn and Arwen aren't reunited, I will be slightly put out as well.Kekelina -
Sorry to keep you waiting! *bows* I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!galadriel evenstar -
Ask him to pop in for a visit at least, why don't you? It's not fair to keep the Elves to yourself . . .The Converted –
Hilarity, thy name is Cassie. Don't worry, I won't put Aragorn in short-shorts. Even Orcs wouldn't be that sick. And as for Frodo, all I have to say on the matter is when they showed him lying in Cirith Ungol, my friend Jenna cried out very forlornly, "They kept his pants on!"ME132 –
You should definitely write an epic. It would go down in fanfiction history. And 200+ Author Alerts? Sheesh, I liked that story, but I'd still want to kill it after that. And look, I've done what you asked and put in a flashback just for you!Chapter Four:
A Dúnadan LoyaltyArwen tossed and turned on the edge of sleep. Ever since they'd set out from Rivendell, she had been having a strange feeling of discomfort. More than that, she thought to herself. It was a knowing, a culminating measure of doom that she couldn't force herself to ignore anymore.
Had she made the right decision in coming? "Trust your instincts," everyone had always told her.
But she didn't know anymore what her instincts were. And for the past two days, all of her visions had been dark.
I've no instincts to guide me, she prayed, so let my heart make the choice.
Let me find him.
She had to refrain from sobbing. Estel! Nothing else mattered; they could take her instincts and her vision and everything that guided her, she just wanted him to be safe.
"But I am safe," he said, so clearly in her mind that she knew she had to be dreaming. "The Last Homely House is nearly as fortified as the golden city of Caras Galadhon. I'm safe here."
All at once she was back, back in Imladris, sitting with Aragorn in their favorite spot behind a stout stone wall.
"But I worry about you, going into the wild all the time," she replied, searching his eyes for reassurance.
She smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "Nothing is so dangerous that it could stop me from coming back to you, my Evenstar."
She grinned in spite of herself. "Does your silver tongue weigh you down when chewing?"
"Does it weigh me down elsewhere?" he replied, the look in his eyes both that of a clever scoundrel and a fool in love.
He kissed he and she lost herself in his arms, all traces of her physical self melting away until there was only pure, unadulterated bliss.
She didn't know how long she lay there, clinging to him; only that he was safe and all was right with the world.
~~~~~~~
On their third day of riding, she approached Glorfindel. He was the wisest of any of them, and if anyone would have the answer, he would.
However, when she told him of the visions she'd had, he seemed nothing short of perplexed. "You've never exhibited any traces of foresight," he pondered, "and even for someone such as your father, what you have described to me is nothing short of a phenomenon." He shrugged. "It seems a wonderful thing to me."
But it's not wonderful, she wanted to tell him. It's a living nightmare, and the scariest part is the chance that they might be gone. She remembered the howling wind, the desperation in his voice, and the emptiness of her heart. I don't want a phenomenon. I just want Estel.
Elrohir had overheard their conversation. "The vagaries of Mordor and its dark magic are still unknown to us. It could be that what you see comes from Aragorn himself, and not from our own magic at all."
Glorfindel nodded. "A worthy hypothesis." He peered into the distance. "We're coming up on Weathertop. I see a group of Rangers waiting there."
Elrohir sighed in relief. "Halbarad got my message, then."
Arwen turned to her brother. "What's your plan? How do intend to rescue Estel?"
His face was set and grim. "I'm not sure. I expect the Rangers will have much to say on the matter." He turned and faced her. "But Elladan and I decided last night that we're only taking you as far as Osgiliath. Will you be all right with that?"
She frowned at him. "Why? Elrohir, I can handle danger! I fought just as you did during the battles of the Second Age!"
He sighed. "You're not a warrior, Arwen, and even if you could protect yourself against all the foes of Mordor, I still would not take my little sister into that dark land."
Arwen sighed. "Elrohir, why can't you understand? If I can't save him, my life is over anyway. It doesn't matter what I can and can't do."
He shook his head, and the sick look on his face told Arwen that it hurt his heart to hear her talk like that.
She groaned. "I'm sorry, toror nin."
"I know," he said, pain and worry filling his eyes. "These times are dark, Undómiel, and the Shadow presses hard on us all. I only pray that we will see the light return." With that, he spurred his horse onward and galloped the rest of the way to Weathertop.
~~~~~~~
"Lady Arwen." Halbarad nodded to her and extended his hand.
She reached out to shake it. "What news do you bring?"
The ranger's face was grim and set. "None good, I'm afraid, milady." He paused. "Four months ago we sent six of our brethren into Mordor, searching for Aragorn. They have not returned."
Glorfindel shook his head mournfully. "It is as I feared, then. They have fallen, all of them."
Something felt caught in Arwen's throat as she spoke. "Perhaps they never made it to Barad-dur. Perhaps they never found him!" She prayed with all of her being that this would prove so.
Elrohir nodded, the fear in his eyes no less evident than her own. "It was good of you to act, kinsman of my brother, when we the Elves dared not."
A trace of a wistful smile shown in Halbarad's eyes. "We Dúnadan do not forsake our kin. We could not condemn Aragorn to death any more than you can now." His words were hollow, as if he knew that their hope was futile.
Arwen swallowed. "We'll go, then. We ride for Mordor, and such more is the haste." She reigned in her horse and glanced at the sky. "It's not midday yet."
Elladan licked his lips nervously. "We are to continue, then? In light of these tidings?"
Halbarad shot a look at one of his men, then nodded. "He is our chieftain by birthright, and our friend by association. We will not let him down." He gave his stallion a swift kick. "I know of a secret path we can take. There will be no chance of ambush there."
Elrohir nodded. "We ride, then."
As the party turned and headed south, there seemed to be finality in their every motion.
~~~~~~~
A cry rang out through the still air.
"Orcs!" Glorfindel shouted, and drew his blade. Elladan and Elrohir had arrows notched before Arwen had time to think.
"Get back!" Elrohir cried to her in a commanding tone. "Stay behind us!"
Arwen ignored him and drew out Hadhafang, running her fingers over the smooth, cold metal. A noble defense for a noble lady, she thought wryly, eyeing the sword's inscription.
The host of enemies drew nearer, shouting with abandon as they hefted double-bladed axes over their shoulders. Arrow after arrow flew, yet the size of the party seemed to remain constant.
"Autaya," she whispered, and led Elentari into the fray.
The first one came at her, reckless, and she plunged her sword right through his neck. The next one almost unseated her, darting about agilely and swinging his axe.
Elentari gave him a swift kick in the chest, and Arwen dismounted in a flash and stabbed him before he could get up.
An Orc ran at her, and she lifted her blade to meet his just in time. He swung the heavy axe without care for direction, and she had to duck and swerve to avoid decapitation.
One swift lunge got him on the arm, another in the knee. She brought her sword down on his torso with a force that made him stumble backwards, and with Elven precision she kicked him in the face.
A spiked arrow whizzed past her cheek and she turned to see an archer riding toward her on warg-back. She drew a dagger from her belt and threw it, hearing a moment later the sickening crunch of its landing in his chest.
Glorfindel fought beside her, driving back enemy after enemy with only a casual flick of the wrist. "Best fall back, Arwen!" he gasped, bearing down on two more with an intricate display of swordsmanship.
She heard Elentari's frantic whinnying, and ran over to the horse. Grabbing her bow and quiver, she mounted quickly and began to shoot.
Falling away from the battle, she saw that the party of Orcs, though they had begun large in number, were dwindled to a few. Arrow after arrow was let loose, and in a moment the chaos had subsided.
Elladan looked up over the mountain pass. Smoke rose in a sinister black column from its peak. "This isn't right," he murmured.
Halbarad sheathed his sword and came over. "How's that?"
Elrohir nodded, befuddlement taking over his fine features. "Their camp is right there. They were waiting for us, yet not on the main path." His eyes grew wide and fearful. "They knew that we were coming. They knew where we would be."
