Chapter 4: Estel

Aragorn's P.O.V

As soon as that spider dug its fangs into me, I blacked out. I awoke to a familiar place. Elrond's house. Arwen... Would she be here, too? I tried to sit but resisted when I felt the searing pain in my neck. I tried once more but grimaced in pain instead.

"Rest, estel", a voice said. I turned my head to see Arwen sitting beside me on the bed. I smiled and reached out my hand for hers. She took it and stared at me. She was wearing a short pink, silky shirt with a matching, short purple skirt. Her black hair hung around her elf face. I studied her blue eyes. Fear, hope, sadness, concern, relief. I sat up straight, ignoring the pain in my neck, my eyes not leaving hers.

"What happened?", I asked her.

Her eyes left mine and she let out a shaky breath before saying, "It was a sunny morning..."

Arwen's P.O.V

He was focused on a book when I entered his room.

Arwen: Father...

He looked up at me.

Elrond: Yes, my dear?

Arwen: I'm going out for a while. I won't be long.

Elrond: Be careful.

He returned to his book and I smiled. I exited his room silently and walked out. The morning breeze welcomed me. I walked farther and father away from home, heading towards my favorite forest. I sat down near the edge of the forest, on the green grass. A silver butterfly landed on my lap. I lay on the grass, looking up into the sky. The clouds were formed into different shapes. A sword. Aragorn... I closed my eyes, falling into a nightmare.

Orcs

A knife

Blood

Aragorn...

"Dead"

I gasped as I woke. He couldn't be. No. I heard something that chilled me to the bone. Weapons. Torches. Orcs. I ran as fast as I could back to my father.

Arwen: Father, orcs. They will be here soon.

He got up and ordered all his fighters for battle. I leaned out of his balcony. I could see the orcs. There were thousands of them. We wouldn't survive this battle. I could see their swords stained with blood. I got dizzy and told myself to stop thinking about Estel. Our soldiers were formed in a line with my father at the front. The orcs were getting closer and closer. I watched our archers getting their bows ready. And then, it began. It all happened in a blur. I could see our soldiers backing away from the orcs. The orcs were winning. Were those orcs that were on the front door of the house? Yes, they were. Looking frantically looked around for a place to hide, finally choosing my father's closet. I could hear someone getting closer. Their shadow blocked the light from underneath of the closet door. My heart skipped a beat. The door sprang open and I was relieved to see that it was my father.

Elrond: Arwen, I've been looking for you everywhere. Come on.

He took me to a secret room hidden father in the house.

Before locking the door he said, "Be safe, my love".

I nodded and he closed the door quickly when he heard the sound of orcs. The door closed and I slumped to the ground, my eyes stinging. Tears slipped down my face as I heard my father fight. And then everything was quiet.

"I smell human", I heard an orc say.

"Of course you do, you just killed one", another one said, as I gasped. So he was dead.

"No, another one", the first one said, walking closer to the room. And then I heard a horn.

"We have to go", the second one said as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. They left a short while later and I opened the door to let myself out. My eyes fell on my father who had a deep gash above his heart. I sat next to him, my tears falling on his face. I ran out of the room, looking outside to see that the orcs were going away. I packed my things, jumped on a horse and rode away, not looking back. I didn't know where I was going but anywhere was better than here.

"My lady...", a soldier said to me, as I rode away from him. There were a couple of them alive but I didn't care. My whole family had been killed.

"What about Aragorn?", a voice in my head said. I stopped my horse. Estel...It didn't matter. I willed my horse to continue again.

"...and it wasn't long before I saw Legolas and the hobbits. I got closer and then I saw you lying on the floor", I said to Aragorn, looking deep into his eyes.

I ran as fast as I could and knelt down next to you.

"Estel...", I whispered. He was alive. His hair was plastered to his face with and I could tell immediately that he was poisoned.

"How?", I asked Legolas.

He replied saying, "Giant spiders".

"We have to take him to my house", I said, forgetting why I left.

Legolas nodded as he lifted Aragorn up to put him on my horse. I jumped on behind Aragorn, making sure that he wouldn't fall off. I rode as fast as I could back to my house. I rushed him to the infirmary and made sure that he was healed.

"...A few days later, the poison had left your body. Legolas arrived with the hobbits a while after I left. They had walked here. Legolas was here, in the infirmary, not too long ago to see how you were doing. I...When I saw you lying there...I was...so...", I said, in between tears.

"...When I got closer to you, I could tell that you weren't...dead...and I was so happy that you were alive...and...".

Aragorn pulled me close to his chest, while smoothing down my hair as I cried.

"Shh...It's alright", he said to me.

Someone knocked on the infirmary door and Legolas walked in. I quickly pulled away from Aragorn, wiping my tears away.

"I'll leave you two alone", I said, smiling as I walked out.

Legolas's P.O.V

I knocked on the infirmary door, thinking that Aragorn better be awake, or else... I opened the door to see that he was and that he was joined by someone else. Arwen. Her eyes were red, probably because she was crying. When she saw me, she said that she would leave Aragorn and I alone, and then she walked out of the room. When I heard the infirmary door close, I sat next to Aragorn on his bed.

"How are you?", I asked him.

He smiled and said, "Great".

"So...do you think that you'll be better in around, uh, one week?", I asked him, hesitantly.

"Yea, definitely", Aragorn said.

I pulled out Anduril and handed it to Aragorn.

"Here", I said. He reached out and examined his sword. Fortunately, the sword had not been disintegrated during the attack with the spiders.

After a while, he looked up and said, "Thanks". I shrugged and left him.

A week soon went by and Aragorn was feeling much better. We had our things packed, the food and water were stocked up too. I was waiting at the end of the forest with the hobbits, wishing Aragorn would hurry. I started walking round in circles, impatience getting the best of me. What is taking him so long? The hobbits seemed to be in the same state as me. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Aragorn appeared, jogging down a hill, Anduril by his side.

"Are you ready?", he asked.

I replied saying, "Yea, we've been waiting forever for you". We disappeared into the thickness of the trees, trying to be as quiet as we could. Leaves crunched and twigs snapped beneath our feet, as we walked and walked, with Frodo leading the way. Birds chirped, as we passed them and I smiled. It wasn't long before I heard footsteps behind us. I turned around but no one was there. I made up my mind that it was just my imagination, because I didn't know what else it would be. We hadn't gone far, when I heard the noise behind me, again.

I stopped and said, "Wait, we're being followed". I faced behind me and stared intently into the trees. Aragorn stood beside me, while the hobbits stood facing the way forward. Snap. There it was again. Aragorn had taken out his sword and was crouching, ready to prounce on whatever popped out. I had an arrow ready, still trying to figure out what was going on. And then, another giant, poisonous spider revealed itself, from the trees.

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