Chapter 4 - The Heart of Elrond
They had not made it halfway down the other side of the mountain when they found their group of three overtaken by a patrolling group of elves.
"Let us pass," Arwen demanded to the elves who she knew well.
But they looked at her grimly and when she saw her brothers approach she knew there would no talking themselves out of this.
"Sister," Elladan greeted in Sindarin, ignoring their dwarfish companion. "A word, and perhaps we will not hinder you long."
She dismounted, as did the twins and several of the other elves. One of the guards the reins of her house and Elladan led her further into the treeline away from the main party and her companions. Elrohir brushed her hand with hers in silent greeting as she passed him.
Gimli was not happy to be surrounded by so many of the elves in their territory, and he especially didn't like the one who glared at him and seemed to be the twin of the dark haired elf who had addressed Arwen as sister.
Gimli didn't know much of Sindarin, but even he knew some of the familial titles. Though luckily for him, it wasn't him who the twin seemed interested in, no, his full attention was on the arrogant, annoying princeling.
"My sister went to you for aid, did she, Prince Legolas?" Arwen's brother inquired in the common tongue.
An elf with manners, Gimli was beginning to like Arwin's kin.
The princeling answered cooly in elvish, and Gimli caught only the other elf's name, Elrohir of Rivendell.
"And you brought a dwarf to assist," Elrohir asked scornfully.
Gimli took back the mental praise, all elves were bastards, Lady Arwen excluded. "Lady Arwen requested my help, not the princeling," he growled.
Grey eyes turned to him, and where he expected scorn he saw only worry. The dark haired elf asked only, "Why?"
"That is between myself and the lady," Gimli declared.
Moments later, the strain of bowstrings and the unsheathing swords surrounded them. Gimli was suddenly surrounded murderous elves who would all gladly strike him down.
Beside him the princeling sighed in exasperation, and finally speaking in the common tongue, he said, "We are never going to get anywhere with you, are we, dwarfling?"
Gimli would have sworn at him but thought better of it as Elrohir began demanding answers to their purpose.
"Father, please time is-" Arwen was cut of midword as Elrond pulled her into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around him in return, resting her ear against his chest where his heart beat wildly. "I'm sorry," she said, the words seeming inadequate.
He held her for a long time and when he finally pulled back, he asked, "Where? Where are you going and what do you plan to do?"
"Father," she sighed, "I cannot-"
"No," he said more harshly than he had ever spoken to her before, "You can tell me or I will not allow for you to go."
She stiffened, stepping back from him, "I am not a child."
"You are my child."
"You would not stop either Elladan or Elrohir," she reasoned.
Elladan spoke then, "He might if he discovered we were travelling with dwarves. And it would be we because neither Elrohir or I ever travel alone."
Arwen glared at him, though she was happy to see him back from his own journey, the inconvenience of arguing with both her father and brothers did not bode well. The twins could be more stubborn than Father.
"A dwarf?" Father asked, before sighing, "What are you doing, daughter? First I receive a letter from King Thranduil that you are courting his son, and now you tell me you are travelling with a dwarf?"
"His name his Gimli, son of Glóin," she defended.
"Glóin," her father muttered, "one of the dwarves who travelled with Bilbo Baggins and Mithrandir to the Lonely Mountain?"
"Yes."
"Why his son? Why that dwarf, why do you need a dwarf at all?"
She wondered if he would allow an answer he or her grandmother might give, "You will know all when the time comes."
His expression said clearly that he would not accept it. "Even," he said slowly, "if I let you go, I will have you followed."
"And with the dwarf, there will be no way for you to lose us," Elladan said with a smirk.
She sighed, and thought what she could possibly say that would convince her father to let them go, staring at her brother, she had an idea.
Legolas was less than pleased to be surrounded by drawn bows, and mollified only a little that they were primarily pointed at the dwarf. And though he would never say, he was the tiniest bit impressed that the dwarf did not flinch under the interrogation in the slightest.
"Are you courting my sister?" Elladan or Elrohir asked, Legolas could not tell the twins apart.
"No," he answered honestly, "her heart belongs to another."
"Why is the dwarf with you?" he asked again.
"Because," Legolas said regretfully, "Lady Arwen requested he join us."
"And I also request that you lower your weapons away from my guests," Arwen said, emerging from the treeline with her father and other brother to either side of her.
The weapons were lowered at Lord Elrond's signal, he said, "You will all rest in my house, and are free to depart in the morning."
Legolas's felt his brows shoot up at this and he looked to Arwen questioningly, it couldn't be that easy? Legolas's father wouldn't have let him go if he had known he was going to be in the company of dwarves or a part of some deadly quest.
Arwen seemed to understand the question on her face because she said, "My brothers, Elladan and Elrohir will be joining us."
Legolas saw the joy on Elrohir's face at this news, and Legolas too was glad that two such fine warriors would be joining them.
They would be more useful than the dwarf anyways.
She found no comfort in her own bed that night, and when she wandered the halls her feet led her to outlook, one of the most beautiful views in all of Rivendell.
And it was there she found her father sitting on a bench, watching the moonlight glisten of the spray of the falls. Arwen did not ask, simply sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
Her eyes closed without her want, her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered to her, "Return to me, where ever you go, live and return."
When next she opened her eyes the sun was cresting the horizon.
Elrond watched his daughter leave once more, his fear for her hardly lessening. He was grateful that her brothers were now with her.
But as he watched his three children ride into the distance, he knew only that what remained of his heart could not bear the loss of any of them.
Gimli was less than thrilled to have yet more elves joining them. Four elves to be precise. Two were Arwen's older brothers who road two either side of her like overprotective mother oliphaunts, and two other elves who rode their large horses behind himself and the princeling.
Gimli was regretting agreeing to travel with the lady, but the Shire was only a few weeks ride, or that's what he kept telling himself. They travelled mostly at night, and all the travellers they met assumed they were just another group of elves travelling to the sea.
When they did cross paths with others, the elves made sure to hide Gimli from sight. He wasn't sure if this was to keep up the appearance that they were indeed all elves running away to the sea, or if they were ashamed to travelling with a dwarf.
Either way, Gimli didn't like it and he would be happier once they reached the Shire. He wouldn't be the shortest at least.
Travelling with elves was usually not such a solemn affair. Even Lindir riding with was quiet. For Lindir not to sing or tell stories was like the sun rising without shining light on the world below.
Arwen would have raised her own voice, but her thoughts were eating at each other. Now that Aragorn was in reach, she wished nothing more than to rush to his side.
Her very flesh remembered him, and what she had seen- it had more than a mere vision. She was his, and he was hers. They were wed, and they would share a long life together, and she would die when he did. It was done, no more hesitation or waiting for Estel to realize the man he already was.
Arwen knew it would break her father's heart, but Estel would live longer than most and she would not depart this world without giving her father grandchildren to bring also into his heart.
This was, of course, if they could survive this war again. She did not mind terribly that her brothers stayed so close to her, for despite them being older, she worried for them as much as they worried for her.
"You know Father made us swear never to mention you to Estel when he was among us," Elladan said in their people's tongue.
It was rude to exclude Gimli, so she answered in the common tongue, "I know that Father disapproves of Aragorn."
She heard Gimli straighten in his seat, clearly grateful for the distraction as a week had passed with hardly a word shared between them all.
Elladan gave no expression to indicate that he was either annoyed or chastised by her, however, when he responded it was in the common tongue, "He loved you from the moment he saw you, but you, you were unsure of him."
"He was hardly twenty when we first met, a child."
Elrohir laughed, "And when he came back an uncouth ranger, he stole your heart."
Arwen, knowing her brother would continue to tease, especially as they had an audience of the Woodland Prince and a dwarf, decided to put her brother in his place. She whispered a true name to the wood, and Elrohir had to duck or be knocked off his horse by a branch, he still received a face full of leaves for his trouble.
Elladan hid a smile and no one else dared laugh. Though Gimli seemed quite startled that an elf had nearly maimed himself on a tree branch, not realizing it had happened at Arwen's beckon.
This was the most exciting thing to happen until they reached Bree, where they made camp outside the town's limits, nestled far enough away from the road that no pacer by would spot them.
Arwen hated to ask permission, but she did not wish to be followed. She approached her brothers and said, "I will be back in the morning."
"You are not going off into danger alone," Elladan declared at once.
"I won't be in danger, I swear it, there is nothing in Bree I cannot handle."
"You told us we were headed toward danger. Father said we were on a dark road," Elrohir said, "And so far you have led us on a well traveled road West. Your trip to the Lonely Mountain was more dangerous than this. We are not going to let you out of our sight so you can throw another surprise at us."
"Legolas and Gimli will stay here, please, Elladan, Elrohir, I just wish to speak with-" she cut herself off.
Elrohir leaned his shoulder against Elladan's in a familiar gesture, "You are off to speak with Estel."
Elladan frowned at her, "How do you know he is here?"
"I sense him," she said, though that was an understatement, her very being was pulling, tugging on her to go to him.
Elladan touched her cheek and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, "I do not disapprove of Estel, but my immortal heart breaks that we will not see the ages pass together."
Elrohir wrapped an arm around Elladan. "Perhaps not all elves were born to watch the ages." He touched her other cheek, "Your light always burned so bright, and you always cared more than you ought for the creatures of this realm. I would rather see you blaze with life until the end as opposed to seeing you dim with sorrows, I could not bear to see you waste away until the will to live left you."
She hugged them both, and they held her back. Kissing them both on their cheeks, she disappeared into the night.
Strider had bought a night at the Prancing Pony, a good a place as any to hear of news in Middle Earth. Whispers of unrest in the South were slowly growing, and he feared what that might mean.
Presently, he was tending his own horse in the stables. A fine mare of deepest brown with four white socks on her legs. He whispered the words the elves had taught him as he picked the stones from her hooves.
Strider did not sense his danger until the blades were at his throat. He was thinking of how he might use the hoof pick to his advantage when his assailant leaned against his back, and whoever this assailant was most assuredly not male.
He opened his mouth to speak when lips touched his ear and a familiar voice whispered in Sindarin, "Greetings, Aragorn, I hope you take more care with your life when I am away than this."
He froze, his breath seeming to stop along with his heart, "Arwen?"
The knives were lowered and made a soft snicking sound as they returned to their sheaths. He turned slowly to face her, not believing his ears or his eyes as he beheld her in the soft light.
"Arwen?" he asked again, "How are you here? Why are you here?"
She smiled, and it nearly broke his heart, he loved her more than anything in this world.
"Have you not missed me?" she asked, light dancing in her eyes like all the stars gathered together in the night sky.
More than he had words for, words which did not come when he attempted to speak. Her appearance was so unexpected so welcomed, he thought he might be dreaming. If he was dreaming he did not want to wake.
Seeming to understand this, she said, "I need your help, Estel, will you join me?"
"I would follow you anywhere," he said in Sindarin without thinking, "anywhere you bid me go, I shall go."
Arwen's smile again took his breath away, which was fine, because when she stepped toward him, and her lips met his, breathing was the least of his concerns.
AN: Okay, now the fun is starting, any requests or thoughts are welcome. I cannot thank the reviewers enough, y'all helping me through some rough spots :)