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Aragorn walked slowly into the small room where Elrond awaited him and sat down. The lordly elf smiled when his foster son entered, but his mood was serious. Erestor, who had been standing near Elrond, bowed his head and exited quietly, closing the door behind him. Aragorn cleared his throat and looked Elrond in the eye.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," the elf replied. "I wish to speak to you of Rancelevon. Has he yet disclosed anything about his past to you?"

"No, but he is warming up by the hour," Aragorn said, offering some defense for the man. "He barely hesitates to ask questions anymore, and he eagerly receives answers."

"What kinds of questions does he ask?"

"Well," the ranger said, trying to remember specific instances, "he did not seem to know about races other than Men, so he is curious about elves, dwarves, and hobbits. Of course Bilbo has gladly elaborated on the latter."

Elrond grinned, but still his expression was somber. "It is a strange thing that he should know so little of the world around him."

"It is indeed," Aragorn agreed. "I have felt curious emptiness behind his eyes at times, almost as if he were not a person at all, but only part of one."

"I have seen this also. He has a thick darkness behind him," the elven lord said distantly, "and I fear he was once subjected to a great evil. That does not mean that he himself is willingly an agent of this evil, but he must be cleansed of it."

"What do you propose?"

"That is the problem. It is difficult for me to give any counsel when I do not know the evil itself or how it has affected him. His body has almost returned to health, but in order to truly heal his mind, we must know what was done to him, or possibly what he has done himself."

Aragorn frowned. "He has only been here three days. I would not deem it wise to press him in the matter yet. Perhaps he will reveal himself to us without our asking when the time is right."

"It is certainly possible," Elrond affirmed, "but he may be in greater peril than we realize, and the longer we wait, the more darkness festers in his mind. In the end, the body alone is not what makes a man, and if we neglect his soul, our assistance is in vain. I do not suggest any sort of coarse probing of him for answers, but rather that we give greater attention to the deepest wounds he bears. His soul may be in darkness, but we walk in the light, Aragorn. We must show it to him."

Aragorn let Elrond's words sink into his mind, and he nodded in agreement. "Would that I could reflect that light adequately," he said as he stood. "I suppose that is simply a part of the tale, though; that even in my weakness, I may be used to show forth a power greater than myself. After all, it could only be by the will of Eru that I found Rancelevon at all. Perhaps we are the appointed instruments of healing for Rancelevon as his story unfolds."

Elrond smiled softly and stood to his feet. He put a hand on Aragorn's shoulder and gazed over the ranger for a few seconds. "You have the wisdom of your sires and a heart that pleases Eru. I am thankful for you."

Aragorn dipped his head modestly. "I received upright teaching from the days of my youth."

With those words, the ranger dismissed himself. He walked from the room in which he had been seated and down toward the great hall. There, as he expected, he found Rancelevon sitting beside Bilbo, listening to the minstrels play with his eyes closed. At Aragorn's footsteps, he opened his eyes and gave a small smile.

"Ah, there you are, DĂșnadan!" Bilbo exclaimed from his spot near the hearth. "I was just going to chant the verses I composed about you to Rancelevon. They are not very good, perhaps, but they are to the point. Do you mind if I recite them?"

"Of course not, my good hobbit," the ranger replied. "They are quite flattering to me."

"Very well," Bilbo said, straightening on his stool and clearing his throat.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken:

The crownless again shall be king.

Rancelevon was baffled by the poem's words. He had known that Aragorn was lordly and of high lineage, but these verses seemed to imply that he was heir to a kingship. The broken sword he had been cleaning must indeed be a special heirloom of great significance. Feeling suddenly different in the ranger's presence, Rancelevon held back his questions and straightened involuntarily. Aragorn laughed merrily when he saw Rancelevon's changed manner.

"I may be the heir of kings," he said, "but I am still a man like you. Do not fear! Many have behaved thus on hearing it, but you need not be hesitant. I desire to earn men's honor and respect, not be given it as a gift."

Rancelevon smiled warmly and nodded. He liked Aragorn. The ranger sat down near him and the two listened to the elves sing for quite some time. At last, the evening turned to night, and Aragorn arose.

"Would you mind my accompanying you to your room, Rancelevon? I have something I want to ask you."

Rancelevon nodded slowly, though he dreaded what Aragorn would ask him. He still wanted to refrain from any discussion of his past, for he now knew that he hated it, and he felt greater and greater shame the longer he stayed with such honorable people. He did not want to be the Soldier, but at the same time, he was both unsure and frightened about being Bucky. After all he had done, he doubted that he could ever be that man again. It would be better for Bucky if he remained a dead war hero, not a murderer who nearly killed his best friend, Captain America.

Finally, the two entered the room and Aragorn sat down in the same chair from which he had overseen Rancelevon's recovery. The ranger's kind smile made Rancelevon relax, and he sat down on the bed to listen to what Aragorn had to say.

"You are healing nicely, correct?"

"Yes."

"Would you be opposed to going hunting with me in the morning? I enjoy a good hunt, and I thought you might like to explore the woods and river below. Does that interest you?"

Rancelevon had never hunted anything other than his targets, and the idea of turning that murderous skill into a productive yet recreational exercise was appealing. He had wanted to walk by the river, and it would be much more enjoyable if he went with Aragorn. He made up his mind and nodded.

"Excellent. I will come to wake you at dawn. Don't worry about getting anything prepared; I will have everything ready."

Rancelevon nodded again and Aragorn stood up. "I hope you have a pleasant rest," the ranger said as he exited the room, easing the door closed behind him.

Rancelevon sat still for only a few moments before standing and changing into sleeping garments. In the solitude, his mind began racing again, something he had come no closer to controlling in the days he had been here. He had now remembered many details of Bucky's life, though he still thought independently of them. It was as if he were constantly gathering more information on someone he did not know instead of on himself. Only a few of the memories even felt real. The rest were just pictures and facts that had little effect on Rancelevon's conscious mind.

It would have been manageable except for the constant presence of Steve Rogers in these memories, something which caused Rancelevon pain he could not shake. His mind would repeat again and again the incident on the Helicarrier, and no matter how many times he had heard it, the words remained just as deadly now as they had been when Steve actually said them.

I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend.

Rancelevon clenched his teeth and slipped under the covers of his bed. He strained his ears, trying to hear the voices of the elven singers. He finally caught their melody, and closing his eyes, he tried to forget his struggles. Eventually, the music lulled him to sleep, but even then, Steve's face did not leave his mind for a second.

. . .

You guys better brace yourselves; things are about to get interesting. Remember to review!