What Used To Be
Disclaimer:....Well you know what I own by know right?
This is a short chapter I know but it's just a follow-on from the last one! :)
FemaleSpock - I'm glad you found it funny! I wanted to kind of throw in a little...I dunno I can't think of the word. Ease the tension a bit, really. So it's good that you found it funny! Anyway, it's all true. Actually, my opinion of Legolas is that he is modest but, clearly he isn't al the time! :)
Martiny The One And Only Still - Yeah it's AU (very AU) but again it's not over yet! So anything could happen....but it might not. But I think there's quite a bit to come still...:)
Nosterineth - I don't make them sad on purpose! Unless it's my conscience or something doing it....but I hate sad things! Anyway, what's your suspicion? I swear I will tell you if it's right truthfully although I will do a private reply. I want to know if I'm REALLY that obvious. I hope I've managed to retain a LITTLE suspense though!
Chapter 6
"Are you okay, Estel?" Arwen asked, as she rode up to Aragorn, who was riding next to Gimli, although neither was speaking.
"I'm fine." Aragorn replied, then gave his wife a reassuring smile to prove his point.
"Legolas will be happy in Valinor, you know that. I'm sure he's grateful that you didn't try and stop him leaving. So am I, Estel."
"I know. I'm fine." Aragorn repeated.
"Good. Gimli, are you okay?" Arwen asked, turning her attention to Gimli, who was being strangely quiet.
"I'm fine." Gimli grunted.
"I know you two were close to Legolas, and how hard it must be for you I can only imagine."
"I'm fine." Aragorn stressed.
"Me, too." Gimli agreed.
"That's good. Let's just hope we have a refreshing journey back to Minas Tirith." Arwen sighed.
Aragorn caught Gimli eye and smiled a little. Gimli smiled back, and the two carried on riding in silence. They had left Legolas just under three days ago, and the two were gradually getting used to the idea of Legolas sailing.
It was at that unfortunate moment that the man who had been scouting ahead (it had really just been precaution), came hurtling down the path at, well, high speed. He finally drew to a stop in front of a rather startled Aragorn.
"My lord," the scout breathed. "There is a group of men - I don't know where they came from or why they are here - up ahead. They are headed this way." He paused briefly. "They seem to know you and your family are here. They appear to be..."
Aragorn didn't wait for the man to finish as he turned back and began calling out orders to the group.
"Arwen - get into the trees. Take the children with you, quickly! Keep your horses out of sight." He called after he had told all the men to prepare themselves for a battle, but not to draw their weapons, just in case.
Arwen nodded and swiftly headed into the trees. Lauri and Hal were with her, but Dari hesitated.
"Adar - I can stay and fight, I'm sixteen."
Aragorn shook his head. "No. I know this must be hard for you but I cannot risk losing you so quickly after loosing...just do as I say. Into the trees. Do not let them-" He was cut off as an arrow narrowly missed his head. "Go!" He finished, and turned around just as a large group of men thundered into the small clearing the group were in. They had their swords drawn, apart from a few who had bows, and didn't wait but attacked the group.
Eldarion watched as his father began fighting, along with all the others. He should of been out there with them, not hiding in the trees like a coward...
"Dari!" Arwen called frantically from the trees. "Quickly!"
Dari watched the battle for a split second more, before turning and hurrying into the trees. However, he made sure not to go near where his mother and siblings were, instead stood just out of sight, watching the battle continue. He knew in his heart it was a loosing battle. There were 12 against at least 30. What he didn't understand was why they were being attacked in the first place.
Aragorn felt the same. What business did these men have with them? Why would they chose to attack the group? He had no time to dwell on these thoughts though - he was trying to injure, not kill, as were the rest of his men (and Gimli) but that was hard when killing seemed to be the only thing their attackers seemed to want to do. Every time he was done with one man, another just came. Gimli wasn't faring much better.
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Dari was watching the battle, but at the same time wasn't really aware of his surroundings. That was how the group of men managed to sneak up on him. It wasn't really hard - Eldarion was in his own little world so when three men who had stayed behind for this purpose entirely crept up behind him, he didn't realise until the last minute. By then it was too late for him to cry out - not that it would of done any good anyway. Who could come to his rescue at a time like this? He could only open his mouth in surprise before something heavy came crashing down on his head and knocked him unconscious.
The men laughed at each other. They were nothing like the men of Gondor - unshaven men who had scratchy, unpleasant voices, dirty clothes and a generally dirty feel to them. Then one of them roughly picked the teenage boy up and scuttled away, closely followed by his 'friends'.
They had gotton what they had come for, and now they only had to return to their home for the next step to be put into action.
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Aragorn surveyed the mess in front of him. Everything was a mess - three of his men had been killed, and so had 12 from the other side. There was blood and debris everywhere, and there was a lot of confusion. He didn't know where the men had gone but they had begun thinning out and then one moment they just weren't there anymore. At least it was over, but he had no idea what had just happened.
He turned to where Arwen was running out towards him, with Hal and Lauri wandering behind.
"Arwen." He whispered into her hair as she embraced him. When they broke apart, he enveloped his youngest two in a hug. Finally he asked with a frown, "Where's Dari?"
"I don't know." Arwen replied. He was over there..." She pointed to the spot Dari had been standing in and begun to make her way over when Aragorn grabbed her hand.
"No, don't." He insisted. "Dari is probably still angry at me for not letting him fight but he'll come round and see that it was for his own good in his own time."
Arwen nodded and looked dismally at the mess around them. "What are we going to do?"
Aragorn had been wondering that himself. Four of the guards were badly injured, but the three that weren't too bad were slowly sorting through the mess. Gimli was stumping towards them now.
"What just happened?" He demanded when he met them.
"I have no idea. Are you okay?" Aragorn asked.
"Of course I'm okay." Gimli snorted, and looked around him. "Confused though. What's happening now?"
"Well, there is a human settlement less than a days ride from here. We can take our dead, and our wounded, and rest there."
"That will be difficult." Hal observed.
"But it is necessary." Aragorn said. "Come on. We should leave as quickly as possible."
Ten minutes later Dari still had not showed up. The wounded were sitting with another guard. The 12 dead men from their attacker were piled up in a corner. Their dead were waiting to be taken with them too.
"Where is he? Hal, will you go and find your brother, please?" Aragorn asked impatiently.
Hal nodded and disappeared into the trees. One minute later he came out looking confused. "Ada, he isn't there."
Aragorn raised his eyes to the heavens. He was not normally this impatient with anyone, especially his family, but he couldn't be dealing with temperamental teenagers right then! Following this, he marched into the trees without a word. A quick search of the area later, though, and there was no denying it: Eldarion was nowhere to be found. There were, however, several heavy tracks leading away from the place. Which started right at the place Eldarion had been seen last.
Arwen and Aragorn couldn't believe they had let this happen.
"We have to go after him. Right now." Aragorn announced.
"My lord." Said one guard. "We can't. We have only three soldiers in any position to be doing anything of the sort. We cannot go after Eldarion and keep you and the rest of your family safe at the same time in conditions like these."
"So you expect me just to let him go?" Aragorn demanded. Arwen laid a hand on his shoulder.
"No, my lord, we should travel to the human settlement you spoke of and get help. Re-enforcements. We can do nothing from here."
"But that could take days!" Lauri hissed.
"He's right, though." Arwen said. She didn't like it any more than the others did, but it was what had to be done. "The best thing we can do for Eldarion now is go for help."
Aragorn turned to glare at her, then relaxed. "You're right." He said finally. With one last desperate look back at the trees, he moved the group out.
I will come back for you, Dari. I will not leave you there to suffer those men. He promised in his head.
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Thanks for reading everyone :) :) :)
