A/N: I know I have done this a lot but once again thank you to my reviewers, you have no idea what your kind words mean to me!
Please don't kill me for this chapter, it is a shorter one but you will see why at the end... Gosh I'm mean :p
CHAPTER 9
Adrenen shakily unlatched the last stall in the stable and swung the low door open, he could feel his heart beating inside his chest as his nerves started to surface. He thought he could do this, it was such a simple task, but the threat of being caught was just too much for him. He had never done anything daring in his life! Most of his days were taken up working in his uncles inn, serving drinks, cleaning the rooms and washing the laundry. He didn't even have many friends, most of the other boys liked playing warrior games, and he didn't like fighting, he much preferred to sit in his room and daydream of far away places, lands that only existed in his imagination.
No more than an hour ago it had been like any other day at the games, the crowd had gathered, Braelor made his speech and the ale started flowing, but this time once the games began, his whole view of the world changed. No longer did he just have a shadow of a doubt about the games being wrong, now he knew in his heart that they had to be stopped. If it hadn't been for this stranger coming to his village, if he hadn't sat in his room until he mustered up the courage to speak to him then who knows how long this could have continued for, and how many more elves would have perished.
He had been forced to watch as Striders friend fought, he had watched as one of his mentors was killed by the elfs hand, and he was forced to watch as they beat him and dragged him away to the back of the crowd out of sight. It took all his strength not to shed a tear and give himself away, both for the elf and for Krethir. It was true that Krethir had played one of the biggest parts in the elves demise, but Adrenen still could not help feeling sorrow over his death, he had known the man his entire life and he had taught him some good lessons along with the bad. It had been Krethir who told him stories about the forests and plains outside of the village, stories of dwarves and dragons that inspired his own dreams. But his mourning would have to wait, he had a task to complete and he wouldn't let his new friend Strider and the elves down.
When Striders golden haired friend had been brought into the yard the crowd fell silent, their attentions focussed solely on the elf being led into the yard. Adrenen almost became transfixed by the fair being himself, not bearing to tear himself away, but when he caught sight of Aragorn stepping into the yard he had forced himself to collect his thoughts. If he were to slip away, that was the perfect time while the crowd were so distracted, he locked eyes with Aragorn and gave him a simple hand gesture before swiftly but carefully slipping back through the crowd and heading for the stables.
Adrenen took a deep breath as he mind ran over the last few minutes, he led the last stallion out into the walkway with the other horses and patted him softly on the nose. "I'm sorry" he whispered, "but we need your help". The stallion almost seemed to nod in approval as Adrenen pushed open the barn doors, he drew a short, stiff piece of leather from his pocket, he gave the horse one last pat on the nose before stepping around him and slapping the leather hard on the stallions flank. The horses sudden shock from the blow caused a chain reaction and all dozen horses bolted out of the stable down the main road through the village.
He waited for the dust to settle before stepping out of the barn and watching the horses stampede away from him, wondering and hoping that everything would go as Strider had planned. He bit his lip and fiddled with the piece of leather in his hand for a moment, he knew what he was about to do was not wise but his mind had already been made up. He threw the piece of leather on the ground and jogged down the road after the horses.
"NO!"
Aragorn closed his eyes briefly, his heart suddenly felt as though it were as heavy as stone. He knew that voice all to well, it was the sound of innocence, the sound of kindness and at the moment, the very sound of despair.
"Well well, isn't this an interesting turn of events" Braelor said as he wiped the blood from the dagger on a piece of cloth "I admit I did not think you would be involved in this my boy". Aragorn looked over to Adrenen as the boy slowly walked up behind him, he looked shocked, not only from witnessing Calanons death but it seemed from the simple fact he had spoken up, like his own voice had betrayed him. Aragorn sighed inwardly, he was not supposed to be here, after he released the horses he was supposed to go straight back to the inn and wait for his uncle with a feigned illness. No-one would suspect a thing, he could go on living his life and not have to face any consequences.
"The boy had nothing to do with this Braelor" Aragorn growled.
"Oh Strider, ever faithful, though it seems your choice in friends is somewhat lax, why you would side with these murderous creatures is beyond me" he curled his lip in disgust as he shoved Calanons lifeless form onto his back with his boot, the elfs eyes gazed unseeing up at the sky, a strange look of peace crossing his features. "You could have been a great leader here, your ideas for the games were quite ingenious, had you allowed them to be followed through".
Aragorn felt the sudden urge to draw his sword but was interrupted by Adrenen bumping into his back. He spun around to find the boy standing face to face with four of Braelors guards, they were surrounded. A brief moment of panic flushed Aragorn, had he been on his own he would have tried to overpower the guards and make for the horses just outside the yard, but he would not risk the boys life in such a way. Two people had already needlessly died this day and he did not intend to add to the tally. He had planned every detail so there was minimal risk to Adrenen, what on Arda was he thinking coming back to the yard?
Braelor laughed from behind him "you have nowhere to go Strider, and YOU my boy, you will be punished for your impudence". Adrenen visibly tensed at Braelors threat and Aragorn placed his hand on his shoulder, it was a small comfort, but Adrenen seemed to calm slightly knowing that he wasn't in this alone. He turned his head and looked back at Aragorn with an emotion the man had not seen in him before, determination. It seemed Adrenen had chosen a side, and knowing he was on the side of justice gave him a new strength.
Aragorns eyes flicked back to the guards in front of him, he leaned into the boys ear. "How fast can you run"? he whispered. Adrenens eyes widened slightly at the question before realizing what the man was asking him, he simply nodded in reply. Aragorn took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, he did not want to do this, it was far too much of a risk, but at the moment there seemed to be no other options. He would have thought that Braelor would not harm his own people, but now Adrenen had revealed himself as helping Aragorn, and in turn helping the elves he could not be sure. This mans hatred ran deeper than anything Aragorn had ever seen, it twisted his mind into a demented obsession, and Aragorn would rather risk his own life than put an innocent boy in harms way.
He tightened his grip on his sword and drew one last deep breath, taking in this brief moment of peace. "Now!" he cried and Adrenen bolted as fast as he could towards the road to the south as Aragorn drew his sword. He saw the indecision on the guards faces as whether to give chase or stay with Aragorn and their Lord, their eyes flicking between the two as their hands went for their swords. However their decision was quickly made when Aragorn raised his own sword and turned on his heel, making a direct line for Braelor.
