Rabbit Heart

You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up, but will it ever be enough. Raise it up, raise it up.

Ariel sunk down to the floor of her room with a 'thump' that was subdued by her palms. She didn't fancy Legolas, she didn't fancy Legolas, she didn't fancy Legolas. The line was chanted over and over again by the lady currently burying her face in her hands. She really wanted to know what Celeborn had said meant. It was a strange string of words as usual but Legolas seemed to tense up when he heard it so it obviously affected him, maybe even the king. Ariel pushed herself of the floor and started dabbing her red stained eyes. Making sure the sadness wasn't shown on her face. The handkerchief became damp by tiny insignificant drops of water. A while back nothing could make her emotional, so why now? Never had she been the person to get attached but she'd actually missed talking to someone during the days in the woods. She could talk to the trees but they didn't understand the feelings of a woman.

Later that day she switched to leather pants and a long white shirt as she decided to ride out and practice archery in the woods. It was calming to now that she'd always have a home even if it wasn't very warm or comfortable, it was home with wise advice from ancient trees, the summer breeze in the afternoon, the soft morning dew making her bare feet cold at the break of dawn. It would always be home. She'd never spent long time periods in Lórien only a few months at a time then she'd leave to visit family or Galadriel had an important quest that couldn't be confided in other people. Her parents had died years ago. She lost her father in the battle on the slopes of Mount Doom he'd fought bravely next to Elrond but fell before Sauron had been defeated.

A sharp whistled broke her thoughts and she saw Aragorn approach her from behind bow and arrow slung over his shoulder. "King Aragorn, why am I granted by greatness your company?" Ariel asked the riding king who laughed happily at the comment. "I had to escape the shattering of the maids insisting that I decide what color the napkins shall have at the ball." As the word ball left his mouth Ariel's sleek eyebrow rose in question. "Oh, its Frodo's birthday soon and he will visit from the Shire and grant the city of Minas Tirith with his presence." "It will be a pleasure to meet him." The brunette said suddenly thankful for Galadriel's detailed story about the great ring bearer it would feel a bit awkward if she didn't know the story about one of the greatest men of their time. "Wait, you're not allowed to leave the city, how where you able to leave?" Aragorn spoke voice suddenly turning to a mix of stern and curiosity. Ariel laughed at the statement and answered joyfully. "First of all is your security disastrous and even if it was as exceptional as it should be it wouldn't have been able to keep me in. I've learned a thing or two about sneaking and climbing in my years." At the end she gave him a slight wink a galloped away inclining a friendly race.

I've got a lot of tests so I'm blaming school on the lateness of this chapter. But here it is just a little conversation between Aragorn and Ariel and I through in the status of her parents. Sadly their dead but the history of them and her family tree will come with a surprise twist.

Lots of Love M.R