Hey peoples! I know it's been a long time, but I've been busy. Now tis chapter is short, but the next is chapter 13!
Chapter 12: Old Magic
After years of running in the wild, running a kingdom was quite tedious for Aragorn. It did not help that his twenty-year-old daughter refused to even come inside the hall.
Teenagers. Half-Elven teenagers.
He probably shouldn't have let his sister take Stella on that three-year-long odyssey across Middle Earth. He didn't even know where they'd gone.
And now Myraneth was going to take her out again? And why did she have a bag of potting soil?
"Aragorn!" Myraneth cried, "Thanks for letting me borrow your daughter again! Guess what? We're re-planting Mordor! Only I changed its name. The land that used to be Mordor is now called Earth. Not Middle Earth, just Earth. It's huge! About the size of Gondor and Rohan combined, two hundred times over!"
Aragorn slapped himself in the forehead, "You took my only daughter into MORDOR?" He cried, "Don't you realize what she could have seen? I wished for Stella to never have to see an orc, nor the damage one could do to humans!"
"Relax, Aragorn. She has learned to control her ability almost perfectly. She can choose when she looks into the past and when she stays in the present."
"You did not take into account her excess of curiosity, sister! She would look, even if she told you different!"
"Estel, she's twenty years old! You knew horrors far worse than orcs at twenty! As I recall, you found out about my illness when you were seventeen! You already had a handful of battles, with orcs, to your name!"
"Myraneth, this is not me we speak of! It is my daughter! She is not an Elf!"
"Are you kidding me?" Myraneth stood, "Have you looked at Stella recently? She's as good as an Elf! She's more Elf-kind than I ever was. She's not a child any longer, Estel, and you must accept that! It is when their fathers are like you that they rebel! You know she is seeing Donolas, Everlas' third son, romantically, right?"
"WHAT?"
"Aragorn, she'd probably have told you if she hadn't feared your reaction. You must go talk to her. You must take time away from the court to be with her. Arwen can deal on her own for one day. But do not take her riding. Her horse just died."
"Marching in the Rain is dead?"
"Had you not heard?" Myraneth bowed her head, "She died in childbirth. It was too much of a strain on her to give birth to triplets. One of the foals died, too."
"Myraneth, where is Stella?"
Myraneth smiled, "She is down at the stables. She has taken it upon herself to hand-raise the remaining foals."
Aragorn half-ran down to the stables.
It was the first time in months that he had seen his daughter indoors. Aragorn looked upon her face, so alike to his own.
"Hello, Father," Stella said. She had tears in her ocean eyes, but a smile on her face, "Rainy really outdid herself. These three are beautiful."
There were indeed three healthy, live foals in the stall with Stella.
"But Myraneth said—"
"Daddy, Rainy did it," Stella burst into fresh tears, "The strain of the birth was too much on little Rainy Miracle over there," Stella indicated the coal black filly with stark white stockings and a white head, "Not Rainy. Rainy gave up her life so that Miracle could live. It's very ancient magic. The principle is basically a life for a life."
Aragorn smiled at his only daughter.
Stella continued, "That's Rainy Miracle. She's going to be mine. The black colt is Dusk March, and the white filly is Dawn March. I'm going to train them up for Aramore's daughter and Brego's son. Aranna and Bren will be old enough to ride by the time they are ready. I'll teach them to ride, just as I taught Dari and Eleanor and Elrendel."
Eldarianna, or Dari, was Elladrion's oldest child. She was almost twelve years old, and a well accomplished horsewoman. Eleanor and Elrendel were the only children of Elren, Stella's second oldest brother. They were twins, both ten.
Aragorn looked at his daughter, "I hear Myraneth took you into Mordor—"he held up a hand to silence her protest, "Myraneth is a more than adept guide for my little laughing princess who isn't so little anymore. Tell me, how is Donolas?" Stella simply looked stunned. Aragorn continued, "Your aunt is Lady of the Wolves. There are no secrets in her pack, and we are part of that pack."
"I was going to tell you, but—"
"Do not make excuses, Estel. It is me who is at fault. I had forgotten that I have more than just four sons. Myraneth has reminded me that you need me, too."
Estel stood. She was only two inches shorter than her father, and a fair bit slighter. She threw her arms around him, crying anew, "I love you, Daddy."
He returned the hug, "And I you, Estel, and I you."
