Chapter 20

Here it is . The big 20! I've been working on a time line for this story, with the birthdates of some characters and such, and it's posted at the bottom of this chapter. But don't scroll down to read it. Wait until you actually get to the end. Otherwise you risk seeing a spoiler. I was also doing fan art of my own fanfic, like a boss. (Or not) But drawing Ailith is fun. Ahh, whatever. I want to draw a cover for the story, but my ideas and my actually art ability are not agreeing. Anyway, guess what I realized. Bilbo should have been in Rivendell for the events of this story. Because it takes place after he left the shire and went to live in Rivendell. Oops. Maybe he was on a short trip? Well, he'll be in later installments. Anyway, enjoy, and thank you all for the support. I couldn't have reached 20 without all your love. Oh, and I changed the little boy's age from ten to seven, just so y'all now. Oh, and one more note, whenever it's just elves speaking to each other, they're speaking Elvish.

"Follow me, and be silent. Do exactly what I tell you to do." Lana's eyes were hard as flint. The camp was silent. Where were the guards? Ailith followed her sister. She was certain her heart was beating so loud it would awake the whole camp. She turned back towards Estel, to make sure he was alright. He wasn't, as she turned he fell.

"Estel!" She was whispering, trying not to shake. She struggled to help him up. He shook his head.

"Ailith, just keep going. I'll be fine."

"No!"

"Ailith! Keep going." Lana was standing above them. She pushed Ailith forward, along with the little boy, and then turned towards Estel and helped him up, supporting him as she continued forward. Ailith saw him shake his head and try to shrug away, but Lana ignored him and pulled forward, unfazed by the blood soaking onto her shoulder. The little boy looked up at Ailith with big eyes, and took her hand without saying anything. Lana and Estel were beside them again.

"Keep going straight ahead Ailith. We'll take the back entrance." Lana knelt once they reached the thorns. She deftly pulled them aside, untangling the elaborate mess, and revealing a small tunnel. She herded Ailith and the boy in, and then Estel. She followed last, closing the way behind them.

"Mama, can I talk now?" the little boy sounded scared.

"Hush. Not yet soon."

"Where are we going mama?"

"Hush. Just an adventure."

When they emerged from the tunnel Lana led the way. Ailith saw her speaking urgently with Estel, but she wasn't listening to what they were saying. She couldn't make her mind focus. She just followed. Estel managed to keep a decent pace, but it was obvious that he was in pain. Whenever Ailith tried to speak Lana shook her head. Time seemed to slip away into the mist. She didn't know how long they had been walking. Finally they stopped. A thick wall of brush obscured their way. It almost looked like it had once been a tall hedge. It was wild and untamed now. She couldn't see over it.

"Here than Ranger?" Lana stood with her hand on her hip.

"Yes. It's unlikely that any have come here within the last few years, but the way should still be there."

"Good. Alright then, show us the way."

Estel pulled out his sword and began cutting at the thick hedge.

"Why is there a hedge in the woods anyway?" Lana was watching Estel closely, studying him.

"It's old. It has been here for many years. It used to be part of a larger fort. It was the first wall of defense. Then came a large but relatively low hill, a tall wall of earth and such, and the fort itself. It has been long abandoned. I'm surprised your men haven't found it My Lady. The hedge around their encampment probably originally served as similar purpose as this one" Estel seemed to find something, and set to cutting at it.

"They're not my men Ranger. And they aren't the type to look to closely. At least not all of them. Those who are have been scouting east."

"East?" There was a strange note in Estel's voice.

"That's what I said before yes."

"Momma?"

Ailith had been standing silently with the little boy, to tired, to confused, to speak. The little boy had stayed with his hand silently clasped in her. He pulled forward suddenly and ran towards Lana.

"Hush Tuor. Wait just a moment." Lana absent mindedly hugged the boy.

"Here." Estel had seemingly found the old way through the hedge. He nodded to Lana. "You first My Lady. Bring the boy, Ailith and I will follow."

"Alright." Lana took the boy's hand and ducked into the tight tunnel. Estel turned to Ailith.

"We'll be safe here." He smiled at her, and turned towards the tunnel. Without warning he let out a hiss and thudded to his knees.

"Estel!"

"I'm fine. Just getting used to the injuries is all." Estel tried to push himself back up. Ailith tried to help him up, managing to slide his arm around her shoulder and pull him up.

"Thank you Ailith." he gently shrugged away. "You go first."

The floor of the tunnel was overgrown with moss, but she could still see the smoothed dirt between. Many footsteps had hurried through here. It smelled like earth. The foliage wove above her, so thick that hardly any light shone through. Without warning Lana stopped. They had reached a dead end.

"Wheres the way out?" Lana tried to turn in the cramped space.

"It's just slightly overgrown My Lady. If you pull it should open up." Estel was directly behind Ailith now. Lana struggled for a moment. The foliage fell away, and the light of day shone through. They emerged out into an open space, sloping slightly upwards. A short while up the slight hill there was indeed the remnant of an earth wall, and beyond that the ruins of a wooden structure. Ailith felt the hair on her arms rise. Ruins always made her feel strange, like she could almost feel all the lives lived within them passing around her.

"Gods. Right under our bloody noses the whole time." Lana sighed in relief. "Did you hide the entrance ranger?"

"Yes. We should be safe."

"Alright then." with that Lana let all the tension out of her shoulders and turned to Ailith. "Oh Ailith. I'm... I'm so sorry." She reached out tentatively for her. Ailith didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around Lana and started sobbing without warning. She was so familiar, even if everything had changed. Lana hugged her back, finally sobbing as well, as if she had kept it all locked away, and had finally opened the doors.

'Mama! Whats wrong?" The little boy was looking at then in confusion and distress.

"Nothing Tuor. Nothings wrong. This is your aunt Ailith. I haven't seen her in a long time."

"But she's bad. She killed brother.'

"No baby. She's not bad. It was all a misunderstanding." Lana knelt in front of the boy.

"Why are we here mama? The strange tall man said we're safe now. Are we safe? What are we running from? Wheres daddy, is he coming? Will he be angry?"

"Hush now. We're safe. Your father is...busy. Everything is okay."

"Who's the scary man?" The boy peeked at Estel from over Lana's shoulder.

"Just someone who's helping us."

"Estel, sit down. You're injured." Ailith looked at Estel, trying to seem strict.

"I'm fine, don't worry Ailith."

"Estel, let me take care of you for once. Please sit down. Do you have any more of your herbs or anything?"

"They went through his things, took anything they recognized as medicinal. I took some back though, as well as some fresh from camp that he didn't have. They're here." Lana tossed Ailith a small pouch.

"Lets at least get to the earth wall before I sit down alright Ailith?" Estel walked forward slowly, and they all followed. When he reached the ruined wall he sat down with a huff, leaning against the wall, his teeth clenched.

"Momma, I'm tired."

"Lay down here Tuor." Lana took her cloak and made a small bed. The boy lay down on it and closed his eyes. Lana turned back to Estel.

"Let me help him Ailith. I've learned a thing or two about medicine recently." Lana knelt down in front of Estel, pulling out a small roll of linen and tearing in with her teeth. The sun shone down on her hair.

"Thank you my lady."

"Hmmm. It's the least I could do for someone who seems to have taken such good care of my little sister. Ailith calls you Estel. Is that your real name?"

"I go by Estel often."

"Yes. But you also go by Strider. I didn't recognize you at first, but now I do. I suppose it's a small world."

"The folk of Bree call me Strider, it's true. And now that I see you up close I recognize yo as well My Lady. I remember a particularly unpleasant fight breaking out in the prancing pony. You dragged a young man away."

"You have a good memory. I was Ailith's age at that point. That bastard offered to take me to the prancing pony but all he did was cause trouble once we got there. Men."

Ailith opened then closed her mouth. For some reason it was strange to her that Estel would recognize her sister. She shook her head, handing Lana the leaves she asked for. Lana set to tearing it to pieces.

"It's more effective if you chew it." Estel gestured weakly to the plant.

"Hmm. Ailith tells me you saved her from a band of orcs."

"That is a part of the story, I'll leave the whole to your sister."

"Tell me ranger, because I'm curious, what sort of man carries a broken sword around?" Lana gestured to the shards of Narsil hanging by Estel's side.

"A sentimental one. That was my first sword, broke years ago." The lie came out so easily that it took Ailith a moment to realize that it was there. She looked at Estel, who returned her gaze steadily and very briefly shook his head. She realized she couldn't tell Lana. That was Estel's secret to keep or give. It wouldn't be easy to keep her mouth shut.

"You have a perfectly good blade that isn't broken. Very fine steel. And well weighted. I don't see why you need a broken one."

"Sentiment, as I said. You know a good deal of weapons then?"

"I was bored in Brandon's camp. And they're not all monsters. Most are jut lost and in need of a leader. I'd even say I care for many of them. Especially Thom. He used to be a blacksmith, but they chased him away from his village when he killed his father. Or they said he did. He swears that his cousin really did it. I believe him. He's a good man, as men come. And he taught me a lot. Here, take this."

"That will make me sleep my Lady. I need to be alert."

"You're not much use in your current state anyway. You need to rest up. It will be fine."

"I'll be fine without."

"Alright then. Will you at least chew this for me then. Pff. Men are always so stubborn."

Lana continued to quietly tend to Estel, occasionally helped by his advice. Ailith watched, sometimes helping out. Her mind began to wander as she sat in the sun. It didn't go anywhere in particular, it just drifted, as if the entire world around her, with it's cool late autumn air and bright sun were their own state of being. One that she was part of. For a few blessed moments her mind was free of everything but the peace of the world around her. Her thoughts were broken by Lana.

"Ah. There we are, he's asleep now." Lana was surveying Estel, whose eyes were closed.

"What? I thought you didn't give him the sleeping stuff."

"Not directly. But he chewed it up with the plantain I gave him. Easier than I expected it to be. I'm guessing he's more perceptive when he isn't beaten within an inch of his life."

"You drugged him against his will?!'

"He needed it."

"Lana! He told you not to."

"Well, I don't have to do everything he tells me. It's for his own good."

"He knows what he's doing."

"Not when it comes to you. I've already seen him do a few decidedly unwise things, and they all had something to do with you.

"But you can't just drug the king!"

"The what?"

"Oh..I said you can't just drug him, he's kind."

"No you didn't. You said king."

"I...oh son of a bitch!"

"Don't swear. Now what do you mean king?"

"You swear plenty! He...oh damn it all. He's important. He has royal blood..."

"That's not the whole story."

"I can't tell you the rest. I wasn't supposed to tell you anything. He's important. He's kingly. Aggg, I can't keep my mouth shut can I?"

"No you can't."

"The point is you just drugged him. And he's important."

'Well, then I've drugged a king. How exiting."

"What if it hurts him?"

"Ailith. He'll be fine. You seem to know him well enough to know that." Lana looked at Estel again. "Why does he keep calling me my lady?"

"That's just what he does."

"He calls you by your name."

"Well, I've known him awhile is all."

"Ailith. Swear to me that there's nothing between the two of you."

"What?! Lana, why does everyone think that?! You've been spending to much time around low life scum. Estel is...he's sort of like a...I don't know, a father, alright? He means a lot to me, but that's the extent of it.

"Alright."

"Speaking of low life scum, how did we manage to escape the lot of them?"

"Well. I drugged most of the camp is all. You see, I sometimes help with the food, though I don't have to. And it was easy."

"That...man, he didn't think you'd try anything?"

"He doesn't know what I'm really capable of when it comes to my little sister. You freed me Ailith, freed me from myself. Anyway, he underestimated me."

"Well. I'd say we both have some explaining to do." Ailith looked at her sister. Lana nodded.

"Alright then little sister. You go first." She patted the ground next to her, and Ailith crawled over, laying her head on her sisters lap.

xxxxxxxxx

"Elladan, why are there pages missing from this book?" Elrond was standing in front of his son, indignantly brandishing a book. Elladan blinked.

"I don't know ada. What, do you think I threw it?"

"You or your brother are the main candidates."

"It's always us." Elrohir rolled his eyes, a habit he had never really dropped

"Actually ada, I don't think it was them." Arwen looked up form her book to stare pointedly at Glorfindel, who was draped easily in a large soft chair. Erestor was perched on the arm, reading calmly, occasionally reaching up to push aside the strands of hair that kept falling over his eyes as he tried to read. Arwen was glad the two of them had reconciled. Last night Elrohir had informed her with a huge smile that they were "busy working things out in the garden." she wondered if either of them was going to admit to the book throwing incident. Erestor let out an annoyed huff of air when more of his hair fell over his eyes again. Glorfindel calmly reached up and tucked it back expertly.

Well, I think anyone else would tell me." Elrond crossed his arms.

"Yes. One would hope anyone with a shred of dignity would come forward" She stared pointedly at the elf lords. Glorfindel smile slightly. She though she saw Erestor smile as well. This Wasn't lost on Elrond. He turned to his two advisors

"Do you know something My Lords?"

"Hmm? Oh, the book. That's what we're talking about. Yes. That was Erestor." Glorfindel smiled. "Let me just apologize for him."

"What Lord Glorfindel means to say is that there was an unfortunate accident. My apologies." Erestor glared briefly at Glorfindel, but it was only half a glare, nothing really.

"Then why didn't you tell me?'

"It slipped his mind. There's so much happening in there." Glorfindel smiled again.

"Hnng. Fine. My chief advisor's throw my precious books. What else can I do?"

"Lord Elrond!" Lindir skidded in, his robes in disarray He took a moment to hastily bow.

"What is it Lindir?'

"Asfaloth has returned without a rider."

xxxxxxxx

"Now it's your turn Lana." Ailith's tears were drying. She had cried as she told Lana her story. She didn't like recalling some of those memories. The ones with Arden. The ones about her father. Or the man who wasn't her father. She worried that this made them less sisters. Because their father was different. She had asked Lana if she resented her for being the reason their father, or Lana's father rather, had killed their mother. Lana had told her to hush. It was noon now, they sat in the shade provided by the wall. Lana's little boy slept soundly on.

"Alright. Ailith, I...what I have to tell isn't a good story. I've convinced myself to tell the truth. Please know I love you."

"Lana. I don't care what happened."

"You say that now."

"Please. Please just tell me. You owe me the truth."

"Alright...I was restless Ailith. Every night I had dreams of adventure. Beautiful terrifying, vivid dreams. I wanted to leave. To go. But I was trapped. Trapped by duty, but also by myself. I couldn't leave. I couldn't leave you. I know you would have come, and I wish now that we had just both left, but at the time I thought...somehow convinced myself you were safer there. Maybe because I needed the excuse to stay. And then there was father. He was, he is, a bastard. But I loved him. I still do in a way, even after everything. And I felt this responsibility to him. I hated him so much. I think I would have killed him Ailith. I think I would have ended him if I had stayed. So I stayed, and I watched you grow more and more into a woman by the day. But sometimes I would wander. Not far, but just by bits, out into the country around Bree. It was stupid, but I needed to get away somehow. The one day father was out cold in his own vomit. You were out somewhere, probably with Arden now that I think on it. Father, he woke up, and he though I was mama. He bolted up and grabbed me, and he was crying. I couldn't understand what he was saying really. All I could make out was him begging for forgiveness, over and over. He just kept squeezing me tighter till I couldn't breathe. I screamed, and he dropped me. Then he just started bellowing at me. Telling me to leave, to leave him in peace. It...the whole thing upset me. So I wandered farther than usual. And of course I got lost. And it was getting dark. Typical of course. And that's when I met Brandon. The one you call that foul man. And I see that now. But at the time he didn't seem it. Of course I ran. That's what you do when you find a strange man in the woods. Or at least, that's what you usually do." Lana looked at Estel. "But idiot that I am I tripped and fell. That wouldn't happen now that I don't wear skirts anymore. Bloody things. Anyway, he helped me up, and he dusted me off. And then he helped me back to Bree. Gods know why. That isn't the man I came to know. At least, he didn't turn out to be like that most of the time. But sometimes...and at first he was, well, he was kind, and looked at me with his eyes so full of...well, at the time it didn't look like just lust. It became lust, but at first that wasn't all. Pff. Men." the sadness in Lana's eyes was deep. Ailith recognized the hurt in her voice. It was the same she felt when talking about Arden. Lana continued. "So I started seeing him. He taught me how to find my way around the forest, and such. He's skilled in that area. And...I loved him. I really did. He started telling me about his band of men, how they lived in the woods far from Bree, and how he had come to Bree searching for something. But he said he didn't know what it was until he found me. That's another thing little sister. Men are shameless sweet talkers, and near everything they say that sounds so lovely is shit. But it didn't seem it at the time. Love turns you into an idiot. In hindsight he used me. One day...he told me that he needed my help. A man was after him, a man had long hunted him unfairly. He asked me to...he begged me to go to the prancing pony. The man had just come back to Bree after a long time. He asked me to simply slip a powder into his brew. I was close to the barman wasn't I? I didn't want to. But he spun stories of this man's reign of terror. He told me how the man would never stop hunting him. He said the man had tried to kill his sons before. He was so earnest when he told me not to do it if it upset me. He said he would find a way. And I was a fool. The stories made this man into such a monster. I grew to believe he deserved death. So I did it. But the man, he didn't die. He was supposed to keel over. It would look like he choked. But he went back to his room. And I panicked and followed him. When he saw me...he was dying. The poison worked different on him. Slower. But he was dying. When I saw his eyes they were so sad. They weren't the eyes of a monster. Not now that I think back on it. He just asked me why. And I told him. He said it was all a lie, but that he forgave me. He knew my name. He kept saying that I had her face. Over and over. And then...he told me-" Lana put her head in her hands.

"Lana. What is it? Please. No matter what I forgive you."

"Ailith. The man I killed was your father."

Da da da! So, big chapter. I had to insert some elf fluffiness somewhere in there right? Anyway, Lana's character took me by surprise. She wasn't originally going to be this jaded foul mouthed girl. But she is. She's kind, and loving and loyal. But she's also stubborn as hell. Honestly, she reminds me a bit of Molly Grue from "The Last Unicorn." Hmmm. Lana doesn't care if your a king or what. She'll still drug you if she thinks she know best. (She usually thinks she know best, for the record.) anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, and a new one is coming soon. As one kind reviewer put it, it's team estrogen, plus Aragorn. Anyway, Heres a time line for the major events of the story so far. It is subject to change because I may change my mind about things. If it does change I'll repost it with whatever chapter is current. I'll also do one when I finish the entire story. Lana had been gone about a year and a half.

2993-Illana Miller (Lana) born.

3000-Ailith Miller born.

3006-Haleth Miller's death.

3014-Late in year, Ailith starts seeing Arden.

3015-Lana leaves at some point In year.

3016-Ailith gets pregnant. Flees and meets Estel in woods later in year.