Summary: These are a series of drabbles written for the Mellon Fic 100 Challenge on the mellon chronicles group.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, sue me and find yourself poor as well.
A/N: The majority if not all of these drabbles will be AU.
Chapter 35 (Sunrise)
Aragorn laid beneath the bushes, bleeding from various wounds. He had been victorious after the run in with the orcs, but had suffered many gashes because of it. It was only dusk but already Aragorn felt as if he would never see the sunrise.
Each movement of his arm sent shooting pains all the way to his shoulder. His back ached from the crude weapon of the orc grazing it, and he was sure that his ankle was broken. Aragorn wanted to wallow in his own pity but he knew that Imaldris was but a few miles away.
His horse died in the skirmish, so that left walking, or in Aragorn's case stumbling. Aragorn crawled from underneath the bushes, and tried to stand, but bearing weight on his left foot was not an option. After only a few steps Aragorn to his knees, clenching his jaw to keep from screaming. He knew there was no one coming to look for him. He had set out only a week before and wasn't due back for three more days.
Laying on the ground Aragorn begged to the skies above to let his death be swift, for he felt on the verge of it. The poison from the orc weapons was coursing through him, making him feel sick, his body breaking out into a sweat despite the chilly night.
As he laid there neither fully awake, nor asleep he gazed at the stars. His parents never saw the sunrise the next morning, having been slain during the night, and now he too would die before the rise of the sun's first rays.
Every minute was like an eternity, every hour he thought bringing him a moment closer to his death. Aragorn's back was throbbing, his arms an array of various gashes, some to the bone, and all bleeding still. He wanted to close his eyes, to slip away into oblivion, but something would not let him.
He listened to the rustle of the leaves in the overhead trees, and the sound of the wind as it whistled through the branches. His mind now was whirling mass of memories, of his family, his father most of all. Too often Elrond had told him to beware of the orcs beyond the borders, but Aragorn had thought himself invincible,and he now was paying the price. His eyes began to drift shut and he forced them open again, knowing that he might not wake up should he fall asleep.
Aragorn fought off the sleep, hoping that he would last at least until sunrise, wanting to see its beauty one last time, but he lost the fight to stay awake and soon his eyes closed.
Aragorn shifted around on the ground, and opened his eyes mere slits. All he could see was the bright light, and was relieved that he had lived to see the sun rise. It was only then that he heard the sound of the horses coming closer. Grabbing his sword he got to his knees, knowing he would not go down without a fight, but it was not those who would wish him harm coming, but his brothers.
"Estel!" Elladan yelled, jumping from his horse, and running towards him. "You are hurt."
"You have a knack for stating the obvious don't you Dan," Elrohir commented, as he helped Aragorn to the horses.
Both of them stopped waiting for Aragorn to say something, but when they looked to him he was smiling from ear to ear.
"Why the smile Estel, when you are injured, and ill?"
"The sunrise Elladan. I got to see the sunrise."
Aragorn let his brothers help him onto the horse and they took off towards Imladris. He hadn't died in the night as he thought he was fated to do, and the sunrise and its warmth lulled him back into sleep.