Chapter 36
"Out of my way!"
In a very unlady like fashion, Aria shoved the other healers out of her way as she moved to her brother's bedside in the Halls of Healing. She gently sat on the edge of his bed and began to assess his situation.
He had a raging fever. Likely from his body fighting off an infection from the injury he sustained. She picked up a cool rag from the nearby basin and gently ran it along his forehead. Erestor, who had already been sitting next to his bedside, silently stood by and waited for her to turn and look at him. When she did not, he cleared his throat.
"What happened to him, Erestor?" she asked without looking at him as she continued to try and bring his fever down with the cool water.
"A mauling by a warg to his leg. Hauir and the other healers had cleaned it up the best they could before going to summon you, but the bleeding would not stop and the bite is to the bone."
Aria stood up and moved to where she could move back the bed covers to reveal a blood soaked wrapping around her brother's leg. "Why did you you immediately tell me?"
Erestor did not say anything as Aria began unwrapping the wound on her brother's leg to see if she could quell the bleeding. He continued to stand back and allowed her to work – watching her quickly move around the room, grabbing for various herbs, new pieces of bandage and she noticing that she decided to try and stitch up the wound. All in all, Erestor figured that Aria had completed double the amount of work that several of the other healers had done in the same amount of time just a little while ago. She may not be Elrond's daughter through blood, but she had definitely picked up on his healing techniques and cool head when it came to tending to those who were injured.
"Did you manage to allay the bleeding?" he asked once Aria sat back down in the chair next to Estel's bed.
She nodded as she cleaned her hands on a towel and sighed. "What of the rangers who brought him here?"
"I had Lindir show them to the guest quarters so that they could rest." Erestor said, sensing how tired Aria was. "Which you should be getting back to bed as well."
"Not until my brother is awake."
"You do not know how long that could be, Elin," he said.
"It does not matter. I can sleep in this chair."
Erestor sighed as he left the room, knowing that it was folly to argue with her. What was it with twins? Elrond's twin sons were hardheaded and stubborn and so were Estel and Elin. The only on who could ever talk any sense into any of the twins was Lord Elrond or in Elin's case – her husband could do so.
Soft humming. Something like a lullaby. Almost like what his mother used to hum to him and his sister when they were younger…
His sister…
He missed her dearly…
Wanting to know who was humming, Aragorn slowly and painfully opened his eyes. He was greeted with a blinding light at first, and then as his eyes readjusted, he knew that he must had died in the warg attack the other night.
His sister was sitting next to him, gently humming as she was tending to a wound on his leg. Yet there was something odd about her. She seemed too real, too alive for him.
"A..ri..a?"
Her face turned up towards his and she smiled. "Look who is awake!" she said with a smile. "You have been out for two days."
"Am I dead?"
She shook her head no.
"Th..en…ho..w….are….you…he..re?" he asked with a hoarse voice.
"Finish recovering and then I will explain everything," she said turning towards a table and pouring him a cup of tea. He knew exactly what tea this was. His ada had made him drink this tea several times – it would help ease some of his pain in his leg and make him sleepy so he could recover. Aria helped him drink the tea before helping him get settled back in bed. Before he fell back to sleep, he felt his sister gently kiss his forehead.
Aria stood next to Aragorn's bed for a moment only to have a pair of arms snake around her and familiar pair of lips came close to her ear. "You have spent far too long here. He is recovering. The wound has stopped bleeding and he has woken up. You need rest too, meleth nin." Legolas whispered before gently kissing her neck.
She turned and kissed Legolas' lips. She knew that her husband was right. "A little rest would not hurt," she said as Legolas took ahold of the crook in her arm and led her out of the Halls of Healing and back to their suite. Once they were behind the closed door of their suite, Legolas swept Aria up into his arms and carried her into their bedroom where he set her gently onto the bed.
"Rest, Aria," he said as he slipped off her shoes and covered her with a light blanket.
She snuggled with her pillow before looking at him with a sly smile on her face, as she shook her head no.
"No?" he asked. "But you had already said a little rest would not hurt."
"Will you hold me?" she asked.
"Of course," he said with a smile. There was no way he could deny her anything. He had missed her too much over the last five years. And a simple request from her to have him hold her in his arms was the least he could do. He quickly took off his boots and climbed onto the bed with her. Aria's tiny frame melded easily against his as he wrapped his arms around her. Within mere moments, Aria was fast asleep.
Legolas sighed happily as he breathed in Aria's scent – vanilla and apple blossoms. As he held his sleeping wife in his arms, he could not help but let his mind wonder to some of the things that had recently come to light. The biggest thing that was weighing on his mind was the fact that she had been murdered – and murdered by an Istari who had been sent to help the people of Middle Earth, not kill them! Just thinking about this caused anger to boil up inside of him. If he knew that he could easily get to Saurman and kill him then he would do it, but alas, he knew that it was folly. Saurman was far too powerful.
Then there was the issue of what the Valar had sent her back to do – not to allow the evil of Mordor to spread. However Aria was supposed to do what, then he would help her in whatever way possible. She was not even sure what she needed to do. But he knew that together they would find a way. They had always been stronger together then when they were apart. Perhaps that had been why the Valar had sent her back. So they could do this together and with others.
Like her brother…
"I WILL NEVER TAKE THE THRONE!" Aragorn bellowed.
"DO NOT BE SO SURE!" Aria yelled right back at him.
"I do not have to take this. I do not want to hear this." Aragorn said crossing his arms in front of him. He had already sat through the explanation of how and perhaps why Aria was suddenly back from the dead. That he bought, but now she was bringing up a sore subject – the subject of his true destiny.
"Too bad! You cannot walk for three more days! So you have to listen to what I have to say!"
"I do not care about you. Your stupid mission for the Valar. Or even my destiny."
Suddenly his face stung as he realized what he had just said. Had Aria just slapped him?
"You will never get what your heart truly wants, unless you become king. And I never want to see you again." Aria said with a straight and hard look on her face as tears poured down her cheeks. She turned on her heel and ran from the room.
"Aria!" he yelled trying to get out of the bed to go after her. "Aria come back!"
As he stood up, pain shot up through his injured leg and he had to sit back down. There was no way that he could walk. He sat down and put his face in his hands. What was he going to do? He had just broken the heart of his sister, by telling her that he did not care about her at all.
And that was the furthest thing from the truth.
Yelling was the first thing that Lord Elrond heard as he entered the Halls of Healing upon his return to Imladris later that night. Lindir had greeted him upon his return home from the inspection of the borders and informed him that Aragorn was currently resting in the Halls of Healing. But he was not prepared for what he heard and saw.
Several guards were restraining Aragorn while Erestor stood on the other side of the room glaring at him. "This is not my fault, Estel. It is yours!" Erestor snapped back at a previous comment that Elrond had not heard come from Aragorn.
"HOW COULD YOU LET HER LEAVE?" Aragorn yelled.
That was when Elrond entered the conversation. "What is going on?" he asked walking further into the room. Immediately Estel recoiled in his yelling at Erestor and calmed down at the sight of his Ada. He sat back on the bed and hung his head down in shame. The guards stayed and stood by his bedside as they loosened the grip on his arms.
Seeing that Estel was not going to talk, Elrond turned to look at Erestor. The chief advisor cleared his throat then launched into what had transpired while Elrond had been away. "Estel and the Rangers were attacked by Orcs and wargs the first night you were gone. Estel was gravely injured. Not knowing where else to go, they brought him here. Elin healed him and took care of his leg wound. Then a few days later, they had a huge fight, which resulted in Elin asking Legolas to take her away from Estel. So they and Tauriel left that night – I figure that they returned to Mirkwood. I had tried to ask her what happened, but she was crying too hard when they left to get an answer from her and Legolas simply told me to go talk to Estel."
Elrond held up a hand to stop his chief advisor from talking as he turned to look at Aragorn. "What did you say to her?" he asked.
"That I did not care about her or the reason she had been sent back or my destiny." Aragorn mumbled, still looking at the floor.
Elrond gently began to rub his forehead. No wonder Aria had left. This was not what he had expected to come home to.
"I did not mean any of it, Ada." Aragorn said, finally looking up. Tears rimmed the edges of his eyes as looked so young and vulnerable in Elrond's eyes.
Elrond turned to look at Erestor and motioned for him and the guards to clear the room. They quickly did. He moved to sit on the edge of Aragorn's bed, next to his adopted son. "Did Aria tell you why she was sent back by the Valar?" he asked.
"Something about stopping evil from spreading."
"They tasked her with finding a way to stop Sauron. She has an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders. Every single elf in Imladris has vowed in secret to help her. Legolas will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and aid her as well. And I am also certain the King Thranduil and his guard will join the fight if needed. But of all those on Middle Earth that can help her the most is you. I understand that you do not want the burden of being tied down as a ruler. Yet unless you become King of Gondor, I will never bless the union between you and Arwen."
Aragorn looked at him in shock. "How did you know?"
"A father knows when their daughter is in love."
"But you blessed the union between Aria and Legolas."
"While I consider you and your sister both to be my children, you are still not mine by blood. I knew that Aria needed the love and support that Legolas could provide her more than the healing of Imladris at the time of her marriage. That is why I blessed their union. Yet in the end you are both totally different - even more so now, yet you are still tied together through destiny."
Aragorn sat silent as he thought about what his ada had just told him. He and Arwen could never be together unless he took up the throne of Gondor, simply to help his sister? Wait…Aria had told him this the other night! She had told him that he would never truly get what he wanted unless he became king. Her foresight abilities were always better than his. So what else had she seen?
"This is something that you have to mend with her. Legolas took her back to Mirkwood. Yet I doubt that he or his father will be willing to let you see her very easily."
"I will do whatever it takes."
Elrond nodded. "Now let me look at your wound. Then I will allow you to leave when it is completely healed."
As soon as they had reached the Mirkwood Forest and came upon other Woodland Realm guards, word was sent ahead to King Thranduil to prepare for Legolas and Aria's arrival. The last few days of the journey, Aria was nervous. What if the kingdom didn't believe it was really her? What if she was shunned again?
What if…
What if…
What if…
"Stop worrying, meleth nin," Legolas said as he rode next to his wife towards the end of the journey. He had sensed her weariness growing through their bond. His father was right – bonds between elves were stronger and since Aria's return, their bond was stronger than ever. "Adar remembers how you were not accepted last time and he will not make the same mistake again. He will explain everything to the kingdom."
"I hope so," she said turning to look at him.
Legolas reached over and placed his hand against her cheek. "I know so."
Towards the beginning of one afternoon, they had reached Mirkwood Hall. It was the same as they remembered it. For Legolas, being away for five years was nothing in his long life thus far. But it still felt good to be home among the trees and foliage. Yet for Aria, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
Neither of them were prepared for what greeted them once they had entered its protected barriers that had been enhanced since last either of them had crossed it. What seemed like every elf that lived in Mirkwood, welcomed them home with King Thranduil right out in front, along with Imaya and Fligan. While most of the cheers were for their prince who had been gone for five years, Aria even heard some for her.
"See," Legolas said as he helped her from Argo's back. "I told you everything would be alright."
Aria stole a quick kiss from her husband as he led he through the throng of well-wishers and up to his father who quickly ushered them all inside.
"Both of you must be tired from your long journey home. Rest now and then there is a feast planned for tonight," Thranduil said hugging his son then Aria. "We are all glad that you are home."
"So are we," Legolas said before leading Aria down the hallway towards their quarters.
Thranduil watched as they walked away. What had happened to send Aria fleeing from Imladris? Perhaps one of them would tell him later that night.
Legolas laughed as he watched Aria try to teach Fligan how to dance during the banquet. While the young prince kept stepping all over Aria's toes, she still kept on smiling and calmly telling him what to do.
"She seems to be readjusting fine," Thranduil said moving next to his youngest son.
"She is." Legolas said as he kept his eyes fixed on his wife.
"I was certain that the two of you would have stayed much longer in Imladris. What happened?"
"Aria and Aragorn got in a fight. He basically said that he did not care at all for her and she said she never wanted to see him again. I did not get all of the information out of her yet since I was not with her when it took place. She was happy when she had left to go talk to her brother one night then about an hour later; she comes running back into our suite and is sobbing hysterically. After getting as much as I could out of her, she asked that I take her away from there since her brother was injured and couldn't leave. So that's what I did."
"What did Lord Elrond say?"
"He was out checking the borders of Imladris. I had no idea when he was going to return and Aria was refusing to wait."
"You do realize that her brother will probably come here and want to talk to her."
"I do yet I refuse to let him see her. She is my wife to protect and it was hard enough not to have words with him before we left Imladris. But if he dare comes to Mirkwood, I will no hold back my anger."
"Then so be it. I will inform the guards that if they see him in the woods, they are to escort him out on my orders as well as yours."
"Thank you adar," Legolas said as turned away from his father and went to rescue Aria from getting any more toes smashed during her dancing lesson with Fligan. Thranduil could not help but smile. His family was finally whole once again.
An arrow went whizzing past his head and impaled itself into the tree inches from his ear. Aragorn quickly reigned in his shocked horse as he tried to calm down his racing heart as well. He had not realized that he would be ambushed this little distance into the Mirkwood Forest. He was still a day or so out from King Thranduil's Halls
"You are not allowed here," a voice said emerging from the forest foliage. A Woodland Realm guard stood before him, pointing another arrow at him. Behind him stood another three guards – all doing the same thing.
"Please. I have to see my sister," he begged as he got off his horse and approached the four guards.
"No. The King and Prince Legolas has said no one is allowed to see the Princess, especially you."
"I see," Aragorn said getting right in the head guards face. "Then so be it."
He pulled his arm back quickly and punched the guard in the stomach. Within seconds, the other three guards were on top of him, restraining him from doing anything else. They pulled him up to his feet, which he did not struggle against the stronger elves holding him still. "Take him to Tauriel. She will decide what to do with him," the head guard said.
"Did you really die?" Tarkin asked as she and Aria sat out on a balcony and talked.
Aria smiled at the young elf as she nodded yes. Upon their return to Mirkwood, Aria felt that she needed to get back into the flow of life. That included lessons with Tarkin. She knew that the young elf would have questions for her, yet she decided that she would answer them the best that she could and be truthful with her answers.
"Was it scary?"
"No. It was sad though," Aria gently said as her mind drifted off to everything that transpired for her while in Valinor – leaving her infant son in the arms of her father, Arathorn, while Námo led her away to face Manwë, then to all those she met during her time there and finally her return home to the arms of Legolas. Part of her was still amazed that she had even made it through all of it. The only thing that had kept her going the entire time was the promise from Manwë that Legolas would not be allowed to fade and that they would be reunited when she was returned to Middle Earth.
"Somehow I always knew you'd come back…"
Aria looked at Tarkin. "How?"
"I had visions of Prince Legolas smiling as he held something concealed in light. Then several months ago, the person in the light was revealed to be you. So I knew that you had returned."
"Did you tell anyone?"
"Who could I tell?" Tarkin said, looking down at the floor. "Very few actually believe that I am a seer. So I kept it to myself."
"Next time," Aria gently said, tilting Tarkin's chin up. "Tell Prince Laurian if neither myself nor my husband are here. He knows what to do."
Tarkin nodded as she stood up and left the balcony. Aria sat there for a second longer before standing up. As she was beginning to leave the balcony, Talia rushed out to meet her.
"Come here. You need to see something," Talia said motioning to the far side. Aria followed her and peered over the ledge below to the front entrance of Mirkwood. A group of Woodland guards was leading someone towards Legolas and Tauriel. The person in captivity was fighting against his bonds before being struck from behind by the end of a bow. As the captive person fell to his knees, Aria could see their face.
Aragorn.
She turned and ran from the balcony.
"Leave us." Legolas said to all the guards as he looked down at Aragorn, who was still sitting on his knees.
Once all the guards and Tauriel were gone, Legolas undid the bindings around Aragorn's wrists and helped him to stand. He rather say what he was going to say to someone who was standing eye to eye with him and not kneeling. "Aria made it perfectly clear that she never wanted to see you ever again. I am just making sure that her wishes are fulfilled."
"But something has changed."
"What has?"
"She said something to me about not being sure that I would not take the throne of Gondor and since then I have been having visions about fighting then being crowned. At first, I thought that these were nightmares because of all the bloodshed, yet I soon realized that it had to be a vision because they are so vivid. She is always told me that I would eventually end up on the throne of Gondor. I just never believed that she was right. But now I think she is."
"That still does not give you any right to come here. She does not want to see you."
Aragorn did not say anything as his attention turned elsewhere for a moment. His eyes were focused on something behind Legolas. The prince turned to see what was behind him. Aria was slowly making her way towards them. Legolas turned from Aragorn and walked towards his wife. He could sense her hesitation about seeing her brother.
"You do not have to see him, meleth nin. I will have the guards and Tauriel escort him out of the woods." Legolas said softly to Aria as he met her halfway. He gently placed a hand against her cheek to calm her down a bit.
"Let me talk to him for a second, please?"
"Whatever you wish."
Legolas stepped back as Aria moved around him and towards her brother. He stood behind her just incase she needed him for anything.
"Aria…" Aragorn said in a whisper as he saw her.
"So a vision now?" she asked. "You are having a vision of the future. Have you not had them before?"
"Yes but I have chose to ignore them."
"Why?"
"Because that is not what I want."
"What do you want now?"
"I do not know," he said. "But you were right about something else. Ada refuses to grant his blessing so that Arwen and I can eventually marry. He said I had to ascend to the throne of Gondor first."
"So that is why you came all the way out here? Just to tell me that?"
"No. I came to beg for your forgiveness. I am sorry for what I said to you before. I want to help you in any way necessary if you will allow me."
"I do not accept your apology nor do you truly want to help me," she said turning away from him. "Go rest in Dale. And think about what you truly want. I will find you in a few days. But first, I want you to know just what I went through."
Aragorn stood still as his sister walked towards him and placed her hand against his heart. His chest became warm as he fought the urge to close his eyes – which he eventually surrendered to. As his eyes slid closed, he saw memories – Aria's memories and feelings as well. Sadness. Grief. Loneliness. All of these feelings filled his heart as the memories sped by. The images did not last long as Aria pulled her hand away. He opened his eyes and looked at his sister. "I never knew…" he whispered.
"Only Glorfindel understands," she said as she turned and walked away from him.
Aragorn watched as Aria and Legolas disappeared into Mirkwood as several guards reappeared and forced him towards his horse to lead him to Dale.
The images replayed themselves over and over again in Aragorn's head. If he had only known what she had all endured before he had said those things to her then none of this would be happening. No wonder Legolas was so protective of her.
He turned over on the bed and starred up at the ceiling of the inn that he was staying at in Dale. It had been three days since he had seen Aria. Now he was wondering when she was going to find him so that they could talk. He had made his decision and he wanted to tell her. He sighed as sleep came to him, which was only plagued by nightmares of all that he loves dying.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
Aragorn awoke to a loud rapping on his door. He stumbled out of bed and answered the door with a yawn. Standing on the other side was a hooded figure.
"Can I help you?" he asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was still dark outside. How early was it?
The figure looked up at him as they pushed back their hood.
"Aria," he said with a smile. He stepped aside and let her enter the room before quietly shutting the door.
"Sorry for coming so early," she said taking off her cloak. "I had never traveled to Dale on my own before so I did not know how long it would take."
"Where is Legolas?"
"On patrol."
"Does anyone know you are here?"
She nodded yes. "The king knows. He wanted guards to accompany me. But I asked to come on my own. He knows that I will be able to handle myself."
She sat down in the only chair in the room, while he sat down on the edge of his bed. "What decisions have you come to?" she asked.
"I now understand that my fate is tied to yours. Even though I do not want the power of the throne, I know that I must eventually rise to it. It will not be today nor tomorrow nor anytime soon. But someday. When the time is right."
"When will that be?"
He sighed. "I do not know. Lately I have been plagued with the same vision that you have of loosing all you hold dear."
"Are you standing on a field with a great army surrounding you?"
Aragorn nodded yes.
"Is Legolas with you?"
Again, a nod yes.
"Recently I have seen other figures with you. They are still blurry to me. I think that they are the others that I need to find to help in this quest from the Valar."
"I saw these other figures last night for the first time. Do you think that is what it means?"
"Who knows at this point? But then again, I also have had visions of you in the armor of the King of Gondor."
Aragorn slightly cringed. He still was not crazy about this entire idea. But he knew that he was going to have to accept his fate at sometime or another. So why not now.
"It has been almost 20 years since we found out," Aria said. "Why not start accepting fate. If there is one thing that I have learned from my time in Valinor, it is fate binds us to others in several different ways. Fate is what brought me to Mirkwood all those years ago when I first met Legolas. Fate is what brought about my death and fate is also what brought about my return. You said that your fate is tied to mine."
"It is. I see that now."
"Good. I'm holding you to that."
"So what now?" he asked as they both stood back up.
"We wait until the time is right and fate decides that it is time."
AN: Here is a quick – yet longer update! Enjoy and let me know what you thought about it!
Be sure to check out SleepyHollow5's stories as well! They are awesome!