Chapter 48
Aragorn stood at the window and looked out into the starry night. Even though he was exhausted and tired from the long journey, the ranger simply could not rest and had finally got up after turning back and forth. He couldn't really tell what time it was, but the man assumed it had to be in the middle of the night. The worries and thoughts about their future and those of Middle-earth simply did not leave the human alone. He didn't know if they would all survive the last fight. He didn't know if any of them would survive the fight and the thought made his heart heavy. The ranger had almost lost his best friend twice on their journey here. Gondor's heir to the throne also knew that he would soon have to take his place as the rightful king. If it came to the great battle, Aragorn would have to be the one who led his friends into the battle, perhaps even sent them to their deaths. A sigh escaped the man and he leaned heavily on the windowsill.
"What's bothering you so much, Estel?", suddenly asked a soft voice and startled the ranger. From the voice, he immediately recognized who was standing behind him. When the man turned around, he immediately looked into the blue eyes. The ranger was a little surprised that he hadn't heard the prince. Apparently, he had been deep in thought and the heir to the throne fear that he would not have heard the archer under normal circumstances. The elf was always moving too quietly for that to be heard by human ears.
"Legolas," Aragorn greeted his friend and smiled slightly at him. The handsome warrior continued to look at him with concern.
"What's bothering you, mellon-nin?" The ranger sighed. He knew that Legolas would not stop until he knew the truth.
"I'm worried about the fate of all of us. What if I send all of you to death?" Only when the ranger spoke the words did he realize the full extent of his decisions and he had to swallow hard. The prince gently put a hand on the man's shoulder and the man looked directly into the beautiful blue eyes.
"You won't. I trust you, Aragorn. I can only speak for myself now, but if I fell in this battle, I would have died for what we all wanted. Peace and freedom of Middle-Earth. I would regret nothing." Aragorn sighed. He knew that it was okay for Legolas to fall in this great battle. But then a world would collapse for the human. "Go to sleep, Estel. You need some rest." Without waiting for the ranger's answer, the elf grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed. The ranger did not struggle because he knew that it was useless and his friend was right. When the heir to the throne lay in bed, the archer lay next to him as a matter of course and Aragorn smiled slightly. "My father will probably not come," the prince suddenly said in a low voice and the man looked at his friend.
"Has he already refused?" Legolas shook his head but the ranger clearly saw the uncertainty in the beautiful face.
"No, but you know him. Besides, it would probably take too long for them to be here." The ranger put a hand on the handsome warrior's arm. The Mirkwood elf had to stop doubting.
"At least we have to try. Maybe they'll make it in time." With a smile, the prince turned on his stomach so that his chin was on his crossed arms.
"Estel really suits you." Aragorn laughed and stroked the elf's arm.
"Let's sleep. The next few days will be tough and we don't know when the big fight will take place. We have to be rested. Hopefully tomorrow we will have Rohan as another ally in the battle for life and death."
