Chapter 2
Andréa felt the power run from her fingertips up her arms. The heavy weapon was somehow pulled from its case and the daughter of the elf was holding it, staring at her reflection.
'Hurry up and put it back' she thought to herself from one side of her mind.
'But it's so beautiful, I can't.' said the other. She felt the jewels embedded in the handle of the sword that gleamed so brilliantly from the dim light of an oil lamp. She struggled to lift it into a battle position. She smiled when it was held in front of her as a strong feeling of power flowed into her. She smiled and gave it a swing. It sliced through the air making it ring. Andréa gasped as it came close to the oil lamp. She immediately picked up the case and slid the sword into it.
A little string of pain, like a thorn cut, entered her index finger's knuckle. She gasped. She had cut herself with the sword.
'Oh, father won't notice!' she thought and began to suck it. She finished putting the sword away and headed up the stairs to hear her father and another man talking to each other.
***
"Aragorn, what happened?" asked Legolas as he carried the wounded man to the lounge bed. Joanila had stopped crying and brought a bandage and healing herbs to him. "Get some hot water." Ordered Legolas. Joanila picked up a bucket and headed toward the pump in the yard.
"Shire." wheezed Aragorn. He clutched his stomach. "Dark. army attack. Frodo dead. Hobbits. dead." he began to breathe more slowly. "Hirmianal." Legolas broke the herb leaves and squeezed out several drops of liquid onto his finger. He rubbed the wound on his shoulder with it. Aragorn gasped and sat up. "Legolas!" he seemed to just wake up. Legolas backed away in surprise.
"Aragorn! What happened?" Legolas stared at his friend in the eyes. There was something in there that made him tremble. Something was wrong, very wrong.
"You saw it! Didn't you?" cried Aragorn. At first Legolas thought that Aragorn was blaming him for something, but there was nothing to be blamed. "I sent it to you! Did you see it? See what I saw?" Legolas remembered the vision that suggested the council to Elrond.
"Yes, Aragorn," said Legolas calmly. "I saw it. It was-"
"Horrible!" cried Aragorn. "It was awful! A Lord named Hirmianal attacked the Shire; he brought an army that was miles wide! He-"
"Calm yourself, Aragorn!" yelled Legolas. That moment seemed very familiar. Aragorn looked at him. He began to laugh. So did Legolas. Legolas began to work at the wound again when Joanila brought in some water and began to boil it over the fire pit in the next room. But there was another creak of a door, and an extra set of footsteps.
"Aragorn!" came a young little voice. There was a clang of metal as Andréa dropped her father's sword and ran over to the lounge bed's side. She leaned close examining his wound.
"Andréa, leave Aragorn to rest!" cried Joanila as she brought in some hot water.
"Please Mrs. Greenleaf," said Aragorn. "It's a pleasure to have Andréa here beside me." He brushed her hair back with his hand.
"Andréa, please put my sword near the door." Andréa hurried from the bed to obey her father.
"She's really grown." said Aragorn. He grit his teeth as his wound was dabbed with hot water.
"Can you remove your shirt?" asked Legolas. "This wound must be cleaned thoroughly. What happened anyway?" Aragorn sat up and began to remove his armor and his shirt. He grunted in pain as he pulled the shirt over his head.
"I fought." explained Aragorn. "I tried to get to Hirmianal, but he was defended by several privates, one of them wounded me. I hurried to Rivendell to warn you and Elron." He paused. "He wants to side with men and destroy all hobbits, dwarves and, and elves." Legolas stops cleaning.
"All?" he asked.
"Yes." replied Aragorn. Legolas continued cleaning.
"When will you be ready to council Elrond?"
"Tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. At the latest." Legolas began to bandage the wound. He turned his head to see Andréa sitting on Joanila's lap, watching him and Aragorn.
"Would it be safe to leave? Even for a little while?" he whispered.
Aragorn paused.
"Yes. It will."
Andréa felt the power run from her fingertips up her arms. The heavy weapon was somehow pulled from its case and the daughter of the elf was holding it, staring at her reflection.
'Hurry up and put it back' she thought to herself from one side of her mind.
'But it's so beautiful, I can't.' said the other. She felt the jewels embedded in the handle of the sword that gleamed so brilliantly from the dim light of an oil lamp. She struggled to lift it into a battle position. She smiled when it was held in front of her as a strong feeling of power flowed into her. She smiled and gave it a swing. It sliced through the air making it ring. Andréa gasped as it came close to the oil lamp. She immediately picked up the case and slid the sword into it.
A little string of pain, like a thorn cut, entered her index finger's knuckle. She gasped. She had cut herself with the sword.
'Oh, father won't notice!' she thought and began to suck it. She finished putting the sword away and headed up the stairs to hear her father and another man talking to each other.
***
"Aragorn, what happened?" asked Legolas as he carried the wounded man to the lounge bed. Joanila had stopped crying and brought a bandage and healing herbs to him. "Get some hot water." Ordered Legolas. Joanila picked up a bucket and headed toward the pump in the yard.
"Shire." wheezed Aragorn. He clutched his stomach. "Dark. army attack. Frodo dead. Hobbits. dead." he began to breathe more slowly. "Hirmianal." Legolas broke the herb leaves and squeezed out several drops of liquid onto his finger. He rubbed the wound on his shoulder with it. Aragorn gasped and sat up. "Legolas!" he seemed to just wake up. Legolas backed away in surprise.
"Aragorn! What happened?" Legolas stared at his friend in the eyes. There was something in there that made him tremble. Something was wrong, very wrong.
"You saw it! Didn't you?" cried Aragorn. At first Legolas thought that Aragorn was blaming him for something, but there was nothing to be blamed. "I sent it to you! Did you see it? See what I saw?" Legolas remembered the vision that suggested the council to Elrond.
"Yes, Aragorn," said Legolas calmly. "I saw it. It was-"
"Horrible!" cried Aragorn. "It was awful! A Lord named Hirmianal attacked the Shire; he brought an army that was miles wide! He-"
"Calm yourself, Aragorn!" yelled Legolas. That moment seemed very familiar. Aragorn looked at him. He began to laugh. So did Legolas. Legolas began to work at the wound again when Joanila brought in some water and began to boil it over the fire pit in the next room. But there was another creak of a door, and an extra set of footsteps.
"Aragorn!" came a young little voice. There was a clang of metal as Andréa dropped her father's sword and ran over to the lounge bed's side. She leaned close examining his wound.
"Andréa, leave Aragorn to rest!" cried Joanila as she brought in some hot water.
"Please Mrs. Greenleaf," said Aragorn. "It's a pleasure to have Andréa here beside me." He brushed her hair back with his hand.
"Andréa, please put my sword near the door." Andréa hurried from the bed to obey her father.
"She's really grown." said Aragorn. He grit his teeth as his wound was dabbed with hot water.
"Can you remove your shirt?" asked Legolas. "This wound must be cleaned thoroughly. What happened anyway?" Aragorn sat up and began to remove his armor and his shirt. He grunted in pain as he pulled the shirt over his head.
"I fought." explained Aragorn. "I tried to get to Hirmianal, but he was defended by several privates, one of them wounded me. I hurried to Rivendell to warn you and Elron." He paused. "He wants to side with men and destroy all hobbits, dwarves and, and elves." Legolas stops cleaning.
"All?" he asked.
"Yes." replied Aragorn. Legolas continued cleaning.
"When will you be ready to council Elrond?"
"Tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. At the latest." Legolas began to bandage the wound. He turned his head to see Andréa sitting on Joanila's lap, watching him and Aragorn.
"Would it be safe to leave? Even for a little while?" he whispered.
Aragorn paused.
"Yes. It will."