Once again, sorry for any errors and words misused. Writing with a Polish- English dictionairy may have surprising results.

Chapter Two

The days were warm, nigts also, as it should be in the middle of the summer. Unfortunately Arwen was unable to find any pleasure in the journey or in the wounderful weather, since Estel was going so fast that she had simply no time for admiring the landscape. Was he doing it deliberately, she wondered. Was he testing her? She could understand the haste, time was precious, but not to a point that they could not speak a word to each other. After a day of keeping up with Estel and being forced to walk carefully down the often perilious path, she was so tired that she barely had enough strengh to eat something before the sleep overcame her. They didn't talk in the evening, by the fire. She had never been a talktive person, but Estel was always silent as a stone. She missed some conact with another being. Man, Elf, she would even settle for a Dwarf! As it was, she could only ponder over the danger coming down on Lorien and feel the dread more with every step she made, or try to solve the riddle that Estel was.

Well, the conditions were less than luxurious, but she refused to complain. A daughter to Elrond and Celebrian, granddaughter to Galadriel and Celeborn would not complain, no matter what. If Estel could endure all of that, so could she.

She just hoped something would happen that would make him slow down a little.

Be careful what you wish for, Arwen thought some time later, when Estel stopped at the peak of a small hill. The Misty Mountains were rising before them, but his eyes were fixed on something to the south.

She followed his sight and saw a strangely glimmering, dark cloud.

"A hurricane," Estel explained.

"Here?!" Arwen exclaimed increduously. Hurricanes so far to the east were extremly rare.

"Happens."

"What are we going to do?" Arwen's superior eyesight told her already that the hurricane was coming straight at them. They probably had a couple of hours, but not the entire day.

"If we go really fast we could reach the feet of he mountains and find some cave to hide in."

Go really fast? What did he mean by that? That they would have to go even faster? She clenched her teeth and said, "Let us hasten."

When they reached the cave the wind was blowing so strongly that it was almost impossible to walk. Arwen didn't even eat anything, she just gave in to the exhaustion and fell asleep on the bare ground.

Aragorn watched her with mixed feelings. He had completely no idea what to think. Arwen was much stronger than he could have suspected. She did not say a word of complaint the entire journey so far, although he saw her misery. She was accustomated to traveling with comfort and company of a suite and he felt guilty for not even trying to lessen her discomfort. Was it a punishment, he wondered, for those months of painful dreams she had given him years ago? Was he trying get something out of Arwen, to prove himself that all those feelings were reasonable? That they weren't wasted? A wave of shame washed over him. He was not particulary vindictive by nature. It was not her fault that he fell in love with her back then. She did nothing to encourage him, how could she?

Aragorn closed his eyes, deciding he would be nicer to Arwen form this moment on. He would let her rest and slow down. If it wasn't for this strange feeling he had when looking to the east, he would have probably done it already. Something was going to happen. He had a peculiar ability to sense danger, death, change. He could rarely apply it to himself, but this time he knew something was awaiting him in the east. Whether it was a good thing or bad he knew not. It was something that was going to change his life forever, and he had to hasten to prevent it happening, whatever it was. There was no place in his life for changes.

Arwen woke up in the morning feeling every muscle in her body. Estel was sitting at the front of the cave, looking outside. There was some food he prepared for her lying on one of the stones. She begun to rub the sleep off her eyes, not knowing what's happening. Until now Estel had to wake her up ever morning.

"No need to hurry," she heard. " We are going to stay here for a while. The weather does not permit us to make our way any further."

"What time is it?"

"Past noon. I do not expect to set out today. Perhaps tommorrow morning."

"Oh."

"There is a potion for you." Estel went to the fire. "It will ease your pain and make you warmer." He handed her a cup.

Arwen blinked at this unexpected display of solicitude. "Thank you."

She began to sip the hot potion and sat with her back against the wall. The potion seemed to help already. Estel looks troubled, she thought. She was a very perceptive person, but it took her a long time to begin to recognize some of his expressions. One had to look very deep to see anything on his face. He was a master of concealing his emotions.

"Arwen. I am sorry I have put you through all those difficulties. I am afraid that my anxiety gained the upper hand of me."

Arwen smiled tiredly. Anxiety. It was only anxiety, not a way of telling her that she was useless.

"You feel it too? This foreboding every time you look to the east?"

Aragorn nodded gravely. "Yes."

"Than why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing it? Why are you helping Lorien? Lorien is not your responsibility." Arwen thought she saw a flicker of offence and hurt in Estel's gray eyes. Strange, yesterday those eyes were as unexpressive as stones.

"Fighting the Enemy and his allies is my responsibility. Helping friends is my responsibility."

"I... I am sorry. I did not think you feel so bonded to the Elves."

"Is it so strange, considering who I am?"

Arwen was looking into his eyes as if hypnotized. "No, I think not," she whispered finally.

Estel let her go. His eyes lost their magnetic focus. "Why are you doing this? Why did you feel it is necessary for you to go?"

"I love Lothlorien. I have to defend it."

"It was not what I was asking, lady Undomiel," Estel said softly. This time his eyes and voice required honesty of her. She knew what he was asking. He wanted to know what she could contribute to the imminent struggle. She was not a warrior, she had never been. There was a time when her brothers attempted to arouse her interest in a swordplay, but she was unusually resistant to their endeavours.

"I have been thinking." She swallowed hard, afraid of voicing her fears, but then noticed the corners of Estel's mouth lift up slightly. She realized how her statement must have sounded and she laughed. "Really, Estel, I do think sometimes."

"Undoubtly." His deadpaned words made her laugh even harder. Then her laughter ceased. There was nothing merry in her thoughts.

"I have been thinking about the Witches. As you said, they were women who comanded magic."

"That is right."

"Magic the women use is different from the magic of the men. I felt this difference might be crucial. I, as a woman, could be of some use."

"It would be hard to find a woman more powerful than Galadriel."

Arwen shook her head.

"Galadriel draws her strength, her power from the Golden Wood. She is a very old Elf, tied to her land, to the nature. The point of my going with you is to prevent the need for confrontation. If the magic of the Witch is as great as you say, Galadriel might not be able to defend Lothlorien."

"An you may?"

"I... I know not. But I cannot hide safely in Rivendell if I can help in the smallest measure!"

The quiet reply surprised her.

"I understand." Indeed, gray eyes mirrored understanding. Arwen felt a bond being born between them. She would not have to act a princess anymore, she would be asking him to slow down when she was tired, she would talk to him. She didn't remember when she had a person she could be completely honest with. With Estel she could, she knew.

"Sing something."

"Sing?"

She nodded. "You have wonderful voice, I remember from Rivndell."

Aragorn smiled. "As you wish, lady Undomiel."

And he began singing. After a while Arwen joined him. They discovered that they made a great duo.