Note: Only the unknown characters are mine! The rest are J.R.R. Tolkien's creation!
Secrets
Part 10
Aragorn frowned, hearing the slight quaver in Meiyuu's voice as the boy denied knowledge of how he got his scars. Nor was he the only one to do so. Legolas, too, had a slight frown on his face. He glanced quizzically at his friend and, seeing the pain, fear, and something… something that he couldn't quite identify, his gaze softened.
Caught between the respective gazes of both Legolas and Aragorn, Meiyuu shifted. As familiar as he was to Legolas' concerned looks, it still made him uncomfortable. But that discomfort was dwarfed in comparison to the apprehension he felt under Aragorn's scrutiny. He felt as if the man were ripping off every protection he had to look upon his bare soul. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. He tried to look away from Aragorn, but found the task impossible with the man's firm grip on his face. His eyes widened as callused fingers traced the scars there.
"What are you doing?" Meiyuu whispered.
"Trying to figure out what made these," Aragorn murmured. "Looks like… a blade of some sort." He peered closer. "And burn marks…"
The dark-haired boy shuddered faintly. The man's words brought back memories of… No! He didn't want to remember that. He would not remember that. Why did one of his only remaining memories have to be of...of...
Legolas saw the shudder go through his friend and intervened, touching Aragorn's arm hesitantly to get his attention. "What…now?"
Aragorn released Meiyuu's face and looked at Legolas. "We rest. It'll take a while to reach Middle Earth, but if we travel quickly, we can be there relatively soon."
Legolas nodded slowly. "Where go…there?"
"Where will we go when we get there?" Aragorn asked, wanting to be certain of Legolas' meaning. "I guess to Rivendell first, and then Gondor. After that, we'll take you to Mirkwood." The look in the Elf's eyes showed that he did not remember the names of the kingdoms. "On the way, I can teach you to speak Western better."
"All…right," Legolas said.
Meiyuu started, suddenly remembering the conversation Shira, Tsuku, and that other man had. He glanced from Aragorn to Legolas, anxious to warn Aragorn. But not Legolas. No...the elf would worry about *him* and end up putting himself in danger. It would be better, far better, to tell only Aragorn. The man would be able to keep Legolas safe...
His thoughts were interrupted by his still-present unease. What was wrong… Ah! Of course. His hood was off. Meiyuu brought his bandaged hands up and pulled his hood down over his face. Or tried to. Aragorn absentmindedly reached out with a hand and yanked the hood off again. A second attempt proved just as fruitless, as Aragorn held the cloth firmly and kept Meiyuu from hiding his face.
"Damn it, I want to pull my hood up. So let go," Meiyuu snapped...and abruptly clapped a hand over his mouth. Oops.
Everyone gasped. Meiyuu froze as Aragorn slowly turned his eyes upon him. He then jumped to his feet and bolted out of reach, jerking free of the grasp the older man had on him.
As Aragorn leapt up to the challenge, intent on his prey, he was interrupted by a loud guffaw. He turned a glare on Gimli, who found himself hard-pressed not to burst out laughing, and, deciding that teaching Meiyuu manners was more important than chastising the dwarf, began to chase Meiyuu. He soon caught him, as Meiyuu was not yet healed.
"Let go of me!" the youth cried.
Aragorn frowned. "I told you what I was going to do the next time you cursed." He dragged the squirming boy over to his pack and pulled him down. One hand dug through his pack for his soap.
Meiyuu twisted and yanked his arm free...only to find his wrists caught in a strong grip. The two glared at each other.
Legolas bit his lip, concerned. "Aragorn… do not…hurt him. Stubborn… he…is." He felt reassured when Aragorn winked at him.
"I won't hurt him, but I will not tolerate a boy his age cursing like a sailor," Aragorn mouthed, struggling to keep his grip on the boy's wrists.
Meiyuu scowled and yanked hard. He knew he could force Aragorn to let go, but he didn't want to hurt him. "Let me go, damn it," he insisted.
Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "Why do you curse like that?" If anything, the repeated curse was making the older man more determined to keep the boy from cursing.
"It's all I know," Meiyuu retorted. "My parents died when I was three and when my sister ten. How do you expect me to talk, when I've lived on the streets of 'Lost Sanctuary' my entire life?"
"You…live…on…streets?" Legolas questioned, a frown of consternation crossing his brow. He had not known that, though it explained why Meiyuu had never asked him over. He had no home.
Meiyuu winced, as he tugged again to free his hands. His nails dug into the bandages across his palms and his eyes clouded over. "Yes," he muttered. "That's where I belong." His voice was soft and bitter.
The cave was silent as Legolas, Gimli, and Frodo watched him, pity etched on their faces. If Meiyuu had been on the streets his entire life...Well, it explained his behavior. They knew, one and all, that the streets were not kind, to say the least. What had the poor child suffered?
Legolas laid a gentle but firm hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "Let…him…go, Aragorn," he commanded.
Aragorn glanced at him and then looked back at Meiyuu. He was astonished at the change he saw. Where there had been a stubborn youth was...a frightened boy. Fear and uncertainty swam in Meiyuu's eyes. It was if the youth had lived a life of hardship and terror. Perhaps he had. The boy looked so lost...and he said he lived on the streets. For how long? What did he face there? Aragorn didn't know, but he did know one thing: one so young should not have such eyes.
He silently let the boy go. "I do not want to hear you utter one more curse in my presence. If you do, instead of washing your mouth out, I'll do something worse." Aragorn chose his words deliberately.
"What?" Meiyuu's blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Aragorn smiled slyly. "That's for me to know."
Meiyuu scowled and stood. He tugged at the bandages on his hands. They itched.
Seeing the temporary truce in place, Aragorn turned to rest of the company. "We're going to stay the night here, and tomorrow we'll continue the journey. I will take first watch, followed by Gimli. He will take second watch," Aragorn said.
"I'll take third watch," Legolas volunteered, vaguely surprised he even knew what a watch was.
"I'll take the watch after Legolas," Frodo piped up.
Meiyuu frowned. "You're a child," he protested, not knowing Frodo was actually a Hobbit and not a child. "You can't take a watch."
"I'm not a child," Frodo told the boy. "I'm older than you. I just don't look it; that's how Hobbits are."
"What?" Meiyuu looked surprised. "I've never heard the word Hobbit before."
Aragorn smiled, amused. "Hobbit means halflings, Meiyuu. I'll finish up the night after you, Frodo."
Meiyuu nodded slowly. "What about me? When do I take watch?" he asked.
The others looked at him and then at Aragorn.
"You don't. Injured boys need their rest."
A scowl reappeared on the Meiyuu's face. "I can stand watch," he said sullenly. "I'm not a child."
Aragorn inwardly groaned. This particular boy was as stubborn as he was.
"Meiyuu…please," Legolas interceded.
Meiyuu's scowl deepened, but he reluctantly nodded. Although he did not like being treated like a child, he would obey Aragorn for Legolas' sake. His friend did not want him to fight with Aragorn. And it would not do to infuriate Aragorn. Meiyuu still needed to talk with him later.
Aragorn was mildly surprised to see Meiyuu's assent. The boy was loyal to Legolas; that much was certain.
Frodo used the fire to begin heating up some leftover food. Meiyuu took this time to drag Gimli beside the fire and question him on his race and Middle Earth.
Aragorn secretly kept an eye on everyone. He was surprised when he did not see Legolas anywhere. He stood, and, spying a solitary figure sitting outside the cave, strode over to the entrance. He sat down beside the beautiful Elf.
"You still don't like caves, do you?" Aragorn asked, as he looked at his Elven friend.
Legolas turned to look at the human. "Not…really. Uneasy…"
"They make you feel uneasy? I'm not surprised. You've never really liked caves, Legolas."
Legolas licked his lips quietly. "I am…uncertain. Will…they…be…hurt?"
"Legolas, it's not your fault that you do not remember them. They will not blame you," he reassured the elf, trying not to notice the pink tongue that slipped out to moisten those perfect lips.
Legolas sighed, "Will…I…remember?"
"You should," Aragorn murmured. He moved closer to the Elf and carefully wrapped an arm about his shoulders.
Legolas started at the touch, before relaxing. It felt so strangely good and comforting. A gust of wind blew past and tugged at his hair, sending the platinum strands tickling at Aragorn's neck. Legolas reached up to fix it...only to find another hand smoothing the mass behind his pointed ear. Startled, he looked at the human.
Aragorn whispered, "You are still beautiful, Legolas." The slightly coarse hand moved to cup his cheekbone.
Legolas parted his lips, gasping a little as a strange warmth formed in his belly and traveled throughout his body. His gasp turned into a moan when soft, sweet lips crushed his own. His thoughts began to dull, as he pressed back into that warm, warm mouth. Suddenly, inexplicably, he found himself on Aragorn's lap. His hands dove under the man's shirt, dancing over the hard muscles on the chest. He shivered as callused hands traveled up and down the smooth plane of his back. He moaned, feeling a hand fumble with his belt and...
"Oh shi-geez," Meiyuu blurted. The boy quickly averted his gaze. The hood covered his face once more, and Meiyuu was thankful for that. He had the feeling his cheeks were the color of ripe apples at that moment. "Uh… Frodo says it's time to eat…" he muttered, before starting to make a hasty retreat into the cave.
Aragorn reached out, tearing his lips away from Legolas'. He caught a hold of Meiyuu's arm before the boy could flee.
Legolas climbed off of the man's lap, flustered. He couldn't believe he'd been caught like that. Subconsciously, his hands straightened his clothes. He glanced at Meiyuu and noticed the youth kept his gaze on the floor, avoiding his eyes. He looked at Aragorn in perplexity. The man didn't seem to be that much better off than he was, but at least he seemed to have his wits about him. What kind of example was this for a young one such as Meiyuu?
"Go back inside, Legolas," Aragorn murmured. "I'll speak to you in a bit."
Legolas was too mortified to protest and nodded. He ran back into the cave, leaving his two friends outside.
"Sorry," Meiyuu muttered. "I didn't know."
Aragorn sighed, looking down at the boy. His left hand removed the hood instinctively. "Must you hide behind your hood?"
Meiyuu frowned. "It's better than the stares and laughs."
Aragorn shook his head. "Sit down." He released the boy's arm and continued sitting.
Meiyuu sat down carefully, and looked at Aragorn. "Who are you really?" he questioned. "You seem… noble and…different. A leader worthy of respect."
Aragorn let a smile cross his face. The boy was a good judge of character. "I am a king, Meiyuu. I rule the kingdom of Gondor in Middle Earth."
Meiyuu gaped. "You… You're a king?" He was incredulous. He knew Aragorn was different, but not *that* different!
"Indeed. Now I want to know something from you," Aragorn said seriously. "Why did you follow us?"
" It's 'cause I found out what Shira and Tsuku are up to," Meiyuu answered. "I spied on them. Shira told that weird guy who attacked Legolas that he needed Legolas' soul for some kind of spell." The boy took care not to mention his own danger. After all, he reasoned, he could protect himself if he were attacked. Well...if he got a chance to rest and heal first.
Aragorn paled. He remembered Meiyuu's words to him earlier, when the boy had questioned him about what Elves needed to survive. "You suspected it had something to do with an Elven soul, didn't you?"
Meiyuu nodded. "I figured that you could protect Legolas from whatever they're up to."
"What about you? Why are they after you?" Aragorn asked, brow furrowed.
Meiyuu shrugged. "No big deal. I can take care of myself." He wondered how Aragorn knew that they were after him, though.
A dark brow shot up at the bold words. "You can't even hold a weapon," Aragorn pointed out.
"Don't have one to hold," Meiyuu answered. "Anyway, Shira's after me, not you. My problem, not yours."
Aragorn took the boy's face and turned it towards him, staring into the latter's eyes. He saw the apprehension and fear. "Why does it scare you, that Shira is after you? You don't seem like the type to be easily scared."
"I know what he wants me for, and I won't do it," Meiyuu blurted out. He muttered something that sounded like a curse. "I guess I'd better tell you, before you jump to conclusions."
Aragorn nodded. "Good idea."
"You saw the barrier, right? The one that is supposed to keep people from escaping the town?" Meiyuu questioned. At another nod, he continued. "Shira created that so he could keep everyone under Tsuku's control. Shira has that kind of power, and only he should be able to lower it, to occasionally let someone out."
"What does that have to do with you?" Aragorn didn't understand the correlation.
Miat sighed, and scowled. "I'm getting to that. Shira is supposed to be the only one with that power. Only… he's not." The boy took a deep breath. "I lowered the barrier to let Legolas out when the four of you left, and then I had to restore it, before Shira found out what I was doing. But he knew, anyway. When I left to follow you, Shira tried to stop me, but I managed to get away. He knew I was the one who manipulated the barrier with my power."
"What kind of power?" Aragorn asked, shocked that it was the boy who set Legolas free.
A shrug was his answer. "Shira uses magic. I'm not sure what this is." Meiyuu raised his right hand and concentrated his weakened energy. His hand began to glow in a pale blue.
Aragorn reached out and gently touched the faintly glowing energy. It sent a tiny jolt through him. The older man removed his hand. "That's incredible," he whispered. Aragorn had not seen even Gandalf do such a thing.
Meiyuu sighed, and shut his eyes tightly, letting the power fade away. "Not when Shira wants to use it to help him." A yawn escaped the boy. He was tired. Using his power took so much out of him.
"He won't, Meiyuu. I intend to stop Shira and Tsuku, along with that stranger," Aragorn firmly told the boy.
"Can you stop them?" Meiyuu asked, sounding so very young and lost. He wanted to believe that evil could be stopped. Gods...he wanted to believe in the power of goodness, but...he was so afraid. So very afraid. As if believing would somehow jinx everything, and then his enemies really *would* win.
Unbeknownst to him, Aragorn had caught sight of his feelings. The man smiled, his heart melting to the youth. Aragorn recalled what Legolas had told him earlier...Ah. The elf was right. The boy used his stubbornness as a shield against the world. And he still looked so young... and weary.
Feeling the need to reassure Meiyuu, Aragorn placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "I will do my best," he vowed. "Shira will not take either Legolas or you."
To be continued
