Author's note : *hugs* Miss Hobbit. I promise…it'll happen!!! Anyway, I decided against having Aragorn go find Legolas.
Random announcement : YES I'm a Pervy Hobbit Fancier! Arooo!
ARAGORN'S POV
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CHAPTER 27 : An unexpected Visitor
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Finally…we had managed to put him back to sleep, it had taken time, and a lot of cajoling to get him to go to sleep but in the end, he was too tired to argue. I had tucked the blankets around him and fluffed up the pillows. I sat in the shadows by the window watching over him. He was fragile, and I wish I had more time to keep an eye on him. I doubted he would fare well on the journey home right now and had suggested to Arwen that he be brought first to Rivendell where Elrond could tend him for a time.
He was not dreaming this time, too exhausted I think. I sighed looking at him. He'd been through a lot, and we should never have asked it of him. He deserved to be home in the Shire. He deserved to be happy, and I hoped…hoped that one day he would find that happiness. But the wound caused by the Witch-King at Weathertop…that wound would be with him forever. And I did not know how long it would take for him to get over the trauma of the Tower.
I stirred…I could hear someone coming down the hallway...unfamiliar steps. Someone opened the door to Frodo's room. I couldn't tell immediately for it was dark save only for the candlelight at Frodo's bedside. The person crept into the room…and I was immediately on my guard., couching low on the other side of the bed. I peered up to look at them.
They wore a cloak and veil as well as gloves. I could not tell at first whether or not it was a female or male. They also wore dark clothing, obscuring the rest of their body. But what happened next caused me to act. I drew my dagger quickly, without sound when I saw a glint of silver in the palm of their hand as they began to approach Frodo. "An Assassin." I thought to myself.
I lept up with a cry and flung myself in his direction. "GUARDS!" I bellowed towards the open door and began to grapple with him. He was stronger than I expected, the veil covered everything but his eyes, a striking blue…much like Frodo's…Right now they held a survival instinct that glittered as he struggled with me. My eyes flew open in surprise when he managed to disarm me…and it seemed I would have to rely on my fists.
It didn't take long for six large guards to blunder into the room followed closely by Arwen, brandishing their arms. It was to this that Frodo began to waken and Arwen immediately went to his side. "Help the King!" she ordered the guards.
They really couldn't, I had not put myself in a position that would make it easy for them. We struggled to get access to the dagger, but then…the person I was fighting cried out in pain. I must have hit a weak spot…or old wound. I didn't know. The cry…was not the cry of a man. I continued to fight none the less, and was surprised at how much strength she put into trying to escape. She was cornered….whoever this assassin was. She leapt up, but I tackled her and we hit the wall.
"What's going on?" I heard Frodo's voice come weakly from his bed.
"Its alright, Frodo." Arwen said softly, trying to soothe him.
She swore…in elven…and grimaced in pain as I held her fast. I blinked…Arwen's head swiveled towards us. I whirled her around and held her against the wall so that she was facing me. "Please…" she begged me. "Don't…"
Frodo gasped.
I yanked the veil down, my temper had built up too much and I needed to see who had tried to attack Frodo. My eyes opened wide when I saw her. Even in the shadows I could see the destruction to once fair flesh. Arwen put her hand to her mouth in shock.
"Merilas…" Frodo's voice came to me. "Aragorn…stop…"
The guards stood where they were, and I slowly let her put the veil back on and then removed the gloves from both hands, when I saw what I was looking for…the birthmark of the rose…I stepped back. Letting her go. She caught her breath, her hands trembling. I looked back at the six guards…they had all seen it…and I ordered them out of the room, saying it was a false alarm. With the door closed, I looked back at the elf standing in the shadows. "Light another candle, Arwen." I bade my Queen.
She did light the candle on the other side of Frodo's bed, illuminating the shadows. The one Frodo called Merilas stood where she was for a long moment.
"Merilas?" Frodo looked at her curiously…hope lingering in his voice. "It -is- you…you're alive…"
"Yes." she sighed softly and made her way forward. "I did not wish to disturb you, Frodo. But only meant to come to give you this…and then move on." In the palm of her hand was a small pendent, made of mithril. It was carved as a fire surrounded by a spring and both Arwen and I knew from whom it had come. "It had been among your things…and I knew that you would never get them back when I was recaptured… so I kept this…and meant to find you one day." she put the pendant in Frodo's little hand and he began to cry.
"Merilas…" he opened his arms and the elleth took him into hers in a warm embrace. He clung to her as he never had anyone else. "Thank-you." he whimpered. "Thank-you…for everything. I thought…I thought you were dead…I had killed you…"
"Frodo." Merilas patted him on the back tenderly. I could tell she must be keeping her emotions under control. She held him as he cried…rocking him gently. . Arwen was looking at the door and I followed her gaze.
Legolas stood there…his gaze fixed on the elleth who held Frodo in her arms.
Frodo shook Merilas lightly and motioned her to look around. "Merilas…" and he really smiled for the first time since he returned from Mt. Doom. I wondered then…just how much she had helped him. For he certainly seemed to care a great deal about her. "Meri…look around…"
Merilas then turned, and her eyes widened as she found herself staring at the Prince of Mirkwood. It was impossible to read her expression…she had since put the veil back on.
Legolas cleared his throat. "Elbereth…" he looked at her and Arwen reached over to hold my hand.
Frodo laughed…his eyes were shining…and he coughed just then…still he was not entirely well. "She's alive." was all he could say.
Legolas moved towards the bed and got down on his knees. He looked up at Merilas who was frozen, almost…it seemed…in shock. He took one of her hands and saw the birthmark. He also saw the scars…and his heart caught in his throat. His fingers traced over her scars and looked up at her…searching her eyes….trying to find something…anything to say. Nothing was coming to mind and neither of them could speak.
"Arwen…" Frodo glanced over to her….rubbing his chest, still feeling some pain in his throat no doubt. "I'm a little hungry…can we…is there anything to eat?"
"We'll get something for you in the kitchen." Arwen gathered Frodo up in her arms after tucking him into a blanket,, and she as well as I knew that Legolas and Merilas had to be alone. Frodo was smiling as we carried him out of the room, his head nestled against Arwen's shoulder as he watched Legolas and Merilas.
* * *
Author's Note : The Pendant. The pendant is from another tale that I wrote Dreams and Rings. You don't have to read that to understand what is going on here. Frodo promised to bring the Pendent back to the elf that gave it to him while he was healing after Weathertop (And I haven't even written that part yet in Dreams&Rings). That's all you really need to know. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to read another of my stories.J
3.) Merilas sneaks in the room to leave the pendent. She sees Frodo asleep and decides against disturbing him.
4.) Aragorn attacks Merilas, he thinks she's there to assassinate Frodo.
5.) There's a fight.
6.) Arwen enters the room with a number of guards.
7.) Frodo hears Merilas' voice and starts to speak her name as they begin to drag her away and starts to speak her name.
8.) Aragorn pulls off her gloves and sees the birthmark.
9.) Frodo calls out for Merilas.
Random announcement : YES I'm a Pervy Hobbit Fancier! Arooo!
ARAGORN'S POV
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 27 : An unexpected Visitor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally…we had managed to put him back to sleep, it had taken time, and a lot of cajoling to get him to go to sleep but in the end, he was too tired to argue. I had tucked the blankets around him and fluffed up the pillows. I sat in the shadows by the window watching over him. He was fragile, and I wish I had more time to keep an eye on him. I doubted he would fare well on the journey home right now and had suggested to Arwen that he be brought first to Rivendell where Elrond could tend him for a time.
He was not dreaming this time, too exhausted I think. I sighed looking at him. He'd been through a lot, and we should never have asked it of him. He deserved to be home in the Shire. He deserved to be happy, and I hoped…hoped that one day he would find that happiness. But the wound caused by the Witch-King at Weathertop…that wound would be with him forever. And I did not know how long it would take for him to get over the trauma of the Tower.
I stirred…I could hear someone coming down the hallway...unfamiliar steps. Someone opened the door to Frodo's room. I couldn't tell immediately for it was dark save only for the candlelight at Frodo's bedside. The person crept into the room…and I was immediately on my guard., couching low on the other side of the bed. I peered up to look at them.
They wore a cloak and veil as well as gloves. I could not tell at first whether or not it was a female or male. They also wore dark clothing, obscuring the rest of their body. But what happened next caused me to act. I drew my dagger quickly, without sound when I saw a glint of silver in the palm of their hand as they began to approach Frodo. "An Assassin." I thought to myself.
I lept up with a cry and flung myself in his direction. "GUARDS!" I bellowed towards the open door and began to grapple with him. He was stronger than I expected, the veil covered everything but his eyes, a striking blue…much like Frodo's…Right now they held a survival instinct that glittered as he struggled with me. My eyes flew open in surprise when he managed to disarm me…and it seemed I would have to rely on my fists.
It didn't take long for six large guards to blunder into the room followed closely by Arwen, brandishing their arms. It was to this that Frodo began to waken and Arwen immediately went to his side. "Help the King!" she ordered the guards.
They really couldn't, I had not put myself in a position that would make it easy for them. We struggled to get access to the dagger, but then…the person I was fighting cried out in pain. I must have hit a weak spot…or old wound. I didn't know. The cry…was not the cry of a man. I continued to fight none the less, and was surprised at how much strength she put into trying to escape. She was cornered….whoever this assassin was. She leapt up, but I tackled her and we hit the wall.
"What's going on?" I heard Frodo's voice come weakly from his bed.
"Its alright, Frodo." Arwen said softly, trying to soothe him.
She swore…in elven…and grimaced in pain as I held her fast. I blinked…Arwen's head swiveled towards us. I whirled her around and held her against the wall so that she was facing me. "Please…" she begged me. "Don't…"
Frodo gasped.
I yanked the veil down, my temper had built up too much and I needed to see who had tried to attack Frodo. My eyes opened wide when I saw her. Even in the shadows I could see the destruction to once fair flesh. Arwen put her hand to her mouth in shock.
"Merilas…" Frodo's voice came to me. "Aragorn…stop…"
The guards stood where they were, and I slowly let her put the veil back on and then removed the gloves from both hands, when I saw what I was looking for…the birthmark of the rose…I stepped back. Letting her go. She caught her breath, her hands trembling. I looked back at the six guards…they had all seen it…and I ordered them out of the room, saying it was a false alarm. With the door closed, I looked back at the elf standing in the shadows. "Light another candle, Arwen." I bade my Queen.
She did light the candle on the other side of Frodo's bed, illuminating the shadows. The one Frodo called Merilas stood where she was for a long moment.
"Merilas?" Frodo looked at her curiously…hope lingering in his voice. "It -is- you…you're alive…"
"Yes." she sighed softly and made her way forward. "I did not wish to disturb you, Frodo. But only meant to come to give you this…and then move on." In the palm of her hand was a small pendent, made of mithril. It was carved as a fire surrounded by a spring and both Arwen and I knew from whom it had come. "It had been among your things…and I knew that you would never get them back when I was recaptured… so I kept this…and meant to find you one day." she put the pendant in Frodo's little hand and he began to cry.
"Merilas…" he opened his arms and the elleth took him into hers in a warm embrace. He clung to her as he never had anyone else. "Thank-you." he whimpered. "Thank-you…for everything. I thought…I thought you were dead…I had killed you…"
"Frodo." Merilas patted him on the back tenderly. I could tell she must be keeping her emotions under control. She held him as he cried…rocking him gently. . Arwen was looking at the door and I followed her gaze.
Legolas stood there…his gaze fixed on the elleth who held Frodo in her arms.
Frodo shook Merilas lightly and motioned her to look around. "Merilas…" and he really smiled for the first time since he returned from Mt. Doom. I wondered then…just how much she had helped him. For he certainly seemed to care a great deal about her. "Meri…look around…"
Merilas then turned, and her eyes widened as she found herself staring at the Prince of Mirkwood. It was impossible to read her expression…she had since put the veil back on.
Legolas cleared his throat. "Elbereth…" he looked at her and Arwen reached over to hold my hand.
Frodo laughed…his eyes were shining…and he coughed just then…still he was not entirely well. "She's alive." was all he could say.
Legolas moved towards the bed and got down on his knees. He looked up at Merilas who was frozen, almost…it seemed…in shock. He took one of her hands and saw the birthmark. He also saw the scars…and his heart caught in his throat. His fingers traced over her scars and looked up at her…searching her eyes….trying to find something…anything to say. Nothing was coming to mind and neither of them could speak.
"Arwen…" Frodo glanced over to her….rubbing his chest, still feeling some pain in his throat no doubt. "I'm a little hungry…can we…is there anything to eat?"
"We'll get something for you in the kitchen." Arwen gathered Frodo up in her arms after tucking him into a blanket,, and she as well as I knew that Legolas and Merilas had to be alone. Frodo was smiling as we carried him out of the room, his head nestled against Arwen's shoulder as he watched Legolas and Merilas.
* * *
Author's Note : The Pendant. The pendant is from another tale that I wrote Dreams and Rings. You don't have to read that to understand what is going on here. Frodo promised to bring the Pendent back to the elf that gave it to him while he was healing after Weathertop (And I haven't even written that part yet in Dreams&Rings). That's all you really need to know. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to read another of my stories.J
3.) Merilas sneaks in the room to leave the pendent. She sees Frodo asleep and decides against disturbing him.
4.) Aragorn attacks Merilas, he thinks she's there to assassinate Frodo.
5.) There's a fight.
6.) Arwen enters the room with a number of guards.
7.) Frodo hears Merilas' voice and starts to speak her name as they begin to drag her away and starts to speak her name.
8.) Aragorn pulls off her gloves and sees the birthmark.
9.) Frodo calls out for Merilas.