"Aragorn, what's troubling you?" I rest my head on his strong stomach and roll to the side to gaze up at his face.
The last few days have been the happiest in my memory. The man I have loved since before I knew what love was had finally turned to me for companionship. My bliss seemed complete, but I had noticed a shadow in his eyes that rarely faded completely.
His hand gently strokes my arm as he smiles down at me. "Nothing, dearheart. Nothing."
Sighing, I shift to sit cross-legged beside my Ranger. With my right hand I stroke his cheek as the fingers of my left entwine with his. "You know, for a man who has spent a good portion of his life dissembling, you are a remarkably poor lier." He moves to sit up but I apply a gentle pressure to his chest. "No, let me explain to you. I would do anything in the world for you. I have opened myself to you as I have to no other. I know you almost as well as I know myself. Please. Won't you tell me what troubles you?"
His eyes grow grey with worry, and my breath catches as I realize the pain this is causing him. "It's Lina, isn't it?"
He sits abruptly and cuddles me against his chest, rocking ever so slightly back an forth. "I worry for her, Lily. She went into some trouble I do not understand, and forbade me to come with her. That is what hurt the most I think. The thought that she no longer needed or wanted me."
I stroke his cheek as he speaks and feel the tension of he muscles along his jaw. "But she would not have me leave you alone, and now I fully understand why. You did well at hiding your feelings from me. I did not realize that you would give up all others for me. That is a rare gift to give a man." He smiled warmly down at me and kissed my forehead.
"But there is a portion of me that wonders what has happened to Kulina. Time passes, and she may have gone in search of another. I would not blame her for it when she knew she left me with you. But something stirs in my heart that portends her facing perils. I would go to find her, but I will not leave you now that I have found the fullness of your love." He hugged me tightly to him once more, then sat me up facing him, his hands on my arms, his eyes staring intently into my own.
"You see now why I have not spoken of it? I would spare you doubt of my truth in my feelings. For I have truly fallen in love with you, Lily." His hand moved to brush behind my ear the strands of hair that were always falling forward. As his skin grazed my own, my eyes closed and I leaned toward his hand, savoring the caress.
"Aragorn, I would not keep you from your duty." Slowly I open my eyes. "If you fear for her, you must go seek her out. I will not hold you here." He leaned over and kissed me deeply, then rested his forehead against my cheek.
"Lily, how can I choose between you?" With a hand, I raised his face and kissed him back, allowing the question to remain unanswered for the time.
That night, as he slept, I lay beside him memorizing every line of his form. Softly I kissed his cheek, then rose and retrieved a marker from my bag. I got back under the blanket, for the night was chilly, and looked at the broad back spread before me.
With tears in my eyes, I began my work. On a small spot on his shoulder, I drew a Forget Me knot. I knew he would never decide to go without me, and I could not bear to face Kulina as Aragorn's lover. So I began for us a new relationship. The mark would fade, and the memories return, but he would be able to dismiss them as his mind's idle fancies about his traveling companion.
I finished the knot and kissed it gently, tears welling in my eyes. Softly, I climbed to my feet and collected my gear, doing my best to make it appear as though he had camped here alone. With one last longing look at his sleeping form, I moved off into the woods, finally allowing my tears to fall.
When he awoke the next morning, Aragorn would wonder at his memory loss of the last few days, but he would still recall the feeling of unease that drew him to Kulina. I would be waiting to meet up with him, by chance, it must seem. He would know me only as the slightly clumsy girl who had set out to find the elf huntresses and longed for adventure. The girl who decided to aid him in his quest for him missing love.
And I would spend the nights across the fire from him, feigning sleep, while the stars spun overhead as they did now.
The last few days have been the happiest in my memory. The man I have loved since before I knew what love was had finally turned to me for companionship. My bliss seemed complete, but I had noticed a shadow in his eyes that rarely faded completely.
His hand gently strokes my arm as he smiles down at me. "Nothing, dearheart. Nothing."
Sighing, I shift to sit cross-legged beside my Ranger. With my right hand I stroke his cheek as the fingers of my left entwine with his. "You know, for a man who has spent a good portion of his life dissembling, you are a remarkably poor lier." He moves to sit up but I apply a gentle pressure to his chest. "No, let me explain to you. I would do anything in the world for you. I have opened myself to you as I have to no other. I know you almost as well as I know myself. Please. Won't you tell me what troubles you?"
His eyes grow grey with worry, and my breath catches as I realize the pain this is causing him. "It's Lina, isn't it?"
He sits abruptly and cuddles me against his chest, rocking ever so slightly back an forth. "I worry for her, Lily. She went into some trouble I do not understand, and forbade me to come with her. That is what hurt the most I think. The thought that she no longer needed or wanted me."
I stroke his cheek as he speaks and feel the tension of he muscles along his jaw. "But she would not have me leave you alone, and now I fully understand why. You did well at hiding your feelings from me. I did not realize that you would give up all others for me. That is a rare gift to give a man." He smiled warmly down at me and kissed my forehead.
"But there is a portion of me that wonders what has happened to Kulina. Time passes, and she may have gone in search of another. I would not blame her for it when she knew she left me with you. But something stirs in my heart that portends her facing perils. I would go to find her, but I will not leave you now that I have found the fullness of your love." He hugged me tightly to him once more, then sat me up facing him, his hands on my arms, his eyes staring intently into my own.
"You see now why I have not spoken of it? I would spare you doubt of my truth in my feelings. For I have truly fallen in love with you, Lily." His hand moved to brush behind my ear the strands of hair that were always falling forward. As his skin grazed my own, my eyes closed and I leaned toward his hand, savoring the caress.
"Aragorn, I would not keep you from your duty." Slowly I open my eyes. "If you fear for her, you must go seek her out. I will not hold you here." He leaned over and kissed me deeply, then rested his forehead against my cheek.
"Lily, how can I choose between you?" With a hand, I raised his face and kissed him back, allowing the question to remain unanswered for the time.
That night, as he slept, I lay beside him memorizing every line of his form. Softly I kissed his cheek, then rose and retrieved a marker from my bag. I got back under the blanket, for the night was chilly, and looked at the broad back spread before me.
With tears in my eyes, I began my work. On a small spot on his shoulder, I drew a Forget Me knot. I knew he would never decide to go without me, and I could not bear to face Kulina as Aragorn's lover. So I began for us a new relationship. The mark would fade, and the memories return, but he would be able to dismiss them as his mind's idle fancies about his traveling companion.
I finished the knot and kissed it gently, tears welling in my eyes. Softly, I climbed to my feet and collected my gear, doing my best to make it appear as though he had camped here alone. With one last longing look at his sleeping form, I moved off into the woods, finally allowing my tears to fall.
When he awoke the next morning, Aragorn would wonder at his memory loss of the last few days, but he would still recall the feeling of unease that drew him to Kulina. I would be waiting to meet up with him, by chance, it must seem. He would know me only as the slightly clumsy girl who had set out to find the elf huntresses and longed for adventure. The girl who decided to aid him in his quest for him missing love.
And I would spend the nights across the fire from him, feigning sleep, while the stars spun overhead as they did now.