Frodo stumbled climbing the snows of Cahadras, rolling back to the feet of Aragorn the Ranger. As he clambered to his feet, he felt around his neck for the burden that he had grown accustomed to bearing, only to find that it had become misplaced with his fall. A few feet away, sparkling on the pure white snow, lay the Ring, the gold catching the sunlight and winking at all those who looked upon it in an open invitation to pick it up...just once... just to see it... Frodo frowned as Boromir picked it up, held it in front of his eyes with clear longing, betraying his thoughts. Aragorn stood behind Frodo, a backup, empowering him and persuading Boromir to give the Ring back to Frodo. However, Boromir was unwilling, even unable it seemed, to give the Ring directly back to the Hobbit; instead, he threw it back in the general direction. Out of habit and instinct, Aragorn caught the Ring without thinking about it, and felt suddenly as thought a great Eye was watching him; the Eye of Sauron. Highly uncomfortable with this feeling, Aragorn handed the Ring back to Frodo with a certain amount of relief, and seemed unchanged for the experience.
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However, the Ring possessed a power of it's own, one greater than even Sauron had been aware of before he had forged it; and if the mere sight of the Ring could ensnare Boromir so, what chance did a man have who touched the Ring?
In the journey under the mountain through the Mines of Moria, Aragorn was given much chance to give way to the thoughts in his head; and evil thoughts take root and grow in the darkness of the tomb-mines. He found that his mind went ever towards the lure of the Ring; at night he could hear the whisper of the Ring in his sleep, and his every waking moment was cursed with the thought of how to get the ring and use it for his own devices. He would take and marry Arwen, yes... and he would punish Elrond for not letting him marry her to start with. He would be crowned King of Gondor... and he would burn the White City to the ground and execute all the people like Boromir who had not believed in him. He would take Legolas as his best friend and maybe as his lover... and he would torture and kill Haldir of Lothlorien for daring to assume that role to Legolas before him. Then he would catch himself with these thoughts, and be sickened at himself, wonder how he could be thinking this. He would think about how he could use Orcs in his plan, or how to forge an alliance with Saruman, then realise what the thoughts were, and cry silent tears of fear for what was wrong with him, what he was becoming. He began to realise that evil had somehow layed it's influence upon him, and he was unable to tell anyone what was happening to him.
Aragorn tried to speak these thoughts, to Legolas, the person he felt closest to in the Fellowship; he sat there, in the dark, Legolas looking at him in concerned silence and willing to listen to what he was saying and help...and all that Aragorn could do was give way to a flood of silent sobs, wracking his body with their fury and desperation to be released. Legolas held him tight and close, singing an Elvish children's song softly until Aragorn's great shoulder's ceased to shake and he lay in the Elf's embrace. Aragorn held him tight and never wanted to let go; he had known for a long time just how much he loved the Elf, in a different way to the love that he felt for Arwen. Arwen. He felt a lasting, strong love for her, that would never die...but Legolas, Legolas inflamed in him a burning desire, a bond of brotherhood and suffering that he would never know with Arwen. He knew it was different, and that his love for Arwen should last forever... but he knew somehow that if he now had to choose between the two, he would chose Legolas.
Aragorn sat by the Elf, his head cradled against his chest, feeling his heart beat through the green tunic, feeling his own heart stir, beat ever faster, and knew that he would be happy to stay entwined like that forever. But he knew that although Legolas loved him as a friend, the Elf's heart was promised to Haldir- Warrior Bonds were not actively encouraged among the Elves, but as the race left for the Grey Havens, it was recognised that new generations of Elves were not needed any more; Legolas and Haldir had been free to leave their wives and indulge their own love, pure and true. Aragorn had seen them together, laughing as friends and nothing more in public, but catching little glances in their eyes laden with love, touches full of tenderness and feeling, even the soft tone in which one would utter the name of the other. Aragorn wanted that. He had it from Arwen, but he was aware day by day that his feelings for her were not as strong as once they were, and that he half wanted her to leave him, to go to the Grey Havens with Elrond and leave him to pursue his own destiny.
Aragorn did not know if the dwindling feelings for Arwen were a fantasy fuelled by the evil in his soul, or if this evil simply allowed him to see what he refused to acknowledge before. He prayed that it was the former, but when he looked into his heart, he could no longer see the way. He fell asleep against Legolas, slipping into an easy sleep for the first time since he had touched the Ring- all evil thoughts melted away in the arms of Legolas. He awoke when suddenly the Eye loomed over him, great and terrifying. He opened his own eyes whimpering to find that Legolas was disentangling himself from the man. Aragorn clutched at his sleeve and begged him to stay, his voice cracking as he told the Elf that he was scared, oh so frightened. Legolas looked with worry at the man and pulled him close, and together they lay side by side, and Aragorn's dreams remained full of peace.
************************************************************
However, the Ring possessed a power of it's own, one greater than even Sauron had been aware of before he had forged it; and if the mere sight of the Ring could ensnare Boromir so, what chance did a man have who touched the Ring?
In the journey under the mountain through the Mines of Moria, Aragorn was given much chance to give way to the thoughts in his head; and evil thoughts take root and grow in the darkness of the tomb-mines. He found that his mind went ever towards the lure of the Ring; at night he could hear the whisper of the Ring in his sleep, and his every waking moment was cursed with the thought of how to get the ring and use it for his own devices. He would take and marry Arwen, yes... and he would punish Elrond for not letting him marry her to start with. He would be crowned King of Gondor... and he would burn the White City to the ground and execute all the people like Boromir who had not believed in him. He would take Legolas as his best friend and maybe as his lover... and he would torture and kill Haldir of Lothlorien for daring to assume that role to Legolas before him. Then he would catch himself with these thoughts, and be sickened at himself, wonder how he could be thinking this. He would think about how he could use Orcs in his plan, or how to forge an alliance with Saruman, then realise what the thoughts were, and cry silent tears of fear for what was wrong with him, what he was becoming. He began to realise that evil had somehow layed it's influence upon him, and he was unable to tell anyone what was happening to him.
Aragorn tried to speak these thoughts, to Legolas, the person he felt closest to in the Fellowship; he sat there, in the dark, Legolas looking at him in concerned silence and willing to listen to what he was saying and help...and all that Aragorn could do was give way to a flood of silent sobs, wracking his body with their fury and desperation to be released. Legolas held him tight and close, singing an Elvish children's song softly until Aragorn's great shoulder's ceased to shake and he lay in the Elf's embrace. Aragorn held him tight and never wanted to let go; he had known for a long time just how much he loved the Elf, in a different way to the love that he felt for Arwen. Arwen. He felt a lasting, strong love for her, that would never die...but Legolas, Legolas inflamed in him a burning desire, a bond of brotherhood and suffering that he would never know with Arwen. He knew it was different, and that his love for Arwen should last forever... but he knew somehow that if he now had to choose between the two, he would chose Legolas.
Aragorn sat by the Elf, his head cradled against his chest, feeling his heart beat through the green tunic, feeling his own heart stir, beat ever faster, and knew that he would be happy to stay entwined like that forever. But he knew that although Legolas loved him as a friend, the Elf's heart was promised to Haldir- Warrior Bonds were not actively encouraged among the Elves, but as the race left for the Grey Havens, it was recognised that new generations of Elves were not needed any more; Legolas and Haldir had been free to leave their wives and indulge their own love, pure and true. Aragorn had seen them together, laughing as friends and nothing more in public, but catching little glances in their eyes laden with love, touches full of tenderness and feeling, even the soft tone in which one would utter the name of the other. Aragorn wanted that. He had it from Arwen, but he was aware day by day that his feelings for her were not as strong as once they were, and that he half wanted her to leave him, to go to the Grey Havens with Elrond and leave him to pursue his own destiny.
Aragorn did not know if the dwindling feelings for Arwen were a fantasy fuelled by the evil in his soul, or if this evil simply allowed him to see what he refused to acknowledge before. He prayed that it was the former, but when he looked into his heart, he could no longer see the way. He fell asleep against Legolas, slipping into an easy sleep for the first time since he had touched the Ring- all evil thoughts melted away in the arms of Legolas. He awoke when suddenly the Eye loomed over him, great and terrifying. He opened his own eyes whimpering to find that Legolas was disentangling himself from the man. Aragorn clutched at his sleeve and begged him to stay, his voice cracking as he told the Elf that he was scared, oh so frightened. Legolas looked with worry at the man and pulled him close, and together they lay side by side, and Aragorn's dreams remained full of peace.