~*~Chapter 2~*~
"I wonder if we can get a pint here," Sam muttered to himself as they entered the pub, entitled the Lion Hart. The small village of Brant was located in between Rivendell and Moria, and was very unpopulated due to the little knowledge of its existance.
"Does it come in pints here?" Pippin questioned, blinking in surprise.
"Oh, I think it comes in pints everywhere!" Merry exclaimed hopefully.
The three hobbits gave a slight shout as they walked into Aragorn's back, bumping into one another as a result. The Man had stopped in his tracks, and was staring at a woman across the room. who was sitting at a large and crowded table.
"Aragorn?" Gandalf asked, furrowing his brow, and inspecting the Ranger's face carefully.
"I know that girl," he said slowly, his crystal blue eyes widening with realization.
"Who is she?" Legolas asked.
"Aye, I would like to know as well," Boromir murmered, following Aragorn's gaze across the room. The Ranger did not answer, but walked over to the girl's table instead. The conversation hushed immediately as he approached, for his stately presence brought them to absolute silence. The woman at the head of the table, with her short auburn hair and firey green eyes, stared up at him, her expression almost confused.
"Do I know you?" she asked, searching his eyes.
Aragorn didn't reply - he only stared at the girl, amazed at what he saw. The deep emerald in her eyes was unforgettable - it was what sparked her nickname - Jade, or, Jade-Fawn, as he called her. She was his only sister - and he hadn't seen her in years. The last time he was in her company was when she was but a child - before he chose exile over family.
"Jade-Fawn," he said slowly, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
She gasped audibly, for now that he spoke her name aloud, she knew at once who this mysterious man was.
"Strider!" she exclaimed, leaping from her seat and into his arms with an enthusiastic hug. "Where have you been? What are you doing here?"
Aragorn cast a glance behind him towards the rest of the Fellowship, noticing that Boromir watched the exchange with careful observation. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't tell Jade of his quest, for Gandalf would surely become angry.
"I cannot talk about it now," he said, in a near-whisper. "Perhaps I will speak of it at a later time." He paused for a moment, before adding his next question. "What are you doing here?" He gestured to her sword. "What's all this?"
"I'm a Ranger," she said proudly. "We all are."
"A Ranger?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You?"
"I followed in your footsteps," she replied, with a grin. "Aren't you proud?"
"I-"
A loud sound interrupted him, as the Elf who had been seated beside Jade stood, scraping her chair against the wooden floor. Both Aragorn and Jade glanced in her direction. She walked to them, her ocean-blue eyes questioning.
"Who's this?" the Elf-woman asked, glancing at Aragorn.
"This is my brother, Strider," Jade said, deciding it was best not to reveal his true name unless he wanted her to. "Strider, this is my good friend and second-in-command, Raven."
"Pleasure to meet you," Aragorn said, brushing her knuckles with a kiss properly. Her face remained emotionless as she flicked her glance back to Jade.
"You never mentioned a brother," Raven said, withdrawing her pale and fragile hand from Aragorn's hold.
Jade chuckled.
"I almost forgot that I had one," she joked.
Raven tucked a strand of black wavy hair behind her ear, and Aragorn noticed its pointed tip.
"An Elf," he commented, surprised.
"That's right," she replied coolly. "From Lothlorien." Raven glanced at Legolas, who was quickly at Aragorn's side. "Does he get a leash and a collar?" she asked, her voice edgy with sarcasm. "I didn't know it was an Elvish requirement. I don't have one." Legolas looked insulted, and Aragorn's eyes just reflected surprise. Jade smiled uncomfortably, shifting her eyes over to the lone man standing with four hobbits.
"Who's that?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Aragorn turned.
"Boromir," he replied. "Son of Deneathor. He's a Steward of Gondor."
Jade hid a grin.
"Interesting..."
"I wonder if we can get a pint here," Sam muttered to himself as they entered the pub, entitled the Lion Hart. The small village of Brant was located in between Rivendell and Moria, and was very unpopulated due to the little knowledge of its existance.
"Does it come in pints here?" Pippin questioned, blinking in surprise.
"Oh, I think it comes in pints everywhere!" Merry exclaimed hopefully.
The three hobbits gave a slight shout as they walked into Aragorn's back, bumping into one another as a result. The Man had stopped in his tracks, and was staring at a woman across the room. who was sitting at a large and crowded table.
"Aragorn?" Gandalf asked, furrowing his brow, and inspecting the Ranger's face carefully.
"I know that girl," he said slowly, his crystal blue eyes widening with realization.
"Who is she?" Legolas asked.
"Aye, I would like to know as well," Boromir murmered, following Aragorn's gaze across the room. The Ranger did not answer, but walked over to the girl's table instead. The conversation hushed immediately as he approached, for his stately presence brought them to absolute silence. The woman at the head of the table, with her short auburn hair and firey green eyes, stared up at him, her expression almost confused.
"Do I know you?" she asked, searching his eyes.
Aragorn didn't reply - he only stared at the girl, amazed at what he saw. The deep emerald in her eyes was unforgettable - it was what sparked her nickname - Jade, or, Jade-Fawn, as he called her. She was his only sister - and he hadn't seen her in years. The last time he was in her company was when she was but a child - before he chose exile over family.
"Jade-Fawn," he said slowly, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
She gasped audibly, for now that he spoke her name aloud, she knew at once who this mysterious man was.
"Strider!" she exclaimed, leaping from her seat and into his arms with an enthusiastic hug. "Where have you been? What are you doing here?"
Aragorn cast a glance behind him towards the rest of the Fellowship, noticing that Boromir watched the exchange with careful observation. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't tell Jade of his quest, for Gandalf would surely become angry.
"I cannot talk about it now," he said, in a near-whisper. "Perhaps I will speak of it at a later time." He paused for a moment, before adding his next question. "What are you doing here?" He gestured to her sword. "What's all this?"
"I'm a Ranger," she said proudly. "We all are."
"A Ranger?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You?"
"I followed in your footsteps," she replied, with a grin. "Aren't you proud?"
"I-"
A loud sound interrupted him, as the Elf who had been seated beside Jade stood, scraping her chair against the wooden floor. Both Aragorn and Jade glanced in her direction. She walked to them, her ocean-blue eyes questioning.
"Who's this?" the Elf-woman asked, glancing at Aragorn.
"This is my brother, Strider," Jade said, deciding it was best not to reveal his true name unless he wanted her to. "Strider, this is my good friend and second-in-command, Raven."
"Pleasure to meet you," Aragorn said, brushing her knuckles with a kiss properly. Her face remained emotionless as she flicked her glance back to Jade.
"You never mentioned a brother," Raven said, withdrawing her pale and fragile hand from Aragorn's hold.
Jade chuckled.
"I almost forgot that I had one," she joked.
Raven tucked a strand of black wavy hair behind her ear, and Aragorn noticed its pointed tip.
"An Elf," he commented, surprised.
"That's right," she replied coolly. "From Lothlorien." Raven glanced at Legolas, who was quickly at Aragorn's side. "Does he get a leash and a collar?" she asked, her voice edgy with sarcasm. "I didn't know it was an Elvish requirement. I don't have one." Legolas looked insulted, and Aragorn's eyes just reflected surprise. Jade smiled uncomfortably, shifting her eyes over to the lone man standing with four hobbits.
"Who's that?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Aragorn turned.
"Boromir," he replied. "Son of Deneathor. He's a Steward of Gondor."
Jade hid a grin.
"Interesting..."