CHAPTER TWELVE - DIMINISH
Elen wandered away through their surroundings, she found a glade and kneeled on the soft grass. Her hands in her lap, her weapons beside her and she looked up into the night sky and into the face of the moon. Her mother, her savior. "nya amil, envinyata nya fea quet quettar I nolwe na ni" my mother, heal my soul, speak words of wisdom to me. Elen whispered, in her eyes were unshed tears, the pain in her heart was great, and she needed guidance. "I man uin le quet?" of what do you speak? Elen lifted her head and saw Aragorn standing beside a tree in complete darkness, she had no heard him approach. "words to my mother Aragorn". She answered softly. She lowered her head once more and closed her eyes. "sen nya fea, eresse qualin erin nya meldo, cala lya istil". see my soul only death remains my friend, shine your silver light. She continued to whisper as if he wasn't there. Aragorn came forward and kneeled in front of her. He took her hands in his. The first real touch they had. The roughness of his skin startled her out of her prayer and she looked up at him through tears. "I have never seen an elf with so much sadness in her heart, is the pain so great that you cannot overcome it?" he asked her softly. "it is not the pain of betrayal Aragorn, but the pain that I will die by my own mistake because I did not follow my own heart, I listened to the fates, I turned my back on all that I have been taught and learned". "is there no other way?" he looked down at her hands and saw a faint light glowing in her palms. 'who is this man that you thought?" he asked her. 'that I would not tell you Aragorn, ta na' raica" it is wrong. She whispered, her voice becoming hauntingly calm and iridescent. "I beg of you elen, I know that we have not spoken much on this journey, but if that man is I, then I would save you". She looked at him, and touched his face. "would you Aragorn?, betray Arwen?". "I would not tell her, and I know that to be wrong, but if it is to save the maiden of light of whom is dear to me as a friend then so be it, your path was not to save Boromir yet you did against the wishes of the Valar, and I will do the same, for in my heart Elen I do hold love for you, and I beg forgiveness for saying this, but it is love a man would have for a woman". "Aragorn do you understand of what you speak?, when I saved Boromir I did not give him my body". "but you gave him a part of your soul, elen, please do not refuse, you have so much to give". "I have been shown two paths estel, one is to die here and now, and the other is to live, I will not tell you the result of the other, but we cannot play games with fate, if I choose to accept your offer, it will frighten you, no mortal has ever done it".
He was silent. "how many hours do we have before the others come looking for us?" he asked. "they will not, I have cast a spell on them to not seek us out, they do not remember us". She answered. "does it work on elves?" he said. "it works on all beings of this earth". She cupped his face. Just before her lips claimed his, she whispered words.. "Amin hiraetha Undomiel". I am sorry Arwen. Such gentleness Aragorn had never known, he would not let his mind wander to comparisons between her and Arwen. He would give this woman the chance to live when she had done so much for everyone else to live and survive. She removed his weapons and lay them aside gently, then she removed his clothing, she caressed his chest and brought her hands down to his pants and removed them also. She lay upon him still fully clothed. "Amin tampa manka lle merna" I will stop if you wish. She told him, looking down at him. "Vanimle sila tiri, I would not see you fade". Your beauty shines bright. He answered. She removed her clothing with the fast reflexes that only an elf could have. "it has to be from both of us estel". He sat up and she was still astride him. they kissed and his hand caressed her back. She tipped her head back and her hair caressed his legs. He lifted her up slightly and entered her. She gasped at the fullness of him. She looked up into the face of the moon once more and saw that it was brighter than when she had mated with Legolas. And it seemed to give off sparkles. She looked at Aragorn, his eyes glazed with passion. He licked and bit her. She lifted his face to her and he saw that her skin glowed bright and seemed to burn with an unseen force. 'aragorn, nya vandal nya hon na lye" I pledge my heart to you. She told him as she could feel her own coming, she moved on him hard and fast, sweat caked his body. His breathing became fast and shallow as his own was also nearly upon them. It came fast and without warning, the light burst from within her and radiated the forest, Aragorn could now sense her without needing the use of his eyes or the feeling of his hands. She was now a part of him and if she died he would feel it.
She looked at him, they were still one. "Diola lle, lle ume ante lye nya cala". Thank you, you have given me my light. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and made to move but he held her there. "elen, no one is to know of us, it is my gift to you, noone need know of it".he told her. "such a precious gift you have bestowed upon me Aragorn, but I also now know the truth, I read your mind as you read mine". He looked away. "yes, Legolas was right, it was not anya on my mind before, it was always you elen". "and I know now deep within my heart that I will always love you Aragorn". He let her move away and they both dressed. Then sat in the glade to ponder on their future. "elen, if I become king of Gondor, where would you stay?" "I would not stay in Gondor Aragorn, there is only room there for Arwen when she becomes your queen". She faced him. "Aragorn, I will live forever in your heart, whatever happens to me it is meant to be, yes you are my true mate, but there is also that I will grieve because I cannot have you, I cannot live the rest of your life with you". "what are you saying?" "elves can die of grief, pestilence, and if they are slain, of which do you think I will die of?, only remember that this night is ours, you gave me a gift of which I will treasure for all time, through eternity, in this life and the next one, I have given you something I have never given anyone else". "and what is that elen?" "when the time comes you will know". She stood up, bent down and gave him one last kiss. Then she walked away, into the darkness and out of their lives.
"do not think what you did has been in vain Aragorn, king of Gondor". A voice told him. He looked up and beheld the most beautiful vision ever given to him. A maid stood not far from him, a glowing white aura around her. Her hair white, her skin pale and her eyes blue like the night sky before the sun rose. "I know that she will die, but at least it will be for the right reasons". He told the maid. "you will see her again but it will not be under happy circumstances, when a soul comes knocking on your door do not turn her away, once you see him you will not of what Elen spoke". The maid disappeared.
He made his way back to camp and hoped that the spell that elen had cast would be over and they would remember him. He went over to Boromir. "how hails you Boromir?" the knight looked at him. "well enough Aragorn, and you, did you sleep well?' "I did, dawn is nearly here, I will wake the others so that we may journey to helms deep and hopefully reach it earlier than expected". The company woke and they all noticed that Elen was not among them. "where is Elen?" the hobbits asked. Aragorn stiffened. "she has gone master pippin". "gone where?" he asked. "she had her own journey to make, we may see her again soon". He told the hobbit, he avoided legolas' eyes but knew he wouldn't be able to avoid anya who made her way to him. She noticed something on his chest, where the opening of his shirt began, underneath Arwen's pendant. "you mated with her". Anya told him softly so that Legolas wouldn't hear. Aragorn looked at her. "you carry her star, it is burned into your skin, Legolas does not have it, and it means that you are her true mate" "speak of it to noone anya, I mated with her for the right reasons, she has much to live for, and I would not see her die for the wrong ones". "I do not hold it against you estel, you are wiser than I would know, you have great kindness in your heart, putting others before you, that I honor and hold high, your secret is safe with me". She turned and walked away. Aragorn touched his skin, where the pendant was. He could feel the star, 5 points. She had kissed him there and he remembered how he had felt a slight pain when she had done so. The sun was rising and it was time to move on. He got the company walking towards their goal.
Elen wandered away through their surroundings, she found a glade and kneeled on the soft grass. Her hands in her lap, her weapons beside her and she looked up into the night sky and into the face of the moon. Her mother, her savior. "nya amil, envinyata nya fea quet quettar I nolwe na ni" my mother, heal my soul, speak words of wisdom to me. Elen whispered, in her eyes were unshed tears, the pain in her heart was great, and she needed guidance. "I man uin le quet?" of what do you speak? Elen lifted her head and saw Aragorn standing beside a tree in complete darkness, she had no heard him approach. "words to my mother Aragorn". She answered softly. She lowered her head once more and closed her eyes. "sen nya fea, eresse qualin erin nya meldo, cala lya istil". see my soul only death remains my friend, shine your silver light. She continued to whisper as if he wasn't there. Aragorn came forward and kneeled in front of her. He took her hands in his. The first real touch they had. The roughness of his skin startled her out of her prayer and she looked up at him through tears. "I have never seen an elf with so much sadness in her heart, is the pain so great that you cannot overcome it?" he asked her softly. "it is not the pain of betrayal Aragorn, but the pain that I will die by my own mistake because I did not follow my own heart, I listened to the fates, I turned my back on all that I have been taught and learned". "is there no other way?" he looked down at her hands and saw a faint light glowing in her palms. 'who is this man that you thought?" he asked her. 'that I would not tell you Aragorn, ta na' raica" it is wrong. She whispered, her voice becoming hauntingly calm and iridescent. "I beg of you elen, I know that we have not spoken much on this journey, but if that man is I, then I would save you". She looked at him, and touched his face. "would you Aragorn?, betray Arwen?". "I would not tell her, and I know that to be wrong, but if it is to save the maiden of light of whom is dear to me as a friend then so be it, your path was not to save Boromir yet you did against the wishes of the Valar, and I will do the same, for in my heart Elen I do hold love for you, and I beg forgiveness for saying this, but it is love a man would have for a woman". "Aragorn do you understand of what you speak?, when I saved Boromir I did not give him my body". "but you gave him a part of your soul, elen, please do not refuse, you have so much to give". "I have been shown two paths estel, one is to die here and now, and the other is to live, I will not tell you the result of the other, but we cannot play games with fate, if I choose to accept your offer, it will frighten you, no mortal has ever done it".
He was silent. "how many hours do we have before the others come looking for us?" he asked. "they will not, I have cast a spell on them to not seek us out, they do not remember us". She answered. "does it work on elves?" he said. "it works on all beings of this earth". She cupped his face. Just before her lips claimed his, she whispered words.. "Amin hiraetha Undomiel". I am sorry Arwen. Such gentleness Aragorn had never known, he would not let his mind wander to comparisons between her and Arwen. He would give this woman the chance to live when she had done so much for everyone else to live and survive. She removed his weapons and lay them aside gently, then she removed his clothing, she caressed his chest and brought her hands down to his pants and removed them also. She lay upon him still fully clothed. "Amin tampa manka lle merna" I will stop if you wish. She told him, looking down at him. "Vanimle sila tiri, I would not see you fade". Your beauty shines bright. He answered. She removed her clothing with the fast reflexes that only an elf could have. "it has to be from both of us estel". He sat up and she was still astride him. they kissed and his hand caressed her back. She tipped her head back and her hair caressed his legs. He lifted her up slightly and entered her. She gasped at the fullness of him. She looked up into the face of the moon once more and saw that it was brighter than when she had mated with Legolas. And it seemed to give off sparkles. She looked at Aragorn, his eyes glazed with passion. He licked and bit her. She lifted his face to her and he saw that her skin glowed bright and seemed to burn with an unseen force. 'aragorn, nya vandal nya hon na lye" I pledge my heart to you. She told him as she could feel her own coming, she moved on him hard and fast, sweat caked his body. His breathing became fast and shallow as his own was also nearly upon them. It came fast and without warning, the light burst from within her and radiated the forest, Aragorn could now sense her without needing the use of his eyes or the feeling of his hands. She was now a part of him and if she died he would feel it.
She looked at him, they were still one. "Diola lle, lle ume ante lye nya cala". Thank you, you have given me my light. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and made to move but he held her there. "elen, no one is to know of us, it is my gift to you, noone need know of it".he told her. "such a precious gift you have bestowed upon me Aragorn, but I also now know the truth, I read your mind as you read mine". He looked away. "yes, Legolas was right, it was not anya on my mind before, it was always you elen". "and I know now deep within my heart that I will always love you Aragorn". He let her move away and they both dressed. Then sat in the glade to ponder on their future. "elen, if I become king of Gondor, where would you stay?" "I would not stay in Gondor Aragorn, there is only room there for Arwen when she becomes your queen". She faced him. "Aragorn, I will live forever in your heart, whatever happens to me it is meant to be, yes you are my true mate, but there is also that I will grieve because I cannot have you, I cannot live the rest of your life with you". "what are you saying?" "elves can die of grief, pestilence, and if they are slain, of which do you think I will die of?, only remember that this night is ours, you gave me a gift of which I will treasure for all time, through eternity, in this life and the next one, I have given you something I have never given anyone else". "and what is that elen?" "when the time comes you will know". She stood up, bent down and gave him one last kiss. Then she walked away, into the darkness and out of their lives.
"do not think what you did has been in vain Aragorn, king of Gondor". A voice told him. He looked up and beheld the most beautiful vision ever given to him. A maid stood not far from him, a glowing white aura around her. Her hair white, her skin pale and her eyes blue like the night sky before the sun rose. "I know that she will die, but at least it will be for the right reasons". He told the maid. "you will see her again but it will not be under happy circumstances, when a soul comes knocking on your door do not turn her away, once you see him you will not of what Elen spoke". The maid disappeared.
He made his way back to camp and hoped that the spell that elen had cast would be over and they would remember him. He went over to Boromir. "how hails you Boromir?" the knight looked at him. "well enough Aragorn, and you, did you sleep well?' "I did, dawn is nearly here, I will wake the others so that we may journey to helms deep and hopefully reach it earlier than expected". The company woke and they all noticed that Elen was not among them. "where is Elen?" the hobbits asked. Aragorn stiffened. "she has gone master pippin". "gone where?" he asked. "she had her own journey to make, we may see her again soon". He told the hobbit, he avoided legolas' eyes but knew he wouldn't be able to avoid anya who made her way to him. She noticed something on his chest, where the opening of his shirt began, underneath Arwen's pendant. "you mated with her". Anya told him softly so that Legolas wouldn't hear. Aragorn looked at her. "you carry her star, it is burned into your skin, Legolas does not have it, and it means that you are her true mate" "speak of it to noone anya, I mated with her for the right reasons, she has much to live for, and I would not see her die for the wrong ones". "I do not hold it against you estel, you are wiser than I would know, you have great kindness in your heart, putting others before you, that I honor and hold high, your secret is safe with me". She turned and walked away. Aragorn touched his skin, where the pendant was. He could feel the star, 5 points. She had kissed him there and he remembered how he had felt a slight pain when she had done so. The sun was rising and it was time to move on. He got the company walking towards their goal.