standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter Four: Thunder in the Distance
Aragorn stood near the window, looking out into the darkened streets of Minas Tirith. It had been raining for more than a day and the gardens and streets were beginning to overflow with water. He could only hope for a miracle to save his sanity from the prospect of a severe flood and from the long hours that had passed from the beginning of Arwen's labor.
It was another rest time for Arwen. She had her head buried in the same position in her pillow with her eyes closed tight in lingering pain from the contractions. Aragorn wanted nothing more than for her pain to ease. The medicine Elrond had given her was not enough to ease her. He felt the stress begin to weigh in heavily.
"Aragorn," Arwen whispered fiercely. "Aragorn, something doesn't feel right."
Aragorn turned around and looked at Arwen, his senses on high alert. An attendant had heard her plea and went to the bed to see waht the problem was. After several seconds of careful inspection, the woman smiled.
"It is time," she announced.
"What do you mean?" Arwen whispered, the last yelled loudly as contractions harder than anything she had felt yet began to take over her. She felt the need to push. She had to push.
"Push," the attendant commanded. "You have to push."
Aragorn ran to the bedside and grabbed ahold of Arwen's hand, his grip as strong as hers, but in excitement rather than pain.
"I never want to do this again," Arwen said as she clenched her teeth.
"We don't have to," Aragorn said while kissing her temple.
"But you need a son."
"I only need you."
"Gondor needs an heir."
"Do not throw yourself into these affairs now. Just push. Bring this child into the world."
Arwen nodded and pushed as hard as she could before taking the time to stop and breathe. Then she would continue on in the same cycle. This went on for at least a half hour before the lead attendant spoke up to the others.
"This is not right," she said concerned. "The baby is breeched."
Aragorn looked at them in shock. He did not know what this meant, but if it caused concern among everyone else in the room it could not have been a good thing. He looked over at Arwen who had not paid enough attention in her haze of pain to have heard what they said. She did not know of any complications.
There was a hand on his shoulder and Aragorn looked over to see an attendant standing there, begging him to stand and follow her out of the room. He stood and gave Arwen's hand a squeeze before walking out of the room to the sound of Arwen's protests.
Elrond heard the sound of the chamber door opening and closing, so he got up to investigate. He saw Aragorn and one of the attendants standing in the hall, a look of concern on both of their faces. Aragorn did not acknowledge the elf even as they stood next to each other.
"What is happening?" Aragorn asked. "What is going on?"
"The baby is breeched, My Lord," she explained. "The child's feet are coming out first. This could cause several problems, or it could cause none. We are not sure, but it is best that you are not in the room for the rest of the birth."
"Breeched?" Elrond asked distressed. At this time both Elladan and Elrohir had joined the conversation.
"Yes, breeched."
"What will happen?" Elrohir asked.
"We are not sure at this time. It could be a while before the child is born."
Aragorn closed his eyes and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He turned around quickly and swung his fist into a large vase of flowers sitting in the window sill, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.
"I need to be in there," he said as he walked to the door.
"No, My Lord. I cannot let you," she said as she pulled his hand away from the door.
Aragorn turned and glared at the woman, causing her to begin to shake. Normally he would not be this cruel toward anyone, but his wife was distressed and this woman was saying he could not go to her.
Elrohir and Elladan walked up and grabbed Aragorn by his arms, pulling him away from the door. He struggled against them, and cursed at them in elvish, but they would not release their grip. If the attendant didn't think Aragorn should be in the room, they wouldn't let him in there to cause more problems should something have gone terribly wrong.
Elrond stood still near the door, not saying a word as the woman walked back inside, bolting the door after herself.
Aragorn looked up at Elrond and shot a fierce glance.
"Why didn't you follow her?" Aragorn asked venemously as the twins released him. "You could have done something!"
Elrond opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His facial expressions were enough to say everything. He was scared.
"What have you to be frightened of, Ada?" Elrohir asked as he walked to his father.
"I did not want to be the one responsible if something should happen to my only daughter," Elrond said solemnly.
"You think the trouble is that great?" Elladan asked as soon as Aragorn had left the hallway and gone completely from their sight.
"Your sister could die," Elrond explained. "Even these things cannot be controlled by Elvish medicine. Her fate and the fate of the child lay in the hands of the Valar. Let them be merciful."
Elrond gave a hopeless glance toward the door and walked away from his sons and back into the sitting room where Aragorn had taken refuge.
The king sat by the window, his head leaned against the cool pane with his eyes closed. The lightning from outside danced across his features in the darkness like the candle light could not. It brought out the lines of tension and worry on his face.
"You really think she could die?" Aragorn asked no louder than a whisper.
"It has happened before," Elrond replied. "But you need not worry yourself now. Should something go wrong you'll be alerted. Right now we need to be strong for Arwen, not mournful."
"She is my life, my everything. How can I not be worried? I should be in there with her."
"Let them do their job," Elrond said firmly.
The twins came in the room and took seats on either side of the door like guards to make sure Aragorn did not do something foolish. If they knew their brother, he was likely to take his sword and break down the chamber door.
Time had no meaning as it passed by for Aragorn. Minutes could have been hours and hours were a lifetime. His thoughts were a mental prison from which he could not escape the torment. Everything he saw in his mind was full of sorrow and grief. A father and husband's worst nightmare.
What if she dies?
A tear rolled down Aragorn's cheek and landed softly on his shirt, soaking into the fabric. Several more followed quickly after, and they did not go unnnoticed by the elves in the room. But he was not ashamed to cry in front of these people. They knew how genuinely devoted to Arwen he was.
For the longest time Aragorn sat crying silently with his head against the window. He saw through blank eyes the storm that was ongoing outside. The lightning had died off somewhat and the thunder now rumbled heartily somewhere off in the distance. Maybe the storm was leaving. That was one less thing to worry about.
Then in the midst of the heavy rains, sky broke through and Aragorn could see the diamond-filled sky above. The starlight shone down on him, bringing hope to his soul. If the stars could still find the will to shine through the harshest storm, he could surely stand with his head held high through times of troubled grief.
The door to the chamber opened and an attendant came out. She stood at the entrance to the sitting room with all four pairs of eyes on her.
"I have news."
a/n: i have been overwhelmed by all of your response to all of my stories!! thank you so much!! and jsut for your gratitude, i'm going to show mine by extending the story one chapter further. it was going to end in this chapter, but i decided to throw more into the mix. i'm still looking for good plot ideas for the next story, so message me on AIM at CURSEoftheSCOTS or email me at bluedragonstaff@yahoo.com. and don't forget to review!!
Chapter Four: Thunder in the Distance
Aragorn stood near the window, looking out into the darkened streets of Minas Tirith. It had been raining for more than a day and the gardens and streets were beginning to overflow with water. He could only hope for a miracle to save his sanity from the prospect of a severe flood and from the long hours that had passed from the beginning of Arwen's labor.
It was another rest time for Arwen. She had her head buried in the same position in her pillow with her eyes closed tight in lingering pain from the contractions. Aragorn wanted nothing more than for her pain to ease. The medicine Elrond had given her was not enough to ease her. He felt the stress begin to weigh in heavily.
"Aragorn," Arwen whispered fiercely. "Aragorn, something doesn't feel right."
Aragorn turned around and looked at Arwen, his senses on high alert. An attendant had heard her plea and went to the bed to see waht the problem was. After several seconds of careful inspection, the woman smiled.
"It is time," she announced.
"What do you mean?" Arwen whispered, the last yelled loudly as contractions harder than anything she had felt yet began to take over her. She felt the need to push. She had to push.
"Push," the attendant commanded. "You have to push."
Aragorn ran to the bedside and grabbed ahold of Arwen's hand, his grip as strong as hers, but in excitement rather than pain.
"I never want to do this again," Arwen said as she clenched her teeth.
"We don't have to," Aragorn said while kissing her temple.
"But you need a son."
"I only need you."
"Gondor needs an heir."
"Do not throw yourself into these affairs now. Just push. Bring this child into the world."
Arwen nodded and pushed as hard as she could before taking the time to stop and breathe. Then she would continue on in the same cycle. This went on for at least a half hour before the lead attendant spoke up to the others.
"This is not right," she said concerned. "The baby is breeched."
Aragorn looked at them in shock. He did not know what this meant, but if it caused concern among everyone else in the room it could not have been a good thing. He looked over at Arwen who had not paid enough attention in her haze of pain to have heard what they said. She did not know of any complications.
There was a hand on his shoulder and Aragorn looked over to see an attendant standing there, begging him to stand and follow her out of the room. He stood and gave Arwen's hand a squeeze before walking out of the room to the sound of Arwen's protests.
Elrond heard the sound of the chamber door opening and closing, so he got up to investigate. He saw Aragorn and one of the attendants standing in the hall, a look of concern on both of their faces. Aragorn did not acknowledge the elf even as they stood next to each other.
"What is happening?" Aragorn asked. "What is going on?"
"The baby is breeched, My Lord," she explained. "The child's feet are coming out first. This could cause several problems, or it could cause none. We are not sure, but it is best that you are not in the room for the rest of the birth."
"Breeched?" Elrond asked distressed. At this time both Elladan and Elrohir had joined the conversation.
"Yes, breeched."
"What will happen?" Elrohir asked.
"We are not sure at this time. It could be a while before the child is born."
Aragorn closed his eyes and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He turned around quickly and swung his fist into a large vase of flowers sitting in the window sill, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.
"I need to be in there," he said as he walked to the door.
"No, My Lord. I cannot let you," she said as she pulled his hand away from the door.
Aragorn turned and glared at the woman, causing her to begin to shake. Normally he would not be this cruel toward anyone, but his wife was distressed and this woman was saying he could not go to her.
Elrohir and Elladan walked up and grabbed Aragorn by his arms, pulling him away from the door. He struggled against them, and cursed at them in elvish, but they would not release their grip. If the attendant didn't think Aragorn should be in the room, they wouldn't let him in there to cause more problems should something have gone terribly wrong.
Elrond stood still near the door, not saying a word as the woman walked back inside, bolting the door after herself.
Aragorn looked up at Elrond and shot a fierce glance.
"Why didn't you follow her?" Aragorn asked venemously as the twins released him. "You could have done something!"
Elrond opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His facial expressions were enough to say everything. He was scared.
"What have you to be frightened of, Ada?" Elrohir asked as he walked to his father.
"I did not want to be the one responsible if something should happen to my only daughter," Elrond said solemnly.
"You think the trouble is that great?" Elladan asked as soon as Aragorn had left the hallway and gone completely from their sight.
"Your sister could die," Elrond explained. "Even these things cannot be controlled by Elvish medicine. Her fate and the fate of the child lay in the hands of the Valar. Let them be merciful."
Elrond gave a hopeless glance toward the door and walked away from his sons and back into the sitting room where Aragorn had taken refuge.
The king sat by the window, his head leaned against the cool pane with his eyes closed. The lightning from outside danced across his features in the darkness like the candle light could not. It brought out the lines of tension and worry on his face.
"You really think she could die?" Aragorn asked no louder than a whisper.
"It has happened before," Elrond replied. "But you need not worry yourself now. Should something go wrong you'll be alerted. Right now we need to be strong for Arwen, not mournful."
"She is my life, my everything. How can I not be worried? I should be in there with her."
"Let them do their job," Elrond said firmly.
The twins came in the room and took seats on either side of the door like guards to make sure Aragorn did not do something foolish. If they knew their brother, he was likely to take his sword and break down the chamber door.
Time had no meaning as it passed by for Aragorn. Minutes could have been hours and hours were a lifetime. His thoughts were a mental prison from which he could not escape the torment. Everything he saw in his mind was full of sorrow and grief. A father and husband's worst nightmare.
What if she dies?
A tear rolled down Aragorn's cheek and landed softly on his shirt, soaking into the fabric. Several more followed quickly after, and they did not go unnnoticed by the elves in the room. But he was not ashamed to cry in front of these people. They knew how genuinely devoted to Arwen he was.
For the longest time Aragorn sat crying silently with his head against the window. He saw through blank eyes the storm that was ongoing outside. The lightning had died off somewhat and the thunder now rumbled heartily somewhere off in the distance. Maybe the storm was leaving. That was one less thing to worry about.
Then in the midst of the heavy rains, sky broke through and Aragorn could see the diamond-filled sky above. The starlight shone down on him, bringing hope to his soul. If the stars could still find the will to shine through the harshest storm, he could surely stand with his head held high through times of troubled grief.
The door to the chamber opened and an attendant came out. She stood at the entrance to the sitting room with all four pairs of eyes on her.
"I have news."
a/n: i have been overwhelmed by all of your response to all of my stories!! thank you so much!! and jsut for your gratitude, i'm going to show mine by extending the story one chapter further. it was going to end in this chapter, but i decided to throw more into the mix. i'm still looking for good plot ideas for the next story, so message me on AIM at CURSEoftheSCOTS or email me at bluedragonstaff@yahoo.com. and don't forget to review!!