((Author's note: YAY! We're finally getting to the good parts! lol.this is
AU.
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Legolas, heck, I'd settle for Aragorn or Eomer. But sadly, it will never be.so it all belongs to NewLine and Tolkien.
Flight in the Night
Aragorn stared down at the blood spattering his hands. Silently, his mouth moved in shock, trying to form the frantic thoughts speeding through his addled brain. "Wha." he swallowed back the tears.
A strong reached to pull him to his feet and tug him down the hall. "My Lord! We must flee from here! The assassins will be back!"
The king's eyes were deep holes of sorrow. "She's dead, Rhilan."
"I know, my lord," the servant's voice softened. "There is nothing more you can do for her now! We must hurry!"
"No!" Aragorn wrenched his arm away. "I will not leave her!"
"Sire! We must! The land depends on you! If you fall, so does Gondor, itself." Rhilan laid his hand on the trembling arm. "Come with me."
Aragorn nodded his head in resignation and slowly followed Rhilan away from the dead body of Arwen, the queen of Gondor. "Where are we going?" he asked in a small voice.
"Somewhere to be safe."
"Are we staying in Gondor?"
"No, my Lord."
"To where are you taking me then?"
"Rivendell is the safest place for you now, Sire." Rhilan led him down the winding hallways and pushed open a heavy door that led to the outdoors.
Aragorn shielded his face from the bright sunlight. "Who killed her?" he murmured, almost to himself.
"Do you have your sword, King Aragorn?" he asked as one of the guards led his horse up to him.
"The sword that was reforged? It never leaves me." Aragorn had a faraway look in his eyes that scared his servants and guards alike. None of them had ever seen the king in this state.
Berthian, one of the older, more trusted servants, turned to the others. "He's in no condition to ride," he whispered. "We must hide him somehow in the city."
"But where?" Rhilan twisted around. "We know not who to trust."
"Take him to the house of Netokras. He will hide him until we can move him elsewhere." Berthian glanced at the king.
It didn't seem like Aragorn had heard a word that they were saying. He was staring into space with a lost look.
Rhilan nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty? Come with me, we are going to Netokras' house."
Aragorn glanced at him as if he was in a dream. "Netokras? I have not seen him in a long awhile, not since Arwen's party." A sob escaped his parched throat. "She's dead, Rhilan."
"I know, Sire, I know. Come quickly."
A servant ran up holding a black woolen cloak. "The king will be easily recognized. This may disguise him slightly." The servant shrugged. "At least it will help."
Rhilan nodded his thanks and grabbed the cloak from the servant. "Put this on and be sure to pull the hood over your face."
Slowly, Aragorn put on the cloak and followed him across the courtyard. Every step seemed forced and he stumbled more than once. "Where are we going?" He asked quietly, sounding very much like a lost little boy.
"Netokras, Sire," Rhilan said patiently.
Aragorn stopped. "No! I can't go to his house! I must stay here! Rhilan, I must look for her! I have to go find Arwen. I cannot find her! She may be hurt!" He turned towards the palace, intending to run back to his queen.
Rhilan dove forward and caught the king about the waist. "She's dead, Aragorn!" he murmured, dropping all formality.
Aragorn tried to break free, pitifully calling out his beloved's name and reaching towards the castle.
Rhilan soothed the distraught young man as best as he could, "I wish she was not dead, but she is; and neither I nor you can change that. We must hurry now or you will be killed too!"
Going completely limp, Aragorn's tears ran freely down his face, making tracks in his dirty face. "Then I wish to die as well. I will stay here and die with her. I belong with her. Please." He looked pleadingly up at Rhilan.
"No, Aragorn.your kingdom needs you. You must not think of only yourself! Come quickly!" Rhilan tugged on his arm again.
Slowly, the young king nodded and casted one last look at the place where Arwen had died. With heavy steps, Aragorn turned from his home and followed Rhilan from the courtyard.
On the way, Rhilan pulled aside one of the many servants clustered around. "Send a message to Prince Legolas. Tell him what has happened. King Aragorn could use a good friend at the moment."
The servant nodded and darted from the courtyard.
Aragorn leaned heavily on his friend. "I want Legolas," he whispered quietly. "He shall help me find Arwen."
"I sent for him, Majesty. He will be here within the week." Rhilan decided against correcting the King about Arwen again.
Smiling dreamily, Aragorn nodded in pleasure. "Good. Legolas always helps me. He will not fail me this time. He will find Arwen for me. I know he will. Do not you agree, Rhilan?"
Rhilan dropped his gaze to avoid the King's. "Arwen has gone where no mortal or immortal can follow, my Lord. Not even Legolas, though I am sure he would gladly find her if it was in his powers to do so."
Aragorn nodded again. "She is dead."
"Yes."
"Who killed her?"
"We do not know; but we will find them and bring them to justice. You may count on that."
"Legolas will help."
"I am positive he shall."
Aragorn glanced around the deserted streets they were hurrying through. "Where did everyone go?"
"They probably heard the news of what happened. They are in mourning for your loss and Queen Arwen's death."
Aragorn bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. "What is our next move of action?" he asked, opening his eyes.
Rhilan stared at him in amazement. Gone was the grieving young man and in his place was the king of men, ready to defend his kingdom. "I-uh." he stumbled to a halt, unsure of what to say.
Suddenly an arrow whizzed by their heads, thudding into the wooden house behind them.
Rhilan cursed and threw the king onto the ground, covering him with his own body. Then he drew his sword. "Who is there?" he screamed into the shadows of the streets.
Aragorn bucked him off, drawing his own sword. "I can defend myself." His eyes were gleaming in the starlight.
Another arrow flew by, making Aragorn dodge a few steps.
"I want you to run, I will cover you," Rhilan was drawing out his bow and fitting it with an arrow.
"I told you, I can defend myself!"
"Aragorn! This is not time to debate your worthiness in battle. I know you can, but you are important to the kingdom. Obey me!" He gave the stunned royal a little shove as he continued to scan the streets with his sharp eyes. "When I say go, make for the corner and then go to the home of Netokras. I will meet you there."
Aragorn nodded numbly. "Be careful, my friend."
Rhilan spared a small smile at the young king. "On the count of three, one. two.three.NOW!"
Before he could even register his movement, Aragorn was running across the cobblestones. His shoulder blades burned in the anticipation of an arrow slamming into them at any moment. Behind him, he could hear the curses of his would be assassin and then Rhilan's bow singing loudly in the night air.
And Aragorn kept running.
((a bit of shameless plugging.check out my other story Corner of my Eye!!!))
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Legolas, heck, I'd settle for Aragorn or Eomer. But sadly, it will never be.so it all belongs to NewLine and Tolkien.
Flight in the Night
Aragorn stared down at the blood spattering his hands. Silently, his mouth moved in shock, trying to form the frantic thoughts speeding through his addled brain. "Wha." he swallowed back the tears.
A strong reached to pull him to his feet and tug him down the hall. "My Lord! We must flee from here! The assassins will be back!"
The king's eyes were deep holes of sorrow. "She's dead, Rhilan."
"I know, my lord," the servant's voice softened. "There is nothing more you can do for her now! We must hurry!"
"No!" Aragorn wrenched his arm away. "I will not leave her!"
"Sire! We must! The land depends on you! If you fall, so does Gondor, itself." Rhilan laid his hand on the trembling arm. "Come with me."
Aragorn nodded his head in resignation and slowly followed Rhilan away from the dead body of Arwen, the queen of Gondor. "Where are we going?" he asked in a small voice.
"Somewhere to be safe."
"Are we staying in Gondor?"
"No, my Lord."
"To where are you taking me then?"
"Rivendell is the safest place for you now, Sire." Rhilan led him down the winding hallways and pushed open a heavy door that led to the outdoors.
Aragorn shielded his face from the bright sunlight. "Who killed her?" he murmured, almost to himself.
"Do you have your sword, King Aragorn?" he asked as one of the guards led his horse up to him.
"The sword that was reforged? It never leaves me." Aragorn had a faraway look in his eyes that scared his servants and guards alike. None of them had ever seen the king in this state.
Berthian, one of the older, more trusted servants, turned to the others. "He's in no condition to ride," he whispered. "We must hide him somehow in the city."
"But where?" Rhilan twisted around. "We know not who to trust."
"Take him to the house of Netokras. He will hide him until we can move him elsewhere." Berthian glanced at the king.
It didn't seem like Aragorn had heard a word that they were saying. He was staring into space with a lost look.
Rhilan nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty? Come with me, we are going to Netokras' house."
Aragorn glanced at him as if he was in a dream. "Netokras? I have not seen him in a long awhile, not since Arwen's party." A sob escaped his parched throat. "She's dead, Rhilan."
"I know, Sire, I know. Come quickly."
A servant ran up holding a black woolen cloak. "The king will be easily recognized. This may disguise him slightly." The servant shrugged. "At least it will help."
Rhilan nodded his thanks and grabbed the cloak from the servant. "Put this on and be sure to pull the hood over your face."
Slowly, Aragorn put on the cloak and followed him across the courtyard. Every step seemed forced and he stumbled more than once. "Where are we going?" He asked quietly, sounding very much like a lost little boy.
"Netokras, Sire," Rhilan said patiently.
Aragorn stopped. "No! I can't go to his house! I must stay here! Rhilan, I must look for her! I have to go find Arwen. I cannot find her! She may be hurt!" He turned towards the palace, intending to run back to his queen.
Rhilan dove forward and caught the king about the waist. "She's dead, Aragorn!" he murmured, dropping all formality.
Aragorn tried to break free, pitifully calling out his beloved's name and reaching towards the castle.
Rhilan soothed the distraught young man as best as he could, "I wish she was not dead, but she is; and neither I nor you can change that. We must hurry now or you will be killed too!"
Going completely limp, Aragorn's tears ran freely down his face, making tracks in his dirty face. "Then I wish to die as well. I will stay here and die with her. I belong with her. Please." He looked pleadingly up at Rhilan.
"No, Aragorn.your kingdom needs you. You must not think of only yourself! Come quickly!" Rhilan tugged on his arm again.
Slowly, the young king nodded and casted one last look at the place where Arwen had died. With heavy steps, Aragorn turned from his home and followed Rhilan from the courtyard.
On the way, Rhilan pulled aside one of the many servants clustered around. "Send a message to Prince Legolas. Tell him what has happened. King Aragorn could use a good friend at the moment."
The servant nodded and darted from the courtyard.
Aragorn leaned heavily on his friend. "I want Legolas," he whispered quietly. "He shall help me find Arwen."
"I sent for him, Majesty. He will be here within the week." Rhilan decided against correcting the King about Arwen again.
Smiling dreamily, Aragorn nodded in pleasure. "Good. Legolas always helps me. He will not fail me this time. He will find Arwen for me. I know he will. Do not you agree, Rhilan?"
Rhilan dropped his gaze to avoid the King's. "Arwen has gone where no mortal or immortal can follow, my Lord. Not even Legolas, though I am sure he would gladly find her if it was in his powers to do so."
Aragorn nodded again. "She is dead."
"Yes."
"Who killed her?"
"We do not know; but we will find them and bring them to justice. You may count on that."
"Legolas will help."
"I am positive he shall."
Aragorn glanced around the deserted streets they were hurrying through. "Where did everyone go?"
"They probably heard the news of what happened. They are in mourning for your loss and Queen Arwen's death."
Aragorn bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. "What is our next move of action?" he asked, opening his eyes.
Rhilan stared at him in amazement. Gone was the grieving young man and in his place was the king of men, ready to defend his kingdom. "I-uh." he stumbled to a halt, unsure of what to say.
Suddenly an arrow whizzed by their heads, thudding into the wooden house behind them.
Rhilan cursed and threw the king onto the ground, covering him with his own body. Then he drew his sword. "Who is there?" he screamed into the shadows of the streets.
Aragorn bucked him off, drawing his own sword. "I can defend myself." His eyes were gleaming in the starlight.
Another arrow flew by, making Aragorn dodge a few steps.
"I want you to run, I will cover you," Rhilan was drawing out his bow and fitting it with an arrow.
"I told you, I can defend myself!"
"Aragorn! This is not time to debate your worthiness in battle. I know you can, but you are important to the kingdom. Obey me!" He gave the stunned royal a little shove as he continued to scan the streets with his sharp eyes. "When I say go, make for the corner and then go to the home of Netokras. I will meet you there."
Aragorn nodded numbly. "Be careful, my friend."
Rhilan spared a small smile at the young king. "On the count of three, one. two.three.NOW!"
Before he could even register his movement, Aragorn was running across the cobblestones. His shoulder blades burned in the anticipation of an arrow slamming into them at any moment. Behind him, he could hear the curses of his would be assassin and then Rhilan's bow singing loudly in the night air.
And Aragorn kept running.
((a bit of shameless plugging.check out my other story Corner of my Eye!!!))