Author's Notes:
Thanks so much to the people who reviewed!! Honestly, I saw that my story got replies, and I was very thrilled =D LoL.
To clear some things up, I know Aragorn and Legolas are pretty OOC, but I'll try to explain some of why Aragorn is like that in this chapter (it's all that stress, I'm telling ya!). Legolas. erm. nah, he definitely isn't one to argue (or so the books and movies imply), but I guess he's sort of touchy on some subjects? Hehe, ok, well he is in this story anyway.
Caet Rae: Hmm. overdone, ya think? Well, I had written it, not as Aragorn seeing it that way, but more from the reader's POV. But I guess it does sound a little bit. er. yeah you know what I mean =) Haha - once I get more familiar with how FFN works and how to edit things, I'll change it ^.~
Fantasia: Haha, sorry, no slash writing from me. I like reading it, but writing it is a different story. I tried it once. it didn't quite turn out right =Þ
***ALSO refer to the bottom of the story for Elvish translations.***
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2: Underestimated
Legolas rode hunched over the saddle, his chest nearly touching Arod's mane as he spurred the horse to greater speeds. His need to be as far from Gondor - and Aragorn - as possible drove his furious mind. The beauty of the trees and the songs of the birds did nothing to appease his wrath and pain at Aragorn's words, and in fact, he did not even notice them as they sped by in a blur. ~Infuriating human~ The reins were clenched tightly in his hands and his normally joyous eyes were hardened. Only when the cold winds blew past him and the light started to fade did he allow Arod to steady to a slower pace.
"That fool of a man. he dares to insult a people so much more insightful than his own kind! And he dismisses our feelings as if they were nothing!" Legolas gritted, speaking to himself as darkness moved in to overcome the light.
"He has no need of me, does he? Fine then, he can fight there in his dead kingdom of stone all on his own! If he should die there, then so be it. He brought it upon himself!" The thought of Aragorn's death caused a sharp pain of grief in his heart, but he pushed it away. He was far too angry to care.
The night brought chills and an eeriness that Legolas did not notice, considering his Elven resistance to such things. Despite that, he shivered, though he suspected it was not because of the cold. It was odd, he thought, to be in such conflict with one whom he loved so dearly as a brother. Or so he thought.
~It matters not - he is no brother of mine if he cannot understand and accept my decisions~
Legolas urged Arod forward and broke through a thin wall of shrubbery. A small open clearing greeted him. He swung down from his saddle and tied Arod to a nearby sycamore before untying his pack. Still growling to himself, Legolas struck the tinder a few times and managed to light a small, but warm, fire. He untied his weapons from Arod's saddle and strapped them to his back. He had taken them off that morning as he approached Gondor, not wanting to carry his weapons as he met with Aragorn. Now though, he slid his light Elven blades into their sheaths and lay his bow by his side as he leaned his back up against a tree.
Just as Legolas felt himself slipping into the world of Elven dreams, he felt the trees stiffen and heard their whispers of alarm. He heard the barest hissing in the air; his eyes shot open and he threw himself to the side as an arrow thudded into the wood where his head had just been. Legolas was on his feet with his bow in hand and an arrow notched quicker than the eye could follow. His eyes quickly searched the darkness of the trees beyond the clearing. Judging as best he could where the arrow came from, he aimed and shot into the night. His acute hearing caught the sound of his arrow hitting flesh, but was worried when he did not hear the sound of a body hitting the ground.
Moments later, two figures emerged from the trees. Uruk-hai.
Legolas' brows rose in surprise. Uruk-hai, though stronger than orcs, did not tend to stray far from the main party, especially with only two of them. Even stranger was the fact that one of them had taken his arrow in the chest, and still he stood. Odd. The Prince shoved the concern aside as a small feral grin appeared on his face. Only two of them; this would be simple work.
As the two growling Uruk-hai drew closer, smirking, Legolas dropped his bow and reached behind his back to unsheath his twin blades. He felt a comforting familiarity and a sudden burst of confidence as his fingers closed on the hilts. He whirled them out in front of him, the thin Elven metal whistling through the air. Then, they were upon him. The nearest one carried a huge cutlass, which he swung at Legolas' head. He nimbly dodged the blow and retaliated. He brought up one knife in an upward swing, the weapon moving faster than sight would allow. Assuming a quick dispatch, his eyes widened is surprise when the Uruk blocked his attack almost as fast and with much more force. ~When did anything related to an Orc become so fast?~
Ignoring the numbing in his arms that block had created, Legolas crisscrossed the knives in midair and sliced across the creature's midsection. Red bloomed on the metal as Legolas ran the Uruk-hai through.
The blond elf push-kicked the creature aside and pulled his blade free just as the second Uruk-hai charged him. The beast managed to knick Legolas' forearm before the elf swished one of his knives to knock the offending broadsword aside and dug his other blade into his opponent's side. Legolas spun and slammed both knife-points into the creature's chest.
The elf backed away and clamped a hand over his wound. He felt the warm trickle of blood on his fingers. It was not serious, though, he was sure; it would heal within a few days. Suddenly, Legolas stopped and stared.
The first Uruk-hai he had killed was gone.
He barely had time to ponder it before he felt a huge weight crash onto his back as his blades were knocked from his hands. Legolas gasped as he was crushed to the ground.
"You think I will be rid of so easily, elf?" a hoarse voice growled into his ear.
Gritting his teeth, Legolas heaved with all his strength and flipped the Uruk-hai off his back. As he made to stand, the creature grabbed his ankles and yanked hard. Legolas fell onto his back, the wind knocked out of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Uruk-hai grab his cutlass and swing towards him. Legolas automatically rolled to the side as the metal struck the dirt.
~Thank the Valar for Elven reflexes.~
The Uruk-hai struggled to regain his balance from the force of his blow. In those moments, Legolas reached one hand behind him to grab his dropped blade that he knew would be there. He blue eyes widened in shock when a pair of rough hands found his.
The second Uruk-hai was alive and apparently well enough to fight. He had Legolas's wrist in a tight grip and was grinning, though not in a particularly friendly way.
"How in the name of.-"
By now, Legolas was far too confused to even understand what was going on. He had killed both these creatures! He had stabbed them in vital places, and they should have been dead by now! Legolas narrowed his eyes, forcing his mind to come back to him and focus. He scooted back slightly and kicked his knife upwards and caught it with his free hand. He swiped it downwards and felt it bite into the Uruk's hand that held him. The beat released him with a cry of pain and stumbled backwards.
Legolas spun around and met the first Uruk's downward slash just in time. He deflected the blow and countered. By now, the second Uruk had grabbed his broadsword and was charging from behind. His mind working furiously, Legolas dropped to his knees and executed a roll that took him between the first Uruk-hai's legs and to the other side of him.
Legolas hoped that the second Uruk would be going too fast to stop in time and would accidentally run his partner through with his weapon. It had worked numerous times before on both Orcs and Uruks. The Uruk-hai were strong, but they were also usually too large to be able to control their movements very well at that speed. -
The golden elf gaped in surprise. The second Uruk stopped abruptly, his blade a mere inch from his companion's head. Legolas gritted his teeth in grim frustration; his plan had not worked as well as he had hoped. Thinking quickly, Legolas searched the ground for his other blade. Within moments, he found it lying in a pile of leaves only a few feet to the side. He grabbed it and, lifting his other blade already in hand, swung the twin knives to either side of the first Uruk's neck and decapitated him. As the monster fell, the second Uruk-hai growled in anger and frustration. It was not pleased.
His azure eyes hardened, but shining with battle light, Legolas dropped his twin blades and reach behind him to pull two arrows from his quiver. Gripping them tightly, he thrust his hands forwards and shoved the arrows into the beast's eyes. With a howl, it clawed at its face in agony and dropped to the ground. It trembled there for a few spastic moments before Legolas retrieved his blades and drove them through the Uruk-hai's head. It gave a final shiver before it stopped and lay still.
Legolas stood staring at the two dead creatures for a full minute before he shook his head to clear it. Still in a slight daze, the golden-haired elf wiped his knives clean on one of the Uruk's tunics.
Questions races through his mind as he sheathed his weapons and wiped the sweat and blood from his face. How did they manage to sneak up on him so quietly in the dark, and why did they feel that it was safe to travel with only two of them? How was it possible that those two Uruk-hai lived after receiving fatal wounds from him in the first round? How did they possess so much agility and how was it that their reflexes were so fast for their kind?
Legolas was beyond confused, as well as highly concerned. What should have been an easy three-minute battle almost cost him his life. He might have had trouble with a dozen of them, but only two should not have even worked up a sweat.
As the Prince of Mirkwood hoisted up his packs and tightened the straps on Arod's saddle, worry worked its way into the core of his being.
~These Uruk-hai are different than the others we've faced before. These. these are stealthier, smarter, quicker, and much less vulnerable. By the Valar. if these are the Uruk-hai who are marching against Gondor, Aragorn will have no chance of beating them, especially without news of their new advantages~
His jaw set, Legolas pulled himself onto Arod's back and turned him towards Gondor - and Aragorn. Suddenly, the events of that morning swept back into him.
~*~*~*~
".I cannot be so quick to understand your kind's idiocy on these matters! Then again, what I truly do not understand is how Mirkwood could be so traitorous as not to come and help."
~*~*~*~
Legolas closed his eyes, the furious words of their argument clicked back into his mind.
~*~*~*~
"How is it so, brother, that you would desert me at the time of my greatest
need!?"
~*~*~*~
He felt his blood rising hot in his veins again. ~No! I must warn Aragorn. this stubbornness cannot get the better of me~
~*~*~*~
"I have no need for prissy woodland elves who exhibit even the slightest hesitation!"
~*~*~*~
Legolas felt his breath coming faster and he unconsciously tightened his hold on the reins. ~No need. indiot of a mortal. He spoke like an ignorant fool~
~*~*~*~
"Leave then! Go back to your traitorous people and tell them the King of Gondor does not need, nor want, their aid! Go back, Legolas to your precious woods and build your precious ships and sail away as Gondor is overrun! GO!"
~*~*~*~
Go.go.go.
Aragorn's last words to him echoed in his head. Legolas felt the pain of their parting anew in his heart. Growling in renewed anger, he turned his horse once again - back towards Mirkwood. ~It is not my place to warn him. He has no need of me and my "traitorous" ways.he said so himself~
Aragorn sighed for the hundredth time. The words he was writing were becoming blurry and his head ached from inhaling too much ink fumes. He spared a glance to the window and gazed wistfully at the gardens for a minute or two. How he wished he could just take a walk to rid himself of all the pressure. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his attention back to the parchment in front of him.
It was a letter to Theoden King of Rohan. It was one of the many letters he was preparing to send out to request aid for Gondor. Aragorn had been working diligently on them for hours, though he often found his attention straying to various things, especially his fiery argument with Legolas, though he tried especially hard not to.
He found that every time he thought of Legolas or Mirkwood, a new flame would ignite in him and his jaw would tighten with renewed anger. He didn't understand why he was taking Mirkwood's refusal to help so badly, but he simply couldn't help the waves of anger that flowed through him.
~Such treachery just had to surface now.~
Especially infuriating was the way Legolas had acted; it was as if thousands of Uruk-hai weren't marching upon Gondor, that the King of Men had simply been calling Mirkwood's warriors to afternoon tea! Deep down, Aragorn knew he had only blown up at Legolas because of the stress and the weight on his shoulders that his predicament forced on him, but he pushed that out of his mind. He would never admit that to the elf. Aragorn continued to scribble down requests - practically pleas - as he forced the incident of the morning before to fade from his mind. Honestly, he was being irrational, and he didn't quite care.
Aragorn heard the soft click of the door opening, but not the footsteps that followed. Judging from the fact that, even with his sharp hearing, he could not make out any sounds, he knew Arwen had entered the room. Seconds later, he felt the gentle descending of a woman's hand on his shoulder. The Evenstar's musical voice followed that touch.
"Aragorn. you are far too tense. Won't you rest awhile?"
"How can I rest when such evil approaches?" Aragorn replied without looking up.
Arwen sighed. Her husband had been slaving over these cursed plans and letters for days, and it was beginning to show. She had been so thrilled when Legolas had arrived, knowing beyond a doubt that he would ease Aragorn's mind. She had not even imagined that such an argument would erupt and that Legolas, her beloved's dearest friend, would storm away in anger.
Her bright eyes sad, Arwen made her way to Aragorn's side and crouched down so she was looking up at him. She lifted a slender hand to tilt his chin downwards until he was looking into her eyes. His eyes were stony, hard, and unreadable. to everyone but a few - she being one of those few. Behind the wall he had built, Arwen saw the frustration and the pressure, and the hidden pain of a bond he felt had been broken.
She touched his skin gently with her fingertips.
"Ilya uu- wanwa, meleth nin`." She whispered.
The stormy gray of his eyes was fixed on her intently.
"I feel as if it is, Arwen," he said quietly. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they held a hint of hopelessness. "Taare amin` uu- i poldore ana fenda sien`. Nin nilda e herenya."
Arwen shook her head slowly and move her hands to grasp his.
"En hilda amin` estel miule Estel kanuva sien."
Aragorn gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Arwen."
She smiled at him and stood. Bending down slightly, she kissed him on the forehead before gathering her skirts and gliding silently out of the room. Aragorn followed her with his eyes until the door closed shut behind her. He turned back to the papers that littered his desk. Picking up his quill once again, he quickly finished his letter to Rohan. Laying it with the other finished letters, he chose a clean parchment and prepared his hand to write. ~And now for Gimli's kin.~
Despite Arwen's comforting words, the hopelessness still lingered hungrily in his mind.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yay, second chapter posted! Wahoo =) OK, just to clear things up, the Elvish I used was very very INCORRECT. I have no clue about Elvish grammar, and half of those words aren't right anyway. I only wanted to use Elvish in this story to give a certain affect in some places, such as the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen. To those people who actually DO know things about the Elvish language, please be easy on me! I try, honest!
~*~
Translations
"Ilya uu- wanwa, meleth nin`" - All is not lost, my love.
"Taare amin` uu- i poldore ana fenda sien`. Nin nilda e herenya." - We have not the strength to fight them. My men are frightened.
"En hilda amin estel miule Estel kanuva sien." - Your men have hope while Hope leads them.
~*~*~*~
Watch for the next update! It should be here in about half a week.hopefully less.
Thanks so much to the people who reviewed!! Honestly, I saw that my story got replies, and I was very thrilled =D LoL.
To clear some things up, I know Aragorn and Legolas are pretty OOC, but I'll try to explain some of why Aragorn is like that in this chapter (it's all that stress, I'm telling ya!). Legolas. erm. nah, he definitely isn't one to argue (or so the books and movies imply), but I guess he's sort of touchy on some subjects? Hehe, ok, well he is in this story anyway.
Caet Rae: Hmm. overdone, ya think? Well, I had written it, not as Aragorn seeing it that way, but more from the reader's POV. But I guess it does sound a little bit. er. yeah you know what I mean =) Haha - once I get more familiar with how FFN works and how to edit things, I'll change it ^.~
Fantasia: Haha, sorry, no slash writing from me. I like reading it, but writing it is a different story. I tried it once. it didn't quite turn out right =Þ
***ALSO refer to the bottom of the story for Elvish translations.***
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2: Underestimated
Legolas rode hunched over the saddle, his chest nearly touching Arod's mane as he spurred the horse to greater speeds. His need to be as far from Gondor - and Aragorn - as possible drove his furious mind. The beauty of the trees and the songs of the birds did nothing to appease his wrath and pain at Aragorn's words, and in fact, he did not even notice them as they sped by in a blur. ~Infuriating human~ The reins were clenched tightly in his hands and his normally joyous eyes were hardened. Only when the cold winds blew past him and the light started to fade did he allow Arod to steady to a slower pace.
"That fool of a man. he dares to insult a people so much more insightful than his own kind! And he dismisses our feelings as if they were nothing!" Legolas gritted, speaking to himself as darkness moved in to overcome the light.
"He has no need of me, does he? Fine then, he can fight there in his dead kingdom of stone all on his own! If he should die there, then so be it. He brought it upon himself!" The thought of Aragorn's death caused a sharp pain of grief in his heart, but he pushed it away. He was far too angry to care.
The night brought chills and an eeriness that Legolas did not notice, considering his Elven resistance to such things. Despite that, he shivered, though he suspected it was not because of the cold. It was odd, he thought, to be in such conflict with one whom he loved so dearly as a brother. Or so he thought.
~It matters not - he is no brother of mine if he cannot understand and accept my decisions~
Legolas urged Arod forward and broke through a thin wall of shrubbery. A small open clearing greeted him. He swung down from his saddle and tied Arod to a nearby sycamore before untying his pack. Still growling to himself, Legolas struck the tinder a few times and managed to light a small, but warm, fire. He untied his weapons from Arod's saddle and strapped them to his back. He had taken them off that morning as he approached Gondor, not wanting to carry his weapons as he met with Aragorn. Now though, he slid his light Elven blades into their sheaths and lay his bow by his side as he leaned his back up against a tree.
Just as Legolas felt himself slipping into the world of Elven dreams, he felt the trees stiffen and heard their whispers of alarm. He heard the barest hissing in the air; his eyes shot open and he threw himself to the side as an arrow thudded into the wood where his head had just been. Legolas was on his feet with his bow in hand and an arrow notched quicker than the eye could follow. His eyes quickly searched the darkness of the trees beyond the clearing. Judging as best he could where the arrow came from, he aimed and shot into the night. His acute hearing caught the sound of his arrow hitting flesh, but was worried when he did not hear the sound of a body hitting the ground.
Moments later, two figures emerged from the trees. Uruk-hai.
Legolas' brows rose in surprise. Uruk-hai, though stronger than orcs, did not tend to stray far from the main party, especially with only two of them. Even stranger was the fact that one of them had taken his arrow in the chest, and still he stood. Odd. The Prince shoved the concern aside as a small feral grin appeared on his face. Only two of them; this would be simple work.
As the two growling Uruk-hai drew closer, smirking, Legolas dropped his bow and reached behind his back to unsheath his twin blades. He felt a comforting familiarity and a sudden burst of confidence as his fingers closed on the hilts. He whirled them out in front of him, the thin Elven metal whistling through the air. Then, they were upon him. The nearest one carried a huge cutlass, which he swung at Legolas' head. He nimbly dodged the blow and retaliated. He brought up one knife in an upward swing, the weapon moving faster than sight would allow. Assuming a quick dispatch, his eyes widened is surprise when the Uruk blocked his attack almost as fast and with much more force. ~When did anything related to an Orc become so fast?~
Ignoring the numbing in his arms that block had created, Legolas crisscrossed the knives in midair and sliced across the creature's midsection. Red bloomed on the metal as Legolas ran the Uruk-hai through.
The blond elf push-kicked the creature aside and pulled his blade free just as the second Uruk-hai charged him. The beast managed to knick Legolas' forearm before the elf swished one of his knives to knock the offending broadsword aside and dug his other blade into his opponent's side. Legolas spun and slammed both knife-points into the creature's chest.
The elf backed away and clamped a hand over his wound. He felt the warm trickle of blood on his fingers. It was not serious, though, he was sure; it would heal within a few days. Suddenly, Legolas stopped and stared.
The first Uruk-hai he had killed was gone.
He barely had time to ponder it before he felt a huge weight crash onto his back as his blades were knocked from his hands. Legolas gasped as he was crushed to the ground.
"You think I will be rid of so easily, elf?" a hoarse voice growled into his ear.
Gritting his teeth, Legolas heaved with all his strength and flipped the Uruk-hai off his back. As he made to stand, the creature grabbed his ankles and yanked hard. Legolas fell onto his back, the wind knocked out of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Uruk-hai grab his cutlass and swing towards him. Legolas automatically rolled to the side as the metal struck the dirt.
~Thank the Valar for Elven reflexes.~
The Uruk-hai struggled to regain his balance from the force of his blow. In those moments, Legolas reached one hand behind him to grab his dropped blade that he knew would be there. He blue eyes widened in shock when a pair of rough hands found his.
The second Uruk-hai was alive and apparently well enough to fight. He had Legolas's wrist in a tight grip and was grinning, though not in a particularly friendly way.
"How in the name of.-"
By now, Legolas was far too confused to even understand what was going on. He had killed both these creatures! He had stabbed them in vital places, and they should have been dead by now! Legolas narrowed his eyes, forcing his mind to come back to him and focus. He scooted back slightly and kicked his knife upwards and caught it with his free hand. He swiped it downwards and felt it bite into the Uruk's hand that held him. The beat released him with a cry of pain and stumbled backwards.
Legolas spun around and met the first Uruk's downward slash just in time. He deflected the blow and countered. By now, the second Uruk had grabbed his broadsword and was charging from behind. His mind working furiously, Legolas dropped to his knees and executed a roll that took him between the first Uruk-hai's legs and to the other side of him.
Legolas hoped that the second Uruk would be going too fast to stop in time and would accidentally run his partner through with his weapon. It had worked numerous times before on both Orcs and Uruks. The Uruk-hai were strong, but they were also usually too large to be able to control their movements very well at that speed. -
The golden elf gaped in surprise. The second Uruk stopped abruptly, his blade a mere inch from his companion's head. Legolas gritted his teeth in grim frustration; his plan had not worked as well as he had hoped. Thinking quickly, Legolas searched the ground for his other blade. Within moments, he found it lying in a pile of leaves only a few feet to the side. He grabbed it and, lifting his other blade already in hand, swung the twin knives to either side of the first Uruk's neck and decapitated him. As the monster fell, the second Uruk-hai growled in anger and frustration. It was not pleased.
His azure eyes hardened, but shining with battle light, Legolas dropped his twin blades and reach behind him to pull two arrows from his quiver. Gripping them tightly, he thrust his hands forwards and shoved the arrows into the beast's eyes. With a howl, it clawed at its face in agony and dropped to the ground. It trembled there for a few spastic moments before Legolas retrieved his blades and drove them through the Uruk-hai's head. It gave a final shiver before it stopped and lay still.
Legolas stood staring at the two dead creatures for a full minute before he shook his head to clear it. Still in a slight daze, the golden-haired elf wiped his knives clean on one of the Uruk's tunics.
Questions races through his mind as he sheathed his weapons and wiped the sweat and blood from his face. How did they manage to sneak up on him so quietly in the dark, and why did they feel that it was safe to travel with only two of them? How was it possible that those two Uruk-hai lived after receiving fatal wounds from him in the first round? How did they possess so much agility and how was it that their reflexes were so fast for their kind?
Legolas was beyond confused, as well as highly concerned. What should have been an easy three-minute battle almost cost him his life. He might have had trouble with a dozen of them, but only two should not have even worked up a sweat.
As the Prince of Mirkwood hoisted up his packs and tightened the straps on Arod's saddle, worry worked its way into the core of his being.
~These Uruk-hai are different than the others we've faced before. These. these are stealthier, smarter, quicker, and much less vulnerable. By the Valar. if these are the Uruk-hai who are marching against Gondor, Aragorn will have no chance of beating them, especially without news of their new advantages~
His jaw set, Legolas pulled himself onto Arod's back and turned him towards Gondor - and Aragorn. Suddenly, the events of that morning swept back into him.
~*~*~*~
".I cannot be so quick to understand your kind's idiocy on these matters! Then again, what I truly do not understand is how Mirkwood could be so traitorous as not to come and help."
~*~*~*~
Legolas closed his eyes, the furious words of their argument clicked back into his mind.
~*~*~*~
"How is it so, brother, that you would desert me at the time of my greatest
need!?"
~*~*~*~
He felt his blood rising hot in his veins again. ~No! I must warn Aragorn. this stubbornness cannot get the better of me~
~*~*~*~
"I have no need for prissy woodland elves who exhibit even the slightest hesitation!"
~*~*~*~
Legolas felt his breath coming faster and he unconsciously tightened his hold on the reins. ~No need. indiot of a mortal. He spoke like an ignorant fool~
~*~*~*~
"Leave then! Go back to your traitorous people and tell them the King of Gondor does not need, nor want, their aid! Go back, Legolas to your precious woods and build your precious ships and sail away as Gondor is overrun! GO!"
~*~*~*~
Go.go.go.
Aragorn's last words to him echoed in his head. Legolas felt the pain of their parting anew in his heart. Growling in renewed anger, he turned his horse once again - back towards Mirkwood. ~It is not my place to warn him. He has no need of me and my "traitorous" ways.he said so himself~
Aragorn sighed for the hundredth time. The words he was writing were becoming blurry and his head ached from inhaling too much ink fumes. He spared a glance to the window and gazed wistfully at the gardens for a minute or two. How he wished he could just take a walk to rid himself of all the pressure. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his attention back to the parchment in front of him.
It was a letter to Theoden King of Rohan. It was one of the many letters he was preparing to send out to request aid for Gondor. Aragorn had been working diligently on them for hours, though he often found his attention straying to various things, especially his fiery argument with Legolas, though he tried especially hard not to.
He found that every time he thought of Legolas or Mirkwood, a new flame would ignite in him and his jaw would tighten with renewed anger. He didn't understand why he was taking Mirkwood's refusal to help so badly, but he simply couldn't help the waves of anger that flowed through him.
~Such treachery just had to surface now.~
Especially infuriating was the way Legolas had acted; it was as if thousands of Uruk-hai weren't marching upon Gondor, that the King of Men had simply been calling Mirkwood's warriors to afternoon tea! Deep down, Aragorn knew he had only blown up at Legolas because of the stress and the weight on his shoulders that his predicament forced on him, but he pushed that out of his mind. He would never admit that to the elf. Aragorn continued to scribble down requests - practically pleas - as he forced the incident of the morning before to fade from his mind. Honestly, he was being irrational, and he didn't quite care.
Aragorn heard the soft click of the door opening, but not the footsteps that followed. Judging from the fact that, even with his sharp hearing, he could not make out any sounds, he knew Arwen had entered the room. Seconds later, he felt the gentle descending of a woman's hand on his shoulder. The Evenstar's musical voice followed that touch.
"Aragorn. you are far too tense. Won't you rest awhile?"
"How can I rest when such evil approaches?" Aragorn replied without looking up.
Arwen sighed. Her husband had been slaving over these cursed plans and letters for days, and it was beginning to show. She had been so thrilled when Legolas had arrived, knowing beyond a doubt that he would ease Aragorn's mind. She had not even imagined that such an argument would erupt and that Legolas, her beloved's dearest friend, would storm away in anger.
Her bright eyes sad, Arwen made her way to Aragorn's side and crouched down so she was looking up at him. She lifted a slender hand to tilt his chin downwards until he was looking into her eyes. His eyes were stony, hard, and unreadable. to everyone but a few - she being one of those few. Behind the wall he had built, Arwen saw the frustration and the pressure, and the hidden pain of a bond he felt had been broken.
She touched his skin gently with her fingertips.
"Ilya uu- wanwa, meleth nin`." She whispered.
The stormy gray of his eyes was fixed on her intently.
"I feel as if it is, Arwen," he said quietly. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they held a hint of hopelessness. "Taare amin` uu- i poldore ana fenda sien`. Nin nilda e herenya."
Arwen shook her head slowly and move her hands to grasp his.
"En hilda amin` estel miule Estel kanuva sien."
Aragorn gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Arwen."
She smiled at him and stood. Bending down slightly, she kissed him on the forehead before gathering her skirts and gliding silently out of the room. Aragorn followed her with his eyes until the door closed shut behind her. He turned back to the papers that littered his desk. Picking up his quill once again, he quickly finished his letter to Rohan. Laying it with the other finished letters, he chose a clean parchment and prepared his hand to write. ~And now for Gimli's kin.~
Despite Arwen's comforting words, the hopelessness still lingered hungrily in his mind.
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Yay, second chapter posted! Wahoo =) OK, just to clear things up, the Elvish I used was very very INCORRECT. I have no clue about Elvish grammar, and half of those words aren't right anyway. I only wanted to use Elvish in this story to give a certain affect in some places, such as the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen. To those people who actually DO know things about the Elvish language, please be easy on me! I try, honest!
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Translations
"Ilya uu- wanwa, meleth nin`" - All is not lost, my love.
"Taare amin` uu- i poldore ana fenda sien`. Nin nilda e herenya." - We have not the strength to fight them. My men are frightened.
"En hilda amin estel miule Estel kanuva sien." - Your men have hope while Hope leads them.
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Watch for the next update! It should be here in about half a week.hopefully less.