Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR: I am just borrowing the characters

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Kneeling beside his fallen youngest son Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, was relieved to find that Estel still lived. Up close he looked even worse than he had from the battlefield.

"Will he be alright?" Arwen breathed nervously from his side, afraid to reach out and touch her beloved for fear of causing him more pain. His battered body was proof of how much he had already endured.

"He is in better shape than I thought he would be."

Gandalf had moved up behind them "THe ring use its Dark power to heal its master."

Arwen turned her tear stained face up to the wizard. "He is not evil!"

"No," Gandalf replied softly, almost sadly. "But if he can not rid himself of the ring he will turn dark."
"He had turned away from the ring." Frodo dragged his eyes up to meet the wizard's. "Before we separated at Amon Hen he had refused the ring." His haunted gaze returned to the still ranger.

Elrond felt his geart breaking a new as he saw the pain and horror in the young hobbit's eyes. All his innocence had been brutally torn from him. "Will you allow me to examine you, Master Baggins?"

Almost indifferently Frodo shrugged. "If you wish."

Sam lifted the seemingly tranquil hobbit to his feet. "You need to be healed," the gardener announced. "Sam I so sorry he lost you."

"It was not your fault," was the lifeless reply. "I am just glad that you were spared."

As Elrond rose Elrohir gently lifted his foster brother up. "Let's get them inside where I can examine them closer." He turned to Halbarad and Legolas, who were flanking Elrohir, one on either side of the unmoving future king. "Would you go and have the army stand down and send out appropriate watches and patrols?"
The two glanced at each other for a moment before simultaneously shaking their heads.

Narrowing his eyes Gandalf looked back and forth between the two and Aragorn. Understanding why the two would not leave the unconscious ranger's side he sighed softly. "I will take care of it." With one last sorrowful glance at the battered human and hobbit he left. "Let me know what you find."

The elven lord was too busy guiding the party inside to reply. It was several hours later when he at last emerged from the rooms they had taken. Feeling more tired and dispirited than he had in centuries he walked toward the courtyard where he found Gandalf, Denethor, Boromir, Gimli, Pippin, Merry, Eomer, Imrahil, and Galadriel waiting for him. "They will both be fine," he announced.

The relief in the courtyard was palpable. "What do we do now?" Pippin asked.

"We finish destroying Sauron's army," a voice hoarse from disuse commented form behind Elrond. Slowly the elf-lord turned to see Aragorn standing in the open doorway, swaying slightly. Arwen had an arm around his waist to help him balance while Halbarad and Legolas again flanked him.

"Strider!" Merry and Pippin threw themselves at the ranger, knocking him backward. Only the quick hands of the prince of Mirkwood prevented a painful fall.

With a quick shake of his head at the hobbit's unshakable exuberance Elrond moved to pry them off the staggering ranger. He had not missed Estel's wince at the collision. He was stopped in his tracks in surprise when Estel dropped to his knees and embraced them tightly, eyes squeezed tightly shut to hold back tears. After a few minutes Elladan and Elrohir stepped around their unmoving father and gently disentangled a hobbit each, laying a reassuring hand momentarily on his shoulders.

Taking a deep breath Aragorn rose, giving Arwen's waist a quick squeeze. Slowly he moved to an empty bench and sank down on it, Arwen seating herself beside him. He wearily leaned back against the wall behind him. "Unfortunately I was not able to stop any but the evil creatures near to Mordor or presenting the gravest threats to the Alliance's homelands." His eyes slipped closed. Elrond wanted to send him right back to bed but knew the remaining armies of evil had to be dealt with and the sooner the better.

"What of the ring?" Denethor demanded. He hated the fact that everybody gazed at this scruffy ranger as if he was his or her saviour.

Forcing his burning eyes open Aragorn met the steward's eyes and did not flinch or back down. It was Denethor who dropped his eyes first, clinching his fists in anger. Dismissing him Aragorn turned his attention back to the others. "It must be destroyed." Unnoticed by its owner his right hand moved protectively over the left. "Unfortunately first the remaining orcs must be dealt with and treaties need to be worked out with the Easterlings and Haradrim. None on Middle-Earth can afford more hostilities or casualties." His sharp, knowing gaze stabbed each of those present, daring them to deny the truth of his statement. "And if it is not done now we will spend years in small, but deadly wars."

Recognizing the truth of his son's words and what they might cost him Elrond sat down on the bench beside him. "Are you able to do this?" Comfortingly he laid his hand over Estel's. A shock tore through him. It took all I willpower to not pull hi s hand away and school his features not to react. Vilya, his elven ring of power was n reacting badly to its proximity to the one ring.

From the knowing look in Aragorn's eyes he felt it to. "I do not have any choice." He gave his father a tired smile. "The ring will slow down the evil creatures, causing them to hesitate. I fear we will desperately need that tactical advantage before this is over."

"Can't you just stop them like you did before?" Pippin asked.

"No!" . Taking a deep breath Aragorn calmed him forcefully and continued in a softer voice. "I dare not. The more I use the ring the more attuned it will become to me and the harder it will be for me to destroy it."

Aragorn snapped and Elrond could feel the coiled tension in his son's hand. Unobtrusively he began to emanate relaxing, healing energy directly into the hand. He turned to look in his foster father's eyes, needing him to understand. "The surge of power when the ring accepted my claim was inexplicable. I feared if I did not release some of that energy I would be destroyed." He turned his attention back to the impromptu council "To use it for anything but the direst emergency is a risk I am not willing to take."

Not wanting to delve too deeply into this subject in front of all these people Gandalf rose to his feet. "Aragorn is correct. Moria would be our best place to begin."

Elrond nodded. "I will send Elladan, Elrohir, and the Rivendell complement ahead to the west gate."

Eomer nodded his agreement. "I do not know how much help we will be in the caves, but the Rohirrim will guard your backs."

"My men will be of use in the caves," Imrahil spoke next.

The dwarves leader, Dain, spoke after a moment of silence. "I would like to send a couple of dwarves with you as well. All of us will only slow your travel time but a couple will prove invaluable in the mines."

The elven twins smiled at him gratefully. "We would have begged the company. We are honored to accept."

"Who would have believed it," a new voice commented from behind Elrond. "Dwarves offering their aid to elves who gladly accept it. It truly is the dawning of a new age."

Elrond turned his head, surprised that he had not heard the entrance of the steward's youngest son. He had been so focused on mentally supporting his son and the conversation that he had tuned out all exteriors. That had not happened since Celebrian had been returned from her orc captivity.

"We will leave first thing in the morning," Elrohir announced when no one else spoke.

Abruptly rejoining the conversation Aragorn nodded his agreement. "We will leave two days following that. That will give me enough time to convince the Haradrim and Easterlings where they stand." His small smile was slightly predatory before he turned to Faramir. The leader of Gondor's rangers had settled himself beside Halbarad. "I need you to redistribute your rangers with half to accompany us to Moria."

His eyes narrowing dangerously Denethor rose. "Now wait just a minute. I am steward of Gondor."

"Not for long." Aragorn's voice was low and unwavering. "You have two grown sons both of whom are quite capable of filling the position with the advantage that they care more for their people than for personal power. And Isildur's heir may yet claim the throne." Again the predatory grin appeared as he caught and refused to release the old steward's eyes. "I know."

At those words Denethor blanched before turning to storm out of the courtyard.

"We will talk to him," Boromir promised as he and Faramir followed their sire out.

Reluctantly releasing Elrond's hand Aragorn pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly in exhaustion and pain. "I will see you in the morning." A light squeeze on her shoulder requested that Arwen remain. Halbarad and Legolas followed him out.

Dain left next, muttering about finding the right scouts with Eomer and Imrahil just behind him, discussing logistics. Taking a look at the remaining elves and wizard Merry grabbed Pippin's hand and all but dragged him out of the room. "We will check on dinner."

Arwen waited until she was sure they were out of range before turning to her father. "Can he fight it?" she asked desperately. "I mean enough to return to himself unscathed. I have never seen him in so much pain and dispirited."

"He will always be scarred and haunted by this event," Gandalf sadly answered. "How deep the damage goes depends on how far he gives in to the ring. You can't touch such power without being affected."

Placing an arm around his sister's shoulder Elrohir sat down beside her. "It already touches him. He is himself but-" here he hesitated, searching for the right words. He finally shrugged, at a loss.

Elladan nodded. "He is colder, more distant."

"Do not forget he had just endured weeks of torture that we can not imagine," Galadriel spoke for the first time in her musical voice. "That will have affected his behavior as well."

With effort Elrond pulled his attention from his the door his youngest had disappeared through. By using Vilya's powers and the trust Estel had for him he had been able to follow the ranger back to his room and feel him collapse painfully onto the bed, already asleep. "His mind is still his own." Squeezing his daughter's hand he gave her a reassuring grin. "Estel does not want power and never has, that is his biggest advantage."

"Let us hope it is enough," was Gandalf's soft reply. "Let us trust in hope."

A/N Sorry about the formatting problem the first time I posted. Hope this is easier to read. The next chapter should be out in a couple of days.